Improvements in Type-setting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-setting Machines.
1, JOHN BYRON ODELL, of 155 Randolph Street Chicago, in the County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, United States of America, Electrical Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The invention has for its object to provide a machine capable of rapidly and
accurately setting up type in lines and forming the lines into columns. I prefer to
embody in the machine certain mechanical devices for holding, selecting and trans-
ferring the type; and in connection therewith certain electrical devices for handling
the type.
Said mechanical devices comprise a series of type holding boxes or compartments
concentrically arranged about an assembling or composing table, and in which the
types are placed and fed downward by gravity; a series of operating keys corre-
sponding in number to the type holding boxes; levers connecting the operating keys
with plungers adapted to force the type one at a time from the compartments onto a
table and into a position to be grasped by carrying levers armed with spring gripping
jaws which seize the types and present them to an electrically operated type carrying
device, which sets the type in proper position in line, the setting of each type
effecting the moving of the line endwise a distance equal to the thickness of such
type; and means whereby the lines are assembled in columns, each line being moved
a distance equal to its width prior to the formation of a new line.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device complete, a part of the frame broken
away to expose part of the electrical apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the central parts of the device, a fragmentary portion
omitted from each end thereof.
Fig. 3 is a central, vertical longitudinal section.
Fig. 4 is section on line 4, 4, of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a transverse central vertical section looking in the direction indicated by
the arrow 5, in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a similar view looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 6, in
Fig. 2.
Figs. 7 to 14 inclusive are detail views.
In the drawings, 15 represents the base frame of the structure on top of which is
mounted a circular table 16, having a recess 17 in its top, which preferably slopes
toward the rear of the machine; above this table are a series of type compart-
ments 18; these compartments are formed by a three sided frame (marked 19 Fig. 2)
within which are fitted the type boxes shown in Figs 7, 8 and 9. These boxes have
three sides 20, which are stationary, and a removable side 21 which projects beyond
the end walls of the box, and are adapted to be taken into longitudinal grooves in
the end walls of the frame 19; the upper ends of the boxes are open, and a portion
of their bottoms and of their front walls at the bottom, are cut away as shown at 22,
in the detail Fig. 9; an aperture is also made in the rear wall at 23, through which
a plunger is protruded to force the type out of the box; the type 24, are placed in
this box as shown in Fig. 9, each box containing types of the same character. The
side 21 will first be removed to facilitate the work, and when the boxes are filled
they are slipped into place in the frames 19. The type themselves are ordinary
metal type of the usual form, except that they are provided with the usual
recesses 24, Fig. 12, to adapt them to be grasped by the gripping jaws herein-
after described. They will be so placed that the type face shall appear at the

page_text: opening in the front wall of the box. As shown in Fig. 2, there are twenty-six
type compartments, but it will of course be understood that there will be one for
each character used, and that there will be for each type box a corresponding key.
These keys which are marked 25 are banked at the front of the machine and are
arranged preferably as in the ordinary type-writer. Each key, of which the one
shown in Fig. 4 is a representative, has its stem vertically movable in an aperture
in the top of the base 15, and spring 26 is interposed between the head of the key
and the top of the base, whereby the key is yieldingly sustained in its normal
position. The stems of the keys are pivotally secured within the hollow of
the base, to the ends of horizontal levers 27, the opposite ends of which are pivoted
near the rear of the base (Fig. 3). Two systems of levers are connected with the key
levers 27, one of which operates the plungers for forcing the type out of the boxes,
and the other operates the levers that carry the type to the point where it is
assembled in the line. The first of these systems comprise the straight link 28,
pivotally connected to a bent lever 29, which rocks on the pivot 30, and which has
a slot and pin connection with a horizontal moving plunger 31, which latter has a
bearing toward its inner end in a plate 32, and at its outer end in a bracket 33
projected from said plate. The type teed down by gravity, and the lower one is
sustained on the bottom of the box opposite the aperture 23, through which the end
of the plunger passes when its key is depressed, thus striking the lower type and
forcing it forward until it clears the uncut portion of the box bottom when it drops
into the recess 17, of the table 16. The other system of levers comprises straight
vertically working link 34, pivotally connected at its lower end to the lever 27,
and at its upper end to the bent end of a typo-carrying lever 35, pivoted in ear
pieces 36 on a yoke 37, supported by a table 38, or in any other convenient manner.
Levers 35 are armed at their lower end with spring jaws 3, having suitable points
to enter the recesses 24% of the type, as shown in Fig. 14, and a plate 35b, to sustain
the type in. position. In order to present the type properly to the device which
removes them from the spring jaws of the levers 35, it is necessary that the latter
shall be so arranged as to deliver theur at a cominon point which is indicated by the
dotted lines in Fig. 4, and it is also necessary that the type shall be presented in
the same relative position at that point. To accomplish the first of these objects,
- the type boxc; or compartments, are arranged in the arc of a circle, and the
levers 35 are arranged concentrically to the type boxes so as to present each type
at the proper point. In order that the type may be brought up in proper relative
position, that is, so as to face same way, it is evident that the gripping jaws of
levers 35 will have to be so disposed as to compensate for their varying positions ;
this is provided for by bending the lower ends of said arms at angles more or less
acute, depending upon their distance from a central position, and by making the
recesses 17 of the table 16 of such form as to hold the type in the corresponding
angular position. This arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 6, where a recess at
the centre of the view, has its bottom in a horizontal plane, while the recess at
the right of it has its bottom in a plane at an angle to the horizontal, and the
next one and the succeeding ones are still more inclined. At the left of the centre
the recesses are also inclined in the same degree, but at the reverse angle. The
lower ends of the carrying levers 35 will be so disposed as to correspond with the
position of the type in these recesses, that is to say, the centre lever will have its
gripping jaws at right angles to it, as indicated in Fig. 13, while the levers on
either side thereof will have their gripping jaws more or less inclined, as described
in the two views 10 and 11. The mechanism for receiving the type from the
carrying-levers 35 and transferring them to their proper position in line, comprises
a pair of spring jaws 39, which are carried upon the pivoted lever 40 actuated by
certain electrical devices; these spring jaws 39 have their shanks secured on the side:
of the levers 40, as clearly shown in Fig. 15, and also Figs. 3, 4 and 5. These
jaws are bent at right angles upwardly from the upper end of the lever 40, then
again at right angles and extending vertically to a point above the middle of the
height of the line, and then their ends are again bent so as to bring the upper

page_text: part of the springs flush with the walls of the guide-way, by this means there is
formed on the upper ends of said spring-jaws two lips 39, cam-faced toward the
rear of the machine, whereby they are adapted to pass over the type when forced
outwardly against it and then closing behind the type, operatively to withdraw it,
from the jaws of the carrying-lovers 35, and transfer it to its position in the line. In
Fig. the type lever 35 is shown in its elevated position with the type extended
ready to be drawn into place by the jaws 39, and the latter are shown in front of the
type, while their position after having been forced over the type is indicated by dotted
lines in said figure.
In Fig. 2 the line of type is shown partially completed, the spring jaws 39 being
shown with their lips behind the last type which has just been placed in the line.
Lever 40 is actuated by electrical means, which comprise the battery 41, Fig. 5,
the magnets 42, the magnets 43, suitable circuit connecting the magnets and battery,
a series of contact points located beneath the keys 25, and other auxiliary devices,
whereby the depressing of any key operates as before described to carry a type to
a position from which it is to be transferred to the line, and at the same time eject
another type from the box, and finally by means of said electrical devices, said type is
taken from the carrying-lever and transferred.
44 represents metallic points corresponding in number and location to the various
keys, each of which is provided at the lower end of its stem with a metallic pin 45.
The points 44 may project from a brass plate 44ª which is insulated by the strip 46,
and the plate 44ª connected with one side of a battery, the other side of the battery
is connected to one side of the magnets 42, and through them to the magnets 43,
and from thence to the base plate 15", which is in electrical contact with the entire
bank of keys through the springs 26. With this arrangement it is obvious that the
circuit is completed by the depression of any one of the keys until it impinges on
one of the points 44. A shunt circuit represented by the lines 47 is thrown around the
magnets 43, so that said magnets cannot be brought into the circuit until the
armature lever 40 of the magnets 42 engages a spring 48, which opens the shunt
circuit allowing the current to pass through the magnets 43, thus drawing its
armature 49 away from the point 50, further opening the said shunt circuit to
prevent its shunting the magnets 43 on the return of the armature of the magnets 42
until the key is released. As the armature lever of magnets 43 is drawn forward,
it closes a shunt circuit formed by the wires 51 around the magnets 42 at the
points 51, allowing the armature 40 to be retracted under the influence of the
spring 52 to its normal position. The armature lever 49 of the magnets 43, is
returned to its normal position by the spring 49ª upon releasing the key. As the
armature lever 49 returns to its normal position striking the point 50, the magnets 43
are shunted out. With this arrangement of parts, the action is as follows; the
contact of the points 44, 46, caused by depressing the key, first sends the current
through the magnets 42, and thereby attracts the armature bearing lever 40, the
upper end of which bears the springs 39. This lever which is pivoted at 40* moves
with extreme rapidity, and its upper end is thrown backward, and the jaws 39 being
forced apart by coming in contact with the type, is closed behind the latter again,
as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time that the lips 39ª are closed behind the type,
the lower end of the lever 40 strikes the spring contact point 48, opening the shunt
and allowing the current to pass into the magnets 43, and thereby closing the shunt
around the magnets 42, which releases the armature lever 40, the upper end of which
is retracted by the spring, thus disengaging the type from the jaws of levers 35, and
forcing it into the line-way. The type are carried by the jaws 35 to a line-way
formed by guide pieces 52, fixed upon the table 38, and between the end of which
the type are delivered by the jaws 39. One of the guide pieces may be provided
with a flat spring indicated by dotted lines 53, in Fig. 4, whereby the line of type
is pressed against the opposite piece 52, with sufficient force to preserve it from
falling. As the line of type is formed, it is pushed along by each accession thereto
until finally it extends across the table and rests upon the inovable stick 54, which
moves in grooves in the top of the table 38. This stick has one upright side wall 54*,

page_text: and one end wall 54%, and on it the lines are assembled in regular order. The
mechanism for moving each line of type out of the way of the newly formed line,
comprises a hand-lever 55, one end of which is connected to a spiral spring 56, one
end of the spiral spring being secured to the base 15. A rock shaft 57 is journalled
in brackets 58, arising from the top of the base; the outer end of said rock shaft
is rigidly secured to the hand-lovers 55. The inner end of shaft 57, has a crank
arm 59, and a link 60 is secured at one end to said arm, and at the other is pivotally
attached to a short lever 61 pivoted upon part of the frame work marked 62. The
arm 61 is adapted to lift vertically the outer end of a similar arm 63, which is
slotted to receive the head of an upright 64, extending from a gate or partition 65,
which latter is adapted to slide vertically in ways 66. While the line is being
formed upon the stick, it is supported upon the one side by the gate 65, and upon
the other by a vertical plate 67, secured on the ends of pins 68, said pins fastened
through apertures in bracket 69, and adapted to have a limited forward and back
movement with the plate, coiled springs 70 interposed between the brackets and a
shoulder on the pins 68 normally hold said plate in line with one of the guide
pieces 52. In order to move the line of type over one space, I have provided the
mechanism comprising a lever 71, having a link 72, which is connected at its upper
end to the crank of a rock arm 73, which bears a rigid arm 74, which is adapted
to impinge at its lower end upon the outer surface of the plate 67. Now as the
arm 57 is rocked, its crank 59 depresses arm 71 and thereby causes shaft 73 to rock
in its bearing, and arm 74 to force plate 67 inwardly, thus forcing the line of type
over one space. The first line of type will be formed against the end wall 54 of
the stick, and the movement of said line into place will cause the movement of said
stick along the groove a distance equal to the width of the line of type, and as
successive lines are formed, the stick will be moved along step by step in the same
manner. The principal function of the gate is to afford a smooth surface against
which to form the line of type, and it will preferably be used whenever self leading
type are employed, but where it is desired, for any reason, to space the line by leads,
the gate will be elevated and held in its elevated position by a pin inserted in the
slot 61, and made to engage the shoulder 62, on arm 63; arm 61 is free to work
on its pivot, and none of the other parts are disturbed thereby, the movement of the
line of type being effected in the same manner as before described.
The complete operation of the machine is as follows; it will be understood that
the type boxes are filled with type, one of each kind being in its recess 17, and grasped
by the jaws of the carrying-levers 35; now when the type desired has been selected,
the key corresponding thereto is depressed, and the lever carrying such type starts to
move upwards. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the lever 35, bearing
its type, another type is ejected from the box by the plunger before described.
The type will arrive at the outward limit of its movement simultaneously with the
contact between the points 44 and 46, which contacts as before described, first
retracts the lower end of the lever 40, and forces its upper end outwardly; the
spring jaws thereon being forced over the type and closing in behind it, at this
instant the magnets 42 are cut out of the circuit, and the spiral spring retracts the
upper end of the lover 40, thus forcing the type from and between the clamping
jaws 35ª, and into the way formed by the guide pieces 52. The release of the key
opens the circuit and when the carrying-lever has fallen again forcing its jaws over
the head of the new type, the cycle is complete and the operation ready to be
performed over and over again until the line of type has been lengthened by successive
additions, when it is moved over one space by means of the hand lever 55, and a
new line is formed in its place. Of course, modifications of the particular con-
struction herein shown and described, may be made within wide limits without
departing from the spirit of my invention, as for example :-In the construction and
arrangement of the actuating levers, the forms of the type boxes, and in the character
of the type themselves, a machine of this character is adapted for setting type in
ordinary newspaper and book work, and it may be adapted to any desired font
of type.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a type-setting machine, the combination with a series of type boxes, or
compartments, from which the type are remove.l one at a time, a series of operating
keys corresponding in arrangement with the type boxes, a series of type-carrying
levers connected with and actuated by the operating keys and adapted to convey
the type from the type boxes to a common point, a way wherein the type are
assembled in line, and means for transferring the type from the type carrying levers
to said way, substantially as described.
2. In a type-setting machine, the combination with a series of type compart-
ments, having apertures to permit the removal of type therefrom, a series of
operating keys having levers connected thereto, and to a plunger; a plunger
adapted to force the type out of their compartments, when the keys are depressed, a
way in which the type are assembled, a series of type carrying levers connected to
the key levers and provided with jaws adapted to grasp the type and deliver them at
the way, the pivoted lever having means for taking the type from the carrying-
lever jaws, and transferring them to the way, and electrical appliances comprising
magnets, a battery and wires, and adapted by the depression of the keys to form a
circuit and rock the lever on its pivot, and cause its jaws to engage the type and
adapted to return to its normal position when the circuit is opened, and thereby
transfer the type to the way, substantially as described.
3. In a type-setting machine, the combination with the type compartments having
apertures to permit the egress of the type, a plunger, operating keys, levers con-
necting the plungers and the keys, type carrying levers, a way in which the line is
formed, an electrically operated transfer lever adapted to take the type from the
carrying-lever and transfer it to the way. A movable stick or frame upon which
the line is pushed from the way, and means for moving the stick with the line
thereon to permit the formation of a new line, substantially as described.
4. In a type-setting machine, the combination with a series of type compartments,
a table below the latter having recesses therein into which the type are delivered
from the compartments, a series of operating keys, a plunger, and levers connecting
the plungers and keys, type carrying levers one for each compartment connected
with the key, and adapted to engage the type and carry them to a common point,
a pivoted transfer lever adapted to take the type from the carrying-levers and
deliver them in line upon a suitable support; a gate against which the line rests,
a plate or follower; and suitable actuating mechanism for the gate and follower
whereby the line is moved out of the way when completed, substantially as
described.
5. In a type-setting machine, the combination with type compartments con-
centrically arranged upon a suitable base or table having type recesses therein,
whose bottom walls incline at varying angles increasing from the centre toward
the side of the series, and a series of type-carrying levers having their lower ends
bent or inclined to correspond to the position of the type in the recesses, and
suitable means for actuating said levers whereby said levers deliver the type at a
common point and in the same relative position, substantially as described.
6. In a type-setting machine, the combination with means for delivering the
type at a way, said way in which the type are assembled in line, and means for
transferring the type to the way, comprising, in combination, a pivoted lever, one
end of which has type bearing jaws, and the other of which forms the armature of
magnets, said magnets and wires connecting them on one side with a battery, and
the other with a key board and contact points connected with the opposite side of
the battery whereby the depression of the key completes the circuit and thereby
actuates the transfer lever, substantially as described.
7. In a type-setting machine, means for delivering the type at a way, and a transfer
lever for conveying the type onto said way, the lower end of said lever constituting

page_text: the armature of a pair of magnets normally in an open circuit, and means for closing
the said circuit comprising keys, and insulated contact point upon which the keys
impinge, a second pair of magnets normally shunted out of said circuit by its own
armature, and said shunt circuit adapted to be opened to include said second pair of
magnets in the first circuit by the movement of the transfer lever, a normally opened
shunt circuit around the first pair of magnets and adapted to be closed by the
forward movement of the armature lever of the second pair of magnets, thereby
cutting out the first pair of magnets and releasing the transfer lever, said second pair
of magnets remaining in the circuit until said circuit is opened by the release of the
key, substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of September 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.