IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RUBBING OR FINISHING PRINTING TYPES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Low at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th April
1860.
I, WILLIAM Low, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR RUBBING OR FINISHING PRINTING
TYPES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery
or apparatus to be used in rubbing or finishing printing types, instead of
the ordinary hand-rubbing process. According to one modification of this
machinery it consists of a base plate or foundation piece, on one end of which
are disposed a pair of parallel vertical pedestal pillars for carrying a short
horizontal first-motion shaft, which drives the whole of the movements. On
the central portion of this shaft there is fixed or formed an eccentric or crank,
a horizontal connecting rod from which passes away towards the other end of
the apparatus. The outer end of this connecting rod is jointed to one end of
a horizontal sliding rod or bar, accurately guided in a pair of pedestal bearings
on the base plate. The outer end of this rod or bar is formed with a Tor
cross head piece, to the upper face of which is attached a thin horizontal steel
plate. The extreme end of this plate has a transverse recess formed in, and
it works over a horizontal guide surface, carried by the stationary framing of
the actual rubbing surfaces. This framing consists of a pair of parallel
vertical standards set upon the same base plate, having adjusted within and

page_text: between them a pair of diagonally-grooved steel rubbing blocks or plates.
The faces of these plates are opposed to each other, leaving just so much
space between them as is equal to the thickness of the finished type. The
grooves in the faces are inclined in reverse directions as regards each other,
and their lines of direction also stand in opposition to each other. The height
of the opening between them coincides, or nearly so, with the height of the
traversing steel plate already described, as worked by the eccentric or crank.
On the front end of this steel plate there is fitted or formed a double finger or
horizontal forked piece of metal, in the under notch of which each type to be
rubbed is fitted by hand, so that the traverse forward of the plate carries the
type onwards between the rubbing surfaces. Alongside the traversing plate,
and at the same level, there is fitted upon a pillar stand a horizontal tray,
one edge of which stands slightly over the traversing plate. This tray is
slotted out at its outer end to fit under the finger or traversing fork-piece for
conveying the types, and when each type is placed in the finger it rests upon
this tray as upon a horizontal guide, whilst it is further guided by one end
coming in contact with a vertical edge on the tray. As the traversing plate
passes forward, taking with it the type, the latter is pushed onwards until an
incline upon the central portion of the finger lifts the outer end of a spring,
admitting the type beneath it, and at the proper instant the spring presses
the type down over the outer edge of the tray upon the top of the traversing
plate itself, and beneath an upper guide-piece screwed down above, and which
also holds down the tray. The onward revolution of the eccentric now takes
the traversing plate back until the type is allowed to drop over the extreme
end of the plate, and rest upon the horizontal guide surface over which the
traversing plate works. At this period of the movement the traversing finger
is at the end of its back stroke, and a fresh unrubbed type is placed in it.
Then, as the revolution goes on, this second type is carried forwards as in the
case of the former one, whilst at the same time the former one is now pushed
forward by the end of the traversing plate right through between the two
rubbing surfaces of the finishing blocks. This completes the rubbing action
on the two broad sides of the type which drops out at the outer end of the
opening between the blocks. The continuous movement of the machine
brings forward the succeeding type in a similar way, and so on. The rubbing
surface pieces are held in position by a central top screw, and two other side
screws are added for any end adjustment which may be necessary for the
cross head piece of the upper block. To keep the rubbing surfaces clear of
dust or cuttings, there is fitted up in the framing of the rubbing apparatus a
metal cup-piece containing a flexible ball, a hole in which communicates with

page_text: a blowing pipe directed upon the rubbing or finishing surfaces. A small
presser piece is carried upon an arm upon the traversing bar, so that at cach
forward traverse of the carrying bar an air jet is directed upon the acting
surfaces, clearing them from all dust. As the rubbed types fall out they are
received by their broad sides upon a slightly inclined guide or slide-piece. In
this guide-piece, and close up to the delivering mouth of the rubbing blocks,
there is fitting in a slot a small pulley running freely on a horizontal spindle.
This pulley has its periphery standing very slightly above the level of the
guide or slide piece, and thus as each rubbed type comes forward it drops
over or round the top of the pulley, and it is thus turned over upon its
narrow edge. The attendant then removes these turned types in convenient
bundles to the finishing stick, in which the edges are finished in the
ordinary way.