Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Backing up Electro-type Shells and Casting Stereotype Plates for Type-
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Backing up
Electro-type Shells and Casting Stereotype Plates for Type-
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & C° Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS
FOR BACKING UP ELECTRO-TYPE SHELLS AND CASTING STEREOTYPE PLATES, FOR
TYPE-CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINERY" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention relates to the method of backing up curved electrotypo shells and
casting curved stereotype plates for cylinder printing machines, and to apparatus
therefor.
It has heretofore been extremely difficult to back-up curved electrotype shells
and to cast curved stereotype plates so that they would conform to the contours
of the printing surfaces of the type-cylinders of the presses upon which they were
to be used; as in the bending of a shell or matrix containing broad faced type,
solid cuts or illustrations, the printing surface will not readily adapt itself to
perfect arcs of circles, because a greater resistance to the bending is offered at the
points where such broad faced type and cuts occur, than at the angles formed at
the edges of such type or cuts, and hence flat or straight portions will exist in the
shell or matrix after bending. To remedy such defects and obtain a plate from
which an impression could be taken, it has been customary to strike or hammer up
these flat places until they conform to the desired curvature of the printing.
surface; but this method of perfecting the plate is an extremely difficult one and it
is seldom that an absolutely perfect plate is thereby obtained.
The object of this Invention is to overcome the difficulty herein above mentioned
and to obtain an electrotype or stereotype plate which, so far as its printing surface
is concerned, will require no further manipulation after its removal from the pan
or mould in which it has been backed-up or cast.
In carrying out this Invention the electrotype shell or the stereotype matrix is.
placed in a curved mould, flask or casting-pan, the concave interior or face of
which conforms to the cylindrical printing surface desired to be obtained and

page_text: which is fitted with a lid, cover or back of corresponding form in which are
numerous perforations for the reception of pins or pegs of wood or other material.
The Invention consists partly in perfecting the form of the shell or matrix by
forcing it against the face or concave interior of the mould, flask or pan, by means
of the said pins or pegs inserted through the perforations in the lid cover or back,
and holding it there by the said pins. or pegs until after the pouring in and
solidification of the metal of which the stereotype plate or the backing of the
electrotype is composed.
The said Invention further comprises a mould, flask or casting-pan having a
perforated lid, cover or back, the perforations or holes in which are fitted with
pins or pegs for the purpose hereinabove mentioned.
The perforated lid, cover or back of the mould, flask or casting-pan so fitted with
pins or pegs may be made in one piece, or of several separately attachable sections,
to provide for the perfecting of the shell or matrix, section by section, by means of
the said pins or pegs inserted in the holes or perforations; the said Invention
therefore partly consists in perfecting the curve of the shell or matrix, section by
section, by means of the said pins or pegs and holding the separately perfected
portions in place by means of said pins or pegs until after the introduction of the
molten metal; and it further comprises a mould, flask or casting-pan having its lid
cover or back made up or composed of separately attachable sections perforated
for the reception of pins or pegs.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a plan of apparatus in which the casting-pan or mould is horizontal
and the lid or cover of the pan or mould is in one piece.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line, Figure 1..
Figure 3 is an elevation of apparatus in which the mould or flask is vertical and
the perforated cover or back is made in sections, some of such sections having
been removed..
Figure 4 is a plan of the same partly in section.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the two upper sections of the perforated cover
or back,
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A indicates the body of the mould in the form of a
pan, having a horizontal concave interior surface, a, upon which the shell or
matrix, z, is placed and bent to the desired curvature.
-
B indicates the cover or back made in the form of a lid hinged to the pan A
at b, b, and having a convex surface 8 and numerous perforations or holes i, i,
through any of which the pins or pegs k, k, of hard wood or other suitable material,
may be inserted at pleasure, and caused to press against the shell or matrix at the
points where it is desired to perfect the curvature.
The shell or matrix is held securely in place against the concave interior surface
of the pan or mould by clamping strips o, o, and screws p, p as shown in Figure 2,
and as these strips are of the thickness which it is desired to give the electrotype
backing or the stereotype plate they also serve to support the cover or back of the
mould at a proper distance from the pan A.
In order to hold the cover or back, B, firmly in place when the molten metal is
introduced into the mould a pressure screw Ċ is provided which screws through a
cross-head D, and impinges against the upright standard E, or web of the cover.
.This cross-head D, is supported by two posts or uprights n, n', and is secured to
their tops by screw-threads and nuts g, g. As it is desirable, in order to provide
for the insertion of the shells or matrices and removal of the plates from the mould
. or pan, that the lid or cover may be raised and turned away from the mould or
pan, a slot e is provided on one side of the cross head where the standard n¹ passes
through it, so that the operator after loosening the nuts g, g by which the cross-
head is secured, is enabled to turn it aside on the standard n, which then serves as
a pivot for it to swing upon.
When it is desired to back-up an electrotype shell by the use of this apparatus,
the shell is first placed in the pan or mould A and bent by hand as nearly as

page_text: possible to the form of the concave interior surface a thereof; it is then carefully
examined to ascertain whether it has any flat places in its surface which would
interfere with a perfect impression, and if such places are found, pins or pegs k, k
are inserted through any or all of the holes i, i which correspond in position with
such flat places, and the remaining holes are filled up with clay or other suitable
material. The cover B is then turned down over the mould or pan A, the
cross-head returned to its resting place on the uprights, n n', the nuts g, g turned
home, and the pressure screw brought to bear on the standard or web E of the
cover B. The parts being thus in position, the pins k, which fit the holes i i
tightly are pressed or driven in, to bring the opposite portions of the shell into
conformity with the concave surface a of the pan or mould body A. The shell
having been thus perfected the molten metal with which it is to be backed up is
poured into the mouth piece, F of the mould, and thence finds its way to the
interior of the same at the back of the shell. When the plate thus backed up is
removed from the mould or pan, the holes formed by the pins or pegs, k, are
filled with solder and the back turned out to fit the printing cylinder.
The process of casting a stereotype plate is similar to that of backing up an
electrotype shell, the matrix being placed and held in the mould in the samo
manner as the shell, but in the perfecting of the matrix by the pins k, h, the latter
are so placed that their points bear against spaces between the letters formed in
the matrix, instead of upon the reverse of the letters themselves as in the case of
an electrotype shell.
A little experience will enable the operator to determine, after the type has been
set and the form made up, where the flat places in the shell or matrix are likely to
occur.
It will be found convenient to take a pattern or proof of the form and place it
upon the upper side of the lid or cover, B, in register with the shell or matrix, as a
guide by which the operator may place the pins or pegs in proper position without
an examination of the shell or matrix itself.
Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5 A indicates a base plate supporting thereon, or
having cast therewith, an upright curved wall B, which forms the principal portion
of the flask or mould the concave inner surface a of which conforms to the are to
which it is desired to bend the shell or matrix. On the upper part of this wall B
is formed one half of the flaring mouth piece C of the mould. The shell or matrix
is secured to this portion of the mould by the clamping strips f, f1, which are
fastened to the said portion of the mould by screw-bolts, g, g', and which also serve
to keep the proper space between the said portion of the mould and the removable
curved cover or back.
The said cover or back as represented is composed of a series of similar
arc-shaped sections a, a, a, and an upper are-shaped section D which is represented
in perspective in Figure 5 and the upper part of which is cast or made of such form
that when in position it will complete the mouth piece C, the other half of which
is formed or cast on the wall B.
Each of the said sections, a, a and D is separately attachable to the fixed
portion B of the mould by screw clamps S, S, applied at opposite sides, and is
provided with two pins e c¹, one on each side, which bear against the clamping
strips f, for the purpose of obtaining a perfect register for the said sections.
Each section bas drilled in it numerous sinall holes i i, similar to those in the cover
or back of the mould first described, for the reception of pins or pegs k, k.
This mould or flask is used in the following manner that is to say. The
separately attachable sections being all detached, the shell or matrix is placed
against, and bent to conform to, the general curvature of the surface 8 of the fixed
portion B of the mould, and then secured thereto by the clamping strips f. f¹ and
their screws g, g'. The lower section a of the cover or back is then placed in
position and secured by its screw clamps S S, and the curvature of that part of the
shell or matrix opposite thereto is perfected by the insertion of pins k, k in the
holes i, i in that section, such holes as are not used for the pins being filled up

page_text: with clay or other suitable material. This operation is repeated with the several
separately attachable sections of the mould in succession until the entire face of the
shell has been perfected. The molten metal which is to form the backing in the
case of the electrotype shell, or the plate proper in the case of the stereotype, is
then poured in through the mouth piece C. After the plate is taken out the holes
formed by the pins k, k are filled with solder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improvement in the backing-up of curved electrotypo shells and the
casting of curved stereotypes, consisting in perfecting the form of the shell or
matrix and holding the same in place during the casting of the backing or plate, by
means of pins or pegs inserted through perforations in the back or cover of the
mould, flask, or pan in which the casting is performed, substantially as herein
described.
Second. The improvement in the backing-up of curved electrotype shells and the
casting of stereotypés, consisting in perfecting the curvature of the shell or matrix,
section by section, and holding the perfected portions in position until after the
introduction of the metal, substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination with a mould, flask, or casting-pan for backing up
electrotype shells or casting stereotype plates, of a perforated cover, lid, or back
having pins or pegs fitted to its perforations substantially as herein described.
Fourth. A mould,-flask,-or-casting-pan-for-backing-up-electrotype-shells-or-
casting stereotype plates the cover or back of which is made of separately
attachable sections perforated to receive pins or pegs, substantially as herein
described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.