Improvements in the Ejector Mechanism of Linotype and analogous Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th June, 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Ejector Mechanism of Linotype and analogous
Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED of No. 6 Serjeants Inn, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Sole Manufacturers, Vendors and Licensors under
the "Linotype" Patents, and WILLIAM FLETCHER of Mercers Buildings, Endell
Street, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the ejector mechanism of linotype and
analogous machines and the object of it is to facilitate the substitution of a larger
or smaller ejector blade for the one in the machine.
In the linotype machine as hitherto made under e.g., Letters Patent
No. 145821890, the ejector blade in the machine cannot be taken out until after
the ejector slide has been disconnected from its connecting rod; the ejector
guide removed, and the mould block and end filling piece taken off the mould
wheel.
In carrying the present invention into effect, the studs on the front end of the
ejector slide and the springs between the ejector blade and the said end are
retained, the former being adapted, as heretofore, to hold the blade to the slide by
entering holes therein, and the springs, to keep the said blade up to the mould
slide.
0
According to the present invention, there is combined with the studs and
springs, a device so positioned as to always present itself, or a prominent part
of itself, within the reach of the operator; and adapted in respect of construction,
when either pushed or pulled, to withdraw the studs in question from the holes in
the ejector blade.
The following is one way in which the present invention may be embodied, but
we are not restricted to the details specified. The latter may be varied to any
extent, provided that the discharge of the various functions of the invention are
duly provided for.
The heads of the studs are shouldered down, or have collars formed upon them,
which collars form the bearing surfaces through which the resilience of the springs'
is exerted upon the ejector blade. Each stud works in a socket bored transversely
through the front end of the ejector slide, and each socket is enlarged annularly to
form a recess capable of receiving one of the above mentioned springs, which
therefore exerts its energy between the bottom of the recess and the collar on the .
stud. The opposite ends of both studs, presenting themselves upon the opposite
side of the ejector slide, are connected to a yoke. It is to this yoke, that the
thumb bit, lever, push piece, or whatever the device is fitted with for withdrawing
the studs from the holes in the ejector blade, is made fast. Pins fast on the yoke
and entering holes in the ejector slide serve as guides to preventing the studs
sticking in their sockets.
When the studs are withdrawn from the holes in the ejector blade, the latter is
withdrawn through the mould cavity. If it is a wide blade, it may be necessary,
sceing that the blade and its stock are together shaped like an L, to cut a recess
in its edge to enable it to be skewed through the said cavity. The substitute
blade is fixed to the ejector slide by reversing the process of withdrawal. There

page_text: are provided proper stops and the like, to facilitate the alignment of the holes in
the blade with the stud ends.
Dated this 25th day of September 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Ejector Mechanism of Linotype and analogous
Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, formerly of No. 6 Serjeants Inn,
but now of No. 188 Fleet Street, both in the City of London, Sole Manufacturers,
Vendors and Licensors under the "Linotype " Patents, and WILLIAM FLETCHER
of Mercers Buildings, Endell Street, Long Acre, in the County of Middlesex,
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 present invention relates to improvements in the ejector mechanism of
linotype and analogous machines.
It is particularly applicable to the Mergenthaler linotype machine, and for that
reason, as well as because the Mergenthaler type of machine is better known in
this country than any other, the application of the invention thereto, has been
chosen for the purpose of this specification.
The function of the ejector blade is to eject the linotype from the mould cavity.
In the Mergenthaler linotype machine, the width and thickness of the blade
correspond with the length and thickness of the mould cavity. These are the
dimensions which correspond, respectively, with the length and the fount of the
linotype. Consequently, when the size of the mould cavity is changed for one
larger or smaller in respect of either of the two dimensions in question, it is
obvious that such change involves a corresponding change of ejector blade. This
latter organ of the machine is a flat plate fixed fast by its rear end to the head of
the ejector slide, an organ which is moved to and fro upon the mould wheel slide,
by a connecting rod actuated by a suitably shaped and constantly turning cam
groove or its equivalent. Each machine is equipped with a series of ejector
blades, there being as many blades in a series as there are different sizes of mould
cavity, each blade corresponding with a particular size thereof.
In the machine as originally made, the ejector blade was held to the head of the
ejector slide by a series of studs. The objection to such a holding device is the
loss of time caused by it in the substitution of an ejector blade for the one then in
the machine, for it was necessary to remove as much of the machine as stood
between the ejector slide and the operator, before the studs could be got at, in
order to slip the substituted plate in position, and then remount the removed
parts.
It has subsequently been proposed to make the holding device of a releasable
and automatically locking type, in order that a substitution could be effected
without taking down any part of the machine. The device in question consists of
studs fast to the ejector head and projecting laterally therefrom, holes in the
ejector blade to receive them, and spiral springs resting in cavities in the said head
and bearing against the adjacent side face of the ejector blade for the purpose of
keeping it in contact with the mould wheel slide on the opposite side of it. Such
being the case, the scope of the present invention is limited to improvements in the
holding device itself as far as such holding is concerned.
According to the present invention, the studs are moveable in sockets or holes in

page_text: the head of the ejector slide. This motion is a double one, that in the direction.
for locking the ejector blade to the said head, being effected in the present instance
by spiral springs seated in cavities in the latter and acting upon collars fast on the
studs while that in the direction for unlocking the blade from the head, is effected'
by a pull or a push on a piece to which all the studs are made fast and which piece-
always presents itself, or a prominent part of itself; within reach of the operator.
The combination of studs, sockets, and piece next described is one in which the
present invention is embodied, but it must be distinctly understood that the present.
invention does not limit us to the exact details specified, inasmuch as the invention
in question includes any combination of devices which provides for the discharge
of the functions above mentioned.
Figure 1 is a side elevation from the left, of the front end of the connecting rod,..
the ejector slide and an ejector blade held to the head of the latter.
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation from the right hand, of the yoke.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the yoke, its guiding studs and two blade.
studs.
Figure 5 is a side elevation from the left hand; of the yoke and two blade.
studs.
Figure 6 is a plan, partly in section, of the ejector slide; detached ejector blade,.
the holding device, and the mould wheel slide.
Figure 7 is a side elevation from the left, of the front end of the connecting rod.
and the ejector slide.
Figure 8 is a side elevation, from the left, of a detached ejector blade.
Figure 9 is a vertical section taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 7.
a is the connecting rod; b, the ejector slide; 61, the head of the ejector slide
c, an ejector blade; and d, the mould wheel slide over which the ejector slide b
and its blade c move to and fro. With the exception of a modification in the..
shape of the ejector blades described further on, the above mentioned parts are as
heretofore.
e, e are a pair of studs, capable of sliding to and fro through holes e¹, e in
the ejector head b'. The number of these studs may vary. Each one carries a
fixed collar against which presses a spiral spring es having the head 61 as a base,.
to keep the noses of the studs protruded as far as is necessary to effect its locking
engagement with the ejector blade. c', c' are the locking holes in the stock of the
ejector blade, into which the studs engage under the resilient action of the
springs when the said blade is pushed back as far as the stop c. e, e arc
the cavities in the head adapted to serve as seats for the springs e².
fis the piece above referred to as that to which all the studs are made fast and
which always presents itself, or a prominent part of itself, within reach of the
operator. Each stud is continued through its respective hole e¹ to meet the
piece f.
It is illustrated as being a bar to which the studs, e, are held by
screws f. ff are pins fast to the bar from which they project parallel with
the studs e into holes in the head b¹. This combination of pins and holes f³
serves as a guide for the studs e. f is an enlargement of the bar f. Both, or at
any rate the enlargement f, are within reach of the operator from the front of the
machine, when the slide bis in its backward position. The enlargement f* may be
seized with a pair of pincers or a pointed lever may be inserted in the hole f
formed in the said enlargement, for the purpose of unlocking the studs from the
ejector blade.
The invention further includes the improvement in the ejector blade itself.
It has been already explained that the width of the ejector blade corresponds with
the length of the mould cavity. The present invention requires that a part of the
blade e shall be of the same length as the corresponding dimension of the ejector
bead in order that there may be room for the blade-portion of the holding
device. To meet this requisition, each blade has a stock c³ incorporated with it,
which carries the above mentioned portion of the holding device. The combination
.
'

page_text: of blade and stock presents an L shaped appearance, and in the top edge of the
blade near the stock c³, there is a cavity, as illustrated in Figure 8. The object
of this cavity is to allow of a detached blade e and stock being drawn to the
front through the mould cavity. The length of the latter is the same as the width
of the nose of the blade c. The presence of the cavity callows of the stud nose
being lifted upwards, the end of the mould entering it, so to speak, and allowing.
the opposite corner of the stock c* to clear the adjacent end of the mould cavity.
In other words, the blade c and stock care skewed through the mould cavity,
instead of being drawn straight through it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
In a linotype or similar machine in which lines of type of different length and
fount are produced by the alternative use of mould cavities and corresponding
ejector blades of different sizes:-
1. The combination of one or more (preferably two) sliding studs in the ejector
slide adapted to pass through corresponding holes in each member of the series of
ejector blade for the purpose of locking the ejector blade to the slide, and a device
situated outside the slide by the operation of which the studs are withdrawn so as
to unlock the ejector blade, the said studs being returned and held in their
locking position by spring pressure or other suitable means for the purposes
described.
2. The improved device for locking and unlocking the ejector blade to and from
the ejector slide as and for the purposes described and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. The improved form of ejector blade as and for the purposes described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of June 1896
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.