A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND PREPARING TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING SURFACES
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND PREPARING
TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING SURFACES (a communication to me from abroad by
Antoine Joseph Engelen of Brussels Belgium, Railway Company's Clerk) to be as
follows:-
"
The object of this invention is to substitute for the so called typographic process
a machine which consists in creating by stamping on wood, metal, or on any other
suitable material characters in relief combined according to the requirements of the
composition.
In the following description under the name of wood the material to be stamped
is designated which may be however any material susceptible of being stamped by
any other material harder than itself for example wood impregnated with oil,
grease, spermacetti; hardened covered with caoutchouc or other resins or varnish ;
lead, metallic alloys, celluloid, paper cardboard, stone and so forth.
The machine employed to produce the stamping is composed as follows:
A platform of circular sector shape is supported by feet and placed horizontally
on a table.
At the top of this platform there is a socket through which a vertical
pivot passes which is free to turn there with little or no friction. On this pivot
above the platform is fixed an appliance hereafter described which may be called
the sector. It is composed of the arc of a circle made of steel or other hard
material united to a pivot by flexible and elastic arms. On the lower face of the
arc the characters and different subjects to be compressed are produced in intaglio
which are stamped in relief on the wood. They are all placed against the inner
edge, the external edge being cut away in front of each sign varying in depth in
such manner that there remains the space just necessary for each sign. On the
pivot below the platform is firmly keyed a lever which may be called the needle.
The end of this lever is bent so as to come on the edge of the platform. On the
edge of the platform are re-produced the characters of the sector in order and at

page_text: such distances apart that if the needle is brought by the hand over or on one of
the characters of the plate, the corresponding character of the sector is then above
the median line of the plate. The wood is delivered in tongue pieces of the height
length and thickness suitable as is described hereafter. The tongue pieces are
placed in a carriage which slides in a groove formed according to the median line
of the platform. The distance of the sector from the platform allows for the
passage of the wood under the sector. By this means it is clear that if the needle
is brought on to a given character and the arc of the sector is lowered on the wood
(a movement which is possible because of the flexibility of the arm) and sufficient
pressure is exerted on this sector the character indicated by the needle will be
stamped on the wood.
To produce on the wood, good sharp characters in a given order stamped to an
equal height and given distance one from the other the machine must fulfil the
following conditions.
1° After the needle has been brought before a type or character an indicator
should determine exactly the position of the sector in order that the type or
character about to be stamped should be well square.
2° An appliance should give the means of exercising sufficient pressure on the
sector to stamp the type.
3° The distance the sector penetrates into the wood should be regulated by an
appliance which limits the descent of the sector.
4° The type or character being stamped and the sector raised the wood should
advance a distance equal to the thickness of the type so that the following may be
stamped in the required place.
These conditions are accomplished in the following manner; On the platform
a stirrup is fixed bored vertically below the centre of the middle with a hole in
which a piston or punch can descend; a lever jointed to the stirrup allows the
punch to be lowered on the sector and exercises sufficient pressure. The punch
has passing through its axis a small rod pushed towards the bottom by a spring;
the lower end of this rod is pointed. In the sector arc opposite each of the types
there is an aperture, the point taking into this hole when the punch is lowered
exactly determines the position of the sector after it has been approximately
brought to this position by means of the needle. The descent of the sector is
limited by a bridge, against which it abuts, by this means the depth of the stamping
is determined.
The advancement of the wood is regulated in the following manner. The carriage
is acted on by a spring which pushes it from the edge towards the top of the sector.
The operator having drawn the carriage to the edge of the platform there places the
strip of wood, he subsequently allows the carriage to return towards the sector
until the strip abuts against a stop placed at a slightly less height than that of the
wood. This stop slides on a bridge normal with the sector, is pushed towards
this latter by a spring the tension of which acts against that of the other spring.
When the sector is lowered it at same time penetrates the wood, or a little
before, it pushes the stop back by the action of two inclined planes. The extent of
the penetration of the sector into the wood is such that the character or type
stamped passes under the stop when the sector is raised while the heel piece formed
behind the type by the stamping abuts against the stop and thus holds the wood in
the required position for stamping the following character or type. Two elbow
pieces placed on each side of the bridge the position of which is regulated by screws
maintain the wood in one constant direction.
The justification is effected by sectioning the tongue pieces between the words
and by interpolating the necessary blanks. The sectioning of the wood is effected
by placing the tongue piece flat on an inclined plane so that the stamped
characters or type may be read by the operator and by bringing the point to
the position of the sector under the blade of a knife placed transversely to
the wood and jointed by the point. This knife may however be jointed on the
platform of the machine. The stamped tongue pieces are united in the frame to

page_text: compose the forms which are printed from in the ordinary way. Instead of the
sector it may be an entire circle or a right angle guided so as to be able to be dis-
placed transversely to the wood. The transmission of the motion of the needle to
the sector may be effected by tooth wheels. The sector may be made up of type
or characters placed alongside one another. The depth of the stamping may be
regulated by means of a screw or other adjusting appliance so as to be able to vary
the height of the surface of the point against which the sector abuts. The pressing
lever could be operated by a treadle connected to a lever by a connecting piece or
by an electro magnet. Instead of the sector holes, there may be notches or teeth
the punch would then have its lower end cut so as to assume the form of the notch
or tooth.
The size of the wood should correspond with the size of the characters so that
part may be composed of wood and part of ordinary characters if desired.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of said
Invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR STAMPING AND PREPARING
TYPOGRAPHIC PRINTING SURFACES (a communication to me from abroad by
Antoine Joseph Engelen of Brussels Belgium Railway Company's Clerk) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement.:-
The object of this Invention is to substitute for the so-called typographic process
a machine which consists in creating by stamping on wood metal, or on any other
suitable material characters in relief combined according to the requirements of the
composition.
In the following description under the name of wood the material to be stamped
is designated which may be however any material susceptible of being stamped by
any other material harder than itself for example wood impregnated with oil,
grease, spermacetti; hardened covered with caoutchouc or other resins or varnish;
lead, metallic alloys, celluloid, paper, cardboard, stone and so forth.
The machine employed to produce the stamping is composed as follows:-
A platform A of circular sector shape is supported by feet A¹ and placed
horizontally on a table. At the top of this platform there is a socket through
which a vertical pivot B Figure 2 passes which is free to turn there with little or
no friction. On this pivot and above the platform is fixed an appliance hereafter
described which may be called "the sector." It is composed of the are of a circle D
made of steel or other hard material united to the pivot B by flexible and elastic
arms E. On the lower face of the arc D the characters and different subjects to be
impressed are produced in intaglio which are stamped in relief on the wood. They
are all placed against the inner edge, the external edge being cut away in front of
each sign varying in depth in such manner that there remains the space just necessary
for each sign as shown at Figure 4, on the pivot B below the platform is firmly
keyed a lever C which may be called the needle. The end of this lever is bent so
as to come on the edge of the platform as indicated in the drawing Figures 1 and 2.
On the edge of the platform are reproduced the characters of the sector as shown
in Figure 1 in order and at such distances apart that if the needle is brought by
the hand over or on one of the characters of the plate, the corresponding character
of the sector is then above the medium line of the plate. The wood W is delivered
in tongue pieces of the height, length and thickness suitable as is described
hereafter. The tongue pieces W are placed in a carriage F which slides in a
groove formed according to the medium line of the platform. The left wall of
this carriage is rigid, that on the right is formed of a bent plate F¹ fixed to the
back of the carriage and made elastic in such a manner as to maintain the tongue
piece against the rigid wall (Figures 1 and 3) the vertical part of this blade might
be made in the shape of a comb.
The distance of the sector from the platform allows for the passage of the wood
under the sector. By this means it is clear that if the needle is brought on to a

page_text: given character and the arc of the sector is lowered on the wood (a movement
which is possible because of the flexibility of the arm E) and sufficient pressure is
exerted on this sector the character indicated by the needle will be stamped in the
wood.
.
To produce on the wood good sharp characters in a given order stamped to an
equal height and given distance one from the other the machine must fulfil the
following conditions.
1° After the needle has been brought before a type or character an indicator
should determine exactly the position of the sector in order that the type or
character about to be stamped should be well square.
2° An appliance should give the means of exercising sufficient pressure on the
sector to stamp the type.
3° The distance the sector penetrates into the wood should be regulated by an
appliance which limits the descent of the sector.
4° The type or character being stamped and the sector raised the wood should
advance a distance equal to the thickness of the type so that the following may be
stamped in the required place.
These conditions are accomplished in the following manner-On the platform a
stirrup G is fixed bored vertically below the centre of the middle with a hole in
which a piston or punch can descend as shown in Figures 1 and 3; a lever J
jointed to the stirrup allows the piston or punch H to be lowered on the sector and
exercises sufficient pressure. The punch has passing through its axis a small rod M
pushed towards the bottom by a spring; the lower end of this rod is pointed. In
the sector arc opposite each of the types there is an aperture; the point M taking
into this hole when the punch is lowered exactly determines the position of the
sector D after it has been approximately brought to this position by means of the
needle. The descent of the sector is limited by a bridge N against which it abuts.
By this means the depth of the stamping is determined.
The advancement of the wood is regulated in the following manner. The
carriage F is acted on by a spring O which draws it from the edge towards the top
of the platform. The operator having drawn the carriage to the edge of the
platform places the strip of wood there, he subsequently allows the carriage to
return towards the sector until the strip abuts against a stop P Figure 2 which
may be called a slide the front bent part of which descends a little lower than the
level of the surface of the wood. This stop slides on the bridge N at right angles
with the sector; it is pushed towards this latter by a spring Q the tension of
which acts against that of the spring O A flat spring R prevents the slide from
rising. When the sector is lowered it at same time penetrates the wood or a little
before, it pushes the slide P back by the action of the inclined planes a and b.
The extent of the penetration of the sector into the wood is such that the character
or type stamped passes under the slide P when the sector is raised while the next
piece formed behind the type by the stamping abuts against the slide and thus
holds the wood in the required position for stamping the following character or
type.
The justification is effected by sectioning the tongue pieces between the words
and by interpolating the necessary blanks. The sectioning of the wood is effected
by placing the tongue piece Bat on an inclined plane so that the stamped characters
or type may be read by the operator and by bringing the point to the position of
the sector under the blade of a knife placed transversely to the wood and jointed
by the point. This knife may however be jointed on the platform of the machine.
The stamped tongue pieces are united in the frame to compose the forms which are
printed from in the ordinary way. This invention also includes the following
modifications. Instead of the sector it may be an entire circle or a right angle
guided so as to be able to be displaced transversely to the wood or also by a disc
turning vertically and carrying the matrices on its periphery. The transmission of
the motion of the needle to the sector may be effected by tooth wheels. The sector
may be made up of type or characters placed alongside one another.

page_text: The depth of the stamping may be regulated by means of a screw or other
adjusting appliance so as to be able to vary the height of the surface of the point
against which the sector abuts. The pressing lever J may be operated by a treadle
connected to a lever by a connecting piece or by an electro-magnet or by a lever
with a screw and beam. Instead of the sector holes there may be notches or teethi
the punch H would then have its lower end cut so as to assume the form of the
notch or tooth.
The height and thickness of the wood pieces W should correspond with that of
ordinary type and part of the type set up may be of such wood pieces and part of
ordinary type. Their length should be that of the line to be printed or multiples
thereof. The wood pieces may be chamfered to compensate for the spreading
caused by the stamping. The fibre of the wood should be endways to the
stamping.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim as the Invention communicated to me is
First The relative movement of the wood and the sector substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Second The mode which consists in the application of the matrices or
characters on one piece.
Third: The means indicated to regulate the advancing of the wood piece
substantially as set forth.
Fourth-The means employed to limit the descent of the sector and the depth
of the type.
Fifth The tongues W having a thickness and height corresponding to type
and which may also be used in conjunction with ordinary type substantially as
described.
Sixth-The construction of the machine substantially as described and shown.
Date :
100-
BREWER & JENSEN,
For the Applicant.