IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF LETTER-PRESS PRINTING SURFACES AND SURFACES USED IN REPRODUCING ORNAMENTAL PATTERNS OR DEVICES, BY PRINTING OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1858

page_text: the Act)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Cunningham at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th February
1858.
I, ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Card Perforator, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF LETTER-PRESS
PRINTING SURFACES AND SURFACES USED IN REPRODUCING ORNAMENTAL PATTERNS
OR DEVICES, BY PRINTING OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows, that is to say:-
The improvements comprehended in the present Invention are more or less
applicable under one or other of their various modifications in various arts
and manufactures in which the ultimate effect is or can be contributed to by
the use of either raised or indented surfaces, and their object is chiefly to
lessen the time and expense involved in the production of such surfaces. The
improvements, as carried out under some of the most important of their
modifications, are especially applicable to apparatus for composing and dis-
tributing types used in letter-press printing. In one arrangement the types
are contained in a series of narrow grooves or channels, all the types in any
one groove being of the same name. These grooves are arranged as closely
together as possible, their sides and bottoms being formed of polished material,
such as glass, offering very little friction to the movement of the types. The
type grooves may be combined in one or more sets, forming what may be
termed the composing case or cases. It will, however, simplify the description
0

page_text: if in the first instance it is assumed that there is only one such composing
case. This composing case is arranged either borizontally or with a certain
inclination down towards the front of the machine, in which direction also
the files of types move as they are used. A channel or race runs horizontally
in front of and at right angles to the type grooves, the top of such channel
nearly coinciding with the bottoms of the type grooves, whilst its left-hand
end opens upon the composing plate or table (corresponding to what is usually
termed the "composing stick.") In the particular arrangement which is
being described the surface of the composing table is horizontal, and the types
as they are selected are depressed into the race, and are moved along it to
their proper position on the composing plate or table, having the same upright
position in the case grooves and race and on the composing table. The types
may be placed in any position provided the various arrangements are modified
accordingly, but the upright position is preferred; they may also be arranged
to enter the race in any direction or directions that may be found suitable.
Whilst the composing operation is going on the types are successively selected
by means of finger keys arranged in several rows, so as to bring the entire set
into as small a compass as convenient or possible. The finger keys, which
are raised by springs on the removal of the fingers from them, are connected
to depressers, and when any finger key is put down its depresser pushes down
the lowest or front individual of the corresponding file of types into the race.
The lowest or front individuals of the several files of types are always over
the race ready to be depressed, being prevented from slipping into it by
pressure, which the depressers overcome when acting. The pressure neces-
sary for holding up the types may be obtained in various ways. If the weight
of the file of types is not sufficient, weights or springs may be applied at the
back ends of the files. When a type is depressed it is moved along the race
to the composing plate or table by means of a species of piston or picker
worked by a treadle movement or otherwise. The normal position of this
picker (when the machine is employed in composing) is at the right-hand
end of the race, and when there is a type in the race it is moved to the left-
band end and back again, taking the type to the composing plate or table and
leaving it there. The race is fronted with glass, so that if anything goes
wrong inside the operator can at once see what it is. At the commencement
of a page or column the types are pushed by the picker between head and
foot line-guides on the composing plate or table, and up against a frictional
or other brake or stop which is close to the mouth of the race at the com-
mencement of a line, but which gradually recedes therefrom as the types
accumulate in the formation of a line. On the completion of the line a catch

page_text: is set free, and permits a movement to come into action, which shifts forward
the head and foot line-guides the depth of a line, carrying the line of types
with them, the foot line-guide, then recedes to its former position, and there
is thus formed between it and the first line of types a space just large enough
for the next line. When the foot line-guide has receded, the brake or stop
moves up to the mouth of the race, and another line of types is composed, as
before, the movement of the head and foot line-guides being repeated on the
completion of each line of types. Instead of the moveable brake or stop, a
stationary stop at the left-hand end of the line may be used; in this case the
picker must at first move up to the stop and then reduce the length of its
stroke as the types accumulate in the 'line. A contrivance may be used in
connection with the composing table for indicating at every instant the space
still to be filled to complete the line. This indicating mechanism should
actuate a pointer or index moving over an enlarged scale in front of the
operator. Instead of the self-acting mechanism, which has been described,
coming into action on the completion of each line of types, the shifting of the
side guides preparatory to the commencement of a new line may be effected
by the operator, who will be informed by the indicating mechanism when each
line is completed, or his attention may be called thereto by a bell or alarm
movement set in action on the completion of each line. In the mechanism
the general features of which have been just described, a variety of minor
contrivances may be adopted to provide against the types getting wrongly
placed or other accidents. A simple arrangement may be adopted for
enabling the operator to depress two or more types into the race by the
movement of a single finger key. In one such arrangement the levers upon
which the finger keys are fixed are made to proceed diagonally across each
other to their respective depressers, being, however, sufficiently far apart to
Above these
prevent their acting on each other when individually put down.
levers are arranged a set of what may be termed two-letter levers, with their
appropriate finger keys, these two-letter levers being contrived to act on two
or more single-letter levers which cross each other below. This system of
combination may be devoloped to any desired extent; thus, the two-letter
levers may themselves be arranged so as to be acted upon, two or more at
a time, by a still higher range of levers. Of course the types are arranged,
as regards their order and position, so that the single types or combinations
most frequently required in composition may be most easily got at.
Provision may be made for distributing the types in the machine just
described as arranged for composing. The page or column of types to be
distributed is placed on the composing plate or table in a reversed position,

page_text: "
and the head and foot line-guides are moved at the proper intervals to bring
a new line in a line with the race as the distribution of each preceding line is
completed. The types are then drawn one by one into the race by the picker,
suitably provided with a species of sucking or catching apparatus for this
purpose. An adjustment is made in the machine whereby the finger keys on
being put down cause the picker to stop at a point in the race corresponding
to the type, instead of depressing a new type into the race, as when composing.
The effective length of the depressers is increased by an adjustment on com-
mencing to distribute, and when the picker stops the corresponding depresser
pushes down the type into its proper groove in what may be termed the
distributing case," and which is placed at a lower level than the composing
case, and has an inclination down away from the race. Types thus placed in
the heads of the grooves of the distributing case either move down them by
gravitation or are pushed down by a suitable movement to make way for
others. When .the machine is used for distributing, the bottom of the race is
displaced, and a variety of other adjustments are made to reverse the action
of the picker and other parts. These reversing contrivances are so arranged
that the operator can actuate them in the most simple manner, and he will
thereby be enabled to correct errors in the composition by distributing the
incorrect types and substituting fresh ones. A contrivance may be adopted
by means of which the finger keys, being arranged to act each on either of
two types of different character, as roman and italic, for example, may be
made to compose in either of the characters by a single separate adjustment.
In one arrangement, wherein each finger lever can act on types of different
characters, the several types of each name but of different characters are
arranged in adjacent grooves, and their selection is determined by the position
of intermediate pieces or sub-levers, through which the depressers are acted
upon by the finger levers. These sub-levers may all turn upon a single
horizontal spindle, the simple back or forward adjustment of which is all that
is necessary to render the composition in the desired character.
According to another plan the types of the different characters are arranged
in separate cases one over the other, and the set of cases is moved up or down
to bring the types of the desired character into the position to be acted upon
by the depressers, one set of which answers for all the cases. In this
arrangement there are as many distributing cases as composing cases, and
the whole are combined in one frame to be acted upon by a single adjusting
movement, so that when composing in any character the corresponding dis-
tributing case may be in the proper position to receive types. Before the
cases are moved the types which happen to be over the race are pushed back
T

page_text: into their proper case by a suitable contrivance, or they may be simply
depressed and passed to the corresponding distributing case, the depressers
being kept down until the adjustment of the cases is completed.
According to another modification the types for composing are contained in
stationary grooves arranged in a cylindrical form, the grooves being parallel
to the axis thereof. Facing the open end of these grooves there is a carrier
wheel with as many cells as grooves, each cell holding a single type. The
finger keys act on stops which cause the carrier wheel when rotating to stop
on the selected type reaching a particular position, the lowest, for example, if
the axis of the wheel is horizontal. The carrier wheel is made to rotate by
a. treadle or other movement on the selection of each type, and brings the
type into a position whence it is removed by a species of picking movement,
and deposited in its place on the composing plate or table, the distance
traversed by the type after leaving the wheel being, however, much less than
the average distance of traverse in the race used in the modification herein-
before described. After each movement the carrier wheel returns to its
normal position, and a type passes from the case groove to supply the place
of that just removed from the wheel. Instead of this plan the carrier wheel
may be arranged to contain no types but those selected at each stroke; and
similarly on the other hand there may be substituted for what is termed the
race in the first modification, a long carrier containing a row of types in
suitable cells, motion being given to the entire row of types to bring the one
wanted into a position. whence it is moved through a comparatively short
distance to its place on the composing plate or table. Any vacant cells in the
carrier are refilled on the return thereof to its normal position. Or, again,
two or more carrier wheels may be used, the finger keys acting on them in
succession, and the wheels rotating simultaneously after the stop adjustment
of two or more of them is effected. The rotation of the wheels brings the
selected types into a line, and a picker passes through the wheels and carries
all the types so selected to their proper position on the composing plate or
table. On the wheels returning to their normal positions the vacancies are
refilled from the grooves, any wheel not next the ends of the grooves receiving
the type it may require from the wheel next it, whilst the latter is supplied
by a type in place of the one so given up by the next wheel or the grooves
themselves. Or instead of this plan each wheel may be refilled from special
grooves. communicating with its periphery. Such a number of such wheels
may be used as will enable the operator to compose an entire line at once, in
which case the finger keys may be arranged to act on indicating mechanism,
showing him when a sufficient number of types are selected to form the line.

page_text: In carrying out this same principle (whereby a line may be composed at once)
in the modification of apparatus first herein-before described there may be as
many sets of files of types as there may be types required for a line, and
a single type may be selected from each such set in succession, the types so
selected moving through vertical, transverse, or other channels into the race,
whence the picker removes the entire line to the composing plate or table at
one stroke.
According to another modification, in which it is proposed to reduce the
amount of motion required in the race in the modification first herein-before
described, the types are contained in vertical channels, all the types in any
one channel being of one name. These channels are brought together into as
small a space as possible, and communicate at the bottom with a rectangular
chamber, into which any type that is selected is allowed to fall by mechanism
acted upon by finger keys. Two pickers work across this chamber in direc-
tions at right angles to each other, and are contrived to work across each
other simultaneously, so that they move a type to one corner in whatever part
of the chamber it may have been deposited. On the type reaching the corner
a very slight movement places it in its proper position on the composing plate
or table.
According to another modification the bottom or bottom and sides of the
race used in the modification of apparatus first herein-before described, may
.consist of endless belts continually moving, and carrying the types forward to
the composing table as they are depressed into it, or the race may be inclined,
so that the types move along it by their own gravity.
Herein-before the various modifications of apparatus have been described
as designed for use in the production of flat printing surfaces, it is, however,
obvious that very slight modifications of the various parts will render them
suitable for use in the production of cylindrical printing surfaces when such
surfaces are obtained by the combination or building up of types, pins, or
similar elements.
According to another modification a set of dies (one for each type) is used,
each die as it is wanted being brought to a particular position by means of
finger keys and contrivances connected therewith analogous to those herein-
before described. When in the proper position each die is impressed on a
plate or cylinder of metal or other suitable material, such plate or cylinder
being moved by suitable mechanism between each impression in order that
each die may be impressed in its proper situation. The plate or cylinder so
impressed or indented may be used either for direct intaglio printing, or casts
may be taken from it to be used in relievo or surface printing.

page_text: Herein-before only letter-press types have been mentioned, but the herein-
before described apparatus or modifications thereof may be used in composing
and distributing types, pins, or similar elements used or which can be used in
producing composite surfaces for printing or otherwise reproducing orna-
mental patterns or devices. In such applications the pattern or device may
be brought out by means of solid headed types, pins, or similar elements of
unequal lengths; or, again, the types, pins, or similar elements may have
different devices on their printing or acting surfaces. It may also be men-
tioned that an ornamental effect may be produced in various arts, such as
weaving, for example, by means of built-up sets or masses of types, pins, or
similar elements, and the improvements comprehended in the present Inven-
tion are in most cases applicable to the production of such built-up sets or
masses of types, pins, or similar elements.
It now remains to describe certain contrivances designed to assist the
operator in composing or distributing types, pins, or similar elements. The
"copy," impression, or design by means of which he composes or distributes
is arranged before him at a convenient level upon a roller or frame, and a
straightedge is adjusted at the line which is at the time being composed
or distributed. A simple contrivance is employed by which as each line is
completed a fresh line is brought up to the proper level, and the necessary
adjustment may be brought about by a manual application or by an automatic
movement if the nature of the copy, impression, or design admits of it.