Improvements in the Adjustable Moulds of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Adjustable Moulds of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Sole Manufacturers, Licensors and Vendors, under the Linotype
Patents, and CHARLES LEWIS IRELAND and FERDINAND JOHN WICH, both of
No. 11 Hulme Street, Oxford Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the adjustable moulds of linotype
machines; and has particular reference to the moulds of the Mergenthaler linotype
machine. In this machine as it has been constructed up to within a recent date,
the mould was simply a slot through a wheel. The presence of the mould in the
mould wheel (as it is called,) meant a change of wheel every time that a change of
fount on the machine became necessary. This change of wheel was a troublesome
matter, and to minimise the loss of time incidental to it, the practice was adopted of
making the mould in a block detachable from the mould wheel, the said block
projecting rearwards into a slot in the said wheel and also to the front from it. In
either case, however, the mould was non-adjustable.
The desirability of the mould being adjustable in respect of the length and
thickness of the linotype soon became apparent, and several attempts have been
made to provide an adjustable and detachable mould satisfactory in every respect.
The present invention makes the adjustable liner in the form of a bar slotted in
the direction of its length, to permit of the passage through it of the respective
screw which holds the cap plate of the mould block down to the bottom plate at
that end of the mould block, as well as of the longitudinal motion of adjustment on
the part of the said liner. Both ends of the liner are closed to prevent the sides
springing out of their normal position, a thing that a U shaped liner-that is, one
open at one end-is very likely to do. The necessary motion is imparted to the
liner by means of a longitudinal traversing screw mounted in bearings in one of the
plates of the mould block and engaging with a thread, as with a nut, in the respective
side of the liner. Suitable provision is made for turning the screw in its bearings,
e.g. a square on the end of the screw, projecting from the end of the mould block,
and a key to engage it.
The present invention further relates to improved means for maintaining the
mould in a rectilinear position during the time it is in contact with the assembled
matrices and space bars. Hitherto, a rearward extension of the cap plate of the
mould block, has been made to enter a slot in the mould wheel, the top of the cap
plate bearing up against the opposite surface of the slot.
Whenever it becomes necessary to alter the mould in respect of that dimension
of it which corresponds with the thickness of a linotype, both the liners then in the
mould block are replaced by a pair of the proper thickness. Each such alteration
of mould, will involve moving the cap plate farther from or nearer to the bottom
plate and, consequently, make it impracticable for the above mentioned contact
between the rearward extension of the said cap plate and the opposite surface of
the slot in the mould wheel to act as maintaining the rectilinear position referred
to, because the opposite surface of the slot will always be at the maximum distance
from the mould, and the top of the cap plate be frequently standing clear away
from it.

page_text: Accordingly, it is proposed that the flange of the bottom plate, which flange has
hitherto served only as a steadying surface and as a web through which holding
bolts could be passed, shall carry a rearwardly projecting rib standing parallel with
the mould; and the mould wheel, a slot adapted to receive the said rib, the top of
the latter bearing up against the opposite surface of the said slot in the same way
as is described above with reference to the rearward extension of the cap plate and
its slot.
Dated this 12th day of March 1806
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Sole Manufacturers, Licensors, and Vendors, under the "Linotype
Patents, and CHARLES LEWIS IRELAND and FERDINAND JOHN WICH, both of
No. 11 Hulme Street, Oxford Road, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manuer the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in the adjustable moulds of linotype
machines; and has particular reference to the moulds of the Mergenthaler linotype
machine. In this machine, as it has been constructed up to within a recent date,
the mould was simply a slot through a wheel. The presence of the mould in the
mould wheel (as it is called), meant a change of wheel every time that a change of
fouut on the machine became necessary. This change of wheel was a troublesome
matter, and to minimise the loss of time incidental to it, the practice was adopted
of making the mould in a block detachable from the mould wheel, the said block
projecting rearwards into a slot in the said wheel and also to the front from it. In
either case, however, the mould was non-adjustable.
The desirability of the mould being adjustable in respect of the length and
thickness of the linotype, soon became apparent, and several attempts have been
made to provide an adjustable and detachable mould satisfactory in every respect.
The accompanying figures illustrate a mould block of the celebrated Mergenthaler
linotype machine described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 14582 1890,
adjustable in respect of its length according to a later invention described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 2549 1895, and having applied to it, the improve-
ments which constitute the present invention. It must, however, be borne in mind,
that the invention does not limit either part of it to the above mentioned machine,
but includes the possible application of them to any linotype machine under
respectively similar surroundings therein.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mould block, partly in section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the under side of the improved adjustable slider.
Figure 3 is an end elevation in full from the left hand of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail end elevation shewing the engagement of the rack and
screw.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of a mould wheel of the above mentioned machine,
modified to receive two adjustable mould blocks to which have been applied the
present invention and including the wrench or key by which the moveable liner is
adjusted.
Figure 6 is a vertical section along the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

page_text: A is the mould wheel; and a, the bash by which it is mounted upon the stud
about which it is revolved by suitable gearing which engages with its toothed
periphery a, a, a are holes through the said wheel, fitted with projecting
sockets a³, a. They stand at equal distances from each other and symmetrically
of the axis of the wheel. Their function is to fit over studs projecting towards
them from the front of the machine for the purpose of holding the mould wheel
immoveable during the act of casting.
B is the top piece or cap plate of the mould block; and C, the bottom piece or
lower body plate. D is the fixed liner at one end of the mould cavity E, and Fis
the stationary distance piece at the other end. Both fixed liner and distance piece
are of the same thickness, for the purpose of holding the opposite faces of the
pieces B and C parallel with each other. d. f are the holding screws for holding
the cap plate B down upon the fixed liner D and the distance piece F. G is the
adjustable liner. It is as wide as the opposite faces of the plates BC; is slotted
in the direction of its length to allow of the passage up through it, and of its fitting
down over and sliding by the sides of, the distance piece F above mentioned; and
is provided with the projecting corner g¹ to co-operate with the projecting corner
on the fixed liner D. So far, the parts just described are as described in the
Specifications of Letters Patent Nos. 3009 1895 and 11645 1895.
The object of the first part of the present invention is an improved mechanism
for adjusting the position of the adjustable liner G in respect of its distance from
the fixed liner D. It consists in the combination with the said adjustable liuer, of
a traversing screw turning in fixed bearings in the mould block and a screw thread
upon the said adjustable liner with which the said traversing serew is in permanent
engagement. Further, it includes the combination with the said traversing screw
and screw thread, of a bar acting as provision for preventing its sides springing
apart from each other.
H is the traversing screw; and I, the screw thread above mentioned. The
diameter which we find it advisable to give the screw, requires more room for it
than the mass of the cap plate B is capable of affording; and, for that reason, it
is mounted in a chamber formed to receive it in the thick upper portion of the
bottom piece C and at the end thereof, and large enough in cross section for it to
turn freely therein. The outer end of the chamber is flush with the end of the
said piece C. The screw H is mounted in this chamber with its axis parallel
with the length of the mould cavity E and with a sufficient segment of its zone
standing up above the top of the said bottom piece, to keep in constant working
engagement with the liner G through the screw thread I. Obviously the screw H
must be aligned with the length of the liner G; and the screw thread I, with
the axis of the screw H. The exact position also of the said screw thread on the
liner G must be dependent upon that of the said screw in the mould block. The
bearings of this screw H are fixed in the piece C so that it has only one motion,
that of rotation about its axis. One of these bearings consists of a coned end gl
fitting in a corresponding cavity in the inner end wall of the chamber & while the
other is a horizontal hole through the closing plate 4 which is made fast to the
end of the piece Cover the open end of the chamber h, and in which hole fits
the turned down or gudgeon end . This latter is prolonged far enough beyond
the outer face of the closing plate to receive a key or wrench J by which the
screw can be turned. As the pitch of both screw H and thread I is a fine one, it
is obvious that the position of the liner G can be adjusted with great exactness.
The provision above referred to for preventing the sides of the liner G from
springing apart from each other consists of a connecting bar y which extends from
the outer end of each side piece g to the other of them; being incorporated
therewith and, in fact, one piece with the liner.
It has already been proposed to apply the adjusting motion to one side of an
adjustable liner, the latter being shaped like a letter U, that is having its outer
ends free and disconnected. Such application had the effect of springing the side
pieces 93, 93 apart from each other. Now it is obvious that as the strain on the

page_text: liner G from the screw H, is delivered in to one side piece ³ and that near what
would be a free end of it, were it not for the bar g, the presence of the latter will
have the effect of dividing that strain equally between the two sides g', g³, and so
anticipate and obviate the springing referred to.
The present invention further relates to improved means for maintaining the
mould block in a rectilinear position at the proper distance from the axis of the
mould wheel during the time that it is in contact with the composed line of
matrices and space bars; and especially during the time that the justification of
that line is being effected. Hitherto, a rearward extension of the cap plate B has
generally been made to enter the slot at in the mould wheel A, the top of that
rearward extension bearing up against the top surface of the slot a', as against an
abutment. Consequently, any change in the thickness of the fixed liner D and
distance piece F, necessitated a corresponding change of cap plate B, a thicker
one for thinner liner and distance piece, and a thinner one for thicker liner and
distance piece. Or, if instead of making use of interchangeable cap plates C, the
slot a be made deep enough to admit of every position of the one cap plate B
which the variations in the thickness of the above mentioned fixed liner D and
distance piece F may require, then arises the necessity of providing a substitute
fixed surface to replace functionally the abutment referred to above, because the
opposite or top surface of the slot at which surface formerly acted as such
abutment, will always be at the maximum distance from the mould block and the
top of the cap plate C be frequently standing clear away from it.
In carrying this part of the invention into effect, the slot a' is wide enough to
admit the rearward extensions b, c, of both the cap plate and the bottom piece B, C,
when the thickest distance piece and fixed liner are held between the latter. The
flange of the cap plate B remains as heretofore, but the flange el of the bottom
piece C has a horizontal ridge upon the rear face of it adjacent to its bottom
edge. This ridge is parallel with the mould cavity E and the other parts already
described. In cross section, this ridge is rectangular. is a groove in the front
face of the wheel A and of the same cross section as the said ridge, so as to receive
it with a tight fit, three surfaces of each ridge and groove being in contact with
each other over their entire area, respectively, when the mould block is in working
position. The groove is long enough to receive the ridge on the longest mould
block which the wheel A can take. It is the top of this groove 3 that is the
substitute fixed surface above mentioned. The Hanges b, c, above mentioned,
fit up to the front face of the mould wheel A, and the latter is held to the
said wheel by screws e, as heretofore. It sometimes happens that the screw
boles in the flange e' do not register quite truly with those in the mould wheel A,
and that after the said flange has been passed over the nipple a-precedence being
given to the accuracy of the register between this nipple and the corresponding
hole in the flange over that between the screw holes in the wheel A. and those in
the flange it may be found necessary to widen the holes in the said flange.
This widening tends to, and may sometimes practically, spoil the hold of the
shoulders and heads of the holding screws e upon the said flange c. We now
propose to steady the said shoulders and heads by providing them with independent
bearing surfaces held in position by virtue of their connection with the wheel A,
in the following manner. c' is a plate accurately drilled out to fit tightly over the
nipple a The holding screws e have round shoulders and cheese heads. The
plate is further drilled to register truly with the screw holes in the mould.
wheel A; each drilling taking the form of a round hole to pass the screw shank
and to embrace the shoulder, and a round seat for the cheese head.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination in the mould block of a linotype machine, of traversing
screw adapted to turn only about its axis in fixed bearings in the mould block,

page_text: and screw thread on the adjustable liner with which the said screw is in constant
engagement, as set forth and illustrated.
2. The combination in the mould block of a linotype machine, of
traversing
screw aligned in fixed bearings in the said mould block with the length of the
adjustable liner, a screw thread on the said liner with which it engages, and a
connecting piece incorporated with the two otherwise free ends of the sides of the
said slider, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the linotype mould block having a horizontal ridge on
its bottom rear face, the surface to which the said mould block is to be held
immoveably, and the hereinbefore described substitute fixed surface, as set forth
and illustrated.
4. The combination in and with the mould block of a linotype machine, of the
hereinbefore described traversing screw and screw thread gear for adjusting the
position of the adjustable liner, the device for preventing the sides of the latter
springing apart, the horizontal ridge on the bottom rear face of the said mould
block, and the substituted fixed surface in that to which the said mould block is.
to be held immoveable, as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1806
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.