Improvements in Setting Up or Composing Letters, Numerals, or other Characters, and Producing Photographic Negatives or Transparencies therefrom, and in the Means or Apparatus for the purpose.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Setting Up or Composing Letters, Numerals, or
other Characters, and Producing Photographic Negatives or
Transparencies therefrom, and in the Means or Apparatus for
the purpose.
I, WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE of 39 Kings Road, Chelsea in the County of
London, Photographer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to set up or compose letters, numerals or other
characters in lines or otherwise and then to produce or print therefrom by means of
light a negative or a transparency upon a photographic plate or film. Negatives or
transparencies thus obtained are more particularly adapted for the rapid printing
therefrom by photography of a number of copies upon a continuous band or strip of
sensitized material caused to pass very quickly but intermittently through a
printing machine, a print being produced thereon after every intermittent
movement. This manner of using the negatives does not however form part of
my present invention.
For the purpose of my invention (supposing it be required to set up or compose
the letters or other characters in lines) I employ as many movable thin strips of
any suitable opaque material as the maximum number of characters and spaces
that will go to make up a complete line. Every strip although of opaque material
is cut or otherwise formed in a translucent manner with the whole of the letters and
characters that are required for producing the necessary words &c., corresponding
in fact with the characters in a font of type, and including non-translucent parts to
represent spaces, quads and the like. The letters and other characters are arranged
in line from end to end of the strip. The strip is preferably of gradually decreasing
width from one end to the other, the letters, characters, spaces &c. of "m" width
"width near the middle and those of narrower
being near the wider end, those of "n
width near the narrow end of the strip. 1 arrange all the strips side by side in
guides in which they are free to be moved to and fro and I place transversely of
the strips and immediately above or below the same a sheet of opaque material
having a slot therein which extends across the strips and is equal in length to the
line to be set up. This slot allows light to pass through the letters or characters
which for the time being are in line with the slot and also enables the operator to
see his work. Below the slotted plate is a photographic plate or film which can be
moved forward intermittently by any suitable means and between the slotted plate
and the photographic plate a reducing or enlarging lens is placed if it is required
to produce a negative or transparency on a reduced or enlarged scale; for ordinary
work it is best to have larger letters or other characters than are required on the
negative or transparency and to reduce them by a lens because in this way they
are obtained sharper and clearer.
In setting up or composing a line I move the strips in succession so as to bring
the required letters or characters for the words &c. in line with the slot so that
the line can in fact he read. I then expose this line to the photographic plate or
film so that it is reproduced thereon in the form of a negative or transparency.
I next set up another line, expose this so as to reproduce it in turn, the photographic
plate or filni having been meanwhile moved the necessary distance to enable this

page_text: second line to be reproduced in the proper position. I proceed in the same manner
for as many lines as may be required.
The strips may either be of rectilinear, curved or circular form and various ways
or means may be employed for moving them into place and returning them
if desired to their normal position. One convenient way is to connect the two ends
of each strip by means of cords or bands with two spring barrels respectively one
spring being more powerful than the other. When it is required to move the
strip into the necessary position a key or the like is acted upon so as to release the
stronger spring barrel from a catch which held it; this spring barrel then begins
to wind up the band and to pull the strip. The operator watches the movement
and as soon as the required letter or character on the strip reaches the slot in the
plate he stops the movement of the spring barrels. In order to return the strip in
the reverse direction the stronger spring barrel is put out of gear and the other barrel
then pulls the strip..
Dated this 6th day of April 1895
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Setting Up or Composing Letters, Numerals, or
other Characters, and Producing Photographic Negatives or
Transparencies therefrom, and in the Means or Apparatus for
the Purpose.
I, WILLIAM FRIESE-GREENE of 39 King's Road, Chelsea in the County of
London, Photographer, 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 object of this invention is to set up or compose letters, numerals or
other characters in lines and then produce or print therefrom by means of
light a negative or a transparency upon a photographic plate or film. Negatives
or transparencies thus obtained are more particularly adapted for the rapid
printing therefrom by photography of a number of copies upon a continuous band
or strip of sensitized material caused to pass very quickly through a printing
machine. This manner of using the negatives does not however form part of my
present invention.
For the purpose of my invention I employ as many movable strips of any
suitable material as the maximum number of characters and spaces that will
go to make up a complete line. Every strip bears one example of every letter
and character that are required for producing the necessary words &c., corre-
sponding in fact with the characters in a fount of type. The letters and other
characters are arranged in line from end to end of the strip. The strip is
preferably formed of varying width or with a longitudinal rib at back of varying
width at different parts, the letters or characters, of "m" width being on or in
front of the widest part, those of "n" width on or in front of the next widest
part and those of narrower width on or in front of the narrowest part of the
strip or rib. I arrange all these strips side by side in guides in which they are
free to be moved and I place transversely of the strips a sheet of opaque material
having a slot therein which extends across the strips and is equal in length to
the line to be set up. This slot allows light to pass to the letters or characters
which for the time being are in line with the slot and also enables the operator
to see his work. Opposite the slotted plate in a suitable camera is a photographic 5
plate or film which can be moved onward intermittently by any suitable means;
for ordinary work it is best to have larger letters or other characters than are

page_text: required on the negative or transparency and to reduce them by a lens because
in this way they are obtained sharper and clearer.
In setting up or composing a line I move the strips in succession so as to bring
the required letters or characters for the words &c., in line with the slot so that
the line of characters can in fact be read. I then expose this line to a portion
of the photographic plate or film so that (after being developed) it is reproduced
thereon in the form of a negative or transparency. I next set up another line by
means of the same strips, expose this so as to reproduce it in turn, the photographic
plate or film having been meanwhile moved the necessary distance to enable this
second line to be reproduced in the proper position. I proceed in the same manner
for as many lines as may be required.
Various ways or means may be employed for moving the strips into place and
returning them to their normal position. One couvenient way is hereinafter
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the accompanying drawings which represent an apparatus constructed
according to my invention;-
Figure 1 is a front elevation and Figure 2 a side elevation of the whole
apparatus.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of one of the "dash pots" hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a front elevation of the type setting mechanism partly in section on
the line a-a of Figure 5 the slotted plate 36 being moved and part of the front
plate 91 being broken away to allow the parts behind to be seen and three of the
type strips being seen in their lowered position.
Figure 5 is a section on the line b-b of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the strips 1 and adjacent parts after it has
been released, allowed to fall, and arrested at the required letter or other
character.
Figure 7 is a horizontal section of the type setting mechanism the right hand
half being on the line c-c of Figure 4 and the left hand half on the line d-d of
Figure 4.
Figure 8 is a back elevation of the type setting mechanism.
Figure 9 is a section on the line e-e of Figure 4 showing the mechanism for
putting the catches 38 and 44 out of gear with the rack 37 and drawing back the
travelling carriage.
Figure 10 is a section on the line of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a front elevation of the mechanism for "justifying" and for locking
up a line after it has been set up or composed.
Figures 12 and 13 are sections on the lines g-g and h- respectively of
Figure 11.
Figure 14 is a back elevation of part of the camera showing the mechanism for
moving the photographic plate or film intermittently.
Figure 15 is a section on the line i-i of Figure 14.
Figures 16 and 17 (both shown in two parts) are respectively a face view and a
back view of one of the strips.
Figures 4 to 10 are drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 3
and Figures 11 to 17 are drawn to a still larger scale.
1, 1, 1, are a number of strips arranged vertically side by side their number
being equal to the maximum number of characters and spaces say-forty for
example that will go to make up a complete line; these strips are arranged so
that every alternate strip is slightly in advance of those on each side as seen in
Figure 13 and it may overlap them. The strips are of black or other non-actinic
color and each of them bears in white or actinic color one example of every letter
and character that are required for producing the necessary words &c., corre-
sponding in fact with the characters in a fount of type. This will be understood on
reference to Figure 16 in which however the characters (for convenience of
illustration) are shown in black upon a white ground. Every strip has a rib 2 at
the back; this rib is of varying widths, the portion of the rib from 2 to 2° is

page_text: "
66
of "1" width and the corresponding part of the strip 1 bears the letters or characters
that are of the width of an "1"; the portion from 2° to 2 is of "n" width and
the corresponding part of the strip bears the letters or characters that are of the
width of an and the portion from 2° to 2' is of "m" width and the corre-
sponding part of the strip bears the letters or characters that are of the width of
'm," while the portion 28 of the rib below 2' tapers off to a point and corresponds
with a part of the strip that bears no characters. There is an incline between 2b
and 2 and between 2 and 2° to avoid a sharp angle.
an
"
Every strip 1 is connected at the upper end to a corresponding vertical guide
bar 3, the connection 4 being somewhat flexible so as to allow the strip to move
slightly sideways relatively to the guide bar. The guide bars 3 pass through
guides 5, 5 in the frame of the apparatus and are normally held up together with
the strips 1, 1 by means of the stops 6, 6 hereinafter described. To the tops of
the guide bars 3 are connected cords or chains 7 one to cach guide bar; these
cords pass over pulleys 8, 8 and 9, 9 and are connected at their other ends to the
rods 10 of weighted plungers 11 (see Figure 3) which move in dash pots or
cylinders 12 which may or may not contain water. Each plunger 11 fits the
cylinder 12 somewhat easily and is provided with a ball valve 13. The strips 1
and their guide bars 3 are slightly heavier than the plungers 11 with their weights
so that the strips 1 and guide bars 3 will descend in the grooves 30 in the plate 15
when the corresponding stops 6, 6 which hold them up are withdrawn as herein-
after described. Too sudden a descent of the strips is prevented because while a
strip descends and the corresponding weighted plunger 11 rises the valve 13 closes
and the plunger acts as a kind of brake, as a partial vacuum is produced below it
while it rises. On the other hand when the strips are again pushed up to their
normal position as hereinafter described the valves 13 open and the strips can
therefore rise quickly.
As has been already stated every strip is normally held up by a stop 6. Below
each of these stops is a vertical row of other stops 14, 14 in vertical grooves 30 in
the plate 15. The number of stops 14 in each of these grooves 30 corresponds
with the number of characters on a strip 1, say seventy for example. Consequently
if there are forty strips there would be.forty grooves 30 furnished with stops 14,
each groove containing seventy stops. The stops 14 are fitted in holes in the back
of the grooves 30 of the fixed plate 15 and are free to be moved so as to intercept
the falling of the guide bar 3 or to be withdrawn and they are normally in the
withdrawn position seen in Figure 5. Behind the fixed plate 15 is a carriage 16
which is moved intermittently and horizontally as hereinafter described. In this
carriage is a single vertical row of holes equal in number to the stops 14 in one
vertical row and in these holes are fitted spring pushers 17 at the same height
respectively as the stops 14. Behind the carriage 16 is a set of horizontal push
bars 18 extending across the machine there being one of these bars on the same
level as each pusher 17 and as every horizontal row of the stops 14. Every push
bar 18 is connected by two arms 19 to a corresponding horizontal shaft 2 which is
free to turn on its axis, and every shaft 20 has keyed to it a tail piece 21. Every
tail piece 21 is connected by a rod 22 with a corresponding key bar 23 pivotted
at 24 and kept up to its normal position by a spring 25. Every key bar is fitted
with a corresponding key 26 as in a type writing machine. If there are seventy
characters on a strip 1 and consequently seventy stops 14 in each vertical row there
will be seventy push bars 18, seventy horizontal shafts 20, seventy key bars 23, and
seventy keys 26. The key bars 23 are all in contact with the horizontal bar 27
and this bar is connected near its ends by means of reds 28 with tail pieces 29
keyed to a shaft 31 which is free to turn on its axis. To the shaft 31 are keyed
levers or arms 32 the upper ends of which are attached to a pull bar 33. This
pull bar engages with the back part of a hook-piece 34 which is free to move
horizontally in a guide in the carriage 16; the front part of the hook-piece
engages in its turn with a flange on the particular stop 6 which for the time being
is in line with it. Whenever any one of the key bars 23 is depressed by means of

page_text: the corresponding key 26 the corresponding rod 22 pulls down the tail piece 21,
the shaft 20 is thereby turned and the corresponding push bar 18 moved forwards
so that the corresponding pusher 17 is acted upon and pushes out the corre-
sponding stop 14 into the groove 30 viz. :-to the position of the lower stop 14 in
Figure 6; the particular stop 14 acted upon depends so far as a vertical row of
these stops is concerned upon the particular key 26 that has been depressed while
the particular stop 14 acted upon depends so far as a horizontal row of these stops
is concerned upon the position for the time being of the carriage 16 and conse-
quently of the vertical row of pushers 17 in the carriage. The depression of the
key bar in addition to causing the protrusion of the proper stop 14 as just explained
has a further effect, namely it depresses (no matter which of the key bars 23 it is)
the horizontal bar 27 so that through the intermediation of the rods 28, the tail
pieces 29, shaft 31, levers 32, pull bar 33, and hook piece 34 the particular stop 6
which for the time being is engaged by this hook piece is withdrawn. The result
is that the corresponding guide bar 3 is released and at once begins to descend in
its guides 5 and in the groove 30 together with the strip 1 and the descent continues
until arrested by the stop 14 which has been protruded. The distance to which the
strip 1 descends brings the letter or character thereon corresponding with the key
that has been depressed into the line for printing, this line being behind a horizontal
slot 35 in a plate 36 fixed to the front of the apparatus. For every depression of
any one of the key bars 23 the carriage 16 traverses a distance sufficient to bring
its rows of pushers 17 behind the next vertical row of stops 14 so that on the next
depression on any key bar the next strip 1 in succession may be released and
descend to the required position. It will thus be readily understood that if it be
required to set up or compose the word "Greene" for example it is only necessary
to depress in succession the keys 26 corresponding respectively with the
letters "G," "r" "e" (twice) "n" and "e"; the first six strips will descend
It will
the respective distances to bring these 6 letters in line behind the slot 35.
be understood that it is not necessary to wait after each depression of a key for
the strip 1 to descend to its required position as the keys may be depressed in
succession very rapidly and the strips descend slowly, several being in movement at
the same time.
The intermittent traversing movement of the carriage 16 is effected as
follows: On the carriage is a rack 37 with which a spring catch 38 normally
engages while a spring barrel 39 tends to pull the rack 37 and carriage 16 by
means of the cord 41; the spring catch is pivotted to a boss 42 but the extent of
its pivotting movement is limited. The boss 42 is mounted on a shaft 43 which is
free to turn on its axis to a certain extent; on the boss 42 is fixed another catch 44
and the catch 38 is normally behind the catch 44. When any one of the key
bars 23 is depressed it pushes down a horizontal bar 45; links 46 connecting this
bar to arms 47 on the shaft 43 consequently give a partial rotation to this shaft.
The catches 38 and 44 move with the shaft and as they do so the catch 38 moves
clear of the rack 37 while the catch 44 engages with the rack before the catch 38
is quite free; the rack is therefore still held. The catch 38 immediately it is clear
of the rack is forced by its spring into the position seen in Figure 4 that is to say
opposite the next tooth of the rack. Then after the pressure on the key bar and
consequently on the bar 45 is removed the bar 45 and shaft 43 return to their
normal position their return being ensured by one or more springs 48. During
this movement the catch 44 leaves the rack but before it does so the catch 38
engages with the next tooth. The spring barrel 39 then draws the rack 37
and carriage 16; the force of the spring of the catch 38 being overcome; but
as during this movement the catch 38 has to turn on its pivot, the extent of
the movement is limited and is in fact equal to the distance of one tooth
of the rack and this distance is equal to that between two of the vertical rows
5 of holes 14.
When a word has been composed and it is required to provide for a space before
the next following word this could be accomplished by having one or more sections

page_text: of each strip alotted for one or more spaces of different widths and by bringing
these space sections into line in the same way as the letters or characters, as will
be well understood. It is preferred however to pass over a strip without acting
upon it when a space is required, the traversing movement of the carriage being
nevertheless effected as before. The strips thus passed over are caused to descend
as hereinafter described when the line of characters has been completed. In order
to produce the traversing motion of the carriage without acting ou a strip there is
a separate key 49 and key bar 51 which act upon the horizontal bar 45 from which
the traversing movement is effected but do not act upon the horizontal bar 27 from
which the release of the stops 6 is effected. The key bar 51 is cranked as seen in
Figure 5 so as to pass clear above the bar 27 so that when depressed it does not
touch this bar.
When after the completion of a line it is required to return the carriage 16 to
the starting position this is effected by pulling the cord 52 attached to the
rack 37; this cord passes round the pulleys 53, 54, 55, and 56; the pulley 54 is
placed somewhat askew with respect to the pulleys 53 and 55 and is carried by an
arm 57 keyed on the shaft 43 the consequence of which is that when the cord 52
is pulled the pulley 54 and arm 57 become first moved so that the pulley 54
gets more in line with the pulleys 53 and 55 and the shaft 43 is thereby turned
sufficiently on its axis to move both the catches 38 and 44 clear of the rack;
then the continued pulling of the cord has the effect of pulling the rack 37 and
carriage 16 the cord 41 unwinding from the spring barrel 39 and winding up the
spring of same.
When all the letters or characters which go to make up a line have been set up
or composed it becomes necessary to produce the spaces between the words, to
justify the line, and to lock it up. These objects are effected as follows:-Upon
two parallel bars 58 and 59 are loosely mounted a series of collars 61 which are
placed alternately on the said two bars; the collars that are on the lower bar 59
have rings 62 which are slipped on the upper bar 58 to serve as guides to the
collars; the two bars are connected together by end pieces 63, 63 which are free
to turn on the pivots 64, 64 in the side frames as best seen in Figure 11.
65, 65 are stops to limit the movement of the end pieces 63 with the bars 58
and 59. Each of the collars 61 on these bars has a projecting rectangular part 66
continued downwardly by a tapered part 67. The ribs 2 on all the strips 1 whether
in their raised position or when lowered pass between the respective square parts 66
as seen best in Figure 13; but as regards the strips that have not been lowered it is
the narrowest part of the ribs at their lower end that is between the parts 66. These
non-lowered strips must now be lowered, and the extent to which they are lowered
Bo as to bring a greater or less width of the tapered part 2 (Figure 17) of the
rib into play regulates the definite width of the spaces and consequently effects
the "justification" of the line. The lowering of these non-lowered strips and
the extent of their descent is effected by means of a lever 68 with counter-
weight 69 and fitted with a pull rod 70. This lever is mounted on a shaft 71
extending across the apparatus and carrying near each end a plate 72 with cam
groove 73; in these grooves are the ends of a horizontal bar 74 formed with a
number of forks 75 situated respectively behind an equal number of studs 76 on
the guide bars 3 of the strips. Passing through the bar 74 near its ends are guide
pins 77 fixed to the upper ends of levers 78. The lower ends of the levers engage
in holes in a sliding catch bar 79 which engages behind flanges on all the top
pins 6.
When the lever 68 is pulled down together with the cam plates 72 the cam
grooves first cause the bar 74 to move forward until the forks 75 engage with the
studs 76 of all the guide bars 3 that have not been lowered. Meanwhile as the
upper ends of the levers 78 have been moving forward with the bar 74 their lower
ends have been moving backwards and drawing back the sliding catch bar 79
and the stops 6 are then drawn clear of the non-lowered bars 3; these guide bars
then descend under the control of the forks 75 the fork bar 74 moving down the
guide pins 77. The extent of the descent is governed by the distance to which

page_text: "
the lever 68 is pulled down and this will depend upon the judgment of the operator
who after a little experience will know how much "justification to provide for ;
any error of justification will become evident after the locking up operation herein-
after described and can be corrected.
The line having been justified it has now to be locked up. This is effected by
rotating the shaft 81 by means of a cord or chain passed over the pulley 82. The
shaft 81 is screw threaded near one end and carries a nut 83 which as the shaft.
rotates moves towards the opposite end and in so doing it presses against the
nearest of the cellars 61 and through it upon all the other collars 61 pushing them
all towards a fixed stop 84 at the other end of the bar 58. During this movement
of the collars they come as close together as the ribs 2 between the square parts 66
will permit. Consequently wherever the rib is of "1" width or of "n width
(see Figure 13 in which the rib at the left is of "1" width, that in the middle
of "n
width and that at the right of "m" width) the squares 66 at the two sides
are pushed closer together so as to come against the rib while the rib itself is
pushed nearer the neighbouring ribs the corresponding strips 1 becoming pro-
portionately overlapped. This sideways movement of the strips is permitted by
the flexibility of the connection 4 at top.
"
Although I have described the operations of justifying and locking up as being
effected separately they can be effected simultaneously.
When the line has been locked up it is photographed as bereinafter described.
The line is then unlocked by rotating the shaft 81 in the opposite direction. Then
the strips must all be raised to their normal position and the stops 14 which have
been protruded must be pushed back, so that the apparatus may be ready for
setting up a fresh line, the carriage 16 being also returned to the starting point.
The raising of the strips 1 and the pushing in of the protruding stops 14 is effected
by means of a transverse bar 85 having a series of inclined projections 86 which
engage in the grooves 30 of the fixed plate 15. The bar 85 is raised by means of
cords 87 passing over pulleys 88 and as it rises the inclines 86 push in the pr: -
truding stops 14 and the bar itself pushes up all the guide bars 5 and strips until
they have passed the upper stops 6 which are then immediately pushed out by
springs 89 so as to prevent the descent of the bars. In the upward movement of
the strips the parts of "m" width of the ribs 2 get in line and are liable to jam
with the square parts 66 but jamming is obviated because the bars 58 and 59
yield by turning upwards on the centres 64 the effect of this being that the
square parts 66 temporarily move clear of the ribs 2 their places being taken by
the tapered parts 67.
The front of the type composing apparatus between the keys 26 and the strips 1
may be enclosed by a plate 91, but this is not essential.
The shaft of the pulleys 88 over which the cords 87 for lifting the bar 85 pass
is driven by means of the pulley 112 thereon, this pulley being itself driven by a
chain or cord 113 worked by a hand lever 114 (see Figure 2). On the same shaft
is another pulley 115 (Figure 1) to which is connected the cord 52 by means of
which the rack 37 is returned to its starting position as previously described.
Therefore the pulling down of the lever 114 lifts the bar 85 and also returns the
rack 37 and carriage 16 to the starting position.
I will now describe the apparatus for taking a photographic negative of the
line of type and for moving the photographic plate intermittently after each
exposure so as to be ready for taking a negative of the next line after this has
been set up. Opposite the slot 35 in the plate 36 I place a camera 92 the distance
of which from the plate 36 can be varied as desired. At the side of the set of
keys 26 is a hinged finger piece 93 Figures 1 and 2 to which is connected the
lower end of a rod 94 whose upper end is connected to an arm 95 keyed on a
horizontal rod 96 so that when the finger piece 93 is depressed the rod 96 is caused
to make a partial axial revolution. Attached to rod 96 is an arm 97 which as the
rod makes its partial revolution in the one direction actuates the shutter of the
camera and thereby causes an exposure. The arm 97 is adjustable along the rod 96

page_text: so that it can slide along it' according to the position of the camera.
Further
along the rod 96 is an arm 98 (see Figures 14 and 15) to which is pivoted at 99
a tappet 101 with weight 102. This tappet as the rod 96 turns on its axis actuates
an escapement 103 which is pivoted at 100 and engages with a notched bar or
rack 104 fixed to the slide 105 that carries the photographic plate 106. The
slide 105 has a slot 107 in the same plane as the slot 35 of the composing apparatus
and of width varying in different slides and depending upon the size to which the
line of printing is to be reduced. The slide 105 is normally held up by the upper
catch 108 of the escapement, its lower catch 109 being normally out of
engagement. When a line of type has to be photographed the finger piece 93 is
depressed and the rod 96 therefore makes a partial revolution. This causes an
exposure owing to the arm 97 actuating the shutter. In the same partial revc-
lution of the rod 96 the arm 98 rises with the tappet 101 and the nose of the tappet
which was below the tail of the escapement 103 comes against the tail and by
turning on its pivot it passes the tail but is at once brought above the tail
by the action of the weight 102. Then when the finger piece 93 is freel
the rod 94 descends by reason of its own weight and the rod 96 makes a
partial revolution in the reverse direction. In this movement the tappet 101
pushes down the tail of the escapement so that the upper catch 108 is with-
drawn from the rack 104 while the lower catch 109 is temporarily pushed in.
The weight of the notched bar and slide then comes upon this catch 109
and pushes it downwards thereby causing the escapement to turn ou its pivot 100
the tappet 101 being now clear of the escapement. The upper catch 108
therefore again enters the rack one tooth above that with which it last engaged
while the lower catch 109 moves again clear of the rack. The rack has therefore
descended together with the slide 105 and photographic plate 106 to the extent of
one. tooth of the rack; the plate 106 being now in position to photograph a
negative of the next line of type. When it is required to remove or insert the
slide 105 both catches of the escapement can be held clear of the notches by pulling
outwards the finger piece 111 which is attached to the boss 112 carrying the
pivot 100; this boss is carried on the lower end of a spring plate 113 secured at its
upper end to the side of the camera as shown so that when the finger piece 111
is pulled outwards it moves the escapement entirely clear of the notches.
If the strips 1, 1 are black and the letters or characters thereon white as herein-
before described the photographic negative obtained therefrom will be a transparency
that is to say the letters or characters will be dark upon a transparent ground. If
however the strips be white and the characters black the characters in the negative
will appear transparent on a dark ground.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The mode or process herein before described of producing a photographic
negative or transparency of a number of composed lines of letters, numerals or
other characters, which mode or process consists in first setting up or composing a
line by means of a number of movable strips arranged side by side and cach
bearing one example of every character required in type composition, then photo-
graphing the line thus composed, then setting up another line in like manner by
means of the same strips and similarly photographing this line and so on for any
desired number of lines the photographic plate or film having only a portion
exposed at a time and being moved one step after each line has been photographed,
all substantially as set forth.
2. For carrying out the mode or process referred to in Claim 1, a number of
strips each of which bears one example of every letter or character required in
type composition, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. Constructing the strips referred to in Claim 2 each of varying width or
with a longitudinal rib of varying width such width comprising for example

page_text: ઃઃ
m
"
width, "n" width and "1" width, substantially as and for the purpose
Bet forth.
4. The combination with a number of movable strips such as herein before
described of a number of keys (or the like) corresponding with the letters or
characters on the strips, and means whereby the manipulation of the keys brings
the successive strips into the respective positions required to compose a line,.
substantially as set forth.
5. The construction of an apparatus substantially as herein before described and
represented in the accompanying drawings for setting up or composing successive
lines of letters or characters by means of a number of movable strips bearing the
letters or characters.
6. The combination with an apparatus for setting up or composing successive
lines of letters or characters in substantially the manner described by means of a
number of movable strips bearing the letters or characters, of a camera for photo-
graphing every line in succession upon the same plate or film substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 5th day of February 1806
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.