IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING UP OR FASTENING FORMS OF TYPE OR OTHER PRINTING SURFACES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Ward, of the North of England Advertiser
Office, Newcastle-on-Tync, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKING UP OR FASTENING FORMS OF TYPE OR OTHER PRINTING SURFACES."
Sealed the 24th July 1863, and dated the 28th January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Ward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th January 1863.
I, ROBERT WARD, of the North of England Advertiser Office, Newcastle-
on-Tyne, do. hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN LOCKING-UP OR FASTENING FORMS OF TYPE OR OTHER PRINTING SURFfaces,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in locking-up or fastening
forms of type or other printing surfaces. For these purposes in place of
employing loose wooden wedges acting on side-sticks or foot-sticks as hereto-
fore, a long wedge of any suitable material by preference in one piece, but
this is not essential, is placed between two foot-sticks or two side-sticks, and
such wedge is set up by a screw, which is formed with a head having holes
therein by which it can be readily turned whilst in the chase, in which the
"form" of type or printing surfaces is required to be locked-up or fastened.
The head or outer end of the screw rests against a block, whilst the screw
itself enters a female screw formed in the larger end of the wedge; hence,

page_text: when the screw is turned it will force the wedge more and more in between
the two foot-sticks or the two side-sticks so as to cause them to separate, and
thus lock up or fasten the "form" in the chase.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Ward in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
27th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ROBERT
WARD, of the North of England Advertizer Office, Newcastle-on-Tyne, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Robert Ward, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Robert Ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKING-UP OR FASTENING FORMS OF TYPE OR OTHER
PRINTING SURFACES," upon the condition (amongst others) that. I, the
said Robert Ward, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing. under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Ward, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
In place of a series of "quoins" or loose wooden wedges acting upon a
"side-stick" or "foot-stick," I employ two (though it is not absolutely
necessary to use two, as the result may be accomplished by one) side sticks
or foot-sticks, with their bevilled edges turned towards each other, and

page_text: between these I place a continuous wedge, (or a series of united wedges
forming one piece) of iron, or other suitable material or materials, which is
fixed and kept in its place by means of a screw, acting upon a square or
suitably shaped piece of iron placed in the corner of the chase so that it will
bear the pressure of the screws of both the bottom and side wedges.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1, a, a, a, a, is an ordinary chase,
and b is a page of type; c, c, c, c, are two side-sticks; d, d, d, is a continuous
wedge; e is the screw for forcing the wedge between the side-sticks; fis the
corner piece against which the screws of both bottom and side wedges operate;
and g is an opening in the wedge for facilitating the removal of the wedge
after the form of type has been printed, by means of the ordinary mallet and
shooting-stick. In Figure 2, one side stick is used (c, c,) with an increased
angle, and the wedge is driven both in and out by means of the ordinary
mallet and shooting-stick operating either at the top and bottom of the wedge
or at the opening 9. Figure 3 is a side view of the wedge as shown in
Figure 2. The parts of the wedge which operate upon the side-stick and
the side of the chase, a, a, a, a, a, a, (representing the ordinary quoins) are
here reduced in size for the double purpose of reducing friction in the opera-
tion of driving the wedge in or out, and increasing the firmness with which
the wedge holds in its place. These bearing parts may be enlarged or con-
tracted as desired, and this may be done in the manner shown, or by means
of a groove made longitudinally, or by a combination of both plans.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I wish it to be under
stood that what I claim is the continuous wedge or united wedges (or quoins)
as described, and the first mentioned mode of driving the wedge up by means
of a screw operating upon the corner of the chase.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Ward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 25th day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.