IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND FINISHING PRINTERS TYPES."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Patrick Welch, of the City of New York, in the
County of New York and State of New York, United States of America,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND
FINISHING PRINTERS TYPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Welch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
May 1865.
I, PATRICK WELCH, of the City of New York, in the County of New York,
and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING
AND FINISHING PRINTERS' TYPES," to be as follows:-
In the accompanying Drawing, which represents a plan of the machine, A
is the bed, made of cast iron and planed to a face B; another flat slab or table
of iron, on which the types after being set up are placed in form as represented
at C; brass or steel rulers, or their equivalents being placed between each
two lines of type, as shewn in purple, the ruler in front resting against the
guide bar D. The types, represented in-red, are fed-along through-a-groove,
at the end of the first line by the feeder E, attached to the feeding bar F,

page_text: which bar is moved by a pawl G, operated by a spring feed located below the
table, and which should be set to feed the width of one type at each stroke.
After entering the groove above mentioned 'the types first come in contact
with two cutters or scrapers a, which remove the burr formed upon the typo
at the junction of the matrix with the mould, which forms the shank or main
body of the type. The types then pass between the scrapers H, the edges of
which are inclined so as to make a downward drawing cut or scrape, and
remove the burr from the sides of the types, reducing them to a uniform
thickness. The types then pass on to the end of this groove, where they are
forced by a reciprocating follower I into another groove at right angles to the
first, as shewn in red, the said types being kept from falling back on the
return of the follower I, by a spring sunk in one of the guides which form the
groove, the said follower being worked alternately with the feed bar F.
While the types are in the last-mentioned groove they pass between the
scrapers 6 and J, similar to those already described, which remove the burr
from the edges of the types and reduce them to a uniform width. After
passing these last scrapers, and before leaving the groove, they pass under an
india-rubber or leather-surfaced roller K, or, its equivalent, and at the same
time over a small circular saw or cutter, which being run with a quick motion
cuts out the sprue so as to make "feet" to the type. The types then pass
forward in a row upon the iron slab L, and when a line is formed it is pushed
over into the form M (shewn in red) by a plate or bar N, which is then
operated for the purpose; the thin plate O, which has previously guided and
kept them in line being raised to allow them to pass, after which it again
descends into position to guide the next line. The form M is kept from falling
into "pi" by a piece of furniture P, which is supported and kept in place by
the slide Q.
Instead of working the types into form at the end of the operation as
described, they may be pushed into grooves in a bed set upon rollers, or in a
horizontally revolving table, the machine being provided with the proper
mechanism to work this table or bed automatically. When the feeder E has
passed the whole length of the line of type in the form C, it is released from
the pawl G, and detent d, and drawn back by a'weight to its original position.
The bars e, e, are then swung out so as to allow the rule next the guide bar D
to fall out, when the follower R is forced up against the piece of furniture S,
thereby bringing another line of types into position to be operated upon by
the feeder E. The follower R is operated by pawls worked by mechanism
below the table or bed A. T is the main shaft which gives motion to the
Darts

page_text: Among the obvious peculiarities of this Invention may be mentioned,―
Firstly, the types are taken from a form and forced one immediately after
another through grooves for the purpose of dressing and finishing them.
Secondly, the construction is such that the types stand upon their base
during the operation of being dressed and finished.
Thirdly, the scrapers are so inclined as to give a downward scraping action,
and they and portions of the guides which form the sides of the grooves in
which they are dressed and finished support the types during the operation.
Fourthly, the sprue is removed while the types are in one of the grooves,
by means of a rotary cutter, over which they are forced in passing from the
scrapers, the said types being held down at that point against the cutter..
Fifthly, the types are delivered in line or in form, as the case may be.
Sixthly, the construction of the machine is such that the types are handled
automatically during the whole operation of dressing and finishing them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Patrick Welch, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PATRICK
WELCH, of the City of New York, in the County of New York, and State
of New York, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Patrick Welch, Her special licence that I, the said Patrick
Welch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Patrick Welch, 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 Invention for:
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND FINISHING PRINTERS' TYPES,"*"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Patrick Welch, my:
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,, or their,.
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain.
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: 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 Patrick Welch, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
:-
The nature and object of my Invention consist in the construction of a
machine, wherewith printers' types in the condition in which they come from
the moulds may be dressed and finished ready for use, except as to the
"picking," which my machine does not do. For this purpose I provide a bed
or table of cast iron or other suitable material furnished with frames and
slides for holding and moving the types when in "form." Upon or connected
with this table are grooves through which the types are forced in the process
of dressing and finishing; the types standing upon their feet being forced
through said grooves by feeding devices herein-after described, and passing
between knives and scrapers fixed in the sides of said grooves and over a
circular saw or cutter, which cuts out the sprue to form the feet as herein-
after more fully set forth and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in
which Figure 1 is a plan of my machine with the attachments; Figure 2
is a vertical lateral section through the line X, X, Figure 1; Figure 8 is a
detail plan view of that part of my machine through which the types are first
passed with the device for feeding; Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section
of my machine, showing the parts to the left of the line y, y, Figure 3 ;
Figure 5 is a detail plan view of that part of my machine in which the types
are finished; Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the parts to
the left of the line y², y³, Figure 5; Figure 7 is a detail vertical lateral'section
showing the parts above the broken line X2, X², Figure 1; Figure 8 is a
plan of a different form of my machine from that represented in the previous
Figures; Figure 9 is a detail view of a cam used in Figure 8; Figure 10 is
a detail view of a cam and its connections, as used in Figure 8; Figure 11 is
a front elevation of the form shown in Figure 8; and Figure 12 is a back
elevation of the same.
A is the bed or table of the machine on which all the other parts rest, or to
which they are attached; it is made of cast iron or other suitable material
planed to a flat surface; B is the bed or rest on which the types are placed in
order to their being operated upon by the machine. C is the "form" of types
set up with brass rules between the rows of types. It is kept from falling
into pi by the piece of furniture S, and the follower Q. E is the 'feeder

page_text: '
attached to the feeding bar F, and moved forward by the pawl G operating on
the teeth, which are shown on side of the feeding bar F. The pawl Glis
operated by crank c, which obtains its motion from the cam f,. Figure 4't
The detent d is attached to the standard g, and serves to keep the feeding!
bar F from sliding back when released from the action of the pawl G. D is
a stationary bar, against which the brass rule which holds the outer row of
type in the form C rests, until the said row are all pushed clear of: the 'said
form. his a catch or cam which strikes the end of the lever i when the row>
of types are all 'pushed through, and dépressing said lever withdraws thet
supports j,j, from under the rule which rests against the bar D, and allows:
said rule to fall on the table A, and leaves room for the next rule to succeed?
it. k is an inclined slide, which strikes against the top of the lever (seen'
more distinctly in Figure 7), and pushes it outward, causing the pin mitoi
catch on the cam n, and being drawn down draws-down with it the yoke ri
and bar g, and operates the pawl o. The pawl o works in teeth on the ratchets
wheel p, and moves up the follower G, furniture S, and form C, the thickness;
of one row of types and a brass rale, thus bringing another row of types to be
pushed forward by the feeder E. The pin m, having slipped. past the cam'n't
the bar q is raised to its normal position by the springs, and the pawl o'takes
into the next tooth on the ratchet wheel p, and is ready for the next motion.:
t is a projection on the feeding bar F, which operates the spring-catch ul.when
the said feeding bar has completed, its inward motion and releases the lever v."
Said lever is pushed over by the spring w, and clears 'the-pawl G. and
detent d from the teeth on the feeding bar F,-and thus allows, the weight a¹
to draw the feeding bar.back to its normal-position. The types being pushed
from the form C into the groove 61, pass between the cutters or scrapers 'a; a,
which remove the burr formed upon the types at-the junction of the matrix'
with the mould which forms the shank or main body of the types. 'The-types'
then pass
s between the scrapers H, H, which are set at an inclination so'n's to
make a downwardly drawing cut or scrape, and these scrapers remove the
burr from the sides of the types and reduce them to a uniform thickness.
The types being then pushed on to the end of the groove b, åre set off one-at
à time into the groove c¹ by the follower I. This follower I is operated; by:
the crank motion d², which in turn obtains its motion froin the cam e² on the
main shaft. The types are prevented from falling during-the-backward motion
of the follower I by a spring catch in one of the guides. The follower Iis
worked alternately with the feed bar F. After passing into the -grooves :c¹
the types come in contact with the cutters or scrapers b, b, and-the scrapers JJ,
which remove the burr from the edges of the types and reduce them-to-a-uniforin

page_text: width. They then pass under the roller K, which has a surface of india-rubber
or leather, and which bears upon the face of the types holding them down in
their places, while a circular saw or cutter f¹, which works on the mandrel
g', cuts out the sprue which forms the feet of the types. The types now pass
on out of the groove c', and into an opening or groove between the movable
thin plate O and the movable bar N. While moving into this last-mentioned
opening or groove they are held up by the weighted block or slide h¹, which is
caused to press against the outermost type in the row by the weight. When
the row is completed and set over into the form M, the slide h¹ is released
and is drawn back by the weight to its normal position. As the row of type
is filled the slide h¹ is pushed out by tho types until it touches the projection j¹
of the lever (Figure 2), and forces it outward, by which means the arm I¹
is pushed in, and the stop m² is moved over so as to enter the opening shown
in dotted lines at n³, and the movable thin plate O raised so as to allow the
row of types to be set over into the form M. This will become plainer by
reference to Figure 6. The cam o¹ raises the frame p' at each revolution, and
would also raise the frame q¹ at the same time, by means of the spring r¹ if
the frame q¹ were not blocked by the stop m². Now, when the stop m² is
moved over the opening shown at n¹ in Figure 2, the frame moves up by
means of the spring r¹ at the same time that the frame p¹ does, and carries
with it the posts s¹, to the top of which the movable thin plate O is secured.
The bar N is operated to set the row of types over by means of the cam t
acting on the lever u³ (Figures 2 and 4). The fulcrum of the lever u¹ is
at v', and the other end of the lever acts on the post w¹, fixed in the frame A',
and moves with it. The frame A¹ and the bar N are prevented from moving,
except when the thin plate O is raised by the 'lock, which occurs at the point B¹,
seen in Figure 6. The lever u², and the parts connected therewith, are drawn
back after being forced forward by the cam t¹, by the spring C². Motion is
communicated to the saw or cutter f¹ by the belt D', and to the shaft T, by
the belt E. F¹ is the cam which operates the lever to throw it back to its
normal position.
.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 represent my Invention in another and more
simple form, in which the types are first "dressed" by being put through the
machine, and then the machine being adjusted to suit the difference between
the thickness and the width of the types, they are put through again and
finished on the edges. The apparatus for cutting out the sprue for forming
the feet of the types is left off from this form of the machine. A different
form of cutters or scrapers are shown at a, a, Figure 8, and the scrapers
H, H, are made adjustable by means of the set screws 1, 1. The scrow

page_text: regulator 2, with the bar 3, and slides 4, 4, furnish means of changing the
width of the groove 6'. The feeding bar F is worked by the arm 5, the lower
end of which arm has a slot through which the roller 6 moves when motion
is imparted to the 'wheel 7. The upper end of the arm 5 has a slot in it
through which the pin or wrist 8 works; 9 is a slide or cam secured to the
wheel 7, and acting on the lever 10, at each revolution of the said wheel,
thereby throwing back the blocks or supports 12, 12, when the row of types
are all pushed out of the form and into the channel 6 by the feeder, thereby
releasing the brass rule and letting it drop through an opening in the table
and into the box 13 placed under the table for its reception. The types in the
form C are fed up to the machine one row at a time. When the feed bar F
moves back by means of the cam 14 (shown in detail in Figure 9) which
operates the lever 15 and draws it down by catching on the projection 16,
thus drawing down the lever 17, to which is attached the pawl 18. By means
of this pawl which takes into teeth on the ratchet wheel 19, and suitable
gearing on the shaft on which the ratchet wheel 19 is hung, and on the under
side of the follower R, the follower R is pushed up the required distance. The
thin slide O is raised at the proper time by the cam 20, which also operates
the device for setting the row of finished types over into the form M. The
cam 20 pushes back the arm 21, thereby rocking the shaft 22 and setting the
frame 23 in, and with it the bar N against which the types rest. At the same
instant a projecting point of the catch 25 strikes the lower end of the arm
26 throwing it forward, by which means the forward end of the arm 24, to
which the thin slide O is attached is raised, which allows the types to be set
over by the bar N; 27 is the pulley to which the motion is first applied.
Thus by means of the devices herein described I am enabled to dress and
finish printers' types while standing on their base, thereby obviating the long
and expensive process now in use for finishing them by hand, and saving a
great expenditure of time and money.
Having thus fully described and illustrated my Invention, and the advan-
tages I obtain from the use of it, I claim,-
First, the combination of the bed B, follower R, and device for feeding up
the form C with the feed bar F, and its attachments for feeding the types
into the channel 6, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Second, the combination with the channel 6', the width of which is made
adjustable, of the knives or scrapers a, a, and H, H, or their equivalents,
substantially as described.
Third, the combination with the channels 6' and c' of the follower I, and
devices for operating it, substantially as described.

page_text: Fourth, the combination with the channel c¹ of the knives or scrapers b, b,
and J, J, or their equivalents, substantially as described.
Fifth, the combination with the channel for the types of a surface roller K
for holding down the types, and a cutter for cutting out the sprue, substantially
as described.
Sixth, the combination of the movable plate O and movable bar N, with the
devices for operating them, substantially as described.
:
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Welch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal; this Sixteenth day of October A.D. 1865.
PATRICK WELCH. (L.B.)