Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1896 Accepted, 20th June, 1896.
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
•We,
THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 6 Serjeants Inn, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, sole Manufacturers, Licensors and Vendors under the
"Linotype" Patents, 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 trimming mechanism of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent loss and damage, to expedite work, when
the machine is engaged in -producing linotypes some of which begin with 2-line
capitals, and to effect such prevention and expedition by simpler mechanism and a
more direct method than have hitherto been contemplated.
Those who are familiar with the machine production of linotypes or printing bars,
are aware that there is a certain amount of trimming to be done to both their sides.
The 2-line capital at the head of a linotype has the lower half of it; projecting
beyond the adjacent side of the linotype. Such projection, therefore, renders the
trimming of the sides of such linotype, by its being passed between a pair of parallel
trimming knives as long as itself, impracticable, for the reason that such passage
would result in the lower half of the capital being shorn off. To prevent such
shearing off, it has been proposed to make the respective knife end capable of being
moved out of the way before the advance of the 2-line capital linotype to the
trimming mechanism, and of being replaced in its normal position before the advance
of the next normal linotype. The provision at present in use for so moving the said
knife end out of the way, has been essentially of a type for hand manipulation only,
and for that reason, demanding alert attention on the part of the mind, the eye, and
the hand of the operator; or loss of time and material, damage to linotypes and
delayed output, are more or less inevitable.
4
The details of the provision above mentioned will be found in the Specifications
of Letters Patent No. 8258 1894 and are as follows. The respective knife end is
in a separate piece froin the rest of the knife but it is pivotted thereto so as to be
capable of being turned by a winch handle through a quarter of a circle and that in
the plane of the whole knife: The pivot is so positioned that the tail of the knife
end, i.e., the piece of the latter on the side of the pivot opposite to the trimming
edge, stands, after the winch handle has been turned through the distance stated, at
a distance from the rest of the knife, greater than the width of the projection of the
2-line capital, thereby establishing a clear way for the passage of such projection.
But if the operator does not turn the winch handle at the right moment, the 2-line
capital linotype will lose the said projection and if he does not turn the winch
handle back in time, the next normal linotype will be imperfectly trimmed.
The present invention consists broadly in providing for the automatic withdrawal
of the knife in the direction of its edge; for the introduction into the space so
vacated, of the lower half or apron of the 2-tine capital; for the return of the knife
along its line of withdrawal; for the apron acting as a stop to it by standing as an
abutment against the end of the knife; for the restoration of the knife to its normal
position and for the disconnection of the withdrawing mechanism when the following
linotype is an ordinary one.

page_text: 1
It is well known that in the Linotype machine, the mould for the linotypes is a
slot in a mould wheel; that the latter is carried on an axle which is part of the
mould slide; that the latter is capable of motion up to and away from the casting
position; that the mould is advanced to the casting position against the matrices,
and withdrawn therefrom for a short distance after the casting operation; that the
mould wheel then makes a partial revolution, thereby bringing the mould and
linotype in it opposite the ejector blade; that the latter is moved forward into the
mould and ejects the linotype and is then withdrawn therefrom; and that the mould
wheel then rotates into its normal position.
Such being the operations of the mechanism with which the present invention
must needs co-operate, we interpose a lever mechanism between the mould slide, or
equivalent member, and the knife in question. This mechanism is, preferably, as
follows. A link_connects the mould slide to one end of a bell crank lever having
its fulcrum on the trimming block and its opposite end connected to the knife in
such a way that when the said slide is moved backwards from the casting position,
the bell crank lever is rocked and the knife moved in the direction of its edge.
A spring actuated stop, previously held back by the normal position of the knife, is
protruded by the spring into the space vacated by the said knife, thereby locking
the latter in its new position. The linotype is then cast. During the advance of
the said slide to effect the ejection of the linotype from the mould, the mould wheel
engages a push pin projecting from the trimming block, which disengages the stop
from above the knife, whereupon the latter is returned by a spring until the end of
it abuts against the apron. As soon as the apron is past the knife, the returning
spring completes its return to its normal position.
A suitable device is provided for disconnecting the mould slide and bell crank
lever when ordinary linotypes as distinguished from those with 2-line capitals, are
to be made.
The knife above mentioned carries a sharp projection adapted to rake out the
internal angle between the apron and the linotype.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1895.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
:
!
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, late of No. 6 Serjeants Inn, but
now of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of London, sole Manufacturers of and
Licensors and Vendors under, the "Linotype" Patents, 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 the manner in which it is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Our invention relates to improvements in the trimming mechanism of linotype
machines, and the object of it is to prevent loss and damage, to expedite work, when
the machine is engaged in producing linotypes some of which begin with 2-line
capitals, and to effect such prevention and expedition by simpler mechanism and a
more.direct method than have hitherto been contemplated.
Those who are familiar with the machine production of linotypes or printing bars,
are aware, that there is a certain amount of trimming to be done to both their sides.
The 2-line capital at the head of a linotype has the lower half of it projecting
beyond the adjacent side of the liuotype. Such projection, therefore, renders the
trimming of the sides of such linotype, by its being passed between a pair of parallel
trimming knives as long as itself, impracticable, for the reason that such passage

page_text: would result in the said lower half of the capital being shorn off. To prevent such
shearing off, it has been proposed to make the 'respective knife-end capable of being
moved out of the way before the advance of the 2-line capital linotype to the
trimming mechanism and of being replaced in its normal position before the advance
of the next normal linotype. One provision at present in use for so moving the said
knife end out of the way, is essentially of a type for hand manipulation only, and
for that reason demands alert attention on the part of the mind, the eye and the
hand of the operator; or loss of time and material, damage to linotypes and delayed
output, are more or less inevitable.
The details of the provision above mentioned will be found in the Specification
of Letters Patent No: 8258 1894 and are as follows. The respective knife end is
in a separate piece from the rest of the knife but it is pivotted thereto so as to be
capable of being turned by a winch handle through a quarter of a circle and that in
the plane of the whole knife. The pivot is so positioned that the tail of the knife
end, i.e., the piece of the latter on the side of the pivot opposite to the trimming
edge, stands, after the winch handle has been turned through the distance stated, at
a distance from the rest of the knife greater than the width of the projection of the
2-line capital thereby establishing a clear way for the passage of such projection.
But if the operator does not turn the winch handle at the right moment, the 2-line
capital linotype will lose the said projection and if he does not turn the winch
handle back in time, the next normal linotype will be imperfectly trimmed.
Automatic means for preventing the above mentioned shearing off of the lower
half of the capital have also been proposed.
The present invention consists in improved means for effecting (a.) the automatic
withdrawal of the knife in the direction of its edge; (b.) the automatic introduction
into the space so vacated, of the lower half of the 2-line capital; (c.) the automatic
return of the knife along its line of withdrawal; (d.) the automatic stop-action of
the lower half of the 2-line capital in respect of the knife; (e.) the automatic
restoration of the knife to its normal position; and (f.) the disconnection of the
withdrawing mechanism when the following linotype is a normal one.
It is well known that in the Linotype machine, the mould for the linotypes is a
slot in a mould wheel; that the latter is carried on an axle which is part of the
mould slide; that the latter is capable of a motion up to and away from the casting
position; that the mould is advanced to the casting position against the matrices,
and withdrawn therefrom for a short distance after the casting operation; that the
mould wheel then makes a partial revolution, thereby bringing the mould and
linotype in it opposite the ejector blade; that the latter is moved forward into the
mould and ejects the linotype and is then withdrawn therefrom; and that the mould
wheel then rotates into its normal position.
Such being the operations of the mechanism with which the present invention
must needs co-operate, we interpose a lever mechanism between the mould slide, or
equivalent member, and the knife in question. The mechanism which we prefer to
use is the one illustrated in the accompanying figures which are to be taken as part
of this Specification and read therewith. At the same time, it must be distinctly
understood that they do not limit the invention to the mechanical combinations
which they illustrate, inasmuch as any other mechanical combinations which may
be, respectively, the functional equivalents thereof, are included within the scope
of the said invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation from the right hand of the machine, of the right hand
knife block, mould wheel slide and ejector blade.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 after the knife
has been pulled down.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 corresponding with the dotted lines of the link and
bell crank lever and including the mould-block and part of the mould-wheel, both
in section.
Figure 4 is a plan of the right hand knife and the knife locking block.
A is the mould-wheel; B, the mould-wheel slide; C, the ejector-blade; and.
:

page_text: D, the trimming block to which the trimming knives are made fast. These parts
are substantially the same as are described in the Specification of Letters
Patent 14582 1890. The mechanisms for actuating the mould-wheel slide and the
ejector-blade are both omitted from the figures, for the reason that they, as well as
the members which they actuate, are outside the scope of the present invention.
E, F are the two trimming knives and e, f, their cutting edges. They are made
according to Letters Patent 22921 1894, ie., with portions of the edge in advance
of the remainder. Both knives are held to the rear face of the trimming block
parallel with each other and at the proper distance apart, as heretofore, for the
passage of the linotype i and the ejector-blade C. The right hand knife E is
moveable in the direction of its length as and for the reason explained in the
Specification of Letters Patent 1389 1895. This motion is a reciprocating vertical
one and takes place in a guide J which may be of any suitable construction. The
-one illustrated is a block made fast to the rear face of the trimming block D.
1,, are headed pins or screws fast to the knife E and projecting horizontally to
the right through vertical slots,, in the guide block J, the length of the said
slots being adjusted to the length of the above mentioned motion of the knife E.
is a plate adapted to slide smoothly upon the right hand face of the guide block.
It has all the pins j made fast to it, and, further, carries a stud 3 which is fast to it
and projects laterally from it to the right hand. k is a pin screwed into a forward
extension of the trimming block for the purpose of providing the fulcrum of a bell
crank lever. One arm of the latter extends to the rear and rests upon the stud 13.
The other and shorter arm, k³, stands up above the arm and has its outer end
connected by a link k³ to a stud k projecting from the right side of the ejector
slide.
l is a push pin adapted to move to and fro in a horizontal bearing land cavity ľ²
in the guide block J and the trimming block D, respectively. It has a shoulder 13
fast on it and a spiral spring 14 surrounding its front portion and adapted by
bearing against the front of the cavity 12 to keep the shoulder 13 up to the back of
the block and the nose of the pin protruded as far to the rear as the length of
the pin to the rear of the said shoulder, permits of.
m is a block fast upon the pin in a certain position thereon, to wit, the one
which will permit it to stand over the front right hand corner of the knife E
(supposing that were in its lower position) when the shoulder 13 is up to the
block J-see Figure 4. This block is, in fact, a spring actuated stop adapted to
lock the knife E down in the said lower position.
n is a rearward projection from the knife E, so positioned and dimensioned as to
stand over the lower half ¹ of the 2-line capital at the head of the linotype i at or
during the first portion of the travel to the front of the mould wheel A; as well
as a little to the rear of and also a little to the right of the cutting edge e of the
knife E as illustrated in Figure 3.
o is a returning spring adapted to pull the knife E up again after its depression
by the bell crank lever above mentioned; and o', a buffer spring. against the
downward motion of the same knife, which motion reaches it through an upstanding
thrust pin o² and a lever o³, the latter having its fulcrum at o* intermediate of the
pivotted connection of between it and the pin o² on the one hand and the buffer
spring of on the other.
The action of the invention is as follows:-
The link k³ having been connected to the stud immediately before the rearward
motion of the mould-wheel slide B, the said motion pulls the knite E down into its
lowest position, whereupon the locking block m is made to stand immediately over
its front right hand corner, thereby locking it down. The rearward motion of the
push pin projects its nose as far to the rear as is necessary for it to be engaged
by the mould-wheel at the proper moment for unlocking the block m from the
knife E.
After the cast, the mould wheel A moves forward and engaging the nose of the
push pin pushes it into its socket for a short distance, as indicated by the dotted

page_text: lines in Figure 3, but at the same time places the lower half part of the 2-line
The continued motion
capital-above mentioned, vertically over the projection n.
of the mould-wheel to the front, pushes the block m from off the knife E which is
then free to be raised to its normal position under the pull of the spring o as soon
as the said portion has cleared the knife-top under the ejecting motion of the
ejector blade C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a linotype machine, the combination of moveable knife, bell crank lever,
connection between it and a reciprocating part of the machine adapted to turn it
on its fulcrum, and an automatic stop and knife locking device as and for the
purpose set forth.
2. In a linotype machine, the combination of moveable trimming knife, bell
crank lever, mould-wheel slide, spring protruded stop and knife locking block, as
and for the purpose set forth.
3. The moveable trimming knife actuated as described and shewn in the
accompanying drawings for the purpose described.
Tad thin 22nd dow of Auril 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.