IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of Chancery Lane, London, for the Inven-
tion of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING
TYPE." A communication from abroad by Louis Heinemann, of Hamburg,
Germany.
Sealed the 8th August 1876, and dated the 9th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1876.
PETER JENSEN, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE." A communication from abroad by Louis
Heinemann, of Hamburg, Germany.
According to this Invention a stationary frame is constructed to hold one or
more rows of cases or holders, containing each a column of type of a certain letter
or other character; in connection with this row or rows of type cases is arranged
a sliding, swinging, or otherwise movable receiver or holder of type, in such a
way that a type may be passed to it from any of the type cases when placed
against it.
One mode of carrying this Invention into effect is as follows:-A row of type
cases inclining backwards is placed on a frame, each case or holder contains a
column of type of only one letter or character; each holder is made in two parts,
a lower fixed part and an upper removable part fitted and supported therein; the
upper parts are held together at the top. The type receiver is made to slide on
rails or guides across the machine, and has a part projecting over the lower part of
the type holders.
The type receiver has a handle or knob which when moved detaches the lowest
type in the column against which it is placed; this type then is caused to press
against a tooth of a tooth wheel arranged in the receiver and placed over a
movable supporting block; the wheel is thereby turned, the next tooth presses the
type down upon the block which gives way; repeating this operation one type will
be deposited upon or against another till a line is made up, when by removing the
block it will be deposited on a plate below, as in a printer's stick.
The receiver may be made to swing on a centre and along a curved row of type
holders.
The receiver might be stationary and the type holders movable.
When these improvements are applied to a distributing machine the construction

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th August
1876.
PETER JENSEN, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
COMPOSING AND DISTRIBUTING TYPE." A communication from abroad by Louis
Heinemann, of Hamburg, Germany.
According to this Invention a stationary frame is constructed to hold one or
more rows of cases or holders, containing each a column of type of a certain letter
or other character; in connection with this row or rows of type cases is arranged
a sliding, swinging, or otherwise movable receiver or holder of type, in such a
way that a type may be passed to it from any of the type cases when placed
against it.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a side view, and Figure 2 a front
elevation of a type-composing machine constructed according to this Invention.
c is a frame which rests on feet a and supports b, which latter allow of different
inclinations. On this frame is placed a row of backward inclined typo holders or
cases, which each consists of two parts, viz., a lower fixed part g and the upper
removable parts d, d', d¹¹, 111, &c., fitted and supported in the said lower parts g; the
upper parts d, d', d", d, &c., are held together at the top by means of the cross
bar y and the pins or pegs f. In front of the parts g is placed a bar e fitted with a
plate, on which are marked the letters or other characters deposited in the type
holders. is a plate below the bar e for regulating the lower front openings of
the type holders, so that only one type may pass at a time; H is the movable or
travelling receiver which is made to slide across the machine on rails or guides, in
this case on guides of a dovetail shape. Its upper part projects over the lower part g
of the type holders; the type receiver H has a groove or gutter i, into which is
placed a loose removable type holder, which at the bottom is held by a slide
or bolt The top of the groove i and of the type holder is level with the
bottom of the row of types, the two side plates of the gutter i being above this
open at the back, so that when a type is pushed from the type holder g it may
pass into the receiving gutter i; m, is a pushing bar which can be passed through
a slit through the bottom part of the type holder g, and thereby push the lower-
most type away from its place in y. For this purpose the bar m is formed with a
rack which can be moved by a sector pinion o, that is, actuated by turning the
handle or knob 11. This latter also by means of lever gear, as shown, gives up or
down motion to a bar q fitted with a plate that enters the gutter i. In front of the
top of the gutter i is a pointer plate for indicating the position of the receiver H
relatively to any of the letters or characters marked on the bar e; on the type
holder s is a handle or knob which is moved by the left hand and serves to move
and guide the receiver II, the other handle or knob is actuated by the right
hand, as explained, and serves also to steady the receiver H in its movement; t is
a loose spring plate for supporting and holding in its downward course the type.
deposited in .
Instead of the above described mode of moving the type from the type holders
into the type receiver the type after being detached from the type column, as
described, may be made to press against a tooth of a tooth wheel arranged in the
receiver and placed over a movable supporting block, the wheel is thereby turned,
the next tooth presses the type down upon the block, which gives way; repeating the
operation one type will be deposited upon or against another till a line is made up,
when by removing the block it will be deposited on a plate below as in a "printer's
stick."

page_text: The operation of the type-shifting appliances, as shown on the Drawing, is as
follows: Type being deposited in the type holders (which may be effected by
means of a type-distributing apparatus) and the type holders being put in their
proper places, the left hand grasps the handle sand the right hand the handle p;
the receiver H is then moved until the point is right in front of the required
letter or other character. By giving the handle pa slight turn the sector tooth wheel o
is made to move the rack m, pushing it forward, so that its forward end catches the
lowermost typo and pushes it from the type holder g into the gutter i on the type
receiver. By means of the levers v and w the bar q and the plate on it, which
enters the gutter i, are at the same time raised, and the aforesaid type which was
pushed out by the bar m passes under the said plate and into the gutter i, where
it is held by the spring t. Repeating this operation type after type is deposited
ink till the latter is full, when it is removed and replaced by an empty type
holder.
Instead of the arrangement here shewn the receiver may be made to swing on a
centre, and along a curved row of type holders.
The arrangements above described may bo reversed, that is, the receiver be
stationary and the type holders movable.
When these improvements are applied to a type distributing machine the con-
struction of the machine is similar to the above described composing machine, but
the action is reversed, viz., the types are passed from a receiver or receptacle into the
type holders.
As applied to the case here illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, the foot a
is then fixed at or about the point x, and the supporting bar b is connected at the
place where the foot a now is shown. The type holders are arranged at the lowest
part and the inovable or travelling receiver is arranged at the upper part. The
loose or removable type holders are held by a plate at the bottom, and are each pro-
vided with a plate like the one there shewn. The movable or travelling
receiver is then so constructed that the pusher m does not enter the type holders
whilst a depresser acting in a similar manner to the projecting plate on the bar q
forces the type distributed downward into the type holders. The gutters i have
bottom closing plates like those shown here at g; a full type holder being placed
in a gutter i and the pusher m being left in i so that the lowermost type rests on it,
a slight turn of the handle 2 withdraws the pusher m and allows the type to drop
upon the plate below, at the same time causing the depresser to force downwards
the type already deposited in the type holders and thus making room for the
coming one. Reversing the turning of the handle the pusher m pushes the type
into the type holders whilst the depresser gets raised again.
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention and modes of
carrying the same into effect, I declare that I claim,―
First. The movable type holders or gutters placed and constructed so as to form
a sectional continuation of corresponding stationary type holders, for the direct
transfer and deposit of type from one to the other, as set forth.
Second. The movable or travelling receiver in combination with stationary type
holders or the stationary receiver in combination with the movable type holders, as
set forth.
Third. The general arrangement of parts, as described, with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my hand and
scal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
PETER JENSEN. (L.S.)