Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines.
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Sole Proprietors of, and Manufacturers, Vendors and Licensors under, the
"Linotype" Patents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in the trimming mechanism of
linotype machines. In the latter, and especially in the celebrated Mergenthaler
Linotype machine as it is described in the Specification of Letters Patent 14582 1890,
the linotypes in the course of their passage from the mould to the galley, are pushed
between two trimming knives adapted to dress them to an uniform thickness. The
machine is frequently altered to cast linotypes of a different thickness, for instance,
one that has been casting nonpareil linotypes, to minion, and so forth. It is obvious
that any such alteration in the thickness of the linotypes, necessitates a corresponding
alteration of the distance between the two trimming knives..
The object of this invention is to provide for a speedy and accurate adjustment of
one of the knives to suit the various thicknesses of the linotypes and, at the same
time, to avoid the necessity of using detached parts, that is, such as are not
incorporated with the machine, for that purpose.
The invention itself consists in the combination of an adjustable knife with
adjustable stops varying in thickness at different points; in the combination of
adjustable stepped stops with a spring or springs adapted to urge the knife towards
them, and in the combination of the knife, its actuating spring, the adjustable stops,
and means for moving the knife away from the stops so as to permit of the ready
adjustment of the latter.
One of the knives is held to the frame stationary as heretofore. This is preferably
the left hand one. The other one is made capable of a motion to and from its fellow,
by being mounted on the ends of two bolts passed at different levels, from behind,
through horizontal slots (as distinguished from bolt holes) in the knife block. The
type of spring which gives a good result, is a bar spring having its two ends bearing
on that side of the two bolts next to the stationary knife and a fixed pin so situated
that it bends the back of the spring and keeps it in tension. Both spring and fixed
pin are inside the block which is hollow for the purpose. Any type of spring
suitable for the purpose may be adopted.
To limit the notion of the moveable knife from its fellow, and to thereby
determine the distance between them, there are provided two rotary stops. Each of
these latter consists of a central hub or disc provided with a series of radial arms
which vary in thickness. They may be either parallel or stepped.
The stops are mounted on horizontal axles supported in any suitable way, in order
that the rotation of them shall bring one of the arins of each between the said edge
and a lug projecting from each corner of the knife block. The arins which are, at
any moment, standing between the side edge of the knife and the lugs, serve as a
stop adapted to hold the latter steady against the resilience of the spring then

page_text: maintaining the trimming edge of the knife at exactly the required distance from the
stationary knife.
Thus the rotation of both stops until the two arms of the required thickness
standing between the moveable knife and the lugs, provides for it to be practically a
stationary one at the desired distance from its fellow. The function of the lugs as
abutments for the arms above mentioned, is improved by fitting each with an
adjustable set screw the nose of which serves as the respective abutment, so providing
for the two abutments being set exactly in the same vertical plane.
The moveable knife is adjusted for a change in the thickness of the linotype, by
first pushing it towards its fellow to allow of the stops being turned on their respective
axes, and turning the stops until the right pair is standing between the knife and the
abutments. The stops inay be turned by hand or by special mechanism. It is
advisable to use one adapted to relieve the stops of the pressure of the spring. It
consists of an eccentric carried on a horizontal axis in the knife block and acting
against the outer edge of the knife. A handle projects from the corresponding side
of the knife block, by which it can be turned. By turning the eccentric in the
proper direction, the moveable knife is pressed toward its fellow.
The ends of the arms are marked with the name of the type with which they
correspond.
Dated this 8th day of December 1896.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Trimming Mechanism of Linotype Machines
We, THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, IMITED, of No. 188 Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Sole Proprietors of, and Sole Manufacturers, Vendors and Licensors under,
the "Linotype Patents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, as the same
has been communicated to us by George A. Bates of Brooklyn, County of Kings,
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The present invention relates to improvements in the trimming mechanism of
linotype machines. In the latter, and especially in the celebrated Mergenthaler Lino-
type machine as it is described in the Specification of Letters Patent 14582 1890, the
linotypes in the course of their passage from the mould to the galley, are pushed
between two trimming knives adapted to dress them to an uniforin thickness. The
machine is frequently altered to cast linotypes of a different thickness, for instance,
one that has been casting nonpareil linotypes, to minion, and so forth. It is obvious
that any such alteration in the thickness of the linotypes, necessitates a corre-
sponding alteration of the distance between the two trimming knives.
The object of this invention is to provide for a speedy and accurate adjustment of
one of the knives to suit the various thicknesses of the linotypes, and, at the same
time, to avoid the necessity of using detached parts, (that is such as are not
incorporated with the machine) for that purpose.
The invention itself consists in the combination of an adjustable knife with an
adjustable rotary stop having varying thicknesses at different points and a spring or
device adapted to urge the knife in the given direction; as well as in the combination
of the knife, its actuating spring device, the adjustable rotary stop, and means for
moving the knife against the stress of the spring, so as to perinit of the ready
adjustment of the said stop.

page_text: Referring to the accompanying figures, which are to be taken as part of this
specification and read there with,
Figure 1 is a perspective view fruin the rear of the trimming mechanism of a
Mergenthaler Linotype machine:
Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of
Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of
Figure 1, of the part of the mechanism affected by the present invention;
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the same part taken on the plane indicated by
the line 4-4 of Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic front elevation of the invention, and
Figure 6 is a right hand elevation of an adjustable rotary stop.
Nis the fixed knife of the two, and No, the one laterally adjustable from the other,
to suit the various thicknesses of linotypes. The knife N is fixed to the vice frame
(not shown in the figures), while the adjustable knife No is fixed to the knife block Pl,
which is virtually a part of that frame, by two nut headed screws ',, passed through
the said knife block P¹ from the front and screwed into the said knife.
Na, N",-Figure 3-are a pair of horizontal slots in the knife block P¹ to allow of
the horizontal motion of the screws w³, n, necessitated by the adjustability of the
knife No. n, n", are two set screws used to set the cutting edge of the fixed knife No
exactly parallel with that of the knife No.
The spring device above mentioned is shown as consisting of a flat bar spring N,
Ns is a stationary pin extending from the front to the rear sides of the knife block--
see Figure 2-midway between the two screws 7, n. The spring stands between
the pin N3 and the screws n', n7, its outer ends pressing upon the inner or left hand
(looking at it from the front of the machine) sides of the said screws w7, 17, so that
the cutting edge of the adjustable knife No is always being urged away from that of
the fixed knife N°.
N54, N4 are two rotary adjustable stops. Each one consists of a series of arms Nas
radiating from a central dise which serves as a hub by which the respective stop is
mounted upon an axis projecting from the right hand side of the knife No. Each axis is
shewn as provided by a screw N56. The two screws stand at equal distances from the
top and bottom respectively of the knife N, and each stop N is capable of turning
freely upon its axis. We illustrate the use of two adjustable stops one near each end
of the adjustable knife, and two are preferred and those in the respective positions
specified, so as to support the knife at two points equidistant from the middle of it.
Subject to this, one central adjustable stop is to be taken as the equivalent of the
two. Each adjustable stop is shewn as having eight arins but this number may be
varied. Each arm N55 is a stop in itself and all those of one adjustable stop are of
different thicknesses, the arms of the two adjustable stops corresponding respectively
with each other in size and function. They are conveniently marked to indicate the
thickness of linotype for which they are to be respectively used, as indicated by the
abbreviations shewn in Figure 6.
The operative position of an arm N is hetween the right hand side of the adjustable
knife No and a lug N on the knife block as indicated in Figure 3. We prefer,
however, to fit each lug with a set screw NS for the arms N to bear against whilst
they are in action, so as to make the inner faces of the lugs N themselves adjustable,
the necessity of such adjustability being caused by the wear of the cutting edge of
the said knife due to grinding and the like. The object of the slot N57 is to make
room for the rotation of the adjustable stops N54 on their axes N50
The adjustable knife No must be moved towards its fellow N before either of the
adjustable stops No can be rotated. This may be effected by hand or by any suitable
mechanism. The latter consists, preferably, of a cam N mounted upon a transverse
shaft No turning in hearings in the knife block P and fitted with a handle N, The
shaft. N occupies a proper position for the cam N to hear centrally upon the right
hand side of the knife Ne. Moving the handle Net (which is fast to the shaft N and
projects outwards through a slot N) in the right.direction, rocks the cam NS against

page_text: the said side of the knife N6, causing it to push the said knife towards its fellow
against the stress of the spring N2, thus freeing the two arms N55 previously held
between the knife N and the lugs N of the knife block P¹, or the set screws Nos, as
the case may be, and providing for the unrestricted adjustment of the two stops №5.
After this has been effected the handle N is released and the spring N pushes the
adjusted arms N up to the knife block lugs, or set screws, as the case may be.
We prefer that the adjustable stops N54 be mounted upon the adjustable knife No as
illustrated, but they may be mounted upon the knife block P. The invention is
illustrated and described as applied to the right hand knife No because to apply it
thereto is more convenient than to apply it to the left hand knife. At the same
time, apart from mere convenience, the invention is applicable to either knife
indifferently.
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 the trimming mechanism of a linotype machine, the hereinbefore described
combination of an adjustable knife; a spring adapted to urge the same in one
direction; and an adjustable rotary stop, having arms of varying thickness adapted
to support the said knife in different positions.
2. In the trimming mechanism of a linotype machine, the herein before described
combination of an adjustable knife; a spring adapted to urge the same in one
direction; and two adjustable rotary stops each having arms of varying thickness
adapted to support the said knife in different positions.
3. In the trimming mechanism of a linotype machine, the hereinbefore described
combination of knife block; adjustable knife; a spring adapted to urge the latter in
one direction; an adjustable rotary stop having arms of varying thickness adapted to
support the said knife in different positions and a cam adapted to move the same
knife against the stress of the spring.
4. In the trimming mechanism of a linotype machine, the hereinbefore described
combination of knife block; adjustable knife; a spring adapted to urge the latter in
one direction; two adjustable rotary stops having arms of varying thickness adapted
to support the said knife in different positions and a cam adapted to move the same
knife against the stress of the spring.
Dated this 8th day of Soutombor 1907
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buidings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.