US1382088A - Typographical element - Google Patents

Description

S. A JACOBS.

TYPOGRAPHICAL ELEMENF APPLICATION FILED DEC. m, 19H.

Patented June 21, 1921..

Wiiizcsses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. JACOBS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR T0 MERG-ENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPOGRAPHICAL ELEMENT.

Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,190.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. JACOBS, a subject of the Shah of Persia, residing at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typographical Elements, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to typographical elements, such asthose employed in the commercial linotype machines for the production of printing slugs, and contemplates improvements which will enable these machines to be used more readily in connection with Syriac and like languages. As is well known, printing in these languages has heretofore required more than four hundred different type characters to a font, which number is entirel too large for the practical composition of matter on the regular linotype machines.

The object of the present invention is to reduce the number of these characters and to such extent that the existing linotype machines may be adapted to the requirements of the language. The manner in which this result is attained will be fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a set of simple characters of the Syriac alphabet;

Fig. 2 shows variations of such characters;

Fig. 3 shows a group of additional characters which are made of special form in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 4: shows compound characters made up by combinations of characters of Figs. 1 and Fig: 5 shows a character in simple form joined to a compound accented character;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of two-type producing matrices, the elements used in the commercial linotype machine;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing such matrices assembled side by side and in the relative position they occupy during the casting operation.

The Syriac alphabet comprises twenty-two characters (not considering the different forms), of which fourteen are designed to connect both at theleft and right and the which are used with all of remaining eight at the right only. entinvention deals only with the characters connecting at the left and right, which characters are illustrated in F ig. 1 and designated 1 to 14, being in the simplest form of the N estorian style. The variations of such characters are indicated in Fig. 2. wherein those numbered 15 to 18 are the aspirated characters; those numbered 19 to 22 are the respirated characters; and those numbered 23 to 25 are the ones susceptible to foreign sounds. The foregoing characters (which will be termed primary characters) are formed for common alinement so as to connect with one another and with the additional characters (which will be termed ap endage characters) now to be described. uch appendage characters are illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein they are designated 26, 27, 28 and 29 respectively, each made up of two distinct parts a and a. The parts a are the four principal forms of accents or vowel signs employed in the Syriac language, and the common part a is what will be termed a primary-character-extension. In this connection, it may be noted that the large number of characters heretofore required has been due chiefly to these particular'accents, the alphabet characters in all of their variations.

The primary characters 1 to 25 are complete in themselves and may be used alone for printing in the usual way. The appendage characters 26 to 29, on the other hand, are meaningless in themselves and cannot be used alone but are intended to be joined to the primary characters to produce other characters of distinct form or having a different significance. Thus, when one of the appendage characters is joined to one of the primary characters, the effect is to produce a compound accented character, which of course has an entirely diiferent significance from that of an unaccented character as represented by a primary character alone. It is pointed out that any one of the appendage, characters may be so joined to an one of the primary characters, so that by t e use of but twenty-nine characters, there may be produced as man as one hundred twentynine different printed letters, representing a saving of one hundred characters.

- is made to perform two distinct functions,.

' respectively by In Fig. 4, there are shown compound ac-' cented characters 30, 31,32 and 33, produced- .the juncture of the appendage characters 26, 27, 28 and 29 and primary characters 1, 2, 3 and 4, although of.

course any other pair iof'such characters could be joined in the same way. It will be noted that the part a of each appendage character extends the primary character somewhat. to the left, and that consequently the associated accent 4 comesabove a portion of the complete compound character as required. Each appendage character, then,

to wit, it not only adds the appropriate accent to the primary character,. but it extends such character to the left or in the di= rection of reading or writing, with the re- I cents of appendage characters 26 and 28,

are inclined toward the right as shown, so that no possible confusion can arise however close the letters may be arranged in print.

In addition to the important function just described, the common part a of the appendage characters also acts as a ligature, to connect a preceding character with a following character. Thus, in Fig. 5, the appendage character 26 occurs between two primary characters 1 and 4,- and it will be noted that the appendage character has not only converted the primary character 1 from its'simplest form into one of the accented variety, but also that it has provided a connection between such accented character and the following primary character 4. which is in its simplest form, although, of course, it could be in any other form. In this connection, it may be observed that in these languages all of the characters which are intended. tobe connected to succeedin characters are formed at their left wit connectionbars so that the letters in print will be joined together as a whole in the manner illustrated. Hence, part a is Well adapted to. carry out ther requirement of the language, the only effect being to extend the character to which it is joined somewhat to the left, which is perfectly proper and acceptable. It is because the eight alphabet characters not hereas a complete accented letter of usual in that,

namely, the ac-' the use of the. this furin'ilustrated do not connect to the left, and

hence cannot be extended in that direction, that they are not used in connection with the present improvements. It should perhaps also be made clear that there are other accents besides the four principal ones above inentioned that appear in the Syriac-'lan- I guag e. These other accents, however, are confined in their use to certain of the alphabet characters, usually to one only, andhence can not be employed universally as in the case of the four principal forms.

For the sake of clearness, in the foregoing description and in the figures of the drawings to which reference is made, only the characters as they appear in print have been dealt with, but it will have been undeistood that in use the characters will be carried by typographical bodies or elements such as before referred to. As the present invention has been developed with the requirements of the linotype machine 1n mind, the element herein illustrated by way of example is the regular form of matrix employed in such machine. Two such matrices are shown in Fig. 6,-each consisting of a flat body portion A provided at its opposite edges with projecting ears A and at the top with distributing teeth A whereby it is adapted to be circulated through the linotype machine in the regular way. In its mold engaging edge, each matrix is formed with a notch .or routing A containing at its bottom a depression or cavity A constituting the character of the matrix. In this instance, then, the character is of intaglio form, consisting of a depression or cavity wherein is cast the type character from which the print is to be made. In the operation of the linotype machine, these matrices'are first assembled side by side in line and then presented as a whole to a slotted mold for the casting of an integral bar or slug bearing on one edge the complete line of'type characters formed in the-cavities A of the matrices, all as well understood in the art. One of the matrices shown in Fig. 6 (which will be regarded as a main element) has its cavity A formed to correspond with the primary character 1,

Whereas the other matrix (which will be regarded as an auxiliary element) has its cavity formed to correspond with the appendage character 26, it being understood that a set of main elements will be provided for all of the twenty-five primary characters, and a further group of auxiliary elements for the four appendage characters. In Fig.7, the two matrices are shown assembled side by side in the relative position they occupy during the casting operation, and it will be noted that the portion of the cavity of the auxiliary matrix corresponding to the part a of the a pendage character 26 communicates latera ly with the portion of the cavity letter 30 shown in Fig. 4:.

Generally speaking therefore, the present invention provides, in' a typographical font,

a set of main elements formed with primary;

characters, and an auxiliary element formed W1th an appendage character conslstmg of a primary-character-extenslon and an accent associated therewith, the said auxiliary element adapted to be used conjointly with one or another of the main elements to produce 1 by the juncture of their'appendage and pr1- mary characters auompound accented character. A group of four such auxiliary ele-,

ments (representing thefour principal forms of accents of the Syriac language) is herein shown and described, but it will be understood that 'a greater or less number may beemployed according to the particular language involved.

As before stated, while the present 1mprovementshave been designed especially to meet the requirements of the linotype machine, it will; be apparent that the are machines, such as'type setters which employ type or type dies. As a matter of fact, the invention is'also applicable to" hand-set ty e and to any other'forms of typographical e ements which may be manipulated to make up accented characters for printing purposes.- In addition, the improvements could be made use of in connection with any language which includes accents, vowels or equivalent signs or symbols. Generally speaking, it is to be understood that the 1n: vention is not limited'to any specific adaptation or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. l.

45. Having thus described my invention, its

construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Fat ent of the United States is as follows:

1.111 a typographical font, the combination of a set of main elements formed with primary characters, and an auxiliary element formed with an ap endage character consisting of a primary-c aracter-extension and an accent associated therewith andjlocated wholly within the lateral llmlts thereof, the said auxiliary element adapted to be used conjointly-with one or another of the main elements to produce. by the juncture of their appendage and primary characters.

; accent located above or below the same in a a compound accented character having its setwise direction.

2. In a typographical font, the combination of a set of main elements formed with primary characters, and a group of auxiliary acters corresponding with the complete unaccented letters of the alphabet of such lan-' guage, and an auxiliary element formed with an appendage character meaningless in itself and consisting of a primary-character-extension and an accent associated therewith and located wholly within the lateral limits thereof, the said auxiliary element adapted to 'be used conjointly with any one of the main elements to produce '10 the juncture of their appendage and prlmary characters a compound character corresponding to a complete accented letter in true form of the Syriac language.

4. In a typographical font for the Syriac or a likelanguage, the combination of a set of main element formed with primary characters corresponding with the complete unaccented letters of the alphabet of such language', and a group of auxiliary elements each formed with an appendage character an.appendage character adapted to be used conjointly with a primary character of another element, the said appendage character conslsting of a primary-character extension and an accent associated therewith and located wholly within the lateral limits thereof. w

6. A typographical element formed with an appendage character adapted to be used conjointly with a primary character of another element, the said appendage character consisting of a primary.-character-extension and an accent associated therewith and located wholly within the lateral limits thereof, the said accent being inclined toward the "a1? accent associated therewith, the said right for the purpose "described. primary character extension being formed 7. A typographical element formed with to connect with the primary character of a 10 an appendage character adapted to be used succeeding element. conjointly with a primarycharacte'r of'an-. In testimony whereof, I have affixed my other element, the said appendage character signature hereto. consisting of a primary-character-extension SAMUEL A. JACOBS.

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