US1804517A - Slug casting machine and type bars cast thereby - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1931; 1,804,517

SLUG CASTING MACHINE AND TYPE BARS CAST THEREBY J. R. ROGERS ET AL Filed Sept. 25, 1928 a Sheets-Sheet 2 1v VENTORS A. T O E X;

y 12, 1931. J. 'R. ROGERS ET AL 1,804,517

SLUG CASTING MACHINE AND TYPE BARS CA ST THEREBY Filed Sept. 25, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W HIMWH m Q Q Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE JOHN R. ROGERS AND EDWARD A. SYTZ, OF BROOKLYN, YORK, ASSIGNORS TO MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A'CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SLUG CASTING MACHINE AND TYPE BARS CAST THEREBY Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No.308,197.

This invention relates to slug casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergentha-ler No. 436,532,

; wherein a type bar or slug is cast in a slotted mold up against a composed line of matrices whichproduce the type characters thereon. In these machines the matrices are usually provided with two type producing characters or cavities, one a roman and the other an italic, these two characters being arranged in superposed relation on the matrix body and separated from each other by an intervening wall or partition, and it is the practice to compose the matricesin line at an up per or lower level, or both, as may be required, in order to present the type producing characters of one kind or the other in registration with the mold slot. In casting slugs from such two letters matrices, it is apparent that the width of the mold slot is limited by the height of the matrix characters plus the thickness of the dividing wall or partition between the two superposed characters, as otherwise the mold slot would open into the unselected matrix cavities and allow the metal to overflow from the mold, producing a defective slug and'a squirt at the front. lVhile ordinarily the thickness of acast slug corresponds to the height of the type characters thereon, it is common practice to cast the slug of an added thickness for spacing or leading purposes, say for example to cast a line of 12 point'type characters on a 14 point body slug; In the case of a line of 14 point characters however there is no margin left for leading purposes and hence it is only possible to cast a 14 point type line on a 14 point body, or substantial: ly so. c

In view of the foregoing limitations as to the width of the mold slot, when it is necessary to produce a wide spacing of the type lines, separate leads or blank slugs ofthe required thickness must be inserted in the printing form between the successive slugs, this practice requiring considerable time and labor and entailing extra expense in the casting, storage and handling of the leads.

This is particularly true in large printing ofiic-es, such as the United States Government Printing Oilice, where the number of leads thus required to be cast and carried in stock runs into hundreds of thousands. In this connection it may be statedcthat the spacing of lines in certain classes of printed matter, such as congressional bills, is required to be as much as 12 point, and this in the case of 14 point typecharacters, sothat, as will be apparent,it is altogether out oi the question to cast such slugs ter matrices with the necessary added thick ness, or in other words to cast a 14 point type line on a 26 point slug bod-y. Indeed since the thickness of the dividing wall between the matrix characters is somewhat less than 2 point it is never possible to cast slugs of a body dimension greaterthan the height of the matrix characters the dividing wall.

In attempting to overcome the foregoing defects it has been proposed to cast the leads or blank slugs automatically after the casting of each printing slug and to assemble them in the galley in proper order. This scheme however has not proved entirely satisfactory because the casting of the leads between successive slugs slows up the operation of the machine and curtails production to such an extent as to make it impracticable Another attempt has contemplated the utilization of the rear jaw of the first elevator as part of the casting mold, it being proposed to cut away the upper wall of the mold and cause the elevator jaw to enter the mold and shut 0e communication between the superposed matrix characiers (see the Murray Patent No. 1,567,857 of December 29, 1925). Besides possessing certain meplus the thickness of chanical defects, this scheme is also obiectionable inthat it requires a special form of first elevator which is incapable of cooperating'with the regular form of mold and thus limr's the machine to the casting of the special leaded slugs-or else necessitates a reorganization or the parts to adapt the machine to cast slugs of ordinary or standard forms.

The'present invention aims to solve the problem involveclwithout giving rise to the from two let I and beyond tne line of matrix char? iers.

objections above mentioned or any others of a troublesome nature. To this end it is proposed to cast each type bar or slug at its extreme opposite ends with transverse laterally projecting spacing ribs of the desired width, these ribs being located beyond the ends of the line of printing characters. In accomplishing this, the casting mold is made with its slot extending beyond the ends of the line of matrix characters whereby to produce a slug bearing a line of printing characters with blanl'end portions, and one-of the walls of the mold slot (preferably the upper wall) is formed with a pair of fore and-aft grooves located beyond the ends of the line of matrix characters to produce the spacing'ribs on the blank end portions of the slug. WYhile such slug could be produced by assembling blank matrices or quads at the beginning and end of each composed matrix line, it is preferred, as herein shown and described, to omit such quads and the composed line to the mold in the usual way, that is to say, with the end type producing matrices in direct contact with'ihe customary clamping jaws between which the line is justified, so as in that way to enable the type lines to be cast of full length as ordinarily if desired. 7 In such preferred embodimeni; of the invention the blank end portions of the slug are produced by extending the mold slot beyond the matrix engaging faces of the two clamping jaws; and the trans verse spacing ribs are cast ontothese blank endv portions of the slug by locating the foreand-aft grooves of the upper. mold wall in the'extended portions of the niold slot or be.- hind the clamping jaws. As is well understood in the rt, these clamping jaws present broad solid faces which, during the casing operation, lie flatly up against the mold, so that it is perfectly feasible to cast the metal against them in producing the ribbed extensibns on the slug; Since the rib castni grooves are located behind the clamping jaws is easv to that there is no limitation as to the width of the ribs which can be cast upon the slugs. or at any rate no such limitation as would if the ribs were cast on the slugs at some point between the ofthe line'of matrix characters, being remembered that each matrix is formed with two superposed ma-rix cavities which are se"arated from each other by-a relatively thin wall or partition.

As will be understood, the spacing ribs cast on the slugs function in the same way as separate leads inserted between adjoining slugs, so that the mere casting t the 1mproved slugs automaticallytakes care ot the required spacin or leading when the slugs f) are assembled in a printing form. Separate leads are" therefore entirely dispensed with, as well as the timeand labor involved to present in inserting and removing them in and from the printing form. Furthermore no change is required to be made in any part of the machine except in the mold itself, and even that can be converted back into regular form by changing the cap portion and the end liners. However, since it is the usual practice to provide each machine with two or more molds, the machine may be. quickly adapted for regular work simply by adjusting the mold wheel or disk to bring a standard mold into active position,

As a further feature of the invention it is proposed toform the slugs so that when they are assembled in a printing form they will be locked against relative endwise movement and thereby be maintained always in proper parallel relation. As a simple and convenient way to accomplish this, the. two mold liners (which constitute the end walls of the mold slot) are provided on their inner or casting faces adjacent the lower mold wall with fore-and-afttongues which produce transverse notches or recesses in the blank end portions of each slug, these notches or recesses being located and dimensioned to receive the transverse spacing ribs of a preceding slug when the slugs are locked up in the printing form. r

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a type bar or slug constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2'is a cross section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a printing form made up of a plurality of the improved type bars or slugs; I V

Fig. at is a front or face view of a slug casting mold constructed in accordance with the invention Fig. 5 is a similar view of a composed line of matrices in casting relation to the mold and showing the line as held between the two clamping jaws;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line -6 of Fig. 5 and showing in elevation one of the matrices of the composed line in its lower position with its upper cavity in register with the mold'slot;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 77 of Fig. 5 and showing another matrix of the composed line in its upper position with its lower cavity in register with the mold slot;

7 Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective exploded view of the improved mold showing the rib producing grooves in the cap portion and the notch producingtongues on the liners.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the improved type bar or slug therein illustrated comprises a body portion A hearing on its upper edge a line of printing characters B, these characters being alined at their top, as usual,

[iii

the latter instead presents outlying blank end portions C. 0n the following (or what duringcasting is the upper) side of the slug the end portions C are provided with transverse laterally projecting spacing ribs D, these ribs being of the same height as the slug body and presenting their'outer faces flush with the ends of the slug body or the blank portions C. While the ribs might be of uniform thick ness, they are preferably tapered from the slug body toward theouter edges, shown, this being intended to facilitate the ejection of theslug from the casting mold. For the same reasonit' is preferred also to taper the ribsfrom the upper edge of the slug toward the lower edge thereof, as best seen in Fig. 8, where the slug is shown in the mold prior to'ejection. On the following side of the slug the end portions C are formed with transverse right angular notches or recesses E located in the planes of the spacing ribs 1) and presenting their open sides at the ends of the slug body throughoutthe height thereof.

Fig. 3 shows a series of the improved slugs assembled together in a printing form, and it will be noted that the ribs D of each slug fit into the notches E of the next succeeding slug, the ribs being made of a width to pro duce the desired spacing F between the slugs, say, a 12 point spacing, and the recesses E serving by their engagement with the ribs to prevent relative endwise movement of the slugs and thus to maintain them in proper parallel relation and in proper alinement. Since the outer faces of the ribs Dare flush withtheendsof the slug bodies, the opposite ends of the spaces F will be closed by the spacing ribs and the whole printing foriir may be handled as if the slug had no ribs or were separated by the customary blank slugs or leads. It will be understood of course that the width of theri-bs D may be varied, dc-

sired, depending upon the amount of sp cing required to be produced between the printing lines, and furthermore that the width of the ribs may be independent of the thickness of the 'body portions of the slugs, which naturally depend for most part upon the height 'or size of the type characters cast thereon.

In the drawings the slugs are shown of full length and as suitable for producingtype lines of 1% point with a 12 point spacing between the. lines.

Figs. 5 to 8 are different views showing the composed line of matrices X and spaces Y in casting relation to the other parts. As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the matrices X are each formed with two superposed type producing characters'or cavities a2 and m separated from eachother by an intervening wall and the two vise jaws H and H between which or partition of. In the present instance some of the matrices of the composed line are supported in the. first elevator G' (which is of regular form) at a lower level, as in Fig. 6,

to present their upper or roman characters in operative position, while others are supportedin the elevator at an upper level, as in Fig. 7, to present their lower or italic characters in operative position. The cons ruction of the casting parts and their mode of operation are so well known that a detailed description thereof would be superfluous. Suthce it to say that after the composed line of matrices has been transferred to the first elevator, the latter moves down-t wardly into the position shown in Figs. 0 7 to present the composed line between the line is justified in the customary way, the

right-hand jaw H being mounted in a fixed-L position as customary, and the left-hand jaw H being adjustable, as usual, to accommodate matrix ililQS of'dilferent lengths, altho in the drawings it is shown as set for lines of maximum length. During casting the slug casting mold is closed at the front by the composed line of matrices and the two vise jaws and at the rear by the mouthpiece J of a melting pot from which molten metal is discharged into the mold up against the composed line of matrices for the production of the type bar or slug. 7

The slug casting mold, which has been re ferred to, comprises as usual a body portion K which defines the bottom wall of the mold slot, a cap portion L which defines the upper wall thereof, and the two intermediate righthand and left-hand liners M- and N which define the end walls of the mold slot. The

body portion K is fastened by screws or sim-' through corresponding slots formed in the ends of the liners and the cap portion. The

cap portion L is held in place by means of. a pair of set screws L carried by the disk 0 and which when tightened up clamp the cap portion tightly down upon the two liners The liners M and N are formed as customary with transverse ribs if and N, re spectively, which fit in corresponding grooves formed in the upper face of the body portion K, these ribs serving to locate the liners in proper endwise relation to the other parts and with their inner or casting ends in proper position.

Ordinarily the inner end of the ri ght-han d liner M is flush with the matrix engaging face the right-hand vise jaw and the same is true of the lefthand liner N and the lefthand vise jaw H when slugs of full. length are be gcast. In the present instance however it is proposed to extend the mold slot beyond the ends of the composed matrix line for the reasons heretofore explained and hence the righthand liner M is cut back with reference to its locating rib M" or made of slightly less than standard length, say, to the extent of a one-half em (see igs. l and 8). the liner is thus modified, the mold slot will be extended slightly to the right and made to terminate behind the vise jaw H. In order to keep the mold slot of standard length. .30 ems, the left-hand liner ll is extended to the same degree with refer ence to its locating rib N or, in other words, it is made a half cm longer than a standard liner. This would have the effect of locating the left-hand end'of the mold slot to the right 0" the left-hand vise jaw ll, if the latter were allowed toreniain in its normal position, and'so in ca ying out the invention it is proposed to set the left-hand vise jaw one em further toward the right than ordinarily in order to cause it to overlap the liner the extent of one-half em, which, is the relation existing between the right-hand liner M and the right-h v ll. Such the condition illustrated in the drawings and it is in this way that the blank end portions 0 are produced on the body portion A. of the type bar or slug. In other words by modifying the liners in the manner described the mold slot is made to extend beyond the ends of the composed line of matrices and to terminate behind the vise jaws H andH in'order to produce a slug bearing a line of printing characters with blank portions at its opposite ends. 7

Within the extended portions of the mold slot, that is to say, beyond the ends oil the composed matrix line and behind the Vise jaws H and H, the cap portion L is formed with a pair of fore-and-aft grooves L extending throughout the depth of the mold slot and tapered from front to rear and up wardly as well, these grooves thus serving to iiroduce the transverse spacing ribs D on the blank end portions C of the cast slug. And, since'the grooves l are closed at the front by the vise jaws H and H, it can be soon that the depth of these grooves or the width oi? the ribs which they produce is in no way restricted by the width of the mold slot proper or the thickness of the dividing wall be tween the superposed type producing characters on the matrices. By way of contrat;

let it be supposed that the grooves L were formed in the cap portion at points between the ends of the composedline: Insuch case. it will readily be seen from Fl 7 the grooves would allow the metal to flow from the mold slot into the upper matrix cavities :0 due to the fact that the dividing walls m are too narrow to close the grooves at the front. The importance of locating the grooves beyond the ends of the lines of ma 3 characters will thus be fully appreciated.

In providing for the formation of the locking notches E in the cast slugs, the liners LI and N are formed on their inner or castin faces with fore-and-aft tongues M and N'-, respectively, these tongues being of the same dimensions as the notches which they, are intended to produce and being located immediately adjacent the upper face of the body portionK so as to locate the notches on the bottom side of the slug during cast I or what becomes the preceding side of the slug when placed in a printing form. It almost goes without saying that the tongues l t l and N are tapered to correspond with t 1e tapered. edges of the spacing ribs D which fill in the recesses E produced by the tongues. It so happens that the tongue M on the righthand lii er lil merges with the locating rib lvl formed on the under side of the liner so that the two things look as one in the draw-- ings altho functionally they are different.

In the accompanying drawings the invention has been snown merely in preferred form and by way of example, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein and in the mode of application wit..- ont departin from its spirit. Asregards the type bar, reference has already been made to the use of quads for producing the blank end portions on the bar and which will serve when placed at the beginning and end of the composed line to close the rib producing grooves at the front. These and similar modifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.- It should be understood therefore that the invention is not limited to any specific form modification except in sofar as such limitations are set forth in the claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is as follows:

1. A type bar or slug bearing on one edge a line of printing characters and formed at its opposite ends only with transverse spacing ribs projecting laterally therefrom. said ribs being located beyond the ends of the line of printing characters and adapted to contact with the side face of an adjoining slug.

2. A type bar or slug comprising a main body bearing on one edge a line of printing characters and formed with blank end portions, and a single pair of transverse sp cing ribs projecting laterally from the respective blank end portions and adapted to contact *ith'the side face of an adjoining slu 3. A type bar or slug bearing on one edge a l ne of printing characters and formed at one side beyond the ends of the typeline with transverse laterally projecting spacing ribs and at its opposite side with transverse notches or recesses located in the planes of said ribs.

4. A type bar or slug comprising a main body bearing on one edge a line of printing characters and formed with blank end portions, a pair of transverse spacing ribs prosembled Condition.

jccting laterally from said blank end portions at one side of the main'body, and a corresponding pair of transverse notches or recesses formed in said blank end portions at the opposite side of the main body.

5. A type bar or slug bearing on one edge a line of printing characters and formed at its opposite ends only with transverse spacmg ribs projecting laterally therefrom, said ribs bcinglocated outside the printing zone both lengthwise and setw'ise and adapted to contact with the side face of an adjoining slug;

6. A type bar as incl-aim 5 characterized by the fact that it is also formed in the side opposite the spacing ribs with transverse notches or recesses located in corresponding positions and made of corresponding dimensions to receive said ribs on an adjoining slug.

7., A printing form comprising a plurality of type bars or slugs arranged side by side in column formation, each of said slugs, bear ing a line of printing characters and formed at its opposite ends beyond the ends of vthe printing line with'transverse laterally projecting ribs to space it from an adjoining slug, and the several slugs being formed with mutually engaging elements which prevent relative endwise movement of the slugs in their-assembled condition. a

8. A printing form comprising a plurality of type bars or slugs arranged sideby side in column formation, each of said slugs hearing a line of printing characters and formed at its opposite ends beyond the ends of the printing line with transverse laterally projecting ribs to space it from an adjoining slug. at one side and with correspondingly located and dimensioned notches or recesses to receive thespacing ribs of an adjoining slug at the opposite side to prevent relative endwise movement of the slugs in their as- 9. A printing'form comprising a. plurality of type bars or slugs arranged side by side in column formatiomeach of said slugs bearing on one edge a line of printing characters and formed on one side and beyond theends of the printing line with a pair of transverse laterallypro ecting ribs to space it from one adjoining slug and formed attheopposite side with t-pttll of correspond ngly located and dimensioned notches or recesses to receive the sjaacing ribs of another adjoining slug whereby to prevent relative endwise movement of the slugs in their assembled condition. f j V 10. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of two letter matrices presenting a line of matrix characters or cavities, and. a slotted mold to cooperate with the matrix line and having its slot extending beyond the ends of the line of matrix; characters whereby to produce a slug bearing a line of printing characters with lank portions at its opposite ends, said'inold being formed in one of its side walls witha single pair of fore-and-aft grooves located respectively beyond the ends of the line of matrix characters to produce transverse spacing ribs on the blank end portionsof the slug.

11. In a slug casting machine, the combi ot a composed line of two letter mat rices presenting a line of matrix characters or. cavities, and a slotted mold to cooperate with thematrix'lineand having its slot ex-.

tending beyond the ends of the line of matrix characters whereby to produce a slug bearing a-line of printingjcharacters with blank per-e, i tions at its opposite ends, said mold being tongues located inthejplanes of the afore-c-J mentioned grooves to'produce transverse notches or recesses on theblank end portions of the slug to receive thespacing ribs of an adjoining slu 7 12. In a slug casting machine, the combi- 1 nation of a composed line oftwo letter matrices, a pair of clamplng aws between which the line is justified, and a slotted mold to cooperate with the matrix line and having its slotextending beyond the ends thereof and behind the clamping jaws. whereby to pro:- duce a slug bearing aline of printing characters with blank portions atits opposite ends, said mold being formed in one of its side walls with a pa1r of fore-and-aft grooves located beyond the ends of the. composed matrix line and behind the clamping jaws to produce transverse spacing ribs on the blank end portions of-the slug.

13. In a slug casting machine, the combination oi"- a; composed line of two letter matrices, a pair of clamping aws between which the line is justified, anda slotted mold to cooperate with the matrix line and having its slot extending beyond theends-thereof and be-.

hind the clamping jaws whereby to produce a slug bearing a line of printing characters withblank portions at its opposite ends, said mold being formed in one of its side walls with a pair of fore-and-aft grooves located beyond the ends of the composed matrix line and behind the clamping jawsto produce transverse spacingribs on the blank end portions of the slug, and said mold presenting on its other side wall aipair of fore-and-aft tongues located in" the planes of the aforementionedgrooves to produce transverse notches or recesses on the blank end portions v of the slugto receive the spacing ribs of an ad oimng slug.

14. A combination as claim 10 wherein the mold'comprisesa body portion and a cap portion defining the lower and upper walls of the mold slot, and two intermediate liners defining the end walls thereof characte'rized by the fact that the transverse grooves therein referred to'are formed in the cap portion of the mold.

15. A combination as claim 10 wherein'the 0 mold comprises a body portion and a cap portion defining the lower and upper walls of the mold slot, and two intermediate liners defining the end walls thereof, characterized by the fact that the transverse tongues therein referred to are formed upon the inner or casting faces of the linersimmediately adjacent the casting face of the body portion of the mold.

16. Acombination as claim 10 wherein the 0 mold comprises a body portion and a cap portion defining the lower and upper walls of 'the mold slot, and two intermediate liners defining the end walls thereof characterized by the fact that the right-hand liner w is'made of less and the left-hand liner of more than standard length, substantially as shown and'described.

17. A right-hand mold liner having its casting face set back with reference to the position of the casting face of a standard liner, whereby to lengthen the mold slot when the liner'is in use. i 18. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of two letter matrices presenting a line of matrix characters or cavities, and a slotted mold to cooperate with the matrix line and having its slot of a width corresponding substantially to the height of the matrix characters, say 14 pt., said mold 40 being formed in one of its side walls and at its opposite ends only with a pair of foreand-aft groves located respectively beyond the opposite ends of the line of matrix eharacters; whereby there may be produced a printing slug bearing on its edge a line of printing characters corresponding in height to the thickness of the slug body and formed at its opposite ends only with transverse spacing ribs projecting laterally, from the i side'face of the slug body at points situated beyond the endsof the line oi printing characters, V a, 19 A mold liner formed on its inner or casting face with a single fore-and at't tongue orprojection extending throughout the length of said casting face and arranged flush with one of the side faces of the liner body, sub stantially as shown and described. V

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly s'ignedbyz' j TOHN RYRQGERSY EDWARD A SYTZ.

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