US643292A - Linotype-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 643,292. Patented Feb. 13, I900.

" C. HOLLIWELL 61 B. C. ELLIOTT.

LINOTYPE MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 9, 1899.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 643,292 Patented Feb. I3 1900.

- c. HULLIWELL & R. c. ELLIOTT.

V LINUTYPE MACHINE.

A 15. 8&1'. nfiled Se 1.9 1899 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sh6et 3.

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CHARLES l-IOLLIVVELL AND RICHARD CORNELIUS ELLIOTT, OF BROADHEATII,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, OF

NEWV' YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,292, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed September 9, 1899. $erial No.,729,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES HOLLI WELL and RICHARD CORNELIUS ELLIoTr,of Broadheath,in the county of Chester, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Linotype-Machines; and We do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in linotype-machines whereby the font of characters presented to the reproducing part of the machine may be automatically changed from the normal to a variant one.

The specifications of Letters Patent No. 436,532, dated September 16, 1890, and No. 557,000, dated March 24:, 1896, describe a machine controlled from a keyboard in which all the matrices or type-dies of the same character occupy a separate compartment in the magazine and have a special key-lever and selecting mechanism appropriated to them. Thus an alphabet of both upper and lower case characters in any given font requires fifty-two compartments and key-levers and selecting mechanisms, besides the like for figures,fractions,and punctuation-marks. The specification of Letters Patent No. 547,633, dated October 8, 1895, describes an improvement upon the above according to which each matrix or die of both upper and lower case characters has in addition to the character in the normal fontsay Romanthe same character repeated in a variant fontsay Italic. There is no duplication of magazinecompartments,key-levers, nor selecting mechanisms, but a manual device for making the desired matrices or dies present their variant characters in line with the normal characters of the other matrices or dies in the line.

The present invention consists in automatic means by which the line containing the, or consisting of, characters of the variant font shall be presented to the reproducing part of the machine. It also includes automatic means by which the normal font only shall be presented when there are no characters of the variant font in the line. It is specially applicable to composing matter from a single word upward in small capitals; but it can deal with any variant font.

It may be explained at this point that when a linotype-machine works with matrices it casts a linotype from them and that when it works from type-dies it makes them indent a stereotype-flong. It is a matter of indifierence, as'far asthe present invention is concerned, whether matrices or type-dies are used. The invention itself is confined to the automatic means above mentioned.

The accompanying figures illustrate the ap plication of the invention to the Mergenthaler linotype-machine described in the speci fication of the above-mentioned patent, N 0-. 436,532. That machine makes linotypes by casting them in a mold, part of which is its composed line of matrices. Consequently the accompanying figures include the said mold and the mechanism that holds the composed line of matrices, presents it to the rest of the mold, and moves it away therefrom; but it must be understood that the present invention is not limited to machines working with matrices, because it is equally applicable to those that work with type-dies. The particular shape of the matrices apart from the way in which they are provided with the duplicate normal and variant fonts is outside the present invention, as also is the particular mechanism by which the composed line is moved up to and away from the casting or to the indenting mechanism, as the case may be.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a line of improved matrices, showing their casting-faces. Fig. 2 is an end elevation from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mold and the mechanism that holds the composed line of matrices, presents it to the rest of the mold, and moves it away therefrom. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same mechanism. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the pivoted stop, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the improved keyboard.

Y Y are the normal character-cavities.

matrices, y y their suspendas in upper and lower case Roman. The matrices are shown with only one normal font; but they may carry characters of more fonts than one.

A A are fixed parts of the machine-frame.

O is part of the mold-wheel, o the moldblock, fast to it, and 0 the mold-cavity in it for the body of the linotype. The mold for the printing characters. on its edge is provided by the character-cavities in the matrices Y.

Pis an abutment, being part of the main frame and commonly known as the visehead. I

N is the head of the mechanism that holds the matrices, commonly known as the first elevator, N the frame or body of it,and N N are guides in which it moves. The composed line of matrices and spaces is delivered into the first elevator-head N between its arms N and N from which they hang by their top shoulders y y. At the time they are so delivered the head N occupies a position intermediate of the two illustrated in Fig. 3 by the full lines and the dot-and-dash lines, respectively. The frame N then moves down in the guides N N until it presents, the line of character-cavities to be cast from in front of the mold-cavity o, the bottom of the head N resting upon the top of the abutment P. This is the casting position. After the linotype has been cast the head N is moved up into the position illustrated by the full lines in Fig. 3. All the above is as heretofore, and the details of it will be found fully specified and illustrated in the specifications of the twopatents above referred to.

The variant font of the present invention is distributed among the figure and other matrices of the normal font, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 6. When the said variant font is in small capitals, only twenty-six of the said figure and punctuation matrices are used. For the reason that the head N moves downward to the casting position the character-cavities for the said font stand in the matrices Y below the normal cavities 3 as illustrated at 1 in Fig. 1. In linotype-machines in which the motion of the matrices to the casting position is in a different direction the position of the variant font with respect to the normal one is varied accordingly. All the other matrices have their normal fontcavities 3 repeated to aline with the cavities 3 producing the duplicate cavities 1 If no characters of the variant font 2 are in the line to be cast from, the cavities 1 would be presented to the mold-cavity 0, as heretofore; but when there are such cavities 3 to be cast then the line of cavities 1 3 is presented.

The key-levers D, that control the normal font-matrices, are marked as heretofore; but the key-levers D, that control the matrices carrying the cavities 3 of the variant font, are marked with the characters of the matrices of the said font, respectively.

The means by which the machine automatically compels the composed line of matrices Y to present the cavities 1 and 1 to the mold-cavity 0 consists of a stop p fast on a rod 1 turning somewhat tightly in a bearing in the head N. This rod y projects beyond the side of the said head N next to the operator, where it carries a halfcrank y and a handle y? So long as the cavities @1 if are not to be cast from, the stop remains swung up-out of the way against a pin 1 as shown at the top of Fig. 3. There is a suitable recess y in the head N to permit of the stop p being so swung up.

It has already been explained that the bottom face of the head N has hitherto been down upon the abutment- P when the respective parts were in the casting position. The projection beyond the head N of which the stop is capable is therefore exactly equal to the distance between the line of cavities g and the line g 1 measuring from center to center of each. The stop y is automatically rendered inoperative by the following means: 3 is a plate fast to the frame A at the extreme end of the path of the head N and opposite to the abutment P. y is an incline on its bottom edge opposite to the handle y.

The action of the invention is as follows: So long as the operator is composing in the normal font 3 1l. 6., with the key-levers D- he leaves the automatic means above described alone. When he comes to a portion of his copy which is to appear in the variant font, he composes with the key-levers D. For instance, referring to Fig. l, the first two words of the line, This is, and the last two, the celebrated, are in the normal font and are composed with the respective key-levers D; but the third word, dragon, is in the variant font and is composed with the key-levers D, respectively marked D, 5/8R, 1A, 5G, 90, and 6N. Assuming that this completes the line, it is transferred to the head N in the usual way, and the operator turns the handle @1 so as to project the stop 11/ beyond the said head N. The latter is then moved toward the mold-cavity 0, as heretofore. The contact of the said stop y with the abutment P stops it when the line of cavities 1 is opposite the said cavity and the linotype is cast from them, the process of casting being as heretofore. It is true that the normal travel of the head N would bring it down upon the abutment P, as already explained; but there is a spring in the mechanism that reciprocates the said head N and which permits of the latter being stopped short of the said abutment without injury. Neither the reciprocating mechanism nor the spring are included in the ac oompanying drawings, because they are both outside the present invention. They are to be found in the specification of the abovementioned Letters Patent No. 436,532. The stop y is automatically rendered inoperative by the engagement of its handle 3 with the inclined edge 1 and the bottom horizontal edge both of the plate @1 when the head N reaches the opposite end of its travel, which engagement swings the stop 3 into the recess 1 5. The illustrated position of the plate p is the most convenient one in the Mergenthaler linotype-machine; but it may be varied to anyextent so long as its capacity for automatically rendering the stop 1 inoperative is retained.

We claim- 1. In a linotype-machine, and in combination with the head or carrier for presenting the matrix-line to the mold, an adjustable stop to vary the movement of said carrier, in order that the line may be presented in different relations to the mold, and means for automatically changing the position of the stop after the matrix-line has served its purpose at the mold. I

2. In a linotype-maohine, and in combination with the matrix-line carrier N, a movable stop y to limit the movement of the carrier, and a tripping device 3 to change the position of the stop.

3. The improved font of matrices for a linotype-machine, having the letter characters in duplicate, and the remainder of the font having each two Variant characters, substantially as described and shown, whereby the font is adapted for the production of body matter two duplicate letters, and the remaining mat- 3 5 rices having each two variant characters, in combination with means for presenting the composed lines of matrices to the mold in different positions, the upper or the lower characters in operative relation thereto, as

demanded.

5. The combination in a linotype-machine of a font of matrices or dies, part of them having duplicate letter characters, y and y,

and the remainder containing each two variant characters, in combination with a mold and means for presenting a composed line of matrices to the mold in different positions, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony that we, CHARLES HOLLIWELL and RICHARD CORNELIUS ELLIOTT, claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES HOLLIWELL. RICHARD CORNELIUS ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

J. TAYLOR, ARCHIE LOWE.

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