US87941A - Improvement in mechanical typographers - Google Patents

Description

No. 37,941. PATENTED MAR. 16, 1869.

- c r JOHNSON, JR.

MECHANICAL TYPOGRAPHBB.

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PATENTED MAR. 16, 1869.

' -G. P. JOHNSON, Jlh

MECHANICAL TYP-OGRAPHER.

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0. P. JQHNSON, JR; MECHANICAL TYPOGRAPHER.

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OHARLES r. onnson, .nr, or 'owneo, new Your;

)MPROVEMENT m MECHANIC-AL TYPOGRAPHERS;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,941, dated March 16, 1869.

To to whom it may concern Be it known that I CHARLES F. J OHNSON, Jr., of the village of Owego, in the county of" T-ioga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful machine for the purpose of forming stereotype-plates, or the matrices or molds .from which stereotypeplates may be elect'rotyped or cast, withoutthe use of the movable types at present used in-printin g. I

. denominate my machine The Stereotype-Ma chine, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the operation and construction of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure -l is a plan from above; Fig. 2,a side view from the left of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side view from the upper side of Fig. 1; and the several figures on Sheet 3, separate views of detached parts, to be more fully referred to and "explained hereafter.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, AA is a horizontal wheel, which I deno'minate the type-wheel, capable of turning on the central pin or axis B. This wheel maybe turned by hand, or a slow rotation-about twenty revolutions per minute-may be imparted to it through the intervention of a train'run by a weight, the fly gearing into teeth on its outer periphery. This wheel is horizontal, and'near its edge are inserted the cylindrical vertical pins 0 G inholes made for their reception. They are capable of end motion, and in thedrawings are represented in their lowest position. They are intended to work with friction suhicient to retain them in. position, so that theywill not fall with their own weight. I, Should it be found necessary, a spring can be inserted by the side of each, to prevent them from drop, ping. I will denominate them keys. A notch is turned in the lower corner'of the wheel. r

When the keys are in theirlowest position their ends project into. this space, as shown at- Fig. 2. Vv'hen they are in their highest posi-.

tion their ends are flush with the bottom of the hole, the head of the key taking the position represented by the dotted lines at J, Fig.

'3. Corresponding to each of these keys is a punch, a a a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. These punches also work vertically in holes in the wheel.

They are held in their position by spiral springs around them. One of these spiral springs is indicated by the dotted red lines at b b,

Fig. The part of the. punches below the head 1s also dotted in red ink, Figs. 2 and 3, 1n order to distinguish it.

- The head ofthe punch is made flat, and

works in a gain in the raised p'artof the wheel, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower part is round.

. The wide head will prevent turning.

The upper part of the hole is made large enough to receive the spiral springs, the bottom of the springs resting on the shoulder thus formed, and the wide head of the punch resting on the top of the spring. The bottom of the hole fits the shank of the punch closely.

It is evident that the punches can be depressed slightly if 'force is applied to them,

rection of the line at y. This bed is worked through the medium of the screw f f, working in a nut in the lower part of the bed.

The screw is turned by means'oi' the ratchet g, ina manner to be more particularly de scribed hereafter. This lower bed carries an upper one, 71, sliding in guides on the top of the lower one, and capable of a motion at right angles to the motion of the lower one. It is to be moved by the screw 73 i, which-is to be turnedby hand. On this is to be temporarily fastened a plate of lead or other malleable inaterial, for the purpose of receiving the successive impressions of the type-punches. The lower bed, carrying on it the upper one,

is to be moved the distance requisite for each successive letter, the upper one the distance requisite for each successive line.

The lead plate will be clamped in a 1101i zontal position onto the upper bed at F.

I will now explain how the letter which is on this bed-plate is a sliding bed, E E, working in horizontal guides in the dito lie impressed is arrested in its proper po* sition and forced downward into the plate which is to receive the impression. Attached to the frame are two upright pieces, G G, which firmly support a cross-piece, H H, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. This is high enough to allow the sliding beds and the plate on them to pass under it, and is cut out, as shown, to receive the wheel. WVhen the keys are in their highest position'there is no obstacle offered to the free rotation of the type-wheel. \Vhen, however, any key is pushed down, the wheel moves till this key reaches the point K, Fig. 1 The bottom of the key then strikes the projection on the lower part of the cross-piece, and the wheel is stopped. This projection is shown in the view and section in Figs. 7 and 8.

f Fig. 8 represents the screw and feed motion, with the beds and type-wheel detached, and a portion of the cross-piece. Fig. 7 is a section, vertical, on the line Z V. The projection is shown at L, and is on the lower part of the cross-piece, and fills the notch in the lower part of the wheeL- When the wheel is broughtto rest, by reason of the end of the key having been pushed down far enough to strike it, the punch corresponding to this key is over the lead plate, in the proper position, relative to it, to be impressed into the plate. The centreof the punch is on the line X Y. i

I will now explain how this punch is forced down, the key raised to its original position, allowing the wheel to move on, and the bed beneath moved, so as to be in position to re- 7 ceive the next letter, or, rather, punch. On

the under side of the projection is a slide, m, Figs. 7, 5, and 8, working endwise in'a groove, and its end extending beyond the edge of the projection. The position of this slide is representedin Figs. 1, 2, and 3 by the dotted red lines at M M. The end of the pin or key which has been pushed down strikes in its revolu- .tion the end of this slide and forces it back till the key is brought to rest by bringing up against the projection referred to. The other end of this slide bears against a notch in the cam-shapedwheel m on the rock-shaft A slight rotary motion will thus be imparted to the rock-shaft. On this rock-shaft are two "other wheels, or arms, one at o, the other tion now considered,- and flies round till it is caughtby the lower jaw, thus making nearly an entire revolution. I

Figs. 6, 9, and 10, show three views of the escapement, from which its action can be readily understood.

On the shaft of the escapement-wheel isa cam, 3, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4. In its revolution the out to its former position.

worked so that the tooth passes the lower I jaw and is held by the upper; and the pawl cam willdepress the lever t, turning on the center t, and held up by the springt. The bent head of this lever, coming on the head of the type in position, will push it down, and impress the face of the punch in the lead plate underneath. The first half of the revolution oi the cam-will impress the letter; the last hall will raise the key which held the wheel still. This is effected by means of the bent lever 121," Fig. 4, the toe of which projects .over the wheel. and under a key, into ajnotoh in the head of the key. This bent lever is also represented in position on Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The

key being thus raised above the projection, the wheel is free to move on.

- The spiral spring c, attached to the frame and to the wheel 1;, now brings the rock-shaft to its original posit-ion. The slide m is pushed The escapement is 10, which had been carried over one or more teeth of the ratchet, will, in its reverse motion, rotate the screw f a corresponding amount. This will, of course, work the bed out, and carry the plate to the position proper for the next letter. The bottoms of the letters will be parallel to the line as J.

The length of all the punches must be the same, that all impressions may be of equal depth. It is evident that the plate must be 'moved more or less, according as a narrow or reverse motion, turn the feed-screw f through less of a revolution. The amount cut away will thus regulate the motion of the plate.

To move the plate without making any impression, so as to leave a space between two words, it will only-be necessary to have one of v the keys without any type-punch corresponding. When this is pushed down and comes into position all the operations, except impressing the letter, will be performed.

011 a working machine it would be necessary to have, at least; enough keys for one full alphabet of small letters and capitals, be-

side numerals and marks of punctuation. The character corresponding to a key should, of

course, be plainly represented on the top of the key.

In operating this machine, the operator sits or stands on the lower side toward Y, Fig. 1, and pushes down, in succession, from left to right, the keys corresponding to the letters of the word he wishes to impress, turning the wheel at the same time from right to left. The keys he has pushed down come, in succession, under the lever, and the punches correspond- 81.941 7 I v i 3 ing areimpressed in their proper order. W hen he comes-to the end of aword he pushes down the key corresponding to a blank space. When thisucom'es into position the cam makes a revs-- lutiou; but no-impressionis made.- The plate 1smoved, however,am1 the next letterthat is impressed is at-a distance from the last corresponding to the distance or space between two words. When he comes'to the end of a line the click or pawlninst be raised and. the

- screw f turned back by hand. Then the other. screw, z, must be turned, so as to present a fresh surface of the plate on whichto impress the:

next line.

It ordinary or reliefpunches are used a' matrix-plate will be formed, from. which an electrotype-platemayhc -taken, as well as from the plaster mold now used for that purpose. l.

I do not wish to confine myself to the use of alead matrix, for prepared papier-mach or copper might be substituted; and from such a matrix a stereotype-plate might be cast-in type-metal. If hollow or intaglio punches are substituted, a reliefiplate might be formed in type-metal or lead, from which the necessary impressions'on paper could-he directly struck.

{As to material, the frame, sliding beds, and type-wheel should be made of castirom the punches, cam-shafts, and levers, of steel; and

the gear-wheels of composition or cast-iron.

' 7' Claims.

"theTrock-shaft n, the ratchet g, and. the keys;

0, constituting the feed-motion of the machine, substantially as set forth. H

3. I claim producing the variable feed of the upper bed-plate, adapted to successive letters of different widths by modifications of this] y substantially as. shown.

'4. I claim, in combination with each other,

the escapement and cam movements, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I '-GHARLES 1 JOHNSON, JR. (Witnesses: 7

, HENRY S. MAoKm'rosH,

CHARLES J. WHITE.

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