US1118298A - Line-indicating mechanism for typographical machines. - Google Patents

Description

. P. H. MGGRATH. LINE INDIGATING MEGHANISM FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED-JAN. 15, 1913 Patented Nov. 24, 1914. ;g,1 l

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narran srrirns Param @ricerca PATRICK H. MCG-BATH, OF W'GLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LINE-INDICATIG MECHANISM FOR TYPOGR-APHICAL MACIINS.

Specication, of Letters Patent. Ptentgd NGV, 24, 191619 I Application filed Januaryv 15, 1913. Serial No. 742,268.

T0 all w71 0m, it mag/'concern Be it known that I, 'PA'rniCK H. MGGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residlng at llfollaston, in the county of Norfolk andy State of Massachusetts, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Line- Indicating Mechanism for Typographical Machines, of which the following is a specification. y

This invention rela-testo vline-indicating mechanism for typographical machines, one

-of the vprima-ry objects of theinvention being to provide simple and effective means of line can be readily and instantly noted by the compositor or operatoi` of themachine.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification I have shown' in detail one of the several forms ofv embodiment of the'inv'ention 'which to enable those skilled in the art to practise the same will be fully set forth in the following description. I do not, however, llimit myself to this disclosuregI may depart there'- fromin several respects within the scope` of vthe, invention defined by my. claim fol- Referring to saiddrawings: Figure 1- is a perspective view of a portion of a typographical machine provided withlline-indieating mechanism` involving my inventlon.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the indicator shown.

in Fig. 1. y Like characters refer to like parts in both views, which it will be observed arev on different scales.

The present mechanism can be built as a permanent part of a typographical machine' or can be easily and quickly attached to any of the existing typographical machines. In Fig. 1r of the drawings I have 'represented certain of the parts of the well-known Mergenthaler typographical machines., At the present time the operator of -such a machine vhas to raise his eyes to the assembler slide to observe the progress of the line. One of the important features of my improvements, isv in the factthat he can be. instantly apprised of the Acondition of the -line without the necessity of raising his eyes from the keyboard or the copy which, is an advantageous conslderation partic-l ularly when the copy is fine 'reprint or largely composed of initials and figures. Asl is well-known the. strain on the eyes in continually searching for the placenin the copy, is considerable but by my device, as will hereinafter' appear, I avoid this disadvantage. l Said device comprises an indicatorl between the space bar and the tray-vor equivalent copy-carrier, and means operative with 'the assembler-slide, for actuating the indicator, which latter may vary radically f in character, the same applying to the means for 4effecting the operation of the same.AA It willbe clear that when I state that theV indicator is operative with the assembler-slide, I do not necessarily in view of which his efforts are further simplified.

'.Referring to Fig. 1, 2 denotes the keyboard, 3 the space bar, 4: the tray, and 5 the assembler-slide of the ldergenthaler typographical machine now in every day use; these parts being, therefore, wellknown,"reqiiire no description. 'The tray 4 is used to receive the copy which is placed directly therein lor which may be supported lava copy-holder 6. Y

` As already intimated the-kind of indicai tor is not an essential matter, althoughthe one shown, designated in a general way by .7, and now to be described, answers satis- Said indicator factorily lmy requirements.

.includes an elongated casing 8 disposed in the interval between the space bar 3 and the tray L1.' Said case may be provided with the tray or copy carrier; Mounted within said case 8 and preferably near the ends thereof, are sprocket wheels 9 around whichI is. passed. the sprocket-chain 10, one link of which may be provided with a line-indicating pointer or finger 11 which as show'ri'v extends through a longitudinal slot 12 in the case 8 and adapted to traverse a griaduated'scale 13 on the outside of said case,:the

pointer or nger v11 when the assembler- Aslide 5 is at its extreme backyvard or re- 10o `y projections `8 fastened' to the under side of tractcd position, being opposite the zeromark of the scale 18. The numbers on said scale, if any be provided, run upward from left to right thereof. The lines or graduations of the scales can of course,4 bear symbols other than numbers; as a matter of fact none are really required.

As already set forth the indicator is operative with the assembler-slide, the motion' rack bar 15, the teeth of which mesh Awithl a pinion 16 shown as fastened to the stub shaft 17 supported by a lug or ear 18 on the bracket or fixture 19. A flexible shaft is shown at 20, the lower end thereof being connected with -the shaft of the sprocket wheel 9 at. the left. Said flexible shaft 20 is adaptedv for detachable connection with the short stiftl shaft 17 by a clamp 21, the sections of which areadapted to be tightened around the adjacent end portions of said twov shafts, by the screw 22 having an operating lever Vor handle 23. IVhen this handle`23 is turned in one direction, the clamp 21 will be disengaged from the shaft 17w'hile when it is turned in the opposite direction the opposite effect will occur, so that the two shafts 17 and 2O can be opera! tively connected together,vthe clamp 21 acting as a convenient form of coupling for this purpose,

assembler-slide 5 moves, the sprocket-chain 10 through the intermediate parts will be operated, tov move the pointer or finger 11 forwardpr backward along thefscale 13, the particular motion depending upon the` direction of movement of the assembler.-v

yslide.'4 Just before the make-up of a line is commenced the assembler-slide will be in its extreme retracted position, the pointerll at lthis time being opposite the 'zero or initial marken the scalel. In the composition of the line the assembler-slide 5 is ladvanced or moved toward the left in Fig. 1 whereby the pointer 11 through Ythev intermediate parts-will be moved in unison step by step with. said assembler-slide, so that the operator by glancing at the'indicator will be instantlv informed of the progress ofthe line. It will beclear that by the construction described I place within the field of the' operators vision, means by which he is fat It willbe clear that as the amazes i once informed of the position of the assembler-slide and naturally of the condition of the liner By field of vision I mean that which includes the keyboard and the copy. The Mergenthaler machine is adjusted in most daily newspaper offices to handle six or seven lines a minute,V but the compositors who have the ability, of operating the ma'-l chine at this speed are rare. With' this type of machine so far as I am aware, there is -no way of ascertammg the progress of the line except by looking at the assemblerslide.v To do this especially while workmg on poor'copy causes the operator frequently to lose his place and brea i up thepswing or 4rhythm. "On the other hand to over set the line is torun in two or three letters of workand Apossibly the piling up of a lot of matrices `behind the star wheel, and beforethese have been cleared away the time re quired to set a half a dozen lines hasvbeen lost iWhcn lines are being set at the rate of one inten seconds, the smallest things areimportant. By the use of my device I can materially increase the operators output in that I avoid and eliminate the disadvantages pointed out, whileat the same time I make the work easier and relieve to a great extent the eye strain caused bythe constant shift- Vingfof the eye.

` It will be evident fromthe foregoing description taken in connection with the annexed drawings that my line indicating mechanism involves an indicating element located and movable in a straight path between the space vbar and the copy holder and that said indicating element travels in parallelism with said space-bar.

l/Vhat I claim is:

The combination with the space-bar, the

copycarrier, and the assemblenslide of a typographical-machine, of line indicating 'mechanism having an indica-ting element located and movable in a straight path between the space-bar andy the copy-carrier fand adapted to travel in parallelism with `said space-barv and means operati-ve with the V assembler-slide for actuating said indicat ing element on the `motion of the assembler- Intestimony`-whereof I afiix my signa-

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