US1231861A - Matrix for slug-casting machines. - Google Patents

Description

P. T. DODGE. MATRIX FOR SLUG CASTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, I915- Patented July 3 ATP in.

PHILIP T. DODGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 MERGENTI-IALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MATRIX FOR SLUG-CASTING MACHINES.

Application filed June 28, 1915.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP T. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of N e\v York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matrices for Slug-Casting Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to typographical casting machines, such as linotype machines of the general organization represented'in United States Letters Patent to O. Mei-genthaler, No. 36532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to' appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the. type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazlne from which they started. I

My present invention is intended 'primarily to adapt the machine for the production of slugs of suitable form to receive and support cuts or printing plates in a printing form made up from the slugs. Heretofore, the practice has been to cast the slugs of the ordinary form and saw them off beyond the type characters, so as to provide a space for the reception of a supporting block upon which the plate is mounted' This practice is objectionable, as it not only involves a number of different operations which entail much labor and loss' of time, but in addition difliculty is experienced in looking up the form in the proper and e) act manner required. Furthe more, it IS necessary to prepare a special'supporting block for each cut used, and as the cuts are seldom uniform, the attending annoyance and delays are great.

To overcome the above objections, I propose to cast the slugs with plain or smooth surfaces upon which the plates may be supported and with upstanding lips or projections of less than type height to engage the edges of the plate and hold it securely in place upon the slugs. This result I secure, specifically. .by providing certain of the matrices with plain or straight edges which fit closely against the mold when the composed line is presented thereto, and by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 191?.

Serial No. 36,638.

location to meet the exact conditions demanded. These features and others will be more fully described in detail and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example, and as applied to a linotype machine of the general class stated, but obviously there are various other embodiments and adaptations which will still be comprised within its spirit. Generally speaking, I desire it to be under stood that I do not limit myself to any specific form or embodiment, except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims. 7

Referring to the drawing:

rices or matrix sections employed in carrying out my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of two other matrices of different form;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the mold of a linotype machine, showing an assembled line of matrices in operative relation thereto and a slug cast against the line;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are somewhat similar views, showing diiferent arrangements of the matrices for the production of slugs with varying forms of upstanding lips or projections Fig. 7 is a front view of the portion of the 'asssmbled line of matrices'shown in Fig. 6; Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views showing difierent forms of slugs produced in accordance with my invention.

In Fig. 1, there are shown two complementary matrices or matrix sections A and B, the former having in its front or operative edge a plain rectangular notch A open at the front and side, and the latter having its front or operative edge plain or straight. The matrix B is adapted to be assembled in line at the side of the matrix A so as to close Figure 1 is a perspective view of two 1nat the open side of the notch A the two matrices thus providing between them a supplemental mold cavity into which the molten metal may flow from the mold when the composed line is presented thereto. The result of this arrangement is indicated in Fig. 3, where a slug Z cast against a matrix line is shown standing within the mold and having on its edge an upstanding lip or projection Z cast in the supplemental mold cavity of the complementary matrices included in "the line. The slug Z is also shown as provided with a type carrying surface Z and a plain portion Z, the former being cast in cavities H of matrices H, and the latter produced by the straight edges of a group of the matrices B. The slug thus has its plain portion Z well below the type surface to receive a cut or plate and support it with its printing face in horizontal alinement with the type surface. It is pointed out that the cavities H of the matrices H are deeper than the notches A of the matrices A, so that the plate holding projections produced by the latter will also stand below the type surface.

Fig. 2 illustrates two other matrices C and D, the former having a plain rectangular notch C open at the right, and the latter having a similar notch D open at the left. When these matrices are assembled side by side in line, their twt'i notches conjointly present a supplemental'mold cavity for the production of an upstanding projection Z on the slug, similar to the projection Z as shown in Fig 3. This arrangement is advantageous in some instances to secure a different spacing of the upstanding proections.

In Fig. 4 the supplemental mold cavity is shown as constitutedby the matrix B and a matrix E, the latter being formed in its front or operative edge with a notch E open at-the left and closed by the flat face of the matrix B. The matrix E differs from the matrix D before described only in the respect that the notch E is undercut instead of rectangular, the purpose being to plroduce an undercut projection Z on the s ug.

The supplemental mold cavity appearing in Fig. 5 is designed to produce an upstanding projection Z undercut at both sides, it being constituted by the matrix E and a matrix F, which latter is formed in its front or operative edge with an undercut notch F open at the right and communicating with the notch E of the matrix E.

Asshown in Figs. 6 and 7, to make up the supplemental mold cavity, the matrices B and E are employed in conjunction with an intermediate matrix G, formed in its front or operative edge with a notch G open at both sides and of a depth corresponding to that of the notch E in the matrix E. The purpose of this arrangement is to produce a holding projection Z on the slug of considerably greater width or size than the projection Z which is produced by the two matrices B and E alone. A similar oppositely-facing projection Z as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, may be produced by interposing the matrix G- between the matrices B and F, it being remembered that the undercut notch 'F of the latter is open at the right as distinguished from the notch E which is open at the left.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the size or shape of the upstanding lips or projections on the slug may be varied in any manner required and that they may be used for any desired purpose. Thus in Fig. 9, a printing plate Y is shown as held be tween a pair of the undercut projections Z and Z arranged at opposite ends of the slug. In Fig. 10, a triangular r.lle X is shown confined between a pair of the straight projections Z which have been bent over to embrace the side of the rule. The location of the holding projections at the desired points along the slug may be readily obtained by assembling the corresponding matrices or matrix sections at the proper places in the line, which merely requires the-operation of the selecting keys in the 95 regular way. Thus in Fig. 8, the slug is shown as provided with two of the projections Z and one each of the projections Z Z and Z, these being spaced apart in a, definite manner. 0

\Vhen matrices such as E and F, having unde'fcut notches, are employed, it is obvious that some provision should be made to allow the corresponding undercut projections produced thereby to be withdrawn after the 105 casting operation. This is done by including in the composed line one or more of the ordinary expansible spacers X, which by being forced upward into the line before casting will expand it and hold the matrices 110 in close and firm contact with each other, and which by being subsequently depressed will permit the line to contract or loosen up and thus to allow the separation of the adjoining matrices between which the undercut 115 pro ections are cast.

It is pointed out that the notches or cavities in the matrices of the several kinds discussed are all formed in an integral part of the matrix, the latter being solid through- 120 out. This is important because in practice it has been found that the presence of crevices or joints between movable parts is fatal, since the molten metal finds its way into such crevices and interferes with the 5 movement of the parts or results in the production of imperfect slugs. Furthermore. it has been found to be impracticable to make use of movable parts in the matrix owing to its delicate character and to the necessity 13o of securing its firm contact against the mold and its circulationthrough the machine. It is also pointed out that the location of the supplemental mold cavities between adjoining matrices as described is important, in that the plate holding projections cast therein may be readily withdrawn without any tendency to adhere or stick in the matrices,

such as would result in their severance or The importance of this last feature is emphasized in the case of the undercut projections, which require the separation of the adjoin- -The above features will serve to distinguish the present invention in a few particulars from certain prior constructions which have failed to furnish a satisfactory solution of the problem. In this connection, it may be noted that these prior constructions were designed merely to produce a slug with a pair of projections to receive and hold a straight printing rule. Both projections were formed from a single matrix which not only had to be of a given dimension to insure the uniform spacing of the projections on the successive slugs, but which had also to be set in exactly the same position in the following lines to insure their proper transverse alinement when the slugs were assembled in j the printing form- Such old constructions therefore were not designed, nor could they be used, for the production of slugs capable of receiving and holding broad or irregular forms of printing plates; whereas the present invention is especially fitted for such purpose, it being possible to produce the complementary holding projections at any distance apart along the edge of the slug, which result is secured simply by assembling the several pairs of complementary matrices at the proper points in the line. In other words, by casting-the complementary holding projections in separate pairs or pluralities of matrices or matrix sections, their relative location may be varied in any manner desired. A,

As previously stated, the foregoing embodiments of my invention have been selected merely by way of example and as illustrative of the broad underlying principle, and it will be obvious that many changes and variations will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departure from its scope.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode "of operation, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In a mechanism for casting slugs with apair of complementary holding projections of less than type height, the combination of a casting mold and a matrix line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrix line including a plurality of sets of mg matrices to permit their withdrawal.

ing projections, in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. In a mechanism for casting slugs with a' pair of complementary undercut holding projections of less than type height, the combination of a casting mold and a matrix line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrix line including a plurality of sets of complementary matrices, the matrices of one set being relatively formed to provide an undercut mold cavity for producing one of the complementary holding projections, and the matrices of the other set being relatively formed to provide an undercut mold cavity for producing the other of the complementary holding projections, in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. In a mechanism for casting slugs with a pair of complementary holding projections of less than type height, the combination of a casting mold-and a matrix line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrix line including a plurality of sets of complementary matrices, the matrices of each set being relatively formed to provide a mold cavity for producing the corresponding one of the complementary holding projections, and other matrices having plain 100 and straight mold engaging edges assembled between the matrices of the several sets so as to produce a plain and straight supporting surface on the cast slug between the complementary holding projections thereon, 105 in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. In a. mechanism for casting slugs with a pair of complementary undercut holding projections ofless than type height, the combination of a casting mold and a matrix 110 line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrixline including a plurality of sets of complementary matrices, the matrices of each set being relatively formed to provide an undercut mold cavity for producing 11 the corresponding one of the complementary holding projections, and other matrices having plain and straight mold engaging edges assembled between the matrices of the several sets so as to produce a plain and straight supporting surface on the cast slug between the complementary holding projections thereon, in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. In a mechanism for casting slugs with 125 a pair of complementary undercut holding projections of less than type height, the combination of casting mold and a matrix line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrix line including a plurality of 130 sets of complementary matrices, the matrices of each set being relatively formed to provide an undercut cavity for producing the corresponding one of the complementary holding projections, other matrices having plain and straight mold engaging edges assembled between the matrices of the several sets so as to produce a plain and straight supporting surface on the cast slug between the complementary holding projections thereon, and one or more expansible spaces adapted to spread the line before casting and to allow it to be contracted after casting so as to permit the withdrawal of the undercut projections on' the slug from the matrix cavities.

6. In a m :chanism for casting slugs with a pair of omplementary holding projections of less than type height, the combination of a casting mold and a matrix line assembled in operative relation thereto, the said matrix line including a plurality of sets of complementarymatrices, the matrices of each set being relatively formed to provide a mold cavity for producing the corresponding one of the complementary holding projections, and the said mold cavity being constituted in part by a notch formed in the operative edge of one of the complementary matrices of said set and open at the front and one side only and closed at the open side by another matrix of the set, all in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PHILIP T. DODGE. Witnesses C. W. WIMBERLY, E. J. LAMB.

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