US1750353A - Slug-casting machine - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1930. E. w. PIERSON 1,750,353

SLUG' CASTING MACHINE Filed Fe 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l TTORN S March 11, 1930. w, PIERSON 1,750,353

SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1929 SSheets-Sheet 2 BY MTORN March 11, 1930. E. w. PIERSON SLUG CASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet twm fiwora into, a; so-cztl ledfirst elevatorffliwhich normal operation of theggmaehine,

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 ZITED QZ'SIF new. JERsEY,.-.ASSIGN B. ronrsemmenmtm ,TYPESQMIPANYM COR RATIQN GENEW YOR SING-CASTING mecfirn-E This invention relates to slugeasting machines, suoh as linotype machines ofthflzg'eneral organization represented in U S Letters Patent .to 2 Mergenthaler :No. $36,532, wherein circulating;matrices; are, assembled :in; line together with" expanding; spac rs; =or spacehands,: the composed line lifte -1.11pmtween -.a. pair of: fingers of a delivery slide and then: transferred thereby horizontally thereupon descends, to present the; composed line in casting position between, fi- PZllT- Qf ,tfice jaws. .Oneof tllGSBgrjilWS (nsuallyotl e- 'lefthand jaw) ;.is: adjustahleirtowan'd and from the opposing or right-:hand' jaw tonaccominodate lines-ofdilferent lengths. lnathe the line transferslide is stopped within the firstelevator. yin; indefinite predetermined position-so that when the" composed fline is lowered between. the vice jaws, ,the matrixat' theex- :treme: right will be flush or nearly-so= with the clamping face of the right-hand j aw. small space, howe\ 'er,-u-sually occurs-between theanat-rix at the opposite end .of. the; line and tl'ie.'1eft-hand ;;j aw on account of the slightwaria-tio'ns in length of: the: lines as ordinarily composed, but this -or. any other spacein the line is filled-out by the expansion of; the spac'ebands during justification. In practice, the ,justificationof the composed lines is usually carried out intW0-=St1geS, i.; e. before and; after the imat-rices are-aligned against theanold, these justifying operations being effected by a. vertically vmovable bar arranged to engage the spaeebands: at their lower ends. ,In the first-stage, the; justificationhar operates in an inclined position with reference to the matrix line, While in the. second stage, it operates in a horizontal. position, so that in effecting the preliminary justiilCilSiOlLOf the line the-hariscaused to engage the spacehands.successively from right to left as it drives them upwardly. through the line, Whereas in effecting the final justification-of the line it is caused-to engage the spacehands successively froin left. -to right, since at that time the spacebandsstandes the bar left them after the, preceding operation. The 1 prelimir-iary justification thus tends; to. adj net the linetoward, the.- left to fill out anyspaces or'loosenesszit-that end of jthe line while; the final justification, in bringing all .of :the: bands .to: a common level, tendsto-ad-just thei line toward the, right; to fill .outany {looseness ,in thatdi-rection as well as ,.to eqnali-ze the spacin of a the JVOI dS throughout the line. .The nal.,-justifieation, however, takesplacm While the, line-is held by the .first elevator 1 under spring tension against; the mold, for face alignment and consequentl ,,due to the frictional resistance ofiered ,by, t e matrices, this final justifying operation, cannot alwaysv be, .relied upon .to insur perfectly tight -10ic -up,a pa t cularly. in, the case of; lines ranging from 30 ,toAQ ems in length. In .oth er Words,v for one 11 85911. or another such .a bnormal loo'seness atthe extreme rightoceurring when alineisoye thr wnduring its transfer to the first e1evator,.or the bindingofone or. more ofith'e matrices ,or, spaeebands; .in their. supporting guides slightspaces or, crevic s. a frequently left. in the composed, lines after final justification. ;Th ese. creyiees will, not only resnlt in the casting .ofimperfctjslngs, but if exaggerated, they are. likely .to' cause front sqnirts1- and lead, to serious ,damage tov the parts. andv danger .to -.the operator. Mereovenihe. .force of the ,final ,justification is often spentagainst oneor two spacebends at .the entremeleftof :the line, causing them (especially .ther,thinner, .ones) to bi elrle or break and,,thus gitzing. rise .to further annoyance, expense andiloss oftime-inoperating. thelmachine.

v The present .inyention isdireeted to a new scheme of justification whichwillnot only overcome the objections .aboye, noted but which ,inaddition wyill prodnce. a .more uniform and ,more'=,nearly. perfect spacing of the .Wordgroupsofthe .line. Briefly stated, it is proposed .to. straightennp the jns'tificationharduring gthe first justifying stage and immediately after :it. completes its initial thrustin anvinelined position, leaving it free to. operate ,in the regular- Way .during; the second nstifying stage. The justification bar is thus given two ldistinet impnlses, in the first jnstifyingstagefine annp'ward movement while in an inclined position to push the spacebands upward progressively from right to left as heretofore, and the other a straightening up motion (a swinging movement of the bar from its inclined position to a horizontal position while raised) to even up thespacebands at their lower ends by lifting upwardly thereon progressively from left to right. This second impulse of the justification bar, taking place as it does in the preliminary justification, ismost advantageous, because at that time the matrix line is not engaged with the mold for alignment. purposes and hence the matrices and spacebands composing the line have practically complete freedom of movement and can for that reason more readily respond to the eX- panding influence of the spacebands as they are driven up through the line by the justification bar, first progressively in one direction and then progressively in the opposite direction. As a result, any looseness in the line at'any point, whether at the extreme right or theextreme'left-or in between, is taken up by thespacebands with reasonable certainty, thereby avoiding the objectionable crevices or spaces above referredto; and moreover, for the same 'reasons, any, excess space in the composed lineis evenly and uni formlydistributed between the different word groups composing (the line.) In effecting the final justification of the line, the justification barl abovestated is operated in 'the usual way, being moved upwardly while in a horizontal position, but since these spacebands have already (in the preliminary justification of theline) been brought into common horizontal alignment at their lower ends, they are not acted upon successively from left to right as heretofore-but all of them are engaged bythe' bar at the same time, this final operation thus lending itself to the complete and uniform spacing of the line.

"While various expedients might be resorted to for operating the justification bar in the manner above described, the present invention has been designed so that the standard parts of the commercial machines may be -used with an almost trifling change, which is obviously a great advantage. The precise manner in which this is accomplished will best be understood from the detailed description to follow.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form and by way of example, but obviously many changes and variations may be made therein and in its mode of operation, which will still be comprised within its spirit. It should, therefore, be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except in so far as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a portion of a linotype machine embodying the present improvements, and showing the justifying mechanism as it appears just before the preliminary justification of the matrix line is effected;

Fig. 2 is a skeleton view, showing the justificationbar and parts associated therewith in the relative positions they occupy when the initial stroke of the bar is completed;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing by the full and dotted lines other positions of the parts in the course of their operation; and

Fig. 4, is a vertical fore-and-aft section through the vise frame and cam shaft with the justifying mechanism in the position shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the matrices X and spacebands Y, after being composed in line in the assembler A, are lifted up between the fingers B B of the delivery slide B, whichtransfers the line horizontally through the intermediate channel C to the position indicated by dotted lines, where it is arrested by the engagement of the slide against the fixed stop G first elevator D is in position to receive the 'line, and then descends to present it at the casting level (as shown by the full lines in Fig. l) in front of the mold E and between 'theclamping jaws F, F the latter being mounted in a stationary portion G of the machine frame, commonly known as the vise frame. The finger B at the right is rigidly connected to the delivery slide proper, but its companion B is usually free thereon so that it may serve, irrespective of variations in the length of the lines, to keep the matrices at the left from tilting or toppling over as the line is being transferred.

The left-hand jaw F is adjustable toward and from the relatively fixed right-hand jaw F so as to vary the distance therebet-ween according to the length of the composed matrix line, and its adjustment is usually effected by means of an annularly grooved rod H arranged behind the jaw and which may be set to any given measure as desired. The rod H serves as an abutment for the jaw F and extends horizontally through the end bracket G of the vise frame G in which it is slidably mounted. In order that the rod H may sustain the jaw F against the force of justification, it is locked in its adjusted positions to a block K, which is held resiliently by a spring or detent (not shown) in contact with a vertical reciprocatory wedge bar L supported facewise against the bracket G and operable periodically during each machine cycle of operation. The bar L is formed near its lower end with a transverse slot L and at its top with upper and lower wedge surfaces L L the high points of which are adapted. when the bar L is all of the way up or all of the way down, to locate the jaw F through the block K in its proper position. When,

At the time ofsuch transfer, the

away'from the jaw F- for reasons later to appear.

The operationof thewedgebarL is efiect-- ed'in onedirection by a pull spring'L anchored to tliebracket G and in the opposite direct-ion b'y a-fore and-aft' rocking leve'r M; forkedat the front-and fulcrumed at'the rear on a horizontal shaft N located below the=cam shaft 0. One member of the forked end of the lever M isconnected to the Wedge bar L by-a cross pin 'm arranged in :the slot L and the-other member m of said forked end is located directly below a collar P secured to one of a pair of vertical slide rods P P These-rodsare mounted in the vise frame G and carry at their upper ends the justification b'ar- P 'to" which they are-piv+ otally connected: The-rod P (see Fig. l) is supportedagainstthe action of' gravitylby a second fore-and-aft lever A also-=fulcrnmed on the shaft N- and 'whose' freeend engages-a collar-P -secured to said rod. The rod P on-th'e other hand,- is supported by the rod P through a connecting lin'k or strut- P which extends obliquely upward from the collar P and-looselyengagesapinp secured to the justification bar P Thepur-pose-ofthis :=loose -connectionbetween the --bar and strut is tozallow aslight movement of the rod P 'relativelyto the rod P and thus to permitthe justification bar to be moved from'an in clined: position to a-horizontalposition, or vice VGISZL- Normally; the-justification bar P is supported by the strutP and rod P iniits inclined positionas shown inFigtl and will therefore remain inthis position when raised-by the lever M to-perform the prelim inary justification of the line. The lever M- is also capable of movingthe justification bar through-the collar P and-rod P but acts only during the second or final ustifyingperiod,

at which time-both levers 1/1 and 181 act together to lift the bar in a horizontal position against the spacebands.

The levers M, M are actuated by powerful compression springs M M seated in the base frame beneath the lovers and individually controlled by a corresponding pair of cams 0 formed generally with relatively low portions 0 O intervening high portions O and extended concentric portions 0. These cams (see Fig, a) are keyed to the main shaft 0 and-sustain the levers, through the medium of anti-friction rollers M, M against the tension of their actuating springs. \Vith this arrangement, and during each rotation of the shaft O,'the rollers M, M under the influence of the springs M M are caused to follow the contour of the respective cams O 0 and allow the levers M, M to be raised and lowered in definite synchronism for 'the operation of--the justifitiation bhr Ba in-two distinct stagesn The bar -'-in='the' first stage' of its -op'erati0n-'is mov'ed while -inan in'cli'ned position towardand fiomjthe matrix line by the action' ofthe s ringM under the controh of the oam O and in the 'secondstage; -it is moved through the-same path -While in a horizontal position-'bythe ac-tion of both springs M -M? under the-joint control of the two cams O Q The -ditfere'nt steps -in thejustificat-ion ofa matrixli'ne as ordinarily-effected in thecom mercial 'linoty'pe machines take -place in the following order orsequence: Assume a-composed-line of- I'natrices-and 'spacebands to hav'e reached the dotted li'ne'p'osition shown irrFigs 1; where ithas been=stopped bythe engagementof the delivery slide B against the fixed stop C 3 If the =lin'e is --u1-1," the lower end of the delivery slide-finger B will have =en tered the -'recess 7 in 'the' top ofth'e left-handjaW (as indicated), but if it is short? the finger will stand 'a corresponding-distance to the right ot' su'ch iposition, so that when. the line; at the start of the cycle, is lowered between the :vise :j aw's, the space-will occur ad j acent theclamping-iace of the left hand jaw F the fingeralways standing in perfect alignment 'with"th'e right hand j aw As soon as the dime is::positio'nedbetweenl the j aws g themoldi iE? is -advanced=: against the same preparatory to j ustificationand the roller M -ot the formand aft lever M is about to engage the'low section-O of the cam 0 whichas the cycle proceeds permits said lever to rise high 'enouglr'to free the wedgebar L so that it may be-'dra-wnupwardly by. its actuating spring-L to-theposition shownin Fig. 2. At this time, the lever Mxstops" short ofthecollar Pg'therebe-ing 'sufiicient space allowed for such-lost motion between said collarand the member m '(see Fig.1). The low section 0 of the camtO 'is then brought to bear-upon. the roller M which: allows the justification bar to be'lift'ed-by the other lever M into engagementwith the spacebands Y to effect the preliminary-justification ofthe line. By this action and due to the inclination-of the bar,- there is a tendency to adjust the-line to the left and any space occurring adjacent thejawFis closed up by the expansion'of the spacebands. By a continued-rotation of the cams 0 0 both levers 1V1, M are loweredto the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 3, and the reduced portion of the wedge bar- L is brought opposite'or behind the block K, which thus'a-llows the clamping action of the-jaws to be temporarily relieved and leaves the line free to be pulled bodily upward by the elevator D' against the lip of the mold in effecting the horizontal alignment of the matrix characters with the mold slot. This aligning operation is commonly referred to as face alignment and prepares the line for the final justification, which immediately follows. The lever M, after allowing the wedge bar 5 to rise again to its former position, is now adapted to engage the collar P and straighten up the justification bar, which, while disposed in such horizontal position and as permitted by the low sections O" of the two rotary cams, is forced upwardly against the spacebands by the action of both levers M, M under the propelling influence of the springs M M After the casting operation, the justification bar P and wedge bar L are returned to their normal position (Fig. 1), and the composedline is lifted by the elevator D from its position be tween .the jaws for separation and distribution of the matrices and spacebands.

, The foregoing parts, their construction and mode of operation, except as hereinafter pointed out, are or may be the same as those embodied in the commercial lintotype machine and in themselves constitute no part of the present invention, which is devoted essentially to certain improvements whereby the justification bar during the first stage of its operation is shifted from its inclined position to a horizontal position parallel with the matrix line in effecting the preliminary justification thereof. This is accomplished, in the present instance, simply by forming the cam O with a recess 0 located in the low portion 0 thereof, and by positioning the collar P on the vertical rod P about one inch lower than heretofore. The latter change enables the fork member m of the lever L1 to engage the collar P and raise the corresponding end of the justification bar P after the bar has been lifted by the lever M and while the spring M is still capable of exercising its greatest power;

its a result of these changes, simple as they are, after the justification bar has been raised during the first stage of its operation to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 in the manner before described, the recess 0 is brought into registry with the roller M and allows the lever M to rise under the influence of the spring M into engagement with the collar P and, through the rod P swing the bar from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown by the full lines in F ig. 3. In this way the line is subjected to endwise spreading in both di rections and any looseness or spaces that may exist between the matrics eliminated. Moreover, all of the bands are driven up an equal distance through the line, which insures a uniform spacing of the words, and the line is left in perfect condition for the subsequent operations of face alignment and final justification, which are effected in the usual way and as above described. If desired, the right end of the justification bar may be lowered slightly before the opposite end is swung upwardly in order to facilitate the adjust-- ment of the line toward the right, since the bar as it is lifted by the lever M would then be better adapted to engage the spacebands successively from the left toward the right in bringing them to, a common level. In this event, a slight rise or swell in the low section 0* of the cam O is all that would be required. As the advantages of this new construction and operation of the parts were fully pointed out in the preamble, it is not believed any further elaboration here is necessary, altho it may again be pointed out that the characteristic feature of the invention resides in the straightening up of thejustification bar in the first stage of ustification as distinguished from the second stage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed lineof matrics and expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line,-a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a justification bar movable in two stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, means for operating the bar, and means for causing the bar in the first stage of its operation to engagethe spacebands in an inclined position and then to be straightened out in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

2. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matricsand expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a justification bar mounted so as to be capable of assuming a position inclined to and parallel with the matrix line and movable in two successive stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, and means for operating the bar so as to cause it to assume first one and then the other of said positions during the first stage of its operation in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

3. In a slug casting machine, the combina tion of a composed line of matrices and erpan sible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a justification bar pivotally mounted and movable in two stages to expand the spaccbands in effecting respectively a pre liminary and final justification of the line, and means for operating the bar whereby the latter in the first stage of its operation is moved vertically while in an inclined position and then swung upwardly about its pivotal axis to a horizontal position in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

et. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a spring-actuated justification bar mounted so as to be capable of assuming a position inclined to and parallel with the matrix line and movable in two successive stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, and a cam for controlling the operation of the bar under the action of its actuating spring, the said bar being adapted during the first stage of its operation to assume first an inclined position and then a horizontal position in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

5. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a spring-actuated-justification bar movable in two successive stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, a pair of slide rods to which the bar is pivotally connected, and a pair of cams for controlling the operation of the bar through said rods, one of the cams being formed with a recess for causing the bar to swing during the first stage of its operation from an inclined position to a horizontal position in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

6. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a movable aw and a relatively fixed opposing jaw between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a justification bar pivotally mounted so as to be capable of assuming a position inclined to and parallel with the matrix line and movable in two successive stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, means for causing the bar to assume first one and then the other of said positions in effecting the preliminary justification of the line, and means operated in synchronism with the bar for locking the movable jaw during both justifications of the line.

7 In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a movable jaw and a relatively fixed opposing jaw between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a spring-actuated justification bar mounted so as to be capable of assuming a position inclined to and parallel with the matrix line and movable in two successive stages to expand the spacebands in effecting respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, means for causing the bar to assume first one and then he sa s. re iner-r as .e n ati at sta -me ty iss sat a e ihsli asiii er d t-rv eaaq e e me wtat eist tor-1.0:; 11g ttemaaatleaavun predetermined,

d" hifistificatiop otthel fie; aged Hf 0a .celitrolli'nathe .operation ofthe bar and'wed a t-luza slaeg as ns mach 9. In a slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a. justification bar pivotally mounted and movable in two stages to expand the spacebands and effect respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, a pair of springs for actuating said bar, and

means for controlling the operation of said springs whereby the bar during the first stage of Its operation is moved bodily upward in an inchned position under the influence of one spring and then swung from the inclined position to a horizontal position under the infiuence of the other spring in effecting the preliminary justification of the line.

10. In a. slug casting machine, the combination of a composed line of matrices and expansible spacebands, a mold for casting a slug against the line, a pair of jaws between which the line is confined in casting relation to the mold, a justification bar movable in two stages to expand the spacebands and effect respectively a preliminary and final justification of the line, a pair of springs for actuating said bar, and means for controlling the operation of said springs whereby the bar during the first stage of its operation is subj ected to the influence of both springs in efifecting the preliminary justification of the 11. In or for a linotype machine, the justifying cam 0 formed with the relatively low portion 0 the intervening high portion 0, and the extended concentric portion'O", together with the depression 0 located in the low portion 0 as and for the purpose described.

12. The method of justifying a composed line of matrices and spacebands in a linotype machine, which consists in subjecting the spacebands to the expanding influence of a movable bar operating in. two successive stages, and causing said bar in the first or preliminary stage to engage the spacebands while in an inclined position and then to move from its inclined position to a h0riz0ntal position to even up the 'spacebands.

In testimony whereof, this specification has been duly signed by.

EDWIN W. PIER-SON.

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