US1955619A - Matrix-setting and type-line-casting machine - Google Patents

Description

W. BLUME A ril 17, 1934.

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed ma 'lz, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 4 1 l illlllllllllllllllll\lllllilllHlMlllllllilflfl W. BLUME April 17, 1934.

MATRIX SETTING AND TYPE LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed May 12, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 MATRIX-SETTING AND TYPE-LINE- CASTING MACHINE Wilhelm Blume, Berlin-Tegel, Germany, assignor to the firma Typograph G. m. b. H., Berlin,

Germany Application May 12, 1933, Serial No. 670,790

In Germany 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a power drive with rotating shaft for the matrix release devices of matrix-setting and type-line-casting machines. The power drives hitherto used for such machines possess a substantial drawback which frequently leads to errors of setting which can be avoided only by great care and experience of a skilled compositor. Ihe matrices corresponding to a key are released in quick succession one after another as long as the key is kept depressed. This may be advisable for the purpose of emptying a case, but frequently the compositor keeps the key down too longsay owing to his keeping an eye on the .copyand thus unintentionally releases several matrices of the same kind one after another, so

that the well known errors in setting are produced. It requires therefore great care and experience on the part of a compositor to avoid keeping a depressed key longer than the short instant admissible for the release of only one matrix, inv spite'of his studying the copy.

Thesedrawbacks are avoided according to the present invention owing to the fact that normally only'one matrix can be released by each depression of a key. Each key depressed is disengaged, as soon as the process of releasing is started, from the connecting members leading to the corespondrelease device, and is brought again into engagement with the said parts only by its automatic 130 return to its initial position. The holding down of a depressed key for a long time does not affect therefore the number of the matrices released. Nevertheless in special cases the disengagement of the keys depressed from the parts leading to the release devices, can be prevented according to the invention by a simple throwing-over of a lever operated for instance from the keyboard by the compositor. In this way by keeping down for ,a longer time the keys which are now in constant connection with the members moving the release devices,'several or all the corresponding matrices can be successively released.

The arrangements hitherto known for the same purpose of the single or continuous release for key mechanisms with power drive cannot be advantageously used in the present case owing to their complicatedness and expensive manufacture and also in View of the drive of a matrix-setting and type-line-casting machine.

A construction according to the invention is shown diagrammatically and by way of example the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a section through the key mechanism in lineL-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1 and in which,

May 31, 1932 for the sake of greater clearness, only some parts of the key mechanism are shown.

Figure 3 shows part of Figure 1 on a larger scale.

In the casing 2 receiving the keys 1 in its inclined front wall, are rotatably mounted two or more spindles 3, 4 each carrying a rubber roller 5 along substantially the whole of the part of the spindle which is disposed within the casing 2. Thespindle. 3 and 4 rotate in the direction shown by the arrows in Figures 1 and 3. The bearings of these rubber rollers 5 or of the spindles 3, 4 are mounted in aneasily detachable manner in the casing 2 in order to enable the rollers 5 which frequently require renewal on account of wear, to be replaced in a simple manner without any material loss of time.

The spindles 3, 4 or the rollers 5, are constantly rotated by the drive of the machine in the usual manner. In the construction shown (see Figure 2), at one end of a spindle, say the spindle 4, is mounted a bevel wheel 6 meshing with a bevel wheel 7 of the same size which is connected for instance to a flexible shaft 8 leading to the drive of the machine. To the opposite end of the spindle 4 is secured a spur wheel 10 meshing with a second spur wheel 9 of the same size secured to the spindle 3, so that both spindles 3, 4 or their rubber rollers 5 rotate at the same speed. a

The connection members 11 such as pull wires, rods, Bowden (registered trade-mark) cables, coming from the release devices not shown, are respectively connected to the end of doublearmed levers 12 (see Figures 1 and 3) which are rotatably mounted in distance blocks (not shown) about pins 13 secured to the casing 2. The other end of each lever 12 which is situated within the casing 2, engages, when the lever is in the raised or inoperative position (see Figures 1 and 3), with one arm 14 of a double-armed lever 15, for example a bell-crank lever. These levers 15, like the levers 12, are mounted in separate distance blocks 17 and are rotatable about pins 16 secured to the casing 2. With the other arm 18 of each lever 15 engages a spring blade 19 secured to the distance block 17 and tending to keep the lever 15 in its inoperative position (Figures 1 and 3) and locking the lever 12. The movement of each lever 15 is limited by a stop 33 secured to the casing 2.

At the free end of each arm 18 there is provided a projection 20 with which engages a stop 21 rigidly secured to a spring blade 22 secured to the key 1 and arranged co-axial with it. The lower end of each spring blade 22 is preferably bent in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 3. lhe stop 21 may form a part of the spring blade 22 and be produced by stamping.

Under each row of keys or under the spring blades 22 are arranged spindles 23 rotatable to a limited extent within the casing 2. These spindles are however cylindrical oniy at their bearing places, whilst within the casing 2 they have a semi-circular cross-section (see Figures 1 and 3). To the ends of the spindles 23 are secured levers 24 which are hingedly connected together by means of a rod 25.

To one of the spindles 23, for instance to that situated nearest to the front of the casing 2 is secured a handle or a crank 26 by means of which the spindles 23 may be turned with the assistance of the members 24, 25.

Above the rubber rollers 5 discs 27 are rotatably mounted about pins 28 provided on the levers 12.

The centres of rotation of the discs 27 are eccentrically displaced relatively to their centres so that the discs 27 always have a tendency to turn downwards in order to come into engagement with the rubber rollers 5. They are prevented however from doing so when the levers 12 are in the inoperative position, by pins 29 provided on the said discs and engaging with stops 30 arranged for instance on a distance block 31 secured to the casing 2, or on the distance block 17 (see Figure 1). To ensure better engagement with the rubber rollers 5, the discs 27 are toothed on their circumference. After each depression of a key and as soon as the finger pressure of the compositor ceases, the keys are automatically brought back to their initial positions in the well known manner by the action of helical springs 32 arranged say under the key buttons.

In the normal working of the power drive according to the invention, each key depression, even when a key 1 is held down for a long time, releases only one matrix, and for such working the spindles 23 are disposed in such a manner that they face the spring blades 22 with their cylindrical surfaces (see Figures 1 and 3). When a key 1 and the spring blade 22 secured to it are depressed by the finger pressure of the compositor, the stop 21 of the said spring engages the projection 20 of the lever 15, and moves its arm 18 down in opposition to the action of the spring 19.

In this way the lever 15 is turned about the pin 16 so that its other arm 14 is moved away from the end of the lever 12 to release the latter. The lever 12 can therefore turn about the pin 13, and its arm carrying the eccentric disc 27 drops down. At the same time the pin 29 secured to the disc 27 moves in known manner past the stop 30, so that the disc 27 comes into engagement with the rotating rubber roller 5 and is driven by it until the lever 12 with the disc 27 is brought to the position shown in chain-dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3. V

In this way, the pull required for the release of the matrices is exerted in the usual way on the connecting member 11 leading to the corresponding matrix release device. During the process of release, the arm of the lever 12 carrying the eccentric disc 27, passes upwards beyond its initial position.

The corresponding lever 15 is in the meantime brought back again by the spring 19 to its initial position limited by the stop bar 33, so that its arm 14 is again in its locking position under the free end of the lever 12.

During the further turning of the disc 27, the lever 12 is also brought back in known manner to its initial position which is as already stated limited by the position of the arm 14 of the lever 15.

The disc 27, owing to its being eccentrically mounted, has a tendency to continue to move in the same direction of rotation under the action of gravity acting on it at one side. The disc then strikes with the pin 29 secured to it, the fixed stop 39, owing to the raised position of the lever 12 now limited by the arm 14. The initial distance between the eccentric disc 27 and the rubber roller 5 will be therefore re-established and the disc 27 will have a tendency, on a further depression of the key 1 and on the consequent release of the lever 12, to turn downwards for the purpose of engaging with rubber roller 5.

In order to ensure that even when a key 1 is depressed for a long time, the well known mechanical process of releasing hereinbefore described shall be performed only once, that is to say only one matric shall be released each time, after each depression of a key, the lever 15 is returned during the process of releasing, by the spring blade 12 to its initial position, thus preventing the lever 12 from moving downwards. A further depression of a key will therefore be required before a further matrix is released. For this purpose, the spindles 23 rotatably mounted in the casing 2 face the spring blades 22 with their cylindrical surfaces. When. a key 1 is depressed, the corresponding lever 15 is first brought by the stop 21 and the projection 26 engaging with the same, to the position which releases the lever 12. The spring blade 22 will then be already in engagement by means of its curved bottom end with the cylindrical surface of a spindle 23, and during further depression of the key 1, the spring blade 22 will be bent to the side away from the projection 26. The stop 21 will thus be disengaged from the projection 21 so that the lever 15 can be brought by the spring 19, even with the key still held down, back to its initial locking position limited by the stop 33, without meeting an obstacle.

When the finger pressure of the compositor is released, the spring 32 brings the key 1 and therefore the spring 22 back to their initial position so that the stop 21 will engage again with the projection 20 of the lever 15 which is in the locking position. It is therefore only after the return of the depressed key 1 that the initial position of all the corresponding parts required for the release of a further matrix of the same kind will be again reached.

If however for some special reasonsay for the purpose of emptying a corresponding case part or of filling a whole line with the same type or characterit should be desired to release several or all the matrices corresponding to a key 1 by keeping this key down for a long time, according to the invention it is merely necessary to turn the lever or handle 26 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. This will bring the spindles 23 connected together by the members 24, 25 into the position provided for such working. The flat surfaces of the spindles 23 of semi-circular crosssection, produced say by milling, will be then facing the spring blades 22 instead of the cylindrical surfaces. On the depression of the keys 1, the springs 22 will therefore no longer come in contact with the spindles 23, but will move, without being deflected, within the recess produced between the spindles 23. The stops 21 of the springs 22 will remain during this time in engagement with the projections 20 of the lever arms 18. The latter will be held therefore during the whole time that the keys are held depressed in their bottom position corresponding to the starting of the mechanical process of release, so that the corresponding eccentric discs 2'7 Will remain constantly in engagement with the rubber rollers 5, and the corresponding matrices Will be released one after another. By turning back the crank handle 26 or the spindles 23, the previously described state can be easily re-established, whereupon on a key being depressed, independently of the time during which it is kept down, it will be possible to release mechanically only one matrix.

I claim:

1. A mechanism for controlling the release of matrix bars in type-line-casting machines including power actuated matrix release devices, spring controlled operating keys, spring controlled members intermediate each of the devices and corresponding keys for normally holdingthe devices in inactive position but movable on depression of the corresponding key to release said power actuated device, and adjustable mechanism cooperating with the keys for regulating the engagement of the keys with the intermediate members.

2. A mechanism for controlling the release of matrix bars in type-line-casting machines comprising in combination rotatable power shafts, power actuated matrix release devices each embodying a pivoted double-armed lever above one of the power shafts and a cam eccentrically mounted on the lever for cooperating with the adjacent power shaft, spring controlled operating keys, spring controlled members intermediate each of the devices and the corresponding keys for normally releasably holding the double armed levers of the release devices in inactive position, cooperative engaging means on the keys and members so that upon depression of the desired key the corresponding intermediate member will be moved to release the double-armed lever of the desired power actuated device, means for disengaging the keys from the intermediate members immediately after the releasing process has been started so that independently of the time during which the depressed key is held down only one matrix is released at each depression of the key.

3. A mechanism for controlling the release of matrix bars and type-line-setting and casting machines including in combination, rotatable power shafts, pivotally mounted matrix releasing levers above the shafts, cams eccentrically mounted on the levers for cooperating with the power shafts, control levers pivotally mounted beneath the said matrix releasing levers so as to releasably hold said matrix releasing levers in a raised position, spring controlled keys above the control levers for actuating the control levers to release the matrix releasing levers, said cams engaging said shafts after the release of the desired levers for returning the matrix releasing levers to a raised position, and means for disengaging the keys from the control levers immediately subsequent to the initial actuation of the control levers.

4. A mechanism for controlling the release of matrix bars and type-line-setting and casting machines including in combination with rotatable power shafts, matrix release devices each embodying a pivotally mounted double-armed lever arranged above one of the power shafts, and cams eccentrically mounted on the levers for cooperating with the adjacent power shaft, control levers pivotally mounted beneath the matrix release levers so as to releasably hold said levers in an inactive position, spring controlled operating keys, resilient blades carried by the keys and provided with stops for cooperating with the control levers to lock said levers in their position of rest ready for working and acting on depression of the key to move the control lever from engagement with the corresponding matrix release lever, manually adjustable means cooperating with the resilient blades for effecting disengagement of the stops from said control levers immediately subsequent to the initial operation of said control lever to permit the latter to return to its original position, and the said levers being engaged again with the said stops only on the return of the key to its initial position so that independently of the time during which the depressed key is held down only one matrix is released at each depression of the key.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for effecting disengagement of the stops on the keys with the levers include spindles rotatably mounted beneath the blades and engaged by the resilient blades for bending the blades to one side and their stops disengaged from the control levers so that the latter can return under their spring action to their initial position.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for disengaging the spring blades from the control levers include spindles semi-circular in cross section, operable connections between the spindles so that the same can be simultaneously returned, a crank handle on one of the spindles for effecting the initial turning of the spindles, the spindles being positioned so that when the curved surfaces face the resilient blades the latter on depression of the keys engage said curved surfaces and move away from the control levers to release the latter but on the flat faces being arranged substantially parallel to the resilient blades the latter move by said flat surfaces While their stops remain in constant engagement with the control levers for the purpose of obtaining an uninterrupted process of release.

WILI-IELM BLUME.

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