US2036267A - Casting means for line casting machines - Google Patents

Description

AM 7, mm H, R FREUND zmmw CASTING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Filed March 26, 1935 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASTING MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES Herman R. Freund, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to lntertype Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines, and more particularly line casting machines of the general class disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890 for producing type bars or slugs from character bearing matrices, wherein matrices each having a character in an edge thereof are assembled into lines which are clamped endwise between vise jaws and presented to a mold so that the character bearing portions of the matrices close the casting cavity along the front thereof, molten metal being injected into the mold from the rear to cast the type bars or slugs against the matrices and thus form printing characters on the front edges of the slugs.

The present invention relates more particu-- larly to the matrix clamping jaws and. molds of machines of this class and it provides novel cooperative relations between these parts of the machine whereby portions of the printing edges of slugs beyond the type characters thereon will always be cast automatically at a predetermined level which will enable zinc or other forms of printing plates containing cuts or the like, which must stand at the same type height as the characters on the slugs when assembled or made up in the printing forms, to be mounted directly on the slugs, thereby avoiding the necessity of milling off or otherwise reducing the height of the blank portions of the slugs to bring them to the proper height for such purpose.

Attempts have heretofore been made to cast low surfaces, commonly known as low-quad surfaces, on the printing edges of slugs beyond the type characters thereon, it having been previously proposed to employ so-called low-quad matrices each having a projection on its casting edge instead of a formative character, such projection being intended to enter the front of the mold slot or casting cavity and thereby reduce the height of the slug. Such attempts however have not been successful in practice since such matrices must be placed in the matrix lines by hand and if the lines are shorter than the column width or slug length, a sufficient number of such matrices must be placed in the line to fill out all of the blank space beyond the characters. Such a procedure not only consumes much valuable time but it has the further objection that the projections on the matrices must be of exactly the same height as the mold slot in order to closely fit and form a metal tight seal or joint between the top and bottom walls of the slot, and when such projections on the matrices are so made, it

is impractical if not impossible to so aline the matrices that the projections thereon will enter the slot as the mold advances in the usual or well known manner, without being damaged due to scraping of the matrix projections against the 5 mold thus preventing a proper metal tight lock up of the matrices with the face of the mold. It has also been proposed to cast slugs of low height over their entire length so that they may be used for under-pinning or so-called furniture, by n means of slides clamped like matrices between the vise jaws and having a continuous tongue or extension of the same length as the casting cavity to enter the front thereof and close it and thus reduce the height of the slug, but such proposals it also present the same difiiculty of exactly alining the tongue or extension of the slide with the mold slot, and the consequences thereof, as stated above, with respect to the projections on lowquad matrices.

The improvements provided according to the present invention not only overcome the foregoing difficulties and objections but they are applicable advantageously to line casting machines in which the matrix line clamping or vise jaws are arranged movable in order to automatically fill out or quad out, without employing blank matrices, whatever blank space may happen to be left beyond the printing characters at either or both ends of the slug whereby low-quad areas may be cast on slugs at either or both ends thereof.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to the casting of low-quad areas on slugs at either or both ends beyond the printing characters thereon, the movably arranged vise jaws are each provided with a continuous rib which projects from the casting face thereof and extends over the entire length thereof, this rib however being wider than the height of the casting slot of the mold instead of equal thereto and engaging with vertical faces on the front of the mold adjacent to the top, bottom and ends of the casting slot and set back from the usual vertical front face of the mold a distance equal to that to which the rib projects toward the mold from the face of the respective vise jaw. The relationship thus established between the vise jaws and the mold avoids the difiiculties encountered in entering within the mold slot the projections on low-quad matrices or low-quad casting slides to such a degree of accuracy as to perfectly seal the mold slot, as heretofore proposed, the facewise engagement or lock up of the ribs on the vise jaws against the vertical inset faces W of the mold immediately above and below the casting slot therein assuring a perfect metal tight joint at all times, and at any position into which either or both of the jaws may be moved.

The present invention further provides alining rails on the vise jaws to cooperate with the usual matrix alining groove in the mold as an additional means for improving alinement and for aiding in the support of the vise Jaws during justification of the matrix lines.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at theend of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a slug casting machine equipped with automatically movable vise jaws as viewed from the rear, the vise jaws being provided with the low-quad ribs according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a slotted slug casting mold recessed according to the present invention above and below the casting slot to receive the ribs on the vise jaws;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the section shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the relation between the alining rail on one of the jaws and the mold as the latter advances prior to the slug casting operation;

Figure 7 is an elevation of a slug cast in accordance with the present invention.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several figures.

The present invention is applicable generally to slug casting machines of the general class hereinbefore referred to, and the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter described in detail. It is to be understood however that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown since equivalent constructions are contemplated, and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance I designates a portion of the vise frame, 2 designates the mold disk and 3 and 4 designate the cap and body of a slug casting mold mounted on the molddisk, the mold having a slot or casting cavity 5 in which the type bar or slug is to be cast. It will be understood that the mold disk may carry a plurality of molds as usual in machines of this class, each mold for example being of a different size to produce slugs of different sizes, and the mold disk is rotatable to bring a selected mold thereon into casting position.

6 and l designate respectively the right hand and left hand vise jaws which serve to clamp a line of matrices M and spacebands endwise in front of the mold. These vise jaws are both mounted in the vise frame so that either one or both of them may move longitudinally of a mold occupying casting position, and means is provided for automatically quadding or centering lines on slugs by moving either jaw alone or both jaws simultaneously, the means shown in the present instance for controlling the quadding and centering movements of the right hand and left hand vise jaws corresponding with that disclosed in U. 8. Letters Patent No. 1,970,527 granted August 14, 1934 to Samuel E. Sperry, to which reference is made for a detailed disclosure of the construction and mode of operation as an example of a quadding and centering mechanism which may be employed. For the purposes of the present invention it is deemed suflicient to explain that the right hand and left hand jaws 6 and 1 respectively are closed against the ends of the matrix lines by an operating lever B which is actuated at appropriate times from a cam or other suitable part in the machine, this operating lever reciprocating a rack bar 9 which may be operatively connected by a pinion device I0 and other devices 'as disclosed in said Sperry patent, to either one or both of the vise jaws. It will be understood that in employing such a jaw closing mechanism, the movable jaw or jaws will close the mold slot at the front thereof beyond the end or ends of the matrix line presented between the jaws. Thus different lengths of matrix lines may be presented in front of the mold and the casting slot in the mold may be longer than the matrix line, in which event the closing movement of one or both jaws against the line will cause the casting face or faces of one or both vise jaws to cover and close the front of the mold slot beyond the end or ends of the matrix line.

As usual in machines of this class, after an assembled line of matrices'held between the vise jaws is presented in front of the mold, so that the characters on the matrices are opposite to the casting slot, the mold is advanced to bring its front face into contact with the casting edges of the matrices, and the mouth II of a metal pot is then advanced against the rear face of the mold in the usual manner to close the back of the mold and to force molten metal into the mold slot to cast the slug therein.

According to the present invention, each vise jaw is provided with a longitudinally extending rib l5 or I6 which projects toward the mold from its casting face and is on substantially the same horizontal level with the mold slot 5. The rib l5 or IE on each jaw is preferably formed on a slide II or I 8 suitably secured to the respective vise jaw, as by fitting thereof into a dove-tailed recess in the casting face of the jaw, as shown, and the slide on each jaw also carries or has formed thereon a rail 19 or 20 which is parallel to the respective rib l5 or IE. Each of the rails I9 and 20 occupy the proper height on the jaws to enter the usual matrix alining groove 2! formed in the front face of the mold and to engage the top edge 22 of such groove, and these rails l9 and 20 preferably project from the faces of the vise jaws for a greater distance than the ribs l5 and Hi.

The vise jaws, as will be seen from Fig. 3, are of the same thickness as the width of the body of the matrices as usual, so that the casting edges of the matrices held between the vise jaws will be in the same plane as the casting faces of the jaws, and while a slug is being cast in the mold, the character bearing edges of the matrices and the casting faces of the jaws engage the front faces of the upper and lower mold sections 3 and 4 and form a metal tight joint or facewise lockup therewith while molten metal is being injected into the mold slot to cast the character bearing slug. If the line of matrices between the vise jaws is shorter than the length of the mold slot, the edge of the slug beyond the matrices will be blank due to the casting thereof at one or the other end of the mold slot against the lib dill

bill

dill

face of one or the other of the vise jaws as in quadding, or the casting of the character bearing edge of the slug beyond the matrices at both ends of the mold slot against the faces of both vise jaws if the line is centered.

The function of the ribs l and IS on the vise jaws, as provided by the present invention, is to enable casting of the blank portion or portions of the slugs beyond the characters produced by the matrices, at some predetermined height, as for example a height which will enable the blank portion or portions of the slugs to support directly thereon and at the proper printing height a printing plate or the like, the thickness of which is greater than the depth of the character punchings in the matrices. Accordingly, each of the ribs l5 and I6 is of greater width than the vertical distance between the upper and lower walls 23 and 24 respectively of the mold slot, and in order to accommodate the width of the rib beyond these upper and lower walls of the mold slot, longitudinal recess portions 25 and it are provided adjacent to the walls 23 and 2t, throughout the length of the front faces of the respective upper and lower mold sections 3 and t, as shown in Fig. 2. These recess portions are of the same depth from the faces of said mold sections as the distance to which the ribs lb and iii project from the faces of the vise jaws, and they present vertical faces 21 and it which cooperate with the faces of the ribs to and it on the vise jaws. The mold liners 2d and it which space apart the upper and lower mold sections 3 and d and define the ends of the mold slot, and which liners may be either separate members inserted between the upper and lower mold sections or part of one or the other section, are set back from the front face of the mold the same distance as are the surfaces fl and it from the front face of the mold, so that the vertical front edges of these liners, in conjunction with the vertical faces 2i and 2b which lie in the same vertical plane therewith, form a recess which extends entirely across the front face of the mold and closes the bottom of the recess beyond the ends of the mold slot and will be engaged by and will form a metal tight fit with the vertical faces on the ribs it and it. The upper and lower walls of the recess portions lb and it may be beveled or inclined at opposite angles as shown and the upper and lower edges of the ribs it and it correspondingly beveled, or these walls of the recess portions may be perpendicular to the face of the mold in which case the upper and lower edges of the ribs lb and it would also be perpendicular to the faces of the jaws, but in any case according to the present invention it is intended that these walls of these recess portions present an opening at the front of the mold which is somewhat wider than the ribs iii and it in order to permit free entry of said ribs and permit the vertical faces of the ribs it and it above and below the walls fill and f t of the mold slot to engage the vertical faces fl and it of the recess at the front of the mold and thereby form a facewise metal tight lock up at the front of the mold slot beyond the matrices. By thus providing vertical faces above and below the upper and lower walls of the mold slot against which the vertical faces of the ribs l b and it can engage facewise and close the front of the mold slot beyond the matrices at a height which will reduce the height of the blank portion or portions of the slug beyond the characters cast thereon, clearances can be provided along the top and bottom edges of the low-quad forming ribs I5 and i6 projecting from the casting faces of the vise jaws and thus avoid the necessity of accurately fitting the projecting ribs within the mold slot in order to reduce the'height of the slug beyond the printing characters.

By providing rails l9 and 20 which project from the faces of the vise jaws toward the mold a greater distance than the ribs I5 and t6, the upper edges of the rails l9 and 20 will engage and aline against the top edge 22 of the usual matrix alining groove in the mold in advance of the entry of the ribs and it within the recess in the front face of the mold when the mold advances in the usual manner toward the vise jaws and the matrix line between them, thus assuring accurate alinement of the ribs i5 and it with the opposed recess in the mold along the top and bottom edges of these ribs and the recess, so that only a very small clearance is necessary between these edges of the ribs and the recess in the mold face. Moreover engagement of the rails it and Eli on the vise jaws in the matrix alining groove in the mold provides firm support of the jaws during justification of the matrix line by the upward drive of the justifying bar it against the spacebands in the line, this being particularly advantageous when {the invention is applied to jaws arranged to be moved for quadding purposes since such jaws usually fit more loosely in their guides in the vise frame of the machine than usual to reduce friction and resistance that would otherwise impede their free movement.

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that, due to the presence of the recess portions fl and it in the front of the mold above and below the casting slot therein, slender fins ti will be produced on the cast slug S, these fins projecting outwardly at each side of the character bearing edge of the slug over the portion thereof which is cast against the matrices. However, the blank portion or portions of the slug beyond the matrices will be devoid of such fins since the projecting ribs iii and it on the vise jaws completely close the mold slot at the front beyond the matrices by metal tight engagement of the vertical faces of the ribs against the opposed vertical faces fl and it of the recess in the mold and by similar metal tight engagement of the vertical faces of the ribs i b and it with the opposed vertical front faces of the mold liners ft and lit. These fins thus cast on the slug will be trimmed off when the slug is ejected forwardly out of the mold and through the usual side trimming knives commonly used in machines of this class.

By providing ribs lb and it on slides Ill and it removably mounted in the respective vise jaws, as shown and generally preferred, different slides may be employed having ribs iii and it of different widths to suit mold slots of different heights for casting slugs of different point sizes, but it will be obvious that since it is necessary only for the vertical faces of the ribs lb and it to seal or close the mold slot at the front by engagement with the vertical faces fl and it and the front edges of the liners which close the bottom of the recess which extends entirely across the front face of the mold, a rib of given width on the face of each jaw may be used with several different height mold slots.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that while the casting or character bearing edges of the matrices in the lines presented to the mold close the casting slot therein at the front by engagement as usual with the vertical front face of the mold, the ribs on the vise. jaws close the casting slot beyond the matrices by engagement with the vertical walls of the recess across the face of the mold, these walls being formed at such predetermined distance back from the matrix engaging face of the mold as to enable the portion or portions of a slug beyond the end or ends of a matrix line which is shorter than the mold slot to be always cast automatically at a corresponding predetermined height below the normal height of the mold.

The provision of the recess across the front of the mold and presenting surfaces below the normal height thereof for producing low-quad areas on the slugs and the provision of continuous ribs on the vise jaws narrower than the recess in the mold face and presenting projected surfaces to cooperate facewise with the vertical walls of the recess permits closing of the front of the mold slot by the usual facewise engagement of the parts but at a height below the normal mold height. This not only assures a complete metal tight lock-up but it also overcomes the difficulties heretofore experienced in attempting to aline low-quad projections or forming tongues to enter within the front of the mold slot between its upper and lower walls and therewith form a metal tight seal to produce slugs with low-quad areas, the construction according to the present invention affording means for accomplishing engagement of the low-quad producing surfaces and the cooperating lock-up surfaces on the mold when the latter advances as usual towardthe matrix line held between the vise jaws, and for effecting perfect closure of the mold slot thereafter, that are simple and practical and entirely free from alinement difiiculties.

The provision of alining rails on the vise jaws to cooperate with the usual matrix alining groove in the mold as the latter advances against the matrix line in the usual manner assures alinement of the upper and lower edges of the lowquad casting ribs on the jaws with the upper and lower walls of the recess in the mold before the ribs enter such recess. Although the ribs on the jaws are narrower than the recess in the mold, it is desirable that the clearance between the edges of the ribs and the upper and lower walls of the recess be made as small as possible in order to prevent escape of molten metal at the points where the jaw faces contact with the end matrices of the line, and such is made possible by the present invention. The engagement of the alining rails on the jaws against the top edge of the alining groove in the mold prevents tipping of the vise jaws endwise under the influence of the upward drive applied to spacebands in the line during justification thereof.

While it is desirable that the vertical faces of the ribs on the vise jaws form a metal tight seal or lock-up at the front of the mold by engagement with the vertical faces at the bottom of the recess across the front of the mold, it should be understood that the advantages of the invention are not dependent upon this specific condition since a slight clearance between the faces of the ribs and the vertical faces at the bottom of the recess would merely result in a slight fin being produced along the edges of the blank portion or portions of the cast slugs beyond the end of the printing characters, and as already explained such fins will be trimmed off when the slug is ejected. In the event of such clearance between the ribs and the bottom of the recess, a metal tight lock-up at the front of the mold slot is insured by engagement as usual of the casting faces of the vise jaws with the front matrix engaging faces of the mold sections.

I claim as my invention:

1. In or for a slug casting machine, a slotted slug casting mold having a recess extending across the face thereof longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, and a pair of vise jaws movable longitudinally of the face of the mold and having casting faces cooperative therewith, at least one of said jaws having a continuous longitudinally extending rib projecting from its casting face to cooperate with said recess in the mold face.

2. In or for a slug casting machine, a slotted slug casting mold having a. recess in the face thereof extending longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, and a vise jaw movable longitudinally of the face of the mold and having a casting face cooperative therewith, and having a continuous longitudinally extending rib projecting from its casting face to cooperate with the recess in the mold face, said recess being wider than said rib.

3. In a slug casting machine, a slotted slug casting mold having a recess extending across the face thereof longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, and a pair of vise jaws movable longitudinally of the mold face, and having casting faces to cooperate with the mold face, each jaw having a continuous longitudinally extending rib projecting from its casting face to cooperate with said recess in the mold face.

4. In a. slug casting machine, a slotted slug casting mold having a recess extending across its face longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, and a pair of vise jaws either or both of which are .movable longitudinally of the mold face and having casting faces to cooperate with the mold face to close the mold slot, each jaw having a continuous longitudinally extending rib projecting from its casting face to cooperate with said recess in the mold face at any closed position of one or the other jaw.

5. A slotted slug casting mold having a matrix engaging face located at a given height and having a recess extending across its face and presenting surfaces parallel to but below the height of the matrix engaging face and adjacent to the edges of the mold slot, a pair of vise jaws for presenting a matrix line to the face of the mold and having casting faces cooperative therewith, and continuous ribs on the casting faces of the jaws engageable with said surfaces of the recess in the mold below the height of the matrix engaging face.

6. In a slug casting machine having a slotted mold with matrix engaging surfaces above and below the slot, 9. pair of vise jaws each having a casting face cooperative with the matrix engaging surfaces of the mold and a continuous longitudinally extending surface projecting from the casting face toward the mold and cooperative with the mold for a limited distance above and below the casting slot therein and beyond the ends of the mold slot.

' '7. In a slug casting machine having a slotted mold with matrix engaging surfaces at the front above and below the slot, a pair of vise jaws each having a casting face with a continuous longitudinally extending surface projecting therefrom toward the mold and cooperative with the mold above and below the slot therein but between the matrix engaging surfaces at the front thereof.

Ill

h. a slug casting machine having a longitudinally slotted mold and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of character-bearing matrices in front of the mold at difierent points along the slot therein, means on the mold for alining the characters on the matrices with the mold slot and alining means on the jaws cooperative with the matrix alining means on the mold.

9. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having means for alining character bearing matrices with the slot therein and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at diflerent points along the slot therein, alining means on the jaws cooperative with the matrix alining means on the mold, and continuous ribs projecting from the casting faces of the jaws and engageable facewise with the mold above and below the slot therein and at the ends of said slot.

10. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having means for alining character bearing matrices with the slot therein, and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at-diiferent points along the slot therein, continuous ribs projecting from the jaws and engageable facewise with the mold above and below the slot therein, and aimlng rails on the jaws projectingtherefrom beyond said ribs and cooperative with the alining I means on the mold.

ii. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess in its casting face extending longitudinally across the entire width of said'face and intersecting the upper and lower walls and the end walls of the mold slot below the level of said face, and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at different points along the slot therein, continuous ribs projecting from the jaws toward the face of the mold and engageable with the base portions of the recess beyond the ends of the matrix line to close the corresponding portions of the mold slot.

12. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess in its casting face extending longitudinally of and intersecting the mold slot, the face of the mold also having a longitudinal recess for alining character-bearing matrices with the mold slot, and a pair of movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices in front of the mold at different points along the slot therein, continuous ribs projecting from the jaws and engageable in the recess which intersects the mold slot, and rails projecting from the jaws and engageable in the matrix alining recess in the mold to aline the ribs on the jaws with the recess which intersects the mold slot. i

13. In or for a slug casting machine, a slotted mold having a matrix engaging face at a height to cast character bearing slugs of a given height, a pair of vise jaws for presenting different length matrix lines to the mold, and means on the jaws cooperative with the face of the mold atdifierent positions along the mold slot therein but at less height than the matrixengaging face thereof for.

casting blank portions on the slugs beyond the matrices in the line. a

14. In or for a slug casting machine, the'combination of a slotted mold provided with a front faces of the matrices.

matrix engaging face having a recess therein extending longitudinally above and below the mold slot throughout the length thereof and from an end thereof to the adjacent end of the mold, and a pair of matrix clamping vise jaws at least one if of which is movable longitudinally of the mold slot to close a portion of the slotat the front and having a rib thereon cooperative with said recess in the face of the mold to close said recess at any position of the movable jaw. re

15. In or for a slug casting machine, the combination of a slotted mold provided with a front matrix engaging face having a recess therein extending above and below the mold slot continuously and longitudinally throughout the it length of the mold slot and to the ends of the mold, and a pair of matrix clamping vise jaws movable longitudinally of the mold slot to close one or the other end portion thereof at the front, each jaw having a rib projecting therefrom toward the mold and engageable in the recess in the face thereof at any position of the'respective jaw along the length of the mold slot.

16. In a slug casting machine, a longitudinally slotted mold having a recess extending across its casting face-at the level of the mold slot, and a pair of opposed movable vise jaws for clamping lines of matrices between them and in front of the mold at difierent points along the slot therein, said jaws having continuous ribs adapted to project into the recess in the mold and cooperative with said recess to reduce the height of the mold slot beyond the matrices clamped between the jaws.

17. In a slug casting machine having a slotted to mold with matrix engaging surfaces above and below the slot and having a recess between said surfaces presenting a surface parallel to but below the height of the matrix engaging surfaces, a pair of vise jaws and a continuous longitudinally extending surface projecting from. the jaws toward the mold and engageable with said surface of the recess for a limited distance above and below the casting slot in the mold and beyond the ends of the mold slot.

18. A slotted slug casting mold having matrix engaging faces above and below the slot and located at a given height and having a recess between said faces presenting a surface parallel to but belowthe height of the matrix engaging 50 faces. a pair of vise jaws for presenting a matrix line to the face of the mold, and continuous ribs on the jaws engageable with the surface of the recess in the mold below the height of the matrix engaging face to close the mold slot beyond the ends of the matrix line.

19. In a slug casting machine having a pair of relatively movable vise jaws for clamping a matrix line endwise and presenting the. matrices edgewise with their characters aligned horizontally before a slug casting mold, the vise jaws and matrices having mold engaging surfaces in a common plane, a continuous rib on each of the jaws projecting from the mold engaging surfaces thereof toward the mold in horizontal alignment with the characters on the matrices and presenting a casting surface at either side of the matrix line beyond the plane of the mold engaging sur-

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