US2347787A - Slug trimming mechanism for typographical casting machines - Google Patents

Description

R. R. MEAD May 2, 1944.

2,347,787 SLUG TRIMMING MECHANISM FORYTYPOGRAPHICAIJCASTINGMACHINES Filed March 6, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOB a A OHNEYLS R. R. MEAD 2347,78? SLUG TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINIZS May 2, 1944.

Filed March 6, 1942 5 Sheets-finest 2 R. R. MEAD May 2, 1944.

SLUG TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINES 4 a Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 6, 1942 INVENTOR Patented May 2, 1944 SLUG TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR TYPO- GRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINES Richard R. Mead, Queens Village, N. Y., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application March 6, 1942, Serial No. 433,596

20 Claims.

This invention relates to typographical casting machines such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States No. 436,532 to O. Mergenthaler, wherein type bars or slugs are cast in a slotted mold and then ejected therefrom between a pair of trimming knives which insure the parallelism of their opposite side faces and bring them to the exact thickness required. One of these knives is fixed and the other adjustable in order that the distance between the two may be varied at will to accommodate slugs of different thicknesses. More particularly, it relates to a slug trimming mechanism of the kind shown and described in the U. S. Patent to G. P. Kingsbury No. 1,656,639, wherein the adjustments of the adjustable knife are effected by means of a rotary sector or gauge plate operated by a knob or handle and having a series of transverse concentrically arranged screw studs which project different distances from the inner face thereof and which are adapted individually to sustain the knife against spring pressure in its different adjusted positions.

In regular work, an adjustment of the knives is only required when changing from one mold to another to produce slugs of different thicknesses, but in display work (such as chain or department store advertising, where type faces ranging in size, say, from 6 pt. to 18 pt. or from 18 pt. to 36 pt., are cast from the same mold on slugs formed with and without overhang type-bearing portions), an adjustment of the knives is much more frequently required. For example, several columns of slug units may have to be cast, each unit comprising two slugs of the same body size to be used conjunctively for a single advertising item, one slug being cast with and the other without the overhang portions, and the latter slug'being adapted when the unit is assembled to fit against its com ponent and give support to the overhang portions thereof. In carrying out this particular class of work in one machine, the knives have to be adjusted and readjusted for every slug unit produced, that is to say, first to one setting to accommodate the type-bearing slug with the overhang, then to another setting to trim the side faces of the other or non-type-bearing slug, and so on alternately until the job is finished, it being understood that, while the type-bearing slugs with the overhang are not trimmed, nevertheless they have to be guided and sustained by the knives as they are pushed between them on their Way to the galley.

The present invention aims to permit the adjustments and readjustments of the movable knife under the conditions above stated to be instantly effected without disturbing the setting of the gauge plate and with a minimum of physical effort and attention on the part of the operator. To this end, the slug trimming mechanism is equipped with supplementary adjusting means operable, first, to effect a readjustment of the knife for slugs cast with an overhang of a selected width and, then, to restore the knife to its original adjusted position. Such means, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, includes a collapsible device arranged between the knife supporting slide and the active screw stud of the gauge plate. When extended, this device is adapted to sustain the knife against the influence of the slide springs in its primary adjusted or slug trimming position; but when collapsed, the device permits the slide springs to adjust the knife to its secondary or nonslug-trimming position. The extent of this latter adjustment is determined by an adjustable stop member arranged to engage the knife slide and which may be set in one position or another according to the width of the overhang of the type bearing slugs being cast.

The collapsible device comprises two opposed clutch-like members, one secured to the knife slide, and the other capable of axial as well as rotary movement relatively'thereto. Operation of the device is controlled by a hand lever which depends from said movable member and by means of which the device may be collapsed or extended as desired. The two members of the device present opposed interlocking portions so formed that they may be cammed apart to extend the device by a partial turn of the movable member in one direction and then drawn together under spring tension to collapse the device by a corresponding turn of said member in the opposite direction.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form and by way of example and is therefore not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the slug trimming mechanism and associated parts, equipped with the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section through a portion of the knife block, showing the interponent and its control lever;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the interponent collapsed;

Fig. 4 is a similar View, showing the interponent extended;

Fig. is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line t -t'i of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a detail vertical section, partly broken away, showing the locking pin for the sector plate and the arresting stud for the handle controlling the sector plate; and

Fig. 8 is a detail transverse section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line B-%! of Fig. '7.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the mold A is mounted in a rotatable disc A which usually has a capacity of four molds, any one of which is adapted by an adjustment of the disc to be brought into use at will. During a machine cycle of operation, the disc A is first given a quarter turn to carry the active mold from the ejecting to the casting position and, after the casting operation, it is given a three-quarter turn to carry the mold back to the ejecting position, where the cast slug is pushed forwardly therefrom by an ejector blade B between a pair of trimming knives C C which trim the opposite side'faces of the slug to bring it to the proper size. The left-hand or stationary knife C is secured to an upright member 0 of the machine frame, whereas the right-hand or adjustable knife C is fastened by screws 0 to a slide D so that it may be adjusted bodily toward and from the opposing knife C For manufacturing reasons, the slide D is made in two sections D D and is mounted to move horizontally in a supporting block E bolted rigidly to the frame member 0. In its front face, the section D (Fig. 6) is formed. with a pair of superposed horizontal grooves or recesses D adapted to accommodate compression springs D which react against integral projec tions e of the block E and urge the slide D constantly toward'the right to move the knife (3 away from the knife C For slugs that have to be trimmed, i. e. those cast without overhang portions, a rotary adjustable gauge or sector plate F is employed to sustain the knife in its different adjusted positions, said plate being provided with a series of concentrically disposed screw studs j which project different distances from the inner face thereof and which are selectively brought into engaging relation with a hardened stud d carried by the knife slide D. As best shown in Fig. 3, the gauge plate F is rotatably mounted on a horizontal spindle G and is operated'by means of a turning knob or handle F keyed to the outer end of the spindle, as at f and capable of a limited axial movement thereon to make and break an operative connection with the gauge plate. The spindle G, journaled in the knife supporting block E, is provided at its innerend with a face cam G which is adapted, by a partial turn of the handle F relatively to the gauge plate in a clockwise direction (looking from the right in Fig. 1), to engage a stud d on the knife slide D and through such engagement move the slide away from the gauge plate in order to relieve it of spring pressure preparatory to its adjustment.

To hold the gauge plate F in its different adjusted positions, it is also provided with a retractible locking pin F (Figs. '7 and 8) which projects slightly beyond the inner face of the gauge plate to engage one of a series of holes e formed in a hardened plate E secured to the block E. These holes are disposed diametrically opposite to the screw studs f, so that each will register with the locking pin F when the corresponding screw stud is brought into operative relation with the hardened stud d of the knife slide. Rotation of the gauge plate F in opposite directions is limited by a stop pin e projecting laterally from the block E into a concentric groove f formed in the contiguous face of the gauge plate.

The movements of the locking pin F into and out of engagement with the holes in the plate E are controlled by the axial movements of the handle F the latter being provided with a finger which projects outwardly from the hub portion of the handle and is adapted, as the latter completes its partial turn relatively to the gauge plate, to engage an annular groove f formed in the head portion of the locking pin F Adjacent the hub portion of the handle F the gauge plate F is further provided with a fixed auxiliary member F which is cut away at its lower end to clear the finger f as the latter is rocked into and out of engagement with the locking pin F and which is formed with a recess F to accommodate both of said parts in their engaged condition.

The arrangement of the parts is such that, when the handle F is pulled outwardly after its initial turn to relieve the gauge plate of spring pressure, the finger i will withdraw-the locking pin from its locking position and enter the recess F The handle in this way is locked to the auxiliary member F and an operative connection established with the gauge plate F, which may now be freely adjusted by means of the handle and set in any selected position. The handle is then pushed inwardly to restore the pin F to its locking position and given a partial turn in an anti-clockwise direction to permit the knife slide under control of the cam G1 to bank against the newly selected screw stud of the gauge plate and thus locate the knife C the required distance from the opposing knife C To indicate the above adjustments as they are effected, the gauge plate F (see Fig. 1) is provided on its outer peripheral edge with appropriate markings or graduations H which are to be read in conjunction with a pointer H fastened to the block E.

As thus far described, the mechanism is or may be the same as that embodied in the aforementioned Kingsbury patent, to which reference may be had, if desired, for further details.

As before stated, the present invention is directed to supplementary adjusting means whereby the right-hand knife C after being adjusted in the manner above described to trim slugs of a given thickness (1. e. slugs without overhangs), may be quickly adjusted to a non-trimming position for the proper guiding of slugs cast with overhangs and later restored to its previously adjusted or trimming position. Such adjusting means (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) includes a collapsible device J, comprising two clutch-like members J J arranged between the active screw stud f of the gauge plate F' and the adjacent end of the knife slide D. The members J and J present interlocking portions J formed with corresponding beveled or cam surfaces y'and squared-off banking surfaces 1 The member J issecurely fastened by screws to the knife slide D; with its hub portion 7' fitted into a comparatively deep recess therein for added rigidity. The hub portion of the member J 1 is bored out to accommodate a shaft J projecting laterally from the member J which latter is thus mounted for rotary as well as axial movement relatively to the'member J The member J (Figs. 2and 3) is provided with an angularly shaped hand lever J and carries the before-mentioned hardened stud d which, it may be noted, is coaxially aligned with the shaft J and the active screw stud f of the gauge plate F. A compression spring J seated in the hub portion of the member J and engaging a collar fastened to the free end of the shaft J tends to hold the member J constantly against the fixed member J When the knife C is set in slug trimming position, the device J is in its extended condition, as shown in Fig. 4, with the corresponding squared surfaces 7' of the members J and J in contact, so that the knife will be positively sustained in its adjusted position, by the active screw stud of the gauge plate F through the medium of the device J and against the influence of the slide springs D. However, when the hand lever J is pushed rearwardly (or from the position shown by the broken lines to that shown by the full lines in Fig. 5), the member J 2 will be rocked in a counter-clockwise direction to bring together the corresponding beveled or cam surfaces 5 of the members J and J and permit the device to be collapsed by the spring J, as shown in Fig. 3. As a result of this collapsing operation, the springs D will be allowed to push the knife slide outwardly to carry the knife C away from the opposing knife C in effecting its adjustment to non-trimming position for the accommodation of slugs cast with overhang portions. Conversely, when the hand lever J is pulled forwardly, the member J will be turned in the opposite direction and, through the engagement of the beveled or cam surfaces 9, will, first, be cammed away from its companion J until the hardened stud d engages the aligned screw stud of the gauge plate and, then, as it continues to turn, will act to force the knife slide D inwardly against the pressure of its actuating springs D until the squared surfaces :i are again in contact and the device fully extended, as in Fig. 4. The movement of the member J to extend the device J is limited by the engagement of the hand lever J with a rib E formed at the lower edge of the block E and its movement to collapse the device J is limited by the engagement of the hand lever with a laterally projecting plate D secured to the knife slide above the hand lever (see Fig. 2). A spring detent 7' mounted in the hand lever J and arranged to engage the rib E holds the lever yieldingly in its forward position so as to prevent accidental displacement of the member J when the device J is extended.

To determine the non-trimming position of the knife C as permitted by the collapsing of the device J, the adjusting mechanism (as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6) includes an adjustable stop plate K which is adapted to arrest the slide D and sustain it against the influence of the springs D in one position or another, according to the width of the slug overhang The stop plate K (Fig. 3) is fast to the rear end of a short foreand-aft rock shaft K and is formed with a series of stepped banking surfaces k which are spaced different distances from the axis of the shaft and are adapted by its rotation to be brought selectively into engaging relation with a shoulder d formed by recessing the front section of the knife slide D. The shaft K is mounted in the block E and is operated by means of an adjusting rod K which depends from a short crank arm K secured to the front end of the shaft, and which is arranged conveniently alongside the hand lever J A small compression spring K seated behind the hub of the crank arm in a recess formed in the block E, holds the stop plate K frictionally engaged With a fiat surface 2 of the block and thus maintains it in its different adjusted positions. As a guide to the operator in making these adjustments, a pointer K projecting outwardly from the hub portion of the crank arm K cooperates with dial markings K on the front face of the block E (see Fig. 1).

It is pointed out that, in order to permit a maximum range in the supplemental adjustments of the knife C at all times irrespective of the angular position of the gauge plate F, it is important that the cam G be turned (as in Fig. 3) to bring the lowest portion thereof opposite the stud d of the knife slide after each setting of the auge plate. Consequently, the turning knob F (Fig. 5) is provided with a spring F anchored to the auxiliary member F and arranged in an annular groove F formed in the hub portion of the knob. A stop pin f projecting from the outer face of the gauge plate and arranged to engage the finger f of the knob F sustains the latter against the influence of the spring F and through the intervening connections determines th proper angular (low) position of the cam G From the foregoing description, it will now be clear that, once the knife C has been set by an adjustment of the gauge plate F to trim slugs of a given body thickness, a slight push on the hand lever J will instantly collapse the device J and thus bring about the setting of the knife in a non-trimming position for slugs having an overhang of a selected width; and that, thereafter, by pulling the hand lever forwardly, the device Will be just as quickly extended to restore the knife to its previously adjusted trimming position. The axial movements of the member J toward and from the fixed member J during these operations is of course sufiicient to permit the adjustments of the knife to take place without interference by the active screw stud of the gauge plate, there being at such times a gap between the hardened stud d and the said screw stud regardless of the width of the overhang or the thickness of the slug body.

The gauge plate F (Figs. 5 and 7) is provided with astop element F which may be turned, when desired, into engaging relation with the finger f to sustain it in close proximity with the locking pin F This stop element, however, is only utilized during periods of continuous casting of slugs without overhangs and is intended to save time and effort on the part of the operator in establishing the operative connections between the turning knob and locking pin, a slight turn of the cam G in relation to the gauge plate F being all that is required to relieve the latter of spring pressure before it is adjusted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In or for a typographical casting machine, slug trimming mechanism including, in combination, means for effecting primary adjustments of the mechanism within a relatively low range for slugs of different thicknesses without overhang type-bearing portions, and means for effecting supplementary adjustments thereof within a dif ferent and higher range for slugs with overhang type-bearing portions.

2. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 1, including means associated with each of the two adjusting means to determine their respective adjustments.

3. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprises a pair of opposed trimming knives, one adjustable bodily toward and from the other to vary the distance between them, and characterized in that both the primary and supplementary adjusting means are common to the adjustable knife.

4. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the supplementary adjusting means is operable, after a supplementary adjustment, to restore the mechanism to its primary adjusted position.

5. In or for a typographical casting machine, slug trimming mechanism, including, in combination, a pair of opposed trimming knives, one adjustable bodily toward and from the other to vary the distance between them, means for effecting primary adjustments of the adjustable knife for trimmable slugs of different thicknesses, and unitary means operable at will independently of said primary adjustment means first to effect a supplementary adjustment of said knife for nontrimmable slugs and then to restore said knife to its primary adjusted position.

6. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, including means to determine the extent of the supplementary adjustment of the adjustable knife.

'7. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, including an adjustable stop element to determine the extent of the supplementary adjustment of the movable knife.

8. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the adjustable knife is sustained in its different adjusted positions against spring pressure, and wherein the means for effecting the supplementary adjustment of the said knife includes a collapsible device adapted when extended to sustain the knife in its primary adjusted position and when collapsed to permit its supplementary adjustment to be effected under the influence of the spring pressure.

9. In or for a typographical casting machine, slug trimming mechanism including, in combination, a normally stationary left-hand knife and an adjustable right-hand knife, primary adjusting means for setting the right-hand knife in different trimming positions within a relatively low range, and supplementary adjusting means for setting the right-hand knife in different nontrimming positions within a different and higher range.

10. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the supplementary adjusting means is operable to shift the right-hand knife back and forth between a pre-selected trimming position and a pre-selected non-trimming position.

11. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the supplementary adjusting means is operable to set the right-hand knife in a pre-selected non-trimming position from any pre-selected trimming position.

12. In or for a typographical casting machine, slug trimming mechanism including, in combination, a normally stationary left-hand knife and an adjustable right-hand knife, primary adjusting means for setting the right-hand knife in different trimming positions within a given range, and supplementary means for shifting the righthand knife from any set trimming position to a non-trimming position outside of said range.

13. In or for a typographical casting machine,

slug trimming mechanism including, in combination, a normally stationary left-hand knife and an adjustable right-hand knife, primary adjusting means for setting the right-hand knife in different trimming positions, supplementary means for shifting the right-hand knife from any set trimming position to a non-trimming position, and adjustable means for varying the non-trimming position of the right-hand knife.

14. In or for a typographical casting machine, slug trimming mechanism including, in combination, a normally stationary left-hand knife and an adjustable right-hand knife, a rotary gauge plate for adjusting the right-hand knife to different trimming positions, a collapsible device interposed between said gauge plate and knife and through which the knife adjustments are effected, means for collapsing and extending said device, and means whereby upon the collapse of said device the right-hand knife will be shifted to a non-trimming position without affecting the adjustment of the gauge plate and whereby upon the extension of said device the right-hand knife will be restored to its original position of adjustment as determined by the gauge plate.

15. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the adjustable knife is sustained in its different adjusted positions against spring pressure, and wherein the means for effecting the supplementary adjustment of the said knife includes a collapsible device adapted when extended to sustain the knife in its primary adjusted position and when collapsed to permit its supplementary adjustment to be effected under the influence of the spring pressure, and also wherein the collapsible device is carried by the knife slide and arranged to engage the active screw stud of a gauge plate forming part of the primary adjusting means.

16. Slug trimming mechanism accordin to claim 5, wherein the adjustable knife is sustained in its different adjusted positions against spring pressure, and wherein the means for effecting the supplementary adjustment of the said knife includes a collapsible device adapted when extended to sustain the knife in it primary adjusted position and when collapsed to permit its supplementary adjustment to be effected under the influence of the spring pressure, and also wherein the collapsible device includes two clutchlike members, one movable relatively to the other and provided with a hand lever by means of which the device may be collapsed or extended. as desired.

1'7. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the adjustable knife is sustained in its different adjusted positions against spring pressure, and wherein the means for efiecting the supplementary adjustment of the said knife includes a collapsible device adapted when extended to sustain the knife in its primary adjusted position and when collapsed to permit its supplementary adjustment to be effected under the influence of the spring pressure, and also wherein the movable member of the collapsible element is rotat ably mounted and adapted by a partial turn in one direction to bring about the supplementary adjustment of the adjustable knife and by a similar turn in the opposite direction to restore said knife to its original or primary adjusted position.

18. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, including an adjustable stop element to determine the extent of the supplementary adjustment of the movable knife, and wherein the adjustable stop element is arranged to engage the knife slide and is capable of being set in one position or another according to the face width of slugs with overhang type-bearing portions.

19. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, including an adjustable stop element to determine the extent of the supplementary adjustment of the movable knife, and wherein the adjustable stop element is arranged to engage the knife slide and is capable of being set in one position or another according to the face width of slugs with overhang type-bearing portions, and including a pointer and dial markings to indicate the diiferent settings of the stop element.

20. Slug trimming mechanism according to claim 5, including an adjustable stop element to determine the extent of the supplementary adjustment of the movable knife and wherein the adjustable stop element is rotatably mounted and provided with a series of stepped banking surfaces spaced different distances from the axis, and one or another of which may be located in engaging relation with the knife slide according to the angular position of the said element.

RICHARD R. MEAD.

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