US2561813A

US2561813A - Frame for letter blocks

Info

Publication number: US2561813A
Application number: US50828A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph F Murphy
Original assignee: EDWARD F MURPHY
Current assignee: EDWARD F MURPHY
Priority date: 1948-09-23
Filing date: 1948-09-23
Publication date: 1951-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 1968-07-24

Description

July 24, 1951 J. MURPHY 2,561,813

FRAME FOR LETTER BLOCKS Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

y' 1951 J. F. MURPHY 2,561,313

I FRAME FOR LETTER BLOCKS Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H l ,4 3 16 A4 20 l I 22 A 59 I? \\\\\*V/////%/5\\\ i g 4' a;

INVENTOR.

ffiaywy, had 7%..

Patented July 24, 1951 .lSTATTES '0 F F ICE FRAME'FOR LETTERTBL'OCKS l rlain, Mass.

Application "September 23, 1948, 'Serial"N0. "50,8'28

pin holes or other *blemishes Where the'ink has failed toproduce a'solid black impression. Fur- 'ther, the'work requires the servicesof an experi- "enced'type setter since such 'bodytype appears in the reverse of its impression.

The outfit of the present invention overcomes these disadvantages, increases the printers resources, reduces thecost of b'odytype'work and produces "a superior proof by a photographic process. By the procedure of my invention a great amount "of spaceissaved'which under the acid lsys'tem :required :for storing foundry type.

It also eliminates inking andfurniture heretofore required. .Itcontemplates-the use of blocks having transparent type therein and these take up solittle space that it is possible for the small :printer to compete with larger operators.

Goingmoreinto detail, mynovel outfit includes "a frame having side and end members together "with a series of "guide bars, the end members and "the guide bars-beingshaped fordetachable'inter- "io'cki-ngat both ends or sides'of the frame. Pref- "erably and *asherein shown, the guide bars 'present projecting shoulders and the type blocks are supported on said shoulders in flush relation. The type blocks may be transparent and carry an opaque negative in which a transparent letter is outlined or, if preferred, the letters may be opaque in a transparent block. The blocks may be readily and accurately placed in the desired relation and, as assembled, they are viewed directly as their impression is to be seen and not in reverse as in the case of ordinary type. The individual blocks are so located and fitted together that they form with the frame a lighttight mat about the transparent outline of the letters. Having once assembled the individual type blocks, the frame and letters may be placed in a photographers enlarger and the line of type photographed directly onto a sensitized surface. In this manner a proof may be formed with the letters enlarged or reduced to any desired size.

A feature of thepre'sentinvention consistsin aserie's ofshou'ldered guide bars having aprojecting rib or flangeat each end in combination w'itha frame having end or side membersdivided "by uniform notchesinto which the'projecting' rib :of the guide barsmay be detachably fitted in position to receive type blocks ofgpredetermined dimensions and to properly locate the line to be printed.

Another feature of the invention consists in aseries of type Ibloc'ksfhaving shoulders arranged to interlock and thus form a continuous screen Within the confines-.01 the. frame.

Theseand other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciatedfromthefollowing description .of a :-preferred embodiment thereof, selected for. purposes of willustrationcand shown in the accompanying.drawings'in which:

Fig. lisia plan view of the outfit in partially assembled position,

Fig. 2 is -a view in longitudinal section on the .-1ine--2-2- ofwFig. .1,

"Fig. 3 tisia :cross sect-ional'viewpn the "line 3-4 of Fig.1,

Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section on the 1ine 44of Fig.1;and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary viewin perspective showing "parts of thezframe and :type 'blocks .in

exploded relation.

InFigs. :1 and :2 ztheslide or :frame l0 of a commercial enlarging camera is outlined in dotand-dash lines. The assembly deviceof my inventi'on'imay be used in association with such :a frame, or it --may be made to fit into'any photogr-aphic contactpriri'ter. The advantage of using it in an enlarger is that the size of the type letters may be conveniently enlarged or reduced in the process if desired, whereas in contact printing the impression reproduces the actual size of the type.

The frame It! is provided with a rectangular shouldered recess of the proper size and shape to support and enclose a smaller frame comprising side members l2 and I3 and notched end members l4 and H5. The side and end members of the frame are shaped to interlock at the corners and are held together by screws, as suggested in Fig. 5. The frame I0 is also provided with clips or latches II which may be swung over the end members of the smaller frame and hold the latter securely in position. The end member I4 is formed with a continuous ledge or shoulder l6 underlying a series of spaced rectangular projections providing square-sided notches and prothe frame.

continuous shoulders on both sides underlying an upstanding median rib 19. The rib [9 extends beyond both ends of the shoulders of the bar in which it is formed and is shaped to fit snugly within the notches I! of the end members l4 and i and to lie flush with the upper surface of the notched portions of the bars. The underlying shoulders of the bars are located in the same plane as the underlying shoulders of the end members and the side members of the frame.

Type blocks 20 of preferred form are best shown in Fig. 5. The blocks are rectangular, shouldered on one side and undercut on the other so. asto make flush interlocking engagement. In thickness the blocks correspond to the height of the rib IQ of the guide bars and of the portions of theend and side members located above their vunderlying shoulders. Accordingly, regardless of the position of, any type blocks, their upper surface will form a common plane with the walls of As herein shown the upper and one side face of each block is covered with an opaque negative, indicated in Fig. 5 by stippling, in which is formed a transparent letter. In dimensions the type blocks are formed to be positioned by guide bars located in the frame with one or more notches between them; for example, the type blocks 20 shown in Fig. 1 are located at their ends by guide bars 18 having three notches between them, and the smaller type blocks 2| are located between guide bars having a single notch between them.

It is important that the type blocks be assembled to form a complete opaque screen through "which light may pass only in the transparent outline of the type letters. Accordingly, the type blocks are individually shouldered and grooved as shown in Fig. 5 to make interlocking engage- "ment at their longitudinal edges as shown in Fig. '4. The presentation of a continuous dark screen is thus insured.

As suggested in Fig. 1, the type blocks may be supported between two adjacent guide bars H3 or between a guide bar and one of the side memberslZ or 13 of the frame.

It will be seen also that the side edges of any type block are supported by the underlying shoulders of the end '4 5 members 14 and 15 as shown in Fig. 4, this providing a tight and compact assembly.

As suggested in Fig. 3 the type blocks are of laminated construction with the negative 22 in which the letter is formed interleaved between them and thus protected on both sides against scratching or contact with oil. The life of the type blocks is therefore prolonged and the shape outline of the letter safeguarded.

The shoulders of the type blocks are so proportioned that the blocks lock together and give the proper spacing between adjacent letters. The separation indicated in Fig. 5 is somewhat exaggerated for illustrative purposes. The blocks in all cases are stiff self-contained units whether they are of laminated form as shown in Fig. 3

or of integral configuration as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A device for supporting letter blocks .compris ing an open frame having end members, each of said end members having an inwardly projecting shoulder and a plurality of projections extending upwardly of said shoulder, said projections forming grooves therebetween, a series of guide bars having side and end portions, shoulders on each side portion, a tongue protruding from the ends of each guide bar and extending into one of said grooves in flush relation therewith, and a row of indicia blocks supported in flush relation on the shoulders of two adjacent guide bars, said blocks having interlock portions whereby they are in interlocking engagement with one another, the interlock portion of each end block of each row overlapping and resting on the shoulder of one of said end members whereby light is excluded between the blocks and also between the blocks and frame.

JOSEPH F. MURPHY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Morrison Apr. .21, 1942