US2574005A - Magazine shifting safety device - Google Patents

Description

A. O. ALBlN MAGAZINE SHIFTING SAFETY DEVICE Nov. 6, 1951 2 Sl-lEETS'-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1946 MVENTOR vmy 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Nov. 6, 1951 A. o. ALBIN MAGAZINE SHIFTING SAFETY DEVICE FiledJan. 5, 1946 Patented. Nov. 6, 1951 MAGAZINE SHIFTING SAFEZEK DEVICE Archer 0. Albi-n, Lynbrook, N. Y., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company; a corporation of New York- Application January 3,1945, Serial No. 638,816

'1 Claims. 1

This invention relates to typographical distributing machines, such as Linotype machines of the general organization represented-in Letters Patent of the United States to O. Mergenthaler No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print and then assembled in line, the composed line transferred to the face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten metal to form a slug or type-bar against the matriceswhich produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter retnrned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from-which they started.

More particularly, it relates to machines of the shiftable multiple magazine variety,wherein the magazines are movable upwardly and down wardly in the machine frame to brin different selected magazines into operative relation to the assembling and distributing mechanisms. There are several different commercial models which make up this class of machines and the present invention has been developed particularly in con: nection with those models which include as features the improvements disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,125,681 to Richard R. Mead.

In these machines, the shifting of the maga= zines is effected by a crank handle located at the front of the machine and connected toa magaqzine elevating mechanism which provides for a quick, easy and smooth shifting of the magazines in changing from one to another. Themagazine elevating mechanism is so designed that asingle turn of the crank handle will effectxa change from one magazine to the next, and moreover, the eifort. involved in shifting the magazines so light that a force of one pound appliedto and moved through one rotation of the crank handle will lift a load of sixtypounds cover n a two and one-half inch movement of the magazines. The magazines are removablymounted on sepa.- rate base frames, conjointly constitutinga frame, and the selected magazine is locatedin perative position by m ans o ease orlooliins bars arran ed in pairs at opposite sides of the magazines. The ga e. bars are suppo ted at their lower ends upon aligning piecesuonthe fixed machine frame in. position to present. surfaces adapted for engagement with the under sides of aligning lugs projecting laterally from the-opposite sides of the magazine baseframes at both ends thereof. In providingfor the-en.- gagement of the gage bars with the aligninglugs, the former are arranged tube-moved forwardly and baokwardly by the operation of a hand lever so as in oneposition to stand clear of the aligning lugs during the shifting of the magazines, and in the other position to stand beneath the aligning lugs on the base frame of the selected magazine.

While the foregoing magazine shifting arrangement constitutes a decided improvement in the art, the movement of the gage bars into and out of the path of the aligning lugs on the base frames of the magazines requires clearance for blocks.) and the ease with which the magazines can be raised and lowered, the aligninglugs may not seat firmly on the supporting surfaces of the gage bars unless strict attention is paid to that seating operation. Moreover, the gage bars are usually locked against full movement to inoperative position unless all matrices have been distributed, thus avoiding shifting of the magazines at a time when injury to the matrices or other a s o he mac n mi 13 r the p sib it o matri slo s i t ibute t th on magazine. Ihat is to say, the gage bars are cap ble of a p rt al orwa d ov m n be he become co l y dis ga d fr m the ali nin has of t hift fram i or to actuate. feelers for determining whether or not mate rices are in course of distribution and during such movement of the gage. bars, the magazine in use may be. unseated inadvertently. VV'h XL-v ever the magazine becomes unseated, its upper or receiving end isout of alignment with the channel entrance and matrices being distributed therethrough frequently lodge at this point, so that any attempt to shift the magazines at such time causes damage or delay, or both. Further-.- more, continued distribution of matrices when this occurs results in the matrices piling up in the channel entrance, and much time is lost while the channel entrance is being cleared and the cause of the difficulty discovered and remedied;

The present invention is intended to overcome the above difficulties and contemplates an auto: matic electrically controlled safety device operae tive to prevent shifting of the magazines under the abnormal ondit ons stat dthe pre e em odim t llust t d he safe de ic includes a stooelomont mo ab ein o and o of the path of a proj ction secu ed to th hand. le er o perating the sa bars- .lhe. stop element is. controlled by asolonoid and the la ter is onergized bylthe o erationof a Inn-switch adapted 3 to close a series .circuit through the channel entrance, the lodged matrix and magazine. Preferably, the switch is arranged adjacent to the hand lever so that the projection on the latter also may actuate the switch just before it is caused to engage the stop element.

Normally, the circuit is open due not only to the switch but also to the slight clearance gap between the upper or receiving end of the magazine and the lower or discharge end of the channel entrance. However, when a matrix becomes lodged at this point, it will bridge the clearance gap and thus serve as a means of conduct between the magazine and the entrance, the former being grounded in the machine and the latter being completely insulated therefrom and appropriately wired to the switch. Under such abnormal conditions, if an attempt is made to operate the hand lever to release the shift frame, the circuit through the switch and solenoid will be closed and the stop element thus will be moved to a position in engaging relation to the projection on said lever and positively prevent the disengagement of the gage bars from the aligning lugs of the shift frame.

As a supplementary feature, which is intended primarily to enable the operator immediately to locate and identify the cause of the trouble when the operation of the hand lever is so arrested, the safety device also includes a red signal lamp which is wired in parallel with the solenoid, so that it may not interfere under any conditions with the normal operation of the stop element.

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

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a machine equipped with the improved safety device;

Fig. 2 is an elevation on an enlarged scale, and partly in section, showing the different parts of the safety device in their assembled relation and the manner in which they are wired to the channel entrances; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment illustrated, the present improvements have been shown as applied to a socalled mixing machine wherein the several magazines A A A and A are selectable in pairs, instead of singly, so that the matrices X may be withdrawn indiscriminately from both magazines of a selected pair for composition in the same line and, after the casting operation,

returned through an appropriate distributing 2,574,005 T i W mechanism to their respective magazine channels.

distributing mechanism C at the rear. Since the operating mechanism for the magazine shift frame is clearly shown and described in the Mead patent before mentioned and in itself is not pertinent to the present invention, it will suffice merely to state that such mechanism is arranged beneath the magazines in a suitable housing 0 and controlled by a crank handle 0 through an intermediate fore-and-aft connecting shaft 0 The distributing mechanism includes two character distributors C C arranged one above the other, and two channel entrances D D for conducting matrices as they'are released by the distributors into the upper or receiving ends of the two maga zines in operative'position, the upper distributor C (as shown in Fig. 1) being connected to the .lower magazine A through the relatively long channel entrance D and the lower distributor C being connected to the upper magazine through the shorter channel entrance D -T o properly locate the selected pair of magazines in operative relation to the assembling and distributing mechanisms, there are provided two pairs of gage bars E disposed on opposite sides of the magazines and rigidly connected together by angular spacing members E The gage bars, as usual, are slidably mounted at their lower ends upon fixed supporting flanges (not shown) and are formed in their rear edges with notches or recesses e normally engaging corresponding lugs a projecting from opposite sides of the magazine base frames. However, preparatory to shifting the magazines to change from one pair to another, the gage bars aremoved forwardly against thetension of springs E to a position out of the path of the lugs a, and after the magazines have been raised or lowered the required extent, the springs are allowed to move the bars back to their original or active position into engagement with the lugs a on the base frames of the newly selected magazines. Operation of the gage bars E is controlled by a fore-and-aft hand lever F (Fig. 1) located conveniently at the front of the machine and attached to a rock shaft G which is provided with a pair of upwardly curved arms G engaging, from behind, pins e projecting inwardly from the connecting members E of the gage bars. By depressing the hand lever F, the gage bars E through the intervening connections will be disengaged from the magazine shift frame, and as the pressure on the hand lever is relieved, the bars will be allowed to reengage said frame under theinfiuence of their actuating springs E As shown in Fig. 1, the machine also is equipped with the two customary feeler attachments H, H which are controlled by the forward movement of the gage bars and adapted to prevent the unlocking or release of the magazine shift frame while matrices are traversing the distributor C or C The attachment H includes a blade h secured to a hinged bracket arm H depending from the upper distributor beam C and the attachment H includes a corresponding or similar blade h secured to a hinged bracket arm H depending from the lower distributor beam C By swinging the brackets back and forth, the blades h and h will be carried across the path of matrices traversing the distributors, and in order that their movements may be effected simultaneously the bracket arms H and H are connected together by a link H Operation of the bracket arms is controlled by a stud e projecting inwardly from the rear extremity of one of the gage bar connecting members E and engaging the lower end of a vertically disposed lever H which is pivoted inthe machine frame and 'operatively connected at its upper end to the bracket arm H As the gage bars are moved forwardly by operation of the hand lever F, the feelers will be actuated and if amatrix or matrices should interfere, complete movement of the gage bars will be prevented so that they in turn will prevent shifting of the magazines.

After changing from one pair of magazines to the other and after the gage bars have been allowed to engage the aligning lugs a of the shift frame, the latter is lowered slightly by a partial turn of the crank handle so as to cause the lower sides of the lugs to bank or seat upon the lower walls of the recesses e of said bars and thus locate the magazines of the selected pair definitely in their operative position. Consequently, when a change of magazines is desired it may be necessary first to raise the shift frame, in like manner, sufficiently to unseat the lugs a before the gage bars can be withdrawn. As the lugs are unseated, the upper ends of the bottom plates of the magazines in use are caused to occupy a position slightly above the lower ends of the bottom plates of the channel entrances, so that if matrices at such times happened to be passing downwardly through the entrances in course of distribution, they likely would lodge at this point and thus obstruct the operation of the shift frame, with the results hereinbefore indicated. So far as described the parts, their construction and mode of operation are similar to those embodied in commercial Linotype machines of the class already identified.

As previously stated, the present invention is directed to an improved safety device, the latter (Figs. 1 and 2) including a movable stop element I adapted positively to prevent the disengagement of the gage bars E from the magazine shift frame, when a matrix or matrices become lodged across the gap between the channelentrance C or C and the corresponding magazine. The stop element I is operable by a magnetic coil or solenoid J arranged in a series circuit with the two selected magazines as well as with both of the channel entrances. The several magazines are grounded in the machine frame while the channel entrances C and C are completely insulated therefrom, being mounted on their individual supporting frames D D through intermediate bars of appropriate insulating material D D In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the stop element I and solenoid J both are supported by a stationary bracket K located at the front of the machine near the gage bar control lever F. The stop element I (Fig. 3) is generally rectangular in form and mounted, by means of a screw and slot connection I upon an integral offset flange K of the bracket K, so as to be capable of a limited endwise movement. At one end, however, the stop element I is formed with a downward projecting portion I which is rigidly connected to the core member J of the solenoid J, the latter (Figs. 2 and 3) being arranged directly in front of the stop element and mounted in an appropriate jacket or housing J fastened to the bracket K. A pull spring IQ, attached to the projection I and anchored through a pin is to the supporting flange K holds the stop element yieldingly in its inactive position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the solenoid is energized, the stop element will be pulled forwardly against the tension of the spring I a limited distance determined by the screw and slot connection I and when the series circuit through the solenoid is broken, the. spring will restore said element to its original position.

As a further feature of the improved device, the circuit through the solenoid is controlled by a mu-switch L which is also included in the series circuit and supported, as shown best in Fig. 2, by a small upright bracket L rising from the housing J The switch L in turn is controlled from the hand lever F through a cam plate M secured to said lever and engaging an intervening leafspring actuating member L The cam plate M (Fig. 2) projects downwardly from the lever F and terminates at its lower end in a squared-off nose portion m located directly above and in front of a shoulder i (Fig. 3) formed on the inner edge of the stop element I. At one end, they actuating member L is attached to the switch cover plate 1, and at its opposite or free end it is formed with a yielding bent-over portion Z for actuating the customary push or control pin Z for the switch L. In order that the device may respond instantly to the slightest movement of the hand lever F, the actuating member L is provided with a tit or protuberance Z which, in the normal position of the parts (Fig. 2), seats in a corresponding recess 121. formed in the contiguous edge of the cam plate M.

The parts are so arranged that when the gap between either channel entrance and the upper end of the corresponding magazine happens to be bridged by a lodged matrix and an attempt made to depress the hand lever F, a circuit through the magazine, the offending matrix, channel entrance and solenoid immediately will be closed as the push .pin 1 of the switch L is pressed inwardly by the unseating of the protuberance Z by the cam plate M, it being understood that a movement of very small magnitude is all that is required to control the operation of a switch of this particular type. As a result, the stop element I at the same moment, through its connection with the solenoid J, will be pulled forwardly so as to position the shoulder 2' directly beneath the nose portion of the cam plate and thus prevent operation of the lever F as well as the unlocking the magazine shift frame. When pressure on the hand lever is relieved, the series circuit will be broken at the switch so that the clogged matrix or matrices may be removed in safety.

To enable the operator quickly to locate the source of the trouble When operation of the hand lever F is arrestedin the manner just stated, there is provided a signal lamp which preferably (see Fig. 2) is wired in parallel with the solenoid J so as to function only when the series circuit is closed by the operation of the inn-switch L. Otherwise, i. e., if the lamp were included in said circuit, it could in the event of breakage or loosening in its socket void the usefulness of the whole safety device until the difficulty was discovered and rectified. Furthermore, meaningless intermittent fiashes of the lamp are avoided as the matrices .in course of distribution momentarily bridge the gap between a channel entrance and magazine.

It also should be understood that while the switch L will be closed under normal operating conditions Whenever the hand lever F is depressed, the series circuit through the solenoid and lamp will be open at the gaps between the entrances and magazines, and the stop element I will remain undisturbed in its inactive position with the stop shoulder i located out of the path of the cam plate M.

To reduce the voltage from the main supply to the minimum required to operate the solenoid J, the series circuit further includes a transformer P (Fig. 2) of appropriate type and arranged in.

advance of the solenoid. However, if only direct current is available, a battery Q (Fig. 1) having the desired voltage may be employed and thus eliminate the necessity of a transformer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazines and a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, the combination of manually controlled means for operating the shift frame, a channel entrance for conducting matrices in course of distribution into a selected magazine, locking means movable into and out of engagement with the shift frame for locating it in different positions, a safety device to positively prevent the disengagement of the locking means from the shift frame, said safety device being normally inactive, an electrical element for rendering the safety device active, circuit means for energizing said electrical element when a matrix becomes lodged between the channel entrance and the selected magazine, said circuit means including in series a part closable through the lodged matrix and another normally open part, and means actuated by a partial movement of the locking means before their disengagement from the shift frame for closing said normally open circuit part.

2. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazine and a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, the combination of manually con-trolled means for operating the shift frame, a channel entrance for conducting matrices in course of distribution into a selected magazine, locking means movable into and out of engagement with the shift frame for locating it in different positions, a hand lever for operating said locking means, an electrically controlled safety device operable to positively prevent the disengagement of the locking means from the shift frame when a matrix becomes lodged between the channel entrance and the selected magazine, and means for automatically closing a series circuit through the lodged matrix to effect the operation of the safety device, said safety device including a projection on said hand lever, a stop element movable into the path of said projection as the circuit is closed, and a spring to return the stop element to and maintain it in its original position out of said path as the circuit is broken.

3. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazines and a shift frame therefor movable upwardly and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, the combination of manually controlled means for operating the shift frame, a channel means movable into and out of engagement with v the shift frame for locating it in different positions, at hand lever for operating said locking means, an electrically controlled safety device operable to positively prevent the disengagement of the locking means from the shift frame when a'matrix becomes lodged between the channel entrance and the selected magazine, and means for automatically closing a series circuit through the lodged matrix to effect the operation of the safety device, said safety device including a projection on said hand lever, and an electrical switch controlled by said projection and adapted to close the series circuit before the locking means is disengaged from the shift frame.

4. In a typographical distributing machine equipped with a series of matrix magazines and a shift frame therefor movable upwardl and downwardly to bring a selected magazine into use, the combination of manually controlled means for operating the shift frame, a channel entrance for conducting matrices in course of distribution into a selected magazine, locking means movable into and out of engagement with the shift frame for locating it in different positions, a hand lever for controlling the movements of the locking means,

a stop element movable from inactive to active position into the path of a projection on said lever to prevent its operation when a matrix in course of distribution becomes lodged between the channel entrance and the selected magazine, a solenoid to effect such movement of the stop element, a spring to restore the stop element to and maintain it in inactive position when the solenoid is deenergized, and an electrical switch operable by a partial movement of the locking means prior to their disengagement from the shift frame for closing a series circuit through the lodged matrix and the solenoid.

5. A combination according to claim 4, wherein the operation of the switch is effected by the initial movement of the hand lever.

6. A combination according t claim 4, wherein the projection on the hand lever is formed with a cam surface to control the operation of the switch.

'7. A combination according to claim 4, including a signal lamp wired in parallel with the solenoid.

ARCHER O. ALBIN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,140 Mergenthaler Apr. 8, 1890 1,109,872 Rogers Sept. 8, 1914 1,965,747 Medford July 10, 1934 2,325,666 Czachorski Aug. 3, 1943

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