US2721648A

US2721648A - Typographical composing machines

Info

Publication number: US2721648A
Application number: US311247A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ivan C Mims
Original assignee: Mergenthaler Linotype GmbH
Current assignee: Mergenthaler Linotype GmbH; Mergenthaler Linotype Co
Priority date: 1952-09-24
Filing date: 1952-09-24
Publication date: 1955-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1972-10-25
Also published as: CH311820A; FR1087553A; DE948248C; GB726160A; DK79300C; DE1728834U

Description

Oct. 25, 1955 l. c. MIMS 2,721,648

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES Filed Sept. 24, 1952 United States Patent Ofiice 1723,4548 Patented Oct. 25, 1955 TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINES Ivan C. Mims, Raleigh, N. C., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application September 24, 1952, Serial No. 311,247

7 Claims. (Cl. 199-26) This invention relates to typographical composing machines of the general organization represented in United States Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices and spacebands are composed in line in an assembling elevator by the operation of a keyboard, the elevator raised to line transfer position, the composed line transferred therefrom to the face of a mold for the casting of a type bar or slug, and the matrices and spacebands thereafter separated and returned to their places of storage. More particularly, the invention relates to machines of that class adapted to be equipped with an automatic control unit, such as the Teletypesetter unit, which automatically operates the keyboard and raises the assembling elevator.

In these machines, the character bearing matrices are stored in magazines and are selectively released therefrom in response to code perforations in a tape. The storage magazines are divided into a plurality of individual channels, and each channel of a full-length magazine accommodates approximately twenty matrices, each bearing the same identical character, although more than one channel may be set aside for characters in more frequent use, such as the letter e. After the casting operation, the matrices are returned to their respective channels in the magazine by a well-known distributing mechanism.

When composition is taking place at relatively high speeds, it is customary to have two composed lines in transit through the machine while a third one is in process of composition. For example, while a line is being cast, there may be a second composed line in the waiting position, that is, waiting to be received by the transporter which carries the line to the casting position, and a third line composed or in process of composition in the assembling elevator. When composing regular column width lines, the font of matrices capable of being stored in the magazine is usually adequate to permit the composition of at least three full lines without exhausting completely the matrices stored in any one channel, but when composing exceptionally long lines, for example doublecolumn width lines, composition at this rate of speed is not possible.

In casting double-column width lines, it is the present practice to leave a strip of the perforated tape blank after each line so that the machine will not run out of matrices. It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate the necessity for this practice by providing a simple delay control mechanism for stopping for a short interval the operation of the automatic control unit after each line in order that the matrices of a previously composed line may have time to be distributed and thus be available for further use in composition. In this way, the waiting line is eliminated without requiring any change in the normal speed of operation of the machine. Moreover, the present invention may be quickly conditioned for operation before casting exceptionally long lines and then just as quickly unconditioned before re- 2 verting to the casting of average or normal length lines where the delay feature is unnecessary.

For a complete understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description which follows.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the assembling portion of a typographical composing machine equipped with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged circuit diagram, showing a portion of the drive mechanism of the automatic control unit in side elevation; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1 but in a different position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the power take-off clutch control mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the character bearing matrices are selectively released from their storage magazine (not shown) by the operation of a keyboard A and fall by gravity onto an inclined conveyor belt 1 which discharges them through an assembler chute and in front of a constantly rotating starwheel 2. The starwheel stacks them one by one, in the order of their release, in the assembling elevator 3 and against an. upstanding line supporting finger attached at the end of a yielding slide 4. When the composition of the line is complete, the elevator 3 is raised and the line presented between a pair of downwardly depending fingers 5 and 6 of a line delivery carriage 7. The delivery carriage, in turn, transfers the composed line from the assembling elevator to a vertical transporter (not shown) which carries the line to the casting mechanism. The transfer movement of the line delivery carriage is accomplished by the counterclockwise rotation of a cam operated fore-and-aft shaft 8 and an operating lever 9 thereon. The assembling elevator 3 remains in the raised position until the line is removed therefrom, after which the elevator 3 is released and permitted to fall by gravity to its line composing position, all in the usual manner.

The automatic operation of the keyboard is controlled by the passage of a perforated tape through a reader mechanism, shown in phantom in Fig. 1 and generally designated by the reference character B, such as the Teletypesetter control mechanism shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 2,091,286 and others. For present purposes, it suffices to say that the tape is advanced by a cam actuated ratchet in a step by step manner from a driven shaft 12. This shaft 12 is connected through a clutch mechanism 11 (see Fig. 2) to a helical gear 13 on a shaft 13 and said gear 13 is in mesh with a helical gear 14 on a shaft 15, which latter is driven by means of a belt and pulley from the so-called intermediate shaft of the machine.

In the normal operation of the tape control mechanism, when a complete line has been composed in the assembling elevator 3, the rotation of the tape advancing shaft 12 is interrupted by the movement of a lever 18 about its pivot 18 into engagement with the shaft. The shaft 12 is provided with a projecting lug 19 which, in the operated position of the lever 18, is adapted to enter a hole 20 formed therein, said hole presenting a beveled edge 20 which engages the lug 19 and causes the disengagement of the clutch 11 and brings the shaft 12 to a stop. While the feed tape is stopped, the assembling elevator is raised to deliver the line to the transfer position. When the elevator returns to the line receiving position, the lever 18 is pivoted back to inoperative position, releasing the lug 19 and permitting the reengagement of the clutch 11 to restore the driving connection to the tape advancing mechanism.

The raising of the assembling elevator is effected through connections from a driven shaft 48 which is 1'0- tated from the power operated shaft by helical gears similar to the gears 13 and 14 and through a clutch similar to the clutch 11. The clutch for the elevator lifting shaft is normally held open by a lever 219 (Fig. 4) which is similar in all respects to the clutch lever 18 for the tape advancing shaft 12. After the clutch lever 219 has been actuated to release the clutch, it is automatically restored to its clutch disengaging position in time to arrest the elevator lifting shaft 48 after it has made one complete rotation.

In the normal operation of the automatic control unit, the tape advancing shaft 12 is first arrested after the composition of each line, such arrest being etfected by a tape signal which causes the lever 18 to be moved to its clutch disengaging position. Concurrently therewith, the lever 219 is caused to be moved to its clutch engaging position to initiate the rotation of the elevator lifting shaft 48. However, such cltuch engaging movement of the lever 219 cannot take place unless the line delivery carriage is at the time in its line receiving position. But, once the elevator lifting shaft is started, it will make one complete rotation and come to rest automatically regardless of any of the other elements in the control unit, whereupon the tape advancing shaft 12 is restarted regardless of the position of the line delivery carriage.

The foregoing parts and their manner of operation are standard and well known, but, if desired, the above cited Patent No. 2,091,286 may be referred to for a more complete understanding of a type composing machine and the automatic control unit therefor. For the sake of comparison it may be stated that Figs. 2 and 4 of the instant application correspond, respectively, to Figs. 14 and 15 of said patent.

From the above description, it is evident that the line composition recommences as soon as the assembling elevator 3 returns to line receiving position, notwithstanding the fact that the delivery carriage 7 may be in the waiting position, being unable to deliver the previously composed line to the vertical transporter until the latter has delivered up a still previous line. According to the present invention, the restarting of the tape, and consequently the composition of the line, when casting extra long lines, is delayed until the delivery carriage 7 completes its full cycle of operation and returns to the rightward or line receiving position. To this end, a cam member is fixed to the shaft 8 and is adapted to control the pivotal movement of a small vertically disposed lever 26. The lever 26 is mounted on a bracket 27 attached to the left side of the keyboard. The lever 26 controls the transverse movement of a long horizontal bar 28, extending across the complete width of the keyboard, through a small bell crank lever 29, pivotally mounted at 29 on the left side of the keyboard and the shorter arm thereof being pivotally connected to the leftmost extremity of the bar 28. The longer arm of the lever 29 engages the lower free end of the lever 26 and is maintained in engagement therewith by a small tension spring 30 connecting the two parts. As the operating lever 9 pivots in a counterclockwise direction to move the delivery carriage to line delivery position, the cam member 25 also pivots on the same shaft, allowing the lever 26 to be rocked by the spring 30 in a counterclockwise direction. The upper edge of the long arm of the lever 29 is so curved that the counterclockwise rocking of the lever 26 permits a clockwise rotation of the lever 29 by the spring 30 and thus effects a certain transverse movement of the bar 28 to the left.

The movement of the bar 28 controls the operation of an electrical circuit which, in turn, prevents the further advance of the tape. The right end of the bar 28 is in constant engagement with an arm 51 of a control switch 31, which switch is kept open by the bar 28 in its right most position, as shown in Fig. l. The leftward movement of the bar 28, effected in the manner above described, closes the switch 31 (as shown in Fig. 3) and permits the flow of current from the battery 33 to the solenoid 34. When energized, the solenoid 34 operates the lever 18 which, as described above, stops the advance of the tape but, in the present instance, it is noted that the lever 18 has been previously operated at the completion of the composition of the line, so that the actual function of the solenoid 34 is to keep the lever in its thus operated position even after the return of the elevator 3, when composition would normally recommence. The circuit remains closed until the delivery carriage returns again to line receiving position and the cam member 25 restores the bar 28 to its rightward position, again opening the switch 31, at which time the further advance of the tape is permitted to resume.

To permit the delay mechanism to be conditioned for operation or rendered inoperative at will, an on-off switch 36 is interposed in the circuit. The switch 36 would normally be closed, conditioning the device for operation only when casting extra long lines where there exists a danger of exhausting the supply of matrices in any given channel, and would be opened when casting lines of average length.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only and by way of example, but 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.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical composing machine, the combination of a keyboard for selectively releasing matrices from a storage magazine, an assembling elevator wherein the matrices are composed in line, an automatic control unit having mechanism for automatically operating the keyboard and mechanism for raising the assembling elevator, means for rendering said keyboard operating mechanism inoperative at the completion of the composition of a line and for rendering the assembling elevator raising mechanism operative, means for normally restarting the keyboard operating mechanism upon the return of the assembling elevator to line composing position, and independently controlled means for delaying the restarting of the keyboard operating mechanism for a predetermined period after the return of the assembling elevator to line composing position.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1, including means for conditioning or unconditioning said independently controlled delay means for operation.

3. In a typographical composing machine equipped with an automatic tape control unit, the combination of an assembling elevator wherein the matrices are composed in line, said control unit operating to raise the elevator when the composition of the line has been completed, while at the same time arresting the further advance of the tape until the elevator returns to line composing position for the next succeeding line, delivery mechanism to transfer the composed line from the raised elevator to casting mechanism, means controlled by the line transfer movement of the delivery mechanism to independently maintain the tape arrested, even after the return of the elevator to composing position, and means controlled by the return movement of the line delivery mechanism to permit the resumption of the advance of the tape for the composition of the next succeeding line.

4. A combination according to claim 3, including manually operated means to condition or uncondition the tape arresting means controlled by the line delivery mechanism.

5. In a typographical composing machine equipped with a tape control unit for automatically releasing matrices from a storage magazine, the combination of an assembling elevator wherein the matrices are composed in the order of their release, delivery mechanism for transferring the composed line from the elevator to the casting mechanism, a rotatable shaft for advancing the tape, driving means for the shaft, including a clutch and a pivotal lever, which latter serves both to arrest the rotation of the tape advancing shaft and to disengage the clutch, an electrical solenoid for actuating said lever, and an electrical switch which is closed by the line transfer movement of the line delivery mechanism to energize the solenoid and thus prevent the advance of the tape and which is opened by the return of the delivery mechanism to line receiving position to deenergize the solenoid and thus permit the advance of the tape.

6. A combination according to claim 5 including an additional switch interposed in the solenoid circuit to permit the said circuit to be conditioned for operation when composing extra long lines and to be unconditioned for operation when casting regular length lines.

7. In a typographical composing machine equipped with an automatic tape control unit, the combination of an assembling elevator wherein the matrices are composed in line, said control unit operating to raise the elevator when the composition of the line has been completed, while at the same time arresting the further advance of the tape, delivery mechanism to transfer the composed line from the raised elevator to casting mechanism, and means controlled by the return movement of the line delivery mechanism to resume the advance of the tape for the composition of the next succeeding line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,566 Kleinschmidt Aug. 21, 1934 2,006,848 Walden July 2, 1935 2,086,547 Goetz July 13, 1937 2,091,286 Krum July 13, 1937