US3110395A - Matrix magazine for linecasting machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1963 INVENTOR. WALTER E. KERSCHBAUM BY %2a% ATTORNE Y Nov. 12, 1963 w, E. KERSCHBAUM MATRIX MAGAZINE FOR LINECASTING MACE-IINES Filed Feb; 14, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. WALTER E. KERSCHBAUM 'trance of matrices into the magazine.

United States Patent O 3,11%,395 MATRDK MAGAZINE FR LENECASTMG MACEEJES Walter E. Kerschbaum, Welshero, 1a., assignor to l. e

genthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Fiied Feb. 14, 1962, Set. Na. 173,264 4 Clairns. (CH. 199-44) This invention relates to linecasting machines wherein matn'ces, stored end to end in a channeled magazine, are released therefrom by suitably aotuated escapernent devices and then composed side by side in line. After composition, the matrix line is transferred to the face of a slotted mold, the mold filled with molten me-tal to form a slug against the matrices Which produce type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter retumed by a distributing mechanism to the magazine from Which they started.

The magazines as now used in commercial machines, being made largely of brass or even of aluminum plates With steel bracing bars, are quite heavy and difficult to handle in their applioation to and removal from the machine. In addition, they a1e complex assemblies comprising a great many parts and subassemblies Which cou- -tribute to the relatively high manufacturing cost of magazmes.

lt is, therefore, the object of this invention to substantially 1'educe the Weight of such magazines. lt is a further object of the invention to simplify the manufacture of the magazines so as to lessen the cost thereof. It is another object of the invention to provide an improved escap ement cover and locking bar mechanism.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a magazine having grooved top and bottom plates formed of alu-minum reenforced With cross bars and a longitudinal bar also forrned of alnnn'num. Moreover, the grooved top plate has been -lengthened so as to obviate the neecl for a grooved escapement cover. The escapernent cover assembly has been modified so that the matt-1x locking bar in addition to blocking the matnices in the magazine also pushes the matrices up and away from the verge plungers.

Features and advantages of the invention may be gained from the foregoing and trom the follo-wing description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view f a matrix magazine for a linecasting machine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary seetion taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the magazine;

FIG. 4 a's a fragmentary top view of a magazine showing particularly the escapement cover and matrix locking bar;

FIG. 5 is a freut elevational view of the magazine showing detafls of the escapement cover and matrix locking bar;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view showing the escapement cover and matrix locking bar;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken 0n line 77 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 3,

The magazine shown in the drawings comprises a top plate 10, a bottom plate 11, and side bars 12 extending len-gthwise of the magazine and serving to separate the top and the bottom plates. The upper end of the magezine (as. shown in FIG. l) is open to permit the en- On their inner faces, the plates 113 and 11 -are formed with longitudinally extending grooves 13 wh-erein the customary projecting ears of the matrices engage and whereby the matrices, e.g., matrix 9, are guided in their passage through the magazine. The top and the bottom plates are made of aluminum and are anodized so that they do not exhibit undue wear from the sliding matrices With Which they come in contact. The side bars 12 also are made of aluminum. A cover 14, hinged on studs 15, is provided for olosing the end of the magazine when it is not in use. In this way d-i1t and particles a1e prevented from settling in the magazine and interfering with the movement of the matrices in their grooves.

A matrix guard 16 has a plurality of tines 17 projecting from a backing strip 20. The guard is =arranged so that the tines 17 extend through apertures 21 formed in top plate 19. The funotion of the guard is to prevent the sidewise entranoe of matrices into the magazine. In other words, the matrices can only enter the magazine if they are upn'ght and their projecting ears are aligned With the plate grooves 13. The guard is formed of a one piece stamping as compared to the past praotice of assernbling it ifrorn a backing strip with individual mounted thereon.

On the underside of the magazine, the bottom plate is provided With a number of cross bars, one 22 near the upper end, one 23 near the lower end, and three intermediate ones 24, 25 and 26, which several bars are fastened Io the magazine structure by means of bo1ts 27 passing through top plate 10, side bars 12, bottom plate 11 and the cross bars themselves. The cross bar 24 is extended at its opposite ends beyond the side edges of the magazine to serve as a support for the magazine in appflying ait to or removing rit from the machine, all as well nnderstood in the art. A longitudinal central bar 30 is fixed to the cross bars to aid in guiding the magazine to and froan its seat in the magazine fra-me of the machdne;

Both the cross bars and the central bar a1e made of aluminum.

At the lower extrem1ity of the magazine an additional pair of aluminum trapezoidal shaped bars are secured to the side bars 12. These bars, end bar 31 and intermediate bar 32, serve to locate the magazine, When placed in the maohine, with a'espect to the escapement mechanism 33 permanently mounted in the machine and shown in phantorn section in FIGS. 7 and 8. The upper surfaces of the bars are grooved so that the matrices are guided until they leave the magazine. The bars will be located by pins 34 and 35 so that the grooves therein are aligned With the grooves of bottom plate 11. A bolt 36 passing through side bar 12 (as well as one passing through the other side bar) secures bar 32 t0 the magazine. Similarly bolt 37 secures bar 31 to the magazine.

An escapement eover 40 is shown fastened to the top plate 10 of the magazine by a bolt 41 which passes through plate 10 in to side bar 12. It Will be observed chat top plate 10 extends nearer 10 the end of the magazine than bottom plate 11. In this manner the grooves of the top plate se11ve to guide the matrices substanhially to their exit -from the magazine and the need for a grooved escapement cover is obviated. In fact, the present invention contempl-ates an extruded aluminum cover. The forward edge of the escapement cover is secured to the magazine by bolt 37 whioh passes thorethrough in securing bar 31 to the magazine. Filler pieces. 42, which are only as wide .as the side bars 12, are placed between cover 413 and side bars 12.

The cover 40 serves as a housing for the matrix loeking bar 43 which blocks the matrices in the magazine when it is removed from the inecasting machine. When the magazine is in use, the bar is elevated out of the path of the matrix ea.rs and the matrices are held in the magazine until their selected re=lease therefrom by the p-awls 44 of the escapement verges. The pawls are shown in dotted line but their function and operation are well known to those skilled in the art. However, when a mag-azine is to be removed from the machine the pawls, wh ich are part of the escapement mechanism that remains 011 the machine, no longer can hold the matrices in the magazine and it is necessary to move locking bar 43 into position to block exit cf the matrices. 'Ihis again is a well known requirement.

The present locking bar is providecl with a pair of dowels 45 that project trom the bar and extend through elongated slots 46 provided in escapement cover 40. The arrangement is such that as the bar moves from left to right it is elevated out of fuhe path of t=l1e matnices. Also, by virtue of the recesses 47 forrned in the front edge of the bar and abutments 48 placed on the inside of cover 40 the bar moves forwardly to the right in FIGS. 7 and 8) under the weight of the matrices as it moves from 1eft to n'ght. Conversely, as the bar moves from right 10 left as it would when fihe matrices are being locked therecln preparatory to the magazine being removed from the mchine, the bar descends I a position blocking the ears of the matrices. At the same time as the recesses 47 move out of engagement with abutn1ents 48 the matrices are moved away from the escapement pawls 44. Thus when a magazine is replaced on a maohine Ihere is 110 danger of the matrices damaging the escapement pawls when the magazine is bedng seated.

T0 prevent an inadvertent movement of the locking bar to :a matrix unblocking position a latch mechanism is provided. This means that a conscious eifort has to be made to rnove the bar from left to r-ight. The latching mechanism ds shown in FIG. 4. A pin 543 projecting irom the top of bar 43 cooperates With the irregularly shaped slot 51 of latch 52. The latch is formed at the end of one arm of U-spring 53, the other arm of Which is secured to the top of cover 40 by rivets 54. An upstanding flange 55 011 latch 52 enables the latch to be moved upwardly (FIG. 4) whereupon bar 43 can be moved towards the cright by means 0f the knob 58 formed on the bar. Bar 43 can be moved to the left wifihout aotuating latch 52 since such movement only acts to lock the matrices in the magazine. However, if the locking bar 43 we1'e tobe inadvertently moved from a locking position (as shown in FIG. 4) rightwa-rdly to an unlocking osition when the magazine is out of the machine an entire font 0f matrices, i.e., upwards of one thousand individual matrices, would be spilled onto the floor. Consequently, a latching mechanism is provided as desoribed.

As a double safety mechanism, the bar 43 cannot be moved to be right even if latch 42 is =actuated since the bar will still be locked in its matrix blocking osition by the engagement of a second latch 56 and dowel 45. The second latch 56 is also formed 011 one arm of a U-spring the 0111161 arm of which is fastened to the rear of cover 40 by rivets 57. The shape of the slot 60 in latch 56 is such that Ehe bar cannot be moved rightwardly unless fche latch ds raised. This is accomplished in operation by the action of plunger 61 which asses through side bar 12. The arrangement is such that When the magazine is seated =in the magazine frame cf a linecasting machine the plunger is engaged by 1;he escapement mechanism and pushed upwardly against the latch, thereby releasing the latch. New actuation of. latch 56 allo=ws bar 43 to be 4 moved rightwardly thus unblocking the matrices to permit their release from 11he magazine under control of the escapement pawls.

It is to be understood that many van'ations and apparent changes could be made in ethe preferred ernbodiment disclosecl without departiug from the spirit and scope of the invention and therefore it is ntencled that the specification and drawing be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

\Vhat is claimed zis:

1. A matn'x magazine -for a linecasting machine Wherein the matrix escapement mechanism is mounted on the machine and cooperates With the magazine when the magazine is placed 011 the machine, said magazine comprising a top plate and a bottom plate separated by a pair of side bars and grooved in their adjacent faces to form guiding channels for the matrices, an intermediate bar and an end bar spaced from the lower end of the bottom plale and secured 10 the side bars, said bars having grooves aligned with the grooves of said bottom plate to guide the matrices, and a matrix blocking means secured to the s1'de bars *at the lower end of said top plate having 1 a manually operated member for locking tl1e mat-rices in the magazine when the magazine is removed from the machine, charactem'zed in that said top plate is longer than said bottom plate and extends adjacent said intermediate =bar whereby said top plate and said intermediate bar support a matrix in upright osition pnior to its release fro-m the magazine.

2. A matrix magazine for a linecasting machine according to claim 1 inoluding a plurality of cross bars and a longitudinal center bar secured to -the bottom plate cf the magazine characterized in that the top and 12he bottom plates, the side bars, -the intermediate and the end bars, the cross bars and the center bar are all formed of aluminum.

3. A matrix magazine d50r a linecasting machine according to claim 1, wherein the matrix blocking means 1includes an escapement cover secured 10 the side bars adjacent the lower end of the top plate of uhe magazine, a matrix locking bar housed by said cover, a first latching means and a second latching means, both 0f which must be actuated before the matrix locking bar can be moved 10 an unblocking position, characterized in that each of said latohing means is integral With the free arm 0f a U-s'haped spring Ihat is secured to the esoapement cover and cooperates with a pin projecting from the locking bar.

4. A matrix magazine for a linecasting machine according to claim 1 wherein the matrrlx blocking means inoludes an escapement cover secured to the side bars adjacent 1:he lower end cf the top plate of -the magazine, a matrix locking bar housed by said.cover, and means responsive to movement of the locking bar transverse I0 ahe magazine for moving said bar downwardly into a matrix lock.ing position and then rearwaurdly to move the matrices away from the pawls of the escapement mechanism.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sperry Dec. 2, 1930 Mead May 2, 1933

Claims (1)

1. A MATRIX MAGAZINE FOR A LINECASTING MACHINE WHEREIN THE MATRIX ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM IS MOUNTED ON THE MACHINE AND COOPERATES WITH THE MAGAZINE WHEN THE MAGAZINE IS PLACED ON THE MACHINE, SAID MAGAZINE COMPRISING A TOP PLATE AND A BOTTOM PLATE SEPARATED BY A PAIR OF SIDE BARS AND GROOVED IN THEIR ADJACENT FACES TO FORM GUIDING CHANNELS FOR THE MATRICES, AN INTERMEDIATE BAR AND AN END BAR SPACED FROM THE LOWER END OF THE BOTTOM PLATE AND SECURED TO THE SIDE BARS, SAID BARS HAVING GROOVES ALIGNED WITH THE GROOVES OF SAID BOTTOM PLATE TO GUIDE THE MATRICES, AND A MATRIX BLOCKING MEANS SECURED TO THE SIDE BARS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID TOP PLATE HAVING A MANUALLY OPERATED MEMBER FOR LOCKING THE MATRICES IN THE MAGAZINE WHEN THE MAGAZINE IS REMOVED FROM THE MACHINE, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT SAID TOP PLATE IS LONGER THAN SAID BOTTOM PLATE AND EXTENDS ADJACENT SAID INTERMEDIATE BAR WHEREBY SAID TOP PLATE AND SAID INTERMEDIATE BAR SUPPORT A MATRIX IN UPRIGHT POSITION PRIOR TO ITS RELEASE FROM THE MAGAZINE.

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