US468974A - redfield - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) s'sheens-shet 1.

C. L. REDFIELD. MATRlX .MAKING MACHINE. No. 468,974. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. L. REDPIELD.

MATRIX MAKING MACHINE. No. 468,974. Patented Feb. I6, 1892.

3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

C. L. REDFIELD. MATRIX MAKINGr MACHINE.

No. 468,974. Patented Feb. I6. 1892.

@Z/WA .40. ,//QTMLMI @Z ff UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASPER L. REDFIELD, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGrNOR TO THE CHICAGO MATRIX MACHINE COMPANY.

MATRIX-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,974, dated February 16, 1892.

Application filed September 20, 1890i Serial No. 365,666. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

vBe it known that I, CASPER L. REDEIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi# cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Matrix-Making Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to matrix-machines adapted to form stereotype-matrices by the to successive impression of type-dies; and the object is, chiefly, the improvement of the mechanism for producing variable feed movements of the matrix material proportioned to the requirements of different characters to be impressed, and improvement of the means for spacing Words, whereby justification of the lines of impressions is facilitated. These objects are accomplished by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

2o Which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a matrix-machine, showing a portion of the interior devices in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view, part of the top of the machine being rez5 moved to show the improvements. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line o: x of Fig..2. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a side elevation and aplan of the space-registering devices.. Fig. 6 is a detail of the. block for sup- 3o porting the escapement-lever. Fig. '7 shows a vertical section of the portion of the machine containing the spacing-levers. Fig. S is a detail showing separately the eight ratchet-wheels of the feed mechanism and the rela- 3 5 tive positions of their respective pins and slots, and Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic View showing the course of the electric currents.

In such drawings, 1 designates the lower and 2 the upper portion of the machine frame 4o .or case. In the base of the lower portion 1 is a longitudinal slot 3, providing a guide for the rack-bar 4. The rack-bar is connected to a matrix-material carriage 5, and has teeth 6 atone side for engaging the driving-gear 7, and vertical teeth 8 for engaging a gear 9 for operating the escapement. The matrix-carriage 5 is moved by the rack to present successive portions of the matrix material at the printing-point 10, and the type-dies 11 are 5o carried and successively presented at the printing-point by the die-carrying lever 12, that is pivoted at 13 to a cross-head 14 in guides 15. On the free end of the lever is a circuit-controller 16, co-operating through a perforated index-plate 17 with an underlying 55 series of conducting-plates 18 for completing an electric circuit in the manner indicated in my patent, No. 416,742, of December -10, 1889.

Power is communicated to the driving-gear 6o 7 by a coil-spring 19, that has one of its ends attached to the hub of the gear and the other to a post 20, fixed in the base of the machineframe. On top of the hub of this gear-Wheel is secured a graduated disk 2l, from which 65 the movement of the gear, and hence the matrix-carriage movements, may be read.

On the hub 22 of the gear-wheel 9, that'actuates the escapement devices, is a series 23 of ratchet-Wheels consisting of eight Wheels 7o designated a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h, respectively, having teeth t on a portion of their peripheries and placed in position to have their sides in frictionalv contact. Each of these, except the wheel h, has anoblong slot 24, and each, except the wheel c, has a pin 25, that enters the slot in the wheel next to it. The wheel h is fast to the hub 22,While the others are loose on it and are free to turn each as far as the length of its slot 24 will permit. 8o The Wheels have their respective slots and pins, so arranged that When the pins are all at either extreme of their movement in the slots the teeth of all the wheels will coincide as though they Were the successive teeth of a single Wheel having a rim equal in Width to the combined rims of the several wheels. The slots in all the wheels are of such length as to permit each Wheel to rotate in advance ofthe next the space of one ratchet-tooth. 9o The relative positions of the slots and pins of the different wheels are shown in Fig. S. A pawl 26 for restraining their rotary movements is carried on a pivoted lever 27, Whose movements are in horizontal direction or parallel to the axes of the ratchet-wheels. The motor-spring 19 tends to move the rack 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow z, and thus turn the escapement-gear and the ratchet-Whecls carried by its hub in opposite diroo rection, so that a downward pressure will be exerted by the teeth t on the holding-pawl 26. A spring 28, fast toA the hub 22 and the wheel c, exerts a slight force, tending to turn that Wheel and with it the others in the same direction as the advance movement of the gear 9; but when the pawl is in engagement with any one of the ratchet-Wheels, except the one nearest the gear, the force of the spring 28 is overcome by the superior force of the motorspring 19.

The operation of these devices to cause variable feed movements is as follows: In the drawings the pawl is shown in its normal position engagingA the ratchet-wheel d, and all of the pins 25 are at the extreme ends of the slots 24 because of the tension of the motorspring acting through the rack upon the gear .9. If, then, the pawl is made to slide laterally from the wheel c 1o the wheel b, the positions of the other wheels c d, dac., and the gear are not affected; but the spring 28 is permitted to rotate the released wheel a as far as its slot 24 and the pin 25 on the wheel b will permit, which in this instance is an advance of one tooth. Returning the pawl from the wheel b to the wheel ct holds the latter in its advance position and permits the Wheel b to be advanced by the gear the same distance that the wheel a was advanced by its spring 28, and the movements ofthe gear 9 being adapted to effect corresponding matrix feed movements a feed movement equal to the space of one of the ratchets t will thus have been effected. The operation of the pawl in connection with each of the other ratchetwheels c d, dac., is the same as that described relative to the wheel b. Each successive wheel when co-operating with the pawl permits an escapement equal to as many teeth as there are wheels ahead of the engaged wheel in the series. From the foregoing it will be apparl ent that the variations of the feed movements depend upon the extent of the lateral movements of the pawl from its initial position.

The pawl-carrying lever 27 is pivoted to a post 29 in the machine-frame, and intermediate its ends is attached an armature 30, operated by a magnet 3l. A spring 32, attached -to the lever and to a post 33, serves to retract the armature from the magnet when the latter is not acting and hold the lever and armaf ture in the position shown in Fig. 2. Beneath the lever 27 is a series of seven stop-levers 34, that are pivoted on posts 35 and are actuated by a corresponding series of armatures and magnets 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 4l, and 42. These leversrare arranged to be thrown upward by the operation of their respective magnets until they come in contact with the under side of the lever 27, which causes the latter lever to slide on their surface while making its horizontal movements until stopped by a shoulder 43 on the operated stop-lever 3637, (he. These shoulders 43 are arranged in sequence as to their distance from the initial position of the lever 27, so that the throws of the latmental gear 49,`formed on theend of a lever 50, that is pivoted to a bracket 51 on the machine-frame, and the pawl has an arm 52, on which is a pin 5 3, and to the pawl-carrier 47 is attached a spring 54, that 'presses against' the pin 53 and serves to hold the pawl 46 in engagement with the ratchets of the wheel 45 while the gear 48 is being rotated in the direction of the arrow z by the force of the upward movement of thelever 50. 'When the latter lever is permitted tov gravitate tol the position 'shown in Fig. 4, the arm 52 rises to contact with the machine-frame 2 (or a suitably-arranged stop) and so, by compressing the spring 54, frees the pawl 46 from the ratchets, and the Wheel 45 is thus free to be turned by hand or by other means. The shaft 44 also carries a disk 55,that has graduations corresponding in number with the teeth of .the ratchet-Wheel 45, and when the latter vers 57, that are pivoted to posts 58 and carry on their other ends armatures 59, that are operated by magnets 60, 6l, 62, 63, and 64, respectively. Each of the armatures 59 is provided with a set-screw 65, by the adjustment of which the throw of each of the levers 57 may be Varied to regulate the extent of` movement that will be given by it to the lever 50, and hence regulate the extent of rotation of the ratchet-wheel 45.

Near the disk 55 is a circular plate 66, supported on a piece of insulating material'67, that is set in the machine-frame, and through the pieces 66 and 67 are stems 68, having iigured buttons 69 upon their upper ends and enlarged heads 70 on their lower ends, the keys being held in an elevated position by springs 7l. Beneath the lowerA heads 70 is a series of contact-points 72, supported in an insulating-piece 73, and from these contactpoints extend wires to the various magnets 60 6l, dto. These keys 69 are spacing-keys, and the numbers inscribed on them signify the amount` of space which they are adapted, respectively, to throw in between words in addition to the normal space used.

The type-dies and the feed movements as well are assumed to be based upon some system of measurement having gradations pro- .portioned to the Width of characters, preferably a unit system of measurement, in which all characters and the feed movements are IOO represented by the unit or by multiples of the unit. Then, if in such system the ordinary space thrown in between words be assumed to be equal to two of the units of measurement, the keyor button 69 for providing such space may be indicated with a O.

In case it is desired, in order to crowd more matter into a line to perfect the justification,

keys and their respective magnets 60 61, dac.,

are such that their operation causes the disk 55 to register what the operated keys indicate and not what the actual space thrown is. Thus, when the key marked 0 is struck, the disk 55 does not register. lVhen the key marked 1 is operated, it causes the disk to register one, and so when the key marked 1 is operated the register indicates one. These are arranged to register alike, because the minus and plus quantities are not to be used in the same combination, and when by mistake they are so used the error can be corrected by mental subtraction from the register. lVhen the key 2 is operated, two units of movement will be indicated on the register, and theseare extra spaces or spaces thrown in additional to the normal two-unit space, and so the keys 3 4, dao., will cause a registration of a corresponding number of extra spaces. The electric current enters at N, and has two branches, one branch n running to the plate 66 and the other n running to a magnet 74, that controls the impression device 75, and thence to the machine-frame v at the point76.

From the conducting-plates 18, under the index-plate 17, wires extend to the several magnets 36 37, dmc., for controlling the various feed movements, the first magnet 36 effecting a one-unit feed, the second 37 a two-unit feed, and so on in the series.

The magnet 60 of the series of extraspac-A ing magnets has two separate coils on the same core, so that if a circuit is completed through either the armature is attracted and the disk 55 is rotated one graduation.. One of these coils is connected with the magnet 36 and the other with the magnet 38, the

effects a like threeunit movement. The magnet 63 is connected with the magnet 41, and controls a four-unit movement, and the magnet 64 is connected with the magnet 42, and controls a tive-unit movement. The wires running out from the magnets 36 to ft2, 1nclusive, are grouped into one and pass through the magnet 3l, and thence out through the line O.

The operation isA as follows: The operator presses theindex-pin 16, that serves as a circuit-closer, through one of the holes on the index-plate, and if the character is one requiring two units of space-as t', forexamplethe current enters through theline N and fn to the magnet 74, thence through the line n2 to the machine-frame at 76, thence through the lever 12 and the pin 16 to the two-unit contact-plate 1S, thence through the wire d a to the magnet 37 and out through the wire a2 and the wire w to the magnet 3l, and thence out on the wire O to the source. Then a letter requiring three units of 'space is operated, the course of the electric current is the same as for a two-unit letter, until it reaches the appropriate conducting-plate 1S, whence it passes on the wire a b to the magnet 38, thence on the wires a3 and w to the magnet 31, and out, as in the former instance. For a tourunit character the current passes from the proper conducting-plate 13 through the wire ct c to the magnet 39, thence through the wires a4 and w to the magnet 31 and out, as before, and so the other feed movements are controlled by currents passed by the wires a d, duc., in the same manner to the different magnets 40, dac., and away from them by their respective wires d5, &c. If a normal space is to be thrown in between words, the operator presses the key marked O, and thus closes a circuit through the wires N n, the plate 66,

the pin 68, the contact 72, the wire n, that is connected to the'wire a 0L to the magnet 37, and thencel through the same course as when the operation has been for feeding for a let ter requiring two units of space; but of this feed movement no record is made on the register 55, for the reason that none of the magn'ets 60 61, dac., have been energized. If a space of one unit more than the normal space is to be thrown between words, the operator presses the button marked 1 and closes a circuit from the plate 66 through the wire c', one of the coils of the magnet 60 and the wire c a to the magnet 3S, thence the course is as before indicated. Energizing the magnet 60 causes its armature-lever 57 to be operated to lift the lever 50 and cause a movement of the registering device to indica-te' a feed of one unit. This, as will be understood, means one unit in excess of the normal space of two unit-s. If less than the normal space is to be thrown, the button marked 1 is depressed and closes a circuit through the wire c2 to the second coil of the magnet 60. The

course is thence by the wire c h to-the magnetY 36, thence by the wire ct to the wire w and mag- IIO net 31, and thence to the return wire. The effect upon the operation of the registering device of the energizing of this second coil of the magnet 60 is the same as in the instance of the other coil and causes a registration of a single unit; but this will be understood to be` the registration of a unit less than the normal-that is, of only one unit of movement- ,though the registration in bot-h instances is indicated in like manner on the register 55.` If a space equal to two units in excess of the normal is to be thrown, the button marked 2 is' operated, closing' the circuit through the wire c3 to the magnet 6l, thence by thel wire o 'c to the magnet 39, and thence by the Wire a3 to the Wire w. This operation causes the armature-lever of the magnet 6l to lift` the lever and cause a movement of the register equal to two units. In the same man n er each of the other spacing-keys causes a circuit to be completed through the appropriate wires and magnets, as indicated in Fig. 9 by broken lines and arrow-heads. From the foregoing it will be understood that each unit movement of the matrix'material is recorded on the register 21, and that spacing move- .ments of greater or less extent than the normal spacing movement are indicated by the register 55.

In order to utilize the two 'registers to indic ate proper spacing and justification, it is desirable to use prepared copy that indicates either the number of units of space occupied by the print in the copy or the number'of units of space required to complete the line, an arbitrary numberof units of space having been selected as the maximum for the lines. rl`hen from the copy the operator will see whether the lines to justify require to be exf panded or contracted and to what extent.

In operating a machine to produce a matrix the register 21 will show when the line is finished whether it contains the required number of units of measurement, and if it does, and the register shows the required number vof units of spacing movement for either the expansion, or contraction of the line, then it will be apparent to the operator that the line is of the proper length and the spaces'are such as are required,and hence it will be apparent from the registers, without inspection of the matrix, that the justification and the spacing are correct.

Patentable subject-matter herein disclosed and not claimed in the subjoined claims relating to the means for carrying, selecting, and impressing the dies, means for effecting the proper differential feed of the matrix-material carriage, as well as the specific devices disclosed for controlling the feed movements, and the means for effecting the variable spacing of words is reserved to be claimed in my pending applications, Serial No. 300,536, tiled February 20, 1889; Serial No. 301,178, iiled February 26, 1889; Serial No. 303,657, filed March 18, 1889; Serial No. 309,288, iiled May l, 1889; Serial No. 339,644, filed vFebruary 8, 1890; Serial No. 340,323, tiled February 13, 1890, and Serial No. 365,175, filed Septelnber i6, 1890.

What I herein claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A series of ratchet-wheels providing variable feed movements, a pawl adapted to permit such movements, a magnet for moving thepaWl, and a series of magnets and armatures each adapted to arrest said pawl at a differ- -ent position relative to the ratchet-wheels,

. to move the space of one tooth, a pawl normally in engagement with one of said ratchetwheels, electrical devices for moving it to any of the other Wheels, and means for retracting the pawl to the normal position, substantially as set forth. e 5. In an escapement, a series of co-operating ratchet-wheels, a pawl, electric devices for shifting it from one wheel to another, and movable stops for selecting the Wheels tobe engaged, substantially as set forth.

CASPER L. REDFIELD. Witnesses:

GEORGE P. JoNEs, E. B. SPRINGER.

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