THE MECHANISM 
 OF THE LINOTYPE 
 
 BY JOHN S.THOMPSON 
 
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 FRANKLIN INSTITUTE 
 LIBRARY 
 
 PURCHASED WITH INCOME 
 OF THE 
 
 JAMES T. MORRIS MEMORIAL 
 FUND 
 
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THE MECHANISM OF 
 THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 A COMPLETE AND PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE 
 INSTALLATION, OPERATION AND CARE OF 
 THE LINOTYPE, FOR THE NOVICE AS 
 WELL AS THE EXPERIENCED 
 OPERATOR. 
 
 By JOHN 
 
 With Full Information Concerning the New Two-letter 
 Machines, Not to be Found in Any Work 
 Heretofore Published. 
 
 Chicago : 
 
 THE INLAND PRINTER COMPANY. 
 1902. 
 
 54308 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ' J^^HE subject-matter of this book was first published 
 serially in The Inland Printer under the title 
 of The Machinist and the Operator." The many 
 assurances of the great help which the series afforded 
 have induced the publishers to produce it in its present 
 form under a new title. The entire work has been 
 revised and amended so as to include the latest improve- 
 ments added to the machine, and new chapters incor- 
 porated dealing- in detail with the two-letter attachment 
 and estimates of the cost of installing the machine. 
 Covering the field more fully and thoroughly than any 
 works now before the public, it is believed the book will 
 be found of inestimable value. It is presented in the 
 hope that it will meet with a hearty welcome by those 
 wishing to perfect themselves in this most important 
 branch of the graphic arts. 
 
A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE 
 INVENTOR. 
 
 TTMAR MERGENTHALER, inventor of the Linotype, 
 
 was born in Wiirttemberg, Germany, May lo, 1854, and 
 
 died October 28, 1899. He learned the trade of watch 
 and clock making, emigrating to America in 1872, securing 
 employment in the electrical instrument works of a relative in 
 Washington, D. C, later moving to Baltimore, Maryland, when 
 the shop was removed to the latter place. 
 
 It was while developing a process of typewriting to do away 
 with typesetting, and perfecting a machine for this purpose for 
 a customer, that Mr. Mergenthaler's inventive faculties were 
 first directed to the end he afterward achieved with such dis- 
 tinction. The first scheme attempted was to produce by type- 
 writing a print just like that produced from printer's type, and 
 to multiply the work so made by lithographing. The system 
 failed. The process was then changed and a machine con- 
 structed which impressed characters into papier-mache, and 
 lines of type were cast by the stereotype process from the 
 matrix so made. This proving impracticable, the attempt was 
 abandoned in 1879. 
 
 In 1883 Mr. Mergenthaler conceived the idea of assembling 
 metallic female matrices and casting molten metal into them 
 to form a type line in the same machine. An experimental 
 machine proved the idea feasible. In this machine the matrix 
 letters were stamped into upright bands, each carrying a full 
 alphabet, figures, points, etc., and the line was composed by 
 allowing the bands to descend until they were caught at the 
 proper elevation by stops, previously set up by operating the 
 keyboard. The line was justified by the operator striking the 
 space key until a pointer indicated that the line was filled 
 
6 
 
 A l!RIl-:i" SKliTCll OF THE IXN'ENTOR. 
 
 completely; the line was then cast. A new company was 
 formed in which Mr. Mergcnthaler secured an interest, and 
 new life was injected into the enterprise. 
 
 In 1885 a syndicate of newspaper men, composed of White- 
 law Reid, of the New York Tribune; W. N. Haldeman, of the 
 Louisville Courier- Journal; Victor Lawson and M. E. Stone, 
 of the Chicago Nezus; Henry Smith, of the Chicago Inter 
 Ocean; W. H. Rand, of Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago, and 
 Stilson Hutchins, of the Washington Post, bought a controlling 
 interest in the company, paying therefor the sum of $300,000. 
 
 The shortcomings of the band-matrix machine were in a 
 great measure overcome when, in 1885, Mr. Mergcnthaler 
 developed the independent-matrix machine, in which correc- 
 tions could be made as the matrices were assembled, the line 
 being automatically justified by the wedge space. The first 
 machine used commercially was in the office of the New York 
 Tribune, where it was used on the daily paper and also on a 
 large book, " The Tribune Book of Open-air Sports," which 
 was the first book composed by the new method of setting type. 
 Machines of this pattern were subsequently installed in the 
 offices of the Chicago Neivs, Louisville Courier- Journal, Wash- 
 ington Post and Providence Journal, all non-union offices. 
 
 The company's factory was removed to Brooklyn in 1888, 
 Mr. Mergcnthaler starting an independent factory of his own 
 in Baltimore. In 1890 he brought out a new style of Linotype, 
 which was a vast improvement over the machines then in use. 
 Its appearance was also entirely changed. The perpendicular, 
 separate channels containing the matrices were displaced by an 
 inclined magazine in one piece, the air-blast eliminated, new 
 locking-up and casting mechanism introduced — the entire 
 machine substantially resembling the Linotype of the present 
 day, with the exception of the base, which was a massive, 
 square afifair. The Brooklyn Standard-Union received the' 
 first machines of this pattern and was the first office to employ 
 members of the typographical union to operate them. The 
 New Orleans Times-Democrat and a number of other South- 
 ern and Eastern papers now installed machines, and the success 
 nf the Linotype was assured. 
 
A BRIEF SKKTCII OF THE INVENTOR. 
 
 7 
 
 Improvements were being continually made, the symmet- 
 rical column base, the light-acting keyboard, spring justifica- 
 tion and noiseless clutch being the most important. The 
 two-letter matrix and universal mold are the most recent 
 improvements, permitting italics, small-caps, and black-letter 
 running in the text to be produced without any change of 
 matrices or loss of time, and changes of length and thickness 
 of slug to be accomplished with one mold. Many of these 
 later improvements are the work of other inventors, though to 
 Mr. Mergenthaler belongs the honor of producing the machine 
 itself. 
 
 In 1894, in order to avoid litigation over the wedge space- 
 band, Mr. Mergenthaler devised the "step-justification" 
 machine, of which pattern 225 machines were built, but after 
 the purchase of the patent covering the double-wedge space 
 by the Linotype Company for the sum of $416,000, the manu- 
 facture of this pattern of machine was discontinued. 
 
 Broken in health, Mr. Mergenthaler shortly after retired 
 from active participation in the work of perfecting the Lino- 
 type, his death occurring in 1899. 
 
 About six thousand machines are now in use in the United 
 States, the royalty to the inventor and his heirs being $50 on 
 each machine built. 
 
 Besides the factory in Brooklyn, New York, factories in 
 Toronto, Canada ; Manchester, England, and Berlin, Germany, 
 are engaged in the manufacture of the Linotype, which are in 
 use in almost every country, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Oiling and Wiping the Machine 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 Ihe Cams and Their Action 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 The Care of Matrices and Spacebands 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Automatic Gas Governors 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 How to Make Changes 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The Matrix-releasing Mechanism 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The Assembler 
 
 CHAPTER VIH. 
 The Spaceband Box 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The Line-delivery Carriage and First Elevator 
 
10 
 
 CONTKNTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. PAGE 
 The Friction Clutch 67 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 T?iE Vise Automatic 71 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 The Mold Disk 75 
 
 CHAPTER XHI. 
 The Metal Pot 84 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 The Metal and I rimming Knives 90 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Matrix and Si-acedand Transfer 95 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Second Elevator and Distributor Bo.k 99 
 
 CHAPTER XV H. 
 The Distributor and the Magazine 104 
 
 CHAPTER XVHI. 
 Erecting a New Machine no 
 
 CHAPTER XTX. 
 Two-letter Attachment 115 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Plans for Installing ti8 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE 
 LINOTYPE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OILING AND WIPrNG THE MACHINE. 
 
 )F course, you have often been told 
 lliat an operator never could 
 become a Linotype machinist," said 
 the Machinist to the Operator, " but 
 I entertain a different opinion on that 
 subject. Now, as you are to be my 
 helper, I'll endeavor to teach you 
 what I know about this machine, and 
 if you apply yourself, by the end of a 
 year you will be able to handle a Lino- 
 tyi:»e as well as any one, or I'll miss my guess." 
 
 The new machinist had just taken charge, and 
 while the plant was not an old one, the machines were 
 not in the best of shape. He proposed to break in one 
 of the operators to help him. 
 
 " This whole plant needs a thorough cleaning." 
 continued the Machinist. " so if you'll get into your 
 fighting togs, get that long-spout oil can and a bunch 
 
12 THE ]MECIIANISM OF TIIK LIXOTYPK. 
 
 of waste, I'll show you the first rudiments of the busi- 
 ness — how to oil and wipe a machine. 
 
 " This oil cup standing above and behind the mold 
 disk, which oils the mold-disk bearing (see Fig. 21), 
 and the one behind the driving pulley, and the cup 
 at the other end of the driving shaft (see Fig. 16), 
 should receive attention twice a week. Oil moderately 
 once a week in all the other oil holes and cups. Com- 
 mence by oiling the two bearings of the short shaft 
 which turn the mold disk (see Fig. 22) ; then the two 
 bearings of the shorter one close to the metal pot ; the 
 six holes in the pump lever and bracket and the one 
 in the pump-lever roller (see Fig. 20) ; then oil the pot 
 lever and roller bearings (see Fig. 23) ; the one oil 
 cup on the ejector and mold slide ; the two holes in 
 each of the justification-lever roller bearings under the 
 cams; the roller bearings of the first elevator lever 
 which rests on the large cam outside of the machine 
 frame (No. i); the roller bearings of the second- 
 elevator lever which rests on cam No. 6 ; the two holes 
 in distributor-shifter lever bearing, and a drop on the 
 surface of the cam for same (No. 3) ; then the oil 
 cup on end of cam shaft. 
 
 " Now around to the back of the machine and oil 
 the four holes in that lower shaft and the four holes in 
 the shaft just above it, on which the first elevator, the 
 ejector lever, and the first and second justification 
 levers swing; a drop of oil in the holes in each justifi- 
 cation lever above the spring rods ; then the two holes 
 in bearings of the upper shaft on which the second 
 elevator is mounted ; the two oil cups on either end of 
 the driving shaft, previously mentioned, and the cup 
 
Till-: MI- CHAN ISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 1 3 
 
 on the inner side of the loose pulley. You'll have to 
 throw off the belt to get at this one. A little oil on the 
 mold-cam lever rollers (see Fig. 20), and a drop on 
 the pot-retracting cam on the other side of the gear 
 cam (No. 9). Now the bearings of the two rollers 
 you can see just above the driving pulley and inside 
 of the machine frame — the line-delivery carriage and 
 spaceband shifter-lever rollers; the oil holes in each 
 of those three short shaft bearings you see through 
 the square hole in the frame of the machine; the oil 
 cup on this end of the cam shaft and the two oil cups 
 on the intermediate shaft driven by the belt from the 
 main machine pulley ; the cup back of the intermediate 
 clutch ; a drop in each of the front and back keyboard- 
 roller bearings. And now around to the front of the 
 machine and put a drop in each of the bearings on the 
 other end of keyboard rollers; then oil this end of 
 each of the three short shafts you oiled from the rear. 
 Put a drop of oil in the oil holes in the intermediate 
 clutch pulley and the matrix-belt pulley just above it, 
 and in the two holes in the plate behind lower matrix- 
 belt pulley. Raise the assembler block and put a drop 
 in the bearing of assembler- wheel shaft (see Fig. 14). 
 Spread a little oil on the slides of the first elevator. 
 
 " Now lower the vise and oil this hole in the 
 bracket at end of vise-jaw closing screw ; oil the four 
 bearings of the justification rods and the automatic 
 dog or sliding pin (C, Fig. 18) ; the pin and roller of 
 line-shifting lever; a drop on the locking pins for the 
 mold disk. 
 
 " Close up the vise and climb up and oil the distrib- 
 utor (see Fig. 30). A drop in each of the tubes at 
 
14 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 either end of back screw (the one nearest to you), and 
 the three holes in the bracket on the front screws at 
 left-hand end and two holes on right-hand end ; also 
 cup over distributor clutch and one hole in the trip- 
 lever below the clutch. Oil the distributor-shifter 
 slideway and put a drop on that small cam on end of 
 the back distributor screw (the matrix-lift cam), and 
 on the pivot of the lift lever, and the job is complete. 
 
 " There are a few other oil holes which I'll show 
 you now," continued the Machinist, " but they don't 
 need oil except at long intervals. Slip the belt oflf the 
 distributor clutch pulley and raise the belt. If you 
 turn the pulley around now you will see a screw-head 
 and the word ' oil ' stamped near it. Remove the 
 screw and put a drop of oil in the hole occasionally. 
 The roller bearings of the assembler slide (see Fig. 
 13) and the bearings of assembling-elevator lever on 
 the keyboard need a drop now and then. The upper 
 guide for the second elevator — that block into which 
 the elevator seats itself beneath distributor-shifter 
 guide — should have a little oil rubbed over its sur- 
 face. The pawl on ejector lever can be oiled occasion- 
 ally. The keyboard pulleys also have oil holes. 
 Always follow the oil can with a bunch of waste and 
 wipe off all surplus oil and the dust which may have 
 accumulated. Other patterns of machines, of course, 
 have other oil holes to accommodate changes of parts. 
 
 " Now with a clean piece of cloth or waste wipe out 
 the assembler, the line-delivery channel, elevator jaws, 
 mold face and vise jaws, removing any metal adhering 
 to these latter surfaces ; the intermediate spaceband 
 channel, distributor box and distributor shifter buffer 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 15 
 
 — ill fact, all points touched by the matrices (except 
 the magazine) when circulating through the machine. 
 Now go around to the back and, while the machine is 
 running, wipe the surfaces of all the cams. Any dust 
 or grit on their surfaces cuts them down if not 
 removed. When through with that, spread a little oil 
 over the inside surface of the second cam (the one 
 with the segments on it). A block on the short shaft 
 alongside the metal-pot (see Fig. 22) slides over this 
 surface,- and a little oil will prevent undue wear. 
 
 " Here is a polishing compound with which you 
 can clean the nickeled parts and brighten the surfaces 
 of the magazines. This won't make the machines run 
 any better, but it adds to the appearance of the plant 
 and shows that the machines are taken care of. Some 
 day I'll get a bottle of brass lacquer and put a coat of 
 it on the surface of the magazines and they will stay 
 bright and will not tarnish after that. 
 
 "You can now go over the other machines the 
 same way. You won't need to stop the operators more 
 than a few minutes at a time, and by the time that job 
 is finished I guess it will be time to wash up." 
 
 " There must be nearly a hundred places to be oiled 
 on each machine," said the Operator, in a tone of 
 apprehension. 
 
 " Sixty-eight holes and eleven cups," answered the 
 Machinist, " besides the several bearings and surfaces 
 I showed you. It hadn't ought to bother an operator 
 to remember a few things like that." 
 
1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CAMS AND THEIR ACTION. 
 
 TO gain a complete knowledge of the mechanism 
 of the Linotype," said the Machinist one day, 
 " it is first necessary that you should understand the 
 functions of the cams which control the movements of 
 the machine and upon which its operations are depend- 
 ent. The assembling and distributing mechanisms 
 alone are independent of the main cams, they being 
 driven by a belt connected directly to the machine 
 driving pulley. The cams, however, are the * brains ' 
 of the machine, and we'll first take up the study of 
 them. 
 
 " Starting from the large cam outside the frame of 
 the machine, we will call this cam No. i. It is the first- 
 elevator cam, which lowers the matrix line to the 
 casting position, aligns it, elevates it to the point of 
 transferrence, and then returns the elevator to its first 
 position. The small roller resting on the surface of 
 this cam is connected with the first-elevator lever, 
 which reaches through the circular base of the 
 machine, and is attached' to the bottom of the first- 
 elevator by a short link. 
 
 "Cam No. 2, just inside the machine frame, is the 
 mold-turning cam. The toothed plates attached to it 
 
 16 
 
l lli: MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 impart rotation to a short shaft carrying a beveled 
 gear, which in turn is geared to the mold-turning 
 shaft that carries the pinion which turns the mold disk 
 (see Fig. 22). The short plate (^) is first to engage 
 the beveled gear, which turns the mold one-fourth of 
 a revolution, bringing it into casting position. The 
 longer plate (B) next engages the gear and turns the 
 
 Fig. I. 
 
 mold the remaining three-fourths of the revolution, 
 past the base-trimming knife to ejecting point. Stead- 
 iness and precision in the sudden stopping of the mold 
 disk is secured by a square block attached to the bevel- 
 gear pinion, which block slides over the inner surface 
 of this cam. 
 
 "Cam 3 is attached to cam 2, and is the distributor- 
 
l8 THE xMECilANlSM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 shifter cam, which, at each revolution of the cams, 
 engages a projection attached to the distributor shifter 
 and shifts the Hne of matrices from the second elevator 
 into the distributor box. 
 
 "Cam 4 is the second- justification cam. The justi- 
 fication lever, directly under this cam, carries a roller 
 which rides on the surface of the cam. This lever, 
 which is forked at its front end, also operates the vise- 
 closing screw. 
 
 "Cam 5 is the first- justification cam, which, like the 
 second- justification cam, operates its lever to justify 
 the line of matrices. 
 
 "Cam 6 is the second elevator cam. The roller 
 resting on its surface follows its contour and lowers 
 the second elevator to receive the matrix line, raising it 
 then to the distributor. 
 
 "Cam 7 is the pump cam, a roller on the pump lever 
 following its surface and operating the pump to cast 
 the line. 
 
 "Cam 8 is the pot cam, its function being to lock 
 the pot firmly against the mold disk before the line is 
 cast. A roller carried by the pot lever is the medium 
 through which this pressure is exerted at the proper 
 point. 
 
 "Cam 9 is the driving gear and mold cam. The 
 gear meshes with a pinion (C, Fig. i6) on a shaft 
 directly underneath, driven by the driving pulley of the 
 machine. The left-hand side of this gear wheel is 
 channeled out to form a cam in which a roller (i, Fig. 
 2o) operates to advance the mold disk and lock it up 
 against the assembled line of matrices and, after the 
 line is cast, to withdraw the mold, again advancing it 
 
THE MECllANlSxM OF TlUi LINOTYPF.. I9 
 
 before ejectment of the slug and withdrawing it after 
 skig is ejected. This gear wheel also carries on its 
 right-hand side, near the periphery, a small lug, called 
 the pot-retracting cam, because it retracts the pot after 
 the line has been cast. Another block on the left-hand 
 side of the same gear wheel engages the pawl on the 
 ejector lever and carries it forward, ejecting the line 
 from the mold. 
 
 "Cam 10 is the most interesting cam of all. It is 
 the line-delivery and elevator-transfer cam, acting also 
 to retract the ejector lever after slug is ejected from 
 mold. This cam carries the automatic safety and stop- 
 ping pawls and controls the movements of the line- 
 delivery carriage and the transferring of the matrix 
 line from the first to the second elevator and the 
 shifting of the spacebands into the spaceband box. It 
 really consists of two cams in one, the larger or outer 
 cam controlling the return of the line-delivery carriage 
 and the smaller or inner one causing the movements 
 of the line-transfer mechanism. 
 
 " If you will look between this cam and the machine 
 frame just in front of the cam-shaft bearing, you will 
 see two small rollers mounted on short arms or levers. 
 The one farthest to the front connects by shaft and 
 lever with the line-delivery carriage. You notice this 
 roller stands about three inches away from the larger 
 cam. When a line of matrices is elevated, a latch is 
 released by the assembling elevator, the line being 
 carried to the left by one of those heavy coil springs 
 you see in the hollow frame of the machine. As the 
 line moves to the left toward the first elevator, the cam 
 roller approaches its cam until, when the line of 
 
20 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 matrices is fairly within the elevator jaws, the roller 
 strikes against the stopping pawl carried by this cam. 
 The stopping pawl is knocked to the right, out of 
 engagement with the stop lever (b, Fig. 17) on which 
 it rested, the friction clutch is released and the cams 
 revolve. Now, the shape of this cam causes the roller 
 to return to its original position, where the line-deliv- 
 ery carriage is caught by its latch and held there. The 
 cams revolve beyond this point, and the stopping pawl 
 again coming in contact with the clutch throw-off, the 
 machine comes to a stop. 
 
 " The second cam roller has followed the contour 
 of the smaller cam during the revolution of the machine 
 and has caused the matrix line to be transferred from 
 the first to the second elevator at the proper time." 
 
 " What is that second pawl on the larger cam for? " 
 asked the Operator. 
 
 " That is a safety pawl and its purpose is to cause 
 the machine to stop by striking the stop lever, just as 
 the stopping pawl does, whenever anything occurs to 
 prevent the second elevator coming down into position 
 to receive the matrix line from the first elevator or 
 whenever the shifter mechanism is caught so as to 
 prevent the cam roller following the surface of the 
 cam. If the roller docs follow the surface of the cam, 
 you will notice that it pushes the safety pawl to the 
 right and prevents its coming in contact with the stop 
 lever. The second coil spring in the hollow frame 
 holds the roller normally against the cam." 
 
 " You said something about the spacebands being 
 shifted by this cam. How is tliat accomplished ? " the 
 Operator asked. 
 
THE MECIlAXISAf OF TllK r.INOTYPE. 
 
 21 
 
 " The shifting- of the spacchands is an auxiliary 
 movement to the transferring of the matrix Hne. The 
 lever which is connected with the transfer mechanism 
 is connected also by a link to the spaceband-shifter 
 
 lever, so that the motion 
 of the former in trans- 
 ferring the line advances 
 the spaceband shifter, 
 and when the transfer 
 mechanism returns to its 
 original position it 
 causes the spaceband 
 shifter to retreat also, the 
 shifter hook carrying the 
 spacebands with it to the 
 spaceband box." 
 
 " How does this cam 
 retract the ejector ? " was 
 the next question. 
 " In this way," returned the Machinist ; " the right- 
 hand side of the larger or outer cam is so shaped that 
 it engages a projecting lug on the ejector lever, and 
 carries the latter with it as it revolves, withdrawing it 
 from the mold. This cam also unlocks the safety hook 
 which holds the second elevator in an elevated posi- 
 tion." 
 
 Is there any danger of the cams slipping out of 
 their position and causing a smash-up?" asked the 
 Operator. 
 
 "No, no danger of that," the Machinist replied, 
 " though I've known the last cam, No. lo, to become 
 loose and slip to the right. All the other cams inside 
 
 Fig. 
 
22 'J'U l': -M i:r I I A.\ IS.M OK '.IM1.1-: 1.1 NO'I VI'E. 
 
 the machine frame are hohcd together and can not slip, 
 while all the cams are keyed so it is impossible for 
 them to change their position except sidewise. The 
 slipping of the cam No. lo would be evident by the 
 failure of the line-delivery carriage and spaceband 
 transfer to return far enough to act properly. It's easy 
 enough to slip the cam back, should this occur, and 
 make it fast by the set-screw. 
 
 " When you understand thoroughly the action of 
 the various cams," continued the Machinist, " you will 
 have a fairly good insight into the mechanism of the 
 Linotype. Watch and study them while the machine 
 is running. Their consecutive and simultaneous move- 
 ments you should be familiar with, so I have made out 
 a list that you can study at your leisure." 
 
 The list he handed the Operator was as follows: 
 The assembled line of matrices is raised in the 
 assembler and taken between the fingers of the line- 
 delivery carriage, which is released and carried to the 
 left into the first elevator. This movement causes the 
 driving clutch to be thrown into action, the cams 
 revolving in a direction toward the front of the 
 machine. The resulting movements are: 
 
 1. Mold disk revolves one-quarter of a revolution, 
 carrying the mold from ejecting into casting position. 
 
 2. First elevator descends with matrix line to posi- 
 tion in front of mold, first justification lever also 
 descending a trifle to actuate slug lever. 
 
 3. The mold disk moves forward toward matrices, 
 leaving .010 of an inch space between the vise jaws and 
 matrices and face of mold. 
 
 4. Vise-closing lever rises, allowing the vise-clos- 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 23 
 
 ing screw to move left-hand vise jaw to the hmit of the 
 line being cast. 
 
 5. First-justification lever rises, causing space- 
 bands to be driven upward through line successively, 
 and also operating the slug lever. 
 
 6. First- justification lever descends, relieving the 
 spacebands from upward pressure. 
 
 7. Vise-closing lever descends, moving the vise- 
 closing screw and slightly reheving the matrix line 
 from pressure, to allow alignment of matrices. 
 
 8. First elevator rises 1-32 of an inch, lifting the 
 matrices, so their lower ears are aligned against the 
 upper shoulder of groove in mold, causing vertical 
 alignment. 
 
 9. The pot advances, pushing the mold forward 
 against the matrices, causing their alignment face- 
 wise. 
 
 10. The pot recedes, relieving the matrix line 
 from pressure of the mold. 
 
 11. Vise-closing lever rises, allowing the left-hand 
 vise jaw to move so as to finally limit the length of the 
 matrix line. 
 
 12. First and second justification levers rise simul- 
 taneously, pushing spacebands upward to complete 
 justification. 
 
 During actions 3 to 12 the line-delivery carriage 
 returns to its normal position, and is now ready to 
 receive another line of matrices from assembler. The 
 line will be held waiting in line-delivery channel until 
 the first elevator is ready to receive it. 
 
 13. The pot locks up against the mold, forcing the 
 mold forward against the matrix line. 
 
24 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 14. The pump aci;s and metal is forced into the 
 mold cell to form a slug. 
 
 15. Metal-pot and mold disk retreat, withdrawing 
 face of slug from matrices, the upward pressure on 
 first elevator being relieved simultaneously. 
 
 16. Justification and vise-closing levers descend. 
 
 17. The mold disk stops and pot is retracted, sepa- 
 rating mouthpiece of pot from base of slug. 
 
 18. The mold disk revolves through three-quarters 
 of a revolution, carrying the slug past the base-trim- 
 ming knife, trimming the slug to height and presenting 
 the slug in a vertical position in front of two trimming 
 knives. During this action the first elevator rises 
 and the second elevator descends to the intermediate 
 channel. 
 
 19. The transfer carriage now transfers the line 
 from the first to the second elevator, moving back to 
 allow the second elevator to rise and lift the matrices 
 out of intermediate channel, the spacebands remaining 
 behind, while the mold disk moves forward on to the 
 locking pins and ejector advances to eject slug from 
 mold. 
 
 20. The transfer carriage and spaceband lever 
 now approach, pushing the spacebands under the 
 spaceband pawl, the ejector blade advancing and 
 forcing the slug from mold between the front trim- 
 ming knives to the slug receiver in front. 
 
 21. First elevator descends to normal position and 
 second elevator rises, conveying matrices to distributor 
 box, the distributor shifter moving outward to be in 
 readiness to shift matrices into the distributor box. 
 
 22. Spaceband shifter and transfer levers retreat, 
 
THE MECIIANlSiM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 25 
 
 conveying the spacebands to the spaceband box, the 
 distributor shifter feeding matrix hne into distributor. 
 
 23. Ejector and mold retreat to normal position, 
 the justification lever rising slightly to actuate slug 
 lever, pushing slugs to the left. 
 
 The machine has now made a complete revolution. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE CARE OF MATRICES AND SPACEBANDS. 
 
 WHAT is the best thing to clean spacebands 
 with ? " asked the Operator one day. " The 
 machinist who worked here before you came used to 
 clean them with coal oil. Is that a good plan ? " 
 
 " Yes, that's all right once in a while," answered 
 the Machinist, " to wash them in coal oil, but I'm a 
 firm believer in the graphite theory, and my experience 
 is that there's nothing so good as graphite — provided 
 you use the proper kind. There are some grades that 
 are the worst thing possible to use. There is a special 
 brand made by the Dixon Crucible Company for type- 
 setting machines which I always get. It comes high, 
 but it's cheap in the long run. 
 
 " I have some of it here in this tin can," continued 
 the Machinist, " and if you'll take the bands out of that 
 idle machine over there I'll show you how I clean 
 them — which, however, will be your work hereafter. 
 
 " Do you see that discolored spot on the sleeve 
 (Fig. 3) ? The cast occurs at that point on the space- 
 band and if that discoloration is not removed, metal 
 will eventually adhere to the sleeve and then when the 
 wedges are driven up in the act of justifying a line of 
 matrices, the lumps of metal on the spaces crush in the 
 walls of the matrices next to them. It will take but a 
 
 26 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 27 
 
 few hours' time with spaces in that condition to ruin a 
 whole set of matrices. 
 
 "Now, I first rub that spot on the sleeve on a 
 board to remove the stain, being careful to hold the 
 band perfectly flat to avoid rounding the edge, and 
 then polish the whole band with 
 graphite sprinkled over a piece of 
 felt tacked on a board. This makes 
 them so slick that the wedges slide 
 up and down freely, and when you 
 get a number of them in a line the 
 justification springs will be able to 
 drive them up without any trouble. 
 The graphite also prevents the adhe- 
 sion of metal at the casting point. 
 
 " Take the spacebands out of each 
 machine every morning before the 
 operators begin and clean them in 
 this way. Be careful when replacing 
 them in the spaceband box to turn the 
 sleeves to the right. This is most 
 important, as the wedges can not be 
 driven up freely if the bands are 
 turned the wrong way in the machine 
 and the result will be metal will enter 
 between the matrices when casting 
 and the slugs will show ' hair-lines ' 
 when printed from. 
 
 " I'll set the automatic pump-stop 
 lever so the machines will not allow 
 a short line to be cast, and then if the 
 matrices show ' hair-lines ' in the 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
28 THE MECHANISM OE THE LINOTYPJ:. 
 
 print you will be held responsible, and you'll lose vour 
 yellow jacket — savvy ? " 
 
 " How do you set that short-line lever? " asked the 
 Operator. 
 
 " First of all, we'll take off all these vise-jaw clos- 
 ing springs," replied the Machinist. " They're bad 
 things to use in connection with a pump stop, and the 
 company doesn't apply them to machines now being 
 built. 
 
 " This pump stop {H, Fig. 4) is pivoted at its 
 elbow {d^) and is operated by the justification lever 
 
 disconnect the pump plunger to avoid accidents and 
 pull out the starting lever and let the machine turn 
 over until it nearly reaches the casting point, when stop 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 (/). If this lever 
 rises to its extreme 
 limit it should strike 
 against and raise the 
 end of the pump-stop 
 lever {h') so as to 
 cause its upper end to 
 slip beneath the small 
 block (A) on the pump 
 lever (£), and thus 
 prevent the plunger 
 descending and cast- 
 ing the line. The ad- 
 justment is made by 
 the screw {h') against 
 which the justification 
 lever strikes. Loosen 
 this screw first; then 
 
THIC MECHANISM OF THE I J NOTVPi':. 29 
 
 it. The vise jaw is open, of course, and the lever (/) 
 is up to its full stroke. Now screw down the adjusting 
 screw (h') until the upper end of the pump stop passes 
 beneath the block (h) on the pump lever. Tighten the 
 jam-nut on the adjusting screw and leave it alone ever 
 after. 
 
 " Now a line with spacebands in it and enough 
 matrices to prevent the spacebands being driven to 
 their utmost capacity will not allow the justification 
 lever to rise high enough to trip up the pump stop ; but 
 if the line does not contain enough matrices, the lever 
 will rise to its limit, driven by the justification spring, 
 the pump stop will be actuated, and no cast will occur. 
 
 " If the pump-stop were not set so as to prevent 
 a loose line casting, the metal would enter between the 
 matrices and show as ' fins ' in the print. 
 
 " The new pattern of pump stop is operated by the 
 right-hand vise jaw. A compound lever is mounted 
 on the machine frame above the mold slide, one end 
 of the lever standing below a block on the inner side of 
 the pump lever, the other end of the pump-stop lever 
 reaching to the front of the machine and lying just 
 behind the right-hand vise jaw, which has a little play. 
 The pump lever in this pattern is always locked except 
 when a line of matrices containing enough spacebands 
 to spread it far enough to move the right-hand vise jaw 
 is sent in to be cast. The leverage of the pump stop is 
 such that a very slight movement of the vise-jaw with- 
 draws the other end of the lever from beneath the 
 block on the pump lever and permits the line to be cast. 
 Of course, if the line is not full enough, the jaw will 
 not be moved and no cast will occur. There is an 
 
30 Till'; MliCilAXlSM OF Till': l.lNUTVl'E. 
 
 adjustment on this style of pump stop on the lever 
 behind the vise jaw. The way to set this is to send in 
 a full line of matrices and spacebands and when the 
 spacebands are up to their full stroke turn the adjust- 
 ing screw so that the block on the pump stop is just 
 cleared by the end of the lever. A short line then will 
 not cast." 
 
 " How often should the matrices be cleaned ? " 
 asked the Operator. " I suppose they get dirty and 
 greasy after a time." 
 
 " Well, that depends a great deal on the way the 
 matrices are handled by the operators or any one else 
 who may have dirty or greasy hands. Then, too, 
 unless the path of the matrices through the machine is 
 kept clean and free from oil the matrices will become 
 foul. It is oftener the magazine that needs cleaning 
 than the matrices. Dust settles in the magazine and 
 sometimes, though it should be guarded against, free 
 graphite is carried into the channels. If the matrices 
 are run out and the magazine brushed out, first dry, 
 then with a brush dampened with gasoline, and then 
 when dry polished with graphite sprinkled on the 
 brush, paying particular attention to the top plate of 
 the magazine, the mats, will slide all right and never 
 need more than a rub of their ears on a board to clean 
 them. If, however, oil is allowed to get on the mat- 
 rices they will have to be washed in gasoline, though 
 they should always be polished in graphite after so 
 doing. If the matrices are old, washing them will 
 probably make them show ' hair-lines.' When the 
 walls of the matrix get crushed in a little the dirt on 
 the sides will gradually fill up the depressions so the 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 3I 
 
 ' fins ' won't show. Of course, washing the matrices 
 would clean this all out, and the result would be what 
 this office won't stand for — ' hair lines.' 
 
 " Right here, however, I want to warn you that 
 whenever a matrix or two fails to respond it is not an 
 infallible sign that the matrices need cleaning. Nine 
 cases out of ten it is the mouth of the magazine that is 
 befouled. To clean this, insert the round rod in that 
 hole drilled in the right-hand side of the magazine a 
 couple of inches above the lower end (i, Fig. 29), and 
 shove the rod through to the other side of magazine. 
 Then run out the two matrices in each channel which 
 remain below this stop-rod. You can then lower the 
 flexible front guide by unlatching the large front glass 
 and depressing the flexible front until it is disengaged 
 from beneath the magazine mouth. Those four hinged 
 escapement covers can then be raised and the escape- 
 ments and the magazine mouth thoroughly cleaned. 
 The new pattern of magazine has the escapement cover 
 in one piece, with locks on each end. You will find 
 this plan much more effective and quicker than brush- 
 ing out the magazine, or cleaning the matrices when- 
 ever the latter refuse to respond to the touch of the 
 key. These escapements should be examined in every 
 instance after brushing out the magazine, as bristles 
 from the brush frequently get caught in the escape- 
 ments and bind them so they can not move. Touch the 
 keys and notice their action while the covers are 
 raised," 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE AUTOMATIC GAS GOVERNORS. 
 
 I NOTICE we don't have hot and cold metal any 
 more," remarked the Operator to the Machinist. 
 " That was the bane of our lives formerly. What did 
 you do to prevent it ? " 
 
 " Well, in the first place," the Machinist replied, 
 " I found that the governor on the main pipe wasn't 
 acting at all. The float in it was weighted down so 
 that whenever the pressure 
 in the main fluctuated, the 
 heat under the pot varied 
 likewise, which variation 
 the governor is intended to 
 prevent. 
 
 " Here is a sectional 
 diagram of the governor 
 (Fig. 5), which is a simple 
 affair, but evidently little 
 understood by some. The 
 gas from the main enters the governor and flows in 
 the direction indicated by the arrows. A float E has 
 its rim D immersed in mercury, a rod extending down- 
 ward from the float connecting it with the valve H. 
 The pressure of the gas tends to raise the float E and 
 
 32 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 33 
 
 thus close the aperture at H. To overcome this ten- 
 dency a sufficient weight F is placed on the float to 
 admit a moderate flow of gas. The mercury acts as a 
 flexible seal around the rim D of the float and prevents 
 the escape of gas. Should the pressure in the main 
 fall ofif, the float sinks deeper into the mercury and the 
 opening at H is enlarged thereby to admit a larger 
 volume of gas. When the pressure increases, the float 
 rises and partly closes the opening at H. Obviously, 
 
 if a heavy weight is 
 placed at F the float 
 can not respond to the 
 varying pressures, and 
 the result will be hot 
 and cold metal. When 
 replacing the cover C 
 care must be taken to 
 prevent its interfer- 
 ence with the move- 
 ment of the float." 
 
 " Does the machine 
 governor act on the 
 same principle ? " the 
 Operator questioned. 
 
 " No," replied the 
 Machinist ; " its ac- 
 tion depends entirely 
 on the temperature of 
 the metal in the pot. I 
 have here a diagram of the gas governors which are 
 attached to these machines. This is the way this 
 governor works : The gas from the supply pipe enters 
 
34 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 the tube A (Fig. 6) and flows upward through an 
 opening near the upper end of the iron tube B. 
 Descending through this central tube, the gas escapes 
 from its lower end between the tube and the surface of 
 the mercury E, and then passes up around the tube B 
 and downward through the tube C to the burners under 
 the metal-pot. That part marked M is a valve which, 
 when turned, opens a by-pass directly between the 
 tubes A and C. The governors formerly applied to 
 machines did not have this by-pass, but are alike in all 
 other particulars. By means of that valve and by-pass 
 a full head of gas can be sent to the burners without 
 disturbing any adjustments in case of cold metal or 
 when heating up in the morning. 
 
 " The mercury is contained in the tube and a holder 
 which extends under the mouth of the metal-pot. 
 When the temperature of the metal increases, the 
 column of mercury expands and its surface rises 
 toward the opening in the lower end of the tube B, 
 thus reducing the space through which the gas passes 
 and diminishing the flow of gas to the burners. When 
 the metal in the pot cools, the column of mercury 
 contracts, the opening between it and the bottom of the 
 tube is enlarged, and more gas flows to the burners. 
 The reason the gas doesn't go out completely when the 
 mercury entirely closes the opening in the bottom of 
 the tube B is because there is a small pinhole higher up 
 in the tube at H, which allows enough gas to flow to 
 the burners to keep them lighted. 
 
 " When the metal-pot is cold the mercury should be 
 in view in the lower part of the glass tube. When the 
 metal in the pot reaches the proper temperature, the 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 35 
 
 surface of the mercury should just touch the lower end 
 of the tube B. The proper temperature is about 540 
 degrees for new metal ; old metal requires less heat — 
 between 520 and 525 degrees. The tube B can be 
 lowered by loosening the screw A^. The latest style of 
 governor does not have the adjustable tube B, but has 
 a solid plunger which is adjustable, and can be lowered 
 into the mercury, which it thus displaces and causes 
 the mercury to rise and close the aperture as much as 
 is desired. This type of governor also has a pressure 
 indicator mounted on top of it. 
 
 " When the adjustment is once made, the tempera- 
 ture will be automatically regulated, and the tube 
 should not be moved unless from leakage or oxidization 
 there is a loss of mercury, when the screw K can be 
 taken out and mercury added, after which the tube B 
 should be properly readjusted to height. The mercury 
 should be emptied from the governor periodically and 
 the dirt and oxides removed." 
 
 " How can you tell when the metal is at the proper 
 temperature without a thermometer? " asked the Oper- 
 ator. 
 
 " You've noticed me fold up a strip of paper and 
 plunge it into the metal, haven't you?" replied the 
 Machinist. " Well, if the paper turns a dark brown, 
 it's too hot. The paper will turn a light brown at the 
 edges when metal is at the proper temperature. Low- 
 ering or raising the adjustable tube B the thickness of 
 a sheet of paper will alter the temperature several 
 degrees." 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 now TO MAKE ClIANGliS. 
 
 HE Operator had frequently seen the machines 
 
 changed, and had assisted in this work, but was 
 not quite confident of his abiUty to make a change in 
 the absence of the Machinist, so one day he asked him 
 to explain how the thing should be done. 
 
 " You know, of course," said the Machinist, " that 
 all our molds in this plant are fixed as to the size of 
 body they will cast, but are adjustable in length. The 
 company is now making a new universal mold, capable 
 of adjustment to cast any length of line up to thirty 
 ems of any size from ruby to pica. We have here two- 
 mold disks, or, in other words, a separate mold for 
 each size of type we use. There are four-mold disks in 
 use in some offices, but the new universal mold takes 
 the place of nine adjustable molds, so book-offices 
 nowadays are ordering nothing but the universal mold. 
 In the latter mold, the upper portion or cap is movable, 
 and to change from one size of body to another it is 
 only necessary to remove both end liners and insert 
 ones of the proper thickness, the liners being held in 
 place by three screws in the rim of the disk, which can 
 be tightened down on the movable cap. 
 
 " I have to change this machine from 24-em brevier 
 
 36 
 
THE MECJiAXISM OE Till': El XUTVl'l':, 
 
 37 
 
 to 20-em nonpareil," continued the Machinist, " so if 
 you will pay attention I'll explain how it is done. 
 
 " The controlling- lever to the left of the keyboard 
 must be pushed back and the vise lowered. Back the 
 machine a little by pushing against the first-elevator 
 cam (No. i), far enough to allow the ejector lever to 
 be pushed forward by its handle which stands above 
 the cams of the machine. When the ejector lever is 
 pressed forward it causes the ejector blade to project 
 through the mold (Fig. 7). If the blade does not 
 
 advance easily, turn the mold disk slightly while press- 
 ing forward on the ejector lever. The ejector should 
 project only about an inch beyond the mold face. 
 Now reach your right hand in alongside the mold slide 
 and grasp the releasing lever and draw it to you. The 
 ejector can now be withdrawn. 
 
 "As we are changing from a large to a smaller 
 slug, the 20-em nonpareil ejector can now be inserted 
 through the mold. Press the ejector firmly into its 
 seat, holding meanwhile the releasing lever with your 
 
 Mo/d Dish 
 
 Ejector 
 Removed 
 
 Jnserted 
 Pjwugh Mold 
 
 Fig. 7. 
 
3^ 'j'ui': .milCHA.n iSAi of thI': uxoTvrE. 
 
 light hand, restoring the lever Avhen the blade is in 
 position. Yon can now bring the machine into original 
 position by pulling out the controlling lever. 
 
 " To change the liner in a mold, remove the split or 
 cotter pin which holds the mold pinion (H, Fig. 22) 
 in place. Slide the pinion forward far enough to clear 
 the pin on the flange. Now by turning the pinion you 
 can revolve the mold disk and bring the mold to be 
 changed into a position midway between the pinion 
 and the casting position of the mold. This is the most 
 convenient point to get at the mold screw {A, Fig. 8), 
 
 Fig. 8. 
 
 which must now be loosened, when the liner can easily 
 be pushed out of the mold from the rear." 
 
 " This liner seems to stick pretty tightly," said the 
 Operator. " Shall I drive it out ? " 
 
 " Yes, but be careful how you do it," cautioned the 
 Machinist. " Get a piece of old brass rule and then 
 drive close to the shoulder of the liner. If you drive 
 against the end of the liner you will be liable to 
 spring it. 
 
 " When substituting the liner desired, see that you 
 
THE MECHANISM OP THI': I.I ^•(|■^^• I'l'.. 39 
 
 get it perfectly flush with the mold face. Now tighten 
 the screw (A) again, revolve the mold until the one 
 desired is in ejecting position (Fig. 7), when the pin- 
 ion will slide back into place and you can restore the 
 cotter pin. There is a punch-mark on the gear of the 
 mold disk and also on the pinion. These marks will 
 match if the mold is in proper position. 
 
 " That 20-em liner you gave me to put in the mold 
 was marked 10. Was that all right ? " asked the 
 Operator. 
 
 " Sure thing," the Machinist replied. " This is a 
 30-em mold and a No. 10 liner will cast a 20-em line. 
 Some of these machines are equipped with 24-em 
 molds, however, so a liner marked 10 will in these 
 molds cast only a 14-em line. The liners are marked 
 in the ems of their length, measured from shoulder 
 to end. 
 
 " If we had been changing from a small to a larger 
 slug, the larger ejector blade could not have been 
 inserted until the mold had been changed. In any case, 
 consider whether the ejector can be removed after 
 mold is changed or whether it must be done first. In 
 some cases, as when changing from a short, thick slug 
 to a longer and thinner one, or vice versa, the ejector 
 must be removed first, the mold changed, and the 
 proper ejector then inserted. In other cases the ejector 
 need not be changed at all, as a brevier blade will do 
 for temporary use in ejecting a long primer line, and it 
 is never necessary to use ejectors for every em length 
 of line ; a i6-em ejector will work perfectly with a 
 17-em line. The even numbers in ejectors are all that 
 arc needed. 
 
40 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 " The new universal mold disk has a long, narrow 
 slot cut through it so that ejector blades may be 
 removed and inserted through this slot when it is 
 turned into proper position. 
 
 " In case it is desired to use the second mold in the 
 disk and the liner does not need to be changed, nor the 
 ejector, it is unnecessary to lower the vise. Slip the 
 cotter pin out and the pinion can be slid forward far 
 enough to allow the disk to be revolved to bring the 
 desired mold into proper position. 
 
 " We must now change the position of the vise jaw 
 to conform to the change in length of slug," said the 
 Machinist. " The arrangement for this purpose now 
 being placed on all new machines is a great improve- 
 ment over the old method, and I have ordered the 
 necessary parts and will attach the new device to all 
 these machines. The principle of it is shown in this 
 drawing. (Fig. 9). The left-hand vise jaw A rests 
 against the end of a rod C, which is graduated to half- 
 
 FlG. 9. 
 
 ems. This rod is supported by the block B and held in 
 position by the corrugated pin D. To change the 
 length of the face on the slug it is only necessary to 
 remove the pin D, slide the rod C to the position 
 desired, as indicated by the em-scale E directly under- 
 
TTiE Mi'X'ii ANiSM oi" 'riii-: 1 .1 xc)•^^•l■i••.. 41 
 
 neath the rod, and replace the pin. Not having this 
 attachment on these machines at present, it is necessary 
 to take out the screw in the vise-closing screw plate, 
 replacing it after turning the square-headed screw 
 until the vise jaw is in the required position. Some 
 machinists have blocks cut to various lengths in ems, 
 and instead of turning the vise-jaw closing screw when 
 changing length of line, they slip these blocks between 
 end of screw and the vise jaw. 
 
 " With these machines it is necessary to press down 
 the pin under elevator head and close the vise jaw 
 before making an attempt to turn the vise- jaw closing- 
 screw in a direction to make the slug shorter. Other- 
 wise the rack pawl on the vise jaw will be broken or 
 bent. I always take out these pins and rack pawls, as 
 the pump stop has remedied the evil they were intended 
 to prevent. You won't find them on machines now 
 being built, either. 
 
 " The next thing to change," continued the Machin- 
 ist, " is the spaceband driver. That's the block which 
 drives up the spaces to justify the lines. Lift it off 
 and replace it with one of a length that will come inside 
 the hollo wed-out corner of the vise jaw {F, Fig 9). 
 In the older type of machine these blocks were fastened 
 in place by screws from beneath." 
 
 " Does this have to be changed for every em 
 change in length of line ? " asked the Operator. 
 
 " No," replied the Machinist. "A spaceband driver 
 will justify lines varying three ems in length. For 
 instance, a 13-em driver will justify a twelve, thirteen 
 and fourteen em line. The latest improvement in vise 
 jaws, however, obviates the necessity of changing 
 
42 
 
 •ill!'. Ai I'.ciiAx is.M oi' •rill-: i.ixo'r\'i^i':. 
 
 spaceband drivers at all. The jaw is cut away under- 
 neath, as shown b}- the dotted lines in the drawing 
 (Fig. 9), so that a 30-em driver is all that is required 
 for any line ranging from thirteen to thirty ems in 
 length, or, with a 24-em mold, a 24-em driver will 
 justify all lines from seven ems up, a range of seven- 
 teen ems in either case. Notice that one side of the 
 spaceband driver is beveled, the other straight. The 
 beveled side goes toward you. 
 
 " Now close up the vise and change the position of 
 the flexible finger in the first elevator. That semi- 
 circular plate in the first elevator contains a coiled 
 spring attached to a small gear which meshes with a 
 rack on the flexible finger. Loosen the two small 
 screws which hold this plate in place and withdraw 
 the plate until the gear slips out of mesh wdth the rack. 
 The flexible finger can now be slid to a position to 
 allow a space the length of the slug to remain between 
 the ends of the finger and the pawls of the elevator 
 jaws, and then replace the gear-plate and screws. A 
 recent improvement in this arrangement makes the 
 flexible finger in one piece and does away with the 
 rack and pinion, the finger being held in place by a 
 clamping screw. 
 
 " We are now ready to change the slug-trimming 
 knives. 
 
 " This is an easy operation," said the Machinist, 
 " but it's not always so easy to adjust the knives if they 
 don't happen to trim the slug just right. To change 
 the position of the knives it is only necessary to loosen 
 the screws (i, 2, Fig. 10), withdraw the catch (B), 
 move the lever (A) until the catch (B) is. opposite the 
 
THE MECJiANISAl OF THE LINOTVPl-:, 
 
 43 
 
 proper notch, and then sHghtly tighten the screws 
 (i, 2) again, meanwhile depressing the lever (A). 
 
 " Cast a slug now and caliper it with the microm- 
 eter on the end ribs of the slug, top and bottom. If all 
 four measurements are not alike the knives must be 
 adjusted until they are." 
 
 " This slug is thicker at the top than at the bot- 
 tom," said the Operator. "How is that remedied?" 
 
 " That's on account of the 
 back or left-hand knife not touch- 
 ing the slug," said the Machinist. 
 " It should trim off any over- 
 hanging projection but not cut 
 into the slug itself. Slightly 
 slacken those two screws (3, 4, 
 Fig. 10) and remove the slug- 
 receiver or pan and loosen the 
 two screws which hold the back 
 knife. Be cautious which screws 
 you loosen here. The extreme 
 top and bottom ones are the 
 screws you want. The other two 
 hold the mold-disk locking pins 
 in place. Now press the knife nearer to the right-hand 
 knife, tighten the screws which hold it and trv another 
 slug." 
 
 " Now it's thicker on the lower end than on the 
 upper," said the Operator, after calipering. 
 
 " What does the upper rib measure ? " asked the 
 Machinist. 
 
 " Eighty-four thousandths," replied the Operator. 
 " That's just right," returned the Machinist. 
 
44 '^'iiii MiccirAxisAi OF the linotype. 
 
 " This is a 6-point slug. A ])oint in Linotype measure 
 is .014 of an inch. The lower end is too thick. Loosen 
 the screws (i, 2) again and slacken the jam-nut on the 
 adjusting screw (5) and turn the screw in shghtly. 
 Tighten the jam-nut and bring the screws (i, 2) to a 
 bearing and try another slug." 
 
 This slug showed upon measurement that the 
 screw 5 had been moved in too far, so it was slackened 
 a trifle, the screws i, 2 loosened and tightened again, 
 and the next slug came out true. 
 
 " The next change is in the assembler," said the 
 Machinist. " Loosen the block on the assembler slide 
 over which the bell-hammer trips. With the screw- 
 driver loosen the screw on the rod which connects the 
 long and short fingers of line-delivery carriage. Now 
 move the assembler finger to the proper position as 
 indicated by the em-scale on the assembler gate, move 
 the block on the assembler slide as far as it will go to 
 the left and make it fast, and then tighten the screw to 
 confine the long finger in its position against the 
 assembler finger. 
 
 " Don't forget to restore the assembler finger and 
 slide to its original position, the finger against star 
 wheel. 
 
 " We're all ready now to change the magazine." 
 
 Changing the magazine was the Operator's long 
 suit, though ever since the day he inadvertently placed 
 the verge lock below the shoulder on the back pawl and 
 caused a shower of matrices when the keyrods were 
 withdrawn, he was in fear of its recurrence each time 
 the magazine was changed. This was his opportunity 
 for enlightenment. 
 
Till'. .MICCJI AN I.sM ()!• Till-: L 1 X(.ri;V IM'.. 45 
 
 " The reason those matrices fell from the magazine 
 that day," said the Machinist in reply to his question, 
 "is best explained by this drawing (Fig. ii). The 
 matrix-escapement mechanism consists of two vertical 
 catches or pawls, L and K, which project through the 
 under side of the magazine and engage the ears of the 
 matrices and detain them in escaping until the proper 
 time. The pawls are seated 
 in a rocker or verge /, which 
 is pivoted in its center, and 
 thus when one pawl is raised 
 the other is lowered. The 
 spring N' gives the verge a 
 tendency to raise the pawl K 
 and thus lower the pawl L. 
 This tendency is, however, 
 overcome by the key rod M, fig. u. 
 
 which hooks into the verge 
 
 and holds it in its normal position, as shown in the 
 drawing. 
 
 " The operation of the keyboard causes the key rod 
 to rise, the verge rocks upward and the lower matrix 
 is released and falls from the magazine, the other 
 matrices in the channel being detained by the pawl K, 
 until the keyrod in descending retracts the upper pawl 
 and allows the matrices to slide further down the 
 channel, the pawl L now stopping them. 
 
 " You inserted the locking rod bclozv the lug on 
 the pawl K, so there was nothing to prevent the pawl 
 being raised by the verge spring N' the moment the 
 keyrods were retracted in disconnecting the magazine. 
 The lower row of matrices were, of course, released, 
 
46 THE MECHANISM OF Till-: I.IXOT^M'E. 
 
 and dropped out in a bunch. If you had forgotten to 
 lock the keyboard before withdrawing the keyrods you 
 would have had a time of it. The keyrods will drop 
 down in such a case and their hooked ends will catch 
 on the upper keyrod guide when an attempt is made to 
 put the keyboard lock in place. They have to be raised 
 one at a time and the job is certainly a trying one. On 
 the machines now being made, accidents of this kind 
 are provided against by cutting a groove in the back 
 edge of the keyrods and having a strip fastened 
 beneath the keyrod guide which is seated in this 
 groove and prevents the rods from dropping if the lock 
 should not be put in the keyboard. 
 
 " When an accident like that which occurred to you 
 happens again," continued the Machinist, " go right 
 ahead and remove the magazine, place it bottom side 
 up on the bench, and with a short piece of brass rule 
 or something of the kind, raise the verges, a few at a 
 time, inserting the locking rod as you proceed. 
 
 " The verge-locking rod must be placed in the 
 opening A between the lug on the pawl K and the 
 magazine. When the keyboard-locking rod is inserted 
 in the opening between the two keyboard rollers it 
 prevents the keyboard cams and keyrods from drop- 
 ping when the latter are disengaged from the verges. 
 The small latch / which holds the keyrods in their 
 engagement with the verges is now raised, and the 
 keyrods are withdrawn by depressing the lever H. 
 Unlatch the large front glass and depress the flexible 
 front until it slips from beneath the magazine mouth, 
 when it will drop forward and be supported by the 
 short chain attached to it from the rear. 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 47 
 
 " You needn't put that stick in the entrance of the 
 magazine hereafter," said the Machinist. " If you 
 don't tilt that end lower than the mouth of the maga- 
 zine when changing there is no danger of matrices 
 sliding out. Besides, a splinter of wood might get into 
 the channels and give all kinds of trouble. Tighten 
 the thumb-nut on the spring on left-hand side of the 
 magazine, however, to keep the back entrance closed. 
 The new magazines have a stop which prevents the 
 back entrance from being opened until the stop is 
 pressed out of the way, and so does not require the 
 thumb-nut ( see Fig. 29 ) . 
 
 " Now set the font distinguisher in the distributor 
 box to prevent wrong fonts getting into magazine, and 
 as the magazine is now disconnected, we'll lift it out." 
 
 " Isn't there some rule to follow in setting the font 
 distinguisher?" asked the Operator. "I never know 
 till I've sent in a line whether I've got it right or not." 
 
 " Certainly there is," responded the Machinist. 
 " Turn the stud-nut in the distributor box (7, Fig. 28) 
 to the left when changing to smaller type ; to the right 
 for larger. One turn for each size of type. You can 
 feel a click at each complete turn of the stud-nut. As 
 we're changing from brevier to nonpareil, make two 
 turns to the left, toward the magazine. 
 
 "Always raise the lower end of the magazine first 
 before withdrawing it to make a change, and when 
 putting in another one hold the front end elevated 
 until the upper end is firmly seated under the distrib- 
 utor. If you lower it before then it is liable to catch 
 the matrix lift in the distributor-box and break it. 
 Now loosen the thumb-nut on the side of the magazine 
 
48 THE MECHANISM OE THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 and make the connections. In doing this, reverse the 
 movements made in disconnecting — that is, first 
 replace the flexible front and be sure that it is seated 
 snugly ; second, lift the latch / and raise the lever // 
 to connect the keyrods to the verges, and see that the 
 latch catches to prevent rods slipping back; third, 
 remove keyboard lock, and fourth, the verge lock. 
 
 " The final act in changing the machine is to 
 remove the side-sorts tray and replace it with one 
 containing the size corresponding with the font in use. 
 It's a good plan to have the magazines and trays 
 plainly labeled with the size of matrices they contain, 
 and I'm going to fix up a rack to hold the extra trays 
 so the side-sorts won't get pied and lost." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE MATRIX-RELEASING MECHANISM. 
 
 ''OU remember I told you that the assembhng and 
 
 X distributing mechanisms are independent of the 
 main cams," said the Machinist to the Operator, " so 
 you see nearly all this machinery is devoted to either 
 operating the casting apparatus or in transferring the 
 matrix line to and from it. The assembling mechanism 
 involves but a small portion of the machine, while the 
 distributor is simplicity itself. 
 
 "As the first step in the production of a Linotype 
 slug consists in assembling a line of matrices and 
 spaces, I'll thresh out that portion of the machine first 
 with you. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the releasing 
 and escapement mechanism. The key levers all extend 
 to the rear of the keyboard, terminating as shown at i. 
 The key lever A is pivoted so that when a key is struck 
 the upright bar B is raised, which tilts the end 3 of the 
 rocker or trigger C upward, the trigger being pivoted 
 at C. This is the position shown in the drawing. The 
 cam yoke, pivoted at D', normally rests on the point 5, 
 the rocking of the trigger allowing it to drop and its 
 cam D to fall on the revolving rubber roller E, causing 
 the cam to rotate. The latter, which struck the roller 
 at point 4, has, on account of its eccentric shape, 
 elevated the cam yoke when point 7 is reached in its 
 
50 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 revolution, and it now touches the end of the keyrod G 
 at point 6, allowing the verge / to raise and the matrix 
 to escape from the magazine. 
 
 " I explained this escapement mechanism to you 
 once before, when telling you how to lock the verges 
 
 Fig. 12. 
 
 when changing the magazine," continued the Machin- 
 ist, " so I won't go over that ground again. The 
 matrix now being released, the parts restore them- 
 selves to normal position. The upright bar B is 
 restored by means of the comb-spring F, which inter- 
 sects the bar at 2. This draws the trigger C beneath 
 the cam yoke once more, the roller E meanwhile turn- 
 
'J'1J.]C AIECIIAXISM OF '.nil': LINOTYPE. 5I 
 
 ing the cam D and lowering the yoke, which now rests 
 on the trigger at point 5, further rotation of the cam 
 being prevented by a tooth in a plate immediately above 
 the cam which strikes a cross-bar in the cam itself, the 
 depression 4 now clearing the roller E. The lowering 
 of the cam }'oke permits the key rod G to be restored by 
 the spring H connected to the frame r. This causes the 
 verge / to be actuated, the matrix N now taking the 
 position vacated by the matrix M (Fig. 12). 
 
 " You understand this drawing shows only the 
 front keyboard cams and mechanism. The back cams 
 are a duplicate of these, the idea of alternating the 
 escapement — one cam on the back roller, the next on 
 the front roller, and so on, being merely to give more 
 room to the mechanism. This arrangement thus places 
 the cams of the top row of keys on the back roller, 
 those in the second row on the front roller, the third 
 row on the back, and so on. 
 
 " Either front or back sets of cams can be taken 
 out in their frames by removing the large tap screw in 
 each end of the supporting frame. This frame carries 
 the cams, triggers and the rubber roller. Before 
 removing this part of the machine, be sure that the 
 keyrods are connected to the verges and that the lock- 
 ing rods are not in. If a wire rod is run through the 
 holes 9 in the triggers and cam frame, before replacing 
 the frame, they will be held rigidly and will cause less 
 trouble while doing so. Any individual cam can be 
 removed without taking out the whole frame by with- 
 drawing the wire which acts as a pivot through the end 
 of cam 3'okes at D'. 
 
 " Some operators insist on having the comb-springs 
 
5^ 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LliXUTVi'E. 
 
 I' removed so as to make the " touch " of tlie keys 
 hghter, but I prefer to keep them on, as without them 
 the least dirt or rust wih prevent the rod B returning 
 after a key is struck, and the cam will rotate and 
 matrices will continue to drop until the trigger C is 
 restored. These comb-springs break off occasionally, 
 and when they do I cut off a tooth from an extra strip, 
 loosen the screw that holds the plate, and slip the new 
 one underneath. The new machines have the upright 
 bars B weighted, so comb-springs are not necessary 
 with them. 
 
 " The rubber rollers E must be removed occasion- 
 ally and their surface washed — preferably in soapy 
 water — and afterward roughened slightly with a piece 
 of sandpaper or coarse emery cloth. This makes the 
 cams bite the rollers and prevents their slipping. 
 Whenever the rubber becomes hard and glazed new 
 ones must be slipped on the shafts. The roller is 
 removed by loosening the small screw in the journal 
 near the pulleys of the rollers, but when replacing 
 the rollers take care that the oil-hole in the bushing 
 aligns with the oil-hole in the journal." 
 
 " When a matrix refuses to respond to the touch of 
 the key, where should the trouble be looked for ? " 
 queried the Operator. 
 
 " There are a number of causes for failure of mat- 
 rices to respond," the Machinist said, in reply. " In 
 the first place, the cam yoke may not drop, owing to its 
 end 6 being gummy. A squirt of gasoline will usually 
 remedy this. Or, the cam D may not revolve when it 
 drops on the roller E, owing to the surface of the roller 
 l)cing slick or because the cam pivot is dry and does 
 
Till': .Mi':(;ii.\.\ ISM oi'- tiii-: i.inotypi£. 
 
 53 
 
 not allow the cam to revolve freely in its supporting- 
 }oke. In this case, the cam frame should be removed, 
 the cams taken out and a drop of clock oil applied to 
 the pivots Avith a broom straw or wire. Great care is 
 necessary in this work and only clock oil used. The 
 free end 6 of the yokes should be cleaned and polished 
 at the same time. This should not be necessary oftener 
 than once in eight or ten months. 
 
 " Sometimes a matrix or other object falls in on the 
 cams and prevents their revolving. If the keyrod G 
 rises and falls when the key is depressed, you may be 
 sure these parts are working all right. If the keyrod 
 remains elevated, something is binding the rod or 
 verge; the verge spring A^' may have slipped out of 
 place. If all these parts are in working order, how- 
 ever, the trouble is in the magazine. A bent or battered 
 matrix, or one lying flat in the channels, or foul 
 matrices or magazine will prevent matrix responding. 
 If the matrix starts out of magazine a trifle and sticks 
 there, it will usually be found to be binding on the 
 flexible guides. There is an adjustment for these 
 guides resting on the right-hand side of the magazine 
 — a screw and jam-nut — which moves the guides so 
 they can be positioned so as not to interfere with the 
 escapement of matrices. Generally, though, it is better 
 to bend the offending guide out of the way, as the 
 others may be all right. If the matrix refuses to drop 
 while the escapement works freely, the matrix is prob- 
 ably bent or the mouth of magazine needs cleaning. 
 If the matrix hook is used to remove matrices from a 
 channel, depress the key to operate the pawls and 
 allow the matrix-shaped end to pass over them." 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THi: ASS1"..M r.Li-:R. 
 
 IN order to prevent transpositions of matrices and 
 spacebands, ' squabbling ' of matrix lines, etc., the 
 assembler adjustments must be carefully maintained," 
 said the Machinist one day to the Operator. " The 
 assembler chute spring (A, Fig. 13) should be bent so 
 as to allow the space of about the thickness of the cap. 
 W between it and the rail (C) . Just above this point it 
 should be curved so as to tend to throw the bottom of 
 the matrix toward the assembler wheel. The point of 
 the chute spring should be inclined slightly above the 
 horizontal (2), as otherwise it interferes with the 
 delivery of matrices and causes the spaceband to beat 
 the last matrix of a word into the assembler by the top 
 of the matrix striking on the points of the chute spring 
 and causing it to be retarded long enough for the 
 spaceband to transpose. The tongue in the lower end 
 of the chute should be bent so as to deliver the space- 
 band behind the center of the assembler star. The 
 catch spring (£) is intended to prevent matrices falling 
 back to the right while assembling, though if the spring 
 is missing altogether the assembler will probably work 
 just as well." 
 
 " What causes the line to 'jigger,' as it sometimes 
 does while being assembled ? " asked the Operator. 
 
 54 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 55 
 
 " To understand that, I'll have to explain this brake 
 arrangement (G) on the assembler slide," replied the 
 Machinist. " Notice that this brake clutches the slide 
 on opposite corners, at top and bottom (3, 4), being 
 
 Fig. 13. 
 
 drawn into this position by the steel spring (5), The 
 adjusting screw (H) standing above the lever extend- 
 ing to the left regulates the amount of pressure the 
 clutch can exercise on the assembler slide. If it is 
 screwed down too far, the clutch becomes inoperative, 
 
56 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 and each matrix as it assembles causes the sHcle to 
 jump violently to the left. If not screwed down far 
 enough, the slide will not return when assembler is 
 elevated. The clutch is released when the line is 
 elevated by the corner (G, Fig. 31) lifting the end of 
 the lever on which the screw (H, Fig. 13) is mounted, 
 and the long spring on the end of the assembler slide 
 draws the slide back into position. 
 
 "Of course, those corners (3, 4) wear in time, and 
 a patch must be fitted in. These corners should be 
 kept square and the brake free from oil. The three 
 screws (/, Fig. 13) when removed allow the 
 
 whole device to be taken off." 
 
 " What is that spring (F) under the assembling 
 elevator for ? " questioned the Operator. 
 
 " That's a bufYer spring, and is intended to protect 
 the ears of the spacebands by causing the lower end to 
 strike this buffer and thus relieve the ears from the 
 shock of impact with the assembling elevator rails. It 
 should be inclined upward enough to accomplish this." 
 
 " How often is it necessary to put in a new assem- 
 bler star ? " asked the Operator. 
 
 " Whenever the points become so worn they do not 
 push the matrices inside the hooks on the assembler 
 rails. To renew an old star wheel, you need only take 
 out the two screws (6, 7) which hold the assembler- 
 glass spring and bracket, raise the assembling elevator 
 a little and remove the parts, and take off the front 
 assembler chute rail (C). The old star can be drawn 
 off its shaft and the new one fitted on. The square 
 hole will usually need filing out, but don't make it loose 
 on the shaft. 
 
TIJI': MI'X'Jl AN ISiM OF THE LIXOTV IM':. 
 
 57 
 
 "The fiber assembler chute rails (C) also need 
 replacing when worn. It is important in putting these 
 parts together again to see that nothing binds or inter- 
 feres with the revolution of the assembler star. 
 
 " The assembler star," continued the Machinist, " is 
 driven by a friction disk and spring, which permits the 
 star to slip when anything binds it. This disk and' 
 spring wear and get so weak that the least friction stops 
 
 The matrix catch spring {E, Fig. 13) can only be 
 attended to while this part is off the machine. 
 
 " These two assembler strips {a, a' , Fig. 14) should 
 be kept flush with the ends of the rails (C). There is 
 a screw under the bracket which binds these strips, and 
 it can be loosened and the strips removed and their ends 
 squared up. A good deal of experimenting has been 
 done with this part of the assembling device, so if you 
 happen across machines without assembler strips, or 
 with steel ones in place of fiber, or with steel assem- 
 bler rails faced with flat springs, you'll know it's part 
 
 Fig. 14. 
 
 the star. To renew these 
 parts, remove the two screws 
 (9, 10, Fig. 14) in the as- 
 sembler plate and the whole 
 arrangement can be removed 
 and the assembler belt slipped 
 oft' the upper pulley. The nut 
 (/v) can be taken off and the 
 spring or the friction disk re- 
 newed. It should not be made 
 so tight, however, as to pre- 
 vent the slipping of the fric- 
 tion when occasion demands. 
 
58 Till': MEClIANISiM OF THE l.TNOTVI'E. 
 
 of the development of the machine. The assembhng 
 elevator is raised a trifle higher in some machines than 
 in others, and the matrix detaining plates on the assem- 
 bler, which fit close against the assembler strips (0, a') , 
 are shaped differently in different machines; their 
 purpose is, however, in all cases, to prevent thin 
 matrices slipping in between the elevator and the 
 bracket, and the assembler strips should come close 
 against the plates. These plates must be renewed 
 occasionally. You can get at them, also, when the 
 assembling device (Fig. 14) is removed. 
 
 " The steel rails in the assembler on which the 
 matrices strike when assembling become worn in time 
 and cause the matrices to tip to the right, especially if 
 the hooks on the top rails of the assembler are also 
 worn. It is a neat job to insert a patch in the rails on 
 the old machines, but the new ones have a removable 
 section here which can be taken out and renewed. 
 
 " Whenever the matrix driving belt (P, Fig. 13) 
 stretches and becomes so loose as to allow matrices, 
 especially capital letters, to slide off to one side, the belt 
 can be tightened by loosening the stud-nut on the upper 
 pulley and moving the pulley back. The assembler 
 driving belt and the round belts which drive the key- 
 board rollers must be kept taut, though the pulleys on 
 the latter are held by friction springs instead of being 
 firmly fastened to the roller shafts, so it may be the 
 pulleys are slipping though the belts are tight. 
 
 " Here's a little wrinkle I'll show you," continued 
 the Machinist. " I've seen machinists and others dig- 
 ging out the bit of leather which remains in the coup- 
 ling when one of these round belts break. Take hold 
 
TILE MECHANISM OF THli LINOTYl'l':. 
 
 59 
 
 of the coupling with a pair of phers, instead, and hold 
 it in a flame a minute or so, and the leather will sizzle 
 out as slick as can be." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE SPACEBAND BOX. 
 
 " T WISH you would explain this spaceband box 
 J- mechanism," said the Operator, one day. 
 
 "All right," the Machinist replied ; " take the box 
 off and we'll take it apart. Shut off the machine and 
 back her up until the second elevator starts down. 
 Hold the spaceband shifter with one hand and with the 
 other trip the latch in the first elevator cap (3, Fig. 27) 
 and let the shifter go over easily. Remove the screw 
 which holds the box (A, Fig. 15), and the screw in the 
 electric-light bracket, and the whole apparatus will 
 come off. 
 
 " Now remove those three screws (i, i, i,) in the 
 spaceband chute, drive out the pin (B) in the pawl 
 lever, and remove the two screws a~) in the side of 
 the box, and that side can be taken off. You can now 
 examine its internal arrangement. 
 
 " The spacebands slide down these inclined rails, 
 supported by their ears, the first band resting against 
 the hooks on the ends of the rails, the lower end of the 
 spacebands being held by the pawl (/) in the bottom 
 of the box. Their release is accomplished in this way : 
 On each side of the box there is an upright pawl (F), 
 held in place by the points of the screws (C) in the 
 
 60 
 
Tlili MKCllAMSxM (.)!• Till-. l.J XOTVi'l':. 
 
 6i 
 
 lever (K), and drawn lightly backward by the springs 
 (D), which fit into the slots in the lower end of the 
 pawls. When the spaceband box is in position on 
 the machine, the screw (E) 
 rests on a lever which is con- 
 nected with the keyboard in 
 the same manner as the mat- 
 rix key rods arc connected. 
 This lever holds the pawl 
 lever (K) in an elevated posi- 
 tion, the points of the pawls 
 (F) standing above the hooks 
 on the inclined rails, and in 
 front of the spaceband ears. 
 When the space key is oper- 
 ated it first allows the pawl 
 levers to drop, the points of 
 the pawls being drawn back- 
 ward by the springs (D) be- 
 low the ears of the first space- 
 band, the return of the key 
 lever causing the upward 
 stroke of the pawls, which 
 catch under the ears of the 
 spaceband and raise it high 
 enough to clear the hooks on 
 the inclined rails, whence it 
 drops down the assembler 
 chute into the assembler." 
 
 " That's very nice," re- 
 marked the Operator, " but sometimes the spacebands 
 are not so accommodating; they don't always drop." 
 
62 
 
 THE MECHAXISM OF THE LINOTYPE, 
 
 "Case of dirt, nine out of ten times," the Machinist 
 responded. " The pawl levers (K) drop of their own 
 weight and must be kept free. Of course, the parts 
 wear. The pawls (F) should be removed and the 
 points smoothed and squared on an oil stone. They 
 should both be of exactly the same length so as to lift 
 the spacebands evenly over the hooks. The hooks 
 themselves wear and allow the spaces to slide too far 
 forward in the box. Then the center bar must be 
 adjusted, otherwise the pawls will lift two bands at a 
 time." 
 
 "How is that adjustment made?" the Operator 
 asked. 
 
 " See that plate on top of the spaceband box ? " the 
 Machinist replied. " The center bar held by the single 
 screw is adjustable, and on its forward end are two 
 pins which, when the bar is properly set, allow only 
 one band to pass between them and the hooks on the 
 rails." 
 
 " I suppose that screw (£) in the pawl lever is for 
 the purpose of regulating the stroke of the pawls," 
 ventured the Operator. 
 
 "Correct," replied the Machinist. " The screw 
 should be set so that when the pawls are raised they 
 stand about 1-16 of an inch above the hooks on the 
 rails. It should be screwed down only far enough to 
 do this. Now put the box together again, and when 
 replacing it see that you get the key lever under the 
 screw " (£) . 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE LINE-DELIVERY CARRIAGE AND FIRST ELEVATOR. 
 
 NOW that you have mastered the assembling 
 devices," said the Machinist, " we'll take up the 
 next step — the line-delivery carriage. The upright 
 pin (i, Fig. 13) on the back rail of the assembling 
 elevator, releases a catch or pawl, when the elevator is 
 raised, which then allows the carriage, conveying the 
 assembled line, to travel to the left. This pin (i) 
 should lift the pawl 1-64 of an inch above the hook on 
 the carriage, and is adjustable by means of a screw on 
 which the pin sets, reached from beneath the assembler. 
 As the line passes out of the assembler, the carriage 
 trips the hook which held the assembler in an elevated 
 position, allowing it to be lowered. I always hang a 
 counterweight on the assembler lever so as to lighten 
 the weight. As good a counterweight as any can be 
 made by filling a quarter-pound tin can with molten 
 metal and then inserting a nail, previously bent into an 
 inverted U, into the metal just before it solidifies, thus 
 making a loop by which it can be suspended from the 
 lever by a strip of belt lacing. 
 
 " The line-delivery carriage, as I explained before, 
 is drawn to the left by one of those heavy coil springs 
 
 63 
 
64 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 ill the hollow frame of the machine, but to prevent it 
 going over with a slam, the carriage is connected to 
 this air cylinder by a piston-rod, which allows the 
 carriage to travel only so fast as the air can escape 
 from the cylinder. Adjustable? Yes, by the valve in 
 the outer end of the piston-rod. The felt packing 
 around the piston wears out and can be renewed by 
 taking out the screw by which the rod is connected to 
 the carriage when the latter is sent over to the left into 
 the first elevator. The link by which the carriage is 
 fastened to the lever is also held by this screw, the knob 
 on the other end of the link slipping under the latch on 
 the lever, though on the old-style machines a flat spring 
 was used instead of the latch. A few machines built 
 recently were equipped with an adjustable piston-head 
 so that when the packing became worn the head could 
 be enlarged by spreading. The latest improvement in 
 this air cylinder places the cylinder behind the key- 
 board in an upright position and attaches the carriage 
 to it by means of a bell-crank lever. 
 
 " There are only two adjustments to this line-deliv- 
 ery carriage," the Machinist continued, " outside of the 
 air-vent valve. One is the distance to which the line is 
 carried to the left inside of the pawls of the first eleva- 
 tor — regulated by the thickness of the leather washer 
 on the piston-rod in the air cylinder; the last matrix 
 in the line should clear the pawls 1-32 of an inch. If 
 the fingers of the line-delivery carriage are bent, the 
 last matrix is liable to fail to get inside the elevator 
 pawls and either fall off or get jammed in the vise 
 when the elevator descends. The flat-spring pawls on 
 these elevator jaws are a vast improvement over the 
 
TlllC .MKCIJANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 65 
 
 old lift-pawls, and these give much less trouble. The 
 other adjustment of the carriage regulates the distance 
 it can return to the right — adjusted by means of the 
 eccentric pin in the roller which rests on the last cam 
 (No. 10). It should be set so as to return the carriage 
 far enough to allow the last notch on the latch to catch 
 and hold it safely. 
 
 " Well, then, if you have grasped this idea," said 
 the Machinist, we will return to the first elevator, 
 which has received the line of matrices. If the barrel 
 of the connecting link on the bottom of the elevator is 
 set right, the grooves in the elevator will be a trifle 
 lower than the grooves in the intermediate channel, 
 and the matrix line will enter the first elevator easily. 
 The gibs on the elevator slide should hold the elevator 
 snugly and not permit too much play. When the 
 elevator descends, and the mold comes forward the 
 first time, the lower ears of the matrices which fit into 
 the aligning groove in the mold should have a play of 
 1-32 of an inch. If the elevator does not descend far 
 enough to allow this play, the advancing mold will 
 shear the top of the lower ears, and alignment will be 
 an impossibility with such matrices. This adjustment 
 is made by means of the screw in the elevator head 
 which strikes on the vise cap. The other screw in the 
 elevator head strikes on top of the vise automatic stop- 
 rod (K, Fig. 18) and causes the machine to stop if the 
 elevator from any cause (such as a tight line) is 
 prevented from descending to its full depth. 
 
 "Another adjustment of the first elevator regulates 
 the height to which the first elevator can rise when 
 conveying the matrix line to point of transferrence to 
 
66 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 the second elevator. The screw in the bottom of the 
 elevator slide should be set so that the matrix line 
 while shifting on to second elevator will rise a trifle 
 and transfer easily." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE FRICTION CLUTCH. 
 
 THAT'S what I've been trying to get through my 
 noddle for a long time," said the Operator. " I 
 haven't figured it out as yet, so I'll be glad to have you 
 tell me how it works." 
 
 "All right," replied the Machinist ; " there are a 
 good many others in your same fix. I have an excel- 
 
 FiG. 1 6. 
 
 lent drawing of the clutch here (Fig. i6). B is the 
 driving shaft of the machine, which is in two sections, 
 
 67 
 
68 
 
 THE MECHANISM OE THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 a taper pin holding the short piece, which carries the 
 pinion C that meshes with the gear wheel of the main 
 cams. The outer end of this shaft is hollow, a rod c* 
 inside of it carrying a spring which tends to draw 
 the rod inward. The inner end of the rod is fastened 
 by means of the long screw-pin h to 
 the collar which encircles the shaft, 
 the hole in the shaft being slotted, so 
 that when the collar is moved the rod 
 c* is likewise moved. On the outward 
 end of the shaft the friction clutch D 
 is mounted, the levers being fast- 
 ened to the end of the rod c*. When 
 the clutch is thrown into action, the 
 collar h is released and the rod is 
 forced inward by the spring c^, thus 
 drawing the levers inward and 
 pressing the clutch leathers c against 
 the inner side of the revolving pulley 
 A, causing the shaft B to revolve and 
 the cams to rotate. This is the posi- 
 tion shown in the drawing. This posi- 
 tion of the clutch is maintained until the stopping pawl 
 on cam lo comes in contact with the throw-off lever " 
 (a, Fig. 17). 
 
 " How does that affect the clutch ? " the Operator 
 asked. 
 
 " The stopping pawl strikes on top of the lever (b), 
 forcing it downward, the adjusting screw (d) pressing 
 the lower end of the lever (c) outward, and as its point 
 (c) presses against the forked lever E (Fig. 16), 
 which is pivoted on the machine frame at <7^, you can 
 
 Fig. 17. 
 
TiJl:: laj I AMSAl OF 'IJIIC 1 . 1 X ( j'l"^' 1 'I'.. Thj 
 
 see how it causes the fork lo push the eoUar c'' 
 outward and thus release the ehUch leatliers c. 
 
 " The last time the inspector was around here," said 
 the Machinist, " he put a new connecting rod (G, Fig. 
 i6) on all these machines, so that now the readjust- 
 ment of the clutch does not affect the automatic devices 
 in the vise. The clutch adjustment consists in allowing 
 a space of 15-32 of an inch between the collar and 
 the bearing when the clutch is in action, as in the 
 drawing, this being regulated by the nuts on the end 
 of the rod, and having 1-32 of an inch space between 
 the end of the forked lever and the collar c% the 
 screw in the stop lever {d, Fig. 17) being the means of 
 making this latter adjustment. I have a piece of steel 
 15-32 of an inch wide and 1-32 of an inch in thickness 
 which I use when setting the clutch, so measurements 
 don't bother me. Now, however, the company makes 
 the position of the clutch fixed by doing away with the 
 nuts on the end of the rod and putting a screw through 
 the levers." 
 
 " I saw you take ofif the clutch one day," remarked 
 the Operator. " What was that for ? " 
 
 " Because the clutch was slipping and wouldn't pull 
 the machine around. The leathers were not oily but I 
 found that the spring w*s weak. This spring should 
 exert a pull of sixteen pounds. A spring scale showed 
 it wasn't doing this, so I took it out and stretched it. 
 The bushing / is for the purpose of making the spring 
 stififer, but in this case it wasn't enough. To take out 
 the spring, the outer nut must be removed, the screw 
 in the clutch frame loosened, and the clutch removed. 
 Now the plate B' can be unscrewed and the screw h in 
 
"JO Till". M lailAX IS.M OF rill-, l.IXOT^TE. 
 
 the collar taken out, which releases the rod and the 
 spring. Of course, the clutch leathers wear and they 
 must be renewed and at all times kept free from oil." 
 
 " How does pulling out the controlling lever in 
 front of the machine throw the clutch into action?" 
 inquired the Operator. 
 
 " That screw H on the starting and stopping rod 
 F" (Fig. i6), said the Machinist, " stands just behind 
 the lug on the vertical lever (2, Fig. 17), and when the 
 lever is pulled out the screw engages the lower lug and 
 causes the upper lug ( i ) to push the stopping pawl off 
 the stop lever (&), producing the same effect as if the 
 line-delivery carriage were sent over. A spring press- 
 ing on the projection (3) retracts the vertical lever. 
 These are the adjustments which should be main- 
 tained : Set the automatic stopping and safety pawls so 
 that the distance from right edge of cam 10 to right 
 side of pawls is 15-16 of an inch; then set the stop- 
 lever rod (4), held by the small square-head screw in 
 top bearing so that the pawls will rest on the stop lever 
 (&) 54 of an inch. By means of the plates carried by 
 the pawls, set them so that the rollers will push them 
 far enough to the right to clear the stop lever 1-16 of 
 an inch. Adjust the vertical lever by means of the 
 screw in the machine frame so that the lug.(i) will 
 clear the pawls as they pass 1-64 of an inch, and push 
 them far enough to the right, when operated by the 
 starting lever, to give a clearance of 1-16 of an inch 
 between them and the stop lever." 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE VISE AUTOMATIC. 
 
 HIS adjustment of the vise automatic is of the 
 
 J. greatest importance," said the Machinist to the 
 Operator, " for unless it is set just right the machine 
 will chew up matrices as fast as they can be bought. 
 When the matrix line is brought into casting position 
 by the descent of the first elevator, the end of the 
 adjusting screw in the elevator head strikes on the top 
 (K, Fig. i8) of the stop rod (£), depressing it against 
 the stress of the spring attached to the hook (/), The 
 mold now advances, causing the sliding pin (C) in 
 the vise frame to be pushed forward. If the elevator 
 contains too many matrices, or for any other reason 
 fails to settle down to its proper position, and the stop 
 rod (E) is therefore not sufficiently depressed, this 
 automatic dog (C) strikes against the pawl (D), 
 causing the lower end (B) of the stop rod to strike 
 against the stop lever, which in turn presses the con- 
 necting rod backward, and by so doing throws off the 
 friction clutch, and the machine stops. You can see if 
 it were not for this little device, serious mishaps would 
 occur. When the set-screw in the elevator head is 
 properly adjusted, the sliding pin or dog (C) will just 
 clear and pass over the pawl (D) when the first eleva- 
 tor rests on the vise cap." 
 
72 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 " Some time ago," said the Operator, " I found one 
 of those automatic dogs (C) wedged tightly in its 
 socket so it couldn't move. I didn't see then how you 
 fixed it." 
 
 " Well, I'll explain that now," said the Machinist. 
 " There had been a ' squirt ' on that machine, and the 
 
 Fig. 1 8. 
 
 metal had run inside the hollow pin and filled up the 
 spring inside of it so it couldn't retract the pin when 
 the mold retreated. I merely removed the dog by 
 taking out this screw (/), and after driving out the 
 small pin which confines the spring, removed the metal. 
 In replacing the dog you must be sure the screw (/) 
 goes down between the spring and the small pin and 
 leaves the dog to slide freely. An improvement is made 
 
THE MECHANISM OE THE LJiNOTYl'E. 
 
 73 
 
 in the late machines in putting a screw cap in the back 
 end of the automatic dog, so it can be removed and the 
 spring taken out that way. 
 
 " You will notice," continued the Machinist, " that 
 the controlling lever acts on the lower connecting rod, 
 while the vise automatic acts on the upper 
 connecting rod, making the clutch entirely 
 independent of the adjustment of the auto- 
 matic devices. The only adjustment of the 
 under rod is the pin {H) , which is an eccen- 
 ^ trie and should be set so it rests lightly 
 against the vertical starting lever when the 
 machine is at rest. Pushing the controlling 
 lever backward throws the clutch out of 
 action by the screw {G') acting on the 
 forked lever. 
 
 " There is another device which has an 
 important relation to the first elevator, 
 though its adjustment thereto is often dis- 
 regarded, with the usual dismal results. I 
 refer to the knife wiper (Fig. 19). Unless 
 it is free to move up and down, the descent 
 of the first elevator may be interfered with 
 and will leave tlie impression that the auto- 
 matic stop screw is not set low enough. The 
 wiper should descend of itself and not be 
 drawn downward by the latch stud in the 
 first elevator lever. The principle is this : 
 yVfter a slug has been cast, the first elevator rises, the 
 latch stud on the lever coming in contact with the 
 bottom of the wiper bar (i. Fig. 19), pushing it upward 
 until the notch (a) slips over the stop rod in the bar 
 
74 'i"HE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 guide, the end of the latch rod (2) coming- in contact 
 with the vise frame and causing this piece to be pushed 
 downward against the stress of the spring (3). When 
 the first elevator descends to normal position, the wiper 
 bar remains elevated, the stop rod holding it at the 
 notch (a) until the retreat of the mold after ejectment 
 of the slug allows it to slip out, and the buffer spring 
 
 (3) then retracting, causes the wiper bar to drop and 
 the wiper (4) to be drawn the entire distance of the 
 knife edges to remove the shavings of metal. The 
 wiper bar will drop freely if the fiat bar spring is not 
 binding it too tightly or shavings of metal are not clog- 
 ging it. The latch (b) is merely a safety arrangement 
 to compel descent of the wiper bar should it fail to act 
 properly. 
 
 "Of course," continued the Machinist, " the wiper 
 
 (4) will be cut through after a time and break off, but 
 it's only a few minutes' work to remove the wiper bar 
 and rivet or solder on another piece. Open the vise, 
 loosen the flat bar spring which confines the rod and 
 slip it to one side, and with the pliers pull out the taper 
 pin in the vise frame directly underneath this spring. 
 This allows the wiper bar to be slipped down and out. 
 
 " Never attempt to lower the vise," cautioned the 
 Machinist, " when the mold is forward on the locking 
 pins. To lower the vise to its second position, slip back 
 the spring stud on which the vise frame rests when the 
 vise is open, and when lowering the vise pull upward 
 on the elevator to avoid breaking the connecting link. 
 
 " In closing up the vise it is not necessary to throw 
 all your weight on the locking screws, as I've seen some 
 people do — merely bring them to a bearing." 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE MOLD DISK. 
 
 ONE day, after changing the machine from a 
 narrow measure to a 30-em Une, the Operator 
 reported that the Hnes were not justifying, and that a 
 " squirt " of metal would occasionally occur on the end 
 of the line. He appealed to the Machinist for a remedy. 
 
 " It may be because the justification springs are not 
 strong enough to push the large number of spacebands 
 through the 30-em matrix line," said the Machinist. 
 "Get a small round rod and slip it through the hole in 
 the bottom of the justification-spring rod, so the rod 
 can not turn, and then, with a wrench, screw down 
 the nut on the top of the spring to make the tension 
 greater. Do this with both springs. If the spaces still 
 come up with difficulty, it will be necessary to change 
 the adjustment of the eccentric, which is probably caus- 
 ing the mold to lock up so tightly against the matrix 
 line as to interfere with its sidewise movement during 
 justification. 
 
 " You'll have to show me that," replied the Opera- 
 tor. " You know where I'm from." 
 
 "All right," replied the Machinist. "Come around 
 to the back of the machine and I'll explain. This lever 
 (A, Fig. 20) carries two rollers (i, 2), the front one 
 
 75 
 
76 
 
 THE MliCllANlSM OF TIIE LINOTYPE. 
 
 fitting in the depression (B, Fig. 21) of the mold sUde 
 (C), while the baek roller (i) works in the groove of 
 the gear cam. This connects the mold slide to the cam 
 and causes the former to advance and retreat as 
 demanded. The adjustment I speak of is in the back 
 roller, the pin of which (D, Fig. 20) is an eccentric. 
 By loosening the set-screw (3), the handle (4) can be 
 raised or lowered, causing the mold to 
 lock more or less tightly against the 
 matrices before the cast occurs. To 
 slacken the pressure, raise the lever a 
 trifle and make the set-screw fast 
 again." 
 
 " What is the purpose of the lever 
 which is connected to the upper por- 
 tion of this apparatus ? " asked the 
 Operator. 
 
 " This is an arrangement for dis- 
 connecting the mold slide so it can be 
 drawn forward. When the handle 
 (H) is depressed the lever (A) is 
 raised and the mold shde freed. With 
 the vise lowered to the second position 
 and the jaw guard on the mold disk 
 shield removed, the mold disk can be drawn forward 
 to get at the pot mouth or set a back knife." 
 
 " How do you do that ? " asked the Operator. 
 " Setting a back knife requires patience and prac- 
 tice," replied the Machinist, " but Fll tell you how I do 
 it. First I see to it that the disk is running true. If it 
 is not, I adjust it by the screws (7, 8) in the boxing 
 until it spins around without a wobble. Then I loosen 
 
 Fig. 20. 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 77 
 
 the screws which hold the knife and screw up on the 
 adjusting screws (5, 6) until the knife edge just 
 touches the back of the mold, when I slightly tighten 
 the screws which hold the knife. After spreading red 
 lead or prussian blue on the back of the mold, I turn 
 
 the disk around and adjust the screws (5, 6) until the 
 knife rubs equally over the back of the mold without 
 binding tightly, and then I tighten the knife screws. 
 Then the guide block is adjusted to set snugly by means 
 of the tap screw (f). When the back knife is properly 
 set its edge will bear evenly on the back of the mold, 
 and it will then run a long time without needing 
 regrinding." 
 
 " I suppose an improperly set back knife will cause 
 ' high lines ' to be produced," remarked the Operator. 
 
 " Yes, that is the popular impression," responded 
 the Machinist, " but nine out of ten times the cause of 
 ' high lines ' is an accumulation of metal on the face or 
 back of the mold. If a little oil is mixed with graphite 
 and rubbed into felt mold wiper, metal will not gather 
 on the mold face, while the back of the mold should 
 be examined frequently, cleaned and polished. Never 
 
 Fig. 21. 
 
78 THE MEClJAMSxM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 touch the back of the mold with anythmg harder than 
 brass. You are liable to round off the edges of the 
 mold cell, as I have known some to do with emery cloth, 
 and ruin it. The best scheme is to attach a wiper sim- 
 ilar to the front mold wiper so that it keeps the back of 
 the mold clean. A mixture of oil and graphite should 
 be rubbed into the felt of the wipers, and then metal 
 can not accumulate on the mold and ' high lines ' will 
 be unknown." 
 
 That jaw guard you spoke of," said the Operator; 
 " what is that for ? " 
 
 " That is to prevent the back jaw of the first elevator 
 being sprung by the withdrawal of the slug from the 
 matrix seat after casting," said the Machinist. " Keep 
 it on always while the machine is running." 
 
 " I suppose the vise jaws are adjustable, are they 
 not ? " questioned the Operator. 
 
 "Oh, yes," relied the Machinist. " The right-hand 
 jaw has a set-screw behind it, while the other jaw is 
 adjustable by means of the screw in the bracket in the 
 left-hand end of the vise frame. If the face of the type 
 overhangs the body of the slug or if the face does not 
 fully cover the slug, it is remedied by these vise- jaw 
 adjustments." 
 
 " When the mold disk comes forward it slides up 
 on those locking pins in the vise frame ; do those pins 
 need resetting?" the Operator asked. 
 
 " Hold on there," gasped the Machinist. " You're 
 going too fast. You'll want to be changing every 
 movable part on the machine first thing I know. But 
 keep away from the locking pins — they are set by 
 jigs in the factory and should never be changed. As a 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 79 
 
 matter of fact, the less you use the screw-driver and 
 wrench the less you'll need to. Paste that in your hat." 
 
 " Does that caution also apply to the mold disk," 
 asked the Operator. " Doesn't it ever have to be 
 removed ? " 
 
 " Well," the Machinist replied, " as a rule it is not 
 necessary to do so, but if the mold-disk stud is not 
 properly oiled and runs dry the stud will become galled 
 and bind so that the disk can not turn. There is a good 
 deal of heat near this bearing, so it will get dry if not 
 watched. The mold wheel or disk can be removed by 
 taking off the niold-disk guide (f, Fig. 21) when the 
 mold slide is pulled forward, and with a piece of brass 
 driving the mold stud-nut (g, Fig. 22), to the left to 
 loosen and remove it, when the mold wheel will come 
 off easily enough. If the mold stud has been galled it 
 must be removed and smoothed with emery cloth ; then 
 cleaned and oiled and replaced. Tighten up the back 
 screw (7, Fig. 21) so the stud can not slip when you 
 put the disk back on the stud, and after putting the 
 stud-nut on again you can loosen the back screw until 
 the disk spins freely and truly ; replace the disk guide, 
 and there you are. Now, don't take off the mold wheel 
 every time it appears to be binding. Find out first if it 
 is the disk that is stuck. If it can not be turned by 
 hand when the mold-turning pinion (H) is drawn out 
 of mesh, that will locate the trouble in the mold wheel, 
 but it may be that metal has run in between the flange 
 on the disk (e, Fig. 22) and the arm (d, Fig. 21), or 
 between the disk and the ejector guide, and is thus 
 preventing the mold disk from revolving. If it is the 
 latter condition which is causing the trouble, it may be 
 
8o THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 necessary to remove the ejector guide to dislodge the 
 metal." 
 
 "Oh, yes," interposed the Operator ; " I've seen you 
 do that. You pull the disk forward and take out the 
 two screws which hold the guide in place." 
 
 " That's right," responded the Machinist. " Keep 
 your eyes open and you'll learn more than I can tell 
 you. Whenever you remove the guide, notice if the 
 spring plate in the guide itself is free to move. Some- 
 times metal runs behind the movable plate and holds it 
 so rigidly that the ejector blade can not be advanced 
 through the guide to eject the slug." 
 
 "Tell me how you adjust the ejector so it will 
 dehver the lines into the pan properly," said the 
 Operator. 
 
 " That is accomplished by raising or lowering the 
 pawl on the ejector lever which stands above the cams 
 in the rear of the machine. This pawl is caught by the 
 lug on the gear cam when the machine revolves. If the 
 pawl is set lower it causes the ejector to be advanced 
 farther through the mold ; if raised, the line is not 
 ejected so far into the pan. Sometimes, when using a 
 ' wrong font ' or a short ejector blade it is necessary 
 to put a plug of wood or paper to hold the spring plate 
 in the knife block open so the slug will eject without 
 tipping over. 
 
 " While I'm at it," continued the Machinist, " I'll 
 show you how the mold disk is revolved by the mold- 
 turning cam (No. 2). Take off the guard which covers 
 the gearing and you can see the whole works. This 
 square block {F, Fig. 22) lays against the inside surface 
 of the cam. When the cams revolve, the toothed seg- 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 8l 
 
 meiits (A, B, Fig. i ) come into mesh with the beveled 
 gear (C), imparting rotation to the short shaft {S), 
 which, being geared to the mold-turning shaft (O), 
 causes the mold disk to be revolved." 
 
 " What is this other arrangement {B, Fig. 22) 
 for ? " asked the Operator. 
 
 " That is a brake," answered the Machinist ; " it's 
 purpose is to relieve the strain on the square block (F) 
 when it is stopped in its revolution by coming in contact 
 
 with the cam surface. The brake consists of a leather 
 lining {B) inside of the brake {A) which encircles the 
 mold-turning shaft (O). This brake can be adjusted 
 by means of the screw (D) so that the disk will stop 
 quietly and smoothly without a jar. 
 
 " When the block (F) wears so that it no longer fits 
 snugly against the cam, the cam shoes against which 
 the block strikes when stopping can be set closer to the 
 block by loosening the screws and underlaying the 
 shoes. A screw in the square block, the head of which 
 
 ■ 
 
82 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 shows uppermost when the parts are in their normal 
 position, can be removed, and this allows this part to 
 be taken off if necessary to patch a worn block. 
 
 " The rollers on the various levers also should be 
 watched," continued the Machinist, " and if any of 
 them fail to revolve freely they should be promptly 
 removed and cleaned, or they will wear a flat side and 
 affect the adjustments." 
 
 " I notice," said the Operator, " that slugs are not 
 continually sticking in the mold. I have worked in 
 offices where this was an hourly occurrence. How do 
 you prevent it ? " 
 
 " Well, I'll tell you," replied the Machinist. " If 
 your casting apparatus is all right you'll get a good, 
 solid slug each time, into which the ejector blade can 
 not sink when ejecting. Then the mold liners must 
 be perfectly smooth and true — not sprung or battered 
 by hammering out slugs with a piece of hard metal and 
 a hammer. The mold should be taken apart occasion- 
 ally and the mold cell cleaned and polished, and the 
 trimming knives kept sharp and set properly, and then 
 if the metal is not allowed to get hot or the pot empty, 
 slugs will rarely fail to eject. But should a slug stick 
 in the mold, don't hammer it out. I've got a plan worth 
 two of that. When she sticks, back up the machine a 
 trifle and retract the ejector blade by pulling back on 
 the ejector-lever handle, and then raise the ejector 
 pawl and turn the machine forward so that the lug 
 passes under the pawl, allowing the machine to come 
 into position with the stuck slug still in the mold. Now 
 pull out the starting lever and let the machine roll 
 around, and by holding down the second- justification 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 83 
 
 lever throw the pump stop out and allow another cast 
 to be made into the bottom of the old slug, which will 
 almost always then eject easily. With the new univer- 
 sal mold you can loosen the mold-cap screws and release 
 a stuck slug that way. But if hammering is necessary, 
 do not use anything harder than brass either for an 
 ejector or to pound with. A squirt of oil on the foot of 
 the slug will make it drive out easier. For my part, I 
 prefer a preventive. It's easier on the machine and 
 your knuckles." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE METAL POT. 
 
 THE Operator was just beginning to think he knew 
 all there was to learn about the machine, when 
 he ran against a snag. " What is the matter with the 
 metal on this machine ? " he asked the Machinist. It 
 keeps squirting behind the mold disk. It don't appear 
 to be too hot, as the metal gets cold if the heat is 
 reduced. This is a new one on me, so I'll have to ask 
 you to help me out." 
 
 " Let's see," said the Machinist. " Perhaps metal 
 has gathered on the pot mouthpiece or behind the disk 
 and is preventing the pot from locking up tightly 
 against the mold." 
 
 He lowered the vise, removed the jaw guard on the 
 mold shield, disconnected the mold slide, drew the disk- 
 forward and examined the mouthpiece and the back of 
 the mold. 
 
 " It doesn't seem to be that this time," remarked the 
 Machinist. The mouthpiece is most likely warped 
 by the constant heat and needs * facing up.' There are 
 several ways of doing this, but I'll show you my way, 
 and I have always found it effective. It is this : Spread 
 Prussian blue over the back of the disk at a point 
 between the molds — not on the mold itself. There is a 
 
 Si. 
 
THi; MI£CIiANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 85 
 
 perfect surface there and it's just as true as the mold 
 itself. Then connect up the disk in such a position that 
 when the machine is started by pulling out the con- 
 trolling lever, that portion of the disk covered with 
 Prussian blue, instead of the mold, is presented to the 
 pot mouth. The pump-stop prevents a line being cast, 
 but the pot mouth, coming in contact with the prussian 
 bine, leaves its impression therein and itself receives a 
 transfer on its face, thus showing, when the disk is 
 drawn forward again, just what spots are highest on the 
 mouthpiece. These spots must be smoothed with a file 
 and the test again applied, repeating the process until 
 the impression shows an equal pressure the whole 
 length of the mouthpiece. 
 
 "Of course, if you allow the disk to revolve after 
 making the impression, the back knife will scrape the 
 Prussian blue from the back of the mold disk, but if 
 yovi remove the ejector blade and the mold-turning 
 pinion, and hold the disk in position with your hand, it 
 can be kept stationary while the machine completes its 
 revolution. 
 
 " The cross vents must be put in again after filing 
 the mouthpiece," continued the Machinist. "A small 
 cold-chisel is best, but the file should be rubbed over the 
 mouthpiece afterward to dress down the roughness 
 caused by the chisel. Care must be taken to not extend 
 the vents above the top of the holes in the mouthpiece. 
 These vents are for the purpose of allowing the air to 
 escape from the mold cell when the slug is being cast. 
 When the mouthpiece is properly faced up, only the 
 cross vents and the jets are trimmed by the back knife. 
 A smooth-bottomed slug indicates an imperfect lock-up. 
 
86 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 " You must be wary, however, of filing the mouth- 
 piece too freely," cautioned the Machinist. " Take off 
 but little at a time, and hold the file squarely with the 
 face of the mouthpiece. If the impression taken shows 
 
 that the pot is locking very 
 tightly on one end and not 
 on the other, it is some- 
 times better to swing the 
 pot around by means of the 
 adjusting screws in the 
 bottom of the pot legs. For 
 instance, if the impression 
 indicates that the left-hand 
 end of the mouthpiece (X, 
 Fig. 23) is being pressed 
 too tightly against the 
 mold, loosen the front 
 screw (i) and screw in on 
 the back screw (2) on the 
 left pot leg (3). This will 
 throw this end of the pot 
 and, if done carefully, will 
 The screws must be tight- 
 ened and the jam-nuts also, or the pot will work loose 
 and give trouble." 
 
 " What are those other screws in the pot legs for ? " 
 asked the Operator. 
 
 " They are for the purpose of adjusting the height 
 of the pot to cause the mouthpiece holes to align with 
 the mold cell," the Machinist replied. " When they 
 are set right, the jets will show round and full on the 
 bottom of the slug, and will always be in line with the 
 
 mouthpiece further back, 
 result in a square lock-up. 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 87 
 
 smooth edge of all sizes of slugs. On the new machines 
 there is a cross-piece on the bottom of the pot legs with 
 an adjustment in it also to prevent the pot being lifted." 
 
 " Does the lever back of the metal-pot need adjust- 
 ing?" was the Operator's next question. 
 
 " No," responded the Machinist ; " when it is once 
 set right it will be all right if left alone. That is a 
 spring action to lock the pot against the mold with 
 spring pressure. If the lever is set so as to allow the 
 spring to act, that is all that is necessary. When the 
 pot is forward there should be a space of 1-16 of an 
 inch between the lever and the outer nut (5) on the 
 eyebolt. The roller in the pot lever has anti-friction 
 roller bearings, similar to ball bearings, and for the 
 purpose of relieving the roller from the weight of the 
 pot, a balancing spring (S) is seated beneath the pot 
 lever to help support the pot." 
 
 " Why do you have some of the burners under the 
 pot turned partly off? " asked the Operator. 
 
 " So as to get the best possible blue blaze from each. 
 Some will burn better when turned partly off. There 
 has been considerable change in the burners lately put 
 on machines. The newest one has one ring burner 
 under the pot and four tubes under the throat and 
 mouthpiece." 
 
 " I notice," said the Operator, " that when a machine 
 has been running on short measure for some time, that 
 the unused mouthpiece holes get plugged up, and I 
 always have to run a steel wire through them to open 
 them up again. I have even seen people drill them out, 
 they were plugged up so tightly. Does poor metal 
 cause this ? " 
 
88 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 " Not always," the Aiachinist replied, " though 
 that will make it worse. If heat is applied to the 
 mouthpiece when the wire is pushed through the holes 
 they will generally open up readily. It is sometimes 
 necessary, though, to take out the mouthpiece to clear 
 out the dross behind it. This is done by driving the 
 mouthpiece toward the keyboard to loosen the wedge- 
 shaped key which holds it in place. It can then be 
 removed and the dross and litharge cleared out. See 
 that the throat is open all the way and that the hole 
 near the bottom of the plunger well is open. If neces- 
 sary, dip all the metal out of the pot and examine it. 
 The utmost care must be taken when driving out the 
 mouthpiece to avoid battering the end, as this battered 
 end will break the mouth of the crucible while you are 
 driving, and cause leaks when replaced. When replac- 
 ing the mouthpiece, if a mixture of oil and graphite is 
 spread on the beveled edges it will help to prevent leaks. 
 There are pot-mouth extractors sent with machines 
 nowadays with which the mouthpiece can be drawn 
 out without driving." 
 
 " Does the tension of the pump-spring need to be 
 changed at times ? " the Operator asked. 
 
 " Not necessarily," said the Machinist. " If the 
 plunger makes the full stroke that is all that is needed. 
 The pump spring on the new machine works in the 
 hollow frame of the machine and is a light affair, and 
 this massive pump spring and bracket is done away 
 with, 
 
 " Here's a job for you, by the way," continued the 
 Machinist. " Take out the pump plungers and brush 
 the dirt and oxide from them. Scrape the inner side of 
 
THE MECHANISM OV THE LINOTYPE. 89 
 
 the well to remove the scale, which if left will prevent 
 the free action of the plunger. The rings on the plun- 
 gers after a time become worn and allow metal to 
 escape around them when the pump descends to make a 
 cast, and a porous slug and sunken letters in it is the 
 result. The rings can be removed and new ones applied 
 by removing the nut on the bottom of the plunger. The 
 latest plunger is a solid piece, this also being the earlier 
 form." 
 
 " Does the pot ever have to be taken out of the 
 machine ? " questioned the Operator. 
 
 "Only in case of accident to the crucible," replied 
 the Machinist. " You see the pot consists of two parts, 
 the crucible and the jacket. Magnesia plastic is packed 
 between the two, as this is a splendid non-conductor of 
 heat. The cap of the pot is then bolted on. I have 
 known the crucible to crack from expansion or contrac- 
 tion due to sudden changes in temperature. Every time 
 a mouthpiece is removed there is danger of chipping 
 the crucible, and for that reason I don't believe in taking 
 one out unless every other means fails. The latest 
 thing in mouthpieces, however, overcomes this danger, 
 as the mouthpiece is clamped in place by a removable 
 section, and it can be taken out and replaced with 
 impunity." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE METAL AND TRIMMING KNIVES. 
 
 'HE Operator had heard considerable talk about 
 
 -L good and poor Linotype metal, so one day he 
 asked the Machinist what made the difference between 
 them. 
 
 " Poor Linotype metal," replied the Machinist, 
 " contains very Httle tin and antimony, and is conse- 
 quently soft and spongy. On account of the compara- 
 tively high cost of these ingredients, Linotype metal 
 containing the proper percentages of them is expensive. 
 Just what these proportions are the makers refuse to 
 divulge. Lead, however, is the base, and comprises 
 probably seventy-five per cent of the whole mass. 
 Antimony is added to impart hardness. Lead and anti- 
 mony, however, are not homogeneous and the addition 
 of tin is necessary as a flux." 
 
 "But the metal deteriorates, doesn't it?" queried 
 the Operator. 
 
 " Yes," responded the Machinist. " Constant 
 remelting and high temperatures eventually release the 
 tin and antimony, and these being skimmed from the 
 surface of the metal with the oxide as dross, the metal 
 remaining is too soft for Linotype uses. Metal dete- 
 riorates much faster if allowed to get too hot — above 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. QI 
 
 550 degrees. As tin has a much lower melting point 
 than lead, it is gradually burned out, and the slugs then 
 are porous and break easily. With the loss of the tin, 
 the two remaining metals will not amalgamate, the 
 antimony rises to the surface on account of its less 
 specific gravity, and is skimmed off as dross. If the 
 heat is allowed to become excessive, the antimony rises 
 to the surface as a black powder, but as this will not 
 occur unless the heat is about 800 degrees, there is no 
 occasion for permitting it." 
 
 " Do you ever retemper the metal when remelting 
 it?" the Operator next asked. 
 
 " Not ordinarily," replied the Machinist. " I occa- 
 sionally plunge a stick of green wood into the smelting 
 furnace and let it boil about twenty minutes. That will 
 liberate the oxides and purify the metal, while a small 
 lump of rosin added to the mass when the skimmings 
 are remelted will reduce the dross. Too much rosin 
 in the metal, though, will make trouble in the machine 
 metal-pot by clogging the mouthpiece and the plunger. 
 It must be used very sparingly. When the metal needs 
 retempering I box it up and ship it back to the refiners 
 from whom it was bought. As they know exactly what 
 the proportions are, they are better able to add the 
 necessary ingredients to bring it up to standard. If 
 you want to get the best results, this should be done 
 every three months. 
 
 " We will have a chance to-day to sharpen the trim- 
 ming knives on a few of these machines," continued the 
 Machinist. " It is some months since they were attended 
 to and they need it. You can remove the whole knife- 
 block and right-hand trimming knife by taking out the 
 
92 
 
 'I' 111': MECHANISM Ol-' THE LINOTVJ'E. 
 
 two large tap-screws in the block, the upper one of 
 which holds the mold wiper in place. The two screws 
 which pass through the knives from the front of the 
 block (i, 2, Fig. lo) must then be removed, and the 
 knife is free. While you have the block apart you can 
 see how the lowering of the wedge adjustment moves 
 the knife closer to the stationary or left-hand knife to 
 trim a thin slug, and how the flat spring within the 
 block retracts the knife when the wedge is raised to 
 trim a thicker slug. The latest improvement in this is 
 the placing of two heavy springs to retract the knife 
 instead of the^ one flat one in these blocks. A further 
 improvement is in holding the knife by means of fric- 
 tion spring plates instead of the bolts (i, 2), which in 
 these blocks must be loosened before moving the wedge. 
 With the new block it is only necessary to raise or 
 lower the lever to change the position of the knives. 
 
 " The left-hand knife can be taken ofif by removing 
 the two bolts reached from the front of the machine 
 when the slug-receiver, or pan, is removed. 
 
 " Now get the lapping block and sprinkle the sur- 
 face of it with fine emery powder and moisten it with 
 benzine. Then place 
 the knife first with its 
 
 remove any nicks. 
 
 Next turn the knife ' 
 
 over and give the beveled edge of it a few rubs. 
 
 Finally, hold the knife against a supporting block, and 
 
 entire surface resting 
 on the block and rub it 
 back and forth to 
 sharpen the edge and 
 
 SQC/ARB 
 SUPPORTINQ 
 BLOCK 
 
 ori sTom OR ZAPPiNa blocx. 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 93 
 
 in such a way that the flat under-surface of the knife 
 lies close against the support and the cutting edge of 
 the knife only rests on the lapping block (Fig. 24). 
 Holding the knife in this position, slide both back and 
 forth to make a parallel surface on the cutting lip of 
 the knife, but do not extend it further back from the 
 edge than 3-32 of an inch. This is done to prevent the 
 knives gouging into the slugs when trimming. The 
 knives should be sharp, but not have a razor edge. 
 
 You will notice," the Machinist continued, " that 
 the surface of the knives taper backward to the base, 
 and also outward from top to bottom (See Fig. 25). 
 
 Fig. 25. 
 
 This allows, the slug to be ejected with the least possible 
 resistance. The knife for trimming the base of the, 
 slug is also sharpened ii\the same way. The original 
 angles must always be preserved when sharpening. 
 When replacing the knives, do not tilt them by under- 
 lays of paper or other means, so as to put the cutting 
 edges at a different angle from that originally intended, 
 as I have known some smart machinists to do. Fasten 
 
94 THE MECUAXISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 them down the way they were made to fasten and you 
 will have no trouble. The worst difficulties Linotype 
 inspectors encounter is caused by that class of machin- 
 ists who think they know more about the machines than 
 the man who built them, and then proceed to alter the 
 parts." 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MATRIX AND SPACEBAND TRANSFER. 
 
 WHILE talking with the Operator one day, the 
 Machinist said : " Do you remember how, 
 every once in a while, a line of matrices would be 
 dumped into the thin-space receptacle when the line 
 was being transferred from the first elevator ? " 
 
 " Indeed I do," replied the Operator. " That was 
 one of the first things you fixed when you took charge 
 here. Perhaps I might understand it now if you would 
 explain it." 
 
 "All right," replied the Machinist ; " I'll try. You 
 see this screw in the bottom of the first elevator slide ? 
 That is an adjustment for regulating the height to 
 which the elevator can rise when carrying a line of 
 matrices to the second elevator. The screw must be set 
 so that the guide-block on the elevator jaw will come in 
 line with the groove in the guide-block on the end of 
 the transfer carriage (A, Fig. 26). The transfer car- 
 riage is drawn to the right by the coil spring in the 
 hollow frame of the machine, back of the assembler. 
 The lever which operates the carriage has a roller which 
 follows the surface of cam No. 10. This roller has an 
 eccentric pin, the same as the line-delivery carriage 
 roller has, and when this eccentric is properly set it 
 
 95 
 
96 
 
 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 will cause the shifter finger (B, Fig. 26) to retreat far 
 enough, after transferring a line of matrices, to allow 
 the trip lever (i) in the elevator guide (Fig. 27) to 
 drop in front of the projection (2) on the transfer 
 carriage (Fig. 26), so as to lock it in that position. 
 Now the transfer carriage can only be released by the 
 latch being lifted, which the second elevator does when 
 it comes down. This is accompHshed by the adjusting 
 screw on the arm striking on top of the trip lever (3, 
 
 Fig. 26. Fig. 27. 
 
 Fig- 27). This lifts the other end (i) of the trip lever, 
 which normally lies in the path of the projection (2) 
 on the transfer carriage, and permits the transfer to be 
 made. 
 
 " The lever which moves the transfer carriage is 
 connected to the lever which operates the spaceband 
 shifter pawl by a link and turnbuckle, which you can 
 see right behind the keyboard cams. When the trans- 
 fer carriage moves, the spaceband shifter moves also. 
 If the shifter pawl is locked by the operator — as is 
 done when recasting lines — this, of course, prevents 
 the movement of the transfer carriage. 
 
 " This transferring device, you see," continued the 
 Machinist, " is safeguarded in three ways. First, if the 
 first elevator does not rise high enough to allow the 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 97 
 
 guide-blocks to meet; second, if the second elevator 
 fails to descend, which will occur if the distributor 
 stops and matrices partly on the bar and partly in the 
 distributor box hold the arm in its upward position; 
 third, if the spaceband shifter pawl is locked back by 
 the operator. 
 
 " Now as to the cause of the matrices dumping into 
 the thin-space box : In the first place, the cam roller 
 was not set so as to return the transfer carriage far 
 enough to allow the trip lever to lock it, so if the 
 second elevator did not descend, there was nothing to 
 prevent the action of the transfer, which proceeded to 
 shift the matrices into the intermediate spaceband chan- 
 nel, from whence they would fall into the thin-space 
 box. There is a punch-mark on the sprocket-shaped 
 head of the eccentric pin which indicates where to 
 place the screw which holds it when the parts are not 
 worn. I reset the roller and then adjusted the turn- 
 buckle so that the spacebands were swept fairly back 
 into the spaceband box each time, and then, with the 
 second elevator down in its lowest position, I set the 
 screw on the arm which unlocks the trip lever so that 
 the end (i) would clear the projection (2) about 1-32 
 of an inch. That settled that trouble. There is a new 
 arrangement on the latest machines for setting the 
 transfer carriage, and it's much handier than to adjust 
 the eccentric pin. The short lever or arm which carries 
 the roller is fastened to the shaft by a split hub, with 
 screws to clamp it tightly. To set the transfer you 
 merely loosen the screws and move the whole arm in 
 cither direction necessary and tighten up the screws 
 again," 
 
98 THE MECHANISM OF THE LlNOTYl'E. 
 
 " What causes the spacebands to get stuck in the 
 intermediate channel and fail to be returned to the 
 spaceband box by the shifter pawl?" the Operator 
 queried. 
 
 " That is usually caused by the screw (4) in the 
 shifter finger (B, Fig. 26) being turned in so far that 
 it prevents the two shifters from coming close enough 
 together to enable the pawl to drop over the ears of the 
 spacebands. It may be, though, that one side of the 
 intermediate spaceband channel is higher than the other 
 and lets the bands swing around. If that is the case, 
 the whole channel must be taken off, the dowel pins 
 removed and the low side raised so a band when hang- 
 ing from the rails is supported equally by both ears." 
 
 " I understand that now, I guess," said the Opera- 
 tor, " but I don't just see what stops the machine when 
 the transfer carriage fails to act." 
 
 " Well, you'll have to go back to a former lesson if 
 you don't grasp that proposition," replied the Machinist. 
 " You remember that when I explained the action of 
 the various cams I showed you the safety pawl on cam 
 No. 10. That pawl lies in the path of the stop lever 
 which throws the clutch out of action, and this pawl 
 will come in contact with it unless the roller on the 
 transfer lever pushes the pawl to the right and so allows 
 it to pass by the stop lever. If the roller is prevented 
 from following the cam surface, as it would be by the 
 transfer carriage being caught or the spaceband pawl 
 being locked, this safety pawl would stop the machine. 
 In this event, a pull on the controlling lever disengages 
 the safety stopping pawl and the machine will finish its 
 revolution." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 SliCOND ELKVATOR AND UlSTRUiLITOR UUX. 
 
 HERE is something I want to show yon," said the 
 Machinist. " It isn't very often that tlie second 
 elevator gets out of adjustment, but you had better 
 know how to fix it when it does. Come around to the 
 back of the machine and I'll show you how. 
 
 " You will notice," the Machinist continued, " that 
 the second-elevator lever is in two parts, with a cushion 
 spring between the two pieces, near the base. If you 
 will back up the machine far enough to allow the second 
 elevator to descend a little way and then loosen or 
 tighten the nuts which affect this spring, you will see 
 that it causes the lever to move a trifle. When properly 
 adjusted, the lever will seat the second elevator firmly 
 back against the guide-block when in its full upward 
 position. As it descends by its own weight, it will then 
 always seat itself properly in the intermediate space- 
 band channel to receive the matrix line. A spring 
 attached to the lever assists in starting the elevator 
 downward, and also serves to steady it on its return, 
 this spring passing beneath the machine frame between 
 cams I and 2. If the spring is not stiff enough, or is 
 broken, the elevator will occasionally tri]) up and fail 
 to seat itself in line with the distributor box, and 
 perhaps damage the grooved bar in the box. There is 
 
 99 
 
lOO IUL; MliCiiANlSM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 a nut on the rod which can be tightened to give proper 
 tension to the spring. 
 
 "On the opposite end of the second elevator, also 
 beneath the shaft, there is a safety pawl, the object of 
 which is to prevent the elevator from falling and getting 
 damaged or broken should anything catch and hold it 
 momentarily while the cams continue their revolution. 
 The pawl engages with a hook on the machine frame 
 and this hook has to be released before the elevator 
 can be lowered by hand. In this case, the spaceband- 
 transfer pawl must always be locked back and unlocked 
 when the elevator has been lowered, meanwhile holding 
 the shifter lever to prevent it transferring the line too 
 swiftly." 
 
 What is that little trigger arrangement on the end 
 of the second-elevator bar ? " asked the Operator. 
 
 " That is a pawl which prevents the matrices from 
 sliding too far to the right when being transferred from 
 the first elevator," replied the Machinist. " Without 
 some arrangement of that sort the matrices might slide 
 over so far as to strike against the distributor-box bar 
 when the elevator rises, and damage it." 
 
 " I'd like to see the internal arrangement of the 
 distributor box," ventured the Operator, " if you'll take 
 it down some day." 
 
 " I'll do it now," said the Machinist; " we have a 
 little time." 
 
 After backing the machine until the second elevator 
 descended from its seat, he threw open the magazine 
 entrance and pressed downward on the lever handle 
 which kept the box in position, thus releasing the box, 
 which he then drew downward and placed on the bench. 
 
MliCHANlSM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 lOI 
 
 " First of all," he said, " you must understand how 
 the matrices arc lifted one hy one to the combination 
 bar for distribution. The matrices are shifted from the 
 second-elevator bar to the distributor-box bar, and are 
 pressed toward the distributor by the spring-actuated 
 shifter. The distributor is equipped with three hori- 
 zontal screws, between which the matrices are urged 
 forward until they reach their proper channels. One of 
 these distributor screws has a cam on its right-hand 
 
 end which engages the 
 matrix - lift lever (L, 
 Fig. 28), causing the lift 
 (/) to rise and fall. As 
 J- the point of this lift lies 
 just beneath the first 
 matrix in the distributor 
 box, it results in that 
 matrix being lifted to a 
 height which allows the 
 distributor screws to 
 engage the matrix ears, 
 and as they revolve they 
 The upper ears of the mat- 
 rix now rest upon the inclined rails (i, 2), and as they 
 move forward and upward the teeth on the matrices 
 engage the combination distributor bar. from which 
 they are thereafter suspended." 
 
 "Is the nut (3) an adjustment for the lift?" the 
 Operator asked. 
 
 " Yes," answered the Machinist ; " that regulates 
 the stroke of the lift. It must be set so that the lift (I) 
 will raise the ears of the matrices T-32 of an inch higher 
 
 push the matrix forward. 
 
I02 'nil-: .M lu iiAx is.M OF -i iir: i.i .\( it\-|'I':. 
 
 than the rails (i, 2). The ciisliion spring- beneath the 
 adjusting screw prevents breakage." 
 
 " What was that you replaced the other day when 
 the lift kept picking- up two matrices at a time and 
 stopping the distributor ? " the Operator next asked. 
 
 " That was caused by the bar pawl (4) being worn. 
 You have noticed, I presume, that all matrices have a 
 groove down the center on the left-hand side (see Fig. 
 32) deep in the thick matrices, shallow or not at all in 
 thin ones. iVs a space wide enough for the thickest 
 matrix to be lifted to the distributor bar might permit 
 tw^o thin ones sticking together to be raised at one 
 stroke, all matrices are cut to a uniform thickness at 
 this point, and a pawl (4) which stands in their path 
 above the matrix lift (/) enters this groove and 
 will allow only one to pass at a time. If the point of 
 the pawl wears off or the upper or lower rails in the 
 distributor box wear enough to allow two thin matrices 
 to pass, these parts must be renewed. The point of the 
 lift (/), although case-hardened steel, will also wear 
 and will then have a wide enough seat to pick up two 
 thin matrices at a time. Of course, a new lift must then 
 be put in." 
 
 " Is it much trouble to take the box apart? " ques- 
 tioned the Operator. 
 
 " No, it's done easily," replied the Machinist. " The 
 grooved bar can be removed by merely pushing out the 
 two pins (5, 6) which hold it. The front side of the 
 box can be removed 1)y taking out the three upper 
 screws. 
 
 " While we have the box down you may see how 
 you can, by turning the stud-nut (7) as far as it will go 
 
THE MECHANISM Ol' THI-: LINOTYPE. 
 
 to the right, throw the font distinguisher out of action 
 so that it will not stop any wrong-font matrices which 
 you might wish to run in without stopping their distri- 
 bution. This is a new feature which is not to be found 
 in earher machines. The large groove in the bottom 
 of the matrix is the font mark. The smaller marks 
 distinguish the different faces from each other. Never 
 attempt to turn the stud-nut (7) when there are mat- 
 rices in the distributor box. You will be liable to break 
 ofif the font-distinguishing lip if it catches on a matrix. 
 
 " Be careful," continued the Machinist, " in replac- 
 ing the distributor box that you seat it as high as it wall 
 go and as far to the left as you can before turning the 
 lever to the left, or upward, to fasten the box in place. 
 On the new machines a couple of pins in the distributor- 
 box casting prevent the box being placed in any other 
 than the correct position." 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE DISTRIBUTOR AND THE MAGAZINE. 
 
 THERE isn't a great deal more that I can tell you 
 about the Linotype," said the Machinist to the 
 Operator, " as I have explained nearly every part of 
 the machine except the distributor and the magazine. 
 There is something to learn about these parts, however, 
 so I'll tell you what I can about them. 
 
 " In the first place, don't get the idea that the dis- 
 tributor bar is at fault whenever the distributor gives 
 trouble. The bar is made right and set right, so don't 
 ' monkey ' with it. If the matrices fall into the wrong 
 channel or clog in the distributor entrance, it is usually 
 because the magazine is not set right. The two adjust- 
 ing screws (A, Fig. 29) on either side of the magazine 
 are for the purpose of setting the magazine in proper 
 relation to the distributor bar. Throw the distributor 
 belt off and turn the distributor by hand and set the 
 magazine so that when the matrices fall from the bar 
 they will just clear the partitions or guides. When the 
 distributor is running normally the momentum given 
 the matrices will carry them to the center of the chan- 
 nels. The other adjusting screws (B) on the magazine 
 must be set so as to leave a space of 1-16 of an inch 
 between the bottom of matrices suspended from the bar 
 
 104 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 and the top of the magazine entrance guides. Next he 
 sure that the guides themselves are not hent out of 
 place. They must all be equidistant and perfectly 
 straight. To test them, use the stopping bar (C, Fig. 
 30) as a guide. Press it 
 to the right, and if any 
 of the partitions are bent 
 out of place the projec- 
 tions on the stopping bar 
 will cause the partitions 
 to move, and they can be 
 detected and straight- 
 ened. See that the parti- 
 tions lav close to these 
 
 projections and that the 
 lower end of the guides 
 are bent so as to cause 
 the matrices to enter the 
 magazine without strik- 
 ing it. 
 
 " You see," continued 
 the Machinist, " the dis- 
 Frc'^-g. tributor is controlled by 
 
 a friction clutch which 
 slips if an3'thing binds the distributor screws or matrix 
 lift, thus preventing breaking or bending of the parts. 
 The clutch is formed by a spring pressing a disk 
 against the side face of the pulley (D, Fig. 29). The 
 friction shaft (£) is geared to the distributor screws 
 
io6 
 
 -nil-: M i-x II AN ISM OF •rni' i.i xo'i vi'E. 
 
 and the gears are matched so as to cause the matrices 
 to hang perpendicularly from the distributor bar. The 
 back distributor screw (F) can be raised and swung 
 
 utor will not run. Watch the matrix-lift lever also and 
 move it out of the wa>' when closing down the back 
 distributor screw." 
 
 "The automatic stopping bar (C) is what throws 
 the distributor clutch out of action, isn't it ? " remarked 
 the Operator. 
 
 " Yes," replied the Machinist ; " the end of the bar 
 rests on the end of the trip lever (H), and if matrices 
 sliould clog in the guides the movement of the 
 distributor bends the guides to the left, thus moving 
 the stopping bar (C) and causing the end to slip off the 
 trip lever. The small plate (G) on which the automatic 
 stopping bar rests is adjustable, and should be set so 
 that the bar (C) rests on it about i-i6 of an inch. 
 
 " I'll show you," continued the Machinist, " how the 
 movement of the trip lever (H) throws off the clutch. 
 Do you see that cam-shaped collar (7) on the clutch 
 shaft? The clutch throw-off (7) stands directly below 
 
 Fig. 30. 
 
 upward by unlatching 
 the catch on the right- 
 hand end. Do not at- 
 tempt to raise it, how- 
 ever, while there are 
 matrices on the bar, and 
 when closing it down 
 see that the pin on the 
 gear matches with the 
 short tooth on the other 
 gear, or else the distrib- 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. IO7 
 
 and to the right of this collar, and is prevented from 
 rising into the path of the collar hy the stopping bar 
 (C) resting on the end of the lever (H). When the 
 stopping bar is pushed to the left, or the magazine 
 entrance (K) is opened, the lever is allowed to rise, 
 and it strikes against the side face of the collar, thus 
 pressing the friction disk away from the pulley and 
 allowing the friction to slip, and the distributor stops." 
 
 " What makes the distributor stop so that it has to 
 be backed up before it will start again? " the Operator 
 asked. 
 
 " Sometimes a matrix will get caught on the lift 
 (/, Fig. 28), and then you will have to slip the distrib- 
 utor belt off the lower pulley and back up the distributor 
 by turning the friction shaft (E) toward you until the 
 lift (/) is lowered, when it will usually run again when 
 the belt is thrown on." 
 
 " Is that all the adjustment there is for the maga- 
 zine," asked the Operator. 
 
 " No," replied the Machinist ; " the front end of 
 the magazine must be adjusted to the proper height 
 to permit the full stroke of the matrix escapements. 
 Throw off the keyboard belts and touch the lower-case 
 c and em-dash keys. Then turn the rollers by hand 
 until the key rods rise to their highest stroke. At this 
 point there should be a clearance of 1-32 of an inch 
 between the verge and the hook on the keyrod. Adjust 
 by means of the screws (L, Fig. 29) under the maga- 
 zine until this clearance is obtained." 
 
 " If the keyrods do not rest squarely on the verges, 
 how do you fix that ? " queried the Operator. 
 
 " The upper rod guide can be adjusted sidewise by 
 
I08 THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 removing the brass guide block (M) on the magazine 
 and either inserting a thin strip between it and the 
 magazine or by fihng the casting enough to cause the 
 rods to center fully on the verges." 
 
 " I suppose it is quite a difficult thing to take out a 
 verge if it should get broken," said the Operator. 
 
 " No," replied the Machinist ; " like everything else, 
 it is easy when you know how. If it becomes necessary 
 to replace a verge, lock the magazine and keyboard, 
 being sure to place the verge lock aboz'e the shoulder on 
 the back pawl (vY), and remove the magazine from the 
 machine and place it bottom side up on the bench. 
 With the pliers straighten the bent ears which hold the 
 narrow brass locking strip in place and raise the strip 
 to a point beyond the broken verge. Then with a rod 
 of equal diameter to the rod on which the verges are 
 pivoted, push out the latter until the desired verge is 
 reached, when, if you separate the ends of the two rods 
 a little, you can remove the verge and its pawls without 
 disturbing the others. See that the pawls work freely 
 in the verge, and if not, dress them a little with a fine 
 file. 
 
 Here's another pointer. The next time the pi 
 channel in the magazine clogs with matrices, don't try 
 to force them through with the matrix hook. You can 
 remove the tube entrance by loosening the two screws 
 underneath the magazine which hold it in place, and 
 the pi will then come through. Straighten the brass 
 tongue and see that it lies directly in the channel when 
 replacing. 
 
 " That's about all I can tell you ; the rest you will 
 have to learn by experience. Don't get the idea that 
 
THE MECHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE. IO9 
 
 you know it all. I learn something new nearly every 
 day about this machine. Whenever you find a better 
 or easier way of doing a thing, don't hesitate to adopt it. 
 Handle the machine gently ; never force it ; keep it 
 cleaned and oiled; attend promptly to repairs and 
 adjustments, and you will find that the Linotype, 
 instead of being the incomprehensible or refractory 
 machine some have found it, will really prove a most 
 tractable servant, and make the work of caring for its 
 wonderful mechanism a real pleasure. Next month we 
 are going to add a new machine to our plant, and then 
 you will have a chance to learn how to erect and put a 
 machine into operation." 
 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 ERECTING A NEW MACHINE. 
 
 'HE new machine at last had arrived. When the 
 
 -L four boxes were unloaded from the dray, the 
 Machinist had rollers ready, and the large box con- 
 taining- the base and heavy parts assembled was slid 
 upon the rollers and rolled into the building, the 
 smaller boxes being trucked in. The large box was 
 first attacked, the top taken off and the distributor 
 bracket and the step casting unbolted and lifted out, 
 when the front of the box was removed and the lag- 
 screws holding the uprights to the skids taken out, the 
 Machinist meanwhile removing the small braces inside 
 the box, which could now be gotten at. The remaining 
 three sides of the box were then lifted bodily back and 
 the machine base left free, standing on the skids. 
 
 The machine was then rolled into its place on the 
 floor and the skids withdrawn from beneath, the middle 
 one first, the distributor step being the first part put on 
 the machine to assemble it. The distributor bracket 
 was now bolted in place, and the long, narrow box 
 opened and the distributor taken out, and, after cutting 
 the wires, it was bolted in place by means of the two 
 tap screws inserted from the front of the bracket. 
 The Operator was then told to remove the wiring 
 
 no 
 
THE MECJIA.X ISAl VL' THE LINOTYPI':. Ill 
 
 which tied the various levers together. The Machinist 
 then backed the machine by turning the clutch until 
 the second-elevator lever ascended, when the vise was 
 unwired, and, the square box being opened, the vise- 
 locking screws were put in, the one numbered i in the 
 hole numbered to correspond, being screwed in until 
 the shoulder of the lock was flush with the face of the 
 socket in the vise casting, the stops, which were first 
 unscrewed and taken out, being then replaced. The 
 intermediate bracket and shaft which is driven by the 
 belt from the main machine pulley was taken from the 
 square box and bolted in place, and then the upper key- 
 rod guide and channel-plate support was taken out and 
 placed in position, the small collar attached to the 
 former being first slipped over that end of the shaft to 
 which it was tied, and the other end placed in the seat 
 in the support, which latter was then bolted to the 
 intermediate bracket from beneath, the socket wrenches 
 being used to tighten all these tap screws. The key- 
 board was then taken from the box and the strings cut 
 away, the two screws which held the keyboard in the 
 box being used to fasten it to the machine frame from 
 beneath. The key rods were next unpacked and laid out 
 on the bench in numerical order, when the Machinist 
 said : 
 
 " Now you can place these keyrods in position while 
 I unpack the rest of the parts. Begin with the lower- 
 case e rod, No. i. Place the hooked end of the rod 
 through the upper guide from beneath, the hook toward 
 you as you stand in front of the keyboard, and drop 
 the lower end of the rod into the first slot in the lower 
 rod guide. Be sure to get the first rod in the right 
 
112 THE MECliA.NlSM OF THE LINOTYPE. 
 
 place, and then put the other ninety in the same order. 
 The last and shortest one is the spaceband keyrod, and 
 you can lay it aside temporarily. Here is a package 
 of springs, which you can attach to the rods and the 
 keyboard frame, front and back, when you have the 
 rods in place." 
 
 While the Operator was engaged in connecting the 
 keyrods, the Machinist put the second elevator in place 
 and hooked the steel spring to it, put the distributor 
 box in its place and then turned the machine back until 
 the second elevator rose to its seat and the machine 
 came into normal position. The distributor-shifter 
 slide and lever were next assembled and the spring 
 which operates the shifter lever attached to the machine 
 frame. The burner was placed under the pot and then 
 the Machinist unpacked the remaining box and removed 
 the magazine and face plate. The magazine was care- 
 fully brushed out, and as soon as the Operator had 
 finished the placing of the keyrods they lifted the face 
 plate to its position, guided by the dowel pins with 
 which it is fitted, and fastened it by means of the large 
 flat -head tap screw in the intermediate spaceband chan- 
 nel, the smaller one near the right-hand vise-locking 
 screw, and the remaining screw in the extreme right- 
 hand end of the casting, putting the sort-tray bracket 
 in place before this screw was put in, as the tap screw 
 holds this bracket also. 
 
 The line-delivery pump was then screwed in place 
 and the spaceband lever fastened to back of face plate, 
 the screws being placed in from the front, the flat end 
 of the lever being placed beneath the screw of the 
 spaceband-box pawl lever {E, Fig. 15), and the other 
 
Till'; MKCIIAXISM OF THE LINOTYPE. II3 
 
 end connected to the keyrod, which the Operator held 
 in readiness. The piston rod in the line-delivery pump 
 was then pushed into the cylinder as far as it would 
 go, and the line-delivery carriage fastened to the end 
 of the rod by means of the shoulder screw in the car- 
 riage, the same screw also serving to fasten the carriage 
 itself to the link, which in turn connects the carriage 
 to the line-delivery lever. 
 
 The second-elevator transfer carriage (Fig. 26) 
 was next placed in its track and connected to the lever. 
 Then the governor was fastened in an upright position 
 and connected with ^-inch rubber hose as shown in 
 Fig. 6. 
 
 The first elevator was next taken from the box, and 
 after loosening the left-hand guide-blocks the elevator 
 was put in place and the blocks adjusted to allow free 
 movement of the elevator, but close enough to take up 
 all play. The adjusting link in the bottom of the eleva- 
 tor was then connected to the lever, the flat spring on 
 the barrel being turned outward. The vise being closed, 
 the elevator was adjusted by turning the barrel until 
 the grooves in the elevator were on a line with the 
 grooves in the line-delivery channel. 
 
 The assembling elevator lever was next slid into the 
 journals of the keyboard, the short coil spring being 
 first slipped on the shaft, and the lever handle fastened 
 to the shaft by the taper pin, the lever being screwed to 
 the assembler block. The pi-box tube, matrix tray and 
 copy-holder were fastened to the machine and the copy 
 hooks screwed into the keyboard frame. Then the 
 Machinist brought out the flexible front and placed it 
 on the brackets which support it, the split guides being 
 
114 'I'll'- :\ri':c;iiAMs?ii oi-^ -iiii': i.i xotypi-:. 
 
 made to straddle the rigid ones in the face plate ; then 
 the short chain was connected to hold the flexible front 
 in its forward position. The large front glass was put 
 in place and also the small assembler glass. 
 
 The back entrance was then fastened to the maga- 
 zine and the spring (P, Fig. 29) attached to it to hold 
 it closed, after which the magazine was placed in posi- 
 tion in the machine and the flexible front depressed 
 beneath the mouth of the channel. 
 
 The keyrods were connected to the verges as shown 
 in Fig. II, and verges and keyboard unlocked. The 
 keyboard roller belts were connected, as also the 
 distributor belt, and the belt on the intermediate shaft 
 to the main machine pulley, the front keyboard roller 
 and distributor belts being crossed, the latter so that it 
 tended to run away from the distributor gears. 
 
 The Machinist and the Operator put in the rest of 
 the day oiling, wiping and cleaning the new machine, 
 and after running in the matrices and cleaning the 
 spacebands, the Machinist tested the machine by turn- 
 ing it over by hand to see that all was in working order. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 T W O - L ET T ER AT T A C 1 J MEN T . 
 
 I SUPPOSE you have noticed,"' said the Machinist to 
 the Operator, " that there are a number of improve- 
 ments on the new machine. This being a two-letter 
 machine, there are several new features on it you have 
 not seen before." 
 
 " Yes," the Operator responded, " I was just exam- 
 ining the assembler. What are these levers (D, Fig. 
 31) for?" 
 
 " Look at the matrix first. You see each matrix 
 bears two characters (Fig. 32), the roman letter in the 
 usual position and the same letter in italic below it. 
 The small-caps, are doubled up with the figures, and 
 the italic figures made to run as side sorts in the pi box. 
 The lever (D) in the assembler is attached to a 
 plate (C) which works in a slot in the assembler and 
 projects inside the box when the lower end of the lever 
 is drawn forward. This plate then supports the mat- 
 rices at a. higher level than ordinarily so as to bring the 
 italic faces in line with the roman faces of such words 
 as are to be set in roman. The plate is in two sections, 
 ihe right-hand end being a short piece having a shift- 
 key (F) of its own. This is so that after setting the 
 italic or small-cap. word, that portion of the plate can 
 
 115 
 
1 16 
 
 THE MECHANISiM OE 'JTIE LINOTYPE. 
 
 be retracted, and the succeeding portion of the hne 
 assembled in the ordinary manner so as to produce the 
 roman face, the plate (C) sustaining the italic matrices 
 in their elevated position." 
 
 " Then there must be double grooves in the elevator 
 and mold to hold those matrices wliilc the line is being 
 cast," commented the Operator. 
 
 " Exactly," replied the Machinist. "Also in the 
 line-delivery channel. The first elevator has a similar 
 
 plate to sustain the matrices, and this plate is automat- 
 ically retracted when the elevator rises to the elevator 
 cap just before the line is shifted onto the second 
 elevator, so as to bring the whole matrix line-to a com- 
 mon level. The mold is equipped with two grooves for 
 the lower ears of the matrices {D, E, Fig. 33), so that 
 both roman and italic letters may be properly aligned. 
 If you wish to recast a line l)earing italic or small-caps., 
 this small block attached to the bottom of the first- 
 
 FiG. 31. 
 
 IG. 3-'. 
 
Till': MECHANISM OF Till': 1.1 I'l:. 
 
 TT7 
 
 elevator guide must Ije swung around so the first 
 elevator ean not rise to its full height, and so prevents 
 the raised matrices from being restored to normal 
 position. 
 
 " Nearly every batch of machines turned out from 
 the factory has minor changes of parts, as the work of 
 development proceeds. Improvements are going on 
 
 constantly. Two-letter matrices having combinations 
 of black-face and modern instead of italic are made, and 
 pica matrices is the latest innovation. These latter 
 require an enlarged magazine to accommodate them. 
 Probably the next step will be to produce tabular work 
 that will permit the use of brass column rules." 
 
 Fig. 33. 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 PLANS FOR INSTALLING. 
 
 T INOTYPES should ])e placed where there is plenty 
 ^ of hght and on a floor having as Httle vibration 
 as possible. The machines should be leveled and the 
 source of power should give a steady, uniform speed of 
 rotation. Each machine requires one-fourth of a horse- 
 power, but an allowance somewhat in excess of this 
 should be given to insure steadiness. If motive power 
 IS to be derived from shafting, a countershaft should be 
 l^laced on the floor and the machine driven from this, 
 as overhead belting carries considerable dirt into the 
 machine. The size of pulleys should be so calculated 
 as to drive the machine pulley not less than sixty-two 
 revolutions a minute and not more than seventy. The 
 diameter of the machine pulley is 14^^ inches. If 
 countershaft runs i.ooo revolutions a minute, a 9-inch 
 pulley would drive machine 62 revolutions. If counter- 
 shaft rfms slower, a larger pulley is required ; if faster, 
 a smaller one. To calculate the size of pulley necessary! 
 multiply sixxhI desired by size of machine pulley, and 
 divide by speed of countershaft. The machine pulley 
 must run with an " underthrow " ; that is, must 
 revolve, to one facing it, from left to right, or clock- 
 
 wise 
 
Tin-: M F.CII AXIS.M OF TH]^ LIN( rrYiMC. 
 
 if individual motor is attached to the machine, 
 which is the preferred practice, no arrangements are 
 necessary for shafting or belting, as the motor is geared 
 directly to the machine and the wires can be connected 
 to the ordinary incandescent lamp circuit. Motors are 
 wound for either 115 or 220 volts continuous current. 
 They are >2 horse-power, but consume a current rep- 
 resenting less than >4 horse-power. The machine is 
 
 PLaSm'JI.— .VEUTICALi, CROSS-SE^CTION ^OF PLATFORM. 
 
 equipped with • a ' ire^k^ii . ao/1 : /.e}'ncivabie.\socket for 
 electric Ught in front of the operator. In addition to 
 this, a light should be dropped behind the distributor 
 for occasional use. In wiring motors for the Linotype 
 place the wiring so that it will not interfere with chang- 
 ing of the magazine. 
 
 Sheet zinc or sheet iron should be placed on the floor 
 under the machines. 
 
 Gas piping should preferably be brought up from 
 the floor, though it may drop from ceiling to within 
 about five feet from the floor and end with a cock and 
 rubber-hose nipple. The main gas pipe should be 
 
I20 THE MECHANISM OF THE LT NOTY I'l:. 
 
 >4-inch for one machine, }i-mch for two, and >4 i^t^'i 
 larger for each additional machine, a 2-inch pipe being 
 sufficiently large for twelve machines. A ^-inch pipe 
 should be run to each machine. About a yard of 
 ^-inch rubber hose is needed to connect the governor 
 to the burner, and another piece about one foot long 
 to establish connection with supply pipe. 
 
 The burner under the metal-pot will consume from 
 thirteen to fifteen feet of gas per hour. Either illumi- 
 
 PLAN NO. I. 
 
 nating or natural gas may be used. Oil burners will be 
 supplied by the Mergenthaler Company without extra 
 charge where gas can not be obtained. The gas at the 
 burners should not exceed three-quarters of an inch 
 water pressure. A pressure-governor is sent with each 
 plant. Attach it as indicated by Fig. 5. 
 
 Plan No. I shows a preferred mode of erecting the 
 
'I'lii''. M ISM (){■' TWE 1.1 .\()'^^■ I'l-:. t2I 
 
 machine. The machnie stands on a platform or false 
 floor 9 inches ahove the main floor, and the driving 
 shaft is mounted in hoxes or hearings bolted to the 
 floor under the platform. The belt extends upward to 
 the machine pulley. A removable section in the plat- 
 form gives access to the bearings and pulleys. The 
 ])latform may be constructed by placing- ordinary joists 
 on the floor and laying flooring boards upon them. 
 These platform joists are preferably laid crosswise of 
 those in the building, so as to better distribute the 
 weight. The machine weighs about 1,900 pounds. 
 
 The approximate cost of shafting, pulleys and plat- 
 forms will be : 
 
 PLAN NO. I. SINGLE MACHINE. 
 
 1 shaft, 5' long, i 15-16" diameter, at 30 cents per foot. .$ 1.50 
 T 6" pulley, 41/2" face, i 15-16" bore 85 
 
 2 pillow block,s, 4^" high, i 15-16" bore, at $2.50 5.00 
 
 10 feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot 1.40 
 
 2 collars, I 15-16" bore, at 35 cents each 70 
 
 80 square feet of platform, at 15 cents per square foot. . . 12.00 
 
 Total $21.45 
 
 Labor not included. 
 
 For each additional machine add the following material : 
 
 6' 6" of I 15-16" shafting, at 30 cents per foot $ 1.95 
 
 I 6" pulley, 4>2" face, i 13-16" bore .85 
 
 I pillow block, 4><" high, i 15-16" bore 2.50 
 
 10 feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot T.40 
 
 65 square feet of platform, at 15 cents per scpiare foot.. 9.75 
 
 Total per machine $16.45 
 
 To this estimate add cost of pulley on main shaft and on 
 countershaft and belting for connection between them. 
 
122 'rill': M I'.C I I A N ISM (tF T U IC I . I X ( )-|- V I M'.. 
 
 FLOOR SPACE OCCUPIED. 
 
 Total distance from ivcnU to rear for niacliiiic or row of 
 
 machines lo' 
 
 Total width for single machine 8' 
 
 Total width for two machines 14' 6" 
 
 Row of machines, side hy side, allow in width for each. 6' 8" 
 
 For large plants, niachines may be arranged in two 
 rows, back to back, directly on the floor, with a platform 
 
 n.AN NO. 2. 
 
 between the machines covering the shaft and pulleys. 
 The single driving shaft is mounted in bearings on the 
 floor between the machines. The platform facilitates 
 changing of magazines, etc. The Mergenthaler Com- 
 pany supplies the standards to support the platform 
 free of charge. 
 
 The approximate cost of installing under this plan 
 
 would Ik : 
 
Tllli MI-XHANISM OF THE LINOTYPE, 
 
 123 
 
 PLAN NO. 2. — TWO MACHINES. 
 
 1 shaft, 5' long, i 15-16" diameter, at 30 cents per foot. .$ 1.50 
 
 2 8" pulleys, 4H" face, i 15-16" bore, at $1.10 each 2.20 
 
 2 pillow blocks, 10" high, i 15-16" bore, at $3 each 6.00 
 
 2 collars, I 15-16" bore, at 35 cents each 70 
 
 2G feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot 2.80 
 
 18 square feet of platform, at 20 cents per square foot. . 3.60 
 4 standards for platform (no charge). 
 
 Total $16.80 
 
 For each additional two machines, add the following mate- 
 rial : 
 
 6' 6" of I 15-16" shafting, at 30 cents per foot $ 1.95 
 
 2 8" pulleys, 4J/2" face, i 15-16" bore, at $1.10 each. .. . 2.20 
 
 1 pillow block, 10" high, i 15-16" bore 3.00 
 
 20 feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot 2.80 
 
 21 square feet of platform, at 20 cents per square foot. . 4.20 
 
 2 standards for platform (no charge). 
 
 Total for each additional two machines $14. 15 
 
 Labor not included. 
 
 Another good plan, where the machines are placed 
 in a single row, again.st a wall or otherwise, is shown in 
 Plan No. 3. 
 
124 ''"I- .M1"-*1!AXIS.\1 ol' Till-; I.IXOTYPE. 
 
 The approximate cost of this arrangement would be : 
 
 PLAN NO. 3. — ONE MACHINE. 
 
 T shaft, 5' long, i 15-16" diameter, at 30 cents per foot. .$ 1.50 
 2 pillow blocks, 10" high, i 15-16" bore, at $3 each 6.00 
 
 1 8" pulley, 4^" face, i 15-16" bore i.io 
 
 2 collars, I 15-16" bore, at 35 cents each 7° 
 
 10 feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot 1.40 
 
 18 square feet of platform, at 20 cents per square foot. . 3.60 
 4 standards for platform (no charge). — 
 
 Total $14.20 
 
 For each additional machine add the following material : 
 
 6' 6" of I 15-16" shafting, at 30 cents per foot $ 1.95 
 
 I 8" pulley, 4>4" face, i 15-16" bore i.io 
 
 1 pillow block, 10" high, i 15-16" bore 3-00 
 
 10 feet 2-inch single belting, at 14 cents per foot 1.40 
 
 21 square feet of platform, at 20 cents per square foot. . 4.20 
 
 2 standards for platform (no charge). 
 
 Total per machine $11.65 
 
 Labor not included. 
 
 The prices given will vary according to locality and 
 trade conditions. The labor cost is not included for the 
 same reason. The cost of gas pipe, electric wiring, etc., 
 will also vary according to location, and is not included. 
 In all cases where a shaft longer than sixteen feet is 
 required, add one coupling at $4 for each 16-foot 
 length, except the last length. 
 
 The following tools should be provided : 
 I cold chisel, die stock and screws (assembled), i duplex 
 burner, i lapping block, i right-angle screwdriver, i watch- 
 maker's brush, I round brush, i foot each Stubbs' wire, 1-16, 
 3-32, 1-8, 5-32, 3-16, 7-32, 1-4, 5-16; I 8-inch monkey wrench, 
 I blow pipe, I each 8-32, 4-48 dies, 3 4-48 taps, 2 8-32 taps, 
 I each 4, 5 and 6 inch screwdrivers, i bottle No. 120 emery, 
 5 sheets assorted emery cloth, i Stubbs' hand vise, i hand drill, 
 3 drills each 1-16, 3-32, 1-8, 5-32, i drill each 3-16, 7-32, 1-4, 
 
THE MliCllANlSAJ: OF Till': LINOTYPE. 
 
 5- 16, I hacksaw frame and blades, l pair 6-inch snips, i 
 
 6- ounce hammer, i beh punch, i set of broaches, i long-spout 
 oiler, I small oiler, i pair keyboard pliers, i 6-inch Bernard 
 pliers, 1/2 dozen belt lacings, i micrometer, i bench vise, i 
 soldering iron, i bottle soldering salts and solder. 
 
 Files : i 6-inch No. 2 pillar, i 6-inch No. 2 hand, i 8-inch 
 second cut, i 6-inch round, i 6-inch square, i 12-inch flat 
 bastard, i lo-inch half-round second cut, i 4-inch No. 0 Bar- 
 rett, I 4-inch No. 2 Barrett, i 6-inch No. 0 Barrett, i 6-inch 
 No. 2 Barrett, i 4-inch warding, 12 file handles. 
 
 The small extra parts, screws, springs, etc., together 
 with the wrenches, gauges, etc., sent with initial instal- 
 ments of machines, should be taken care of. Buy 8-32 
 and 4-48 screws by the gross. They cost no more that 
 way than by the dozen. An empty type case makes a 
 good receptacle for the various small parts. Have a 
 place for everything and when through with a tool 
 return it to its proper place. 
 
Stubbs's Manual 
 
 A Practical Treatise on 
 
 Linotype Keyboard Manipulation 
 
 By WILLIAM HENRY STUBBS 
 
 Holder of Speed Record, 12,021 ems Corrected Matter an 
 Hour for 5 Hours, 33 Minutes 
 
 This little work is especially recommended to the beginner 
 who is anxious to master the art of speedy and accurate key- 
 board manipulation. To the progressive, painstaking and care- 
 ful learner this book will prove a boon. It contains 39 pages, 
 the text matter being illustrated with 12 cuts showing proper 
 position of hands in doing certain kinds of work. Bound in 
 cloth, and neatly printed. Price, postpaid, |i.oo. 
 
 Cost of Printing 
 
 By F. W. Baltes. 
 
 THIS book presents a system of accounting which has been in successful 
 operation for ten years, is suitable for large or small printing offices, 
 and is a safeguard against omissions, errors and losses. Its use makes it 
 absolutely certain that no work can pass through the office without being 
 charged, and its actual cost in all details shown. Table of Contents; 
 Forms of Job Tag, Job Book, Bindery Tag, Compositor's Daily Time Tag, 
 Total Time on Job in Pressroom, Total Daily Time in Pressroom, Daily 
 Register of Counters, Foreman's Daily Press Record, Form Tag, Time 
 Book, Day Book, Journal and Cash Book, Job Ledger.— Tables : Weekly 
 Summary of Labor, Monthly Register of Counting Machines, Monthly 
 Summary of Press Records, Statement of Wages and Expenses, Cost of 
 Time in Composing Room, Cost of Piecework, Cost of Work on Cylinder 
 Presses, Cost of Work on Job Presses — Measuring Dupes — Paid Jobs — 
 Legal Blanks — Monthly Statement of Loss or Gain- Inventory Books- 
 Notes— Samples and Prices. 74 pages ; 6Ji by 10 inches, on loo-lb. S. & S. 
 C. book paper; cloth bound ; $1.50. 
 
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Date Due ^ ^j^^J 
 
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