Time Rogers this machine the matrix bars are hung suspended on wires attached to a tilting frame, and are released one at a time by touching a key on the key board, or bank, somewhat similar to a typewriter keyboard. These matrix bars, when thus unlatched, travel for ward by gravity on their respective wires, and are assembled in a channel, and when the line is complete, the operator puts his foot upon a treadle, and by depressing it the machine automat ically justifies, aligns, compresses, and casts the line, and releases and deposits the formed type bar in a galley. These opera tions, in a foot-power machine, require about five seconds; in the steam-power ma chine, requiring one eighth of a horse power, the operation takes but three sec onds, during which One the operator is getting his line, so that the work of the machine is practically continuous.
The justification is accomplished by the rotation of a rocking composite-disk of cir cular form, which at the itial point is thin tier than a three-em space. By the usc of an off-set in the type bar itself, the justification is done at the point of contact by the justi fiers with the mold. By the sole use of the justifiers the spacing is made absolutely uniform, but by employing three-em spaces between short words, un-uniform spacing may he had. Before commencing work, the frame carrying the various wires and matrix bars is swung down into position, with its front leg resting on a base formed on the center shaft, as seen in Fig. 2, and the compressing arm is swung to the left of the path of movement of the matrix bars ; the latter, by the key action men tioned, form the line of composition in front of the mold, the latches retaining the matrix bars having their appropriate lips inserted between any two matrix bars by reason of inclines on the latter, so as to cause the release from the latches of only the proper matrix bars. When the desired line has been thus formed, the operator desists from further key manipulation, and gives the treadle its primary stroke.
This operates. first, to bring the compressing-arm into position parallel with the line of composition, and to a predetermined point positively fixed for the length of the line when it is finally justified ; second, to rotate and move longitudinally a space shaft, which causes disk sections of the compound spaces to move together to cause the spaces to expand the line of composition to the full extent as limited by the set position of the compressing arm ; third, to move the mold slide toward the line of justified composition, said mold slide car rying the aligning plate, which engages with the matrix liars to place their matrices in line, and the slide also operates a space supporter so that the latter may provide rear bearing for the spaces as they are pressed at their forward edges by the mold ; fourth, to swing the melting pot forward and upward so that its discharge conduit will register tightly against the casting chamber ; fifth, to aotuate the pump plunger in discharging the molten type metal into the casting chamber.
The production of each cast type bar is caused by one complete revolution of the main driving shaft, subdivided into two semi-revolutions in the same direction, respect ively a primary and secondary movement, so that each said complete revolution of the main shaft is the result of two full-stroke movements of the treadle. After a brief du ration, sufficient to ensure the cooling and proper setting of the east type bar, the treadle is given its secondary movement. This rotates the driving shaft the final half of its revo lution, which acts to, first, withdraw the plunger of the pump ; second, to withdraw the melting-pot discharge conduit from the casting chamber ; third, to more the mold slide toward the left of the machine, thereby releasing the line of composition from pressure of the mold, releasing the spaces from the pressure of the space supporter, swinging up the upper mold section, and actuating the mechanism which ejects the type bar from the cast ing chamber ; fourth, to rotate the space shaft in reverse to its previous movement, and place the connecting mechanism in suitable position for a repetition of the optoration de scribed under the first treadle movement ; fifth, to move the compressor shaft rertrwardly, and throw its arm out of time path of movement of the matrix bars in reverse to its first described movement.
The matrix carrier can then be swung backwardly, so as to distribute the matrix bars which were previously in the line of composition ; each travels back to its own place by grav ity, and the spaces which were in the same line may be moved by the space distributor rear wardly, and off from the space shaft, on to a space way, and upwardly on the latter until they are locked by a special latch. The cast type liar, which constitutes the product of the above-described operation, is then ready for trinnning, which is done by mechanism operated automatically by means of connections with the treadles and main driving shaft.