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Linotype Interview

FotB Interview with Larry Raid

(Larry offered a Linotye tutorial on May 19-20 at the University of Iowa. Here are his somewhat edited notes from his tutorial workbook presented here in an interview format.)

What does a Linotype do?

It will cast one line of type via four sections of the machine; the assembly section, the casting section, the distribution section and the driving section.

What is a slug?

A slug is a line cast from a line casting machine.

What is a mat?

A mat is a piece of yellow brass, copper or aluminum which has an operator’s side, which lets the operator see what mat it is in the assembler and a machine casting side, which has one of two casting indents which is a positive which casts a negative of the given character.

A mat has a quick identification set of lines across the bottom. A mat has a detector slit in it to prevent one from putting a mat into the machine backwards. A mat has a V cleft in the top with up to seven teeth cut into either side of the V. A mat has a recessed notch in the bottom to allow easier reinsertion among other mats in the assembler. A mat has a pair of ears at the top, one on the operator’s side and one on the machine side. A mat has a bigger pair of feet at the bottom to guide entry into the magazine channel. The ears and feet match the channels that are machined into the top and bottom plates of the magazine. A mat has relief machined into the right and left side so there is less weight on the distributor bar and mat teeth. A relief hole may also be drilled up from the bottom to reduce weight.

A mat can cast a dot for a four-point type up to a 6o-point capital M.

What does the magazine do?

A magazine holds the mats and allows the mats to be released one at a time.

How does the keyboard work?

As a key is depressed, the key’s lever raises a trigger which releases a cam yoke, which allows a cam to rotate on a turning rubber shaft, thus rotating the cam which pushes a reed upward which allows a mat to fall while the cam finds its home position and stops rotation, which allows the trigger to reset awaiting the next stroke of that key. The cam yoke is held into a detent position by a small spring and a plunger, which rides on the fulcrum point of the cam yoke.

What is a cam yoke?

A cam yoke is a small bar with the center machined out of it to house the cam and cam shaft, which is centered to enable the toothed cam to fall on the rotating rubber roller.

What does the verge do?

The verges accept the movement from the reeds to the verge pawl which moves the escapement pawl which allows a mat to fall part way out of the magazine with the reed then returning to its home position. Then the mat will fall the rest of the way out of the magazine and the top escapement pawl will hole the next mat from falling out of the magazine. The verge is returned to home position by a verge spring. This is usually made from yellow brass spring metal.

How does the verge work?

Verges have very short movement strokes.

How does the mat get out of the magazine?

A mat gets out of a magazine’s channel by the movement of a keyboard key, which moves a keyboard lever, which trips a trigger, which releases a cam yoke, which falls onto a rotating rubber roller, which rotates the cam, which raises and lowers the cam yoke, which moves a reed, which moves a verge pawl, which moves a verge escapement pawl, which allows Mother Nature (i.e. gravity) to pull a mat part way out of the magazine. When the cam moves the cam yoke to it’s home position, the cam yoke will stop rotating, the tripping trigger will be reset, and the verge pawl will pull the escapement pawl back to it’s home position by the force of a yellow brass spring, and all will await the next key to be struck.

Where does the mat go after it leaves the magazine?

The mat will travel down into the assembler by means of channels that keep the mats from falling by Mother Nature and from getting out of alignment. A mat retarder will slow the mat’s speed just before it enters the assembler. A star wheel will keep all of the mats and spacebands moved to the left. A mat will not fall out of the left side because there is a finger, which advances to the left as the mats and spacebands descend into the assembler.

How does the assembler work?

The assembler is a holding place for mats and spacebands while the line of mats and spacebands is being assembled. The assembler has an upper and lower rail for the mats to rest on. The assembler is able to be moved up by a lever which needs to be gently pushed down, which allows the mats and spacebands to exit to the left. One MUST not allow the assembler to descent while the mats are exiting. One MUST get the assembler down before the fingers return home, because if you don’t, the returning carrier may break off the little shaft which is used to release the mat carrier to the left. One MUST not slap the assembler up, because if you do the mats will fly up and out of the assembler. One MUST not slap the assembler down, because if you do, the assembler lever may come dislodged. Any of these stoppages cost you time and money to fix.

A spaceband does what?

A spaceband is two wedges which allow the spaceband up-pusher to push the bottom wedge upward, which spreads the spaceband apart, which pushes the space between the words apart, which produces line justification.

Where are the spacebands kept?

Spacebands are kept in the spaceband box. Thirty six spacebands are required for a full spaceband box. As the spaceband lever is depressed on the keyboard one spaceband is lifted up and off its ear keeper and up and over a bottom angle keeper.

What makes a spaceband work?

A spaceband works because of its two matching wedges. Spacebands are to be deposited into the spaceband box so the spaceband size lines can be seen from the operator’s side of the machine. Or, in other words, the small wedge MUST be on the right side as the operator places spacebands into the spaceband box. To place a spaceband into the (assembler) transfer channel, place the spacebands between the forefinger of the left hand and the long finger of the left hand and lower the spaceband onto it’s ears.

Tell of all the steps, how do the mats and spacebands get to the first elevator?

When the line of text in the assembler has been finished, the star wheel must be rotating. There MUST be at least one spaceband in the line. The line MUST be full enough so the spaceband will be able to push the mats apart enough to trip the switches on the vice jaws in the first elevator. As the assembler lever is pressed down, the assembler will rise. Raise the assembler slowly or the mats will jump out. The mats will be pinched by the long and short fingers and as the mat carrier’s keeper lever is released, the mats will transfer to the left and go into the first elevator.

What causes the mats and spacebands to move while they are in the assembler?

The down pressure on the assembler’s lever

Tell all of the steps of what happens after the mats and spacebands get to the first elevator and to the point that a line is cast.

First the elevator jaws accept the mats and spacebands. Both mat detents work to keep the mats from falling out of the first elevator. The push back keeper keeps the mats from falling out of the first elevator on the left side. The delivery two finger carriage grips the mats and spacebands as the assemble rises and pushed up on a two tooth keeper, which is pushed up by a small shaft, which allows the carriage to move to the left. At the end of it’s stroke, a lever on that mover’s arm has a detent, which releases a pawl, which allows the clutch pads to engage, which grips the inside of the clutch shell, which turns the pinion gear shaft, which turns the bull gear on the main camshaft, which allows the first elevator to descend as the mold wheel rotates one quarter revolution and comes up and kisses the machine side of the mats, which allows the spaceband pusher to rise to it’s full movement and the mold wheel to push a safety plunger and its allows the spaceband pusher to relax as the clutch continues to drive the main camshaft without stopping, which allows the pot to come up and kiss the back side of the mold wheel as the spaceband pusher rises for the second time, which drives the spaceband driver up to raise it a second time, which forces the justification both right and left as, meanwhile, the mat and spacebband carrier returns to its home position.

What happens to the pot at this point?

When the pot kisses the back side of the mold wheel, the spacebands are up and have the line justified completely and the pot’s piston plunger, plunges into the pot’s stomach and forces the hot liquid (535 degrees F) printers’ metal, up the throat and through the mouth piece, through the mold wheel and against the mats and the liquid turns into a SOLID.

What happens to the slug which has been cast?

The pot relaxes and returns to its home position and the mold wheel returns to its home position as the main camshaft continues to rotate. The mold wheel will rotate three quarters of a revolution by its own gearing cutting the slug to the proper height. The first elevator rises to its highest point, as the second elevator descends, which allows the mats and spacebands to be transferred onto the second elevator. The second elevator has seven teeth on it, which allows all the mats to hang by their teeth as it rises to its home position and leaves the spacebands hanging by their ears. At the top of it’s ascension the second elevator stops, while the spaceband retriever advances to the left which pushes both the mats and the spacebands to the right, but the levers move off the second elevator, just before the second elevator rises toward its home position, while the spaceband retriever moves back to the left to retrieve the spacebands moving them to the right and back into the spaceband box, as the slug, meanwhile, is ejected through two ejector blades which cut the slug to the proper width and allow the slug to fall into its galley.

How do the mats get back up into the magazine?

As the second elevator gets to its home position, a trap lever is released which allows the mat return pusher to push the mats into the distributor box. This distributor box is so levered; it will allow one mat to advance to the mat lifter. The mat lifter will rise on mat past the slit detector, which allows the mat to be lifted up and onto the distributor bar and onto the three mat advancing screws which travel the mats to the right. The distributor bar holds the mats onto it to the point where there are no teeth on the bar, passing progressively by positions missing various combinations of the seven teeth. Mother Nature with her gravity pulls the mat off the grip of the three screws and the mat free falls through the quarter inch gap between two metal guides allowing the mat to be guided onto the proper channel in the magazine, ready to be used again.

Have you described the operation of a Linotype machine?

This is the short version. There are many shorter versions, but the long one is very long.