Linecasting Operator-Machinist

§ Linecasting

p

® Operator-Machinist

Operator - Machinist

Co.

THIS BOOK is the answer to a
long felt need of the operator-
machinist who is faced with a dead-
line, and the many problems he
encounters; the solution of which is
imperative to keeping his machine
"on the road." It reads easily and
the machinist will find it simple to
locate any situation for which he is
seeking an immediate correction.

The authors have had years of
linecasting experience. They both
have unusual talents in encompass-
ing the complete range of problems
and they explain and solve them in
a free, informal and entirely engag-
ing style.

They have had years of experience;
operating, repairing, teaching, and
consulting with top specialists in
linecasting equipment. They know
and understand the problems of the
very small and the largest shops
throughout the country. They have
met countless emergency situations
and remedied them, eliminating
waste and loss of time. This is their
reason for trying to help any and all
operators, machinists, and foremen
of linecasting equipment.

Stockton Book Publishers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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LINECASTING OPERATOR -MACHINIST

LINECASTING
OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Compiled by

EDWIN B. HARDING

Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Printing

South Dakota State College

Edited by

NOEL M. LOOMIS

Linecasting Machinist
Minneapolis, Minn.

STOCKTON BOOK PUBLISHERS . PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

LINECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Copyright, 1958, by the Stockton Book Publishers. Printed in the United
not be reproduced in any form without permission of the publishers.

TO JOHN WAGOUN,

dean o£ those jewel-like individuals, the conscientious free-lance linecasting
machinists. John's ending was sad and a little inglorious, but his life must have
been rich and full with the satisfaction derived from intelligent and uncom-
promising work on his beloved mah' -sheen.

For the many who still inquire, John was born in Bohemia, served an
apprenticeship as a boilermaker in that country, came to the United States a
little before World War I, worked in the Mergenthaler factory, and eventually
established a repair route, principally in South Dakota and southern Minnesota.
He died in 1939 in Gettysburg, S. D., where he is buried.

This word of appreciation comes from one who has grunted many a time
loosening a bolt that John had tightened — for he had that rare and priceless
quality, a feeling for metal, the faculty of knowing exactly how far he could go
without twisting off a bolt-head, and the stern control that kept him from going
further. It still is possible to find machines in South Dakota that can, by the
tightness of the bolts, be promptly identified as having been once in John
Wagoun's care.

FOREWORD

When I was a small boy, my father had a newspaper at Slaton, on the
South Plains of Texas. Help was scarce down there, except for an occasional
tramp printer. A man who lived on a homestead came into town a few days a
week to help out (his name is J. T. Pinkston, and he is still living on the same
homestead); my mother worked several days a week in the shop; and my father
and I, at my age of 10, made a business deal whereby I was to set one galley of
10-point, 13 picas, leaded, every afternoon after school, for 35* a galley. The
first galley took me until 10 p. m.; after that I got home at a semi-reasonable
hour. But any old-timer will appreciate the otherwise incomprehensible feeling
of unattainability with which I viewed the first "typesetting machine" in the
immediate area, which was in the plant of the Lubbock Avalanche.

It was completely incredible and utterly fascinating; it made the long hours
on a high stool seem twice as tedious; it inculcated an overwhelming desire for
mastery over such a machine that "set type" three or four times as fast as I
could — and a lot easier. Two thousand ems an hour was a phenomenal speed
in hand-spiking days; ten thousand was not uncommon on certain types of
matter on the linecasting machine, and old files of The Inland Printer show the
results of many speed contests (long ago outlawed by the Typographical Union)
on linecasting machines. On small sizes, unusually adept operators reached
13,000 and 14,000 ems per hour; the average requirement now under union
contract (and it is a reasonable standard from all points of view) is around
5,000 ems.

All these things entered into my early (age 13) acquaintance with the
keyboard of a Model L, and my unbrookable determination a few years later
to attend the Mergenthaler School in New Orleans. They have impelled me
now to put the accumulated knowledge of myself and Ed Harding, and all the
others, on paper. Perhaps as a result of my experience, I feel an unusually
strong compulsion to answer the questions of the "small" machine-owner, as I
have seen him during thirty years of repair work in a good many hundred
plants. At least, help for him has been my guiding principle.

NOEL M. LOOMIS

ARRANGEMENT OF THE BOOK

This book is for the thousands o£ Linotype and Intertype operators and
machinist-operators, in thousands of shops over the country, who want to know
how to fix their machines when they have trouble. Most of these machinist-
operators are in small plants, and a good many are far from populated centers
where advice or help is readily available.

We try to deal with every-day problems on every-day machines such as are
generally found in country plants and smaller plants in larger towns. Devices
such as quadders and mixers are omitted; they are covered in more technical
works available from the manufacturers. Most of the machines now in use in
smaller plants are Linotype Models 5, L, 8, 14, and 15, and Intertype Models
A, B, and C, and the Model Z of dubious paternity. There are still a few
Models 1, K, 3, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 and X, and a few others, but the
material in this book applies to them all in general. Extensive information
that applies to one or two models alone has generally been omitted to avoid
cumbersomeness. Any subject whose value is not sustained by experience has
been omitted.

The double e attachment, for instance, which Loomis has never found in
use in a small shop and seldom in a large one, has been reluctantly dropped.
Specific information on recent models is not included. It is true that the bigger,
more complicated machines are finding their way into the country, but they
suggest material for another book entirely. A great deal of our material is
applicable to current models, but this book is designed primarily for the man
who runs a machine manufactured between about 1900 and 1940.

Also, it is our intent to lean away from diagrams and descriptions of how
parts work, not because those items are unimportant, but rather because there
are economic limits to any book, and we feel the ultimate aim of this book is
to suggest why things do not work. Ever present in our minds are the questions
asked by the men and women we want to reach. Moreover, the two manufac-
turers publish many books, booklets, and leaflets describing the normal functions
of the machines. Many of these are free; others are inexpensive. The linecasting
operator should not hesitate to write the Service Department of either Company
to ask what material is available. We write them ourselves when a puzzler
comes up.

Many machinist-operators of linecasting machines — let's call them m-o's,
for that is the generally used trade term — being isolated geographically and
economically, for over fifty years have been writing to various trade magazines
for information and advice, and they have received printed answers from en-
gineers and practical machinists.

VI

As a matter of record, the first column in The Inland Printer, "Machine
Composition Notes and Queries," conducted by George E. Lincoln, appeared
in December, 1897. The very first advice he gave was, "When the average
operator-machinist provides himself with a file, discharge him at once or hide
the machine." There is still soundness in that edict.

The first question Lincoln answered was from "Bob" in Baltimore, Md.:
"Can a machine be run without a font distinguisher?" He said it was possible
but not desirable.

a the next few years were concerned with the composition
ere more concerned with their speed than any other one
item. It is interesting to note the questions asked about operation of the Thorne
typesetting machine, which were answered by Mr. Lincoln with equal facility.
(There were thirty-two makes of mechanical type-composers actually being
manufactured at that time.) The only book on mechanism of the Linotype
appeared to be "The Mechanical Details of the Linotype and Their Adjustment,"
by Frank Evans. Linotypes in those days did not have to be bought. They
could be rented from Mergenthaler for $550 a year.

In 1899 Mr. Lincoln apparently went to work for Mergenthaler, and the
column was "Conducted by an Expert." Charles Seaward wrote a book, "The
Linotype Manual," for Mergenthaler. In 1900 the department in The Inland
Printer was taken over by John S. Thompson, the dean himself, who also started
a series of articles "By an Operator-Machinist," which in 1902 became his famous
book. It will be noted that even then a man who was both an operator and
machinist was selected to advise m-o's. By that time the designation "machinist-

Some years later one of these machinist-operators, Thomas G. Allen, on
the Times at Plainville, Kan., began to clip these questions and answers and
save them in a scrapbook. Eventually he turned his collection over to E. B.
Harding, who conducts the linecasting question-and-answer department in The
Graphic Arts Monthly. Mr. Harding is an experienced machinist and operator,
has been Associate Professor in the highly rated School of Printing and Journal-
ism at South Dakota State College at Brookings since 1920, and is widely and
favorably known as a linecasting machinist. He organized these clippings and
added material which he himself had written over the years in the course of
his teaching.

Harding turned all this material over to Noel M. Loomis, a Minneapolis
man who went to the Mergenthaler school in New Orleans in 1922, and has
spent most of his life around linecasting machines, sometimes as operator,
sometimes as machinist-operator, sometimes as machinist in large plants -but
for some fifteen years of this time he worked "on the road," repairing hundreds
of machines in small towns from Louisiana to North Dakota and from Wyoming
to Wisconsin. He encountered many isolated machines that never had seen
professional service, and many cases where it seemed completely impossible for

VII

the machines to be operating — evidence of their incredible durability — but
never considered it a finished job until he had their trouble remedied.

Both Harding and Loomis wanted to prepare a book that would be helpful
to the machinist-operator everywhere. The professional machinist has many
sources of information, many other machinists to turn to, and an outlay of tools
that may run into two thousand dollars, but the mo is often the only person in
town who knows what a linecasting machine is supposed to do, and invariably
his equipment for repair is meager. With that situation in mind, we have devised
the present arrangement of the book.

The question-and-answer method is used as the nucleus. The question is
then treated as if in a clinic or round-table; the trade journal expert's answer,
if available, is given; other authoritative sources may be quoted; Mr. Harding
then speaks, where he has additional advice or a differing opinion, and Mr.
Loomis's material is added where it is additional to all the preceding or differing
from it. And, knowing that the greatest use of such a book comes when the
machine is down, and the operator, with his hands hastily wiped on a rag, grabs
up the book and thumbs through the appropriate section (you can usually tell
what kind of trouble an operator has had by the finger-marks in his book) and
tries to find something that will help him, we have tried to use heads and sub-
heads as indicatively as possible. Also we have prepared a cross-index which we
hope will be useful.

It is well to point out that there may be two or more correct answers to
the same question — all sincere and all competent. For one thing, as in medicine,
opinions generally believed supportable may change entirely within twenty
years. For another and more important reason, conditions vary in the printing
business.

The first general type of opinion is that of the engineer employed by the
manufacturer of the machine. His situation is supposedly ideal and limited
only by his budget. But his job is to make new machines perform according to
specifications, and you cannot expect him to worry much about a machine that
has been worn out three times — though he often does.

The second situation is in larger plants where full-time machinists are
employed, where production demands on linecasting machines are exacting,
where facilities for meeting these demands are provided, and where time is
always of the essence. If the head machinist has met with understanding from
the management, enough help is provided to carry out well-laid programs of
maintenance. This viewpoint of the larger plant is represented, generally
speaking, by the experts, such as Sinclair, from whom we quote occasionally.

A third representative situation is the school, where, to a certain extent,
laboratory conditions prevail. In Mr. Harding's well-ordered plant, for instance,
he had a schedule, he demanded adherence to it, and he did his utmost to
approximate conditions as his students would find them — for Harding knows

VIII

what they will find. Nevertheless, he cannot plead the pressure of time that is
encountered on a large daily newspaper. Nor does he, for his work is teaching,
not meeting deadlines. Out of this more contemplative atmosphere have come
contributions for which there is little opportunity on the big daily.

A fourth set of conditions prevails in the country shop. Often the m-o's
experience is confined to one or two machines; he has no time for monkey-
business; he works from Monday to Wednesday or Thursday night getting out
the paper; he feeds the press, he helps mail; on Friday and Saturday he does
jobwork. Repair work is usually undertaken only when he has a break-down;
oiling and maintenance he manages in a quick hour on Monday morning, with
the owner-editor making frequent trips to the machine with copy to emphasize
the need to get underway. This situation is the domain of Mr. Loomis.

This country-shop m-o is the one whom we hope to benefit most, by bringing
him the cream of experience from all four of the viewpoints described. We
emphasize that variety of experience is another reason for opinions that differ
but are wholly competent and sincere. It is possible for all those quoted to be
right within their experience. It is also possible for all to be wrong. Certain
questions about line-casting machines are still questions.

All clippings used have been re-worded and condensed to suit the market
at which they are aimed. Questions have been paraphrased to make way for
better coverage in the answer; answers have also been altered for the same
purpose. Some questions, too, are questions that have been answered privately,
but are used because they are representative. Harding and Loomis label their
own opinions, well aware that they are in the enviable position of having a last
word with no chance of a rebuttal by the original answerer, and desiring not to
take advantage of that fact but rather to use it to present a fullness of opinion
without argumentation.

Where it is possible, direct credits to publications and authors are given,
but sometimes, to avoid a book of inordinate length, we have synthesized the
opinions of many, including our own, and have presented them in a roundup
of opinion.

We express acknowledgment and appreciation to the publishers of The
Graphic Arts Monthly, The Inland Printer, The Linotype News, The Printing
Equipment Engineer, The Printing Industry, The Publisher's Auxiliary, Who's
Who in the Composing Room, and perhaps others, for their co-operation and
for their permission to quote; to W. E. Barnes, William J. Butler, W. J. Freund,
William T. Henderson, E. M. Keating, George Ortleb, Hairy Pottle, H. C.
Rockwell, Everett Shaffstall, MacD. Sinclair, and others - linecasting machinists
in the best sense - for their answers to questions; to the Mergenthaler Linotype
Company, the Intertype Corporation, the Imperial Metal Company and others
for permission to quote from their material; and finally to Mr. Allen of Plain-
ville, Kan., who patiently collected the material and then generously turned it

IX

Permission to quote from any source does not, of course, imply either
approval or disapproval of our handling; we have been entirely free to use
such material as we think best in accordance with our own experience. Also it
should be noted that there may be unintentional errors in giving credit, such as
might arise in the handling of a great mass of clippings that would have made a
book ten times the size of this if used in full.

Loomis: It is worth noting that this may be the only book about linecasting
machines actually written on a linecasting machine. Harding, whom I have
known for a long time, turned a mass of material over to me to check and to
cut drastically and to add opinions of my own. In the meantime I had bought a
Model 15 Linotype for my personal use (not for commercial use) and for experi-
mentation. As a Model 15 it might astonish some persons, for it has an inclined
galley built from Intertype parts which I picked up from a Mohr saw installation
and maneuvered into place. It has a galley-long stick with a bell which rings
when it is full; it has a gadget by which I can prevent any line from casting; it
has a copyboard 18 inches long and 12 inches high; and it has a Model 18 pi
stacker. Don't misunderstand. Generally speaking I do not like gadgets on a
linecasting machine, for too many gadgets are used to do a job that some
original part has failed to do but would do if properly adjusted. All these
additions but one (the split line-stop lever by which I can prevent casting) are
really installations of more modern equipment, applied to an old machine.
Why did I get a Model 15? It was inexpensive, and it was small and would go
in my basement. The basement is tiled, ceiled, and painted, and I wanted a
machine that would act like a lady - and the Model 15 does. I could almost
put it on the rug on the living room floor. But let's not go into that. So far my
wife's part is limited to proving up galleys and reading my final proofs, and
perhaps we'd better keep it that way. But I repeat one point: every final word
in this book for m-o's was written on a linecasting machine. It has afforded
unparalleled opportunities for checking parts and procedures.

Nevertheless, in a work of this scope, it is inevitable that there will be
errors of commission, not only from the complexity of the subject but also
from mechanical deficiencies of the human brain. We invite readers to call

EDWIN B. HARDING.
NOEL M. LOOMIS.

Brookings, S. D., and
Descanso, Calif.

CONTENTS

The arrangement of a book on line casting mechanism is always a matter
of debate. In this book we have started with what we consider the first item to
be considered - the matrix. We have started with it in the magazine, and have
followed it through the machine, and as far as possible have taken up each as-
sembly in the order in which it is encountered in the normal revolution of a
machine. For quick reference, therefore, we list the chapter numbers and the
scope of their various subjects:

I— Keyboard Troubles 1

II-Cleaning the Keyboard, Keyboard Cams, Magazines, Mats,

Keyrods, Verge Rack, Spacebands : 22

III— Rebuilding the Keyboard, Adjusting Touch of the Keyboard,

Miscellaneous Keyboard Questions 45

IV-Assembler Entrance Guides, Matrix Delivery Belt and Channel,

Assembler, Assembler Slide, Model 15 Assembler 56

V— The Assembling Elevator 72

VI- Transpositions and other Assembly Troubles 78

VH-Spaceband Box 84

VIII-Line Delivery 97

IX-The First Elevator 104

X— Vise Automatic ll4

XI-The Pump Stop • !7

XII-The Vise and Vise Jaws 119

XIII-The Mold Disk and Slide 124

XIV-Molds, Mold Locking Studs and Blocks, Mold Banking Blocks 132

XV-Mold Turning Mechanism, Mold Wipers 140

XVI-Metal Pot and Plunger I 44

XVII— Loose Plungers, Linecasting Metal 159

XVIII-Back Squirts I 66

XIX-Mouthpiece and Lockup, Miscellaneous Slug Troubles 173

XX-Heating the Pot !89

XXI-Front Squirts 201

XXII-Ejection 204

XXIII-Trimming Knives 211

XXIV-Knife Wiper, Slug Lever, Damaged or Imperfect Slugs 221

X XV-Transfer 226

XXVI-Second Elevator and Distributor Shifter 234

XXVII-Distributor Box 238

XXVIII-Distributor 243

XXIX— Main Cams and Drive, Starting and Stopping, Miscellaneous 250

XI

LINECASTING OPERATOR -MACHINIST

CHAPTER I

KEYBOARD TROUBLES

(Authors' Note: This chapter on keyboard troubles is a long one, ior
four reasons: 1, the subject of assembly is the most complex of those dealing
with a linecasting machine, for, as at present constituted, assembly depends to a
large extent on gravity; 2, it accounts for probably 50 per cent of all the trouble
on the average older machine (25 per cent — roughly speaking — being attribut-
able to distribution, and the other 25 per cent to casting); 3, it is the immediate
concern of the machinist-operator, for he knows that if he can get a slug, the
pressman will manage to print from it, but until he can get the mats in a line,
he can't get a usable slug at all; 4, keyboard troubles account for a very large
percentage of the questions asked by country-shop operators of a traveling
machinist.)

MAT FAILS TO RESPOND

Question: When a mat fails to respond, where do you start looking?
There must be some system for tracking down the trouble.

Edwin B. Harding (E. B. Harding) in The Publish* < • h ' i ; an
First, let us assume the mats and magazine are reasonably clean. Then, for
the benefit of the beginner, we'll start with the n

A. A distributor stop. When the experienced operator misses a mat, he
will invariably glance first at the distributor.

B. Be sure the keyrod is rising and falling. (These are sometimes called
keyboard rods, but more often are spoken of as "reeds.")

C. See if a mat is in position to drop from the magazine. // the channel
is empty at the bottom of the magazine, have somebody hold the light at the
edge of the magazine while you look down from above. One or more of several
things may be seen:

The channel may be empty, in which case take inventory of your mats.
Have you got them all in the tray or in a long line, or have you dropped a lot
of them on the tray under the distributor and failed to pick them up and put
them back in the magazine? Don't allow your pi to accumulate more than 12
or 13 picas.

2 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Mats Stuck in the Magazine

You may see a mat in the magazine flatwise, in which case it is safer to use
a long hook and pull out the mats from above; the wedge shape of the magazine
often leads to trouble when you try to pull them out from below. You can,
however, run out mats in the nearby channels, and sometimes a poke from
below will loosen the flat and it will fall out. An operator should have two
mat hooks - one 12 or 15 inches long to be used at the front, and another the
length of the magazine, to be used from the back. These can be made from wire
coat-hangers; the heavier wire is best. Straighten the wire, clamp it in a vise
near one end, and hammer the end into a 90° angle, then file off the "hook"
part until the hook is not over an eighth of an inch long. Break the sharp
corners. Make a loop in the end you will hold, and make it so the open part
points in the same direction as the hook. This may save getting the hook caught
in the magazine.

You may find a mat with a bent toe or ear; most of these will be i's, Vs,
periods, and commas. Usually this mat will stick near the top of the magazine,
but if it is bent just a little, it may stick near the bottom. If at the bottom, try
your short hook on it - not too hard. If it is willing to come, pull it out as you
work the key-button. If it resists, take it out from above, to avoid getting it
stuck in the magazine.

You may find a mat in the wrong channel. Treat it the same as a bent mat.
If you are using old mats in a newer magazine, you may find burrs on the
toes of the mats that make them stick. That's what mat files are for - but use
them sparingly, to take off the burrs only. Warning: It is criminal to use a
mat file indiscriminately. You soon thin out the toes and get in all kinds of
trouble. Use a mat file to dress off burrs, and then lightly.

Of course there may be foreign matter in the magazine. I have seen mats
come through upside down without assistance from practical jokers; I found a
nail file in one magazine; and I'll never forget the day a penny rolled into the
assembling elevator.

Mat in Place but Won't Drop

On the other hand, you may find the right mat in place, undamaged but
not dropping. Run the channels empty on each side. See if the pawl is going
up and down. If not, the keyrod may have slipped off the verge. On a Model 5,
the tops of the keyrods are adjustable by a screw bushing, usually set on the
lower case p, but you will have to examine the lineup for its full length, and
may have to shift it a little one way or another; also, even after this, it is usual
to have to bend the tops of some of the keyrods a little to align with the verges.
If not, they may bind and not pull the verge back down. Also, the springs
occasionally slip off the verges.

Use your short hook and get the mat out as gently as possible. Turn the
rubber roll by hand, holding the light with your other hand. Get your eye

Keyboard Troubles 3

down on the same plane as the floor of the magazine and observe if the pawl
■s below the bottom of the channel. It should. If it does not, you have worn

parts. (See Loomis' comments for a more extended ti

On the Models 1 and 5 and similar escapements, see that the keyrod rises
high enough to clear the verge by 1/32" on each end of the verge frame. There
is a screw adjustment on the magazine frame.

Sometimes an escapement spring will wear out and break at the point
where it rubs against the verge, leaving a sharp end that will gouge and hamper
the verge's motion. This applies also to other models. On the Model 15, a
characteristic trouble is caused when a verge spring is not absolutely parallel
with the slot in the verge. The best remedy is to flatten the spring from the
sides - on the business end, of course. Use a small hammer.

Verge Plates and Escapement Covers

Rarely you may find, in putting a magazine on a machine where it has not
been used before, the verge plate does not align with the magazine channels.
Verge plates on the older machines are adjustable sidewise and usually are set
on the lower case p.

It is possible also to find the plate (escapement cover) across the top of the
magazine damaged -but Bill Gordon of Minneapolis called my attention to
the fact that a slight bow does not indicate damage. I checked with Mergen-
thaler, and this is their answer: "This escapement cover has been designed
with a slight bow [so the cover will] fit snugly down to the magazine. . . . This
design applies to both old style or new style magazines."

Damage to Magazines

Sometimes you may find a burr in the magazine itself. If near the end, it
can be reached with a nail file or magneto file. If in the middle - which is not
likely unless you have been careless with the mat hook - there is a broach that
will remove it. And yes, in extreme cases a magazine can be taken apart, but
one should be certain of the necessity, because it is a difficult job to put it back
together. (See Taking a Magazine Apart, page SI.)

Escapement Pawls

It is possible also to find two thin mats jammed together in one channel,
or a mat with its ears reduced too much by filing, so that it slips alongside a
worn pawl. This can happen on a badly worn pawl without the mat's having
been filed, usually on thin letters like i and the period. In such a case, use a
jeweler's file and widen the slot in the verge rack so you can install a thicker

senecKS

In a Model 8 or 14, the escapement lever (gooseneck) may be bent.

4 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Escapement Plungers

Run the magazine up and push in the plunger by hand. It should work
freely. I£ not, take off the verge rack, take out the plunger; rub it on emery
paper and then on a graphite board. Rub graphite over the end when it meets
the gooseneck. See that the plunger is not bent so much it binds, but WARN-
ING: sometimes a plunger is bent a little to function properly; do not straighten
unless the bend interferes with i

Mat Drops When Keyrod Worked by Hand

D. If you have not found the trouble yet, try the keyrod up and down by
hand with a pair of duckbill pliers.

// the mat drops readily, the trouble is usually below the keyrod. Check
the following:

Deep grooves worn in the rubber roll, or rolls shrunken after long use.

Keyboard speeded up (see Loomis' comments on keyboard speed in How
Fast Should It Run? page 16.)

On Linotypes of Model 8 and later, the plunger over the outer end of the
cam yoke may rise too much and rob the inner end of its proper motion. You
can make a small spanner wrench of an old liner to turn down the screw and
tighten the spring, or you can work it down with the corner of a small screw-
i h.iler makes a wrench for this — part No. H-1425.) WARNING:
this plunger should not bear on the cam yoke at the rest. It should clear by
.005" or more. You can file a little off the end of the plunger if necessary.

If the Keyrod Does Not Function:

E. On an Intertype, examine the spring between the two parts of the
keyrod. Sometimes it breaks or slips off; sometimes the parts get shoved together
and jammed.

On earlier Linotypes, the keyrod spring may be broken, allowing the
keyrod to stay in its upper position.

On Linotypes, remove cam cover and see whether the cam drops to the
rubber roll.

If the Cam Does Not Drop:

F. Either end of the cam yoke may be gummy; rub both sides with a mat
eraser. There may be a kink in the cam wire or the trigger wire; move it one
way a quarter of an inch. The wire may be rusty or extremely dirty. The
trigger might be gummy. The keyboard locking bar may ride too low. The
banking bar may have had the pins pulled out and may have worked too low,
preventing a full upward stroke of the weights. There should be .005" space
over the pivot end of the cam yoke (new style).

Keyboard Troubles 5

If the Cam Drops But Refuses To Turn:

G. The cam pivot may be dry. Oil with a toothpick; wipe off surplus. The
rubber roll may have become glazed; roughen it with sandpaper. Washing in
soap and water is excellent for the Iiveness of the rubber. The cam or the
pivot may be worn, allowing the cam to run far out of alignment and rub
against the yoke. The yoke itself may be filled with dirt — usually cut from
the rolls by the cam. The stop pin on the "comb" may be bent.

If There Is Still Trouble:

H. Be sure the rubber rolls are fully one inch in diameter all the way
across. Measure i

You may weaken the verge springs a little on all machines whose keyrods
return by gravity. Try one or two first.

Remove escapement cover and with a piece of emery cloth over a one-point
rule, dress the channel a little.

It is possible that a magazine binding screw has been turned too tightly,
swelling the channel.

Thick Mats

On thick mats, as 14-point, some mats may hit against a tooth on the
matrix channel guard strip at upper end of magazine; twist off the tooth with
duckbills. Also, an unusually thick mat to the right of a magazine partition
(this happens in aligning gothic, with three sizes in a magazine, where the mats
in center section are badly out of place) may occasionally rub against a magazine
binding screw down toward the bottom. Mark the head of the screw on the
right side and take it out; grind down the body of the screw on that side, then
put it back — but carefully, for now this screw is pretty fragile. Be sure the
flat side faces the thick mat.

Clean The Magazine And Mats

1. Finally — we said this first, but it will stand repeating — be sure the
magazine is clean. Brush out all black spots. There may appear to be dents
in the channels, but you are looking at them from an unusual angle, and the
dents are not as large as they seem except on an excessively used Linograph
magazine, where no particular trouble will occur if it is kept clean. When you
are cleaning, watch the narrow channels and the channels next to magazine
partitions. (See Cleaning Magazines, page 31.)

,Noel M. Loomis:

This subject has been covered systematically, but I would like to add a few
suggestions. I agree that the first place to look is the distributor, then the keyrod
(I usually observe whether the cam is turning over by listening); then into the

6 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

magazine for a flat if there is no mat down in place; if it is there but won't
drop all the way out, and if there is nothing wrong with that particular mat,
and especially if the trouble is repeated, and repeated by other letters also, then
you may very likely find worn parts.

Toes Sticking Out

When the toes of mats stick out but the mat doesn't drop, worn parts
usually are indicated. This happens more often on Models 8 and 14, because
they have a longer series of parts involved. If there is a mat in place, I clear
the channel and two channels on each side and get my eye down on a level with
the floor of the magazine, with the light beside it, and turn the shaft by hand
to observe if the pawl goes down even with the bottom of the channel; if it
appears to do this, then try it under power; sometimes the result will be different
(this would indicate a gummed-up verge that works too slowly).

The Pawl Must Go to the Floor of the Channel

If the pawl does not plainly clear, we'll start at the bottom and work up -
but first, hold your finger on the overthrow spring at the end of the keyboard
cam yoke and see if that makes the pawl go down; if it does, turn the screw
down on the spring and put a drop of oil on the top end of the plunger.

Examine the rubber roll shaft bushings; on an old machine - i. e., around
30,000 serial number or under - or machines that have been pretty well pounded,
you may find considerable vertical wear; the bushings should be replaced. Be
sure the rubber rolls are good.

The Goosenecks, or Escapement Levers

Turn the magazines up to the top, to clear the goosenecks. Turn off the
power. Hit the offending keybutton and about two on each side of it; turn the
roll by hand and observe the tips of the goosenecks at the top of their stroke;
sometimes you will see a lot of difference. The top of the stroke here should be
nearly the same for all. Lay a piece of patent base on each side of the gooseneck
that is short; pull out the hinge rod, all the way, for you will have to emery it
and polish it before you put it back in. Peen the tip of the gooseneck; you can
add a sixteenth of an inch if necessary. (You'd better order fifteen or twenty
new ones; if this is your trouble, there will be more of it.)

Plungers and Verges

But maybe the goosenecks have already been replaced and look good; let's
go higher. Occasionally you will find a deep gouge along with red rust, in the
end of the plunger - not often, though. More often you will find a big dent
in the verge where the plunger impinges on it. Examine all the verges, particu-
larly the first eighteen or twenty-four, the em quads and leaders, the period and
comma, and the dash. Also you may find a verge with a badly worn pivot-hole

Keyboard Troubles 7

which allows it to lose its motion; test for this by pushing down on the top of
the verge with a small screwdriver. Push in the end of the plunger a few times
to detect gumminess or resistance to free movement. Some m-o's have used
clock oil on verges with success.

Remove the plunger; polish it on emery cloth and graphite on the space-
band board or with the fingertips. Tap off surplus graphite. Sometimes they
are bent — and sometimes they are supposed to be; don't be in a hurry to
straighten them; find out first if that's the trouble. It it is, there will usually
be a groove in the rubber roll.

Replacing Verges, Pawls and Plungers

You can take out one verge without removing any others. First take out
the plunger if an 8 or 14; then fasten the plunger bar (cover) back in place.
Get a i/ 8 " piece of drill rod, bessemer steel, or bronze or steel welding rod about
the length of the hinge rod or a little longer; grind the leading edge at a bevel
until there is no more flat on the end than the size of a pencil-lead. Push this
end in against the hinge rod. Tap it gently. Stop at once if it hits something
solid. You can tell when it reaches the right spot, for the verges move up a little
as the smaller rod enters them. Take out the verge.

It may be merely gummy or dirty; if so, wash with carbon tetrachloride or
rub on strawboard or emery cloth to take off dirt; then rub on chipboard with
graphite, or replace without graphiting. Jiggle the verge to make the pawls
drop in place. But before replacing, use a 2-point brass rule and a cloth wet with
tetrachloride and clean out the slot.

But let's say there is a hole worn in the verge where the plunger hits it.
If you have a new verge of the right size, you probably will have to ream out
the hole a little or file it with a small rat-tail file; try it on the old rod until it
works freely — but not sloppily! If the pawls have nicks in their upper edges,
they also should be replaced. When you put them back, the steps go toward
the front of the machine.

Note that there are seven or more thicknesses of verge. Lists of the correct
size for each channel are given in parts catalogs. If you do get them mixed up,
you can mike them and get them straightened out. Don't try fitting them by
guess; some are within .005" of each other, and you might be able to get a thick
one in between worn partitions, but pretty soon you won't be able to get any-
where. If you mike them, note that verges usually measure from .002" to .005"
under the book-size. When ordering it is safe to specify what letter it is for.

Harding points out that the verges on the cap side are set at an angle,
and you must be sure the verge is free on the rod at the exact angle at which
it has to work. He also mentions graphiting the hinge rod. On principle I
believe in this too, although I have come to question its value. At any rate,
graphite it by rubbing with the fingers, and leave no surplus to cake up.

8 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

To Remove Verge Rack from Model 5

Question: The verge rack on our Model 5 needs cleaning, for I can see the
verges sometimes return very slowly. The trouble is, I don't know how to go
about it. What do you advise? - X. M., Buffalo, Wyo.

Loomis: The verge rack, or verge block (its technical name is "escapement,
assembled") may be in one of many types. Some slide into place like wedges,
others are hinged, while still others are held by screws and dowels.

To remove the Model 5 verge rack: Lock the mats in the magazine and
remove the magazine. Low on the right side, next to the spaceband keyrod, is
a short lever that swings upward in a very short arc. In the lever you will find a
stud that seems to be there to lock the lever in place when you raise it - but
you will not find a corresponding hole in the frame unless some traveling
machinist has drilled one there.

It is a good project to drill that hole. Remove the pin and use a y 4 " drill.
That should fit the hole (but check to be sure). If you can't manage drilling
on the machine, mark the lever through the hole with a sharp needle around
the peripery; then drive out the taper pin and remove the lever and drill the
frame. If the hole turns out to be a little off center, drill it a fraction bigger - or,
if drills are hard to get, grind off the pin on one side so it will go into the hole.)

If there is no hole, and you cannot drill one as suggested in the preceeding
paragraph, then get a 10 or 12-point linotype slug and cut it in a long bevel
length-wise of the slug. Raise the lever and fit the slug under it to hold it up.
The lever raises the keyrods off of the verges. Now, with the keyrods up, press
down on the small lever under the verge plate at the right end. Push the
keyrods back in their guide plate. Now remove the two screws that hold the
verge rack - one on each end. Lift the rack off of its dowels.

Proceed with cleaning as above.

Intertype Verges

An Intertype verge is in one piece that includes the pawls, and also comes
in different thicknesses. On an Intertype magazine, take a piece of old brass
column rule as long as the verge assembly; notch it in the middle of one side
to go around the center bar of the magazine; now hold the straight side against
the projections on the verges which receive the impact of the keyrods (just
under the keeper wire); push down hard; get all the verges down and turn the
column rule toward the top of the magazine; if the notch fits around the center
bar, the column rule will stay there while you take out the wire. Then release
the rule to remove a verge. You can also use a magazine brush handle to depress
the verges.

Clean the verge the same as a Linotype verge. When you are ready to
replace the wire, use the rule again the same way. Those keeper wires cause
most of the trouble you will encounter with Intertype verges; they become bent
or rusty or dirty, and so be sure to polish them, or, far better, have a few new

Keyboard Troubles

ones for replacement when one gets
escapement spring is weak or broken; i
strength.

How to Repair a Worn Verge

If you have no new Linotype verge but must repair the trouble anyway,
put the old verge in a vise. On a Model 8 verge, about l/ 8 " behind the worn
spot, cut into it with a hacksaw, straight down, about 3/16" deep. Put the blade
of a small screwdriver into the slot and cautiously pry out until you have enough;
take a file and dress off the worn surface, restoring the original level. Oddly
enough, I've never seen one of these break in use — but I don't guarantee it.
Order a new one.

On Model 5 verges you will have to start about s/ 8 " down from the tip
and saw at an angle — not directly crosswise. About 3/16" deep. Angle toward
the center hole. Then put the verge in a vise with a small screwdriver through
the pawl hole under the tip to keep the verge from moving, and tap the tip until
the saw slot widens a very little. File or grind the worn spot smooth. You can
check the amount of bend — which need be but little — by using 5/32" rods
through the pawl holes (old assembling elevator hinge rods are the right size)
and lining the repaired verge up with a new one or an unworn one.

I don't think there is any satisfactory way to repair a worn center hole in

Verge Springs

Replace the verge; push the hinge rod all the way out; polish it and bevel
both ends; put it back. Replace the plunger. Now with a small screwdriver
(and when I say "small" I mean one of these ten-cent pocket screwdrivers,
because you can feel better with them) try the verges against the springs; the
tension should be somewhere near the same; too strong a spring will resist the
stroke of the gooseneck and throw the motion back onto the rubber roll and
into the cam yoke overmotion spring; too weak a verge spring (escapement
spring, more properly) may fail to return the pawls to position and result in
another miss. Verge springs as they come are pretty strong for an 8 or a 14;
invariably I weaken them until the spring, in its hole and out from under the
verge, will stand up about half an inch above the surface of the verge at the
point where the spring goes under it. If you are putting in a new spring, it is
often a good idea to flatten the sides of the curve a little with a small hammer
so the wire won't bind in the slot.

Rough Surgery

Besides stretching the goosenecks, you can also stretch the keyrods (but it is
not ordinarily convenient); you can split the free end of the cam yoke about an
eighth of an inch from the top and about a quarter of an inch deep, and spread
it the same as the verge (but this is a poor method which may lead to complica-
tions, and should be used only in extreme emergency).

10 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Raiting the Keyboard

One of the best methods I have found to put new life into an old keyboard
quickly is to raise it. Loosen the s/ 6 " bolt at the side and the two big bolts
beneath and put two-point leads at all four corners. A two-point lead is about
the limit; I have raised them four but ran into trouble with the assembler en-
trance; however, two points will help a lot if it isn't too bad already. You may
have to remove the bolt at the side.

On old keyboards, the trigger bite sometimes is found excessive - due to
wear in the series of parts below the trigger - and I have been able to make
a quick repair by filing out the cam yoke to reduce the bite. This also is com-
plicated, for you will be under the necessity of keeping that cam in that spot
forever - or however long a linecasting machine lasts. (See Gleaning the Key-
board page 45, for details on replacing worn parts in the keyboard itself.)

Sidewise Adjustment of Intertype Keyrods

It is well to note that later Intertypes have a lower sidewise adjustment
for the keyrod bank, to center the rods over the cam yokes, and also a sidewise
adjustment at the top, for centering on the verges.

Cam Frames

On older machines the cam frame and its two end pieces were not always
well fitted together. I remember a Model 5 in a brief shop in Oklahoma City
that caused trouble for a year or more; the caps on the back side would not
drop consistently. Eventually it occurred to me that whenever I put the cam
frame back on I had to force the pins into their holes. First I tried grinding
down the pins to fit loosely — which was not the right thing to do; besides, it
didn't work. Eventually I removed the end pieces and filed them down by
hand across their entire inner surfaces (first I filed small grooves to give a guide
on the depth). When the keyboard was put back together the new pins went in
easily and the keyboard ran like a watch. But don't try this sort of mayhem
unless you are very sure it is called for. Otherwise it may be difficult to explain
to the boss.

Somewhat the same trouble may occur if you tighten the long screws that
hold the end pieces to the main part of the frame; they are not binding screws
and not intended to be tight; their purpose is to keep the three pieces together.
Sometimes also the set screw that holds the rubber roll shaft bushing, if tightened,
will cant the bushing and slow down the roll. Often those set screws have to
be run loose.

Assembler Entrance Partitions

A mat may be slowed or blocked by hitting on an assembler entrance
partition. Also on occasion, if you have been adjusting the plate that holds the
partitions, you will find a curious condition: mats will start out of the magazine,

Keyboard Troubles

come about half-way, and stop. This is different from the trouble indicated by
toes sticking out; it is caused by the plate being too low. The toe of the mat
is not supported as it leaves the magazine; the mat makes too sharp a curve
downward, and the upper ear binds against the magazine and holds it back.
(See Lining up the Assembler Entrance Partitions, page 58.)

Cam Teeth Worn

On an older machine, the cam may drop to the rubber roll and just not
turn over, even when the roll is good and there is nothing binding. This may
be due to worn teeth. They sometimes become smooth and will not take hold
unless the roll is fresh and live. In this case, take a small three-cornered file and
cut new, sharp notches - but order new cams, for the diameter of the cam is
now reduced and you may have trouble up above.

Loosening Magazine Screws

There are times when a mat seems to slow down in the magazine and go
through the channel reluctantly; sometimes it will help to loosen a magazine
binding screw in that region. And I can't forget the old beaten-up Model 5
out in northern Colorado; they had hauled it across-country and put it together,
but the mats wouldn't come out of the magazine. The mats would wiggle when
you worked the keyrod, but they wouldn't drop out. You could pull them out
with slight pressure of the hook. We fought it until five o'clock in the morning
but got nowhere; we stopped for coffee, and then, feeling a little relaxed and
warmed up by the coffee, and watching the sun come up over Julesburg, I
reviewed the situation. Presently I got up and announced: "It has to be that;
it can't be anything else." I went back and looked - and it was that: very small
burrs at the bottom of the channels at the very end of the magazine. Sometimes
the mats would jump over, sometimes not. How the burrs got there I don't
know; there were no bruise-marks; they appeared to be the result of long usage
of some sort. But we filed them carefully, and the mats poured out like nobody's

Exploratory Operation on Magazines

When the mat comes down close to the pawls but just doesn't slide out,
Harding and I agree that when the pawl seems to function properly, it may be
desirable to look into the magazine. Harding points out that on older magazines
with a hole on each side about three or four inches from the bottom, it is simple
to put a round locking rod through (older machines came equipped with this
rod), run two mats out of each channel, and take off the escapement cover.
On newer magazines, however, the holes may be lacking. Run out all the mats
in the two channels on each side of the offender. Carefully lift off the escape-
ment cover. Get a good light and a pair of tweezers and ex
the channels carefully. You may find a burr that you have

12 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

a slight misalignment of the magazine channel and the verge plate channel
that causes a mat to bind because the two channels are not parallel. Very, very
careful filing will remedy this — but be sure first. When the mat stops, use
the tweezers to move first one corner, then the other corner, sidewise and ver-
tically. If the bottom toe persists in crowding one side, first try thinning the toe
to prove the point. If that works, either thin them all or repair the magazine
with great caution.

But first be sure the mat is not bent, by holding it between two thick pi
mats, and be certain the retarding agent is not dirt and not some agent that has
been used to clean the magazine. (See Cleaning Magazines, page 31.)

Spaceband Keyrod

A word about the spaceband keyrod. Most machines require a spring on
the keybar or weight to counteract the weight of the spaceband lever; this
spring should be just strong enough to pull the weight back in place with sure-
ness. Then there is a spring to pull the keyrod back into place; this should be
just strong enough to perform its task. It often happens that the spaceband
keyrod will become worn down an eighth of an inch at the point where it rests
on the keyrod banking bar; in emergency this can be repaired by pinning or
screwing a piece of an old keyrod over the worn spot (solder won't hold very
long). The top end of the keyrod should not have much looseness about it;
if the holes are elongated, you may drill them out to three thirty-seconds or more
and use a cotter key to fasten them together.

Mysteries

There are three more mysterious things that can happen to a keyboard.
(There are a lot I don't know about, too.) This is the situation in which the
rubber roll turns, and the cam is perfect, and it drops, but it doesn't turn.
This can result from one of three causes: 1, if on the end, the roll may have
crept out from under the cam; 2, gasoline or oil on the roll; 3, on older machines
with two pulleys on a double belt, the roll may be running backward (I made
a long trip in central Nebraska to fix this one). (And there was the keyboard in
southeastern Louisiana that consistently doubled on about eight letters; even-
tually I discovered the operator had spilled Coca-Cola on that section of the
keyboard. He'd tried to remove it with gasoline, but Coca-Cola is more soluble

Too Many Flats

One thing more: if you get too many flats in a magazine, see if the stop
trip is in at the top. Many older magazines have had the stop strips removed
because the m-o's found them in the way when they did get a flat. But the
strips stop most of the potential flats, and should be in place. Intertype magazines
do not have them.

Keyboard Troubles 13

Delayed-Action Response

Question: My lower case r periodically drops late. It seems to work fine
when I am trying it, but after it has not been touched for a minute or two, it
will drop late or refuse altogether. I don't think it's my fingering, because
sometimes it is two or three letters behind. Can you suggest a remedy?

Loomis: Sometimes this is a hard one to catch. Often it shows up as a
simple but persistent transposition, but sometimes a mat will drop several
characters late.

Sometimes these are so tricky to catch that I have tied a white flag (small
piece of cloth) to the keyrod to observe whether the fault is in the keyboard or
in the assembler.

First, be sure the cam is oiled and be sure it is dropping to the rubber roll.
Be sure the mat is not hitting on a partition. See that the belt from the main
drive pulley to the intermediate shaft is pulling; see that the keyboard belt and
the assembler drive belt are tight; see that the matrix delivery belt is reasonably
tight and running freely. Sometimes when the upper idle pulley and stud become
too worn, the pulley will cant and throw 1 1 I ust i i if ran

plate; also sometimes a gummy substance accumulates on the matrix delivery
belt supporting plate beneath the belt, where, unseen and unsuspected, it drags
on the belt and slows it.

How about the assembler chute rails; are they sticking up so as to occasion-
ally stop a mat? Is there a space at the top of the rails where a mat can catch?
Back off and watch the assembler pulley; is it running steadily or does it slow
down? See also that the assembler cover (the small one) is not pushed in under
the larger plate so the mats can hit it. Sometimes the large plate will be sprung
so far away from the matrix delivery belt supporting plate where the delivery
belt runs, that mats will get half caught in the crack and be stopped until
another mat breaks them loose.

When a cam works well as long as
operate willingly after it sits a few minutes, look for one of three things: a dry
pivot, dirty cam yoke ends, or a kink in the hinge wire (or, as a corollary, the
hook at the end of the cam yoke is tight on the wire; spread it just a little with
a screwdriver).

DOUBLES

Question: We are having lots of doubles on our Model 8. Do you think
we need new keyboard cams? — R. C, Norwood, Minn.

Harding: I doubt it. Your keyboard probably needs cleaning.

Weights

Until that can be done, here is a quick remedy: Fill a large oil can with
clean, high-test gasoline, or at least white gasoline (no leaded gas, no benzene,
no alcohol, and no type-cleaner or carbon tetrachloride). Get a light and look

14

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

under the rubber roll on the back side. Just below the roll you will see a
squarish bar behind which you can just see the tops o£ the weights. This is the
banking bar, and dirt around it accounts for a lot of doubles. Put the spout of
the gas can in just above this bar, no higher than absolutely necessary, and
flush the entire length of the bar liberally. If you get gas on the rubber roll,
wipe it dry. This will last for a week, and sometimes much longer.

Have somebody hit the keybutton while you watch the weight. If, after the
flushing, the weight still sticks up, double a piece of emery cloth and hold it
between the weight and the bottom of the banking bar, having someone hold
the key down firmly while you pull the cloth out several times. A banking bar
becomes worn and even grooved and this will smooth it a little.

Key Levers

Dirt or rust or gummy substance on the keylever, where it enters the key-
board will cause doubles. Withdraw the fulcrum rod carefully and take out
the key lever; emery it; use a slim warding file to clean out the slot but do not
enlarge it. Then holding the key lever by the keybutton, you can maneuver
the lever back through the slot at the back of the keyboard and into the notch
in the weight. Be sure to polish the fulcrum rod with emery cloth.

Often a little dirt can be cleaned from the lever by taking hold of the
keybutton firmly and working it vigorously up and down, first against one side,
then the other. Squirt some gas on it to help.

If you have had the key lever out, you may have sprung it a little putting
it back in. Push the keybutton from side to side and see if it is free in the slot.
If it persists in rubbing against one side, it probably is bent. Take it out and
straighten cautiously with your fingers, holding it up to your eye to see when
it is straight.

Stop Strip and Stop Pin

With a light, take out the cam and look at the stop strip. If there is a
bright spot at the end of the tooth, slightly beveled, the cam may be slipping
undei. Now examine the stop pin in the cam itself. You may find a groove m
the pin that makes doubling easy.

Banking Bar out of Position

Loomis: Sometimes the pins have been taken out of the banking bar and
the banking bar moved up too high. This reduces trigger bite and may make
doubles. (See Adjusting the Touch on a Keyboard, page 47, for correct setting
of the banking bar.)

Also, if you have previously filed off the trigger seat of a cam, and then
gotten it back in the wrong place, or if perhaps filing off the seat was not the
answer to your former trouble, you may now get doubles from it.

On an Intertype the locking rod may slip down a little so the weights
occasionally stick on it long enough to produce doubles or continuous response.

Keyboard Troubles I 5

Double Spacebands

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: We are getting two or three
spacebands at a time on our Model X. Please suggest a remedy. -H. M.,
Genoa, Ohio.

Harding: The answers to the previous question on doubles apply to the
spaceband also. There is an additional cause, however: insufficient spring
tension on the keybar or weight. There should be enough tension to pull the
weight down surely against the weight of the spaceband key lever after each

Loomis: There is also another cause of trouble that shows up particularly
with the spacebands; when the spring on the keyrod (the upper spring) is too
tight - and many of them are - it will cut a groove in the rubber roll, and the
s be able to go under the tooth on the stop strip for that

Harding: Continuous response is often a development of double response.
The usual causes:

A. A chip of metal in the slot below the keybutton.

B. The cam stop strip tooth broken.

C. Stop pin worn deeply on the keyboard cam.

D. Too much filing on the trigger seat.

E. A worn-out trigger or one damaged when putting the keyboard back
together.

F. Intertype keyboard cam inserted crooked and the screw tightened with
cam out of position.

Loomis: If you have just had the cam frames off, you probably tightened
them up with one trigger out of position. Try it again, and be sure you first
lock all the triggers through the upper hole. But straighten your cam frame
wire first.

Suggestion: If a stop strip tooth is broken and you do not have a new
one, temporarily you may take another old one (broken in a different place),
use longer screws and superimpose it over the one you are using. Or you can
bend a paper clip or other small wire, fasten it under a screw, and make a
temporary stop.

16

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Mats Drop When Not Hit

Loomis: There are thi
vitation: 1, when a key alongside
are dropping from the distributor bar; 3, withoi

r hich mats may fall without i

;me row is struck; 2, when ma

elationship to other mov

In the first case, usually then i ! i.ioi en the two

series of parts involved below the keyboard cam. The hole in the key levers
may be rusted so that the fulcrum rod moves a little; there may be an unusual
accumulation of dirt that causes one weight to raise another; there may be
unusual burrs at the tops of both weights; the upper or lower keyrod guide may
be badly worn, allowing one keyrod to rub against the other; the trigger seat
of the second cam may be so short (we sure got into a lot of trouble by filing
that thing, didn't we?) that a heavy touch on the keyboard will jar the cam
into action. I have seen the far end of the key lever, that fits into the notch in
the weight, so burred that the burr would rub against the other weight.

Second, note if this happens when mats of the unwanted channel are
dropping from the bar. This is true of heavy mats, particularly the em quads,
and is not uncommon on Intertype magazines. Strengthen the verge spring.
Occasionally a medium-weight letter, such as lower case h, will drop from the
impact of mats from above; same remedy.

In the third case, look for the same items that cause doubling: short trigger
seat, worn stop tooth, worn stop pin, groove in the rubber roll, and so on.

MISCELLANEOUS
How Fast Should the Keyboard Run?

Question; Can I speed up the keyboard by putting string around the upper
pulley? I am gaining speed, and the keyboard is getting too slow for me. —
D. McG„ Wausau, Wis.

Loomis: Don't do it without knowing the revolutions per m
keyboard is making already. I had a job once as an operator — 1
where; it was a long time ago and a long way from Chicago — and :
was pretty fast. So I was. I built up the upper pulley. A few da
heavier mats in the 12-point failed to drop. I could not find ou
employer finally wired Chicago, and a factory man came out. He
situation over and said, "Got a sharp knife?" I gave him one. He
string and tightened the belt. "Try it," he said. I did. The 12-poi

perfectly. So I learned something — at somebody e
learn many of the things we learn.

I am grateful for one thing: factory men did not
they get now — although they got considerably more
which was the rate in New York City in the late 18!

s expense,

won't say
'. thought I
is later the
; why. My
looked the
cut off the
nt dropped
s all of us

Keyboard Troubles 17

Newer Intertypes have rubber rolls turning at as much as 360 r.p.m. and
seem to work very well, but older machines won't take it.

When the rubber rolls are turning over in the neighborhood of 300 r.p.m.,
a heavy mat does not have time to clear the magazine. Also, you will find
yourself missing doubles because the cam does not turn over as fast as you hit
the keybutton. I have been timed at eight letters a second on a 280 r.p.m.
keyboard, and that's fast enought. Most keyboards run best at 280 r.p.m. Some
of the fastest keyboards I have ever seen — down in Texas in piecework days —
never went over 280. Many will not perform at all at 300. You can borrow a
speed indicator from your friend in the garage and time your keyboard rolls.
If you can't get an indicator, tie a small white flag on one spoke of one gear,
or dab a spot of white paint on the pulley, and get somebody to hold a watch
with a second hand while you count. With a few trials you'll do pretty well.
Then keep your keyboard speed at 280 or below. If you speed up the machine
itself, cut down the keyboard speed to 280. I've run machines as high as 10
lines a minute, but always the keyboard speed was held down.

Keyboard Locking Rods

I personally do not like keyboard locking rods on a machine at all. Sooner
or later they cause trouble — both Linotype and Intertype. The rod on the
Linotype slips down a little — just enough to make you miss a few mats but not
enough to show you what the trouble is. The Intertype locking rod also works
down occasionally, and the flat plate gets in such a position that the weights
get hung up against it and you get doubles. If you use any sort of locking rod
that locks the weights behind the keyboard, be sure it stays up out of the way
when it is supposed to. (More about these under Cleaning the Keyboard,
page 27.)

Repairing Keyboard Cams

When cams have the teeth worn down, it is best to replace them; also if
the journal pin or the hole in the cam are worn excessively, they should be
replaced. In putting in new cams and/or pins, use a light touch of the hammer
to brad the pin, or you will squeeze the yoke unduly and the cam will bind.
If the cam itself is worn, it is usually best to get a new cam and yoke assembled.

On occasion, however, the stop pin only in a cam will be unduly worn.
You can replace it with care. The danger again is that you will squeeze the
sides of the cam together. If so, they will bind on the tooth of the stop strip.
Take a six-point liner and thin it down on a grindstone or with a file until it
will just slide in between the two halves of the cam. In the middle of the
thinned-out place, cut a notch with a hacksaw about 1,4" deep. Make the notch
wide enough to go around the stop pin. When you knock the old pin out, have
your filler-piece in place to save distortion of the sides. Lay the cam itself flat
on a metal surface — preferably a block with a small hole in it. Knock the pin

18 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

out with a small punch. Put the new pin in place, lay the cam down on the
metal, with the filler-piece in place again, and brad the stop pm. Don't be
rough; those cams are made of brass and not designed to stand up under much
pounding.

Replacing Stop Strips

I£ you apply a new stop strip or "comb," be sure the teeth are centered on
the cams; leave the screws barely loose; hold a tooth with a pair o£ duck-bills
and work back and forth to determine the best position. (If you let the stop
strip slip down into the cam frame, you don't have to take off the frame.
Take out two or three cams near the middle and fish it out with a hook.)

Does Leveling Affect The Keyboard?

Loomis: This is a question that has been asked many times. The answer
is yes. I worked on a Model 19 out in South Dakota; they were having trouble
with the first ten or twelve letters; it was cold that day - about 20 below - and
they had a fire roaring in the stove. I could see when I walked in that the
machine, on an unsupported board floor and with an auxiliary unit on the side,
was far from level - between one and two inches off. I got into the keyboard,
finally took it off when my fingers thawed out, and found that the weights,
thrown to the right side by gravity, had been contacting the key levers only by
the corner of the notch, and there were big gouges in the weights almost a
quarter of an inch deep. This had not bothered for many years, until finally
the key levers began to wear, and then the levers would bind in the gouged-out
places.

How About Heat and Cold?

Loomis: Ordinary summer heat does not seem to affect a keyboard ad-
versely; down in Tulsa it used to get up to 113° at night, and it was almost as
bad in Omaha - but the keyboards ran well. Cold is another story. In a country
shop it is often necessary to build a fire a couple of hours before you start on
the machine; and on the old Minneapolis Journal even a mildly frosty morning
in the early fall would make the keyboards sluggish.

Why Does Most Trouble Occur on

the Back Cam Frame?

Loomis: It is my theory that the heat radiated by the motor and often
by the electric controls dries out the cams and the rubber roll to make trouble.
I have long thought of making an asbestos shield for the machines in the shop,
to test that theory, but, I haven't gotten to it. If it is true, something could be
done about it. (Note that this continuous radiation is different from a few hours
of hot weather.)

Keyboard Troubles 19

RUBBER ROLLS

What Is the Best Way to Install Rubber Rolls?

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: By the time we have stripped the
old rolls from the cores and have the new ones in place, everybody in the shop
has blistered hands. Is there any easy way to perform this operation? — N. C,
New Washington, Ohio.

H. C. Rockwell: Some start the roll on the shaft and fill it with water,
then push it on, but a rusty core results. Compression of air is usually most
satisfactory. One operator put on the end of the roll a clamp to which he
attached a bicycle pump, and a few strokes would slip it in place. There are
other compressed air devices.

The shaft must be well prepared. Polish with emery cloth; rub with
graphite. One way is to start the roll on, holding the palm or the thumb over
the end to compress the air, and push it down quickly.

Harding: Many rubber roll shafts have oil rings which must be removed.
The first Linotype ring is in three pieces. You insert a sharp instrument between
the two rings and pry off the cap or outside ring. Drive out the taper pin or
straight pin, and the second ring may be slipped off. Some look the same but
are in one piece; pry or drive off. Intertypes have a steel wire ring that must
be pried off. Some oil rings are eccentric; these are knurled, and you turn them
anti-clockwise to remove.

If the rubber roll becomes stuck half-way on, insert a slender screwdriver
between the roll and the shaft and dust in a little graphite. Always push the
roll, either off or on. Pulling stretches it and makes it tighter.

When rolls only are removed for cleaning, leaving the cam frames on the
machine, wipe out the hole in the bracket before inserting the rubber roll to
avoid getting oil on the roll. Rolls should be cleaned with soap and water
when they become hard or glazed.

The removal of some rubber rolls may appear very awkward because of the
auxiliary keyboard which appears to stand in their way, but it will be noticed
on these machines that the bolt in the cam frame bracket, through which an
oil hole passes to lubricate the roll bearing, can be removed and the roll shaft
can be moved about two inches to the right, tipped down, and withdrawn
without the necessity of pulling out at the right of the keyboard.

20 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Loomis: Mr. Rockwell's answer is a graphic demonstration o£ changing
conditions. It was written in 1937, before the advent of synthetic or plastic
rolls, so I can sympathize with him on the use of water, for I never liked it
myself. Years ago I got a piece of metal tubing that would slip over a roll, and
welded a length of I14" brass rod onto it, then bored out the brass to fit over
the small end of the shaft. Onto the brass I welded an automobile valve. This
gadget worked wonderfully for many years, with assistance from filling stations.
But the war came, and presently we had a new kind of rubber roll. Whether it
was plastic or just synthetic I don't know, but it was the stickiest material ever
made for keyboard cam rolls. It worked wonderfully, but the rolls were next to
impossible to get on. On a Saturday afternoon in River Falls, Wis., I attempted
it first. Graphite didn't help at all. I tried the compressed air at the truck
station next door — 200 pounds pressure. No good. The rolls stuck two thirds
of the way down, and every man in the shop had blistered hands within a couple
of hours. Those rolls were immovable.

If I had not ruined the old rolls taking them off (I always use a sharp
knife and slit them to remove them) I would have put them back on. But the
trout weren't biting that afternoon in the Kinnikinnick, and presently the
floorman wandered in. He took two pieces of ten-em wood furniture, put one
on each side against the end of the roll, and, holding the shaft against the floor,
pushed slowly but steadily. In ten or fifteen minutes he had them on. This is
worth remembering.

I had another call to make on Sunday, and I was worried. They had
ordered the same kind of rolls, and I thought it would be best to forget changing
them. But when 1 got there, the operator, an old-timer, said, "I put the rubber
rolls on for you." I said, "You what} And how?" "I used water," he said, "same
as I have done for forty years." So water is the answer. Yes, it rusts. I don't
like that, but I can't help it. All rolls today are stickier than they used to be.
The next time I'll try gasoline, maybe, to avoid rust — but gasoline burns,
remember. Get out in the open, away from all fires, if you try this, for when
the pressure gets built up, the stuff will squirt out from under your thumb.

The main thing to remember with rolls is: push and twist. I have used
Harding's method of getting graphite into ordinary rolls that stick half-way,
and in an extreme case I suggest you remember the stunt with furniture.

Corrugated Rolls

Corrugated rolls have much to offer. They grab better, and the corruga-
tions don't wear very fast. Also they measure a little bigger over all, and for
that reason are good to take up the slack in worn parts on old machines. But
don't try them on all Intertypes! A good many Intertypes, especially later ones,
won't take them. There's not enough clearance for the cams to turn over.

Keyboard Troubles 21

Creeping Rolls

Occasionally a roll will creep away from the end of the shaft and leave an
e or a J or a spaceband or dash high and dry. To some extent this depends on
the roll itself — but I never glue them as some do. Graphite or talcum powder,
of course, accelerates such creeping. However, I have often used graphite with-
out trouble. My system is this: 1 push the roll down hard against the far end;
then I turn the shaft over and push the other end of the roll about half an
inch over the open end. Then I back up both ends by pushing. In other words,
when you are through, the roll is stretched a little in the middle and bunched
a little at the ends — but not, I hasten to say, enough to be seen with the eye.
I imagine you'd have to measure it with a micrometer. As far as I know, a roll
put on this way has never crept.

WARNING: If your roll shaft has a gear on the driving end, it is safer
to remove the gear before installing a roll. There's only a set screw holding it,
and the gear always fits easily. I have, in the heat of installation, broken those
cast iron gears by slamming them against something.

Rubber Rolls Con Be Patched

In case a short section of roll is badly grooved, if you have no new roll
you can cut away the bad section with a sharp knife. If on the end, cut a
section of equal length from the good part of an old roll, and push into place.
If in the middle, push one end to the middle and put the new piece on the end.
If one particular letter is deeply grooved, loosen the keyrod spring or the over-
throw spring on the cam yoke plunger.

CHAPTER II

CLEANING THE KEYBOARD, KEYBOARD CAMS, MAGAZINE,
MATS, KEYRODS, AND VERGE RACK
Cleaning Keyboards

Question: How often should a keyboard be thoroughly cleaned, and how
do you go about it? - A. P. S., Rifle, Colo.

Harding: My friend, you really have asked a question. It's a question
asked by a lot of operators, and so I am going to try to set down a complete
answer. Every keyboard should be taken apart and cleaned thoroughly every
two or three years, according to how much dirt sifts in on it. The first thing
to do is take the keyboard off of the machine. There are quite a number of
different ways to do that, but we'll take them one at a time.

First, in removing any keyboard, throw off the keyboard belt, take off the
copy hooks, remove the copy board, copy tray, sorts tray, and cam frame covers;
disconnect the assembling elevator and take off the counter-balance spring.
Remove the hex-head bolt between and above the rubber roll shafts at the right
side of the keyboard.

Make a copy of the keyboard layout if you do not have one. Those keys
have a way of looking very unfamiliar when you start putting them back.

Also, mark the cam frames on the outer ends, front and back, before you
remove them. It is a good idea to take a three-cornered file and make one nick
on the edge of the right end-piece of the front frame, two nicks on the back.
This will save much time later.

I will outline specific directions for some representative types. An m-o will
recognize the variations in his own keyboard (and there are many) and will be
able to take it from there.

WARNING: It is important on all models and on all guides such as key-
rod guides upper and lower, keybar guides upper and lower, and all other
guides, to note if there are any extra unused slots at either end. If there are,
it is well to mark these with a small cut on the outer edge from a three-cornered
file. Do this before removing. It will save a lot of time, and sometimes two or
three assembling jobs.

The number of slots varies; some machines have ninety, some ninety-one,
some of the swinging keyboards ninety-two. About 1 a. m., when you're trying
to put the thing back together, it's confusing.

REMOVING KEYBOARDS

To Remove Keyboard from Models 1, 3, and 5

1. See that all keyrods and other parts are at rest or not in the ci

2. Lock the verges by inserting a locking wire above the shoulders of the
verge pawls. The best wire is a flat one, made for the purpose. If a round wire
is used, it should be a little larger than the regular keyboard cam-wire. The
wire has been properly inserted if matrices are not released when the keyrods
are raised by hand. The Models 3 and 5 verges are locked by turning the crank
of the verge locking bar, located between the magazine and the verges, right
side. In case of the Model 5, lock the matrices in the magazine or remove the
magazine entirely.

3. Remove the cam frames. A screw at either end of each cam-frame.
Nothing to lock.

4. Remove the screws from the two bars that carry the keyrod spring-hooks.
The keyrods will now dangle, supported only by their notches where they
engage the verges. The lower keyrod guide and the spring-hook plate will be
supported by the keyrod springs.

5. Now be careful. We are about to separate the keyboard posts from
between those two spring-hook bars. If the keyrods are jostled unduly, some
of them may twist and slip off the verges. Use a socket-wrench to loosen the
two large bolts that hold the keyboard from underneath. Sit with the knees
under the keyboard, remove the bolts, and withdraw the keyboard very carefully
by tilting the front up to allow the guide-posts to move down and out from
between the keyrod spring-hook bars. Take the keyboard to the work bench.

To Remove the First Style 8 and 14 Keyboards

Here the keybars do not yet come off in a frame, and it is advisable to
dismantle the keyboard without removing the cast iron frame of the keyboard
from the machine.

1. Loosen the screws that hold the keyboard pulley gear-guard. Remove
the large screws at either end of the cam frames, and remove both cam frames.

2. Cut a stick about i/ 2 x i/ 2 x exactly 15 14 inches. Tie a tough cord to
each end, and tie it securely to the back of the keybars by bringing the cord
through the slots in the back of the keyboard and around the keylevers at the
front. Twist the cord around the lugs on the keyboard frame; bring one over
on top, the other below. Be sure to do a good job. This is to hold the keybars
or weights in place when you remove the banking bar. Raise the keybars by
inserting 6-point shims under the keybar guard, T-254, or H-332, that rests
under them. The late Linotypes do not have the guard.

3. Remove the banking-bar and keyboard lock.

4. The keyboard can now be removed by taking out the four screws at the
front, under the assembling elevator lever shaft, and the two screws directly

24 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

under the rubber roll bearings. Pry the keyboard off the dowels at the back,
and remove the keyboard and key-bars from the cast-iron base.

Clean the parts.

Reverse operations when assembling.

To Remove "Old Style" (Second Model) 8 and 14 Keyboards

1. Loosen the gear guard and remove the back cam frame.

2. Lock the keyboard in front, under the assembling elevator shaft.

3. Holding the keybar bracket at the rear of the keyboard, remove the
flat head screws that go through the keyboard posts one inch under the rubber
roll bearing — one screw at either end. If the keybar bracket does not come off
by removing the two keybar bracket screws at the front, look for two screws
that hold the bracket at the back.

4. Remove the front cam frame.

5. Leave the keyboard on the machine, but remove the assembling elevator
lever shaft, the fulcrum rods, and the keylevers.

6. The skeleton of the keyboard can now be removed by removing the
four screws at the front, under the assembling elevator lever shaft, the keyboard
lock screw, and the two screws directly under the front rubber roll bearings.

The slotted plate that slides to lock the keyboard may be taken off by
removing the two screws on which the plate slides. There are lock nuts on these
shoulder screws.

To Remove the Linotype Swinging Keyboard

1. See that all the keyboard cams are in place and that no keyrods are
elevated.

2. Lock the keyboard.

3. Raise the spring latch at the back of the assembling elevator lever and
disconnect the lever from the assembling elevator link. Raise the assembling
elevator handle. This will latch the assembling elevator down in normal
position. (But watch it; they don't always hold.)

4. Turn the magazine shift lever to the highest point. This lever has a
clutch that will allow it to disengage and move to the upper position without
moving the magazines from operating position.

5. Unscrew the long, knurled-head screw under the left side of the key-
board and swing the keyboard out to the right.

6. Loosen the set screw that holds the large bolt under the right side of
the keyboard — the bolt on which the keyboard pivots. Sit with the knees under
the keyboard, remove the large pivot bolt and lift off the keyboard. (Most
swinging keyboard work can be done without this last step.)

Keyboard Care 25

To Remove Inrertype Keyboard, Model A, B, C

1. Lower the magazines to the lowest position and open the channel
entrance, trip the dog from under the magazine cradle, and tilt back the

2. On the old style Intertypes, remove the upper keyrod guide strip from
behind the keyrods. Remove the keyrods, one at a time, and lay them on edge
in a galley, in their respective order. Do not get them mixed because they may
not work properly if transposed.

If the machine is new style, mark the position of the keyrod frame, remove
the screw on either end of the keyrod upper guide, lift out the keyrods in one
unit, and lay them aside. The position of the keyrod frame should be marked
before it is removed to insure returning it to exact position. Failure to do so
may allow some of the keyrods to miss the verges.

3. Remove both the front and back cam frames.

CAUTION: On old style Intertypes, when you clean and oil the cams only,
remove only one cam frame at a time, and replace it before removing the
other. There is no keyrod frame here, and the lower keyrod guide fits into the
cam frames. When both frames are removed at the same time, this guide will
sag and prevent replacing the cam frames until all keyrods have been removed.

4. Drive out the taper pin from the assembling elevator lever handle and
remove the shaft.

5. Use socket-wrench to loosen the two keyboard base screws, underneath
the keyboard, rear left-hand corner. After loosening the screws, sit with the
knees under the keyboard and remove the screws. Lift off the keyboard and take
it to the work bench.

Dismantling the Keyboard

Now, with the keyboard off and fairly intact, and with your copy of the
keyboard layout made, you are ready to take the thing apart. Fun, isn't it?

If there is a spring attached to the spaceband key lever, disconnect it and
save it. Take out the spaceband key lever.

Remove the fulcrum rods and withdraw the key lever from the entire
keyboard.

Now turn the back of the keyboard toward you and prop it up with a
pig of metal under either end. Remove the banking bar and the keyboard lock,
or the stick that you tied on in place of the banking bar. Remove the spring
from the spaceband keybar (or weight) and tie a string to that keybar for
identification. Lift out all the keybars. It saves a little time to keep them in
order, especially on older machines where there are six different kinds, but it
isn't essential.

If not already done, remove the skeleton of the keyboard by taking out the
four screws at the front edge under the assembling elevator lever shaft, also the
keyboard lock if it is in front, and the two larger screws directly under the
front rubber roll bearings.

26 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Cleaning the Keyboard

First we shall clean the keyboard itself. Later we'll tackle the keyboard

1. Wash all parts in high-test gasoline (never leaded), and be careful of
solvents. Wash the key levers (metal part only), weights, the banking bar, the
keyboard plate — anything that has oil or dirt on it. Wash the keybuttons,
a solution.

2. Watch for burrs and worn spots. File off burrs and rub graphite into
the parts. Ream out the holes in the key levers with a pointed stick.

You can safely rub all parts with dry graphite where they rub against
something else.

Loomis: You're doing fine so far. The only addition I have to make is
the use of that much-worn thin warding file to clean the sides of the slots in
the top plate and the back plate of the keyboard, where the key levers go
through. This should be done with a light touch, for the idea is not to file out
the slot but to clean out the dirt. A 1 or 2-point brass rule with a piece of emery
cloth around it will do if you haven't the thin file (those thin files are some-
times hard to find).

On machines where the keybuttons have never been washed — or at least
not for many years — I have been unable to get the buttons clean with anything
but a strong solution of yellow lye soap that is used by janitors in mopping
floors in public hallways. I have been unable to get a generic technical descrip-
tion of this soap, but it is a grease solvent, and can be bought from the National
Soap and Chemical Co., 110 Fifth Ave., S. E., Minneapolis, as Nasco D. N.
Cleaner. I use hot water and a small brush, dipping the button frequently.
You can count on losing ten or twelve letters in the process, for the letters are
formed by celluloid inserts that will come loose. Milton Anderson does very
well with Bab-O and a pad of steel wool.

Assembling the Keyboard

Harding: 1. If the keyboard locks from the front, put the slotted plate
in place; two screws and a spring. Put in the lower row of key levers (the levers
having the keybuttons — not the keybars).

2. Insert the fulcrum rod. If one end is notched insert from right to left,
notch to the right. (Late Intertypes require the notch to the left.) After you
get the rod through the second partition, it will be easier.

3. Insert the next row of key levers and so on, until all key levers are in
place. The keybar guard, T-254, or H-332, that rests under the keybars, should
be put in place before the keybars are put in (but may be put in afterward by
cutting into short lengths.)

4. Insert the small bar in the fulcrum notches at the right or left of the
keyboard and replace the screws that hold the bar.

Keyboard Care

6. Set the spaceband keybar aside. Assemble the keybars in sets of six as
indicated by the notches on their front sides and set the keybars in place,
starting with the lower-case e. The lower keybars will bind just a little as they
go into the lower keybar slots. Pressing down on the lower keylevers will help.
The spaceband keybar goes on last and usually requires a spring. If there is
no hole in the keybar for the spring, look for a screw or stud on the key lever.
In this case the spring is fastened at the right side of the keyboard.

7. Put on the spaceband keybar spring referred to in the preceding para-
graph.

8. With the thumbs, hold the banking bar in place, under the notches on
the keybars. Have the banking bar screws handy. Place the fingers under the
keybar guard which is under the keybars, and push up as you push the banking
bar onto its dowels. This will raise all keybars. If the keybars are not raised,
the banking bar will not slip into place. This applies to Intertypes and old
Lmotypes. Linotypes with keyboards that lock at the front do not have the
keybar guard, H-332.

8. In case of the old style keyboard lock, put on the locking bar. Notice
that the thick washers are put on with the flat side up. The thick washers go
in place first, then the locking bar, and finally the thin washers and screws.
Do not let the shoulder screws catch on the washers.

10. Try out the keyboard thoroughly before putting on the cam frames.
This is the time to determine if all keylevers and keyrods work properly. As
you press the keys, push them to the left and to the right, and straight down
to detect any tendency for double response. All weights should drop promptly.

When replacing the two bolts that hold the keyboard at the bottom and
the one at the right side, do not tighten one bolt until all three have been started
in place. This direction applies in many cases where bolts and screws are to be
inserted.

If the assembling elevator lever counterbalance spring is replaced with the
solid loop to the front, the hook cannot tear the operator's clothes.

Loomis: I find it easier to insert the fulcrum rod from the left, handling
the key levers with my right. If the keyboard is on the machine, you may have
to lower the vise. But some keyboards have the keepers on the right, and in
such a case you have to work from the right to avoid using the notched end
as a leading end — which won't work very well.

The Book says this cleaning should be done once a year, but unless your
shop is a bad dirt-trap, once every two or three years will do pretty well if you
flush out the keybars and keyrod guide occasionally when the cam frames are
off.

28 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

THE KEYBOARD CAMS

Cleaning the Keyboard Cams

Harding: You can remove any cam frame one at a time for cleaning, but
in this case we have them off already.

1. Remove the cams separately and place in a pan of naphtha or high-test
gasoline. Use a shallow tin cake pan. Personally, I mix the cams to distribute
the wear, but the novice may get along a lot better if he keeps them in order.
Tie a string on the spaceband cam.

2. Use a brush to wash the cams; clean the free end of the yoke, the other
end also, and the teeth. If there is a hard gum on the periphery, scrape it off.

3. Spread the cams out to dry. A fan or open window will help.

4. Loosen the small headless screw that holds the rubber roll bushing and
remove the roll. Sandpaper the roll with medium sandpaper. Work until all
marks have been removed from the roll. Then wash it with soap and water.
The roll should have a "tacky" feel, like live rubber.

Wind a cloth tightly around the bushing to keep water out of the bearing.

5. Hold the cam frame over the gasoline pan and wash it thoroughly,
paying particular attention to the ends of the cam frames, the triggers, the slots
in the cam frames, and the stop pins; if any triggers appear to bind, remove the
trigger wire and look for kinks in the wire. Polish the wire. If any cam stop
strip pins have depressions where the c
depressions or put on a new stop strip,
stop strip pins.

Insert a probe in the oil holes in cam roll shaft bushings and cam frame.

6. Oil the bearings of the rubber roll shaft and replace it.

Be sure that the oil hole in the bushing is lined up with the oil hole in
the bracket.

Do not set the small, headless screws tightly against the bushings. To do
so may throw the roll shaft out of line and cause it to bind.

The cam pivot wire should always be removed, straightened, and polished
with graphite.

If a cam is worn so that it tips and rubs on the yoke, replace the journal,
the cam and journal, or the whole cam, assembled.

File all burrs from the free ends of cam yokes.

7. When certain that all gasoline has dried from the cam pivots, oil them
very sparingly, using clock oil and a broom straw or piece of wire. Wipe off

Keyboard Care 29

any surplus oil after spinning the cam. Replace the cams, being careful not to
place them wrong side up.

8. Lock the triggers through the upper holes, using an extra cam wire.
If you cannot push cam and trigger wires with your fingers, there is something
wrong. Be sure to push the wire out to the right as far as it will go without
releasing the lefthand trigger. This will facilitate pulling out the wire after
the cam frame has been replaced.

9. Replace the cam frames. Careful now; simple as this operation is to
the experienced man, it presents many problems to the beginner. Observe the
following:

a. See that all triggers are locked.

b. See that all cams are turned to normal position (turn the rubber rolls)
and that they stay in position.

c. See that no keybars are elevated. Keep your arms and sleeves off the
keyboard keys.

d. Do not tighten the screws in the ends of the brackets. Leave the brackets
as you find them.

e. Be sure the cam frame is all the way on the dowels before tightening
the large cam frame screws. If it feels "springy," do not force the screws in. It
should click into place. If it does not, the following may be out of place:

l; 3, a keybar. Back the screws out. Take off the frame

e o£ the above parts out of place will cause a kink in a

;r wire when the cam frame screws are tightened. (Also see page 251.)

Tighten the cam frame screws. Pull out the trigger locking wire. Test
every key twice, including the spaceband.

Loomis: Mr. Harding has given an outline of cam-cleaning in the tradi-
tional manner, and it belongs in here because most people clean cams that way,
and The Book advises it. However, in the course of several years of maintenance
work on the old Minneapolis Journal, where Bob Ritten (now Intertype repre-
sentative in Minnesota) and I cleaned keyboards for piecework operators as often
as every four weeks, we did some experimenting and came up with some
different conclusions.

In the first place, we determined by taking cams apart that even the very
highest test gasoline could not be removed or dried from the pivots by any
ordinary means of heat or compressed air. We found that even after two or
three hours of varied treatment, we could take a cam apart and still find oily
liquid on the pivot. So I do not wash them in anything. Carbon tetrachloride

30 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

might dry in the pivots, but it has a curious viscous effect on steel. So I use a
small brush and clean out the dirt all the way around, clean out the teeth of
the cam, scrape the gum off the edge. Use an eraser and polish both sides of
both ends of the yoke.

On principle I usually spread the hook at the fixed end just a little unless
they have been spread before. I always use new cam frame wires. On machines
with overmotion springs, I put a drop of oil on the springs.

Take that same thin warding file (by now it's getting worn about right)
and clean out the slots where the free ends of the cam yoke work up and down
in the cam frames. Again, don't file — just clean and take off burrs.

I remove the triggers, and these I do wash in gasoline. Spread them out
and let them dry. These holes are open, and besides, they will not be oiled.

When it comes to oiling the cams, again I am unconventional. I have had
good luck using what is commonly called separator oil; I have even used No. 10
oil with fine success. The only reason I can see for clock oil is for machines
that will have to start up cold. Maybe oil has improved in the last twenty years.
You might try No. 10 on some cams. If it works, it will last a lot longer than
clock oil.

We always bent the end of the trigger-locking wire in a right angle so we
wouldn't make a mistake and pull the wrong one. It has been donel If you get
the hook on the wrong side, never mind. Get hold of it with a pair of pliers
and pull it out in a curve.

If you find you've misplaced the weight with a hole in it for the spaceband
spring, drill a new hole in the one on the end. Next time, remember.

You can tell the cam frames apart by the number of cams they will hold:
the front one 45, the back 46. Most back frames will have a place cut out on
the stop strip for the spaceband cam, also. On frames with gears, the one with
the pulley is the back one. One good way to tell: the large bearing on the front
frame is on the right, on the back frame is on the left. But I have seen some
frames that were a little hard to tell apart even with all this.

With this type of dry cleaning of the cams, ordinarily once in six months
will suffice. It is not necessary to do the job on the triggers more often than
every two or three years.

It is an interesting sidelight to know that I once, many years ago before I
dropped the gasoline wash, washed a set of cams in kerosene by mistake. I had
a heck of a time getting off the surplus, but those cams ran for a year and a half
without additional oil. At that time the machine was moved and I lost track
of it. I have, as an experiment, tried this again — purposely. It had a different
conclusion. The kerosene dried out thoroughly in two weeks; must have been
different stuff. I oiled the cams then with No. 10 and they worked fine and
lasted over a year.

THE MAGAZINE

Cleaning the Magazine

Harding: When you clean the keyboard, naturally you will clean the
magazines and mats. As a matter of fact, these latter will need cleaning every
six months or a year.

First, run out the mats as soon as you get the keyboard in order, and stack
them on galleys. Use the light and see that no mats are sticking in the magazine.
Then remove the magazine and place it on the bench.

Remove the escapement cover.

Remove the short pi-tube in some magazines.

Loosen screws, swing back the clamps, and pry out the matrix stop strip
rod at the top of the magazine.

If it is an Intertype magazine, prop the shutter open with wood furniture.

If Intertype or Model 15 or any magazine that has self-contained verges,
turn it on its back to keep the dirt from running into the verges.

Turn the magazine up and let any remaining mats run out.

Now use a magazine brush in good shape to expel the loose dirt. Push the
brush through, pull it out, and turn it occasionally. Watch the channels next
to partitions. After brushing, fold a sheet of paper to reflect light into the
magazine and look for black spots left in the channels. If spots are found, clean
the brush and sprinkle on some high test gas, alcohol or carbon tetrachloride.
Low test gas is not to be used; it will leave a film of oil in the magazine. Brush
until all spots disappear.

Loomis: Here again I've gone astray from the classical methods. Let me
tell you a story. Less than a year ago I was called to make a Model 5 work.
The owner had moved it and erected it but he could not get mats to drop
properly. I asked him if he had cleaned the magazine. "Yes." "What with?"
"Type Cleaner." "Who recommended it?" "The salesman; he guaranteed it
would not leave anything in the magazine whatever."

We gave her the works for five hours but got nowhere. Finally took off
the escapement cover and played with the mats, and discovered there was
absolutely nothing holding them. They just didn't slide fast enough. I said,
"Go down to the drug store and get a pint of carbon tetrachloride, commercially
pure. Don't take anything else - no cleaner, no solvent, no nothing but carbon
tetrachloride."

32 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

We emptied the magazine, laid it out on a table and stripped it as Harding
tells you to. Then we applied my cleaning formula that has not varied for ten
years; get a big squirt can and fill it with carbon tet. Squirt it liberally into
the magazine. Let it soak a few minutes. Squirt in some more. Use that new
brush now for the first time. Work from the wide part at the top. Take one
section at a time. Keep the brush wet.

When you get through, let the magazine dry for fifteen minutes. Your
brush will dry too. Now go through it with the brush and polish thoroughly.
You will discover that carbon tetrachloride not only is practically the only
solvent available that will not leave anything, but it also will polish brass until
you can hardly bear to look at it in the light. And the polish will stay for a
long time.

In the case above, we put the magazine back on, ran the mats in, and held
our breath while we tried it. The mats almost tumbled over each other to
come down]

WARNING: Do not wash steel or iron parts with this stuff. It does
something to ferrous metals — intensifies their frictional qualities, so they don't
slide well. On Intertype, Model 15, or any magazine with self-contained verges,
turn the magazine upside down before cleaning.

CAUTION: In taking off a Linotype magazine with an automatic lock,
push in the lock, then look at the locking strip studs to see that they are down
level with the surface of the escapement cover. Automatic locks have been
known to release the magazine frame without locking the mats in place.

If there has been trouble with sticky verges, !
graphite over the verges and then wash it into them with high test gasoline, or
squirt the mixture from an oil can. If on a magazine with self-contained verges,
do this before cleaning, and be sure the verges are on top when you clean the
magazine.

Harding: Look down all channels with the light. When all channels are
polished, look for bristles. Look from both ends, for a bristle can hide until
the mats try to go through. The wire hook that is used to pull out flat mats,
is a good device for removing them. You can also use the handle of the maga-
zine brush; some twist a rubber band around it to help. Loomis uses a sharpened
piece of hacksaw blade fastened to the end of a steel rod, and cuts them out.
Those near the end can be reached with tweezers or fingers.

Brush the escapement cover the same way. If your verge rack is easily
removed, take it off, turn it upside down and bump it a few times to shake out
the loose dirt. Graphite and gasoline will provide a quick but not very thorough
cleaning. (See page 7, Replacing Verges, etc., for cleaning ii

Put the magazine back together.

Keyboard Care 00

Graphite in Magazines

In 1900 John S. Thompson advised use of graphite on all new mats and
magazines, but apparently the composition of the metal has changed since then,
for now it is only necessary to clean and polish a new magazine with carbon
tetrachloride (no, I do not own any stock in any chemical companies), and
clean the bottom ears and toes of mats likewise, or, in case of heavy tarnish,
rub the toes and ears with an eraser.

It is not necessary and not desirable to put graphite into a clean magazine,
except occasionally an aluminum magazine. In such a case, brush it in
thoroughly and do not leave any surplus. Use it for its polishing effect only.
If you do use graphite, you will have to clean the magazine more frequently.
Under most circumstances, clean mats will run well in a clean magazine without
lubrication.

While you are at it, wipe off the distributor screws, the elevator jaws and
distributor shifter buffer with gasoline and a rag. Go over the path of the mats
through the machine and see that there is no gum or dirt to foul up the mats
immediately.

Aluminum Magazines

Loomis: Aluminum bottom plates are not all the same. The companies
have used several methods of making them, but all I have seen would not
handle small type without a first brushing of graphite. One thing about an
aluminum bottom plate: once in use, it does not seem to muck up and slow
down the mats as soon as a brass plate. I have run them for two years without
cleaning, and at the end of that time, though there was plenty of dust on the
lands (which hurts nobody), the grooves themselves seemed as clean as they
were at first. I don't guarantee it will be this way on yours. The ones I had
might have been a special batch.

Graphite in Magazine on Models 25 and 26

Loomis: The Models 25 and 26 have a peculiar situation. The two
magazines are hinged at the top, and the bottom lifts up and down to match
the assembler entrance guides or partitions. This means that when the lower
magazine is being used, it has less slant than a normal magazine. This small
difference sometimes makes a lot of trouble in getting mats through, and some-
times graphite is the only thing that helps. It is better to run a large size in
the bottom magazine, but if you must use a small size and have to graphite,
do it this way: clean the magazine thoroughly with tetrachloride, then with a
separate brush polish the magazine with graphite and blow out all loose or
surplus graphite.

34 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

To Put a Linotype Magazine on a Machine

Loomis: In putting a Linotype magazine full of mats on the machine,
follow this unvarying procedure: after the magazine is in place and before you
drop it to the verge rack, run your fingertips along the two open places just
underneath the magazine. Occasionally you will find the toe of the mat sticking
down, especially in the far one. Push it back in. A magazine will lock in place
with a mat out of place, and when you unlock the mats you will get considerably
more than you expect to get. Now for a final check, drop the magazine in place,
take the light — this will take only a few seconds and it is a habit that will save
many pied magazines over a period of years — look at the magazine on each
side and see that the verge rack fits up into the open places. This will get to
be automatic, and is the best insurance there is.

THE MATS
Cleaning Solutions

Question: Will you please give the proper method of cleaning mats?
Would you advise the use of mat-cleaning solutions? — D. A., Lodi, Calif.

Loomis: Cleaning of mats on the sides is seldom necessary unless, from
lack of care in keeping oil away from mats, gum accumulates on the side and
impedes assembly and justification. This will be noticed when mats fail to sit
down properly in the assembling elevator.

When this occurs, cleaning becomes a real question. Cleaning compounds
(usually with a chromic acid base) will remove all dirt, but it is not desirable
to remove all dirt. What is called the sidewall of a mat is very thin; this is the
wall alongside the female die of the letter itself. This sidewall inevitably
becomes pressed in a little in use, but the resulting small depression is filled
with dirt, and you have no hairlines as yet. (I am not speaking of mats used
with spacebands that have noticeable accumulations of metal at the casting-
point; use a font of mats for a few hours with bands like that, and you may
as well accustom yourself to hairlines until you get new mats.)

Now the chromic acid compounds, or any substance strong enough to
remove dirt from the sides, will also remove it from the sidewalls. For the same
reason, a wire brush is questionable. A rubber eraser on toes and ears, front
and back, will take off the dirt that impedes motion through the magazine.

New solutions, methods and equipment are constantly being offered. A
conservative and even reactionary attitude toward them is desirable. Many
fonts of otherwise satisfactory mats have been ruined for practical use by new
and easy methods of cleaning.

I do not advise use of any solution or fancy equipment except elbow grease.
I use an eraser on toes and ears; recently I have had good success with a rag
with carbon tetrachloride with final polishing with an eraser.

Keyboard Care 35

I use nothing on the casting side unless there is an accumulation of metal
(indicating a loose lockup) which must be removed to prevent uneven height
on the press. In that case I line them up in a galley and use the eraser. You
will note, if the eraser is held fiat on one edge, it will not injure the sldewalls.
The index side can be cleaned with an eraser, and this greatly aids visibility.
But solutions I do not like. They roughen the surface of the brass (you
can see this with a magnifying glass), and you will never again get them to
slide as well as they did before.

What Makes Gum Accumulate on Sides of Mats?

Loomis: Some fonts are much worse at this than others. Certain fonts
of mats produced during the war were bad — why, I don't know. I suppose
it comes from graphite on the bands. It can be removed by rubbing on a piece
of strawboard or chipboard on a stone. Use no acids, and perferably no liquid
of any sort, except perhaps, if the stuff sticks hard, you can dampen the card-
board with gasoline or carbon tetrachloride.

Cleaning the Mats

Harding: It is easiest to clean the toes and ears of the mats if you will
push a couple of long six-point slugs under a row of mats in a galley. Bevel
one end of one slug so it will slide under. These slugs will provide a rest for
the main body of the mat, and the toes will not be so uneven.

To remove the dirt, some use an eraser, which is good, but many use a
cloth dampened with tetrachloride. It's easier and perhaps works better. If
you use an eraser, by all means blow the eraser dust from the mats on both
sides; use a fine brush if necessary to get rid of it.

Clean the toes and ears on both sides, and clean the index side. If there is
an accumulation of metal below the casting-point on the casting-side, line the
mats up together and use an eraser, but not directly in the letters or you will
break the sidewalk. If the mats are so dirty on the sides that they must be
cleaned (see page 34) rub them on a piece of strawboard or chipboard on a
stone. Do not wash them, and use no cleaning solution.

As each galleyful is lined up, look for broken or shaved toes, bent ears.

To turn a galleyful of mats over, place a second galley bottom side up
over them, with the open end of the top galley over the closed end of the
bottom galley. Holding the galleys together, turn them over neatly.

Now put your magazine on the machine. You can run the mats in through
the assembling elevator, set at about 21 picas, or on the second elevator. Either
way you will be able to feed them in faster than the machine can handle them.

As for frequency, some m-o's need to clean the mats every three months.
Others get by for sometimes a year. It depends on how much/ dirt gathers, and

36 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

how much time you have. If you 6nd mats dropping erratically, try cleaning
a few channels. If it helps, clean them all. The last three rows need it oftenest.

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: Benzine or low
test gas should not be used, because they leave a residue. Chromic acid should
never be used. A safe solution can be made with oakite, a commercial washing
powder that contains no substance injurious to mats or hands. Boil the solution,
with mats in it, for fifteen minutes. It is easier to make a tray of yi" galvanized
screen, which holds the mats, and which is placed inside the pan. Then the
mats can be rinsed with clean hot water. Very old fonts, of course, may develop
an unsuspected set of hairlines when cleansed this way. Carbon tetrachloride
is a good solution to use in cleaning mats or magazines.

Keep oil and graphite out of the path of the mats, from assembler entrance
partitions to distributor entrance channels. If you polish the mold with oil
and graphite, cast several blank slugs, then wipe off mold and vise jaws.

Carbon tetrachloride is the best agent for cleaning magazines also.

Hairlines on Mats

Question: What causes hairlines on mats? We got a new font of 8-point
i few months ago, and now it is already full of hairlines, as the enclosed

Harding: Hairlines are those annoying fins of metal that appear between
characters on a slug and show in print. The causes of hairlines are: accumula-
tion of metal on spacebands, careless handling of matrices, pump stop mis-
adjusted, loose lines, swollen lower front matrix lug which may bind in the
elevator front jaw, forward thrust of mold disk pushing against the mats on
first justification, face of mold dirty, grooves in mold or elevator head obstructed,
nicks in grooves of mold or elevator jaws, screw protruding from mold or
elevator head interfering with rise of a band, elevator jaws too close together,
back jaw or duplex rail sprung, bent spacebands or mats, a kink in the vise
closing lever link, spots of metal on ends of vise jaws, edges of vise jaws rounded,
lug on pump lever that stands directly above the pump stop lever may be
loose, duplex rail cap loose, wrongly adjusted downstroke of first elevator, so
the mats are not free to spread out. The three screws at the left end of the
vise, that hold the vise closing lever bracket, may come loose. Cases have been
known where the measurement of the spaceband sleeves from the index to the
casting side was greater than that of the matrices, thereby holding the mats
away from the mold.

Hairlines may appear on bold-face slugs but not on roman, even though
the roman is used more than the bold-face. Dirt is transferred from spacebands
to the side-walls of the roman characters, building up false walls that make

the matrices actually thicker at the place where the roman characters press
against one another in justification. This, o£ course, separates the bold-face
characters and allows metal to flow between them when casting bold-face. The
only remedy is to rub the sides of each mat on a tough cloth, spread over a
board, or on a piece of chipboard.

Some operators persist in sending in lines without spacebands, especially
lines of border matrices. If the vise jaws are not set absolutely right or if
matrices are just a little dirty or bent, a line without spacebands cannot justify.
If it is necessary to cast a line without spacebands showing, the vise jaws may
be opened two or three picas and quads and bands put in on the left end. The
jaws may be opened to 30i/ 2 on 30-pica measure to allow for a thin space and
spaceband.

Besides the above, which will break down the walls of the matrices, the
following should be considered: Running the metal too hot over a long period,
stepping on matrices, holding your hand under the mouth of the magazine to
catch mats as you empty a channel. The cause of hairlines may be determined
by the process of elimination, using the above list as a guide.

A false wall is gradually built up on mats. If the matrices are cleaned in
a solution — even in high-test gasoline — this false wall will be destroyed and
hairlines may result.

Lines must be "air-tight" when the cast takes place. To determine if the
justification springs are stiff enough, first see that there is no obstruction to
the free spread of the line in justification. Run down a reasonably loose 30-pica
line having 20 spacebands. Send in the line and stop the cams on second
justification. Slip a button hook through the opening in a band and note how
much it can be pulled up. It should not come up over 1 to U/ 2 picas.

If the side-walls of the matrices are broken down, the font probably is
ruined so far as high class work is concerned, but for the country publisher,
this is pretty hard to take, because mats are expensive.

If the hairlines are there beyond mistake, use a stiff scrubbing brush or a
fine wire brush on the forms after they have been justified, brushing up and
down the length of the column and keeping away from halftones. Some have
tried planing the form with a rubber heel with good results, but this, of course,
will tend to round the serifs on foundry type.

Experiments have been run by rubbing a very slight amount of laundry
soap on the sleeves of the bands at the casting point after graphiting. This
done over a long period tends to build up false walls on the matrices more
rapidly.

We are admonished to clean the spacebands once for each eight-hour shift.
It is assumed that there is a full set of twenty-five or more bands in use. If the

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Loomis: Back in the nineties hairlines were called "burrs" or "whiskers."
In 1900, John S. Thompson in The Inland Printer said "hot metal causes
whiskers." He mentioned that blue ointment was used on hairlines, but said
he had "no faith in soap or other preparations," and in November he went
humorous by saying that "when a set begins to show a few whiskers it is only
a question of a short time when they will develop a full beard."

The problems of hairlines are still with us. Most of them are caused by
one or both of two things: 1, sloppy justification on the part of the operator;
2, improper care of bands.

In the first instance, the operator may have fallen into the habit of sending
in lines on the borderline of justification — i.e., loose lines. He should not fudge
on this. If there is any doubt, drop some thin spaces alongside the bands.
Also, check carefully your pot pump lever stop lever (don't be envious; I'm
sitting here with a parts book at my elbow, looking up the names). This is
covered fully in The Pump Stop, page 117.

On an old font, use of a cleaning solution may have caused hairlines lo

In rare cases, difficulty in vise-closing will assist hairlines. This is covered
in Chapter XII, Justification, page 122. Here too I have seen a dry main cam-
shaft bearing cause the same trouble.

Watch your bands; if they show an actual accumulation of metal at casting-
point (anything more than a dark spot), see Cleaning the Bands, page 95.

Finally: Quit sending in those loose lines.

I note what Harding says about soap — others say it too — but my impression
is that it can be only temporary. You may as well make up your mind eventually
to buying new mats - and this time get a new set of spacebands along with the
mats. It's cheaper. Take care of the bands, check over the pump stop — and
remember, mats today are worth almost a third of a dollar.

Many authorities, however, suggest the use of soap, bees wax, or resin-
containing soap. It creates other complications, but it will partially salvage a
hairlined font.

I have been asked, "What is a hairline?" The answer is not too complicated.
On each side of the female die in each matrix is a sidewall to hold in the
metal. It is made very thin to obviate unsightly space between letters. If at
any time the mats are not locked up tightly, metal will be forced between
letters and will slightly bend in the sidewall. The next time this mat is presented
to the casting mechanism, the metal has a slight opening, which presently is
enlarged. Eventually the metal, casting always against the same point on the

spaceband sleeve, accumulates on the spaceband. This in turn crushes the
sidewall of every mat against which it locks up.

When mats are not too bad, a little careful weeding will clean up a font.
Run out all of one letter. Hold them with the casting side toward you and
riffle them so all the right-hand sides show up, and examine the light-face
positions. An old mat will show discoloration around the casting-point, but a
hairline mat will show a fresher discoloration as a rule — a small quarter-moon
of fresh lead color. If there is only one, you can often see a nick in the sidewall.
If you cannot pick them out, cast them all together several times, then take
them off the bar and keep them in order. Lock up the slugs and take a press
proof on enameled paper; then pick out every pair between which a hairline
shows and examine them. Sometimes you won't catch them even this way, but
if you keep your eyes open, you will catch them sooner or later. When you
get one, twist off the toe, and it will be gone for keeps.

Harding: When bold-face or italic hairlines show up but not roman, it
may be found that oil and graphite have been used too freely around the path

On old fonts, hairlines may appear on bold-face or italic but not on roman,
because the roman is used more and has built up false sidewalls, which project
a little and hold the bold-face letters apart.

H. R. Freund, chief engineer of the Intertype Corporation, in Who's Who
in the Composing Room: Primarily, hairlines are caused by improper justifica-

1. Vise jaws are ground accurately, with a slight opening at the bottom
and back;

2. Spacebands are thicker at the casting edge, and are parallel from top
to bottom;

3. Spacebands and vise jaws are kept free from metal accumulations;

4. Matrices are free from distortions and foreign substances.
s deteriorates and becomes prone to adhere to every

Hairlines Suddenly Appear on an Intertype

Harding: Earlier Intertypes were equipped with a large cotter pin hang-
ing from the vise by a chain. When recasting with a Linotype border block,
this pin was inserted in a hole in the right-hand justification rod. Often it has
been forgotten, and lines that are only a little short will hairline badly because
the spacebands cannot spread the line.

40 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Rebuilding Mats

Question: I have received some advertising from people who say they
can rebuild old mats. Do you think this will be satisfactory? After all, there's
a lot of difference between three cents and thirty-one cents. - H.. B„ Hanska,
Minn.

Loomis: I know how you feel. It wasn't so bad in 1900, when mats were
$40 a "set," but nowadays that three cents a mat is tempting. I'll give you the
same answer I've been giving owners for a good many years: I have not yet
seen a satisfactory job of "rebuilding" mats, but there may be one. Send in
fifty or a hundred and try them out. Include a bunch of lower case o's to check
alignment. As far as I have seen, no rebuilder of mats promises anything for
hairlined mats, though some do say they can rebuild the chewed off toes, etc.
But in all cases that have come under my knowledge, the rebuilders have
returned as unsuitable all mats with toes broken off, combinations chewed up,
etc. They seem to have taken mostly those mats with toes worn short and to
have swaged them out, dressed them off, and sent them back. The toes are a
little thinner, but it wouldn't be so bad if they would restore the original
alignment. So it adds up to the fact that you have to have pretty fair mats to
begin with, and, if you do, they will make them run through the machine - but
don't be fussy about the printing you do from them.

Mats With Worn Toes

A new matrix measures .750" across the toes; when it is worn or damaged
to less than .730", discard it. In distribution the short toe will frequently climb
upon the land between the channels and cause a stop; in the bottom of the
magazine it may do the same thing when it comes up against the escapement

Mats Out of Alignment

A very few mats out of alignment can make an entire font look bad; they
show up more in the bold face or italic than in the roman. But they are easy
to pick out of the font. Those that show high on the line will have the bottom
edge of the toe shaved off on the casting-side; those that show low have the top
edge shaved off of the same toe. The first one is the result of tight lines. The
second one may be from tight lines or from misadjustment of the first elevator's
down stroke. Run in a line of mats without bands; let the first elevator come
to rest on the vise cap; let the mold disk come forward until the toes of the
mats are in the groove on the mold; you should be able to raise the first elevator
now and show a definite play of .005" to .010" between the first elevator banking
screw (next to the jaw) and the vise cap. If this screw is too far down, the mats
will be too high, and the mold may shave the tops of the toes. Then you will
have a lot of mats out of alignment.

THE KEYRODS

ur keyrods are very dirty, and I would like to
; the keyboard. Can you tell me how to go
about it? - W. W., Harrisburg, Tex.

Harding: Usually there is dirt in the keyrod guide at the bottom, and
this can be pretty well flushed out with gasoline if you are careful, but if you
want to do a real job, and especially if the upper ends have accumulated that
peculiar gummy grease that hampers movement, this is the answer.

This operation is very easily done on some machines, while on others it
presents quite a problem. First, compose yourself. Don't be in a hurry. It is a
job that requires care and patience. It is worth the effort, however, in your
personal satisfaction in a job well done, and also in the improved performance
of your keyboard.

To Remove Models 1 and 3 Keyrods

Remove the magazine. Then remove all of the keyrod springs, disconnect
the spaceband keyrod, hold down on the upper guide plate and swing it forward
slightly. Now lift out the keyrods one or two at a time, starting at the right,
and lay them edge-wise on galleys, keeping the spring hooks up and jogging
them a bit to economize space. Notice that the keyrods are numbered. They
are all different lengths, because the keyboard is wider than the magazine. The
lower-case p keyrod, No. 18, is the shortest because it stands perpendicular.
Notice that there are 91 slots in the upper keyrod guide and 91 slots in the
lower, yet the spaceband keyrod does not use the upper guide. The extra
opening in the upper guide is for the extra lower-case e channel. If there is but
one lower-case e keyrod, notice which verge it operates, and return it to its
proper place, which is usually the second slot.

To Remove Model 5 Keyrods

Directions for the removal of Model 5 keyrods are the same as for Model 3,
except some machinists prefer to remove the verge plate and face plate.

To Remove Models 8 and 14 Keyrods

Here too the actual removal of keyrods is easier with the face plate removed,
although the professional generally does it the hard way.

42 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

To Remove Keyrods from Old Style Intertype

Shift the magazines to bring the top magazine into typesetting position,
open the channel entrance, trip the dog under the cradle, and swing back the
magazines. Remove the screw from each end of the bar behind the keyrods at
the top. Lift off the bar and remove any or all keyrods. They are all the same
length, but it will be wise to keep them in order. Do not lose the over-motion
springs.

To Remove Keyrods from New Style Intertype

Mark the position of the keyrod frame, because all the keyrods will be
lifted out in a unit and, when replaced, must be left in the original position
laterally. If shifted a little to one side, some of the keyrods may miss the verges.

Disconnect and remove the spaceband keyrod.

When the screw at either end of the keyrod frame is removed, the whole
set of rods may be lifted out in a unit. The screws are at the left and right of
the upper ends of the lower-case e and the em dash keyrods. If the machine is
equipped with the twin e attachment, that must be watched.

Cleaning the Keyrods

Loomis: Both upper and lower keyrod guide plates should be examined.
If some of the slots are badly worn, make a note to order a new guide plate.

The keyrods may be washed in gasoline, and the parts that rub against
the guide may be graphited, or the keyrods may be buffed with a fine-wire
power brush. On some keyrods, however, this will peel off a thin plating, so
use caution. A third way is to wash them with the same soap that you may
have used on the key-buttons. Use an old boiler or any vessel long enough to
hold the keyrods. It doesn't have to be over three inches deep. Use hot water;
dissolve the soap thoroughly. Drop the keyrods in a few at a time. Better
not dip your hands in. Let the keyrods stay for ten or fifteen minutes. (If you
leave them longer they will start to rust.) Then fish one end of a rod out and
finish the job with a brush that you can use without dipping your hands in
the water. This stuff will do a real job if you have the right soap.

If you do not remove the keyrods, use a squirt can and white gasoline and
thoroughly flush out the guides — lower one especially. The cam frames, of
course, must be off.

Keyboard Care 43

Replacing the Keyrods

Harding: It is always best to start inserting the keyrods at the left.

If a lower slot is missed, it is an easy matter to raise each keyrod and move
it over one slot, but if an upper slot is missed, all keyrods must be removed
again.

After the keyrods have been connected to the verges, check to see that the
keyrods at the left are engaged with the verges, as well as those on the right.
Now pull out the verge and keyboard locks. If some of the keyrods remain
elevated a little, bring all keyboard cams to place by hand. Push up on the
mats in the magazine. Some of them may be part-way over the verges. Raise
the offending keyrods by hand, and let the mats drop. If these measures fail,
the keyrod spring is weak or the verge spring is too strong.

Loomis: Many persons do not remove the face plate from Models 5, 8, or
14. In this case it requires a little extra patience, ability to twist the hands
and arms and neck in coordination, and a touch that allows you to bend the
keyrods for insertion without putting a permanent wave in them. Some work
from the front, some from the back. Cut a 1" square stick 1514" long. Drill a
hole through each end and wire it to the keyboard posts. (The keyboard is on,
of course, but the cam frames are not.) Loosen the keyrod lower guide plate
just enough to allow you to work the keyrods in past the keyrod lifting bar by
a very little bending and twisting. Do not bend or twist enough to put a
permanent set in the keyrod. Most persons find it works best to come up from
below, get the top end of the keyrod in the upper guide, and then (with the
magazine out of the way) raise the keyrod still farther until they can get the
bottom end in the guide. The bottom end comes to rest on the wood. When
all are in place — the last few are the hardest — see that all are supported by
the keyrod lifting bar or its equivalent; tighten the lower guide. If all keyrods
are in place and move freely, you can remove the wooden block.

The Goosenecks

Loomis: Try as we may, we can no longer avoid the escapement levers,
or goosenecks. Some prefer to take out the four screws and remove the entire
assembly; if you do, be sure to mark the first slot in the guide if it is empty,
and in returning the goosenecks, start the lower case e in first; put a screw in
the bracket loosely on that side, and, using that screw as a fulcrum, insert the
gooseneck tips one at a time in the guide, and keep swinging the assembly in
closer to its proper position.

For my part, I have decided it is easier to take out the goosenecks one at a
time by removing the hinge rod. This is particularly true if you have reversible
joints in your wrists and elbows — which I have not.

Many words can be given on replacing the goosenecks. Many words have
been given — some profane. First, by all means keep them in order. Second.

44 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

polish the hinge rod. Third, polish the lower and upper ends of the gooseneck.
Fourth, it won't hurt to give the channels at the bottom end a touch of a thin
warding file (an old one that doesn't cut much) to remove burrs. Fifth, you
may have to bend the teeth of the escapement lever guide slightly to make them
clear. Sixth, the goosenecks themselves mysteriously or otherwise turn up bent
to one side; observe if the tip rubs against one tooth or the other of the guide;
if it's clear on one side but rubs on the opposite side, remove the lever and
bend it slightly to center it in the guide. Replacing goosenecks can be tedious,
and requires patience and fortitude. See that every one falls back into place
by its own weight. Also see that each gooseneck tip lines up pretty well with
its neighbors; then turn the cam rolls by hand and see that they rise to the
same height — half a dozen at a time.

This sort of job need not be done too often — perhaps five to ten years.
In the meantime, I have had good luck by squirting gasoline and graphite along
the pivot rod. Be sure the gasoline is white and high-test — no benzene or
alcohol or other solvent.

Removing and Cleaning the Verge Rack

See To Remove Verge Rack from Model 5. page 8. See Replacing Verges,
etc., page 7, for cleaning directions. It is highly; important, if you clean the
entire rack, to keep the verges in order. I usually lay them out by sections (18
in a row) to provide a check. On a Model 5 it is easy to turn all the verges
backward in replacing, and not discover it until you try to put on the springs.

Why so Much Trouble After Cleaning the Keyboard?

Loomis: It is a universal experience to have all kinds of little troubles
after thoroughly cleaning a keyboard and putting it back together. In many
cases this is due to lack of experience, but there is a large class of trouble that
is not covered by this reason.

Here, I think, is the answer: A certain part wears or gets dirty, and other
parts compensate, or the operator himself, over the years, does things to com-
pensate. Then when that dirt is removed or those worn parts replaced, a new
factor has been introduced. It takes a little patience and a little care to iron
these out; don't be in a hurry. Allow a half hour or an hour for this final
"unbugging."

Naturally it will help to keep everything in order, including keyboard
cams, but even then trouble will develop. My usual trouble is that cams fail to
turn over; my favorite remedy is to switch cams a few times; this generally
clears it up. But on old machines, you may have to check through the list of
keyboard troubles. This itself is not very involved, for you have one big
advantage on your side: you know the thing is clean.

CHAPTER III

REBUILDING THE KEYBOARD
ADJUSTING TOUCH OF THE KEYBOARD
MISCELLANEOUS KEYBOARD QUESTIONS

Rebuilding the Keyboard

Question: Can you tell me how to go about rebuilding a keyboard? The
boss is talking o£ buying a new machine, but the old one is adequate for us.
The only difficulty is that we have lots of trouble on the keyboard. I maintain
that even if it costs several hundred dollars for parts, it is far cheaper to rebuild
the keyboard than to buy a new machine. — P. C, Crowley, La.

Loomis: How right you are. If it does take considerable money, it will be
money well invested. Linecasting machines don't wear out, and if by a judicious
selection of new parts and some careful work you can rebuild the keyboard in
good shape, you can stave off buying another machine that much longer.

In rebuilding linecasting machines for Minneapolis' biggest used printing-
machinery dealers for many years, I learned something about keyboard parts.

In the first place, of course in a small shop you cannot tear a keyboard
down, order the parts, and sit around sorting mats until the parts come in. It
may be months. So while you are thoroughly cleaning the keyboard, make
careful note of all parts needed. As soon as the keyboard is back together,
order the parts. When they come, put them away carefully. Six months or a
year later you will get a chance to clean the keyboard again. Then you can do
the actual job of rebuilding.

Examine the key levers. On the inner tip, on the end opposite the key-
button, you will often find notches worn up to 1/16" square or more. I make
careful note of these key levers. (The shortest ones are called the first bank,
and so on, but I always note them by the letters they control.) In reassembling
I put the worn levers on the far right, and try to keep all good levers in the
first three rows and in any spots of constant use. You will then need to switch
the keybuttons. You can remove them with a pair of keybutton pliers, or an
ordinary pair of pliers if you need to. In using ordinary pliers, pad the key-
button on top with a piece of chipboard, grasp the button firmly at one side,
and rock it front to back. When you put it on the other key lever, use the
pliers again, and also pad it again. This time you will have the bottom jaw of

45

46 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

the pliers under the key lever, and squeeze it on. Then see that the edge of
the key lever is not burred. (You can push the buttons onto the key levers when
they are in place in the keyboard without the pliers -just your ringers — but
you'll be sorry. The key levers will bend and cause doubles later on.) If any
keybuttons split, make a note of them also.

If the fulcrum rods are well grooved, you can shift them around to present
new surfaces to the key levers. If they have been moved too many times already,
make a note to order new ones.

Now examine the keybars or weights. Sometimes you will find them badly
worn in the notches where the key levers fit. You can switch these around too,
to present new surfaces to the key levers, unless they are the old style with
only one notch in each. But note how you come out. If you have to use some
in the worn notches, make a note of the letters affected.

Note if you need new guides for the weights.

If the banking bar is badly beaten up, a new one doesn't cost too much.

Now let's look at the cams and cam frames.

If the tips of the stop strips look worn, I would get new ones, especially if
the old one are the thin kind (in that case, they've earned their cost already).

Always get new trigger wires and cam yoke wires. At two for a quarter
(pre-inflation price) it's the cheapest keyboard insurance there is.

one end or the other. Put it

If you want to do a good job, examine the cams. Where the teeth are worn
down pretty smooth, order new cams and yokes, assembled. Where only the
stop pins are worn, order those. (See page 17 for suggestions on repairing
these.) Where the pivot hole in the cam is worn so there is excessive movement,
order cam and yoke assembled. Be especially critical of the spaceband cam.
On machines that have the spaceband cam a little larger, it is well to have an
extra new one always. Also examine the stop strip at this point.

Examine the spaceband keyrod. If it is beaten down at the point where it
comes to rest, order a new one. If the upper hole is worn out of shape, it is a
good idea to replace it.

Examine the keyrod lower guide. If some of the slots are badly worn, I'd
replace the guide.

On machines of the Model 5 type, you will often find the keyrods chewed
up where they come down on the verges. These need replacing. See page 41
and 48.

On Models 8 and 14 it is seldom the keyrods but more often the goosenecks.
Test them as advised on page 43, and in addition note replacements for any
that are bent or twisted. It is good to have half a dozen on hand, for once in a
while a gooseneck gets caught when you are changing magazines.

Keyboard Adjustments 47

The verge rack, if very old, may have to be rebuilt also to bring the machine
up to first-class assembly condition. Proceed as suggested on pages 7-8. Replace
verges that have worn holes or gouges made by keyrod or plunger. Replace
gouged pawls made by mats' striking them. This is not usually too expensive;
it is work — tedious, painstaking work — that is required here.

Now send in your order for the parts you will need. Ordinarily it won't
require much of anything but key levers and keyrods. Some old keyboards have
a very bad set of cams, but it will run into money to replace them all. If the
shop won't stand it, do your best for the first three rows, and the quads, comma,
period, figures, first two rows of caps, and the dash.

Adjusting the Touch on a Keyboard

Question: I have heard there are ways to make the touch lighter on a
keyboard. Can you tell me how to do this? — A. G., Mason City, la.

Loomis: Yes, the old-time piece operators can tell you how — and I will.
On most machines there used to be a thin and narrow strip of metal below the
keybars or weights; this was about the size of a keyrod and was dropped into
the brackets before the weights were put in. I am not sure what its purpose
was, but the first catalog I find it in, is for Models 16 and 17, and there it is
called a keybar guard. The old-timers would get 18 or 24-point thin spaces
(somewhere from two to six points thick) and put one under the guard at each
bracket. This would have the effect of raising the weights a little, thus requiring
less movement of the keybutton.

On a machine with the parts in good shape, this would help, but on a
machine that's maybe forty years old, I doubt it. However, it's easy to try, and
nothing will be hurt whether it works or not. You may get a lot of doubles.

I have come to the conclusion that a heavy touch is to quite an extent
due to worn parts working against each other, as at the end of the key lever
where it fits into the keybar. The loss of metal at these points requires a longer
and often a harder stroke because you have actually to jar the cam yoke into
action. Also, the rust that usually is present at these points makes the parts
work harder against each other.

Therefore a lightening of the "touch" of the keyboard is most effective
after you have rebuilt the keyboard as outlined in Chapter II. Let us suppose
you have done that. Now I can tell you how to achieve a perfect touch. For
this knowledge I am indebted to Frank Phillips of the Teletypesetter Corpora-
tion. (At the time he showed me this, he was installing two teletypesetters in a
shop where I worked, but he is now manager of the Chicago branch.)

It is easier to do this with the keyboard off the machine, but not essential.

Take off the back cam frame; have the front cam frame in place. Prop up
the keyboard and take off the banking bar. Knock the dowel pins all the way

48

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

out o£ the banking bar. Put the bar back in place and see that the keyboard is
fairly level.

Get six 2-point leads twenty-five or thirty picas long. Face the keyboard
from the back. Now lift the weights at the left end and put one lead on top
of the banking bar and up against the weights in their notches. Let the weights
down on the lead. Do the same at the right end. You have now raised the
weights two points at each end.

Turn the front rubber roll shaft away from you (anti-clockwise). None of
the cam yokes should drop. Increase the two points to four. Try the roll.
Approximately half the yokes should turn over (counting only those supported
by the leads, of course). Increase the four points to six. Try the roll. Now all
of the yokes should drop and all cams turn over.

But let's say, with two points under, that some of the cams turn. Then the
banking bar is too high. Tap it down a little and try again. Sometimes you
have to file out the screw-holes in the ends to get a full adjustment.

If, with six points, not all cams turn, then, if it is not the fault of the
individual cams, the banking bar is too low. Tap it up.

Note that you do not touch the keybuttons. You merely turn the rubber
roll. The crucial stage is the 4-point lift. Count the raised weights and count
the cams that are tripped. The cams should be very near half the weights - on
each end.

When you get it exactly right, be sure the banking bar is tight. Then drill
new holes for the pins and dowel it back in place (this is where you need to
have the keyboard off of the machine).

For a double check, try the leads again. You will find this can be a very
touchy setting, but, once set, it will stay. Be sure both ends are alike. Try the
cams a number of times. When you are satisfied, put on the back cam frame
and see if you get the same result. I have not encountered one where the cam
frames differed substantially, but I suppose if one should, he would have to
move the cam frame up or down a little in the same manner.

To Replace a Single Keyrod

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: Will you be kind enough to
detail operations necessary to remove a keyrod on a Model 5 and put in a new
one without taking all the keyrods off? - L. E., Kalispell, Mont.

This situation does not occur too often, but it causes worry when it does
happen. Therefore it is worth putting down here:

1. Lock and remove the magazine.

2. Elevate the keyrods to clear the verges with lever at the right above the
keyboard.

Keyboard Adjustments 49

3. Release and push back the verge rack to separate completely the rods
and the verges.

4. Remove verge rack (one screw in each end).

5. Remove the detaining bar that keeps the keyrods in their upper guide-

6. Remove the spring at lower end of the keyrod.

7. By slightly warping and manipulating, plus a slight loosening of the
two screws that hold the lower keyrod guide-plate (but be careful — this is
touchyl) you will be able to raise the keyrod out of the lower plate. It can be
twisted a little to clear the keyrod elevator bar.

8. Be sure the new keyrod is the correct length. You may have a Model 1
keyrod.

9. Remove the spring hook and attach it in the same position on the new
keyrod. Reverse your warping and manipulation and insert the keyrod first
above, then below. Replace the spring. Tighten the screws. Replace the upper
detaining bar. Replace verge rack. Move keyrod assembly back over the verges.
Lower the keyrods. Replace and unlock magazine.

o all machines without the keyrods

Thin Mats in Split Magazines

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: What causes thin mats to hang
up in the i/ 2 -split channel? They seem to hang and overlap, but I have not yet
worked out the remedy. I will appreciate your suggestions.

Harding: The split magazine was made for display mats and will give
trouble when thin mats are used without alteration of the magazine channels
at the top of the lower magazine. This must be done by a repair house. You
may have to trade your split magazine for a standard magazine.

Auxiliary Magazines

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: We have trouble with the dis-
tributor and escapement when using the auxiliary magazine on our Model 14
Linotype. Do you have any suggestions that will help? - F. H., Madison, Minn.

Harding: Your letter presents a common problem. Some mechanical
devices give trouble because of continued use without proper care while others
develop trouble because they are not used enough to keep them in working
condition. Your auxiliary falls in the latter category.

50 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Because auxiliary equipment generally handles large and heavy mats, and
because it is not used much, comparatively speaking, and so does not suffer
from wear as does the main keyboard, it will operate for a long time rather
dependably, even though the magazines seem to gather more dirt, and the
entire mechanism gets much less care. But trouble shows up when a font of
ordinary sized mats is run into it, for the smaller mats do not have enough
e offered by dirt.

Certain routine care is advisable. Get a channel entrance cleaning brush
and use carbon tetrachloride to polish the channel entrances. The manufacturers
have such a brush, or you can get a small round brush from a creamery.

Brush out both top and bottom magazines as advised in Cleaning the
Magazine, page 31.

Here you can squirt a little high-test gasoline and graphite into the verge
rack also. On the old style "punchboards," you will note many of the keyrods
have double springs. Be sure they pull the keyrods back down. Check verge
springs. Try the keyrods with pliers. From the plungers on up, all the sugges-
tions under Keyboard Troubles in Chapter I apply.

If a single-keyboard machine, all suggestions applying to the keyboard
proper are applicable.

Note the lugs on the backs of the auxiliary keyrods under which the bail
box levers rest. See that the bail box levers are not slipping from beneath these
lugs. Check also the lugs on the main keyrods that operate the bail box levers.

Examine matrices for damage.

Loomis: I have had some interesting experiences with these auxiliaries.
In the course of maintenance and later in rebuilding, I tried many things to
improve assembly from them. I took one apart and emeried the parts and
graphited them, and saw that every part worked perfectly, but the result was
no improvement. I took this same one apart a number of times without any
better o

My final experiment was to remove the box containing the auxiliary levers
(a small box, on the punchboards — a long box called the coffin or bail box, on
single-keyboard machines) and dunk it thoroughly in kerosene. Let it drain
for a day or two, wipe off the surplus with care, so it won't be dripping on your
clothes and your copy, and put it back. This worked better than anything else.
But on the punchboards I have improved things by squirting the keyboard
mechanism liberally with gasoline and graphite (always high-test white gaso-
line) and wipe off the surplus. Even though this is essentially messy, you don't
have to do it messily.

Keyboard Adjustments 51

To Remove the Bail Box

There are two rounded-head bolts and a dowel pin at each end. Also at
the right end are six semicircular holes through which you can thrust cam
frame wires to lock the levers. Take off the distributor driving belt and the
grease cup. Then loosen the screws, pull the box from the pins, and slide it out.
That wasn't hard, was it?

Much Trouble May Come from Lack of Alignment

The day before I wrote this, it was called to my attention in the shop
where I care for the machines, that a certain letter in an old style auxiliary
never had dropped dependably, and was that day worse than usual. The mat
just stopped. The operator could pull it down with a touch of the hook, but it
wouldn't come down alone.

I took a couple of hours, got a light, and went into it. Wound up with the
escapement cover off. The mat acted as if the magazine had been cleaned with
something that had left a residue. But I had just polished it with carbon tet.
Got a pair of tweezers and pushed the mat slowly up and down at the exact
spot where it stopped.

Finally discovered the channel in the verge rack was not exactly parallel
with the channel in the magazine. When the mat made the slight turn, the
ears would bind. We thinned down the toes of a mat, and it went through fine.
We filed them all down rather than butcher the verge block. Since then I
have recalled others that have acted that way, over the years, and I wonder if a
lack of perfect alignment may be the answer to a lot of them.

Warped or Sprung Magazines; Taking a Magazine Apart

Question: One of the magazines for our Model 5 fell off the wall during
the night, and now we are having trouble with it. Mats in the figure section
don't seem to drop - and we have tried everything. - C. B., Gettysburg, S. D.

Loomis: If this trouble originated abruptly after the fall, and if you have
checked everything else, it is entirely possible your magazine is sprung or warped.
A magazine falling on a corner will take a permanent wave that interferes
with assembly.

First, take two long pieces of strip material; lay them flat on a stone and
push their bottoms together. If they are straight, there won't be any crack
between them. Turn one over, end for end, and try them again. If there is
still no crack, you probably have a couple of straight pieces.

Use one of them to try the magazine. If a magazine is really sprung, it is
generally quite obvious when you put a straight-edge on it. If it is noticeably
bowed, there's not much you can do. You may try loosening the magazine
screws a little, but if this doesn't work, you're probably stuck for a new magazine.
As far as I know, they cannot be repaired. I have had them apart and tried to

52 LlNECASTTNG OPERATOR-MACHINIST

take out the kink in the top or bottom plate, but without success. When you
get it out one place, it appears in another.

This also can happen in a fire, when a magazine gets hot and water is
thrown on it. And sometimes a magazine that goes through a fire will look all
right but will have "lost its temper" — will be soft.

Minor bends in a magazine plate can be remedied. Let's say you are
hanging up a magazine and you bounce it against a nail and bend in the first
section at the top of the magazine. Get a Hempel quoin and file the sides
smooth. It will just fit in a magazine. Now get a long piece of l/i" rod and
square one end to fit the quoin. You can maneuver the quoin and expand it
and do a pretty good job of minor straightening. You will have to expand
almost to the limit of the quoin to do any good, and you may pop off a few
screw-heads, but there are times when this is a life-saver.

If somebody else takes a magazine apart, you may want to know how to
put it back together. Start at the bottom. Put in the screws in the bottom row.
Now, at the top, spread the plates far enough to slide the short dividers into
the grooves. Push them down with the handle of the magazine brush. More
screws. More dividers. The dividers with the holes should have the holes lined
up with the holes in the magazine. When you get all through, tighten all
around two or three times -but be careful with the screws in the middle;
they're fragile.

To Take a Burr From a Magazine Channel

Harding: If somebody gets this careless, first sentence him to three days'
sorting leads and slugs, then get a thin warding file that will go into the channel,
grind it .762" wide to fit the channel from top to bottom, have a 14" rod welded
to one end, and proceed cautiously to smooth out the burr. William Reid & Co.
has a set of broaches (three sizes) for this job, but Chicago may be a long way
from you, while press-day is just around the corner.

Taking All Magazines Off of an Old Style 8

Question: Is it possible to take all the magazines off our Model 8? The
bottom magazine has not been cleaned since the machine was installed — M. S. T.,
Wheatland, Wyo.

Loomis: In tests from coast to coast, this question ranked No. 1 among
those who know their back squirts best! It is indeed asked more than any other.
Most m-o's have discovered it is wise to run the 14-point in the bottom magazine,
because it is not affected so much by dirt. But the answer to cleaning is: yes -
and it isn't too hard when you know what to do.

On the old style 8's - those with fixed side-pieces to hold the verge rack -
you must take off all magazines to get the bottom one off. It has been done
otherwise by experienced and dextrous machinists, but that is nothing for an
m-o to try. He hasn't enough arms.

Keyboard Adjustments 53

e openings in the right-hand side-piece

Next, go around to the back, up on the step. Pull the channel entrance
down. At right and at left of the magazines you will see two gibs. They are
flat pieces of metal about 14" wide and about 4" long, and each has four screws
holding it down. The left one has a shallow notch in one edge. With somebody
to maneuver the magazines up and down so you can reach these eight screws,
take off the gibs.

Now run the top magazine into position. Take off the flat bar across the
top, if there is one, then pull the arms down and lift off the magazine.

Move the arms to the second frame. Take off the top frame — it lifts out.
Take off the top verge rack. Mark both of these with a "T", and also the
magazine.

Run the middle magazine into position. Pull down the arms. Take it off.
Mark it "M". Lift off the frame. Take out the verge rack. Mark them all with
"M".

Now you can lift out the bottom magazine — it's easier with help — and
then you can hold the verge rack while somebody loosens the two big slotted-
head bolts that hold the right-hand side-piece, enough so you can lift out the
verge rack.

When everything is clean, reverse operations. Get the bottom verge rack
in first and tighten the side-piece. Then the bottom magazine, and be sure the
copper magazine clamps at the top go into their proper places under the
magazine.

The top frame, if you get them mixed up, is the one with the most knobs
along the sides. The gibs go on last, and there is a right and wrong to them.
If you don't make sure the holes are lined up first, you may get three screws in
and have quite a tussle with the last — and lose. Watch the notch in the left
one; it coincides with a notch in the guide to which it is screwed.

NOTE: It is possible to take out the middle verge rack without removing
the top frame or even i iop m ;azine. Lock the top magazine and raise it
with the arms. Take out the top verge rack. Lower the magazine. Lock the
middle magazine and run it into position. There are a couple of long fingers
that stick up from the frame of the machine, one on each side about two thirds
of the way to the top of the magazine. Pull these forward under the appropriate
knobs on the middle frame. Lower the magazine slowly, allowing the fingers
to push up the magazine frame. Presently you can reach in and take out the
middle verge rack.

You need to be careful with this, but you'll find it sometimes saves a lot of
time when a verge spring breaks on the middle rack.

54 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

DAMAGED MATS

Loomis: There are many questions asked about damage to mats. Let us
give here a concensus:

Lower front toe has burr on left side: This is caused by the toe's hitting
the glass as it comes out of the magazine. Install a pressboard or tin buffer.
This may also be caused by hitting on the small assembler entrance cover.

A mark just above the lower front toe, on the left corner only: This is a
frequent occurrence. Obviously happens in line delivery, either from the delivery
channel aligning piece, a sharp corner or burr on the delivery channel (if solid,
as on Intertype), or a first elevator duplex rail that projects out too far.

Toes damaged when casting short measure: This is caused by the last mat
creeping up, because on short measure the line is often snug; it indicates a worn
back jaw.

Upper side of lower front toe is sheared: This suggests a bent duplex rail
and perhaps a sluggish vise automatic.

A deep dent on the casting side, just obovt and hclnw ht light fat du
This indicates a squabbled line. The mat was locked up out of square, and
you're lucky you didn't have a squirt; it must have straightened out before the
cast. This might be caused by damaged or improperly set elevator jaws, burrs
in the jaws, interference from the duplex rail. Recurring squabbled lines call
for careful examination.

Back toe (casting side) clipped off on top: The first elevator does not drop
far enough in seating. End mat on a tight line was forced up.

The top of the lower back toe shaved off minutely: Probably indicates a
sloppy back jaw, providing all the mats are not that way. If all are, the first
elevator is seating a tiny bit too high.

Bottom corner of a back toe sheared: The first elevator seats too low.
A dent across the middle of the back toe: A double-black lockup.
This may also be caused by hitting on the small assembler entrance cover.
Tops of ears bent forward or scraped: Usually indicates faulty lifting of
the mat onto the distributor bar. The mat lift may be set too low or may not
be working right.

Burrs on the left-hand side of the teeth: These should be removed with

care. A mat drops from its topmost tooth, so this one should be in good shape.

On Models G and H Intertypes, however, the mat falls from all teeth at once.

A bright mark on the index side above the letter, all the way across:

Probably the mat guard, between the two front screws, is set in too far.

Brass dust around the mat lift: This generally means the distributor box
is set too high, so the top of the back ear of each mat is forced against the brass
strip in the distributor bar while the mat is still riding the level space at the
end of the distributor box rails.

Keyboard Adjustments 55

A rather deep and sharp dent in the right side wall: Generally does not
happen often; another mat hit it in the assembling elevator.

The back lower toe gets the most wear: The mat measures .750" across
the toes in the beginning. Any mat that wears down to .730" should be dis-
carded. Otherwise it will jump up on the lands between partitions of the
magazine, or ride the magazine lands on its body and therefore fail to respond
promptly to the escapement.

Do not use a mat file promiscuously: It is only for removal of actual burrs.
Thinned toes cause trouble in the escapement.

Thin mats especially, or small sizes, may double up in the channels if their
toes are thinned.

Remember: A sloppy back jaw or sloppy fit can produce a lot of different
marks, for it allows mats to jump up out of their proper position.

Installing a New Font of Mats

From a leaflet by the Mergenthaler Linotype Company: A full font of
mats now is worth around $500, so you can afford to use great care in installing

Magazine should be thoroughly cleaned.

Spacebands which are rounded, damaged, kinked, or have metal adhesion,
should be discarded. (Loomis: I recommend a new set of bands for most
country shops.)

The forward thrust of the mold disk must be properly set.

The pot lockup must be correct.

The elevator seating adjustment must be held within .010".

See that the mold disk retracts between justifications, the first elevator
rises, and the pot itself recedes.

Line delivery channels should be checked for smoothness and correct setting.

First elevator jaws and duplex rails must be in good shape, square, and snug.

Have the vise jaws reground.

Set the pump stop lever.

Replace first elevator link eyebolts and pins if worn.

Oil in any form on front and back mold wipers will cause metal to collect
on the side of the matrix and result in hairlines. (Loomis: This is where I
disagree. It will do this if it reaches the mats, but I have found to my own
satisfaction that it can be so used that it will not reach the mats, at least on
the back wiper and perhaps on the front wiper, with resultant good to the
molds - which also are expensive.)

Do not use oil on plungers or in remelting. (Loomis: I agree.)

CHAPTER IV

ASSEMBLER ENTRANCE GUIDES

MATRIX DELIVERY BELT AND CHANNEL

ASSEMBLER, ASSEMBLER SLIDE

MODEL 15 ASSEMBLY

Lining Up Assembler Entrance Partitions

Question: Two of the fastening lugs have broken from our assembler
partitions. How do you take proper care of this plate? — C. L., Garden City, Kan.

Harding: It is important to keep the partitions clean, to keep them from
standing in the path of matrices, as the mats leave the magazine, and to keep
them curved at the bottom so that they will permit a free, smooth "flow" of the
matrices to the assembler chute. The partitions must not retard any matrices.
They must be curved at their lower ends to prevent the matrices from striking
the matrix belt and rebounding. Interference by the top or bottom of the
partition will cause transpositions of matrices. Dirt on the guides, the back
plate or the assembler cover will be transferred to the matrices, and finally to
the magazine. Avoid excess oiling throughout the machine.

The Flexible Font

The Models 1 and 3 Linotypes are constructed in a way that allows the
upper part of the front to swing forward for the purpose of changing magazines.
In these instances, the partitions are in two parts.

The flexible front is adjustable with relation to the magazine by a headless
screw at the right lower end of the magazine. When making the adjustment,
set the second partition at the left so that it will rest between the lower-case
i and n. Then try all other characters that are adjacent to partitions, especially
the first parenthesis. But if the top of only one partition stands in the way
of a matrix, use long-nosed pliers to bend it slightly to one side. Be careful,
because there is a small lug to hold the partition in place. Careless handling
will break the lug.

56

The Linotype Stationary Front

All assembler fronts are now in a fixed position, except some of the mixer
models. Those for the Linotype are still in two pieces, but the partitions are in
one piece. If necessary, the top part of the entrance plate can be shifted slightly
by removing the four holding screws and the dowel pins, but adjustment is
very seldom necessary.

When typewriter or display mats are run in the old Intertypes, the mats
will strike the tops of several partitions. To overcome the trouble, cut 5/16" off
the tops of the partitions. However, don't cut all the way back; leave 3/32" at
the back (it will be in the form of a vertical strip) to guide the milled matrix
ears. Actually your 5/16" removal will be in the form of a notch.

To Remove an Assembler Entrance Guide

These guides are held in several ways on different machines. Some of the
partitions have eyed lugs that pass through the plate; these are held from behind
by wire rods that pass through the eyes. Other partitions have split lugs which
are held by a split nut. Still other partitions are held by screws.

It is awkward to reach some of them, but usually it can be managed, with
patience and dexterity.

The older style assembler entrance guide (or partition) plates, both Linotype
and Intertype, are in two parts. The flexible front for the Models 1 and 3
Linotypes is hinged and may be removed by loosening either hinge. Be careful
not to bend the "feathers" at the lower ends of the upper guides.

The upper plate on other Linotypes and older Intertypes is held by two
screws on each end. The guides are in one piece. Before starting to remove the
screws, move the magazine out of the way and remove the chute spring. Now
remove the four screws already mentioned. Look closely and you will discover,
almost directly under the pivot for the horizontal spaceband lever, one of the
screws that holds the entrance plate to the faceplate. If this is a blind screw, it
may not be easily detected. I£ the spaceband horizontal lever bracket stands in
the way, disconnect the spaceband keyrod, remove the two screws that hold the
bracket and lift off the bracket. Now look from the rear for a split nut that
holds the blind screw. Remove the matrix belt idle pulley.

Remove the other two screws that hold the plate. One is near the bottom
of the spaceband box, the other is under the matrix belt support, near the
lower end or up near the idle pulley. After the three screws have been removed
from the new style Intertype, or the seven screws from the Linotype, the plate
is free and may be removed.

58 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Intertype Front Guides

The old style Intertype front guides may be adjusted according to directions
for the Linotype stationary front.

The new style Intertype assembler entrance plate is adjusted forward or
back, by loosening the three holding screws and turning the adjusting screws,
one of which is at the right of the upper end of the chute spring plate and the
other behind the mat belt idle pulley.

Matrix Buffer at Top of Assembler Entrance Cover

Wear on the lower front lugs of matrices has been greatly reduced by the
application of a pressboard buffer plate (or celluloid or tin) at the top of the
upper assembler entrance cover. Do not allow this to become too badly worn
before replacing. It is a real saving for matrices.

To Adjust the Assembler Entrance Plate

Loomis: There are occasions when it is good to know how the assembler
entrance plate should be adjusted in relation to the magazine.

1. There should be from 1/32" to 1/16" (not more) clearance between the
plate and the magazine. On many older machines this is adjusted by screws
that move the magazine frame forward or back. On others there are adjusting
screws on the front plate itself. On others, you will have to shim. Watch both

2. The floor of the plate should be about 1/32" below the floor of the
channels in the magazine. Some magazine frames can be adjusted to provide
this, but on many machines it is necessary to move the plate. Loosen the screws
and pry very gently up or down, then tighten while holding. Sometimes — but
not often - you will have to take out the dowel pins. Watch both ends. On old
Model 8's, if they have been treated roughly in changing of magazines, you will
find the various segments at the upper edge of the thick plate out of alignment.
Make them all the same with a large pin punch and a small hammer.

Obviously, if the plate is too high, mats will hit it. Not so obviously, if
the plate is too low, the mats will have to drop their bottom ends so far as they
leave the magazine that the mat will stop about half-way out and hang there.

3. The sidewise adjustment is best made, as Harding says, primarily on
the partition between i and n. Use your biggest mats. Note that on big mats
the partition will have to go as close as possible to the i to allow the big over-
hang on the n to clear.

4. On big mats, careful bending with a pair of long-nose pliers may be
necessary after the plate is set. Also, Harding points out that on many machines,

Assembler 59

with a wide 14-point or with typewriter mats or with aligning gothic, it may
be necessary to clip the tops off of some of the partitions to the depth o£ 5/16".
But he adds, be sure to leave at least 3/16" support of the lug. Sometimes it
helps to file the partitions on the sides; it doesn't take much thinning to do
the trick, as a rule. In testing, try the biggest mats that will be used.

I may add that I personally do not like long partitions that vibrate back
and forth like a cavalry pennant when the troop is at the gallop. These parti-
tions should remain steady; otherwise they are not going to be in the right place
at the right time, and sometimes they will throw a mat clear out to centerfield.
So I take them out and peen a bump on them near the lower end, where it will
be bound a little by the upper or large assembler entrance cover (not the small
one). With a little patience you can make these pretty solid, and your machine
will assemble much better.

Should the First Assembler Guide Partition Be Loose?

Loomis: I have already said I do not like loose guides. It seems elemental
to me that they should be fixed. When a guide is loose, a mat hits it and it
flops. It may hit the next mat and knock it for a loop, and you have a trans-
position or a jam-up. It is fairly easy to fix this guide if it is loose. Make a tiny
right-angle bracket from an old key rod, with the ends about 14" long. Take
out the guide and fasten the bracket to it, by a screw which will be filed off
smooth on the inside, or a couple of brass nails which will be riveted down, or
a good job of soldering. This should be done so the other leg of the bracket
will lie flat against the assembler entrance plate, and about 2" to 3" from the
bottom end of the guide.

Replace the guide. Spot the bottom end about two picas from the chute
rail springs, drill a 5/32" or No. 28 hole, thread it for 8x32 screw, and fasten it
down. You can bend the bottom end plenty to secure adjustment.

You can buy D-2738, Assembler Entrance Plate Guide, Assembled, which
comes with the little bracket, but you have to drill and tap the hole yourself.
I prefer this solid one to those with the flat springs on the end.

Matrix Delivery Belt

Harding: The mat belt needs replacement when it becomes stretched so far
that you cannot keep it snug, or when its edges get worn too thin. When new,
most belts fit with the proper tension when the idler pulley is dropped into its
lowest position. As it loosens, adjust the pulley. If you stretch the belt too
much, it will reach the stage of uselessness sooner. In an emergency you can
wrap the idler pulley with a few turns of friction tape, and dust it with talcum
powder to prevent stickiness — but order a new belt at once. Do not use home-

60 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

made belts. The mat belt looks simple and innocent, but once you install a
home-made belt you will have to make all kinds o£ adjustments to get it to work,
and then the regular belt will never fit.

Loomis: There is one aspect of installing a new mat belt that is tricky.
Often you will put on the belt and watch it turn over a few times, and it looks
all right. But a while later you notice dust is gathering on the copy-board, and
it looks like leather scrapings. It is. The new belt is being scraped by the
upper ends of the Linotype assembler chute rail springs — the long, thin springs.
Take the rails off. If the springs are soldered tight, as they should be, either
file in the under corners of the springs or grind them against a stone with a
square edge. Take off about two points at the top of the spring where it meets
the belt. Now bevel it underneath to give a little more clearance. Put it on
and try it again. If there's no dust after fifteen minutes, you've got it. You may
have to do it again, but use caution. If you take off too much, thin mats will
catch in the crack. You can remedy that somewhat by bending the flat ends
in a little toward the belt. In applying new springs, it is good to apply a new
belt at the same time, and it is not unusual to find adjustment necessary when
you do. If you put on a new belt without this fitting, the belt will soon be
worn thin at the edges and you won't have much belt left. You might as well
leave on the old one.

Idler Pulley

Question: The mat belt constantly runs against the assembler e
cover, which slows it down. I can also occasionally hear mats clicking on the
matrix belt supporting plate, which is bare on the far side. Is this something
that can be fixed? - R. J. H., Worland, Wyo.

Loomis: Indeed it is — and should be. You'll get better assembly if you
examine the idler pulley. Generally you will find this canted down toward the
star wheel as a result of long wear and lack of oil. Probably you will have to
buy both idler pulley and its stud. They are easy to install.

Sometimes on older machines you will find the lower pulley canted upward
with the same result. This too can be fixed. If your assembler block has a
bronze bushing, then you will need the bushing and the pulley shaft. If there
is no bushing — miomi! If you have a good handyman with machine tools, he
can bore out the hole in the block and put in a bushing, but it isn't easy. Some-
times it isn't easy to get an old bushing out, either. You may have to improvise
a small device like a wheel-puller.

It is worth noting that I have never found a machine that could not be
repaired, and in over thirty years I have seen only one that I thought was not
worth repairing. The linecasting machine is made up of many small machines
(credit to Harding for this statement), and ordinarily it is not necessary to buy

Assembler 61

too many parts to repair it. Knowing what parts to buy,, and especially the
fitting of new parts to old, are the most important. Of course it is obvious that
machines long neglected wear out all over in the course of a couple of genera-
tions, to the extent that the cost of rebuilding is more than the cash value of
the machine after rebuilding. There is also the factor of obsolescence. Some-
times, after spending a great deal of money to rebuild a single-magazine machine,
it is found that a more serious trouble is inability of this machine to handle
the shop's work. Nevertheless, I have long marveled at the astonishing adapt-
ability to repair of a linecasting machine.

Matrix Belt Support Plate

Harding: This seldom gets or requires adjustment. The belt should just
clear it (and not drag), so it will act as a bumper for falling mats. Take a look
once in a while to see that it is not coated with gum which will drag on the
belt and slow it down.

Assembler Entrance Coyer

Loomis: This cover (the large flat brass plate that swings up) sometimes
is the source of trouble in assembly. If the crack between it and the mat delivery
belt support plate is much over six points wide, you may have mats catch in it,
sometimes only temporarily. Get two long blocks of wood, lxl" square, and
with one on each side of the plate, lock the plate up in a big vise so the cover
is at right angles to the vise and is held securely. The glass will be safer if you
remove it first. (When you return the glass, use rubber insulating tape under
the lugs to prevent cracking or chipping.) Lean on the cover and bend the bot-
tom part down a little — not too much. You may have to try it several times.
The idea is to bend it at the part just under the glass, and to avoid as far as
possible putting a bow in the middle. Put it back and try it for fit.

The bottom part should fit up against the partitions. Now take off the
catch. Usually the holding surface of the catch (the surface that lies flat on the
cover) is worn rounded so the catch slides off the cover under pressure. Don't
try to take this apart; it's brass, and the pin is usually corroded in. Put the
catch in the vise, holding it at the smallest part, on the corner of the vise, and
file the holding surface so it is flat and with a slight bevel toward the inside,
so the catch will hold first on its outer edge. Where you find a catch that seems
to have too long a shank, and won't hold the cover snugly, you can bend the
shank a little in the middle and shorten it. You can also break it if you bend
very much.

There is also the matter of the small cover over the assembler block. This
should fit snugly but not in at the top farther than the big cover, or mats will
hit on it. Sometimes it is necessary to put a slight bend in the big cover,

62 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

about three inches from the bottom, to pull it in. The small cover also has a
round bevel to avoid mats' hanging up here. Very frequently assembler trouble
is caused at this point. Now suppose the small cover won't stay up — leaves too
wide a crack where it meets the large cover. You can take a drill (any size from
5/32" to about 14") and change the location of the hole where the bump on the
flat spring fits in to hold the cover in place. You can use a pin punch for a
starting point (usually about 1/16" off center of the old hole), or you can start
the drill in the old hole and turn it sidewise to move the hole.

Don't drill the hole more than enough to catch the bump. You may have
to move it forward or backward. This you can do by holding the drill sidewise
again. Also you can file off the top edge of the small cover to make it properly
meet. If you do, note that the new edge will not be parallel with the old. The
cover is pivoted; therefore start at the left edge (cover held in vise with a slug
on each side to protect it), and increase the cut toward the right. Try it in place
frequently.

Now there's one more trick in connection with the small cover. (Deceptive
gadget, isn't it?) That is its fit against the assembling elevator gate. Having
moved the hole to the right to get a better fit above, you may now find the
cover binds — sometimes much, sometimes little, against the gate. Repair this
by filing on the left edge, noting again that the smaller cut will be at the
bottom.

We've used a lot of filing here. Note this: a file is a very useful tool; it is
also a very dangerous tool. Use it with great discretion. Go slowly, with repeated
fittings. This may save buying a new part, much delay, and/ doing the whole
job over again.

This kind of work is not usually necessary on newer machines.

Harding suggests using a two-point lead under the rail springs, which would
extend all the way down, and up past the gap. If the right combination is
found, work up a piece of two-point brass for more permanence. This is similar
to the thin steel plate on an Intertype (which, however, is not usable here, for
the Intertype assembler differs).

It is important first to check the delivery belt. If the belt is worn thin, put
on a new belt first. This often fills the gap. I have usually had good luck by
installing a new belt and new rails. As told above, the rails must be fitted.
There is also the problem of soldering the rails in place. I have put on many
rails without solder, by bending the rounded ends in a little tighter curve, but
these do not always stay.

About soldering rails: Allen's Soldering Liquid is my favorite for jobs
like this. First fit the springs in snugly. It may take a slight bit of bending at
the curve, and I usually give the spring a slight down curve in the middle, to
assure snugness against the rail. Get the spring in place. Take the rounded
end first. Solder it on the under side, on the edge of the rail only, to avoid

Assembler

63

conflict with the pulley. Rub the spot with emery cloth, use the soldering liquid,
and put a piece of solder about as big as i/ 8 " of pencil lead. With a hot iron,
you won't have any trouble. Now take the other end. This is tricky. Use
about the same amount of solder, which must be put in the bottom inside
corner of the spring. Too much will get you in trouble with the chute block.
This place is hard to emery; do it with the spring out of the slot; push the
spring sidewise to get it out. It seems to take more heat here for a good soldering
job that will stay. If you let the solder spread too far over the rail, so it locks up
against the chute block, scrape it back with a knife.

Chute Block

Harding: This part should be changed when the toes of thin mats get
caught between the chute block and the star wheel. This is not the same thing
as a mat that gets caught between the chute block and the assembling elevator.

I have seen machines where the dowel pins were missing. You need these,
and probably the long flat head screw also (the pins are D-327; the screw is D-17).

Worn Chute Rails

Loomis: These are flat plates on which the springs are mounted. The
front one in particular is subject to wear at the point where it fits up against
the assembling elevator. Hold the assembling elevator to the right and observe
this space at the bottom. If it is wide enough for thin toes, it is too wide.
Temporarily you can peen it out and square it off with a file to a close fit, but
it is now thin and will wear soon, so order a new pair and put them on together.
It is easier if you order them assembled (i.e., with springs) to save soldering.
Order a matrix delivery belt also, and fit the ends of the springs as described

Assembler Chute Rail Springs

Loomis: These are the long flat springs that carry the mats from the belt
to the assembling elevator on a Linotype. They need replacement when they
have that Christian Dior look - when the top is so low it leaves a gap between
them and the belt, into which the toes of thin mats may catch. See the third
section above on fitting and soldering them.

The Chute Spring

Question: Which is the best chute spring? - K. M. C, Schoharie, N. Y.

Harding: There are many chute springs. Sometimes one will work where
another will not. I do not favor the one made of two flat vertical rails; this
probably was designed for display mats, but is often used on small sizes. A good

64 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

chute spring should in general offer a fiat surface opposed to the chute rail
springs, should have a spring to allow give, and should have tips that project
to the left to catch the ears of the spacebands and straighten them up. On a
Model 15 the best spring is the type with a movable tongue controlled by a
separate fiat spring, such as the type for which Wm. Reid is well known. But
this is not the only solution to the traditional difficult assembly of this model.
See what Loomis says under Making a Model IS Assemble, page 70.

The chute spring should be adjusted to allow a cap W to slide through
freely. Hold the mat under the spring, then release the mat easily; it should
drop on through. Less clearance will cause jamming up or delay at this point.
More clearance will allow the mats to jump out.

Loomis: With many chute springs there is the question of height, a slot
being provided for movement up and down (sometimes just enlarged holes).
The chute spring should be as low as possible without interfering with the mats
as they go into the assembling elevator. Likewise the points should extend
about 1/16" to i/ 8 " inside the assembling elevator, just clearing the two assem-
bling elevator mat retaining pawls.

Harding: My test for height is to stand a spoke of the star wheel straight
to the left (at 9 o'clock) and stand a matrix on the spoke. The top of the mat
should just clear the tips of the chute spring ears.

Assembler Drive Belt Shift

Harding: The newer style shift has a tight pulley and a loose pulley. If
the shifter gets hard to move, it probably needs oil on the shaft. Some machines
have an oil hole; others do not. The Intertype assembler drive belt must be
crossed, with the one that runs to the lower pulley on the outside; otherwise,
the belt will run itself onto the idle pulley. It should be noted, too, that some-
times the belt is shifted to the idle pulley but the assembler does not stop. The
idle pulley must have oil. In most machines there is a hole at the back, but
it is difficult to reach without taking off the assembler block.

Old Style Intermediate Drive Shaft Clutch

Many of these (with the forks that engage) are still in use, and many of
them constantly slip out of engagement. There are three reasons: 1, too much
oil; 2, weak spring; 3, parts worn rounded. If it is the spring, take off the knob
(held on by a pin); the spring is in a slot in the shaft and under the knob;
stretch it. If the engaging surfaces are worn, you can file them square (though
it isn't easy) or get new parts.

Assembler Block

Harding: This is technically the Assembler Plate (it does not appear
listed complete with gears, etc.), but in most shops it is known as the assembler
block. To remove it, take off the chute spring; take out the two large rounded
fillister head screws. Pull forward to get the plate off of the dowel pins; then try
to work it out. On some machines it comes out easily; on others you may have
to take off the assembler slide brake lever. If this doesn't give clearance, remove
the two round head screws under the assembling elevator that hold the assembler
slide roll bracket, and remove this part. The assembler slide will sag and
usually permit the block to come off. In some cases even this is not enough,
and you have to remove the assembler slide bracket. See that you are not held
up by the assembler drive belt.

Check the set screws that hold the gears. Oil the idle pulley; sometimes
you have to remove it for this. See that the belt shifter is working; if the shifter
is too loose, drive out the pin that holds the shifter fork and remove the rod.
Usually there is a spring and a ball that works on two grooves in the rod. These

Matrix Catch Spring

Harding: Linotypes have a small flat spring that protrudes through the
plate about 1/16". This retards the top back ears of the mats and helps assem-
bly. Its tension should be pretty soft. It cannot be adjusted on the machine,
so do it now before replacing the assembler block. It must not bank against
the left side of the slot before going below the surface.

Worn Assembler Gears

Loomis: Well worn gears on the back of the assembler block sometimes
howl annoyingly. This usually is repaired by replacing the gears.

Star Wheel

Loomis: The older star wheels have a nut on the back with two flat sides.
To remove the nut and get at the spring for replacement or readjustment, push
in the clutch and send the line delivery over. Disengage the assembler drive so
the belt is still. Feel behind with a Crescent wrench opened to y 2 ", or, better,
an end wrench. Get it on the nut; push down on the star wheel to break it
loose; re-engage the drive belt, still holding the wrench in place, and the nut
is off in a second. Keep your fingers in place to avoid losing the friction disk
and spring. Disengage the drive.

Put cup grease in the gear before you put it back.

66 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Tension of the Star Wheel

Harding: I£ the tension is too great, mats will be thrown out o£ the
assembling elevator; if it is too little, large mats and especially long lines will
be slow in falling into position. On an all-around machine, the star wheel
should assemble a 30-pica line of your biggest quads without hesitation.

Loomis's quick test is to stop the star wheel by bringing the forefinger
gradually — not abruptly — against it. It should stop without appreciable pain.
Loomis admits, however, that the pain-threshold varies in different persons, and
is unreliable except as a first rough test.

To change the tension, I use washers. To weaken the spring and reduce
tension, make a washer with outer diameter the size of the stud nut. Put it over
the shaft and tighten the nut up against it. To increase tension, make washers
with inside diameter that of the stud-nut, and slip under the head of the stud-
nut. This will compress the spring. Use 1-point or 2-point leads, or, better,
brass rule.

Loomis: I have used the washers and I like them. However, there is
always the danger that a new operator will take off the stud-nut and lose the
washers without knowing it, so I favor doing it all with the spring. It isn't as
definite but it's more nearly final. If the spring is weak, use a screwdriver blade
to stretch it a little. If it is too strong, hold it flat against a grind wheel and
take off about two points and try it again. I like to get the spring a little
weak - where it won't handle the 30-pica line - and then gradually strengthen
it. An old spring sometimes loses its compushency and won't stay when you
get it set, but gradually weakens.

I also make a practice of using oil inside the gear where the friction disk
runs. You will find that with oil you will need a stronger spring, but the parts
will last indefinitely and hold the proper tension. If you run a machine with
extreme sizes, such as 6-point and 24-point, you may find yourself wishing you
could adjust the tension. You can. Putting fresh oil on the disk will soften
the spring; a squirt of gasoline will stiffen it. But use a little discretion in
squirting around a gas pot; don't squirt so the gasoline will spray all over.

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room tells of a gauge
to test star wheel tension. He fits a piece of 14" square tubing over the front
end of the star wheel shaft (star wheel removed). To the outer end of the
tubing he fastens, at right angles, a strip of steel. At exactly 5 inches from the
center of the star wheel shaft he hooks an 8-ounce spring scale and turns on
the belt. The star wheel shaft should slip on about 4 ounces at this distance.
(I like this Pottle; he uses gauges.)

Assembler 67

When to Replace a Star Wheel

Loomis: When the star wheel is too worn to push mats inside the assem-
bling elevator pawls, put on a new one. There are many kinds, but the fancy
ones — large sizes, three-pronged, etc. — are for machines designed for them,
and usually machines with unusual conditions. I stick to the old style four-
pronged stars when possible. Older stars customarily had to be broached out
or filed; the new ones seem to go on more easily.

Making the Assembler Slide Work Right

Question: No matter what I do, I cannot make my assembler slide work
right. It chatters; it fails to return. I have put in new brake shoes without
success. What do you suggest now? - M. L. R., East Liverpool, Pa.

Harding: This is not always a simple answer, and yet it is not too involved.
Let's go all the way through.

The slide should not be oiled. Rub in graphite with your fingers. The
slide itself gets bent or wears out. Take it out and sight along it to see if it is
bent. Examine it for nicks or wear-grooves. If you order a new one, lay the
old one on the catalog page and check it hole for hole. There are quite a
number of different kinds.

Why Does the Assembler Slide Chatter?

There are several reasons. First, drop the assembling elevator to its lowest
position. Now set the screw on the brake lever releasing lever so there is about
1/32" play between it and the end of the operating lever (the long lever that
extends to the left, under the assembling elevator). This is the usual correction.

Now have a look at this long lever. Take out the one screw that holds it
in. Is the flat spring at the right end of this lever in operating condition? It
should be strong enough to hold the lever either up or down. A film of grease
on the boss against which the spring works will save wear and rust.

Drop the bracket under the assembling elevator that holds the assembler
slide roll, by taking out the two screws. Oil the shaft of the roll and replace.

Sometimes the assembler slide finger hits the star wheel. There is an
adjustable buffer at the right end to control the banking of the slide.

How about the brake shoes? Are the corners worn down? Most of these
are reversible so you can use four corners.

See that the brake spring is there. If you think it is weak, try adding a
rubber band before you cut off the spring.

See if the assembler slide bracket (the one that releases a too-full line) is
tight on the machine. It may be necessary to set these screws with glue or
shellac or Smooth-on or stiff job ink. Be sparing; don't smear it all over.

58 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

On newer slides there is a roller that fits over the head of the lower screw in
the slide bracket (you reach the screw through the round hole in the slide).
Sometimes it helps chatter to put a drop of oil inside the roll.

Above all, be sure the assembling elevator is seating every time it returns,
so that the operating lever goes down on the left end and up on the right to
provide that 1/32" clearance.

Slide Moves to the Left Witk Difficulty

Question: My assembler
left, and causes jumbling of i
R. T. S., Ludington, Mich.

Harding: Check these:

1. Be sure there is sufficient tension on the star wheel.

2. See that the slide is not bent or nicked.

3. Look for a loose screw on which the slide may rub.

4. See if the slide bracket is loose.

5. Graphite the slide with fingertips, rubbing well.

6. One of the most common causes and one of the hardest to spot: inter-
ference from the bell hammer trip. It may need oil or it may need a weaker
spring. Try grease on the pawl. Interference here is why many operators take
off the trip.

7. On rare occasions, the large roller under the left end of the slide will
bind in the groove in the slide. The only immediate answer is to thin the edge
of the roller on a grind wheel.

8. The screws that hold the assembler slide finger, if a little too long, will
hit on the assembling elevator as the slide goes over.

Why Does the Slide Fail to Return?

Loomis: Most common fault here is too wide a gap between the brake
release lever adjusting screw and the right end of the long operating lever
mentioned above. About 1/32" is right, though some machines will take con-
siderably more. Less will cause chatter.

Sometimes the left end of the operating lever, which is moved upward by
the assembling elevator at the top of its stroke, is worn until it has very little
movement. Some operators have put pins or screws in the end to correct this,
but a new one is not very expensive.

Check the same items as for difficulty in moving to the left: graphite, bell
hammer trip, loose bracket, loose screw, bent or nicked slide, loose brake shoe.

Should the Assembler Slide Return Spring Be Stiffened?

Loomis: I have been guilty of this myself. Very seldom does it need
stiffening. Hold the brake lever in the clear and try the slide back and forth
by hand. It should be free and easy, and if so the spring need be just strong
enough to bring it back to the star wheel. If, when the slide is back to the star
wheel, there is still a little tension on the return spring, it should be strong
enough. Check the points mentioned above. Too strong a return spring will
cause chatter and will also require a stiffer star wheel, which in turn may knock
the assembler slide too far with the heavy mats, leaving a gap that causes
jumbling. Tricky, isn't it?

Too soft a return spring will give almost the same result.

To test tension: if the slide is free and smooth when tried by hand, watch
how it comes back when you send up the assembling elevator. It should return
all the way without noticeably slowing down. If it slows down near the star
wheel,, and the slide is still free, the spring probably is at the limit of its con-
traction and needs stiffening.

To Remove Assembler Slides

Linotype: Disconnect the short link at the right end; don't bend the slide
with the screwdriver. Remove the headless screw from the right side of the
release lever in the slide bracket; don't lose the spring. Take out the two screws
that hold the bracket (one is reached through the hole). Watch for the roller
behind. Remove the brake trip (one screw) and brake (one screw) and the
slide should come free. Drop the right end and move to the right.

Intertype: Disconnect the link at the right. Take out the two screws that
hold the slide roll bracket just under the right side of the assembling elevator
(we've given that thing a bad time, haven't we?), and the whole thing may be
taken out. Don't lose the roll on the adjustable pin on the right end of the
brake release lever. This can stand a drop of oil or a pinhead of grease.

Will on Extra Spring Help Return the Slide?

Question: I have seen a machine with an extra spring on the right end
of the assembler slide. The operator claims this helps it return. Should I try
it? - S. I. R., Canoga Park, Calif.

Loomis: It is my impression that some machines have come so equipped
from the factory. It is indeed a good thing, especially where you have lots of
long lines. But first check all the things under Why Does the Assembler Slide
Fail to Return? Then drill a 1/16" hole in the short connecting link that is
fastened to the right end of the assembler slide, about i/ 2 " from the left screw
head. The idea is to establish spring support in the angle formed by the short
lever and the long lever (the one to the other end of which the spring is fastened).

70 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-M

Now about H/ 2 " from the bottom end of the long lever, drill a hole in thai
lever. Use a keyrod spring; enlarge the loop ends; cut off or stretch so there
will be a little tension when the assembler is at its extreme right. This spring
will lift the slide as it moves to the left, and makes both right and left move-
ments more smooth, and results in less wear on the parts.

Setting the Assembler Slide Clamp

Loomis: Cut a slug two points shorter than the measure you use on
straight matter. Put on a new star wheel. Set the clamp so the short slug will
just clear the star wheel and not stop it. This gives you a point and a half to
play with, but don't fudge on it. Your star wheel will very quickly wear down

MODEL 15 ASSEMBLY

Question: We have a Model 15 in

a small publication shop. It is

a good

machine for our use, but I cannot get i

to assemble like a 5 or an 8.

I wish

you could suggest a remedy. - M. D. T.

Lincoln, Neb.

Loomis: Gather round, students; you are about to be initiated into the
secret that will unlock a Great Mystery. The 15 has always been a favorite of
mine; in fact, some years ago I wanted a machine of my own for just such things
as setting material for this book, and I bought a 15.

There was then the problem of assembly. I served my time on the old
piecework machines in Texas, and I am not known for leisurely keyboard
operation. I knew about the 15, having been asked this question many times,
and I spent about three months working it out. There are basic differences
between the 15 and others: the belt runs more nearly horizontal, the mats drop
from a magazine more nearly vertical, the partitions are long and loose.

First I put on a Wm. Reid chute spring - the one with the movable tongue
controlled by a fiat spring. I got it set for height as I explained above in
The Chute Spring, pages 63-64.

I checked over the assembler slide. I saw that all the belts were good, and
I made sure the keyboard was turning at 275-280 r.p.m. The chute rail springs
were replaced. (Mighty thorough, wasn't it?) I even checked the height of the
assembling elevator, which you will do in the next chapter. The keyboard was
clean, the magazine and mats were clean, and I sat down, confident. But an
hour later I was groggy. At about three or four mats per second it worked fine.
Over that it was terrible.

I watched the long, long partitions flopping around like the tail-end canvas
of a covered wagon in a high wind. I studied the first guide. I got my snips

Assembler 71

and whacked off about an inch from the bottom end. That was too much.
I had to solder a piece of 1-point brass — about y 2 " — onto the bottom (on the
outside, of course) to bring the end down to meet the chute spring. Then I
spotted it and marked it. Took the guide to the bench and soldered a paper
clip to the outside, 2" from the bottom, crosswise, and let about 14" project
at the back. Put it back in place and marked the spot where the end of the
paper clip hit. Drilled a hole there with a 1/16" — No. 52, same as mouthpiece -
drill. Dropped the clip in the hole. Now the first guide was stationary.

The second (short) guide was a little different, but it too was floppy. I
soldered a paper clip to its right side, about 2" up, and set it in the middle
between the first and third guides.

The third guide was too long. Eventually I got a considerable curve in
the bottom, to bring the bottom edge about 18 points from the first guide and
about 18 points above the rail springs. The fourth guide took still more curve.
I cut off some again, and the end is about 1 pica from No. 3, and 18 points
above the rail springs. The rest of them worked out as follows: all about 18
points from the preceding guide and about 18 points above the belt. The short
ones were spotted in the middle.

All had to be cut off but the three short ones.

Now for the final adjusting. You won't have much trouble until you get
over to the channel through which drops the lower case u. Here you will run
into both the m and the w, and if you have set the bottom ends as far to the
left as reasonable, you will still have some bending to do. Shut off the assembler
and hold an m just above the belt. Release it gently and note if it goes through
freely. If it doesn't, you'll have to bend a little or even cut off a fraction from
the end of the No. 5 guide — but not much. (I also had some trouble with the
d and the h, and some with the em quad. But be patient. The result is worth
while. If the big mats do not drop through of their own weight, use a little
bending, a very little cutting, and lots of patience.)

As a final test, sit down and run out all the mats in a channel by holding
the key down with the finger; do this three times. Do the same with every mat
that drops in that section. Just sitting there, watching fifteen mats pour out
one after the other, you will invariably see a little ball-up if the partitions are
not curved or spaced exactly right, and this will show you what needs to be done.

There is one further bit of corrective surgery that improved my assembly.
I discovered the line delivery belt was running about 50% faster than on other
models, so I got a 5" size B V-belt pulley and fastened it to the assembler drive
belt pulley (by screws through the spokes). It throws the belt a little out of line
but it has been running that way for four years and works fine.

Mine works like a charm. It is not quite as fast as some machines I have
run, but faster than many.

CHAPTER V

THE ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR

Question: The assembly on this machine is terrible. It never has been
serviced, and there seem to be so many things wrong I don't know where to
start. Could you outline a brief procedure for checking over the assembling
elevator? -T. R. P., Bend, Ore.

Harding: As with many other linecasting questions, it is difficult to
answer this one briefly. It is not complicated, however, once you see all the
angles, and an experienced machinist can rebuild most assembling elevators
in a couple of hours, outside of welding worn spots, etc.

Side Play in Assembling Elevator

Loomis: First let us take up side play. The assembling elevator should fit
snugly against the right side to avoid mats' catching in the crack. My first
move is to loosen the four screws in the left hand gib. With a small screwdriver,
pry the gib to the right and tighten the screws. If this doesn't do the job, and
there is still too much "shake," take out the four screws entirely. Use discretion
and pry the gib forward to release the pins. I have always been able to do
this without removing the delivery channel. Drop the gib and take it out.
Knock out the pins. You will find the screw holes a little large. Put the gib
back on without the pins and try pushing it over and tightening. If there is
still too much play, use a rat-tail file on the left side of each screw hole until
you can tighten the gib against the assembling elevator. Now loosen all screws
but the second one from the top. This is the most important one, for this is
the most important position of the assembling elevator. Have this one tight
enough to bind on the assembling elevator. With a linotype slug and a small
hammer tap the gib to the left until the assembling elevator is just free. Now
run the assembling elevator up and down a couple of times to square up the
gib, then tighten screw No. 3 and try the assembling elevator again. You may
do a little tapping. Now take No. 1, at the top. When you get through, see
that you haven't lost your nice tightness at No. 2. If you have, you may have

72

Assembling Elevator 73

to re-set No. 2 and do it over, putting this time a very little bend in the gib
by tightening all screws, then holding No. 2 with a screwdriver blade while
you tap No. 1 to the left. You can do this very easily if you have three arms;
otherwise you need help.

Try the assembling elevator carefully several times. If it is perfectly free
on the gibs (take off the small assembler entrance cover and the chute block, to
avoid interference), and if it is still snug against the chute block when you put
that back on, tighten the screws firmly. Personally, I like to put a dowel pin
just above No. 2, but in the country you seldom have the tools to make a hole
that fits. Those are i/ 8 " dowels, but it is seldom that a drill of that size will
cut true. A No. 31 drill is .120" and will come close, but you may have to grind
the pin a little. Otherwise you can use a 14" drill, then lay the pin on the vise
and hammer it out of shape to make it fit. Or drill a pilot hole with a 1/16"
drill, then go through with i/ 8 ". Be sure not to move the gib while drilling and
pinning. Try the elevator again afterward to be sure it doesn't bind. The
elevator should fall freely by its own weight. Use graphite only on the slides.

To Remove the Assembling Elevator

Harding: The entire assembling elevator can be removed. Disconnect
the lever link at the bottom. Remove the assembler slide roller bracket (lower
right, which holds the spaceband buffer), take off the assembler slide finger so
you can swing the assembler slide out of the way; take off the small gib that
guides the assembler slide just under the chute block, if there is one; remove the
assembler slide brake operating lever, and the assembling elevator by now is
on the floor if you haven't held onto it.

While you have it off, turn it upside down and examine the adjusting
screw under the right end of the delivery slide releasing wire, if it is a Linotype.
Find a small screwdriver that will turn it, and be sure that it does turn. It is
much easier to free it in this position than it is when you are standing on your

Okay, you've had your fun. Now we'll dive into it.

Adjusting the Two Halves of the Assembling Elevator

Loomis: Pull down the assembling elevator gate. With a little-used pi
mat, test the space between the two halves at the place where the toes of the
mats ride. There should be just clearance here. Adjust with paper shims at
the bottom. Get both ends alike. Do not file either of the surfaces at the bottom.
Even the experts avoid this. You will find some already filed. Those you can

74 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

only work with until you get them right — but the bad part is that they seldom
go together the same way twice. You could have it squared up on a shaper
or a grinder and make a filling piece out of brass leads and 1-point material.
You could also buy a new assembling elevator.

Let us assume that your surfaces are square. Now take out the one big
screw and remove the front half, noting where the paper shims were. Oil them
and stick them in place. Take the front half to the vise.

Now there a number of things to investigate. First take off the gate.
(I assume you have the whole thing clamped in the vise.) Examine the matrix
detaining plate on the right end. If broken or worn, it should be replaced.
Take off the duplex rail cap carefully so as not to lose the small square filling
pieces under the two screws. Carefully lift off the two duplex rails. Note that
the right-hand end of the Linotype short duplex rail has a small pawl that
extends upward. If this pawl has been broken off, replace the rail. Likewise,
the long rail has a narrow extension on the left that frequently is broken off.
If so, replace it. Emery cloth these rails and rub with graphite.

Under the rails may be a flat copper spring, very small round copper
springs, or small springs with balls to act as detents. These are to hold the
rails in place either in or out. Graphite the surface just under the rails, and
the bottom surface of the cap. Replace.

Assembling Elevator Front Matrix Buffer

Take the front half out of the vise. If the fiber buffer is worn, replace it.
This buffer is easy to replace but not always easy to fit. It is usually too thick,
protruding above the rest of the assembling elevator. If so, take a sharp knife
and peel off a point or so, or file it if you prefer. On an old machine you will
often find the top edge of the buffer, where the mats ride, is higher than the
adjoining rail. Use a sharp knife here to bevel it down, or you will have squab-
bled lines. Now there is one more place to trim — the right side (looking at it
with the assembling elevator on the machine). This edge very often binds
against the small assembler cover, and I file it down on principle.

Assembling Elevator Gate

Harding: This too is tricky. If the right corner is gouged out by mats,
you may need to smooth it with a file. Examine to see if the "legs" are straight
and square — not spread and not twisted. Very often the assembling elevator
gate roll stud is badly worn. Knock it out with a pin punch from the left, and
put in a new one. The roll, if worn, should be replaced.

Assembling Elevator 75

Now the pawl at the upper right. On old machines the pawl may be badly
worn and need replacement. Sometimes it's the hole that's sloppy. On most
pawls you can drill this with a 5/64" drill, and drill the gate also, then use
5/64" drill rod for the new pin — which must not protrude above the surface.
Also, the tiny 1/16" pin against which the pawl banks may be worn out. Drive
it out and replace with a piece of drill rod or a part of a mouthpiece drill.

The pawl should move freely, should not stick out in the way of mats,
and should have just enough spring to keep it in place. Too little spring will
not hold it up; too much will make mats jump out.

Put the gate back in place. Set the front half of the assembler aside.

Take off the back half as instructed in To Remove the Assembling Elevator
above. Take care of the pawl the same as you did the pawl in the gate. It is
only fair to say that sometimes you hit a hard one that you cannot drill, and
for some reason this happens oftener on the back. Get a new pawl and pin.

Watch out for the tiny compression spring behind this pawl. Replace the
lower matrix detaining plate if needed. This is held by a special small-headed
screw which must be used. Anything bigger will rub against the chute block.

There is a steel matrix buffer in this back half. If this is worn, it must be
replaced.

It is worth emphasizing that the front fiber buffer, when allowed to become
badly worn, throws the burden of receiving the mats onto the back steel buffer,
which burrs the toes on the casting side of the mats. The mats on the right
end of the line should not tip forward when you open the assembling elevator
gate.

Setting the Assembling Elevator Gate

Loomis: Put the assembling elevator back in place and together, and test
the bottom clearance with that pi mat again. If it has changed, do it over.
It should not have changed. Now let's set the gate. First be sure the assembling
elevator gate hinge rod is not worn on the ends. Replace it with any 5/32"
stock for the moment. If the holes in the legs of the gate are worn, you can
peen them, but it's a messy job and won't last. Peen them on the back edge
if you must.

The gate banks on a stud at the left side and on the head of the screw
that holds the matrix detaining pawl on the right. Usually the screw head
takes the burden of adjustment. Using your pi mat just to the left of the pawls,
try for the same clearance you have below. Usually there is no clearance, and
your only recourse is to peen the head of the screw on the front side with a
small ball pein hammer. This too is messy and somewhat temporary.

76 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

If your gate is worn in the holes or otherwise decrepit, I strongly advise a
new one, and I much prefer those with adjusting screws on the front, so you
don't have to depend on the screw head.

After the right end of the gate is set, try the left end. There may be six
points' difference between the two ends. Miomi! This can be mayhem, but it
needn't be. (This seldom occurs with a new gate.) Take a screwdriver with a
6" blade and stick it through the gate diagonally. If you don't play Atlas, you
can bend the gate to exact evenness. But remember, that screwdriver is big.
You can break the legs off of the gate unless you say when.

You may now have a mysterious bind. Be sure the hinge rod is not too
long or not sticking through on either side. Sometimes the left leg of the gate
is twisted so it binds against the line delivery channel. There is not much
clearance there.

What is the Proper Height of the Assembling Elevator?

Loomis: This is another measurement that I got from Frank Phillips of
Teletypesetter. The correct distance from the top of the bottom inside rail
of the back half of the assembling elevator (the rail on which the mats stand
in light-face position) to the bottom of the "button" on the assembling elevator
stop bar banking plate (the assembling elevator cushions against this button
when you send up a line) should be 5 9/16". By taking off the front half of
the assembling elevator, you can measure this distance accurately. You will
note that it is determined by the elevator's coming to rest on the end of the
assembler slide brake operating lever. This may get beaten down and increase
the distance, or it may be peened out by somebody else and the distance
decreased, or very often a new one is too thick. At any rate, this is where you
set the height of the assembling elevator.

Final Adjustments on Assembling Elevator

Harding: Now our assembling elevator is set for side play, for mat clear-
ance, and for height. Let's see if we can persuade it to send the mats into the
delivery channel.

Note the hook on the left side at the back. Loomis should have told you
to check the hook and the spring which operates it when you took off the
assembling elevator, so let's hope the spring is okay. It usually is. But the
hook may be rounded so it doesn't hang on up above. It must do that to
prevent the elevator from dropping before the mats get out. If it is rounded,

Assembling Elevator ' '

file it square. If this takes off very much, you'll need a new one, for then it
won't hold the assembling elevator high enough as the mats go across.

While you're at it, take out the one screw that holds the assembling elevator
stop bar banking plate up above. This little strip will go on upside down, but
in that position will not allow mats to be delivered in the bold face position.
Some otherwise Christian men have resorted to strong language over this little
gadget. Now take off the stop bar itself and note the spot where the hook
catches. If this is battered and worn, order a new one. Replace the parts.

Note the ratchet at the upper right. This holds and releases the line
delivery. Put a small dab of grease on the ratchet teeth.

Now back away the line delivery releasing wire adjusting screw in the
bottom of the assembling elevator which you were told to loosen previously.
See that the wire is straight. It is 1/16" in diameter and should be steel wire.
It is set in a brass bushing, and if you get hold of the wire with a pair of pliers,
usually the whole works will come out. Back off the adjusting screw a couple of
turns. Now send up the first elevator until it banks against the button. The
hook should catch firmly in this position, and should not allow the assembling
elevator to drop more than a point. While the elevator is suspended by the
hook, turn up the adjusting screw until the releasing wire trips the ratchet
and releases the line delivery. This should be just about right.

Replace Spaceband Buffer When Worn

Loomis: It is hardly necessary to say that the spaceband buffer, below
the assembling elevator proper, should be replaced when a hole starts in it.
This will materially improve assembly. And now, with the assembling elevator
all set, we dive into the next chapter and try to find out how to make a machine
assemble properly. The subject of transpositions comes up - and there are a

Newer spaceband buffers are made with a hump that drags on the bottom
end of the band and therefore causes the top end of the band to slant to the
left, thus allowing more room for the next mat to enter.

CHAPTER VI

TRANSPOSITIONS AND OTHER
ASSEMBLY TROUBLES

Harding says this is "a little subject with a big answer," and I am afraid
he is right. Nevertheless, we can break it down considerably.
One of the major trouble areas is in the keyboard.

Keyboard Transpositions

Anything that causes or allows erratic action of the cams will result in
transposition. See Delayed Action Response, page 13. For a quick check, here
are reminders (these items are covered previously; this is merely a check list):

Free end of the cam yoke may be gummy or burred; trigger gummy; kink
in the hinge wire; overmotion spring (on Linotype) rests on top of the pivot
end of the cam; dry cam; cam teeth filled or worn smooth; cam rubbing on
stop strip teeth; glazed rubber roll; belt slipping; friction pulley slipping on
rubber roll shaft; grooves in the rubber roll which reduce diameter and make
some mats fall faster.

Keyboard causes can of course go on up through the keyrods and into the
verge rack or the magazine itself. And remember that anything that makes a
mat drop fast will have the same effect as something that makes it drop slowly.
The keyrods should not bind in their guides. The keyrod should strike the
verge squarely. Magazine and matrices must be clean and in good condition.
The big trouble is that many things that usually cause mats to fail, often merely
cause them to hesitate; this makes them hard to spot. A sprung magazine or
bent mats can cause transpositions.

Watch the speed of the keyboard. Over 275 r.p.m. you may have trans-
positions with the heavier mats. Note that normally the capitals, falling a
shorter distance but traveling farther on the belt, reach the assembler about
the same time as the lower case.

Verges must be free and must have sufficient spring tension to pull them
promptly back into place. The assembler entrance plate and guides must be

Transpositions 79

set so mats come smoothly, with support from the plate, and without striking
the guides.

Matrix belt should be fairly square at the edges. Assembler entrance covers
must be properly set.

The matrix catch spring should be free in its slot. When it is pressed to
the left side, it should be level with the surface or below.

The chute spring must allow thick matrices to pass freely. It also must be
set high enough (vertically; not in relation to the chute rail springs) so that it
will not retard the tops of matrices momentarily as they go intoi the assembling
elevator. This can be observed with the unaided eye.

The star wheel, if worn, may fail to push mats inside the pawls, thus
allowing a second mat to jump over.

Other causes: star tension too weak, allowing thick matrices to hold back
momentarily. Insufficient tension on assembling elevator retaining pawl springs,
so the mats sometimes fall back. Weak brake spring, whereby thick mats are
driven too far over and then tip to the right.

Spaceband Transpositions

These may be due to any of the above causes, but spacebands have eccen-
tricities peculiar to themselves. See Spaceband Transpositions, page 92.

Machines Using Large Mats

On machines using 18 and 24-point display mats, the large mats will
necessarily come more slowly, especially if from an auxiliary. Allow for this.
If a newer machine, the star wheel may be slower, or it may be the big size
or a three-cornered one. These do not seem to assemble 6 and 8-point as well
as the old style. The plain fact is that no machine will assemble 6 and 24-point
with equal facility. Go slower on your keyboard work on the small sizes — and
don't forget to set your chute spring up and down according to the size you
are using.

The Sennett Positive Assembler

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: We have a machine that regularly
gives us twenty transpositions per galley, no matter how careful the operation.
Two different operators run it, so it does not seem to be a human fault. We
have tried everything - even bringing in two professional machinists - without
much relief. Would a Sennett Positive Assembler, from the H. B. Rouse Co. at
Chicago, be worth the money? - 1. T. T., Tazewell, Va.

It is true that the Sennett assembler is a good piece of machinery. While
most machines yield to the treatment prescribed here, and while that should
be given first (for if there is a keyboard malfunction, the Sennett assembler

80 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

can't help much), sometimes they don't. In such cases I recommend the Sennett,
which brings the mat closer to the star wheel via the belt, as on newer Intertypes.

Harding says he knows from experience that there are times when the
Sennett Positive Assembler is the only answer — but, he adds, check everything
else first. It is possible to install a Sennett and still have trouble because the
reason is elsewhere.

When Absolutely Everything Fails

Question: We are having a young war in our shop. Our night operator
gets along fine, but the day operator has transpositions. He constantly readjusts
the machine; then the night operator adjusts it back again, and the day operator
accuses him of sabotage. Something has to be done or we are going to lose an
operator. How can we stop these transpositions? — S. B. C, Salida, Colo.

Loomis: This is a question I am glad to answer on paper. It is difficult
to answer personally, for the fault is human.

Take a baseball pitcher. His case is easily seen because so much depends
on him. One day he has his stuff; the next day he hasn't. It is the same with
operators. Over the years I have heard many complaints about transpositions,
and have tried conscientiously to correct them. On a certain large paper where
I was night machinist a night operator complained at intervals. One week he
was particularly disgruntled, and one night he almost walked out. I assumed
(as do night machinists everywhere) that the day side was screwing things up.
I'd get it fixed and the night operator would say it was fine, but the next night —
bangl no dice.

One night this operator very nearly walked off the floor. I was extremely
busy, and I told him I'd fix it after he left. But I forget it. The next night he
had a grin on his face. "It's wonderful!" he said. "You really hit the trouble
this time." I kept discreetly silent, but I was curious. I found out the machine
had not been used or touched during the day. So the machine that night was
exactly the same as it had been the night before! Then what had changed?
The answer was inescapable: the operator was different.

Since then I have observed many operators. Without any desire to be
tricky, I have tested them and kept the results to myself. I have also watched
my own operating, for I have held many machinist-operator jobs, and I have
many times found that one day I was bothered with transpositions, the next
day none, the next day bad again — and in the meantime no one had touched
the machine.

This was the final proof: the teletypesetter. I have seen a machine run for
hours on teletypesetter without a transposition, but stop the tape for one day
and put the machine into manual operation and you have transpositions, and

the teletypesetter is blamed, but put the machine back on tape the third day
and there is no trouble.

I have gone into this at length, for it is hard to convince a good operator
that he has off days. The difference is subtle, and crops up only with something
demanding, like ball pitching or operating. The secret of good operating is
rhythm, which means even spacing between letters. The teletypesetter does it
perfectly. It is mechanical and not subject to off days in timing. Humans are.
After operating teletypesetters, I am convinced that most of the transposition
trouble is human — given, of course, a machine in reasonably good shape. That
does not require a keyboard overhaul every three month. I have seen teletype-
setters run for three years without even a keyboard cleaning. The one essential
thing is that the machine be in good shape to start with. The teletypesetter
installation men know that and take care of it. (All this is contrary to what
many "authorities" say, especially some members of the I. T. U., to which I
have belonged since 1922. But they have a cause. I do not. I am interested
only in facts.)

Therefore, if your machine has been running well but suddenly starts
transposing and jumbling, give it a chance before you start overhauling. Trans-
positions do not develop suddenly: they grow — if mechanical. If they start
suddenly, the fault probably is you — and you needn't be embarrassed.

Oddly enough, a hangover is not as productive of this s:
other factors. I am not a psychologist, but I know that emotional turmoil or
tension or whatever you want to call it, will cause this trouble. It is worth
noting that sometimes the reaction is delayed for several days; it is also true
sometimes you cannot trace the origin. Sometimes an operator is just "off," and
sometimes it lasts for several days. However, when excessive transpositions go
over two days, give a thought. Did they occur abruptly, or have they been
growing?

There is a remedy for this even when caused by the operator: slow down,
be deliberate. In a couple of hours, very often you will be back in the groove
and can gradually increase speed.

It is only fair to note that Harry G. Pottle, writing in Who's Who in the
Composing Room, does not entirely agree with me, for he says "a machine
operated by a teletypesetter will also transpose at times." This is true — but I
do not think we are as far apart as it might seem. He goes on to say that "a new
machine with new matrices will set perfect proofs if its escapement and assem-
bling mechanism are adjusted properly." I agree that any machine will transpose
at times, but when these times become more than two or three an hour, it is
too much, and when it develops abruptly and without warning, it is likely due
to the operator - and I think Harry will agree with me. I have always been
most loath to blame troubles of this nature on the operator, as I think a good
many operators would testify; it is only in the last ten years that I have become
convinced that a certain type of transposition is due almost entirely to an off day.

82 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Why Do Mats Jump Out of the Assembling Elevator?

Question: Within an hour of operation, at least twenty mats will jump
out of the assembling elevator. I have let them lie on the floor for an hour
just to be sure, and have picked up that many. This is getting my goat. Can it
be fixed? - O. S. S. C, Montgomery, Ala.

Harding: Indeed it can. Anything, of course, that causes transpositions
of mats or spacebands will cause a certain amount of jumping out, but there
are other things to check first: strong star wheel, weak brake spring.

If the operator customarily allows the assembling elevator to fall unsup-
ported, the brake release operating lever will become pounded and allow the
assembling elevator to seat too low; this will cause jumping out.

Loomis: What Harding says is correct, and I have only emphasis to add.
Within my experience, most of this trouble comes from two causes: 1, too stiff
a star wheel; 2, the assembling elevator gate is too tight or too close to the back
of the assembling elevator. Occasionally the assembling elevator pawls are
unusually strong and do the same thing. The gate must be set so there is
clearance for a new mat - about .005" space. The star wheel in normal opera-
tion slips a fraction when it hits a mat, and gives the mat a chance to settle.
If the spring is too strong, there is no slippage, and the mat may get thrown a
couple of blocks.

Otherwise, all the factors pertaining to assembler, assembler slide, assem-
bling elevator, spacebands (which are treated in the next chapter), and keyboard,
verges, magazines, and channel entrance partitions, are pertinent. Anything
that delays a mat momentarily may cause jumping out as well as transposition.

Observe: If the peripatetic mat is always the same letter, look in the key-
board or above. If they are fairly well scattered, look to the assembler functions.

Mats Clicking on the Way Down

Loomis: One last word: On a machine where mats jump out or trans-
positions occur, you will sometimes hear an erratic clicking as the mats fall.
It does not occur on every mat, but occasionally or frequently. It's a click
louder than the usual steady dull click of mats falling normally, and if you
listen you will easily detect it as you set type. This indicates that mats are
hitting an obstruction which slows them down until they are hit by the next
mat. With only a sixth of a second between mats, there is no time for loitering.

Look first to the small assembler cover and see that it does not protrude
past the edge of the large one. See that there is not too much space between

Transpositions 83

the large cover and the matrix delivery belt support plate — preferably not over
six points. Be sure these mats are not catching at the upper ends of the chute
rail springs. Also, if your entrance guides at the lower ends have at some time
been bent unusually straight, a mat may drop straight down, get smacked by
the belt, and be tossed up against the next guide. By this time a later mat can
hit it. The guides should be curved at the bottom to usher the mat onto the
belt with ease.

Most of these points have been covered in other
repeating here in answer to the question.

When the First Mat or Usually a Heavy Mat Jumps Out

Loomis: This indicates loose brake spring, no assembler buffer at the
right end (allowing the assembler slide to bounce back and leave a crack), too
much speed on the mat delivery belt (I prefer the delivery belt to run below
600 r.p.m.), or lack of adjustment of the chute spring.

In regard to delivery belt speed and rubber roll speed: on most machines
these are set so that if one is right, both are right — unless they have been
changed later. (Sadly enough, this often is the case. If m-o's did not fool with
machines, life would be much simpler. Also, perhaps they would not be human,
but flying saucer pilots. Nevertheless, I once knew a woman in Deadwood, S. D.,
who had been the sole operator of a Model 8 from the day of its installation,
who had no wrenches and only one tool — a screwdriver that never had been
used for anything but changing liners. The machine was six years old when I
got there, and her only complaint was that two letters didn't always drop!)

When I got my Model 15 running at 6i/ 2 lines a minute, with a 4" pulley
on the intermediate shaft, the keyboard rolls were doing 350 r.p.m. and the
mat delivery belt pulley 750. The proper place to correct this is at the inter-
mediate shaft pulley, but what I wanted — a 4i/ 2 " or 4^4" — was not available,
so I used V-pulleys and cut down the two speeds separately. The rubber rolls
now are 300 — not what I aimed at but probably all right, for the magazine on
a 15 has more slant -and the mat delivery pulley is turning 535. This may
not be the final word, but she is beginning to feel like a real machine.

CHAPTER VII

SPACEBAND BOX
SPACEBANDS

Question: I am having all kinds of trouble with the spacebands on my
Model 14. It has given good service for years, and I have never touched it, but
now the bands fail to drop, and I find them jammed up above. Can you give
me a briefing on spaceband boxes? — A. P. L., Monticello, Ark.

The Linotype Spaceband Box

MacD. Sinclair in Printing Equipment Engineer: Let's look at the action
for a minute. The spaceband keyrod raises the key lever, which pivots just
back of the face plate. As the key lever goes up on the right, it goes down on
the left. The spaceband box pawl lever drops, and lowers the pawls below the
ears of the bands. The pawls then move under the ears, impelled to the left
by the small flat springs. The key lever then raises the pawls; the band is lifted
clear of the spaceband chute plate (it has a curved upper end against which the
bottom end of the spacebands rests); the ears are lifted above the ears of the
spaceband box rails; the bottom of the band swings to the right, and the space-
band slides off the lifting pawls and drops.

When trouble develops, it may be wise to take off the box and look it over
thoroughly.

To Remove the Spaceband Box

On Linotype or Intertype, shut off the clutch, back up the machine, hold
the spaceband pawl with the right hand and depress the transfer slide releasing
lever with the left (this is ordinarily depressed by a screw in the second elevator
head), and let the spaceband pawl go to the left. This gets the pawl out of the
way and also avoids losing the spring. Take out the one large screw in the
center of the box, lift out and up to clear the pawl lever adjusting screw (split
head) from the key lever, and take the box out.

Remove all bands and take the box to the bench. Now there is a systematic
way to go at a spaceband box, and generally when it starts giving trouble you
are better off to act as if you are rebuilding it. For this, let us have a symposium
by Sinclair, Harding, and Loomis:

84

Spaceband Box 85

Worn Holes Where the Shaft Works

First, take the pawl levers and their shaft. If the shaft is extremely sloppy
(hole elongated as much as two points), you will have to use 17/64" steel rod
to make a new shaft, and drill out the enlarged holes to 17/64", as well as the
holes in the levers. Pins, preferably taper pins, must be driven in to keep the
levers constant in position. Keep them as nearly even as possible. Graphite
the shaft before putting it back.

If you do not replace this shaft, see that the levers are firm and fast on the
shaft, with taper pins solid.

Installing New Spaceband Box Rails

While the shaft is out, take the front plate off of the distributor box and
ine the rails. If they are pitted or corrugated down near the ears, you
n emergency smooth them out with a small hand emery stone, but if we
are going to do a good job, let's install new ones. While the old ones are off,
emery with fine (00 or 000) cloth the surfaces where the lifting pawls work up
and down; then rub in graphite with the fingers.

Watch out on the installation of new rails. New ones don't always fit
perfectly, and sometimes they bow out in the middle. It takes very little to
impede the passage of the bands. As you screw each rail in place, hold it up to
the light and be sure it is flat against the surface of the box. See that the screws
do not protrude. Okay, put the two sides back together. By now you have
taken off the centerbar on top. Use a new band to test clearance between the
rails. There should be clearance. When this is established, put the shaft back
in and pin the lifting levers on it.

Installing New Lifting Pawl Springs and Screws

Put on a pair of lifting pawl springs. These are very fussy about the bend.
Looking at the front one, and starting at the fixed end, bend the spring to the
left, then go out a pica and bend it back to the right; then to the left. Where you
get through, the outer end should be a couple of picas to the left. A strong spring
here is better than a weak spring.

The long lifting screws should be renewed. Sometimes they are too long
and have to be ground about six points shorter to keep bands from hitting
against them.

Where old screws have a groove worn in them, lifting pawls often get
bound between the grooves and the box rails.

Now, with the gate off, take your new lifting pawls and set them in place.
You can do this without removing anything else. See that the springs are in

86 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

the slots, and try the lifting levers up and down. There should be no roughness
in the movement. If there is, look for a spring rubbing against the shoulder in
the hole. Be sure the pawls are free. (You cannot make this test for free
movement without the pawls, for the springs will bind against the hole.)

Now graphite the pawls carefully and shake off the loose graphite. Put
them back, and clamp the box carefully in a vise, so it is straight up and down.
Try the lifting pawls once more to verify free movement. Sometimes a pawl is
bent. On rare occasions a rail will curve in and bind the pawl.

Setting the Center Bar

Check the center bar. If the two small lugs are rounded on the under side,
square them with a small file with a safe edge. These prevent the second
spaceband from rising. Put on the center bar and put two new spacebands in
the box. Set the bar so the lugs miss the first band by about half the thickness
of the next band.

Adjusting the Lifting Pawls

Get your eye on a level with the tops of the pawls and raise them slowly.
They should be even. (On rare occasions two unmatched rails will not be the
same height, as I discovered recently, so you cannot always go by those. In that
case you have a very tricky situation. Always install these rails in pairs— Loomis.)
If the pawls do not come up evenly — and they probably won't - you will have
to get rough again. With the box firm in the vise, use two screwdrivers, one to
pry up on the lever that operates the low pawl, the other to pry down on the
other lever. These are malleable unless you get into some made of white metal.
If you have done a good job of installing the new shaft, you won't have to bend
much. On a machine where you merely install new pawls, you likely will have
to bend some. Get those pawls the same height, then put the two bands back
in - or did we take them out? Lift a band with the pawls, s-1-o-w-l-y, and watch
the ears of the band fall off the pawls. They should come off at almost exactly
the same time. If there is an appreciable difference, the band will swing and
drop crooked.

Now make another test. How far in do the pawls go? There are two
schools of thought on this. Some favor making the pawl rise exactly between
the two bands. This is fine but it's difficult. It is easier to make the pawl rise
somewhere in the middle of the ear. If the pawls are properly set, this will
also lift the last band out of the box.

Obviously if the pawls extend in too far, they will bite at the second band.
They usually do, on an old machine. There are several ways of correcting this.
Heating the pawl for bending is good, but difficult for the m-o, for it involves re-
tempering. Some peen the inner edge of the pawl, but perhaps the most
satisfactory way for the m-o is to lay the pawl, inner edge down, on two 12-point

Spaceband Box 87

slugs and tap gently with a small hammer until you produce a slight belly.
This provides a new bearing surface and brings the tip of the pawl back. Go
easy; pawls vary in bendability.

Now the pawls are riding freely, they come up evenly, and they do not
take a bite at the second band. The center bar is set to retard the second band
if it tries to rise anyway - which it will if the bands get dry and un-graphited.

On an old box that is just a little sloppy, always test for height by lifting
up the back lever while holding down slightly on the front lever. This means,
in the long run, that the front pawl will be a little higher when not under
pressure, but since the motive power comes from the rear lever, this test is
correct as outlined.

On old machines, with lifting pawls worn flat on top and no new ones
available, you can grind the beveled surface and get new points, but you will
have to adjust the pawls more carefully than new ones, and you will still have
old pawls. Better wait until you get new ones.

The Spaceband Box Chute

The two side pieces of the chute are beveled at the bottom to throw the
top of the band to the right. If these beveled extensions become badly gouged
they should be replaced.

The tongue in the bottom of the long chute plate should be bent to the left
from six to twelve points. Too much will throw the band out of time with the
mats; none at all may cause transpositions.

Setting (he Short Spaceband Box Chute Plate

This is simple but important. The free bottom end of the short plate is to
set to allow your bands easy passage. (We assume your bands are all the same
thickness; otherwise you must set it for the thickest. Likewise you may have
to change it if you change sets of bands.)

Now for the curve at the top. If the plate is old, take it off and see that the
flat surface at the very end, against which the bands will rest, is smooth. If not,
file or grind - as little as possible. Try the plate with your fingers for malle-
ability. This applies especially to new plates. If it seems brittle, be very careful.
It is most embarrassing to break one of these without a replacement. (It will
take only about three hours to make one out of a sheet of brass, if you can find
the brass. — Loomis.) Screw it in place. Now you can set it for height.

With a new band, or with a band whose ears are not appreciably worn,
this lip should catch the lower end of the band by 3/64" to 1/16". More will
hold back the bottom end of the band while the top goes on over. Less will

88 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

mean that some bands will get bounced over at the bottom, and there will be
a jam-up the next time the pawls rise.

A word about bending: To raise this lip, use a small screwdriver from
underneath - but take it easy. Too much is enough. To lower, use the small
screwdriver underneath to brace it, and put another screwdriver through the slot
in the long chute plate and pry on the top end of the short plate. Here, most
emphatically, don't play Hercules, for you are not giving the plate much of an
arc to absorb the bend.

If the top end of the band goes over all right but the bottom end stays
behind the chute plate, then the chute plate has too much bite. Harding says
you should not bend this plate without removing it from the chute - and that
is indeed safer.

Spaeeband Lever on Model 1

Here the lever (the long one that goes behind the face plate) was soldered
at the hub. This solder would come loose and cause endless trouble until the
thing was resoldered.

Right End of Spaeeband Lever

The hole in the right end usually wears larger and elliptical and causes
lost motion. Drill it out with a larger drill (about 3/32") and drill out the hole
in the spaeeband key rod. Insert a 3/32" cotter pin. A drop of oil on this joint
once in a while will preserve the fit for a long time.

Spaeeband Keyrod Worn at the Banking Bar

Very often on old machines the spaeeband keyrod (the long vertical rod)
becomes badly worn at the notch where it banks on the banking bar. Sometimes
it drops the rod as much as a pica - which is too much. Get a new rod - or,
in emergency, rivet a piece of an old rod on above the notch and extend down
just far enough to provide a new banking surface in the right place.

Two Springs Affect the Keyrod

There is a spring on the spaeeband "weight" below the keyboard cam.
This spring counterbalances the weight of the spaeeband key. It should be
just strong enough to pull the weight firmly down after each stroke. Too much
stiffness will make the spaeeband key "hard." Too little will make doubles.

There is also a spring to pull the keyrod down, counter-balancing the
weight of the spaeeband box lifting levers and pawls. This too should be just
strong enough to do a positive job. Too much strength will wear a groove in
the rubber roll. Too little will leave it up, and you won't get your spacebands.

Spaceband Box 89

Replace the Box and Test It

Put the box back in place. Lift the lifting levers and let the end of the
key lever slip into the slotted screw head. The key lever should not bind on
either side. It is easily bent a little with the fingers until it rides in the center.
Put a dab of hard oil on it. Now turn off the power. Hit the spaceband key
and turn the roll by hand. At the low point of the left end of the key lever, it
should have a little play between itself and the bottom of the slot in the screw

At this point also, the lifting pawls should be at least 1/32" below the ears
of the bands. Keep turning the rubber roll slowly. The lifting pawls should
lift the first spaceband evenly, and after it swings off, the tops of the lifting
pawls should be at least 1/32" above the tops of the ears on the spaceband box
rails. Most machines show a considerably wider range than this 1/32" above
and below, but this won't bother.

Bands Fail to Drop

When one ear hangs back, open the gate and try the pawls by hand. Pull
them to the right and see if they snap back promptly. If not, they may be rusty,
gummy, or bent, or the spring may have no zing. A good test, with the box off,
is to hold it with the pawl side down. Pull the pawls down by hand and release
slowly. They should go fully up into place in this position.

Double Spacebands

For double bands, be sure it isn't the keyboard cam. Tie a white flag on
the keyrod where you can watch it from the corner of your eye. If you get
doubles not from this source, sometimes they will fall as a double and some-
times they will clog up in the chute. This means the pawls are going in too far,
the center bar is not set properly, or the lip on the short chute plate has not
enough bite. This also is caused by unevenness in height of the pawls.

To Test Assembly of Spacebands

Loomis: The final test of the way the spacebands drop is this: standing
as far away as you can, hold your finger on the spaceband key and let the
bands come tumbling down. Keep your eyes focused on the spot just above
the right end of the assembling elevator gate. Do this several times, until
presently the continuous dropping of the bands seem almost like a steady flow
of wa'.er, and the path of the bands is very clear in your mind. (Frank Phillips
maintains this test cannot be successfully made without three drinks of scotch,
and I am not a man to dispute an authority.) Matter of fact, you have to con-
centrate on this until you forget everything else, and the only thing in your

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-M ACHINIST

s is that almost solid stream of bands, falling, falling . . . You are
half hypnotized by it, but when you are, the path of the bands is as clear as if
it were drawn on paper.

The band should drop until the ears hit the bottom of the spaceband chute;
then the band suddenly moves straight left about half an inch, hangs poised
there a fraction of a second, straight up and down, then drops neatly into place.
This is what you are striving for. Keep working until you get it.

To Test the Spaceband Box

Loomis: I have found this almost failure-proof: hold down the spaceband
key and let all the bands drop (excepting the last one or two). Do this four
times. If there is no failure except the last one or two in the box, you can feel
pretty sure it is working.

The Intertype Spaceband Box

Sinclair, Harding, and Loomis: Up to the spaceband box itself Linotype
and Intertype are similar. But in the box there've been some changes made.
The rails are entirely different, without ears. There are no lifting pawls. In
the back plate, near the bottom, a plunger comes out and pushes the first band
toward the front. It then swings into the chute and down.

There are a few adjustments in this box.

Detaining plate, on the front of the box, should be set to cover half of the
second band, to prevent doubles. This adjustment is made when the releasing
pawl has receded and the band dropped down against the banking pin.

Keep the floor of the box free of caked graphite.

Occasionally take out and graphite the releasing pawl and the pivoted
lever that operates it.

Sometimes the banking pin becomes rounded and allows two bands to drop
at once. Remove the releasing pawl and with a pin punch through the slot,
knock out the banking pin.

The tension of the releasing pawl spring must be positive.

A rivet protruding from the band will stop delivery.

The center bar on an Intertype box is to depress any wedges that are
inclined to remain up on the sleeve.

Sometimes the spaceband key lever is bent so that even at its lowest, the
plunger will not recede enough to clear the spaceband which is about to fall
against the banking pin. The lever can be bent with care.

Spaceband Box 91

LINOGRAPH SPACEBAND BOX

The point of the hook on the front ear of the spaceband box paw] on a
Linograph is slightly lower, because there is but one lifting pawl.

SPACEBANDS

Can We Mix Different Sizes of Spacebands?

Loomis: You can, but it can be frustrating, too. If you use thick bands
at all, the center bar lugs and the bottom end of the short chute plate must be
set for them. They generally will not then function on thin bands. Some sets
of mixed bands, however, are used, and sometimes, when conditions are right,
the two sizes drop with equal facility. This is an exception.

Spacebands With Badly Worn Ears

Question: The ears of some of my bands are worn narrow, top to bottom,
but they seem to work fine. Is there any point in replacing them as long as
they work? - O. T. R, Red Oak, Okla.

Loomis: Perhaps not, but ears considerably worn usually make trouble.
The ear of a new Linotype spaceband (I have some unused ones here) measures
.091" (just short of 3/32"), and when they get worn down a couple of points
(say to around .065") you may expect trouble in two places: bands will be left
in the transfer channel because the lugs on the spaceband pawl pass over them,
and they sometimes fail to be lifted over the lip on the short chute plate. If
you decrease this bite of the chute plate, you then put in a half dozen new
bands and find that they bounce over. Ordinarily speaking, it is not good
practice to put new bands with badly worn ones. I have many times found this
at the root of spaceband trouble.

Cleaning Spacebands

One last word: Do not under any circumstances buff the bands against a
cloth emery wheel. You can make them shiny, but you also round the edges.

Repairing Spacebands

Loomis: For some reason I have had very poor luck repairing s;

or having them repaired. This has been consistent over thirty years, a

inclined to think new bands are a better investment. I do keep good sleeves,
but you seldom have an extra good wedge, and I have only rarely been able to
put together a good band from these slavaged parts.

If you do salvage such a band, if you straighten one that has been kinked -
which sometimes is difficult - hold the wedge up and see if the sleeve will fall
by its own weight. It should.

A sharp kink is almost impossible to take out.

92 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

What Kind of Bands to Buy?

There are six or eight different thicknesses and tapers, and they vary from
company to company. The kind most suitable for all around use in almost
any shop is commonly called "teletype band." Its minimum expansion is around
.037", maximum around .124". Thin bands are available for fussy composition.
Jumbos are seldom used any more.

How to Use Bands

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: Always run
spacebands with the sleeves toward the right; they are .001" thicker on the
casting edge. Two spacebands should not be used together, for there will be a
small gap that encourages metal to cast against the side walls of the mats. Do
t the end of a line — either end; this may score the wedges.

SPACEBAND TRANSPOSITIONS

Spaccband Falling Before the Last Letter of a Word

Question: What makes the spacebands fall ahead of the last letter in a
word? I have had this trouble for over a year, and it's getting my goat. — T. P. L.,
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Harding: If this happens mostly on thick letters like m, be sure the chute
spring is not set too close to the rails. Weak star wheel tension may do it. Too
much tension will drive the assembler too far left, leaving the gap; then the
right-hand mat may fall back to the right and allow the spaceband to get ahead
of it.

Loomis: Quite often, too, this results from a peculiarity of the operator.
Try lowering the spaceband key (which ordinarily is set a little below the level
of the keybuttons). I have used a piece of wire, fastened under the screw on
the front plate of the spaceband box and projecting inside, to in effect move
the lip of the chute plate from 14" to 14" to the left. This makes the band a
little slower in dropping.

If a band is too slow, which happens infrequently, there is generally trouble
in the box or in the keyboard cam.

Also, when the rubber roll is deeply grooved, this reduces the diameter
and makes the cam turn faster. Likewise, if the roll creeps so that the cam
rides on the corner, the cam soon will be turning over too fast.

Sinclair says that in some cases it is necessary to use an ovei
in. This is particularly true on older machines, many of which did not have
oversize cam at all. If your spaceband cam is the same as the other cams,
der a spaceband cam. If yours is a spaceband cam already, it should be big
ough. In rare cases where the m-o can't whip it, write either Company and

Spaceband Box 93

tell them you want the next larger size than a regular spaceband cam. There
are a number of large sizes, some quite huge, but you won't want these. They
are for machines with big sizes in the auxiliaries. With the next size, bigger
than the spaceband cam, you may have to file out the stop strip to allow the
cam room to turn over, and in some cases you will need a special individual
stop pin — which will have to be fastened by drilling and tapping. Try to get
results with the regular spaceband cam.

Why Do Spacebands Strike on Top of the Mats?

Harding: Assuming the mats are upright in proper position, then the
band either is dropping late or, more likely, is being thrown too far left by the
tongue in the bottom of the spaceband box chute plate, by the beveled ends
of the chute being worn out and perhaps beveling out instead of in, or even
grooves here that hold the band unduly long until a stiff star wheel gets hold
of it and throws it. The spaceband buffer can be a help here. The new buffers
usually have a hump or two small fiat springs at the right end, either of which is
to drag against the band for an inch or so and tilt it to the left to create a little
more opening for the next mat. This seems to be a good deal.

Why Do Spacebands Bend?

Question: We have a three-magazine Model C that invariably bends a
band when there is only one in a line. The lines are not always tight; some-
times the band rises an inch or so. We set a lot of short measure — 6, 7, and 8
picas — and our spaceband upkeep is much too high — A. O. J., Perryton, Tex.

Harding: The justification springs (at the back of the machine) are set
originally to handle ten bands in a line, and will not usually bend a single band.
Sometimes, however, somebody has changed the tension. For the record, here
is the way to check it. Let both justification levers go up; a spring scale hooked
over the end of the first or right-hand lever should start it down at about 45
pounds; the left-hand or vise closing lever, 22 pounds. Newer Intertypes are
set at 60 and 30.

Here is a good test: run in a line with over ten bands. Stop the machine
after the first justification, and you should be able to pull up one band about
14" with a button hook or a mat hook.

(Loomis: I have always liked this test, but at this last moment, on checking
the Intertype Book of Instruction, 1 find the following recommendation: run
in a long line with eight bands; you should be able to raise one only with
difficulty after the first justification. Perhaps this applies to Intertypes alone.)

It is normal for bands to rise higher on the right end (reversed on quadders).
Usually they are pretty even after the second justification. If there is too much
difference (over 3/16", say) you can put a washer under the left end of the
justification bar, over the bar brace. If this is done, you will have to grind the

94 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

washer considerably on the outside to keep it from projecting. (Note: This is
Loomis's idea. Harding doesn't like it, and Loomis advocates it only when the
top of the brace is unduly worn. The bands should not rise evenly on first
justification. The line has to slide leftward to fill out, and the slanted justifica-
tion bar assists this movement.)

In many cases of bending bands, the small lug at the top of the vise justifi-
cation bar brace is unduly worn, allowing the left end of the block to rise
higher on second justification, which causes a single band to skid to the right.
Replace the brace.

Note that almost without exception, bands are bent to the right. This
means it happens on the second justification.

Now if your springs are reasonably set (you can't soften them too much,
for the machine will then fail to fill out long lines and you'll be sorry, for you'll
have a squirt to clean up) and if your bar rises at a small slant on first justifica-
tion and squarely on second justification, you may still, on a snug line with
only one band, get a bent one. Now we resort to mayhem. Some m-o's roughen
the bar with coarse emery cloth. Some hold it crosswise against an emery wheel
and make very shallow grooves.

Chuckle by Loomis: We (and even Company men) were doing this in the
field twenty-five years ago, but a book in my possession says in italic, "do not
grind the bar." However, most new machines now come equipped with bars
either stepped, cross-hatched, screened, grilled, or with small straight grooves

In justice, be thankful the engineers do not grab everything as fast as it
comes along. If they did, you'd have a machine as big as Grand Central
Terminal — and it would do everything but set type.

If you do roughen up a smooth bar, make shallow grooves, as narrow as
possible and as close together as you can.

Why Do Spaeebands Refuse to Settle Down in the Assembling Elevator?

Loomis: This is not a new problem. In The Inland Printer for October,
1900, a California man describes a wire which he stretched from the short
finger to the long finger to "prevent sore fingers from pushing down space-
bands." George B. Lincoln pointed out that such a device had been patented
the preceding December, and suggested just what I am about to suggest: why
not graphite the bands?

Except for bent or damaged bands, or bands that have been straightened
when they should have been discarded, most of this trouble can be cured with
graphiting.

On occasion the front half of the assembling elevator is canted in too far
and binds the wedges, but this is easy to check.- If the bands stick up for only
the first four picas or so next to the assembler, and then gradually drop, the
fiber buffer needs thinning. This happens often. •

Spaceband Box yo

How About Grinding Bands on the Bottom?

Question: I have seen a Teletypesetter operating a machine in the city,
and I noticed the spacebands were much more tapered on the bottom than
usual. They said this made for better assembly. Do you think so? And does
it hurt the band? - M. T. I., Sisseton, S. D.

Loomis: I have seen this done and I have tried it. I believe bands today
are not as blunt as the old ones, so if you want to taper them, go ahead. Don't
grind in too far, of course. It is my experience that the final taper should
extend up to about i/ 2 " from the bottom of the band (no more) and that the
very bottom of the band should never be over 8 or at most 10 points from a
straight-line extension from the side of the band - in other words, the triangle
of space at each side of the bottom will be about 3 picas by 8 or 10 points.
I do not grind these flat, however, but a little rounded, so that the hypotenuse
bellies a little into the triangle. Lay a slug along the side of the band to check
the 8-point measurement. Finally, take off burrs and polish the new rounded
surface with fine emery cloth.

How to Clean Spacebands

Question: We have trouble getting the black spots off the sleeves of our
spacebands. I have been told that Bon Ami mixed with graphite wdl do it
more easily. What do you advise? - H. F., Norman, Okla.

Loomis: I have worked in a couple of large plants where the head
machinist has tried different methods of cleaning bands, and have observed
the results - which gives these conclusions a certain amount of statistical support.

First, I am compelled to say that I do not care for the spaceband-cleaning
machines' commonly used in large plants. They do not seem to do the job.
I may as well go all out and take cognizance of the gadgets that have come on
the market at different times (particularly one in the year of 1951) to be
attached to the spaceband box. (The first automatic cleaner was made by Wm.
Reid in 1900.) This latest one I don't know enough about to give an opinion
at this time; some say it's perfect; others say they don't like it. It is always so
with anything new -good or bad. My advice is this: don't stick your neck out.
If the boss buys one, do your best to make it work. You never know. Maybe
it's the answer.

But this is for those who clean bands by hand. Take a look at your bands
on the sleeve side. There probably is a small dark spot at the casting point.
This must come off. Do not use Bon Ami or any other abrasive, for it seems to
round off the sharp edges of the band and encourage hairlines. I know a shop
where they had to buy six hundred bands to replace those they had. They
were using Bon Ami in the graphite, and cleaning bands every three hours,
but still the bands would have large accumulations of metal at every cleaning
time. They do not use Bon Ami any more.

96 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Note one thing: if your bands have had large metal spots on them for any
length of time, your mats are already hairlined, and that will encourage rapid
accumulations on the bands. Sometimes it helps to get new bands, but more
often you have got to get new mats also to get rid of the hairlines.

But let's say the bands have just a little metal on them. Scrape it off with
a brass rule which is filed on the end to a square edge. Now rub the bands on
a smooth, soft pine board. Use plenty of graphite. Rub the whole length of
the band, and rub it until the black spot disappears. Rub the other side about
eight strokes to polish it. Bounce off the surplus graphite.

Dixon's No. 35 flake graphite seems to be highly satisfactory.

Do not rub circularly. Rub straight, with the length of the band parallel
with the grain of the board. Even rubbing on graphite makes tiny scratches
which can help or hinder the sliding action of the band.

Use nothing but graphite. Rub both sides. Then drop the sleeve on one
band at a time and rub the hitherto unrubbed spot on the wedge back and
forth at the edge of the board. When the board shows ridges, get a new one.

If metal persists in accumulating on the bands, often it helps to get a tin
of Notabur from Mergenthaler, and, with the tip of the thumb, wipe a thin
film of Notabur over the sleeve at the casting-point - after the graphiting. Or
rub the spot thoroughly with oil before graphiting.

Return bands to the machine with the sleeve at the right always. Bands
are tapered .001", with the thicker edge against the mold, and if you run them
backward it will encourage hairlines.

Under normal conditions, cleaning once a day is enough. But if they start
to accumulate metal at noon, spend ten minutes cleaning them then also.

If you get a new font of mats, it is money well spent to get a new set of
bands at the same time. Usually an old set of bands is pretty well bent up and
the bands don't lock up squarely.

I do not touch bands with any sort of abrasive on a cloth wheel, either.
Abrasives are out. You can remove metal and dark spots with a brass rule and
graphite and elbow grease. Once they are clean, you can keep them so more
easily by regular cleaning as described above.

In the nineties, coal oil was used extensively to clean bands, and still is in
some places — but graphite is more satisfactory. In June, 1900, John Thompson
noted a new slang phrase, "His space bands are rusty," probably meaning, "He's
got a screw loose."

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: I have been

asked about using powdered mica as a substitute for graphite. I am very much

opposed to its use on spacebands and would discourage my readers from using it.

Intertype jaws are center-milled for sure clearance of mats. The casting

edge must be tight.

CHAPTER VIII
LINE DELIVERY

When to Replace Delivery Slide Long Finger Block

Question: I have been told that the long finger block is badly worn and
should be replaced. These are expensive, and I would like to know how you
decide this. - R. E. C, Mendenhall, Miss.

Loomis: I replace this block in one of only two situations: 1, when the
long finger is canted so far backward that it rubs against the assembling elevator
when the line is sent up; 2, when the delivery slide bar (the one with the notches
to set the long finger) is canted so far down that the clamp is nicked by the
first elevator back jaw. I have seen some of these get pretty worn, but as far as
I can see, if one of these two situations is not present, there is no point in
changing the block. I'll tell you a secret: a new block invariably has to be filed
considerably to work freely in the slide, and often after you've got it fitted, you
will be dismayed to find it is as sloppy as the old one.

What Lubricant to Use

Question: A young war is raging in our shop. The night man put oil on
the line delivery slides, and the day man hit the ceiling. He insists nothing but
graphite should be used. Can you settle it? — L. T. S., Mill City, Wash.

Loomis: The overwhelming consensus seems to be for graphite. I prefer
it myself. I put it on with a toothbrush, and it seems to maintain lubrication
longer than oil — which I have tried deliberately. One bad thing about oil:
you put it on and it takes a long time to get rid of it, daily washing out with
gasoline, etc. It seems to go into the pores of the cast iron and come out
gradually. I have also tried kerosene, which doesn't last. I keep a squirt can
with white, unleaded gasoline and graphite. This is a good way to apply it.

The Long and Short Fingers

Loomis: The short finger on old machines works best with a little c
o the right, to avoid hitting mats as they go up.

98 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

The long finger should be straight up and down. The new split ones are
good, but not applicable to machines with old style delivery carriage, though
you can buy the whole works. If you use a split finger, don't make the long
flat copper spring too strong, or it will push mats out of the first elevator jaws.

The small brass friction plate that steadies the long finger should be
renewed occasionally. The large screw in the top of the finger is an adjusting
screw for spring tension. There is a small screw inside that holds the brass
plate. Also, the surface where the brass plate rubs should be graphited. Turn
up the headless adjusting screw enough to provide definite pressure on the

Long Finger Crawls to Shorter Measure

Question: I am having a heck of a time. We have a Model 8, and I get
the clamp set to hold the long finger at 13 picas. I send a line over and look
up and the long finger is at 10 or 11 picas. This happens consistently, and I
cannot understand it al all. — N. R. T., Thief River Falls, Minn.

Loomis: This can be tricky, but it's easy when you know. Either the line
delivery slide block is worn and canted (see above), or, more likely, the small
parts of the clamp are worn, allowing the trigger to fall enough to hit the first
elevator jaw. The trigger will hit on the corner of the jaw and be jarred to
the right; it will usually show a mark of this. The clamp can be repaired, but
I suggest getting a new one. Then it will be good all the way around.

At this time also it is desirable to examine the delivery slide bar on which
the clamp fits. If the bar is worn smooth in some of the grooves, or if some of
them are deeply gouged — in other words, if you've had trouble with it — this
is a good time to replace it. You will need also D-1404, Delivery Lever Link
Screw. This is best installed by screwing in tightly and then drilling a small
hole from the top of the bar and putting in a pin, but if you tighten it with a
good screwdriver, it should stay.

How Can This Screw be Made to Stay in?

Question: The screw that holds the assembling elevator releasing bar
(the trailing piece) to the short finger block is always coming out. It hits on
the spaceband box chute and gets knocked sidewise. Now the hole is so sloppy
we can't make anything stay there. — P. F. T., Pocahontas, 111.

Loomis: You have embarrassed me, for I have just looked up and have
seen the same screw loose on my Model 15. (Believe me, no machine ever got
such a checking as this machine is getting while I do my part of this book on
the machine.) But this trouble can be remedied. Get a 10x32 shoulder screw
(a bigger size may be needed if the hole is sloppy.) E-1466 is the number
for the 10; and get nuts to match.) Drill the hole with a No. 20 drill; tap with

Line Delivery ™

a 10x32; put the screw in place and see that the releasing bar is free to move
up and down; otherwise you will have trouble with the line delivery, and it
will be very hard to find. I£ the releasing bar is a little too thick at the end,
file it thinner; it won't take much. Tighten the screw and put the nut on the
end. That last sentence sounds simple but it isn't always. Blocks differ; often
there isn't room to turn the nut, so hold the nut in a pair of Vise-Grip pliers
and grind down the sides until it will turn. This is a lot of monkey business,
but if you do it right you will be happy.

How Fast Should the Line Delivery Go Over?

Question: We are up against the old situation — two operators and only
one machine. One operator wants the line delivery to slam over; the other
wants it to go over softly. They keep changing it back and forth and arguing
with each other until I'm almost ready to buy a second machine. That of
course is silly. Please tell us how it should be set. - T. D. S., Daggett, Utah.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: I will have to limit my answer to
"according to accepted practice," for it sounds to me as if this is an argument.
The delivery slide should operate quietly and smoothly. I do not favor slam-
ming or jerking. It not only makes for undue wear but it squabbles lines and
damages mats and even causes front squirts. I am aware that when an operator
gets into his stride he can be awfully frustrated if he thinks the thing is
dragging. Yes, it is enough to throw a man off stride. However, he should
accustom himself to the highest speed he can get without slamming.

While we're at it, see that the delivery lever link screw and the hole in the
link itself (under the spring) and the delivery lever link stud in the other end
of the link are not unduly worn. Let's eliminate all the slack we can.

Now turn the machine over past the casting point and stop it. Send the
assembling elevator up without mats and release the line delivery. It doesn't
matter how fast it goes over, just so it doesn't crack or bounce. Many air
cylinders have had holes drilled in them to allow the line to travel very fast
until it reaches the first elevator; this often makes the line delivery slam when it
stops at the waiting point.

Take out the piston. Change the leather if worn. Otherwise oil it and
oil the walls of the cylinder. Replace the piston. Graphite the line delivery
slide. Try it again. If it still slams in the waiting position, cut down the air.
If that doesn't work look for a hole, and plug it with a bit of chewing gum
and scotch tape. (Well, we've used everything but baling wire.)

Loomis: I have encountered this difficulty more on Intertypes of certain
years, and usually the solution is to get a new line delivery spring. Don't ask
me why; I don't know.

100 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Adjusting the Line Delivery Slide

There are two adjustments, one for the delivery stroke, one for the return.

Loomis: I set the screw in the left end of the face plate so the left surface
of the short finger is 13/32" inside the first elevator jaws. Got that? It's easy.

I set the return at the waiting position of the delivery. Back the machine
to the waiting position. My idea is to have the right side of the short finger
flush with the right side of the delivery channel, so no mats can drop down.
If you let it go in too far, it won't come back far enough to latch.

The setting, of course, is on the split hub at the back, with two %" bolt
heads that are best reached with a socket wrench. Have somebody hold the
delivery slide in position; loosen the bolts; tap the arm until the cam roll is
against the cam; tighten; then examine. If you are too far to the left, have your
assistant hold it a little farther to the right and try it again. Turn the machine
over and be sure the delivery latches when it comes back.

If there is a lot of slack in the joints (sometimes the short finger will move
half an inch back and forth), I usually set with the short finger pushed to the
left, for it has to be in this position when it returns to be locked.

Replacing the Line Delivery Link

Loomis: The link (with a flat spring) is designed to come off under stress,
such as a mat jamming the line delivery on the way back. It is not as hard to

If the machine is at rest, reach over the face plate with your right arm
and pull the delivery lever back about halfway, at the same time lifting the
link to horizontal. The delivery slide usually is at the left. Lean away over
and spot the screw that fits in the end of the link. Pull the slide to the right
with your left hand. (This is one that can be done with only two arms.)
Hold the link to meet it, and push them together. Snap! It's all over.
Pretty soon you can do this by watching through the delivery slide channels,
and later on without looking at all. Then you get a gold star.

By the way, if you have a Monomelt, wrap a wiping rag around your right
forearm and it will be easier.

Adjusting the Line Delivery Channel

Harding; The channel should be adjusted by shims if necessary until it
is just wide enough (on both ends) to allow free passage to a new or pi mat in
both light-face and bold-face positions. If you have time, file a gauge from an
old liner. A new mat measures .5625", so your gauge should be about .570" to
allow for older mats with slight deformities. This .570" gauge, however, should
fit the channel snugly.

The channel must be aligned with the first elevator jaws — in or out as
necessary.

The rails themselves are adjustable right and left. I have never seen them
give trouble on the right, but they must be adjusted on the left, so that at
least the thickness of a piece of newsprint is between them and the first elevator

Here's how: After setting the channels for passage of the mats, take out
the two screws and take off the delivery channel assembly. (If your machine
has a universal ejector, be sure to unhook the indicator rod and drop it out of
the back channel plate first.) Now, with the assembly removed, you can loosen
the three screws holding the back delivery channel rail. Turn them up again
lightly. Replace the assembly. You can then tap the back rail either way, and
when you get it set, take off the assembly and tighten the screws.

Loomis: There comes a time on old machines when you cannot get the
delivery channel far enough to the rear to align with the first elevator jaws.
Usually there is space between the back rail and the face plate, but you will
have to take off the assembly and grind a little from the upper boss of the plate,
first driving the pin back and making shallow depth marks with a three-
cornered file for your guidance in grinding. Usually .005" is enough. If you
take off too much, restore it with paper shims. This is a tricky job but often
necessary.

Note that on the back plate there is a screw whose head tightens on the
mold disk shield (often called the splash shield).

Line Delivery Rails Not the Same Height

Loomis: Once in a great while this happens. Test by laying a piece of
brass rule, edge down, across the two. Unevenness will cause trouble when the
mats go into the first elevator jaws. You can secure a little adjustment with
paper shims under the rails themselves, and in extreme cases you can also
loosen the bolt that holds the front plate on, then snug it back, and tap the
front plate up or down with a rawhide hammer or a block of wood. Then
tighten the bolt firmly.

Why Does the Line Delivery Rattle or Stop Half-way Into the First
Elevator Jaws?

Harding: The most frequent cause is misalignment of the first elevator

This will be covered in the next chapter under Adjusting the First Elevator
Jaws.

102 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Front Jaw Adjusting Bar

If this has been turned end for end, you will have t<
right end. As manufactured, it is not

First Elevator Spring Pawl Broken

This will stop a line so that it s
way. If you finally get the line over,

Line Delivery Goes Over but Machine Doesn't Start

This is usually maladjustment or malfunction of the automatic stopping
mechanism, and in some cases improper adjustment or undue wear of the
clutch. These are treated under Starting and Stopping Adjustments, page 250,
and Why Won't the Machine Start? page 252.

Binding of the Delivery Slide Blocks

May be caused by improperly fitted new blocks which are loose enough
in certain spots, are loose anywhere separately, but bind when together; also
by twisted blocks, caused by the long or short finger jamming on return. These
blocks are malleable and to a certain extent can be bent back into shape with
a fairly large Crescent wrench.

Slowing Down Due to Swollen Toes

An occasional line may go over slowly. If there is a noticeable difference
between this and other lines, you probably have a mat with a swollen or bent
toe. Examine the toes on both sides as soon as the line gets onto the second
elevator.

To Remove the Delivery Slide

Harding: Four steps:

1. Push in the clutch lever and open the vise.

2. Send the line delivery over. At the back of the face plate, use a screw-
driver under the delivery slide link spring, and separate the slide from the
delivery lever.

3. Remove the delivery slide stop screw bracket from the left end of the
face plate, and pull out the slide.

4. Notice the relative position of the parts. These can be very confusing
when you start to replace them - particularly on an Intertype.

Line Delivery 10*

Squabbled Lines on Intertype

Harding: There is a coiled spring around the right end of the adjusting
rod where it enters a hole in the short finger. This spring, if broken, will
allow lines to squabble. Keep the adjusting rod graphited.

Last Matrix Falls From End of Line in Elevator Jaws

Harding: There may be a number of causes:

Long Finger Bent to the Left. Open the vise and straighten the finger with
a monkey wrench or a Crescent wrench.

Misadjustment of Stopping Pawl. If this allows the machine to start up
too soon, the line may not be inside the jaws. See Starting and Stopping Ad-
justment, page 250.

Worn or Broken Jaw Spring Pawls.

Badly Worn Back Jaw.
Right End of the Delivery Channel Rails Worn Down

Harding: These wear in time -usually from a too-low position of the
assembling elevator when the mats go over. They should be repaired or replaced.

Delivery Channel Aligning Piece

Loomis: This occurs on Linotypes only. (Sometimes too you find a Lino-
type with Intertype delivery rails.) This is a movable piece pivoted on a small
shoulder screw. The screw head should not extend above the surface of the
rail. The piece itself should move freely but not sloppily. When the long
duplex rail on the assembling elevator is pushed in, the duplex rail finger on
the left end lifts the aligning piece to permit mats to go into the delivery
channel in the bold-face position. Otherwise raised mats are deflected to the
light-face position. The tricky setting is in the finger. It is fastened with only
one small screw, and is subject to movement from side to side. It should be
set so that it firmly catches the offset in the aligning piece and lifts it, without
binding, to its maximum height. On occasion it is necessary to bend the finger
a little up or down. Tighten the screw firmly.

CHAPTER IX
FIRST ELEVATOR JAWS
THE FIRST ELEVATOR

Duplex Rail Levers

Loomis: On a Linotype, if the duplex rail levers are worn flat at the
place where they hit on the blocks above, replace them. See that the springs
have tension in any position. Observe whether the lugs on the duplex rail are
flush with the surface of the front jaw. If they are standing out, it probably
means dirt and gum. Usually they are a little sunken, which means you will
have to put new stop pins in the duplex rail, for you will find the old ones
flattened on one side.

Duplex Rail Is Too Loose

Take off the duplex rail cap underneath the front jaw. (Remember, the
front jaw is the one toward you.) Also, it is easier to work on the duplex rail
with the vise lowered to second position. Wash the cap, the duplex rail, and
the surface of the jaw with gasoline, then rub with graphite. A toothbrush is
good for washing; the fingertips are good for graphiting. Hold the duplex rail
against a straight-edge and be sure it is straight in every direction. If bent, as
it can be from a double-black lockup, it will give much trouble. Put it back
and try it. It must work freely. But maybe it works too freely. See if it wiggles
up and down. There should barely be perceptible motion. In the rare cases
where excess motion occurs, a new rail should be gotten. If there is still slop,
you will have to file off — but carefully and squarely, with the file held flat all
the way across — the tops of the projections to let the cap down a little.

Duplex Rail Sticks

Suppose the rail sticks — which is far more likely. Loosen one of the cap
screws and try again. If it isn't that one, tighten it and try another. It may be
all. Take off the cap and use a prick punch to drive up little mounds of metal;
use the punch sidewise. It won't require much. Try the rail again. If it doesn't
work freely, test it again for straightness. If it is now loose, tap the little mounds
with a small hammer and tighten up the cap again. You can use paper shims,
but I prefer punching, though it smacks of butchery, because shims get lost
and you have the job to do all over again.

104

The First Elevator 105

Test the Jaws With a New Thick Mat

Now we have the cap on; the duplex rail is working smoothly and seats
itself flush with the surface of the front jaw. Take a little-used thick pi mat
and try it the full length of the jaws, in both upper and lower positions. If
there are nicks, smooth them out cautiously with a file. Sometimes there is
metal around the big screw heads which would interfere with the spacebands;

First Elevator Jaw Adjusting Bar

How about the adjusting bar -the flat plate held by five screws through
the front jaw? Does it have a groove on the top edge? You can reverse it if
you hone a bevel on the other end, but I suggest a new one. Fewer complica-
tions. When you install the new one, try your mat both up and down. You
may have to pin punch lightly the edge immediately below the bar to raise it a
little to avoid binding the toes of mats in upper position — especially true if
the duplex rail is battered.

Harding: Do not reverse the adjusting bar. I have found a difference in
the top and bottom edges.

Adjusting the Back Jaw

Now you find the two jaws are not parallel. They are wider at the right
end. But wait! Wiggle the mat and decide whether the wideness comes only
at the narrow part of the mat, where the projecting edge of the back jaw fits
just under the mat's ear, or is it general and about the same across the ears also?

Let's assume it is only the thin rail, because that works out better for this
explanation. Incidentally, try a straight-edge on the back side of the back jaw.
If it is bent, run for a new one. Try the straight-edge along the thin rail.
Here you usually find considerable wear on the right end. If this is only for
a couple of picas, that won't matter, but inside the pawls it isn't good, because
it allows the end mat to fall off or jump up and get smashed.

Let's say we're going to put on a new one. The procedure is the same as
for an old one. Pull up the two screws. (On a Linotype, the shorter screw
goes on the right.) Try your mat now. Try it first on the left end. Is it free?
If it binds a little there, take off the jaw and use a prick punch both above and
below the ridge on the separating block. Try it again. Get it right. Now for
the right end. Is it loose? Lift the vise into the first position and let it fall back
against your-er, shall we say guts? Supported thusly, you may now tap the end
of the back jaw with a rawhide hammer, or with a plain hammer against a
wooden block. It won't take much. Keep testing until you have it as close as it
will go and not bind at all on the mat. It is well to note here that if those lugs
are sunken on the front side of the front jaw and you didn't fix them as we

106 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

told you, the duplex rail will now protrude too far toward the back o£ the
machine and confuse the issue very much indeed. (See above, Duplex Rail
Levers, about putting in new stop pins.) Be sure the mat is not binding against
the duplex rail.

Now suppose you get the back jaw in a teensy bit too far. Slide a round
piece of wood, y 8 " or s/ A " in diameter, between the jaws, and pry out a little —
gently. With a little care you can get a good adjustment this way, and if you
don't soften up the jaw by too much bending, it will stay.

Is the Back Jaw at the Same Height as the Front Jaw?

A small square is the easiest way to tell. Otherwise use a piece of brass
rule laid edgewise across the top of the front jaw. By holding it there, you
can tell if the back jaw is high or just right. If high or low, take it off and
peen the ridge on the separating block on one corner to bring it up or down
(peen on the right end). It can be necessary to file off the opposite corner, but
I do not like to get mixed up in this, for it is always hard to hold the back jaw
in position once you have mangled the block. However, watch the right end,
for it has to fit close to the line delivery rails. The two jaws must be level
across the top and they must also be even at the ends.

This jaw business can be very tricky. When you get them so the mats travel
free without binding and without sloppiness, with the jaws parallel, square on
top, and even on the end, you get a bluebird.

First Elevator Jaw Spring Pawls

Loomis: I do not like these as stiff as they come from the factory. I grind
out some from the middle so they have about half the original tension. Remem-
ber, the slotted one goes in the front jaw, and you have only to loosen the two
screws and slide the pawl under the plate. An Intertype has a triangular piece
pushed by a similar flat spring. The front jaw also has a small cylindrical
piece as a filler. These triangular pieces get their corners worn and have to be
rotated. The best way to get the one back in the front jaw is to lay the machine
over on its back, but if that isn't feasible, use the stiffest cup grease you have
and stick the triangular piece on the end of the cylindrical piece. It takes
patience.

Tension of the spring pawls must be equal. Do not have one stronger than
the other.

The Line Stop

The first elevator jaw line stop's importance will be recognized if it acts up.
It should be square - that is, each side should be straight up and down, and
the ends at the same level. Spread it about half an inch on the open end, and
graphite with the fingers. If you have an automatic line stop pusher-backer,
you won't need that much spread.

The First Elevator 107

Adjustments of the First Elevator

Harding and Loomis: These are not many.

1. The seating adjustment, made by the large screw closest to the front
jaw. Run in a long line of caps and allow the mold to come forward. No
spacebands. Stop the machine. You should be able to lift the elevator .010".
On old machines we said 1/64" and sometimes took 1/16", but if our mats
were not old already they soon would be. On newer machines, especially with
quadder and two-letter display equipment, the .010" setting must not be ex-
ceeded. When you lift the elevator, you should be able to slide an .008" feeler
under the screw, but not .012". Remember, there must be some rise of the first
elevator after it seats itself.

2. The vise automatic. Use the smaller screw. When the elevator is fully
seated, this screw should strike the top of the vise automatic rod just enough
so the dog will clear the lip down below.

Harding: On quadding and low-slug machines, the adjustment of the
t be made very closely.

The first rough adjustment of the vise automatic is made with the first
elevator resting on the vise cap. Set the screw so the lip on the stop rod barely
clears the lip on the dog. Then turn the screw down about one half turn and
test with a two-point lead or brass rule under the seating screw (not on the stop
rod). The machine should stop on two points — not on one.

3. Using the large bolt in the first elevator auxiliary lever just under the
first elevator cam, adjust the jaws for height. The recommended height is about
.005" below the corresponding tracks in the line delivery rails.

First Elevator Connecting Link

Harding: These are practically the same on Linotype and Intertype,
except that on Linotype the spring is at the bottom, while on Intertype it is
at the top. Also, the measurements differ.

The plain eyebolt has a left-hand thread. The one with the spring has a
right-hand thread. Prop the elevator up with a 40-pica piece of wood furniture
under the head, and remove the link. Examine wingpin and small shaft. If
they are worn they should be replaced. If the holes in the eyebolts are worn,
they also should be replaced. On an old machine, it sometimes saves trouble
with alignment to put in a new spring. The notched end of the barrel unscrews.

Now, with the link in your hands, adjust it. From the closest edge of the
plain eyebolt to the edge of the barrel should be y 4 "; the measurement at the
spring end is 13/16". This is for Linotype. For Intertype, make it i/ s " on the
spring end, 5/ 8 " on the plain end. Put the link back on and make the No. 3
adjustment described above. You can turn the barrel a couple of notches if

1 08 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

necessary to get a finer adjustment. Newer links have a lock nut to hold the
dimensions given, but older ones do not. I£ you see that the spring is not
functioning, dig out the corners of the notches a little with a three-cornered
file, and the spring will hold the adjustment.

The first elevator auxiliary lever screw is the pri
the elevator jaws with the line delivery rails. Do i
notches on the link to supplement this adjustment.

The Gibs

Loomis: Not a complicated subject but a confusing one if you don't start
right. On newer machines the right-hand gibs are doweled, and this simplifies
the problem. On older machines you will have to start with them. The first
elevator should move up and down perpendicular to the face plate, just missing
the line delivery channel and the transfer channel. See that the line delivery
rails are not extending past the channel castings to the left. Disconnect the
first elevator link. Try the first elevator up and down, holding your knee
against it to keep it against the right-hand gibs. I know of no simple way of
measuring this. With the gib screws just snug, you tap the gib this way and
that to get the elevator straight up and down (missing the channels by an equal
distance), and with the proper clearance. Moving the lower gib will take care
of the parallelism; the upper gib is largely the positioner. If the jaws miss the
delivery channel too far, and you can't seem to bring it closer without canting
the first elevator, use the delivery channel rails to close the gap. There is no
such adjustment at transfer.

When this adjustment seems correct, tighten the screws firmly. Now take
the upper left gib and bring it up snugly. Raise the elevator and allow it to fall
slowly by its own weight. It should bind a little. With a linotype slug and
hammer give the left gib one tap on the higher surface to drive it back a few
thousandths of an inch. When the elevator is clear all the way up and down,
tighten firmly.

The lower left gib is the easy one. Set it so the bottom of the first elevator
has side play up to 1/16". This is necessary for alignment of the first elevator
jaws with the molds — about which more later.

Run the machine a week. If the setting is satisfactory, I suggest you dowel
the right-hand gibs. If you keep a little oil on the slides, you will not have to
move those gibs again in your lifetime.

NOTE: Final clearance between the first elevator jaws (be sure they are
even on the end) and delivery channel, also transfer channel, should be .005"
or less. Too much at the delivery channel will cause trouble with mats going
into the jaws; too much at transfer will make trouble with the ears of the
spacebands.

The First Elevator

109

Bloek-Face Flipper (First Elevator Filling Piece)

Harding: The flipper is made primarily for use with head-letter molds,
which, i£ properly equipped with safety stop, will cause a vise automatic stop
if the flipper is not used.

Double-Black Squirts

Loomis: The other principal use of the flipper is on double-black squirts.
No instructions are needed for this. We all get them occasionally. But old-time
operators would not use the flipper for ordinary bold face, preferring to use the
duplex rail in the assembling elevator.

Double-black squirts take time to clean up, and they also frequently ruin
a lot of mats. We heartily recommend the Auxiliary Line Safety, which will
protect you from carelessness. We do not find it so listed in The Book, but if
you order it assembled and give the model of your machine, you likely will get
all the parts. The Companies are very helpful in things like this.

Misalignment of Mats Caused by Lack of Parallelism of Front Jaw

Question: We have been having trouble with matrix alignment, as you
can see from the slug. I have put on a good many parts, with no improvement. -
D. M. G., O'Brien, Fla.

Harding: Your sample slug shows the first elevator jaws out of parallel
with the mold. The mats at the right take all the alignment upthrust, while
the letters at left are so low in relation to the mold that the tops of the capitals
actually overhang the slug and are trimmed off.

It takes careful work to correct this. First, see that mold locking studs and
stud blocks are in good shape; the disk should not rise with the upthrust of the
justification block. (Loomis: Some correction may be secured for non-parallel-
ism by adjusting the gib, but I prefer to use the gib for the delivery and transfer
channels, and proceed with Harding on this subject.)

Turn the machine over with a line in the jaws, and watch two things: a
visible rise of the first elevator in justifications (this latter insures relaxing of
the mold disk if the disk is properly set. See Mold Disk Lockup Test, page 124.)
These last items being correct, get two fairly thick pi mats that show no wear.
Open the vise jaw to 30 picas. Put one pi mat at each end of the first elevator
jaws. With the clutch, drop the first elevator and shut off the power just after
the mold disk moves forward, before the pot advances.

Turn off the motor. Now with a large screwdriver pry up the first elevator
head as far as it will come (about .010"). Be sure you don't bend the flipper rod.
Try the two mats. They should both be tight against the aligning rail of the
mold. The play in the lower gibs helps to secure this. But perhaps one mat is
tight and the other loose. That is what produces your alignment difficulty.

110 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

To correct it, first try to loosen the two big screws that hold the front jaw
to the first elevator without taking off the back jaw. Sometimes you can; some-
times you can't. Turn them back snug, not tight. Pry up again. If the uneven-
ness prevails, take steps. Let's say the left end mat is tight. Use a rawhide
mallet and tap down on the left end of the front jaw only — not the back jaw,
or you will have all kinds of complications. Usually you can do it this way.
If so, tighten the screws and test again. If not, you can take off the entire jaw
and work on the front jaw key, a flat plate that controls this. By dressing off
one corner and using a small sharp chisel to spread the opposite corner, you
can get whatever you want — but be very cautious, and don't go into this unless

Loomis: This adjustment can be made separately, but if there is too much
difficulty it may have to be preceded by Setting the Mold Disk Guide Support
Screw, page 128. If the studs are badly worn, this may happen.

Trouble in Adjusting Height of First Elevator

Question: I have had the connecting link off and set it according to The
Book; I set the first elevator back at the auxiliary lever, and I used the link
for finer adjusting, but I cannot get the jaws to line up with the delivery
channel. - T. D. R., Bedford, Ind.

Loomis: First let us assume the delivery channel is set as narrow as can
be and still give the mats freedom to move. Then the channel must be aligned
with the jaws from front to back. Likewise vertically — and this may be your
trouble. If either the line delivery rails are not the same height with each other,
or the elevator jaws are not the same height, there will be trouble. Both should
be squared, as outlined above in this chapter.

If your mats should show a slight mark at the left edge on the index side,
near the bottom, your duplex rail is projecting. This also has been covered in
this chapter.

A loose duplex rail cap, permitting the duplex rail to sag, will cause much
trouble and frequent squabbled lines.

First Elevator Seats Jerkily

Question: On our Model 14, No. 19114, the first elevator descends too
hard into the vise jaws, and seats with a bang. We have new parts, and the
slides are well lubricated. Can you suggest a remedy? — L. F. S., Holden, Utah.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: One of the most common causes
is the old style knife wiper. When it gets badly worn, it falls to the right and
bumps the controlling lever bracket on the way up; this jars the first elevator.
You will need a new Knife Wiper Lever and Bracket. The old ones can be
bent into shape, but it takes some doing.

The First Elevator 1 1 1

Also, the lugs on the duplex rail may project just enough to cause a bounce.

Sometimes the back jaw is sprung so that it hits on the jaw guard at the
right end.

If the long finger has a flat, curved spring, see that the mats are not
catching on the rivets.

Be sure the first elevator cam roll is turning.

From its lowest position, lift the first elevator up and down by hand,
feeling for the obstruction.

What Makes the Clutch Crack When the First Elevator Goes Down?

Loomis: Anything that interferes just slightly with the seating of the first
elevator. If the interference is more, the machine will be stopped by the vise
automatic. First, be sure the vise automatic is set to stop on two points but not
on one. Look for a screw worked out of the first elevator jaw duplex rail cap.
Look for metal piled up under the first elevator lever.

Very often these last two causes stop the machine cold at casting position.

First Elevator Jumps After the Cast

Question: The first elevator jumps upward out of the vise jaws instead of
rising smoothly. Please tell me what to do. - S. Y., Wellington, Tex.

Loomis: This is a serious condition that needs correction at once. Your
vise-closing apparatus is not functioning. Whether a screw or a tapered wedge,
it should open up after the cast; otherwise the first elevator has to jerk out a
line that is firmly wedged between the vise jaws. See Letters Hang Over at End
of Line, page 120.

First Elevator Jiggles

Question: The first elevator jiggles on coming down to normal position,
sometimes enough to interfere with mats coming into the jaws. By pulling up
the gibs I can help it some, but the minute I oil the slide it jiggles again. -
A. N. D., Emporia, Kan.

Harding: This can be mean. The first thing to check is the first elevator
cam; both it and the roll should be smooth and true.

The first elevator slide must slide freely.

The arc of the first elevator cam on which the roll rests at normal position
should be true and not cause any vertical movement of the first elevator; try it
by hand.

112 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Often there is a bind at the transfer position which holds up the first
elevator momentarily and then lets it slip away so that the cam roll bounces on
the cam. The natural elasticity of the cast iron first elevator lever will create a
jiggle. This could result from over-strong duplex rail lever springs, from lack,
of grease on the levers where they contact the operating blocks, or from a bad
setting of the first elevator "head" (first elevator slide guide, officially) which
forces the front first elevator jaw against the intermediate bar.

This might also result from misalignment of the first elevator which allows
it to rub hard against the transfer channel.

It also happens that a badly worn driving gear pinion can magnify other
deficiencies and increase the jiggle.

Mats at End Jump Out of Line in Recasting

Question: On our Intertype, especially on recasting, a mat jumps out of
the line just when the elevator nears the casting position. We've put in new
parts but it has not helped. — C. A. C, Virginia City, Mont.

Loomis: See that the triangular detents present unworn corners to the
mats. Equalize the springs. Sometimes they may need stiffening, but not usually.
First elevator jaws must not be sloppy.

On a 30-pica line, watch the transfer finger. It may push the end mat past
the detent.

Delivery slide must deliver mats inside the detents.

Mat Jumps Up in Middle of the Line

Question: I have been recasting a form, and at intervals a mat will jump
up in the very middle of the line and try to get in the bold-face position. Either
the mat gets chewed up or the machine squirts, or both. It beats me. — S. Y.,
Pawnee City, Neb.

Loomis: I think this results from a poorly fitted back jaw or a badly worn
or sprung duplex rail, or both together. If it happens at the same place every
time, you will find a scored place on the back jaw that will allow a mat to work
part way up. There is some jolt to a recast, especially if it happens to be partly
a bold-face line, but this will throw mats out of their proper grooves only if
the back jaw is loose and inadequate.

Mold Cap Strikes First Elevator Jaw at Lockup

Question: We have this difficulty when using 14-point liners only. Why
is it? - A. A. M ., Pattonville, Tex.

The First Elevator 113

Harding: This occurs only when 14-point liners are used in an ad figure
mold, which has a thicker lip. The mold is marked "5-12 point," and means
what it says.

First Elevator Cuts a Groove in the Face Plate

Question: For a long time now our first elevator back jaw has been
cutting a groove in the face plate, right across the delivery slide. Does this
hurt anything? - M. O. T., Pendleton, Ore.

Loomis: Perhaps not now, but eventually it will. This is due to wear in
the vise cap facing, a steel plate between the two upper first elevator gibs. This
plate provides a sliding surface at this point, and since it is steel against cast
iron, the steel wears first. I have tried shimming these but have enjoyed mostly
trouble from it. If you have it ground smooth you can shim as much as .005",
but it's cheaper in the long run to get a new one.

On machines with the open-type elevator you can see the middle screw of
this plate when the elevator is at transfer. There is no such plate between the
gibs at the bottom. Disconnect the first elevator link, take oft both the left-
hand gibs, and remove the first elevator. Install the new plate.

Unless there is unusual wear in the first elevator itself, this will do the
work. I never have seen one that failed.

However, don't go away. You will now have to adjust the line delivery
channel and probably the transfer (see Adjusting the Line Delivery Channel,
page 100, and Mats Spill Out at Transfer, page 226.)

CHAPTER X
VISE AUTOMATIC

Tight Lines Don't Stop the Machine

Question: We started getting the toes cut off o£ mats. Eventually we found
the assembler slide was set too wide, permitting tight lines to go in. The mat
did not allow the line to go all the way down. Why then didn't the machine
stop? I thought it was supposed to. - O.A.M., Modesto, Calif.

H. C. Rockwell in the Graphic Arts Monthly: Indeed it should. Let's
take a good look at the vise automatic.

When the elevator is seated, it pushes down the vise automatic stop rod so
the lip on the rod gets just below the lip on the stop dog. As told above in Ad-
justments of the First Elevator, page 107, the screw that operates the stop rod
should be set so that the machine will stop with a two-point lead under the
other screw, which would hold the elevator two points high (but will not stop on
one point). When the elevator does not go all the way down, the mold disk comes
forward and a mold strikes the dog and drives it through the vise. Its lip con-
tacts the lip on the rod and pushes that toward the front of the machine. The
bottom end of the rod throws out the clutch.

The spring breaks often in the dog. See that there is plenty of pressure to
pull the dog back as soon as the mold disk retreats. Otherwise it will stay for-
ward over the lip of the rod, and the next tight line will cast anyway.

Sometimes the slot in the top of the dog gets filled with metal and renders
it inoperative. The lip may become worn and rounded on either dog or rod.
They should be replaced.

Loomis: In replacing the dog, first screw the long screw down until the
cross-pin in the end of the dog banks against the screw. Then, pressing on the
dog, retract the screw until the dog barely slips under. Now the spring will be
against the screw, and you will feel it. Hold the dog in and turn the screw on
down firmly. This puts the screw between the spring and the pin, where it
should be.

The clutch must be properly set, with clutch face and leathers clean so they
turn loose freely.

On old machines the vise automatic may act too late, allowing the mold

114

Vice Automatic 115

disk to come forward and shear the toes of the mats before stopping. Note that
the mold disk should stop so there is from 1/16" to T/4" space between the mold
and the vise jaws. From long usage the stop rod gets bowed outward, which
requires the disk to travel farther before the machine is stopped. With care the
stop rod can be straightened or even bowed a little the other way, by supporting
its ends on stereotype castings and hammering in the middle.

Harding: Occasionally the horizontal stop lever is bent. It can usually be
straightened. It can also be bent with the point to the rear of the machine, to
stop the machine sooner, Some machinists put an adjusting screw through the
end to get the same result. This is a safer way.

The same effect can be achieved by welding material on the front end of the
connecting bar — the long rod that runs to the vertical lever at the back of the
machine; the horizontal lever works against the front end of this and sometimes
wears it badly.

What Stops the Machine at Casting When There Is No Tight Line?

A mat in the vise, under the jaw.
A screw worked out of the duplex rail cap.
Metal piled up under the first elevator lever.
Obstruction by the knife wiper.

Why Does the Machine Stop at Transfer Point?

Loomis: This vise automatic was designed for two-mold machines. On
four-mold machines there is a raised place inside the right edge of the first ele-
vator, which operates an L-shaped lever that pulls the stop rod down when the
machine ejects. The mold disk moves forward then, of course, and since the dog
is operated by a mold, it would stop without the extra lever. It often happens
that an m-o takes off the first elevator, then replaces it with the L-shaped lever
out of position. This will cause a stop at transfer or ejection point. See that the
lower arm of the L-shaped lever is on top of the pin protruding from the stop rod.

;, you will

Harding: When the small roller, D-531, that operates the L-shaped lever,
is worn flat; on an Intertype, when the Vise Automatic Stop Rod Extension,
U-759, is loose, or when the justification cam roll or cam is worn.

Full Lines Will Stop The Machine Although They Are Not Tight

Question: My first elevator seems to be held up at the very bottom of its
"c stop, but when I try the line

116 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

it goes easily into the vise jaws. Loose lines do not give this trouble. It seems
the only solution is to set lines six points short. - W.F.A., Palmyra, N. J.

Loomis: This is caused by wear on the first justification cam and roll. The
justification block stands too high, and when a line comes down, the bands are
pushed up a little and spread the line. Get an oversize cam roll from Lino Parts.
If you do not correct this, you will eventually ruin your mats.

Crushed Toes But Not From Tight Lines

Harding: You can get sheared toes that look like tightline casualties if the
back jaw is sprung too wide or if the thin rail of the back jaw is worn too much.
A good test is to put a pi mat (we use pi mats so much because usually they are
not worn) just inside the spring pawls. By lifting the bottom of the mat out and
up, on a worn jaw, you can easily move the mat into the bold-face position.
With a good jaw, you should not be able to do this without some binding on
the duplex rail.

The Stop Rod Doesn't Rise High Enough

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: Occasionally
on very old machines the top of the stop rod doesn't come above the boss in the
vise cap. Dress off the shoulder underneath enough so it will come through,
where it can be engaged by the screw.

CHAPTER XI
THE PUMP STOP

Making the Pump Stop Adjustment

Question: How do you make the pump stop adjustment? It seems simple,
but I have run into complications. - T.S.I., Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.

Harding: This may be because you did not make the adjustment in the
right position. With machine at normal, push in the clutch and go around to
the side. Reach under the first elevator jaws and push the right-hand vise jaw
hard to the right. Now the pump stop lever should clear the block by about
1/32". This is the way it will be at casting position. Set the adjustment screw;
then check again, and finally cast a line in the machine and watch.

Setting the Intertype Pump Stop

The Intertype stop operates on an entirely different principle. Here the
pump stop lever is toward the front under the block always except when a loose
line goes in. It is operated by the first justification lever. To set it, pull the
plunger pin and turn the machine over without a line in the jaws. When the
justification levers reach lull height on second justification, the pump stop lever
should go forward to within 1/32" of the pin.

Pump Stop Is Set Properly but Fails to Operate

Question: My pump stop fails to operate. The lever binds against the
block and will not slip under it as it should, so every line casts - tight or loose.
What should I do? - T.R.T., Wessington Springs, S. D.

Loomis: This is from wear in the pot pump cam and cam roll, which lowers
the pot pump lever itself. The stop lever bracket is to some extent adjustable,
and should be set so that the stop lever just comes under the stopping block
without binding. Note that the lever generally has some slop in it, so turn the
machine over a few times and observe if it lies flat as it returns to position under
the block. Otherwise it might rise up and hit the block and fail to go under.

Check the pot pump lever cam roll. If dry, it may hp dragging on and wear-
ing the cam. Keep a thin film of oil on the cam surface^tself. I know The Book
says this is bad, but it is not so if the cam roll is in good shape and is lubricated

118 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

so it turns freely. Interesting note: In late years certain machines have come
equipped with a felt wiper to lubricate this cam. Oil keeps the cast iron of the
cam from wearing away — and this can happen especially fast after the first 1/16"
or so is gone.

When it does wear down, one can buy a "banded" cam, but if the cam is
not too far gone (down to the spokes, you might say), buy an oversize cam roll
from Lino Parts, and remember to oil the cam. Always, in installing a new cam
roll, get a new pin to go with it. A new cam roll will almost never turn properly

Harding: You can, with a rat-tail file, elongate the bolt holes in the pump
stop lever bracket, so it can be lowered. But watch: if you let the pump lever
rest too low, the plunger will cover or partially cover the holes in the side of the
well, and you will not get a good slug. An oversize cam roll is called for.

Too Much Clearance Between Pump Stop Lever and Block

Harding: See that there is never more than 1/16" clearance between the
lower face of the block and the upper face of the pump stop lever. If there is,
the pump may descend far enough on a short line to expel a little metal; then
the next line may bring a back squirt. 1/32" is better here.

Pump Stop Lever Is Clear of the Block but Does Not Return

Loomis: Occasionally an old cam roll is so badly worn that a new roll
only — not oversize — is needed. Take the cam roll to the garage and have it
miked. A new roll (not oversize) measures 2.000". One half of the wear, roughly,
will be increased 50% at the pump stop lever. In other words, if the old roll
measures 1.970" (rather unusual but not phenomenal situation), the difference
at the block will be about .022", almost two points.

Pump Stop Should Have Compushency

The pump stop, when you push over the end with your thumb (to the right),
should have definite pressure. The steel wire spring on the pump stop lever
sometimes is out of its groove, encased in linotype metal, or broken. See that it
is operating, and oil both the screw on which the lever is hinged and the bolt
on which the long operating lever is hinged.

Auxiliary Pump Stop Spring Not Needed

Loomis. Some operators, aware of a deficiency in the spring but not know-
ing how to remedy it, have installed an auxiliary spring. This is usually much
too strong, and when it is, it damages mats, causes the end mat to fall off, and
perhaps other troubles. It is not necessary when the proper spring is working.

CHAPTER XII

THE VISE AND VISE JAWS

JUSTIFICATION AND VISE-CLOSING

VISE LOCKING SCREWS

How to Lower the Vise to Second Position

Question: I lowered the vise to the second position and broke one of the
eyebolts in the first elevator link. Our machine is a high-base Model 5. How do
you explain this? — A.P.O., Washington, Pa.

Harding: I think I can explain this. You lowered the vise to the second
position without first dropping the elevator. This might happen on any ma-
chine, but especially on the high-base models.

Proper procedure: Let the elevator drop to the vise cap. Push in the clutch.
Pull out the wing pin in the end of the vise-closing lever (at left side) and dis-
engage the wedge or rod that runs up to the left-hand vise jaw. Disconnect the
first elevator lever link. Take off the galley, either upright or inclined. Lower
the vise to the first position. Holding the vise up slightly, reach down and pull
out the stop pin at the lower right, and ease the vise down to the second position,
at the same time pulling the first elevator up to avoid getting the first elevator
lever caught in the crotch at the bottom.

Some later machines have the stop at the bottom arranged so you can work
it with your foot.

Loomis: Caution: In raising the vise back to the first position, lift up the
justification block so the first justification lever will go under the collar. At the
Mergenthaler School in New Orleans, I once saw a budding m-o fail to do this.
The first elevator lever broke off clean. Professor Churchill was highly disgusted,
and said so. He sent the lever out to be welded. The b. m. o. installed the welded
lever and turned on the machine. Sad to relate, he had again neglected this pre-
caution, and the first elevator lever broke again — in a new place. It was a testi-
monial to the welding job — but Professor Churchill was, for once, completely
speechless. It is not difficult to understand why.

Vise Sometimes Goes to Second Position Without Being Expected to

Loomis: On any machine there is a spring that holds the stop firmly against

120 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

the frame for the vise to rest on. If this spring becomes broken, or if the stop
itself gets gummed up or corroded, it may not come all the way back, and when
you turn loose of the vise, expecting it to come to rest, it falls on down, scaring
you out of a day's growth and perhaps breaking or bending parts. Clean up, oil,
and replace the spring. The knob screws off for removal of the stop.

What Keeps Bending the Vise Closing Wedge?

Loomis: Usually this comes from lowering the vise to second position with-
out disconnecting the wedge.

Letters Hang Over at End of Line

Question: On the enclosed slug you will note that the letters overhang on
the right end. This happened once on the left end, and a traveling machinist
fixed it, but I don't know how.— T.C.W., Brantford, Ontario.

Harding: This is simple. (The left end may not be as easy.) The right-
hand vise jaw banks against an adjusting screw which you can see as you sit in the
chair, just under the line delivery channel plates. Turn this screw in until a
capital O shows a tiny (.005" recommended) shelf at the end of the slug. How-
ever, if you use butted slugs, you'd better let the O come flush with the end.

Be sure to set the pump stop after making this one.

To adjust the left-hand vise jaw:

On an Intertype, the left-hand vise jaw is adjusted by a similar screw — ex-
cept on quadders, where you have a knurled knob to turn.

On a Linotype, there is first the old style, that operates as a screw; the new
style, that operates as a wedge; and there is the Intertype, that operates as a screw.

Oddly enough, the old style is not shown in Mergenthaler catalogs dated as
far back as 1913, but appears in the catalog for Models 1-5, K, and L, dated 1934.
This type has a pear-shaped lever with three holes in it, which fits against a collar
with several holes. The adjustment is secured by fastening the two together in
different combinations of hole, the inside piece being a threaded piece. The
holes in one are not the same distance apart as those in the other, so very fine
adjustment can be secured.

On the later style Linotype, loosen the set screw in the split bearing at the
left end of the vise and turn the knurled knob in for shorter lengths, out for
longer. Tighten carefully.

On quadder Intertypes, loosen the thumb screw at the left end, and turn
the knurled knob clockwise to bring the jaw to the left. Tighten the thumb
screw and set the zero marks to correspond.

The Vise and Vise Jaws

121

If you have a screw and lock nut in the lower end of the wedge (the long
piece sometimes called the vise closing lever link), adjust this screw to pull the
wedge all the way down, but not far enough so the jaw starts moving back to

On an Intertype, play may develop between the Vise Closing Block (U-217)
and the Vise Closing Screw (U-640). Loosen the set screw at the left end of the
vise closing bracket and turn the octagon-head bushing screw. Adjust until the
vise closing lever link can be raised to its full upstroke without interference,
allowing only enough play between the screw and the block for free movement.
Hold the screw to the left and tighten the set screw.

Vise Jaws Should Not Accumulate Metal

Loomis: The vise jaws should not be allowed to accumulate metal, espe-
cially on the inside surface at casting point. Keep this scraped off; polish with
mold polish, or, better, with graphite and oil. Simoniz wax helps to prevent the
metal from sticking. Metal at the casting point will crush the side walls of mats
and create hairlines.

On vise jaws in long use the face presented to the mats (the inside end) is
usually worn down along each edge and high in the middle. Get new ones —
they are not hard to install — or trade for a pair that has been ground. The new
ones will have a relief in the middle, which is good.

Justification Springs Need Oiling

Loomis: There is not much maintenance on the justification levers and
springs, but that little, as usual, is important. The cam rolls should be round
and free from flats. They are easily replaced.

Turn over the machine until the first justification lever goes up. Back the
machine just a trifle. Now you can reach the wing pin screw. Loosen it and
have somebody (or do it yourself if you're dextrous) insert a bar over the lever
and under the base of the column of the machine, and pry down on the lever so
you can remove the cam roll. Replace both cam roll and pin. Poke out the oil
holes or grooves.

For the vise closing lever, the screw is on the inside. Turn the machine until
just before the first justification lever goes up for the second time, just before the
cast. This probably will have to be done by hand and whoever works the clutch
should also hold it, to prevent accidents, until you are through. You can now
loosen the screw from the inside. Now, if the wingpin in the vise closing cam
roll is opposite the deepest part of the first justification cam, you can pull out
the pin, perhaps loosening it with a screwdriver blade under the wing. Clean
the holes or grooves and put in new parts while somebody else holds down the
vise closing lever at the end. Needless to say, the machine is locked up, so don't
tarry. Get it unlocked as soon as practicable.

122 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Now we come to the oiling of the springs. At the top of each spring rod, in
the justification levers, is an oil hole. This usually is thoroughly clogged. Let's
remove the springs. Turn the rod (that goes up through the center of the spring)
with a pair of pliers until the hole lines up with the notch just below the collar
at the bottom. This is a good job to do when you are tired, because you will
have to lie down to see the hole. Sometimes you have to let the justification
levers go up and then have somebody push them down to locate the holes. Insert
heavy nails in the holes. There is also a fork you can buy to push down on the
springs, or you can have one made by welding together a couple of pieces of
i/ 2 " round steel about two feet long, and spreading one end in a U shape to fit
around the nut.

Now, at the point in the cam where the lever rises highest, raise the lever and
lift out the spring. You may find the top of the rod worn to a point. Grind it
round and smooth. Clean out the oil hole carefully with a nail. Oil the top of
the rod (not grease, because that will plug it up again), and replace with some-
one lifting the lever. Oil occasionally after this.

Rust and a pointed shape will sometimes cause some odd troubles with
justification.

Incidentally, did you notice those springs were different? The one made
of the heaviest wire is the first justification spring and goes nearest the keyboard.

Why Do Lines Vary in Length on Left End?

Question: We have had this trouble for a long time. My theory is that the
justification springs are not strong enough. — P.N.W., Windsor, Conn.

Loomis: That isn't it. If it were, you'd get squirts on the left end. Pre-
sumably the variance is not more than a point or so. This indicates a malfunc-
tion of the equipment contained in the Vise Jaw Wedge Bracket, Assembled.

First, see that the knurled adjusting bushing is tight.

Lift out the adjusting rod locking pin that you use to change the length of
line. Hold onto the block and withdraw the long adjusting rod after taking out
the screw at the left end to disconnect the rod from the adjusting bars (the long
flat pieces that run across the top of the vise cap). Hold onto the square wedge
block, for there are a spring and a plunger in it. If there is not such spring and
plunger, this can be the cause of variation in line length. If there is, and you
don't hold it, you may find it out in the back yard.

If the wedge block is deeply scored, it should be ground smooth on a fine
wheel — preferably replaced.

In particular there is one piece, the Wedge Guide, a round brass part, that
may get grooves in it from the adjusting rod and make changes on the left end
of the line very difficult. This wears rather fast.

The Vise and Vise Jaws 123

See that the two felt wipers are held against the wedge, and oil them when
you oil the machine.

Why Do Vise Locking Screws Break?

Question: We have a Model C Intertype, No. 5519. The trouble is it
breaks off the vise locking screws whenever you use the head-letter mold without
the flipper. -I.A.C., Belle Fourche, S. D.

Harding: It should. Older machines are not equipped with automatic
mold slide safety devices.

This can also be caused by a double-blackface line. Sometimes the pot lever
breaks instead.

Loomis: Sometimes one locking screw has a habit of working loose; then
the other may break off under the strain of casting. There are only a few points
to watch in connection with vise locking screws:

The lug on the end of the screw should be in fairly good shape, not chewed
up and not half broken off.

Keep a little hard oil in the vise locking studs. See that they are tight. A
long screwdriver or a s^" socket with a long extension and a universal joint will
tighten the right-hand one from the rear.

See that the two screws pull up evenly. Tighten one, then tighten the other
and watch to see if the vise moves in. Reverse the process. The one that pulls
in needs fixing. Use the shims (Vise Locking Stud Washer, E-392; get about three
each of .002", .005" and .010") from the Company. Shim until both screws come
up evenly.

Observe carefully whether or not either screw (especially the right hand
one) pulls the vise to one side as it is locked up. This indicates a badly worn
screw; get a new one. If this doesn't do the job, you have also a worn stud, and
that too should be replaced. This will cause erratic trim.

/*

CHAPTER XIII
THE MOLD DISK AND SLIDE

Movement of the Mold Disk

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: An experienced
machinist usually takes a quick look at the movement first. The mold disk comes
up to the jaws. The pot also advances but does not move the disk. The pot re-
cedes. The disk recedes — not much but visibly. (On an old machine it may be
invisible). Then the disk advances to its previous position and the pot comes
up and pushes it hard against the jaws.

To Adjust the Mold Disk Lockup

Question: I hear operators speak of lockup tests, and it seems to me this
is confused. Some are speaking of mouthpiece lockup, others of mold disk lockup.
Are they the same, or are they different? - T.M.O., Sioux Falls, S. D.

Loomis: They are different, though they work in almost identical areas.
The mouthpiece lockup test is described in Test the Pot Lockup, page 177.

This is the mold disk lockup test:

First, secure from your garage a piece of round steel 5" to 6" long and .6875"
in diameter (11/16"), plus or minus .001". 11/16" is the thickness of the front
jaw, which normally acts as a backing piece for the vise jaw. You can afford to
go to some trouble to obtain this piece of the proper diameter, for it will be used
again in a moment. Its use simplifies the test, and since it willbe needed every
year or so, tag it and put it away where it won't be grabbed up when somebody
can't find the mallet. With this rod, you can make an accurate test without re-
moving the back jaw. But first, check for play in the mold slide, as follows:

Drop the first elevator to the vise cap and stop the machine with the mold
disk forward. Lay a matrix on the first elevator jaws with its bottom against the
disk. (This is Sterling HofE's test, and a good one.) Pull the mold disk as far
forward as it will come; then push it back. (Leave the mold cam lever handle
up, of course. This is to check the play in the slide.) Now the gap between the
mat and the disk should not be over .010", preferably much less. Sometimes it
will be 1/32" or 1/16", and you had better take steps before making the lockup
adjustment. See Too Much Forward and Back Play in the Mold Slide, imme-
diately following.

124

Mold Disk and Slide

125

Take a piece of furniture about 8" long and put it on the vise cap and under
the first elevator, thus holding up the first elevator. Pull the plunger pin; close
the left-hand vise jaw; put the test rod in place behind the jaw. With your finger
c stop rod, have somebody turn the machine forward by
a roll is at the highest point on the second shoe in the

Now if your disk is one of those that has excessive play, you are in a dilem-
ma, lor the thing has to be adjusted whether it's worn out or not. My own
method is to adjust it with the disk in its farthest back position all the time.
Therefore I always push the disk firmly backward before making the check.

Now, with the first elevator up out of the way, the test rod behind the left-
hand vise jaw, which is closed, the disk pushed back as far as it will go, and the
mold cam roll at the highest point on the second shoe just before the pot goes
forward (I repeat myself here, because all these conditions must be rigidly ob-
served), there should be .005" between the mold and the jaw. This is about two
thicknesses of newsprint, but a steel feeler gauge is better. With the disk pushed
back (I'm getting to be annoying about this, but you must watch it), a .005"
feeler or two pieces of newsprint should drag when pulled between the mold
and the vise, but they should move.

This is adjusted by the eccentric in the lower end of the mold slide lever at
the back of the machine. Pull ba ck on the little handletomove thejnold_disk_
forward; push forward to bnngTrli mold disk" Back (and alwrysT^Kmbringing
'tbTdlsTbacT^r^pTShTt^^ be a tricky adjustment,

but, once made, hang onto the little lever and tighten the lock nut securely, and
it will stay for quite a while. On some machines the stud has been turned
upside down and the movement n ill, ji ting handli i ie\ersed

Wait a minute! Don't wash up yet. How about the face-to-face parallelism
of the vise jaw and the mold? Hadn't thought of that, had you? If you've al-
ready used shims under the vise locking studs to bring the vise up evenly, you
shouldn't have to bother with this - but sometimes you do. It is no good to
have .002" clearance on one end and .010" on the other. Try your feeler all the
way across. If there is a difference, find out how much it is, and use shims under
the vise locking studs to even it up.

The Mergenthaler Company emphasizes that this adjustment must be made
on the high point of the second or smaller shoe. This is correct. They recommend
from .003" to .005" between mold and vise jaw. This is correct for newer ma-
chines. On old-timers, of course, you will have trouble getting that close. I gen-
erally am satisfied with .005" to .010".

Harding: In tightening the lock nut, slip a 6" piece of 14" pipe oyer the
adjusting lever to hold it without movement. Otherwise s<
difficult to keep the pin from turning.

126 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Too Much Forward-and-Back Play in the Mold Slide

Loomis: We'd better take this up while we are near it. This sloppy move-
ment is caused primarily by three parts: the mold cam roll (the one that runs
in the track, which wears both in the bore and on the periphery); the mold cam
roll eccentric pin, which wears out of round; and the mold cam lever roll (with
the larger hole, which wears; this roll itself doesn't usually wear much on the
outside). On occasion, on very old machines, the two small mold cam shoes in
the track will wear, but not often. In replacing these, I have generally found
that I have had to grind them down to the thickness of the old ones to allow
a new cam roll free passage. The cam roll must go through freely all the way
around, especially over the shoes. You may use a feeler gauge between the roll
and a shoe, and think you have .005" play, but unless it is more than this, you'd
probably better leave the shoes alone.

aot to measure less than .498" at any spot, and both
be below 1.497" at any spot.

Removing the Mold Cam Shoes

In case you do have to remove a shoe, it is worth approximately one mil-
lion dollars Chinese to know how to do it without removing the main cams from
the machine. First, by poking with a long screwdriver, and using a small ham-
mer on a screwdriver to butcher the screws, and various subterfuges from there
on to remove the screws, you are in a position to operate. Now use an old
liner and drill a hole in it big enough to pass a 10x32 screw (a No. 20 drill or
larger). Lay this liner across the track in the mold cam. Now put a 10x32 screw,
i/ 2 " long or more, through the hole, and turn it into the threads in the shoe to a
depth of three or four threads. Get a couple of pieces of wood furniture, and a
handful of 6-point slugs, and put them under each end of the liner, building it
out far enough so the shoe can come off the pins. Turn the screw into the shoe.
The shoe will come off.

The first mold cam shoe on a Linotype, the one with a rise in it, measures
about .395" new. These often have to be ground down for a new cam roll. I
cannot give you the thickness of the second shoe, although as I remember it is
the same. I have replaced a number on principle, but do not do so any more. I
would say it is practically never necessary. Just check it to see that the rise is
there; that's all unless your machine is very old.

Note that on rare occasions the large diameter stud at the bottom of the
mold cam lever wears considerably out of round. This is a part of the casting,
and the entire lever must be replaced. Be sure the washer and screw are present

'<*&

Mold Disk and Slide 127

Final Setting

Now, having replaced both rolls and the eccentric pin, and shoes if neces-
sary, set the forward thrust of the mold slide as given above in To Adjust the
Mold Disk Lockup.

To Remove the Mold Cam Lever

Loomis: This can be done by taking out the ejector link, pulling down the
mold cam handle and pushing out the shaft with a screwdriver through the hole
on the far side, after which the lever can be removed from the bottom.

Can a Warped Mold Disk Be Used?

Loomis: Yes — and probably seventy thousand of them are, for very few
cast iron disks that have been in use for any length of time, escape warping. The
amount of warp is what counts. On two-mold disks it usually can be handled by
shimming the molds. (See Shimming the Molds, page 214.)

On a four-mold disk it is difficult to use a disk that is warped more
than .005" out of true. Check this by setting the mold disk guide just to kiss
the disk at its highest spot, then turn to the lowest spot and use a feeler. A dial
indicator is a wonderful instrument but not available to most m-o's.

How About a Rebuilt Disk?

Question: My disk is badly warped, and I have been advised to have it re-
built. They say it is considerably cheaper. - D.I.U., Bucyrus, Ohio.

Loomis: To give proper credit, I think disk rebuilding was perfected by
Montgomery & Bacon about twenty years ago. They cut off the outer rim and
installed a steel rim, pinning it in place, then shaving the disk on both sides to
secure perfect straightness. Others do it now, and when properly done it is a
good job. It does not save as much money now as it did, but to my notion it is
a better disk because it is steel, and steel apparently does not warp. I have in-
stalled many of these and had excellent luck with them. Some ten or twelve
years ago Intertype began using steel for their six-mold disk, and I have been
told that Mergenthaler is using steel disks.

To keep the record straight, Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the Linotype,
and there must go the major credit. The Intertype Corporation has provided
competition and refinements - and competition is necessary. They too deserve
much credit. Smaller places - Montgomery & Bacon, Rich & McLean, Star Parts,
Lino Parts, and others, also have contributed, and deserve credit in a smaller
degree. Not all of their parts are good, but some are excellent - such as the
rebuilt disk. It is worth noticing that some smaller companies that started pre-
cariously have grown large and substantial; some have been absorbed into the
two big companies; others make products that now are sold directly by the big
companies. Witness the Mohr saw and the Monomelt and the Margach feeder.

128 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Adjusting the Mold Slide Gib

Loomis: On very old machines there are two adjusting screws below a plate
that forms the left side of the mold slide groove or slide. There should be about
.006" play (14 turn of the screws). Turn them in, then back off. Just enough
to provide free movement is necessary.

Loose Mold Screws Cause Trouble and Squirts

Question: There seems absolutely no reason for this, but about every
fourth line I get a loose-line squirt. I have tried these lines over, and they are
not loose. The foreman accuses me of sending in loose lines, but I have repeatedly-
tried these lines over and they are not loose. Sometimes I have noticed that some
spacebands do not come up as far as others, but I don't know why. - M.I.M.,
Odessa, Del.

Loomis: Provided the forward thrust of your mold slide is properly set,
some other obstacle is impeding spread of the lines at justification. It sounds
to me as if a mold screw has worked out. On an Intertype this can be caused
by leaving the border block recasting pin in the justification rod.

Setting the Mold Disk Guide Support Screw

Loomis: Some machinists adjust this after the disk comes forward onto the
locking studs, by turning up the screw with the fingers, and locking. This is cor-
rect for old machines, but if you are installing new locking stud blocks you will
want to go further.

On Linotypes the prime setting is made as follows: with the disk in normal
position, loosen the screw. Back the machine. You will need a light. Insert a
.002" feeler strip between the top sliding surface of the slide and the correspond-
ing surface on the column of the machine (vertical surfaces just behind the knife
' block). Now, working the strip slowly back and forth, turn up the screw until
the feeler binds. Tighten the lock nut carefully and check again with the feeler.
On an Intertype this .002" is prescribed at the bottom instead of the top.

What Makes the Mold Disk Pound?

Question: My mold disk pounds very hard sometimes, until it seems as if
the machine would break. How can this be fixed? — P.B.T., Kingsport, Tenn.

Harding and Loomis: Some disks pound as they come forward at casting
point, some at ejection point, and some at both;

If both, or if at casting only, look for:

Dry locking studs (these should be oiled); anything that binds the disk, such
as metal under the back knife, back knife set too tight, dry mold disk stud, mold

Mold Disk and Slide 129

disk guide too tight, metal on back of mold, metal gathered around the Ejector
Blade Guide, Assembled (old style ejector).

One way of getting at the answer to this trouble is to watch the disk as it
advances onto the studs. Does it advance straight, or does it jerk a little forward
or back?

If back, adjusting the brake tension may correct it, particularly if the disk
has to snap back. This also can be: headless screw in rear end of bevel gear shaft
loose; gear segment or shoe on the mold turning cam loose; oil on the brake
leathers.

If it snaps ahead, look for metal behind the disk or other retarding agents
previously mentioned.

This sort of pound can be caused also by misadjustment of the mold disk
guide support screw or the long gib under the mold disk slide on old machines.

If it pounds only at ejection, look for misadjustment of the mold-turning cam
shoe at the back, or a loose gear segment.
. Be sure the disk is tight on its stud.

An odd sound, more like a dull click, coming while the disk is turning, in-
dicates metal in the teeth.

A mold cap liner screw, worked out, also can cause this.

For pounding of slugs as they are ejected, see Why Do Slugs Pound at Ejec-
tion? page 209.

What Makes the Mold Disk Turn Hard?

Harding: Nine times out of ten, metal lodged somewhere behind the disk,
under the back knife, around the ejector guide. Back knife set up tight.

How to Adjust the Intertype Mold Cam Safety Lever

Harding: This is located under the rear end of the mold disk slide. When
the forward thrust of the mold disk slide is interrupted, the clutch is thrown out.

To adjust it, shut off the power, back the cams a little, pull out the clutch
lever. Turn the adjusting screw seen above the drive shaft until there is approxi-
mately .010" clearance between the screw and the lever. Tighten the lock nut.

To Remove the Mold Slide

Harding: Lower the vise to second position as instructed in How to Lower
the Vise to Second Position, page 119.

Remove the wing pin from the ejector lever link at back and remove the link.

1 30 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Lower the mold slide lever handle.

Pull the slide out a little.

(But if a universal ejector, set the ejector at 12 picas before you pull out the
slide. With a long screwdriver unscrew the long rod whose head is toward the
front. The ejector blade controller slides along this rod. Now the controller, if
worked at, will drop out. Disconnect water tubes, if any, from the stud.)

Grasp the mold slide under the mold disk guide support at the left. Use a
rag, for it may be hot and oily. Grasp it about 6 inches back from the disk on
the right, with your hand protected by a rag, under the slide.

Lift it out and take it away.

To Remove the Mold Disk

Lower the vise to second position but do not remove

Remove the guide with a s/ t ° socket wrench.

Mark disk and stud to insure returning them in same relative position.

The nut at the front may be right-hand or left-hand. Left-hand usually are
marked "L H" on the end of the stud, but not always. If you do not have a
big enough socket, use a punch and try it both ways.

Water-cooled disk:

Harding: Lower the vise to second position but do not remove the slide.
With a 3/i" socket wrench take off the guides. With a big screwdriver take out
the screws that hold the plate on front, and pull off disk. In replacing, put the
oil hole of the plate at the top.

Snug up the bolts that hold the guides, with the guides touching the front
side of the disk, and gently tap the guides back until they barely miss the disk,
turning the disk all the time.

> guide up to the front of the disk, the

Intertype disk: Lower vise to second position.

Remove the one or two guides.

A thin flat wrench is provided to fit the rear nut. Pull the disk out part way
and fit the wrench over the rear nut. Do not ever loosen or remove the front nut.
The rear nut has left-hand threads, so turn the disk until the handle of the
wrench bounces against the mold slide on top. Bounce it until the nut loosens.
Tighten it the opposite way.

Mold Disk and Slide 131

To Time the Mold Disk

Question: I would very much appreciate it if you would explain to me how
to time the mold disk when it has been pulled out alter the cast. - E.S.Y., Shelby,

Harding: Pull out the pinion and turn the timing mark mark to 3 o'clock.
Slide the disk back so one of its timing marks will coincide. Now, do you remem-
ber which mold was where when you pulled out the disk? If it's after the cast,
it may be confusing.

Loomis: Take off the mold disk turning pinion. Back the machine to eject-
ing position with a mold on the locking studs, ready to eject. Replace the mold
disk turning pinion so it is seated on its own positioning pin. Turn the machine
forward and you should have it.

Failure of the Mold Disk to Turn

See Mold Turning Mechanism in Chapter XV.

CHAPTER XIV

MOLDS

MOLD LOCKING STUDS AND BLOCKS

MOLD BANKING BLOCKS

Types of Mold

Harding and Loomis: There are three principal types of mold: universal,
ad figure or advertising, and recess.

Universal: Cast solid slugs from 5-point to 14-point. Upper lips are thin.
Watch the markings. Some will not clear the jaw on 14-point.

These molds are made with .0025" taper from top to bottom of the body of
the slug, and taper also in the ribs, for easy ejection.

Advertising: Primarily to cast two-line figures. The ribs are wider and
have no taper — that is, the slug, without trimming, is almost the same thickness
from top to bottom. This makes it harder to eject, but these slugs, if untrimmed,
will not bulge like universal slugs.

These usually are marked "5-12-point," and the lip is .028" thicker than
universals. 14-point liners in these molds will damage the first elevator jaw.

Advertising figures larger than 18-point require a special mold. Ask your
salesman.

Recess: Some cast as low as 10-point. It depends on the ribs. Some, to cast
24-point, have only 6 points space for the ejecter blade.

Linotypes require special liners for the left end. Intertypes use standard
liners, but you must add the depth of the recess to the liner point size.
Intertype recess caps can be moved horizontally to produce a rib at the left end
of the slug. Newer Intertype recess molds have a "shelf" that fits in a hole in a
regular liner. Intertype right-hand liners may be used in the left end to cast
30 picas.

Linotype old style recess molds have only nine ribs and cast a fairly thin
lip on the slug. Newer molds have up to fifteen ribs and cast a thicker lip on
the slug; therefore the left-hand liners are different on these two types.

What is the Proper Way to Clean Molds?

Harding and Loomis: Wipe them daily v
with a piece of brass rule. There should be no ir
You Use on Mold Wipers? page 142.

Mold polish definitely abrades a mold. Do not use it unless necessary. A
mixture of graphite and oil will do most jobs. Graphite and castor oil is good,
but castor oil leaves a gum. Use a piece of 6-point reglet to rub the inner sur-
faces of the mold with graphite and lubricating oil. Some molds never need this.
Some need it fairly often — once a week, say. Some recess molds need it espe-
cially. On these you will have to use a match or similar instrument to rub the
recesses. In rubbing, keep it up until you feel the roughness go away, and the
stick slides over the steel. It doesn't take too long.

But don't polish the molds at all unless you have trouble with ejection. It
has been found that the apparently rough coating of gray oxide on a mold actu-
ally helps ejection.

How Often Do You Take Off a Mold for Cleaning?

Question: I have been taking the molds off the machine for cleaning once
a month. The foreman says I should do it every week. What is the correct
procedure? — I.L.S., Monongahela, Pa.

Loomis: This is the question I have been waiting for. Do not take off the
molds for any purpose whatsoever except repair. They can be cleaned on the
machine. Squirts can be cleaned up without removing a mold. You get a mold
on the machine and get the knives set to it and it will run for years, but if you
constantly take off and put on the molds you probably will constantly be fiddling
with the knives. This more particularly applies to molds that are shimmed.
Leave those molds where they are!

How to Remove a Mold for Repair

Loosen the liner screws, then take out the four screws in line on the front
of the mold. With a rag, hold onto the mold as you take out the last screw.

Do not loosen the other two screws. They hold the mold keeper plate. If
you do loosen them by error, push the plate up to the top and tighten the screws.
If your lines do not come at the right place on the slug, send the mold to the

While the mold is off, lay a straight-edge across the cap and body when
they are together, to determine if the cap is aligned with the body of the mold.

134 LlNECASTING OPERATOR- MACHINIST

How to Tell if a Mold It Warped

Loomis: I am very dubious that an untrained man can with a straight-edge
determine if a mold is warped unless it is very bad — say .003" to .005°. I have had
machine shop training and considerable machine shop experience during the war,
and I doubt that even a trained man can determine .0015" of warp, which is the
most I have ever seen in a report from the Company. This is not done with a
straight-edge, but most likely with a dial indicator — and those can be tricky
where that small dimension is involved. Since working in a machine shop, I
have quit taking the responsibility for this decision.

As for warping, it is invariably the cap that is warped. However, either cap
or body may be worn down considerably on the short end (front to back). This
can be measured with a micrometer. Anything less than .873" may be considered
defective. I have seen them down to .856" in spots — a path worn by repeated
applications of mold polish to the back wiper.

Straightening the Mold Posts

Harding: There are three ways:

1. Send the mold in to the Company.

2. Put the mold and cap into a vise, with brass to protect it from the jaws,
and an extra 2 points behind the body and in front of the cap, or vice versa, and
squeeze into alignment.

3. Take out the posts and hammer them straight. This is difficult, for they
are held by tiny pins. Also, they are fairly hard and may break, as they may in
the vise treatment. With a broken post, you can use the mold, but you'd better
get a new post as fast as possible.

To Remove an Intertype Mold

Harding: Remove cap and liners, then the four screws.

How to Seat a Mold in Replacing

Loomis: The same procedure applies to Linotype and Intertype. Clean
the mold pocket thoroughly, as also the mold. Place in position and to the right.
Tighten the four screws, then the three in the cap (or two, if Intertype). Then
loosen four, tighten four. Loosen three, tighten three. This is as near as you
can get to an identical seating every time.

Use only screwdrivers with good blades, unground by you. Work from the

Harding: Make it a habit to clean out the flakes of old metal when you
change liners. Scrape the spots off the liners with brass. Start a liner in, then
bring the center screw down lightly, and tap the liner the rest of the way.

This will push out the loose metal to some extent.

When Mold Cap Screws Won't Hold

Harding: In the first place, use good screws; in the second place, use a
good screwdriver with a blade that will go down into the hole without reaming
out the threads. Set all screws firmly but not desperately, or you will have a
cracked disk.

If new screws will not work, you can get a 16x24 tap and screws to match
from Wm. Reid & Co., 2271 Clybourne Ave., Chicago. No drilling is necessary.

Loomis: Since the war I have known m-o's to have trouble getting this tap.
In such a case, drill out the hole with a size F drill (or 14", which is a few
thousandths smaller) and tap with a 5/16x18 tap, which can be had at any hard-
ware, also screws or bolts to match. You will have to saw off the bolt and make
a slot with the saw, and it leaves a very thin edge at the front of the disk, but
these seem to last indefinitely.

Why Are Nibs Knocked off Liners?

o up-and-down play in the ejector —

Can Bent Liners Be Repaired?

Loomis: Yes, if the liner is only sprung and if you will use care. File off
the crunched-up part of the rib so it will fit in the groove in the mold. Turn the
liner upside down, with the slot away from you. Now file a little on the right
side of the bottom of the rib. Do this until the liner will fit flush with the mold.
And by the way, order a couple of new liners — one to be hidden in reserve.

Harding: A slightly sprung liner will develop a low spot near the end,
where it is constantly pushed back by the jaw, if you don't do something about it.

Why Are Slugs out of Square?

Question: We have set and re-set the knives, but still our slugs are out of
square. They bow up at the top, and a column of type has to have strips of
cardboard dropped in before it will print. The Moorman is yelling his head
off.- " •

136 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Loomis: This baby is my meat. I spent eight hours finding out what was
the matter, and four hours more fixing it. If I had to do it again, I would tell
them to order new molds - for this was the roughest work I've ever done.

The molds, hit many hundreds of times over the years by a heavy hand on
the ejector lever, were out of square. The right-hand knife cut off too much
rib. I finally laid the molds on stereotype casts, and with other pieces of cast
to absorb the shock, punished those molds with a one-pound hammer. It was
hard work and long work - but I got them square. I don't think it was worth
it — but I was up against a press-day, and I do not like to go away from a job
unfinished.

This could happen to you. It is shown by the fact that the left-hand knife
does not touch the bottom of the slug, while the ribs measure to a definite taper.
I advise new molds. Repair is a heroic measure.

Replacing the Mold Disk Locking Studs and Blocks

Harding and Loomis: The studs should be oiled once a week. Grease col-
lects chips of metal. It is easy to see when they are worn, for the ends look
rounded and sometimes actually broken. Harding says to run the disk onto the
blocks and try to pry up the disk with a heavy screwdriver in the teeth. If the
disk moves, the studs and blocks are worn.

Necessity for replacement may be indicated by inability to hold a constant

New studs measure .350", but measurements are deceptive, for the studs do
not go all the way into the blocks.

Order four studs, four keepers, and four screws, and at least the right-hand
block. On old machines the left-hand block is solid; on newer machines it has
a little movement and so does not often wear.

Install the studs and tighten them firmly.

On an old machine, see that the gib under the mold slide allows free play
(.006" to .007" — or back off the screws 14 turn after tightening them). Set the
mold disk guide support screw as instructed in Setting the Mold Disk Guide
Support Screw, page 128.

Remove the knife block. Install the new stud blocks. Do not put the dowel
pins in the blocks, and do not fully tighten the bolts that hold them.

Back the machine with a 30-pica mold in ejection position. Push the ejector
lever forward with a perfect 30-pica blade in it.

Now you want to secure about .002" clearance between the flat side of the
mold and the ejector blade from top to bottom. This may take patience. Tap
the right-hand stud block up or down. Test with a feeler. Sometimes you can

Molds 137

get .004". Whatever it is, there must be clearance, or the ejector blade will score
the mold. When you get it, tighten the bolts firmly and test again. If still right,
turn the machine to normal and open the vise. Let us hope you have blocks
with soft ends; most of them are now.

The dowels are 3/16". For this job you will need a straight reamer of that
size and use cutting oil. Drill the holes in the opposite corners from the old ones
(you can also drill the old ones bigger, but this can be tricky) with a No. 14 drill
(.182"), or a 11/64" if the numbered drill is hard to find. Ream the holes with
cutting oil to avoid getting them too big. Put the pins in and pray.

Try it again. If you have not moved the blocks, you will still have clearance
between the mold and the ejector blade. If not, set the block again and go to
7/32" or 14" dowels. If you get a block with hardened ends, you're a dead duck.
You can do nothing but use the old dowel holes and hope they test out all right.
Sometimes they do.

We didn't tell you before, but proper installation of mold disk locking studs jl
and blocks is as ticklish a job as there is on a linecasting machine.

The question has come up: can we use a 3/16" drill? The answer is: almost
never, for the reason that a drill not sharpened with the point exactly in the
center will cut a hole larger than 3/16" — and very few drills, even new ones,
are that accurate. Experienced machine shop men never use a drill of the size
they want, if the fit is close, as a dowel pin fit should be. There is another way
out, however. You can drill the first hole with, say a i/ s " drill; and then, with
a 3/16" drill in good shape, that mikes not over .1875", re-drill the hole. This
way you avoid the off-center effect. Cutting oil will make the hole cut a little
small in the cast iron of the frame, which should come out with a nice tight fit.

You can now check the first elevator jaws for parallelism with the molds,
as explained in Misalignment of Mats, etc., page 109.

Special acknowledgement is here made for advice from Harry Pottle of
W.N.U., Chicago; Walter Severin of Intertype Corporation; W. J. Mulroy of the
Mergenthaler Company; and to the veteran, George Cornell of Mergenthaler,
who died a few years ago. Few have set more stud blocks than George Cornell.

When Do You Replace the Mold Disk Banking Blocks?

Loomis: There is no adjustment on these (two on a Linotype, three on an
Intertype) (but see below). I replace one when it is worn down about .015". The
one Linotype block that I have available measures .940" at the high point; this
is just over 15/16", and, as I recall, this is the original measurement.

Harding: The mold must not bank on these blocks at casting point, for
that would interfere with the lockup. Test with red lead or a strip of paper.
They do bank there at ejection, to act as a buffer for the breaking loose of the
slug from the mold.

138 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

These banking blocks are located above and below the side knives. The
Intertype has a third block in the middle. This is adjustable. Set it so that a
strip of paper may be drawn from between the mold and banking block at the

Snow on Molds and Under Distributor Box

Question: We have far too much metal gathering on the fronts of the
molds. It is carried up also by the mats and falls in a veritable snow under the
distributor box. - R.B.G., Horseheads, N. Y.

H. C. Rockwell in the Graphic Arts Monthly: This has its fundamental
root in a lack of proper lockup. It may come from a warped mold, though not
too often. It may be caused by spacebands in backward, rounded vise jaw cor-
ners, badly worn molds, mold caps pushed back out of line, a loose tie-bolt in
the back, vise locking screws that work loose, mats with badly crushed side
walls — all are causes.

Check the forward thrust of the mold disk, parallelism of jaws with molds,
failure of the mold disk to relax between justifications. The pump stop should
be positive in operation to prevent loose lines' casting. Keep spacebands clear
and polished.

Harding: A good front mold wiper helps. A broken pot lever spring con-
tributes to the trouble. See that the pot retreats after the first lockup. Sprung
mold posts will allow it, and a loose mold screw will hold the mold from the
vise jaw. Spacebands are made thicker at the front by .0005" (one half a thou-
sandth).

Loomis: I have found in many cases on old machines that "slop" in the
forward thrust of the mold disk was responsible. This is especially noticeable
on Intertypes, and they are particularly amenable to correction. See Too Much
Forward-and-Back Play in the Mold Slide, page 126.

Will Floor Wax Help?

Loomis: As I write this, there has recently developed the idea of using
Simoniz floor wax on the face of a mold and on the jaws to prevent accumula-
tion of metal. I have been using this for about a year, and it certainly does
retard the accumulation of metal on the molds, though it should not be ex-
pected to take the place of worn parts entirely. I am putting new cam rolls
and eccentric pin in my machine, having last night found them far below my
own prescribed tolerances.

Vibration in Mold Disk As It Goes Onto the Locking Stud Blocks

Harding: May result from:

1. Screw in the square block (back or the bevel gear) loose.

2. A mold turning gear segment loose.

3. Clamping screws for the shoes are loose.

4. Mold driving brake is loose.

Why Does the Disk Vibrate As If Revolves?

Loomis: Lack of oil on the mold disk stud or too close a setting of the mold
disk guide or guides. Check the guides. Try penetrating oil on the stud.

Oiling the Mold Slide

Loomis: The V slots, both top and bottom, in which the mold slide works,
need oil. Normally this comes through an oil cup about half-way back, but on a
lot of older Linotypes, although the boss is there, the cup is not. You now have
the fun of drilling a hole. Take out the mold slide. Get a 14 " drill welded onto
a foot of 14" rod, and try to hit the apex of the V. Once the hole is there, remem-

Warping of Molds

Note: By all means do not fasten a gas torch under the mouthpiece and
leave it there. This warps or cracks more disks than anything known. Do not
leave a mold locked up on the cast. Molds are not designed for c<
of that temperature.

CHAPTER XV

THE MOLD TURNING MECHANISM
MOLD WIPERS

The Mold Turning Bevel Gear

Harding: Questions are not often asked about this, but il

The set screw in the square block should be straight up at normal position,
and should be tight. The flat-head screws in the two facings should be tight.
When the machine stops with the spaceband pawl locked, a four-tooth side of
the bevel gear should be up; one fourth turn later, three teeth will be up. The
beveled teeth in this gear are not worn, but made that way.

Mold Turning Cam Shoes

Loomis: These should not be scored or broken. The felt in the gear guard
that lubricates the shoes should be kept oiled and touching the shoes.

Cam Shoe Wiper

Many old machines do not have this felt. Order C-350, Mold Turning Cam
Shoe Wiper Bracket, and C-349, Mold Turning Cam Shoe Wiper. With the
gear guard in place, on the face parallel with the first elevator cam, drill a hole
5/32" or bigger, about 1" from the top point and i/ s " from the left edge. With
a No. 8 screw and nut, fasten the wiper bracket inside of the gear guard, then
fold the felt and poke it in with a screwdriver. Oil it.

Adjusting the Shoes

Loomis: Drop the first elevator to the vise cap and take off the gear guard.
Back up the machine to test the play between the cam shoe and the facing.
This is prescribed as .002" but I test it this way, for a feeler gauge here can be
deceitful: Turn the machine until the facing is in the middle of the shoe;
now take hold of the mold disk pinion (the one you use to change the molds)
and wiggle it. There may be too much play between the two. Back up the
machine, take out the large-headed holding screws, and turn the inside bushings
in a little. Put the holding screws back and test again. If there is n

140

Mold Turning Mechanism 141

of the facing, it is too tight, and you can often see the cam bend out. At the
proper setting you can see the facing just move, but not enough to let light
through.

Needless to say, both ends of the shoe should be the same. Some m-o's use
a mike here, but it is not always reliable. I test the facing at top and bottom,
being sure that it is contacted by the full face of the shoe.

This of course must b,e done for both shoes (or three, on some machines).

This is a most important adjustment and should be made with great care.

Welding the Mold Turning Cam

Loomis: There was a time when we considered that a main cam had to be
removed from the machine and pre-heated for welding - but no more. The mold
turning cam breaks most often, and usually from too much pressure on the
shoes. M'good welder can Veld it on the machine with either gas or electricity
and without the expansion that we used to hear boogie tales about. Leastwise,
the cam doesn't break in other spots, as we thought once it would.

Mold Disk Sometimes Fails to Turn

Question: At intervals the mold disk does not make its quarter turn as the
elevator descends, but the pot comes forward and casts on whatever mold is up. -
T.E., Vandalia, Mo.

Harding: The mold disk turning pinion is driven by a short stud enter-
ing it from the rear. This can become rounded off or it can get pushed back so
it is too short; the bushing in its corresponding hole, where it should seat, often
gets well worn at the sides, so the pin will easily slip out. Put in a new bushing
and pin, and see that the pin goes into the bushing as far as it will.

Watch especially when changing molds. That is when much of this trouble
originates.

Be sure the set screw in the square block near the bevel gear is firmly set.

Should We Oil the Mold Disk Turning Brake?

Harding: Positively not. Oil destroys its efficiency. The leathers, if oil-
soaked, should be replaced. You will see how by taking off the brake. The two
holes are for the brass pins that hold the leathers — not oil holes.

The only adjustment on the Linotype brake is to loosen or tighten the nut
against the spring. Adjust so that the mold disk, coming forward onto the lock-
ing stud blocks, does not have to jerk either forward or back.

It should not be necessary to say that metal accumulated behind the disk,
or anything that tends to retard the disk, will throw this adjustment out of kilter.

142 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Be sure you keep a small amount of oil on the mold disking locking studs.
On the Intertype there are two disks with leather between. Put an occa-
sional drop of oil in the oil hole under the spring.

What to Use on Back Mold Wiper?

Question: Our Model 19 collects metal on the backs of the molds, although
we run the wiper up against the disk as advised. We use no lubricant but dry
graphite. - A.T.D., Mexia, Tex.

. Harding: It has been found that a dry wiper will not remove particles
of metal. Your molds on the backs should be as clean and shiny as the day you
unwrapped them, and if you find metal on them, scrape it off with a sharp brass
rule; use alternate rubbing with mold polish, if necessary — though note that
mold polish is not for steady use on a mold, for it contains an abrasive that will
damage molds if used continuously.

Use oil on the back mold wiper; put it on the back side of the wiper, and
if you don't load it, it won't foul your molds. Graphite worked into the felt
helps to polish the metal. Apply a drop or so of oil to the front mold wiper too,
though here, with a squirt can filled with gasoline and graphite, it is easier to
load the felt with graphite. Trouble is, it doesn't last.

Loomis: Three cheers! For fifteen years I have been guiltily flaunting
The Book (meaning established authority) by advocating oil on the back wipers.
Now I am happy to see that I was not entirely alone.

A dry wiper will not do the job. Mold polish will ruin molds. Graphite
alone won't stay. I ascertain that the felt is freely removable from the holder.
If there are pointed screws in the sides of the holder, throw them away. Unless
the felt is too small for the holder, it will not come out in use. Weekly I take out
the wiper, put about half the equivalent of a film of oil on the front, and put
the front in backward. I am glad to see that Harding and I worked out the
same system on this. The oil works through gradually, and not enough to cause
trouble unless you overload it. If you find oil on the liners when you change
them, you will know you used too much or used it wrongly. Be sure to put the
oiled side in.

As to oil: Ordinary lubricating oil will do a good job. The best, however,
seems to be a sulphur-base cutting oil, such as the black threading oil that
plumbers use — which is not oil and does not cut.

In recent years I have been experimenting with the same oil on the front
wiper, which I considered very daring, only to see that others were doing it too.
I use cutting oil here also, and apply it as far back on the wiper as possible. I use
more than a drop — about one "string." The main thing is not to use enough
to get on the mats, for that will require a cleaning of mats and magazine and
all the places where the front toes and ears slide.

Mold Turning Mechanism 143

Slug ejection is easier from a mold with a lubricated back wiper.

Be sure your back wiper bears against the disk at normal position. It
should be set so that the usual spring that holds it there is lightly compressed.

On wipers that are not removable, I put a little oil as far back on the side
of the wiper as possible, through the slot in the disk.

Some use castor oil, but I have used that on Monotype casting equipment
and I don't like it. It is a fine lubricant for molds — perhaps the best — but on
being heated it leaves a gummy residue.

Harding adds: Avoid any presence of oil in the mold cell or on lines. This
is a good guide.

CHAPTER XVI
METAL POT AND PLUNGER

General Action of the Pot

Question: I was visiting in another plant and noticed the pot went up into
position and stayed there until after the cast. The pot on our own machine drops
back for a second and then locks up again. The other operator assured me our
pot is not locking up right and I should change it. What do you say? - L.R.M.,
La Jara, Colo.

Loomis: For goodness' sake don't touch it. For a fuller description of the
action of the pot, see Pottle's article below. It is well to be familiar with the
exact action, for often casting trouble can be run down this way.

H. G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: Let's take the first
look at the pot cam in the back. It has two shoes; a short one which moves the
pot forward for the first alignment. Then the pot drops back for an instant be-
fore it is brought forward by the second and longer shoe, which holds it there
during the cast.

This long shoe locks up against the roll on the pot lever and exerts pressure
against the pot lever spring at the bottom. This spring transmits pressure to the
pot itself.

The old-style eyebolts have a nut at both ends. The nut at the rear does not
have anything to do with the pressure exerted by the pot lever spring, but
rather it brings the pot back for that momentary relaxation between lockups.
If this nut is backed off too far the pot will not drop back properly. On an
Intertype this nut is set so there will be 11/64" space between the nut and the
lever when the pot is locked up; this is just under 3/16". On a Linotype the
space is 1/16" to i/ 8 ". This nut should have a lock nut to hold the adjustment.

The front nut is the one that determines the pressure during lockup. It also
should have a lock nut. On late Intertypes it has been replaced with washers,
of which there usually are eight on a new machine. The new style springs are
larger and are under pressure during lockup only; therefore they should last

Loomis: It is distressing that in the past both manufacturers have not re-
quired more accuracy in the manufacture of the pot cam lever, pot lever eyebolt,
the sleeve, the washers, and the nuts. A man out in the country, taking his eye-

144

Metal Pot 145

bolt apart to replace a broken spring, often has been dismayed to find that the
pins holding the sleeve have been sheared off or removed, and on occasion I
have seen sleeves on eyebolts without any holes for pins, not to mention eyebolts
without sleeves or pins. These conditions are, shall we say, confusing. See the
heading, Lockup Pressure of the Pot, page 147, for suggestions on what to do
next. (I understand that recently the manufacturers have introduced some
1 fo: uiity into the dimensions of this assembly.)

Proper Filling of the Metal Pol

Question: Is it all right to let the metal level run down near the top of
the well? We get a cold face if we run it any higher. - H.C.H., Frederick, Wis.

Harding: This should not be done as a custom. You need a machinist if
you are having that trouble, for probably you already have a clogged throat.
We give a fuller treatment of this subject under the heading, Cold Face Caused
by Throat Clogged, etc., on page 183, but don't get in a hurry to clean out the
throat until you have read all the material in these chapters on the pot.

In the meantime, as to your question: different pots do vary a little, espe-
cially if you demand a great deal of them, as in casting big slugs, big faces, and
many slugs. But in general, metal should be kept in the neighborhood of %" be-
low the place where the crucible meets the pot — or 13^" to 2i/ 2 " above the top of
the well. On an Intertype, the metal level should be below the bevel at the top
edge of the pot.

A pot holds about 38 pounds of metal when full, but this is by no means
workable. If you are hand-feeding, drop in a pig whenever you are up. Don't
let it vary more than you have to.

When the pot is too full, you may get a back squirt, for metal will run out
of the mouthpiece holes as the pot moves forward. When a pot runs over,
metal runs down through the asbestos packing. On old style Linotype pots with
their throat heater terminals at the bottom, short circuits resulted. One pot
that I took apart had fifeen pounds of metal that formed a regular jacket around
the throat element.

Fuses have been blown by metal splashed from the surface through the open-
ing through which the old style mercury tube passes, and out over the electric
connections. A "hot spot" in an element has been known to splash metal onto
heater terminals (it has even blown metal to the ceiling). When this spraying
persists, throw a handful of slugs over the "hot spot" when you turn on the

A cut in ^nifer for August, 1939, shows an accumu-

lation of slag or dross in a crucible throat, caused by allowing the metal level to
remain constantly too low. This sort of accumulation becomes almost as hard
as the iron itself, and, if it gets too solidly established, is hard to loosen.

146 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Loomis: I ran into one of these crucibles once that had a solid accumu-
lation of dross in the throat. We could not remove it even by heating the
crucible red hot with an acetylene torch, and so we sawed it open and found the
same thing William Reid & Company found. In my opinion this accumulation
was caused by two things: I, allowing the metal level to remain constantly low,
and 2, allowing a heavy accumulation of dross to remain on top of the metal.
These two factors over a period of years, plugged up the throat, I think.
Questions asked of the owner seemed to support this theory. I do not believe
that deteriorated metal had much to do with it, for if that were so there
would be many more of them. I have cleaned out — well, hundreds - of throats
in the last thirty years, and that is the only really bad one I have seen. It is
something of a freak - but it could happen to you. And when it does happen,
it's bad.

I hurry to point out that it requires only a very little dross in the throat to
give a cold face on your slug — and this dross yields to the throat saw, of course.

Temperature of the Metal

Question: We changed over to bottled gas, and after the orifices were in-
stalled we discovered our thermometer was broken. What would you suggest in
a spot like this? — Q.R., Crawford, Neb.

Loomis: In a situation like this it is possible to get a pretty close adjust-
ment of the heat without a thermometer. If it is a gas pot, be sure the throat
burners are burning; if an electric pot, be sure the throat and mouthpiece ele-
ments are heating (if you can get metal through the mouthpiece, they are).

First set it this way: fold a piece of newsprint and hold it in the metal while
you count slowly to three. The paper should be light to medium brown. The
trouble is, newsprint varies, counting varies, and each man's idea of light brown
varies. An old hand at this, who has checked it often against a thermometer,
can come within ten degrees, but it isn't so easy for the inexperienced. Cut
down your mouthpiece flame pretty low, or, if electric, to about the halfway
point. Start setting type.

Pay first attention to the pot. Keep cutting down the main burner until a
ball begins to form on the plunger. Then turn it back up a little until the ball
disappears.

The throat flame should be from 1° to 2" high.

Now the main pot heat is pretty close to where it should be. Cut down on
your mouthpiece heat until it starts to give a cold face; then raise it again.

With a little experience, this can be as good a setting as you can get with a
thermometer - always allowing for exceptions caused by unusual conditions
(under which circumstances a thermometer can be pretty helpless too).

Metal Pot 147

For the record, it is now considered best to run the pot as cool as you can
and still get good results. This will be around 510° to 530°. It must be hot
enough to keep the ball off of the plunger — though sometimes you have to use
an aluminum shield as assistance here. The temperature prescribed for the
mouthpiece is 490°, but this is hard to measure. A 6-point slug held with one
edge against the mouthpiece should start to melt in less than a minute.

In a Monomelt, it is now considered best to keep the temperature around
625°. At higher temperatures the metal will be oxidized with excess rapidity.
At lower temperatures you may have trouble melting down fresh metal.

Metal Temperatures and Mold Cooling

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: 530° is a safe
low temperature with a cold-metal feeder; with a hot-metal feeder the temper-
ature can go down sometimes to 510°. I have always favored a low heat in the
pot, with plenty under the throat and mouth-piece. I have had excellent results
by feeding gas to the throat burners independent of the main burner.

3°. So far

A mold is overheated beyond 150°, so when large slugs or continuous slugs
or fast-running machines are involved, cooling is needed. Water cooling offers
little cooling to the cap of the mold. (Loomis: The upkeep of a water cooling
system is demanding too.) Air cooling helps both cap and body, and in general
seems to have turned out to be more efficient in cooling.
I<

I have better luck with a mouthpiece that has holes a nonpareil apart in-
stead of a pica apart.

Lockup Pressure of the Pot

Question in Printing Industry for November, 1931: I removed the pot
lever to grease it, and then decided to take the spring assembly apart for cleaning.
To my consternation, I discovered there was nothing to reset the spring by. There
was a sleeve, but there were no holes in the shaft. I got it running but it doesn't
sound right. How can I get it set properly? - C.J.V., Mason City, la.

Harry G. Pottle: Unfortunately not too much has been done to provide
a standard lockup pressure. We measured levers, eyebolts, washers, and springs
in a plant of eleven machines, and on no two machines were the measurements
the same. The springs vary. A Linotype spring has Ti/ 2 coils of 14" wire wound
to 1 5/16" diameter, and should be 2%" long, but sometimes a new spring will
be 1/16" short. Also, the springs will become set in use and turn out i/ s " short.

j 48 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

The Intertype spring has 4i/ 2 coils of 5/16" wire wound to ls/ 4 " diameter, and
is only 2y 4 " long; this larger spring is not supposed to suffer from spring set.

The Mergenthaler Company uses a compound lever gauge to set their pot
springs, but this is not available to the m-o, and it would require considerable
experience to use it properly. The pot spring is set for 550-650 pounds pressure
on the mouthpiece while the pot is cold; this automatically increases to 900
pounds when the pot is hot. Many machines have been tested where the spring
had been tightened up to 1200 pounds cold. This can be done easily, for each
turn of the front nut increases the mouthpiece pressure 200 pounds. It is well
to note, however, that excessive pressure does not help back squirts, but often
makes them worse by springing the pot legs.

The pot spring of course should not be solid. It is put there as a safety
cushion, and when you screw it too tight, undue pressure such as a double black
lockup will break off the vise locking screws or the pot lever itself.

Since the prescribed measurements are not dependable, what then can we
do? As good a rough test as any is the space between the coils of the spring at
lockup. This should be not less than 3/64" and not more than 1/16". When it
is set and found to work, the lock nut should be checked to be sure it is tight.

Loomis: I made a small gauge that could be used without so much trouble,
using another pot spring as a sort of counterbalance, and used it for a few years
to check on Pottle's distance between the coils. That seems to be about right, and
I don't use the gauge much any more.

Earlier I had tried to establish some sort of basic measurement. I chose the
distance from the front edge of the pot spring to the nearest edge of the hole in
the pot lever eyebolt. Like Pottle, I found no two alike. They measure anywhere
from li/ 2 " to 1 13/16" at this point. A Model 14 in the plant where I am now
working measures 1-11/16", while a brand new Intertype measures lj/k"- My
own choice on an older machine is to guess at about IS/i", then set it according
to Pottle's test. Get a piece of 1/16" rod — the size of the mouthpiece holes. If
that goes between the coils during the lockup, the spring is too loose. Grind a
flat on one side until it measures .047" with a micrometer. If this end won't go
between the coils at lockup, the spring is too tight. Save the rod; one end is the
go-gauge; the other is the no-go.

Greasing the Pot Lever Roll

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: Our machine stalled recently,
and the machinist we got on the job found a broken roller bearing in the pot
lever roller. I have been careful to oil it every week and am at a loss to under-
stand why it ran dry.

Loomis: The pot lever roll must be packed with grease. Because of the
heat from the pot, oiling will not keep it lubricated. The old style bearing has

nine separate roller bearings and two washers. The new style has the bearing
assembled.

Some m-o's put shims under the pot cam shoes to compensate for wear, but
I believe this should be done only on the advice o£ an experienced machinist, lor
each shim has the effect of tightening up the pot spring three times its thickness;
therefore a sheet of tympan paper adds from 40 to 50 pounds pressure at the
mouthpiece. Moreover, those shoes are case-hardened and do not wear very fast.

To remove the pot lever: Drop the first elevator to the vise cap. Turn off
the motor. Note the exact position of the pot balance spring base, under the pot
lever, and pull the vertical balancing spring out from under the pot lever. Open
the vise and pull the mold slide out a few inches. Block or tie the metal pot for-
ward. (Blocking is easier, for you can saw a wedge-shaped block of cut-base, 4"
long, 8 picas wide at one end and 15 picas wide at the other; then push the pot
forward and slide the wedge in between the pot and the pot pump roll. But this
will be in your way until you acquire experience, so it is perhaps better to tie
a piece of baling-wire around one of the brackets that hold the pot cam lever
and then run it through the face plate.)

If a Linotype, note the number and position of the spacing washers on
either side of the pot lever where the shaft goes through. Look closely. Some
of the washers are very thin. (If Intertype, remove the screw in the slot at the
top of the pot lever.) Now loosen the set screw that holds the pot lever shaft,
stick a screwdriver through the hole in the end of the shaft; twist and pull. You
may need penetrating oil. Be careful to catch the washers. Lay them out as
they were in the machine.

Remove the wingpin from the eyebolt under the pot. If it has rusted in,
squirt it with penetrating oil. Do not pry under the wing. Grasp it with pliers,
and twist and pull. Catch the pot lever with the left hand while you remove
the wing pin. Let the pot lever come down and out. Note that by leaving the
wingpin in until the last, you were able to handle the washers much more easily.
This is also true when replacing the waslu i tigpin in first, and you

won't need three arms as much as you might at first think. Take the pot lever
to the bench. Tighten the two screws that hold the pot return cam. Make them
good and tight. Loosen the set screw that holds the pot cam roll pin; some fit
into a detent; others are very long and go all the way through the pin. Push out
the pin; the anti-friction rolls, washers, and cam roll will fall out.

See that the two oil holes in the top of the pot lever are open. If they are
plugged up with metal, drill it out with a No. 28 or 29 drill, or a i/ 8 " drill.

Wash the parts in kerosene or gasoline. Use a good cup grease or hard oil
(not axle grease) and pack it around the inside of the roll. If the anti-friction

rolls are separate, stick them one at a time in the grease. Then fill in the cracks.
(With an assembled roller bearing, put it in the cam roll and then, with grease

on your finger, go around and around until all the spaces are filled. Stick the

150 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

washers in place. Slip the roll in place. Get it centered on the hole. Then
shove in the pin, with its hole in place for the set screw. It may be necessary for
you to plug the hole with a piece of paper to keep the rolls in place, but you
should be able to do it with grease alone.

Tighten the set screw just snugly; it is hardened, and if you break it, it can
be quite a problem to remove. Put the pot lever back in place from beneath the
pot and slip in the wingpin to secure it. Now coat the upper washers with grease
and put them in place and push the shaft through. On an Intertype, insert the
set screw in the slot and then adjust the pot lever sidewise to prevent rubbing
against the cams. On a Linotype, if it rubs, you will have to shift washers. (On
an Intertype, of course, there are no spacing washers.)

Let the hole in the pot lever shaft protrude from the bearing, in prepara-

If you should break the wing off of the wingpin before you read this, you
can loosen the pin with penetrating oil and drive it from the inside with a very
short punch and considerable patience.

We assume, of course, that if any of the rolls are out of round or cracked
they will be replaced. If the cam roll pin itself shows a worn ridge, it should
be replaced.

After a few greasings, one should be able to remove the roll without remov-
ing the pot lever, and grease it and return it — all of which won't take more
than a few minutes, and makes the job easier. In this case, take a long, thin
screwdriver and push the cam roll pin toward the pot side of the machine. Get
hold of it with a pair of pliers.

As to frequency, I know The Book says this roll should be packed twice a
year, but I never have seen one that was, and I don't believe they need it that
often in the country. I don't think oiling should be demanded any oftener than
necessary, because the m-o has his hands full anyway. He passes it up for a few
months and then forgets it completely to get it off his mind. Therefore let's say
once a year, for it does need it that often — and let's do it that often.

Incidentally, make it a practice to oil the wingpin and eyebolt when you oil
the machine; then you won't have any trouble getting the pin out.

For grease, do not use any form of pressure-gun lubricant. I have recently
heard bad reports from graphite grease also.

THE PLUNGER
General Action of the Plunger

Harding: Normally the bottom of the plunger is just above the holes in
the well. Then as the pot moves forward, the well moves up and the plunger

Metal Pot

151

cuts off the holes. You should be able to push the pot well hook through the
holes with the plunger in place in normal position. If the plunger rides too low
because of a worn pot pump cam and cam roll, the holes will never be fully open,
and continuous casting will produce hollow slugs.

To remove the plunger, twist a little as you pull it out - and don't pull it
out too fast. If you are careless, some machines will allow metal to splash from
the mouthpiece, which will cause a squirt.

Loomis: For the best possible face and body, the plunger should start down
with a quick, free stroke, then "dwell" and follow on through its stroke until
the lug on the pump lever is within about 14" of the top of the pot jacket. This
stroke is regulated by drilling a hole in the bottom of the plunger. Clamp the
plunger rod in a vise, with the plunger itself tight against the side of the vise.
Start in the concave curve near the middle of the plunger at the bottom. Drill
into the center at an angle. Start with a No. 52 or mouthpiece drill. Try the
plunger with a 30-pica 10-point slug. Drill larger if necessary. If you get the
hole too big - sometimes they take up to i/ 8 " - you can plug it up with a cotter
key inserted from the inside. Cast slugs for several hours after each drilling.

It is important on some machines to get this full stroke of the plunger, for
if the plunger goes down "soft" and doesn't go all the way, pressure on the pump
after the cast may cause an "after squirt." This will lead to a back squirt.

Note also that on an old machine that is running all right, it is wise not to
monkey with the plunger. It is usually when the shop gets a new font of bigger
or heavier type that this becomes necessary.

On an old crucible and plunger, you may run into trouble trying to give the
plunger a full stroke, because the plunger may have worn a groove around the
well or there may be a dross ring at the bottom of its down stroke.

Proper Method of Cleaning the Pot and Plunger

Question: I have heard many different and conflicting ideas on cleaning
the pot and plunger. Will you give me the straight dope? - D.G., Slaton, Tex.

Loomis: Glad to. First, use no goo of any kind on the plunger. I have
never been convinced that it is helpful in any situation. For a well-cleaner, use
either the two-bladed cleaner or the spiral cleaner where the ends of the wires
do not stick out. If you use the blades, keep the fork sprung apart, and replace
blades when they get worn. The old-type wire bristle cleaners are treacherous;
they sometimes leave short wires in the well that later get caught between plunger
and side-wall.

Use the pot hook to clean the two holes in the sides of the well.

The best place I have found for the plunger pin is in the end of the face
plate just under the screw that limits the travel of the line delivery.

152 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

I favor the spiral wire brushes where there are no loose ends sticking out.
The solid scrapers are good but m-o's in the country are inclined to use them
when they have lost their spring or when the blades have big grooves in them
so they could not possibly clean the well.

Brush the plunger with a wire brush, in the open to avoid breathing the
dust. Do not immerse in water or oil and do not use any sort of dressing on the
plunger. It is totally unnecessary. Skim the pot and put the skimmings in the
Monomelt or remelting furnace.

In replacing the plunger, immerse it in the pot for a couple of minutes to
warm it up, then work it in, twisting a little if necessary. Put the plunger in
gently, or you may force a little metal from the mouthpiece which will cause a
back squirt.

Loomis: It is good policy, as George Curie showed me on the old Tribune,
not to clean loose and worn plungers and wells any oftener than necessary. Let
them gather dross to eliminate slop, and clean them only when they have to

Adjustable Vent in Plunger

Loomis: For a few years plungers were made with an adjustable vent in
the bottom to secure the same result as had been secured by men in the field
who drilled holes in the plungers. If you have an adjustable plunger, and if
you can adjust it, it will save drilling. But ordinarily it is more trouble to loosen
the screw than it is to drill the plunger.

Metal Collects on Plunger Rod

Question: Metal constantly collects on the plunger rod. Can you tell me
how to get rid of it? — E.O.W., Excelsior, Minn.

Loomis: The accumulation of metal on the plunger rod varies a great deal
with different machines — possibly from variation in the metal formula. First,
check the temperature. Often if you set the metal at 530° it will stop this. Some-
times a plunger with a good long stroke will be a constant offender. If it doesn't
help to raise the heat, then get an aluminum sleeve from the company. You will
need also a new plunger pin keeper spring. Take out the old spring, slip the
sleeve over, put in the new spring. Usually the sleeve fits snugly enough to stay
where you put it. Otherwise you can drill a couple of very shallow holes in the
rod and pound the soft metal into the holes.

To get a metal ball off of a plunger rod, either dunk the ball beneath the
surface of the metal, or take a large screwdriver and pound it gently alongside
the rod, between the rod and the metal, until the ball drops down the rod below
the metal. This can be done so it does not smack of strong-arm methods. The
word is gentle. A still gentler way is to take out the plunger pin and twist the

plunger down into the well until the ball is submerged — taking care not to
force metal out through the mouthpiece.

Harding: This is apt to appear on plungers that have the long stroke
about which we have talked, because the cooler part of the rod dips into the
metal. You may have to increase the temperature. Some pots are worse than
others at it — probably because of a difference in the composition of the metal.
Have the metal analyzed.

Plunger Becomes Disconnected

There are several things that will make a plunger become disconnected:

1. Cold metal.

2. Dirty plunger and well.

3. Metal slugs or pigs dropped behind the plunger rod, or a ball formed
on the plunger rod.

4. Weak plunger pin keeper spring. This should be made of spring steel.
Coat-hangers are more handy but not as efficient in this spot. Get half a dozen
springs at a time. They are not expensive.

What to Do With a Stuck Plunger

Harding: When the plunger sticks tightly in the well it usually can be dis-
lodged by putting a monkey wrench on the rod and twisting and pulling. When
this method fails, dip the metal until the well is exposed, put a little beef tallow
around the plunger, and repeat with the monkey wrench. If the slug on which
the plunger sticks is not the first one cast, tap the plunger rod lightly with a
pig of metal and again use the monkey wrench. But if the plunger sticks on the
first stroke after cleaning (which would indicate it is binding on some foreign
substance), tapping the rod will make it worse.

Put a rod through the upper hole in the plunger rod, cover the opening
in the pot cover with a cloth, and tap the plunger up. Cases have been known
where the end of a side-stick was forked and used as a pry in the lower hole.
Be patient.

Loomis: Be careful in twisting on the part of the rod above the plunger
pin. I have seen the rod twisted off there. The very best and most consistent
results I have obtained in this fashion: Loop several turns of baling wire through
the upper hole so that you can put a three-foot crowbar through the loop and
get a hold with the end of the crowbar inside the column. Now pry up hard
while somebody else uses a monkey wrench or large crescent wrench to twist the
rod (below the plunger pin hole if possible). I have seen some very stubborn
plungers come unstuck through the persuasive power of these combined pressures.

154 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

There is one more way to withdraw a stuck plunger, but it can be very
dangerous. The back of my right thumb is a solid burn-scar to prove it. Do this
only i£ other methods fail.

Get somebody reliable to handle the clutch. Close the pot-top. Pad your
right hand thoroughly with rags. Let the machine turn over until the plunger
is down. Then grasp the plunger rod just above the plunger lever with a BIG
pair of pliers; you'll need the leverage. If your machine has a Monomelt, be sure
your hand is padded on that side. Have your partner pull out the plunger. If
you maintain your grip, the machine most likely will pull the plunger out. I
haven't seen this fail - but remember, it is dangerous. It is not a thing to do
habitually.

To Remove the Plunger Spring

Harding: To remove the old style Linotype spring, remove the plunger
pin, insert a heavy nail through the rod above the bracket, run the machine
and hold out the pump stop until the lever descends, and lift out the spring
and rod.

To remove the new style Linotype spring, loop a rope through the upper
ring of the spring. Hold out the pump stop and run the machine until the
lever descends. Climb up onto the machine and pull the rope straight up through
the center column. An assistant can then push the spring off the hook on the
lever. Do not leave the metal pot locked up more than three minutes.

To disconnect the Intertype pump spring, close the vise jaws, run the ma-
chine until the pump lever descends, insert a screwdriver in the hole in the top
of the spring rod and unscrew the rod. The lower end of the spring may be
screwed off the bracket, but this is not an easy operation.

To Put Bock a Linotype Plunger Spring

Loomis: I have what I think is the world's best system for replacing a
Linotype plunger spring. First turn off the mouthpiece heat. Then get some
No. 14 insulated wire and make it into a double loop about 16" from end to
end. This will, of course, require a piece of wire about 6 feet long, to allow some
for fastening together. Get a bar or rod about two feet long. Have your assistant
stand on top of the machine where he can pull up from the top of the spring.
Have him put the rod through the wire loop; hang the spring on the bottom
end of the loop. Provide yourself with a big screwdriver - about a 12" (that
is, a screwdriver with a blade 12" long and proportionately wide and thick).
Hook the bottom end of the spring and have your assistant tighten up to hold it
in place. Pull the plunger pin. Turn the machine over; hold the pump stop
open until the plunger lever goes down. Stop the machine; shut off the motor.
Go around behind the machine. Have your assistant pull up on the spring.
When the loop is high enough, you can push the screwdriver blade between

Metal Pot 155

about the third and fourth coils from the top of the spring, push it first away
from you, then to one side, and finally bring it back over the lever. Get it into
the notch you want. Then let your assistant get down, and untwist the wire
if necessary to get it loose from the spring. Get the machine off of the cast. This
:es. If it does, you'd better turn the ma-
ir do this when the pot is cold.
To change the spring from one notch on the lever to another, grease the
notches, then use a big screwdriver if it has steel all the way through, or a small
sidestick, and drive the plunger spring from one notch to another, using the
drift pointed a little upward to make it easier.

How to Set the Plunger Spring

Loomis: The setting of a plunger spring is always a compromise between
a solid body and a good face. The average machine works about right with the
spring in the second notch from the front, if a Linotype. On an Intertype you
can guess at a setting by using a i/±" or 1" rod, with one end through the column
of the machine, to pry up the plunger lever and feel the pressure of the spring
as compared to other machines. Other things being equal, too much spring will
give a better face but a body inclined to hollowness; too little will give a fuller
body but an indifferent face; and far too little will give a shell cast, or a slug
that looks good but has nothing inside.

If you have a heavy fourteen-point, use the spring strong enough to get a
good face on the bold and no more.

Many older Linotypes (Model 18, anyway) have a hook at the bottom end
of the plunger spring that can be regulated (when the plunger is off the lever,
of course) to give more or less pressure.

The oversize plunger springs sometimes help when your well and plunger
are badly worn, but they have disadvantages too. They will often start leaks in
a mouthpiece that hasn't leaked in twenty years — so I generally stick to the
conventional type. These certainly will function if the pot is in proper shape.

To get a better face on 18-point and bigger, see Quick Drop, etc., on page

Will the Quick Drop Cause a Cracked Crucible?

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: About a year ago we put quick
drop equipment on our machines to give us better faces. Two of the machines
have had cracked crucibles lately within a month of each other. Did the quick
drop have anything to do with this? — L.R.M., Berea, Ohio.

Harding: A loose plunger acts as a cushion, and a snug plunger conceivably
might cause a pot already partly cracked to leak on a quick drop, especially if
you are using a heavy plunger spring.

156 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Most crucibles crack on gas-heated machines. Did you ever hear of a cracked
electric crucible? The gas pot heats from the bottom, and there is terrific ex-
pansion there until the top is melted through. On gas pots it is quite common
for some metal to leak through at every melting; this probably is forced through
the cast iron by the pressure. It is best to leave gas pots burning as much as
possible. It helps also to let the metal run low before turning off the pot at night.

Cracked crucibles will allow metal to drop on the burner, especially each
time the pot is heated, and some become so bad they plug up the burner.

Pot Relief Plug Will Help Prevent Cracking

Harding: The old-fashioned pot relief plug used on gasoline pots is a
good item to prevent cracking. A local mechanic can make one on a lathe. It is a
cone-shaped piece of steel 12" long, 13/J" in diameter at one end and i/ 2 " in
diameter at the other, with the taper running for about 6". Crosswise through
the large end drill a y s " hole for handling. The plug should be smoothly pol-
ished from top to bottom.

Put the plug in the well after dipping the metal down to the well. Small
end of the plug goes down. With such a plug in place, a crucible will seldom
crack when heating up.

Can A Cracked Crucible Be Repaired?

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: Kindly inform me if a leaky
Linotype pot may be successfully repaired. If so, what is the procedure? — S.E.M.,
Canandaigua, N. Y.

Harding: Repairing is not too successful. It may last for a time, but
eventually it gives way in most cases. Use it in an emergency, but don't depend
on it. Constant expansion and contraction will break it again.

Sometimes the throat will be cracked inside the crucible, in front of the
well. This may cause loss of compression and poor slugs.

There are a number of compositions to stop small leaks, but do not be dis-
appointed if they do not work:

Liquid glass and asbestos cement mixed to the consistency of putty; chloride
of lime mixed with water; a saturated solution of hydrochloric acid and pure
zinc; lye and salt, mixed with water; epsom salts and table salt, mixed with water.

These should be applied from the inside of the crucible and left to stand
overnight. The crucible of course must be emptied and removed in most cases.

Sometimes copper has been pounded into the crack from either or both
sides. But the solution of HC1 and zinc probably is the best bet. Clean and
scrape out the crucible and pour in the solution. Let it stand. If it will seep
through the crack, so much better. Try several applications.

Metal Pot 157

Loomis: Cracked crucibles are tricky. On the Minneapolis Star I saw one
develop in a machine that had been moved only a hundred feet along the floor
on one of those very low trucks furnished by the company. Nemo Wraggett
was very unhappy over that, for he already had his hands full with thirty ma-
chines on the move. We never could fix that, and finally put in a new crucible.
On the other hand, I saw a pot on a Model 15 in an inland town near Mobridge,
S. D., where the well was cracked three fourths of the way around at the base
until you could stick a paper clip into the crack. I couldn't figure out how it
stayed on at all. But there was nothing else to do, and a paper to get out, so
we went to the local welder. He used electricity to avoid heating the entire piece
so much, and welded it all around. It worked for a long time, but I doubt that
it is working now. I have even had the end of the crucible welded up and have
filed out a new seating for the mouthpiece, and have seen it work. But most
cracks are almost infinitestimal. You have to examine the iron closely to see
them. My policy is: yes, weld it if you are in a hurry, but order a crucible and
be sure. Electric welding seems best if you have to weld.

Dross Ring in Well

Question: Our plunger will not descend past a certain point, even though
I have drilled a hole in the bottom. Do you know what causes this? — R.A.B.,
Lyman, Neb.

Harding: I think so. Your well cleaner has become too worn to do a good
job of cleaning, and a dross ring has formed at the bottom of the plunger's
former stroke. Make a scraper by welding a segment from a 2" washer onto the
end of an iron rod, and scrape the ring out of the well.

Should We Leave the Pots on Overnight?

Question: Is it cheaper to leave the pots on at night or to turn them off?

Loomis: I am informed that in average cases, where the machine is used
about eight hours a day, and then is heating for ten or eleven hours during the
day, that there is no saving in turning them off at night. Bear in mind that the
heat required to keep a pot up to temperature without new metal being added
is not as great as that required when the machine is in operation; remember
also that the heat required to melt down a cold pot is considerable. Where a
pot is turned off for three or four days over the week-end, it is a different story.

Two years after writing the above, I got my model 15, and kept careful
records. It is heated with 110-volt A.C. current, and has an electric Monomelt.
I discovered the following startling facts:

1. It requires 4 kilowatt-hours to melt the metal, ready for casting. The
main pot melts in 45 minutes, will cast in one hour with the mouthpiece set a
little below half-way, where it runs, and the Monomelt, if the metal level is

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST
a little, takes 15 minutes longer. If the Monomelt is full,

2. During fairly steady operation of the machine, comparable to the average
shop, this machine consumes 1.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity per hour.

3. Overnight, when the machine is idle, the electricity consumption is about
1.6 kilowatt-hours per hourl This difference is roughly the difference of the
motor and light.

Therefore the cost of melting down from scratch is only 2 kilowatt hours —
the amount required to heat normally for one hour!

Perhaps during the melting-down process most of the heat is retained in the
metal, while in the fluid state there is great radiation and loss of heat. This
whole thing is a little hard to believe, but the figures are accurate according to
my meter. j ! ■'-?'" fli

I have no actual figures on gas consumption, but I would not be astonished
to find them similar.

CHAPTER XVII

LOOSE PLUNGERS
LINECASTING METAL

Symptoms of a Loose Plunger

What are the symptoms of a loose plunger?

1. Metal boils up from the well when the plunger descends. Occasionally
this will happen on a good plunger with a strong plunger spring, but

2. Measure the plunger itself. I£ it is smaller than 1.996" at any spot across
the bottom (or top), it is probably too loose for a good cast.

3. A tendency to hollow slugs, especially on 12-point and 14-point slugs.

(Note that this is not the hollow slug that results from recasting o:
heat, nor yet the hollow shell that appears gradually when the plunger sits below
the holes in the well. This condition will show up on practically the first slug
cast. Break the slug with your fingers. You will see hollow places inside. The
weight, of course, is a giveaway. Pick up a handful of slugs and heft them. Check
heat and metal level. It is well to note here that the slug cast from a pot with
a very low metal level will be distinguished by a perfect bottom and exterior
but an extremely hollow interior.)

4. The base of the loose-plunger slug will sometimes have actual holes
where the mouthpiece holes should be seen, says Harding.

5. Changing the temperature or the plunger spring has little effect on a
loose-plunger slug.

Remedy for a Loose Plunger

Question: Our plunger is loose and will not cast a solid slug on 14-point.
An operator in a neighboring town has advised me to get a reamer and enlarge
the well; then, he says, I can get a selection of oversize plungers and use the one
that fits. Do you think this will end my trouble? - ST., Wewoka, Okla.

Loomis: In the 1930's, following the widespread use of 14-point in country
shops, I began to take cognizance of a common situation created by a loose
plunger. On 8-point, 13 picas, or even 30 picas, the machine would deliver a
good slug, but on 14-point, 30 picas - and this was especially true with the solid

159

160 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

molds which were generally used at that time — the results were not good. The
machine often formed a slug which was hollow and which actually would cave
in on a 10x15 platen press.

At that time the only remedy was to buy a new crucible and plunger, and
the parts plus installation would represent around $200, not to mention consider-
able disruption of the office. Before long a number of service companies evolved
systems of boring the wells on a lathe or drill press, but this involved either
considerable delay or expensive trade-ins.

At that time, too, various manufacturers put on the market, for sale or rental,
reamers designed to enlarge the well in the shop for the fitting of a plunger.
Such plungers came in oversizes - .002", .003", and so on, up to about .010",
with .015" considered an extremely big plunger.

Those reamers were inadequate, I found, for three reasons: 1, they did not
have a guide that would do the job; 2, they required experience not possessed
by anyone outside of a machine shop; and 3, they were not the right type and
not heavy enough. They would hardly do more than scrape off the dross. If
you set them to dig deep enough to cut, they were not heavy enough and would
chatter, and the hole would no longer be round but polygonal. (I go into this
history because there is still very little sound information on this matter over
the country, and in order to show the proper way to ream a well, it is necessary,
I have learned from experience, to show the m-o why the other way will not do
the job.)

Presently I was rebuilding machines for sale. Through the generosity of
George Curie I borrowed one of those light reamers from the Minneapolis
Tribune, but found it did not satisfy my requirements. The C. H. Edlund Co.,
where I worked, had about a dozen discarded crucibles on which I could ex-
periment, and with the advice of George Peterson, an experienced machine shop
man, I ordered an adjustable reamer for the then fantastic price of $42, and
George made a guide for me. I started to work on the old pots, and soon dis-
covered that I did indeed have a sound approach. Refinements followed.

Things I discovered: a new crucible is bored at 2.000", and a new plunger
is 1.998". After ten or fifteen years the well is worn elliptical, sometimes wider
at the front and back, occasionally at the sides, always much more at the bottom.
The plunger does not wear as much, but usually most at the bottom. If the
plunger is .005" undersize at the bottom, the well will be at least .025" oversize
at the bottom, while the top of the well will be only .002" to .003" oversize. This
undoubtedly is the origin of the .002" oversize plunger. A few years ago ma-
chinists would get such a plunger and "grind it in" with emery powder — but the
true fact is that very few wells that give trouble can be made parallel under
2.035". Many have to go .050" oversize. I confirmed all these facts by measure-
ments with inside mikes and tests with plugs and prussian blue.

(Incidentally, a plunger will expand from .005" to .006" when heated to
casting temperature).

Loose Plungers 161

I selected 2.0625" as a standard oversize, because it was large enough to cover
any well, and because I finally had to buy a second solid reamer for a finish
reamer, and this was available size 2 1/16". I ordered a dozen plungers size
2.060", and went out into the field and began to rebuild pots on the machines.

For some years I think I had the only adequate reaming equipment in the
country for field work, but now Bill Gordon in Minneapolis has done the same
thing. His reaming equipment is perhaps not quite as efficient as mine, but his
guide is better. And no doubt there are others over the country by now.

As good a job as a factory boring job can and should be done by a skilled
man with the proper equipment — but it is not a job for an inexperienced man
with any kind of equipment. Any machine-shop man will tell you that reamers
are the hardest tools in the shop to use.

When properly done, this job is satisfactory in every way. The bigger plunger
seems to give a slightly better capacity for a good face. It must be drilled in the
bottom to get a proper stroke as explained before. The mouthpiece must be in
good condition as outlined in Chapter XIX Mouthpiece and Lockup, page
173. (With all these factors in good shape, I have done some experimenting
toward casting display faces, and have secured astonishing results on gothic
bold type as big as 36-point.)

If an itinerant machinist comes through your town and wants to do a fast
hit-and-run job, be sure of these items:

Any manner of installing a plunger a few thousandths oversize is not worth
the time spent on it. The plunger should be at least .040" oversize. This prac-
tically eliminates light reamers, because as a rule a light reamer will not go that
deep without trouble.

It takes two different reamers to get a round hole; otherwise your hole will
be hexagonal or octagonal and .005" or .006" larger than it should be.

The reamers for this work should be massive. The shafts at the very least
should be 1" in diameter, and the construction of the reamer itself as heavy as
can be gotten into the space available. If there is any doubt, take the proffered
oversize plunger to your garage and get it miked. A .005" oversize plunger could
easily be marked .060" oversize.

A strong and firm guide, attached to the pot itself, is necessary. Otherwise
you will wind up with a hole more egg-shaped than before.

A reaming job should always be accompanied by the installation of a new
mouthpiece and a thorough adjustment of lockup and all parts connected with
the pot. Be sure the pot spring and the plunger spring are in good shape.

162

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

What to Do About a Plunger That Is Too Big

This occasionally follows a pot-reaming job, but not very often. (Cast iron
is not consistent in its expansion.) If the plunger is tight, first try emery cloth
on it, all the way around, a couple of times. If the plunger is still tight - gener-
ally evidenced by coming out hard even though you clean it every day; some-
times by sticking during the day - put the rod in a vise, with the plunger snug
against the vise-jaws. Take a 10" or 12" mill bastard file and go around the
plunger with a crowning or rounding motion. You can cover an arc of about
i/ 2 " at a time, top to bottom of the plunger, then move to the next section. It is
fairly easy to take off .002" this way, and you don't want more than that, so go
easy. You can tell where you have filed by the different appearance of the surface.

Metal Conversion in Customer's Plant

Question: We wish you would give us the formula for converting stereo
metal into Linotype metal. A man and his wife came through here on two
different occasions and made a lot of this metal and it was okay, but we did not
get their formula. It seemed to be a very simple matter. They just skimmed
off the foreign matter and put a certain amount of the solution to each pot of
metal. - W.H., Humboldt, Tenn.

Loomis: Linotype metal is approximately 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead.
Stereotype metal is approximately 6% tin, 14% antimony, 80% lead. (Many
plants today, however, use the Linotype formula for stereotype and Monotype
also.) Antimony makes the alloy harder and requires more tin to fuse the lead
and antimony, but this excess lead and antimony is prone to form slag in a Lino-
type throat and is unsatisfactory to use.

Only refiners with expensive facilities can produce metal with proper con-
tent. If tin is required it is easily added in the plant, but if copper, zinc, arsenic,
or other elements that encourage slagging, are present, you cannot get them out.
Foundry type contains too much copper for linecasting machines; zinc cuts
are bad contaminators.

Tin vaporizes when hot, and is always skimmed off with the dross, and must
be replaced to maintain about 3i/ 2 % to 4%.

Dirt in metal creates a brittle, non-adhesive tendency sometimes along the
slug face. Clean metal is important.

Periodic analysis warns you before your metal loses too much tin. The
analysis is free, and the metal companies have a "plus plan" to keep your metal

Harding: Zinc, copper, arsenic, iron, brass, and aluminum especially should
be kept from the metal pot. Such materials can easily get into metal in the chips

Tin is the most costly ingredient; it adds body, toughness, and fluidity, and
produces a sharp face. Antimony imparts hardness and adds fluidity; it also ex-
pands at the point of solidification, though it shrinks as it cools.

Metal contaminated with zinc will leave a cloudy appearance on the sur-
face of skimmed metal. It can be partly removed by shutting off the heat and
skimming as the metal starts to solidify. Clean metal has a cobwebby appearance
after skimming. Excess antimony will form hard dross in the throat.

Send ten ounces of metal to one of the big companies and tell them how
much metal is in your plant. They will give you an estimate on toning metal.

How to Determine Impurities in Metal

e when metal contains too many impur-

By George Ortleb in The Printing Industry: After stirring and skimming,
good metal should be perfectly clear on top and gradually assume a cobwebby
look. If it does not do this, you probably have appreciable contamination. If
it looks vivid purple, dark blue, or reddish at 600°, one of the impurities will be
zinc, which, even in small amounts, makes type metal "mushy" and unsuitable
for use.

Question: What kind of flux do you recommend?

Harry G. Pottle in The Printing Industry: Easy use of so-called metal
fluxes is dubious. So are home methods of removing impurities from metal. The
old-time method of throwing a piece of tallow into the pot seems to help, but
this may leave oil in the metal, which may reach the mats. Try another old-
timer; put a big Irish potato on the end of a steel rod and stick it down in
the bottom. It will bubble and agitate the metal, helping to clean it mechan-
ically. It is doubtful that anyone but a metallurgist can properly use any agent
that causes a chemical change in the metal. The Monomelt method of using a
paddle to rub out the dross seems as good as any.

Pigging Metal is Important

Metal does not undergo as much deterioration in the linecasting machine
pot as it does in the remelting furnace, where the temperature is allowed to go
pretty high. Use a smelter that will hold 500 to 1000 pounds. Cover it. Don't
melt too rapidly. Take I14 hours to bring 1,000 pounds of metal to 600-650° F.
Use a thermometer. Agitate the metal, stirring from the bottom of the pot, and
scrape the pot. The oldtimers stuck a potato on the end of a steel rod and stuck
it in the metal for agitation, as noted above.

164 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Flux can be used. Tallow has been used and is efficient, but may leave oil
in the metal to get on the mats. When the metal reaches the right temperature,
stir, flux, separate the dross to a black powder. Skim the metal. Use a dished
skimmer at least 4" in diameter with 14" perforations. Put the black powder
in a drum that your metal house will furnish without charge. A 500-pound
drum of dross and a sample of your metal will bring you 250 pounds of "plus"
metal properly compounded. (In sending samples, the trimmings from under
the machine are good.)

After skimming, reduce heat and pour as rapidly as possible.

It is common sense to avoid breathing the dust, although actual cases of lead
poisoning are very few.

Imperial Type Metal Company (in the booklet, Type Metal Alloys):

DO NOT: overheat your metal; allow zinc, brass or copper to get into it;
attempt toning without analysis; agitate metal unnecessarily; melt less than capac-
ity of pot.

DO: skim metal at proper temperature; use flux; have analysis made peri-
odically; stir molten metal thoroughly; use thermometer; add plus metal regularly.

Which Is the Best Metal?

Loomis: It is significant that questions about metal ranked second in fre-
quency to questions about proper speed of an operator, back in the nineties.

In 1899 a reader of The Inland Printer asked: "Which is the best metal?"
Metal formulas at that time ranged from 70% lead, 10% tin, and 14% antimony,
to 100 pounds lead, 8 pounds tin, and 12 pounds antimony, and the price ranged
up to 6 cents a pound, according to the formula (lead being far the cheapest
ingredient).

"Expert" prudently refrained from sticking his neck out, and in June,
1899, thoughtfully remarked: "It is our opinion that the composition of linotype
metal is not as thoroughly understood as it should be." A little later John S.
Thompson said, "Poor metal doesn't plug up holes" (presumably mouthpiece
holes).

This is by way of noting that there always has been disagreement about line-
casting metal, and, as far as I am concerned, there still is. I am about to stick
my neck out.

I have long been extremely dubious about the customary beliefs in the all-
importance of metal. At one time or another almost every machinist has said
that a casting trouble on a certain machine was due to poor metal, and has gone
through the process of sending in samples for analysis, and so on. But as I look
back over thirty years of repairing machines — and believe me, many of them
have been in small plants far from even a railroad, where they never heard of

Loose Plungers 165

"keeping up" the metal and where anything from tobacco to old shoes has gone
into it — in these thirty years I have never worked on a machine in which I could
definitely pin the trouble on metal.

This was brought home to me graphically in a two-machine plant in South
Dakota. The machines were old and run down, and, from a machinist's stand-
point, conditions were atrocious. This applied to the handling of the metal also.
The strange part was that they had every kind of trouble but casting trouble. I
assumed that by some miracle their metal had maintained its theoretical propor-
tions, though I could not see how. Nevertheless, the slug was solid and the face
was good enough for anything in the line of ordinary printing. As a matter of
routine, however, I sent off a sample for analysis. About two weeks later the
manufacturer sent me a copy of the report. The tin content was down to 2.15%1

I did a lot of careful thinking over that — and since that time I have never
told a man, "The trouble must be with your metal." And strangely enough, 1
have not, as far as I know, left any unsolved casting problems behind me.

This is not to deprecate the conventional views or the exhaustive efforts
of the big metal companies to find out more about metal, for they have spent
a great deal of money to improve it. But the truth is that they themselves freely
say that the composition of metal, or its exact proportion of tin and lead and
antimony, is not the whole answer. I know that Imperial for one has made
expensive crystallographic and spectrographic studies of linotype metal (and I
imagine Federal and many others have too), and they are sincerely trying to get
to the bottom of the problem. Imperial, for instance, went to great expense to
make a large batch of chemically pure metal, only to find out it would not work
in linecasting machines. They discovered that although arsenic above a certain
very small percentage caused trouble, no arsenic at all caused more trouble!
The only definite conclusion I can see is that linecasting metal, like a great many
other scientific and industrial problems, is still a question.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that I throw the metal-care principles out
of the window. It merely means that I have not, for many years, said, "It must
be the fault of your metal." I have always, so far, been able to find some other
reason for casting trouble.

I firmly urge — and practice — common sense principles in the care of metal.
Don't contaminate it. Remelt properly, without getting above 650° F. Use
some plus metal if the manufacturer recommends it, but if you have real casting
trouble, don't expect a batch of new metal to fix it.

CHAPTER XVIII
BACK SQUIRTS

How Can I Eliminate Back Squirts?

Question: How can I eliminate back squirts on a linecasting machine?
The lockup seems perfect, and I believe the metal is at proper temperature.
Would it be possible that the mouthpiece is warped? - C.J.R.

Poor Lockup Most Common Cause

Harding: Poor lockup is the most common cause of back squirts. If the
mouthpiece is warped, this will show in a proper lockup. (See To Test the
Lockup, page 177.)

Hot Metal or Mouthpiece

Loomis: The second most common cause of back squirts. Keep the metal
under 550° F. (See Temperature of the Metal, page 146.) Metal in country
plants often runs above 600°, and metal at this heat does not solidify properly
at the cast.

Metal on Back of Mold

Loomis: This also is a very common cause. Many country shops operate
with no back mold wiper at all, and the molds accumulate a heavy layer of
metal. Pull out the disk and look. If there is metal on the mold, take it off with
a brass rule and mold polish. Also see What to Use on Back Mold Wiper, page
142.

Cold Metal or Mouthpiece

Harding: Cold metal also will cause squirts. The pot can be tested with
a sheet of folded newsprint. Hold it in the metal while you count three slowly;
the paper should be a light brownish tint. To test the mouthpiece, which is
supposed to be 490°, hold the smooth side of a slug tightly against it; it should
start to melt in one minute. Or crowd a long metal sprue into a mouthpiece
hole; it should melt in ten to twentv seconds.

Sometimes this troubJ happens when the operator has turned the mouth-

166

Back Squirts

Metal Pot Too Full

Harding: If the pot is too full, metal will drip from the n
the pot rocks forward and prevent a clean lockup.

Dirty Plunger or Well

Harding: If the plunger becomes dirty enough to stick momentarily, it will
rise as the pot goes forward, raising the plunger roll off the cam. Then the
plunger gives way, and the short drop forces metal out of the mouthpiece before
the lockup. This solidifies and causes a squirt on the real cast.

Tight Plunger or Dross Ring

Harding: A tight plunger will do the same. Rub tallow or metal flux on
it occasionally. If a dross ring has formed, scrape it out as told in Dross Ring in
Well, page 157.

Plunger with a Short Stroke

Harding: A plunger will work better on bigger slugs if it has a longer drop.
A plunger that drops well down into the well has better suction when lifted, and
tends to pull the metal back into the throat away from the mouthpiece.

A plunger with a short, spongy stroke may cause back squirts.

Weak or Broken Pot Spring

Loomis: Occasionally a pot lever spring will lose its compushency; if no
other defect shows up, it does not hurt to try a new spring; they're inexpensive.
Also it is surprising how often, when you are doing this, the old spring will fall
apart once you get it out of the machine. I spent two hours once cleaning squirts
out of a machine where everything was perfect, only to find that the pot spring
was cracked on the side I couldn't see.

Worn Vise Shaft

Harding: Only recently has provision been made for oiling the pot leg
bushings. It has always been advisable to oil them, however. The friction may
seem little, but it will wear both bushings and shaft enough to cause a squirt.
In such a case, get a vise shaft and bushings. In an emergency, you can push the
shaft one inch to one side and get new bearing surface.

168 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Excessive Recasting

Harding: Any machine will tend to squirt on recasting big slugs, for the
greater quantity o£ metal carries much more heat to the mold. Do not cast over
three 12-point, 30-pica slugs per minute unless you have a mold-cooling device.
When the mold gets too hot, the metal will run back out of the slug when the
mouthpiece pulls away, and the next cast may be a squirt.

Loomis: Watch a gas mouthpiece. It should not be necessary to run the
flame over an inch high at the most. If you let it run away it will often over-
heat the mouthpiece and produce squirts.

Pot Leg Adjusting Screw or Pot Leg Cap Screw Loose or Pot Leg Cap Broken

Harding: One of the four adjusting screws or one of the two cap screws
may work loose. Loosen the nuts one at a time to try all the screws. Turn the
screws up snug but not hard, or you'll be sorry. The pot leg castings are com-
paratively weak.

Pot Cam Roller Bearing Broken or Pot Leg Bushing Cracked or Broken

Harding: Either of these causes will produce squirts.

Pump Stop Bracket Set Too High

When the pump cam wears and allows the plunger to rest low enough to
shut off the holes in the sides of the well, an oversize cam roll should be applied.
This may cause the pump lever lug to be poised too far above the pump stop
lever. Then when a loose line is sent in, the pump lever will make about an
eighth-inch stroke. This will push a little metal into the mold, and this will
cause a squirt when the next line is sent in. Slot the holes in the pump stop
bracket and raise it until there is barely clearance. Adjust the stop.

Pot Lever Rubs on a Cam

The pot lever must be adjusted laterally to cause it to run free of the three
adjacent cams. A pot lever that has contact with a cam at the time of the cast
will cause a squirt.

"After"-Squirts

Harding: Sometimes metal drops from the mouthpiece as it backs away
from the mold after the cast. When the pot locks up the next time there will be
a squirt. After-squirts are caused by dirty plunger, tight plunger, short stroke of
the plunger, metal pot too full, pot balance spring too stiff.

Back Squirts 169

When the stroke of the plunger is short, there may still be a little down
pressure on the pump as the metal pot backs away.

Harding: W. M. Gage of Hillsboro, 111., found one of the lugs on the
crucible broken. He also points out that a loose tie-rod can cause a poor lockup.
The tie-rod passes through the right-hand cam shaft bracket and is threaded
into the center column. It should be set with little more than finger pressure.

Screws Left out of Pot Top

ered that one screw omitted from the front of the pot top
o work up and finally to squirt consistently. If you have

Shallow Cross Vents

Harding: H. H. Canfield of Watertown, N. Y. writes that shallow cross
vents will contribute to squirts when changing from long to short measure.

Cross Vents Have Too Big an Opening at Bottom

Loomis: If the vents allow a sprue more than about 3/^" long when the
mold is cool, you may get a squirt from excessive drip. See Venting the Mouth-
piece, page 17&.

High Spot in Throat

Harding: A contributor to The Graphic Arts Monthly says that he has
found a high spot in the throat just inside the mouthpiece that apparently
caused squirts.

Loomis: This is hard to understand. It certainly could cause a bad spot
in the face of the slug, but as to squirts — well, I've seen some unbelievable
things on linecasting machines. The contributor probably is right.

Loose Vise Locking Screw or Stud

Harding: Harry C. Bailer of Los Angeles suggests that a vise locking screw
or stud may be loose, especially the right-hand, and cause squirts (this does not
refer to mold disk locking studs).

Faulty Electrical Controls

Harding: A faulty governor or electric thermostat may allow temperature
variations that will cause squirts. A faulty rheostat may cause squirts.

170 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Mouthpiece Does Not Lock up at Lower Edge

Loomis: I have put on a great many mouthpieces, and it has been my
observation that a couple of years later they will show warp and will need hon-
ing — not too much but some. It also is true that invariably such a mouthpiece
will be light on the bottom, and ragged as if there were tiny holes punched in it.
This rather seems to come from the tiny amounts of metal that accumulate on
the bottom edge of the mold and are there during lockup — not enough to cause
a squirt, but enough to beat the mouthpiece in a little. Remedy: hone the entire
mouthpiece until the bottom is at least fair.

Harding: This is a common trouble on old machines. Look first to the
mold posts to see that they are not sprung. Then check to make sure that the
mouthpiece adjacent to the cross vents, was not swollen by the use of a chisel
when venting. The red lead transfer will show this. See that the metal pot does
not rest too far back on the vise frame shaft. This would require that it rock
too far forward before making contact with the mold. The mouthpiece would
be carried past perpendicular before contacting the mold.

All too often it is found that a novice, dressing the mouthpiece with a file,
has taken off too much from the lower edge.

Sprung Mold Posts

Loomis: Very often you will, on testing with red lead, find a mold that
tests fine on the upper half but not at all on the lower half. This is likely due
to sprung mold posts. For some reason they always seem to bend backward. It
is therefore imperative that you check the mold before honing. This is easy.
Put in a liner — preferably a good liner — and pull out the mold slide and look
at the back of the mold. Both base and cap of the mold should be 0ush with the
liner. If one protrudes, it usually indicates bent posts. The best way to straighten
them is to take off the mold, knock the pin out of the post, lay the post on a
steel surface, and hammer it straight. Test as before, with the liner. Get both
ends right. You may find the post broken. You can operate without it, but send
for a new one and a new pin.

Harding: Run a straight-edge over the face of the mold to determine
the extent of the trouble. If more than one or two thousandths of an inch, the
small pins should be driven from the mold posts and new posts applied. The
posts may possibly be straightened but this is work to be undertaken by a com-
petent machinist.

Mold posts may be straightened in a vise. Protect the jaws of the vise with
brass. If the posts are sprung forward, put an extra one-point brass rule in
front of the cap and one behind the body and squeeze the mold. Work care-
fully. Test often.

Warped Disk and Mold

Loomis: After considerable thought I have concluded that I have never
seen a mold warped badly enough to cause squirts. I know that the mold cap of
a recess mold will warp and cause trouble on ejection, and I have seen a mold
base knocked out of square by repeated hammering with the ejector, but I am
slow to say a warped mold causes squirts.

I brighten considerably, however, when you mention warped mold disks.
Most disks are warped, especially on gas machines, and some so badly that you
cannot make a mold lock up without using shims. For more on warped disks,
see page 127 and page 214.

Molds Ground Down

Loomis: Much more serious is the continued use of mold polish on
back mold wiper. After advocating oil and mold polish for many years, I
it proved conclusively to me that mold polish does contain an abrasive. '.
very mild, to be sure, but continued every-day use on a back wiper will si
out a path in the back of a mold. The one I saw, when we finally got it
had been ground down about .015"!

I use mold polish; you can't get along without it — but not on the 1

Excessive Tin; Pot Lever out of Adjustment;
Jet Marks on Slug Run Over Edge

The Imperial Metal Company in their excellent booklet points out these
three additional causes of back squirts.

Machine Back Squirts When Changed to Short Measure

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: This machine switches from news
to the 14- and 18-point and the 8-point on 30 picas, a great number of times each
day. When swinging back to straight matter, the mouthpiece has to be wiped
off each time or it will back squirt. Can I expect this machine to change back
and forth without trouble? - M.L.M., Lafayette, Ind.

Hardings You have caught me with an old question that is presented
frequently,' and with which, I must confess, I have had little experience. I have
often wondered why, and my only explanation is that I always have been care-
ful to keep the lockup good and temperature under control, and therein, ac-
cording to the authorities, lies the answer. It is tru"
obscure causes that sometimes baffle us. One of the n
particular trouble is faulty liners.

172 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Loomis: The lockup should be checked, for it is possible, as we have said
before, for a poor lockup to operate all right on thirty picas but cause trouble

However, I agree with Harding that the most common cause is faulty liners.
They may be either bent or shaved down. A liner hit with an ejector blade
should not be used at all unless you file around the slot and the guide-piece
until the liner goes in straight and fits down flush with the mold. With careful
filing, that can be done, but it is good practice to order a new liner. Liners get
shaved off on the back side of the mold disk because they are tamped in too hard
with the screwdriver, and then the back knife, which may be set tight anyway,
trims them down. I have found that any liner that measures under .873" at the
casting end should be discarded. If you do not have a micrometer7 put the
liner carefully in the mold and see that it is flush with the mold on the outside.
Then pull out the disk and examine. If your fingernail detects more than a
perceptible difference in height between the liner and the back of the mold, it
may well be too low. A new liner measures .875"; some measure .876" to allow
for wear.

A sure way to tell if your liner is undersize: put in a new liner carefully
and try it. If it works all right, then it is safe to toss the old liner in the junk-pile.

Cleaning up a Back Squirt

Harding: Open the vise, pull out the mold disk, and dig out the metal,
using with caution the pot well hook, an old screwdriver blade for prying, and
a hammer for places where it is absolutely necessary. Do not touch the molds
or back knife with anything harder than brass.

With a little practice you will get so a little tapping and a little prying will
loosen the worst-looking squirt there is. Turn the disk all the way around and
watch inside the flanges; sometimes it will be up under the back knife; some-
times it will be around the ejector guard. The old ejector guards are easily re-
moved by the two screws on the right side.

Get all metal out and see that the disk turns freely.

Loomis: I strongly advise against removing a mold to clean up a squirt.
In fact, / do not countenance removing a mold for anything but necessary repair
work or to shim it up to meet the knives. A squirt can be cleaned up without
taking off a mold.

If you have a dummy mold on the disk, it will
removal, especially from under the back knife, to take
a mold. Take off the back knife rather than a mold.

CHAPTER XIX
MOUTHPIECE AND LOCKUP

What Is the Occasion for Taking off a Mouthpiece?

Question: I have heard machinists talk of taking off a mouthpiece, but
I've never seen it done. What makes it necessary? - P.H., Riceville, la.

Loomis: Your life is still ahead of you. You've never really lived until
you've taken off a mouthpiece.

When a mouthpiece has been honed so much you can't get a lockup, or so
much that the vents are too shallow to cast a good slug, or if the vents have been
opened so much on the bottom that you get back squirts, you will need a new
mouthpiece. Sometimes putting on a heavier pot spring will start a mouthpiece
to leaking and you cannot stop it without removing it. Rest easy. Your time
will come soon enough.

How to Remove a Wedge Mouthpiece

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: I would like to learn how to re-
move a mouthpiece that has been on a Linotype for fifteen years. I have re-
ligiously followed the method recommended by Mergenthaler, but always find
four to seven screws that must be drilled out. Is it practical to perform this job
on a cold crucible? - L.P., Norton, Kan.

Loomis: The neatest answer I've ever seen to this question was given in
The Inland Printer for April, 1898: "Get a mouthpiece extractor from the Lino-
type Company." (Of course Mr. Lincoln didn't mean it the way it sounds; he
undoubtedly meant, "Get a drift and go to work.") In the absence of the ex-
tractor, however, listen to

Harding: This job should not be attempted unless a new mouthpiece and
gib are at hand, because one or both parts may be ruined. Procure a drift. This
tool is different for Linotype and Intertype.

Have the heat on. Loosen the front pot leg adjusting screws and the pot
leg cap screws. Remove the shield from above the mold disk and note that its
right side slips under a screw head. Open the vise, pull out the disk; remove
the left-hand vise locking stud. Wedge a piece of hardwood between the end of
the mouthpiece and the mold slide. Place the drift on the left end of the mouth-

173

174 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

piece and with a three-pound hammer drive the mouthpiece hard to the right,
using blows that "follow through."

The tang of a file can be held between the lug on the mouthpiece gib and
the crucible by an assistant to prevent the gib from sliding with the mouthpiece.

If the mouthpiece refuses to loosen with three or four blows, the left end
will start to burr. If you swell the end of the mouthpiece very much, you can-
not then drive it on through, for the swollen end will break the lips of the cru-
cible. You will lose your seating for the drift, and will then have to saw the
mouthpiece almost through from end to end until you can drive the two halves
together and loosen the mouthpiece. Don't saw into the crucible.

Loomis: I like first to get a good slug from the machine — one that shows
the end holes. Then I get around in front before I start hammering, and with a
small file or a pin punch mark the position of the right-hand hole in the mouth-
piece from the right end. This facilitates positioning the new mouthpiece, and
by reference to the old slug you can move the new mouthpiece one way or the
other if you wish.

I have discovered also in the last few years that penetrating oil is a great
boon to the printing industry. Apply it half an hour before removing the mouth-
piece, or, better yet, perhaps, the night before.

I prefer a linotype pig between the pot and the mold slide. I drill a hole
through one end of the pig and put in a nail to prevent any possibility of its
dropping through at the wrong time.

As to working the pot cold — I doubt it. I have experimented on a number
of old pots, and the result always is the same: the hotter the pot, the easier the
mouthpiece comes off.

To Remove a Serew-Type Mouthpiece

Harding: The company makes a special tool for loosening the screws.
Mark the position of the mouthpiece hole. Have the pot hot. Place the screw
loosener in the screw slot and strike it a smart blow. Use a 6-inch screwdriver
with a perfect blade. Be sure it fits the slot. You may use a Crescent wrench on
the blade.

If the screw head breaks off or the screw cannot be loosened, you will have
to drill it. Start with about a No. 45 drill that will go into the slot. Drill through
the center. Follow with a No. 10 drill. Use plenty of oil on it. Use a i/ t " drill
and drill off the screw head. Remove the mouthpiece. Sometimes a small pipe
wrench will extract the screw. Sometimes it will only tear it up. Use a No. 6
or No. 7 drill and drill through the center of the screw to the bottom. Clean out
the hole with a 14x24 tap. If the threads are ruined, tap the hole with a 16x24
tap and use an oversize 16x24 screw. Your branch office can supply these.

Mouthpiece

Loomis: Here again, penetrating oil is wonderful to loosen the screws.
I have often had trouble with the screw loosener because it tends to swell the
screw heads so they bind inside the counterbored hole in the mouthpiece.

If you drill the top screws on an electric pot, don't go through any farther
than necessary. I once ruined a perfectly good mouthpiece heating element by
drilling into it. You would have thought it was Fourth of July.

The m-o will seldom have a 16x24 tap and screws on hand. In that case,
drill the hole with a size F or a 17/64" drill and tap it for 5/16x18. Screws for
this are available at any hardware. You will have to use some patience to grind
down the head, both around the edge and on the top.

Harding: Before starting the mouthpiece job, you should have secured also
a throat saw. When you get the mouthpiece off, probe out the throat, especially
the sides. Then fill the pot, take off the pump stop bracket, hold a pig-mold
under the mouth of the crucible, and tip the pot forward to flush out the dross.
Especially see that the lips of the crucible are free of all dross.

Grinding in a Wedge Mouthpiece

Scrape all oxides and metal from the crucible while it is hot. Lay the mouth-
piece on a block of wood face down and drive small brads through the end holes.
Lift off the mouthpiece and tap the brads in until their exposed length is less
than the thickness of the mouthpiece. Put the mouthpiece back on the brads.
Spread a mixture of valve grinding compound and oil evenly on the inside and
upper surface of the mouthpiece. Hold the mouthpiece against the upper cru-
cible lip, and, with short strokes, grind until the mouthpiece and crucible show
bright their entire length. A good many applications of compound may be

Loomis: I have found many mouthpieces (wedge and screw) that were
not flat to start with. Get a straight edge (your garage mechanic may have a
Starrett or Lufkin or Brown & Sharpe 12" rule, and they are usually pretty
straight), lay it edge-on to the mouthpiece, and hold it up to the light. If you
get the light in line with your eye and the crack, it will look like a big crack,
but it isn't. See that it is the same width all the way across. This test can be
accurate to within .001" of an inch. If the mouthpiece is bowed, lay the two
ends on Linotype slugs with the bow up. Tap very gently with a plastic or raw-
hide hammer. GENTLY. Those mouthpieces bend incredibly fast. If you get
it straight to start with, your work will be about seventy-five per cent less.

Fitting a Screw-Type Mouthpiece

Loomis: The traditional way to put on this type is also to grind it in, but
I think I have evolved a better system. I use a flat stone - the same hone I use
on the mouthpiece itself, and work on the crucible until it shows bright all the

176 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

way around the opening. I usually pull out or cut off the two pins that posi-
tion the mouthpiece on the bottom, and remove the splash guard. You can
drill out the stubs of the pins later and put in new ones. Then straighten the
mouthpiece as told in the paragraph above, and you will need very little or no
grinding at all.

On an Intertype, hold down and against the crucible to grind in.

To Seal a Mouthpiece

Harding: It may be applied without a seal. Some machinists use graphite
and oil, others use red lead and glycerine. Loomis uses white mixing ink. But be
sure to put oil and graphite on the screw threads. Set the mouthpiece in posi-
tion as marked and bring all screws up to a bearing. Use a screwdriver with a
perfect blade that fits the screws. Start at the center and work out, to right and
left, until all screws are tight. It may take a dozen times around.

A wedge mouthpiece may be applied either without a seal or with the same
mixtures. Set it in position, then drive the wedge in tightly. Red lead and
glycerine will make it harder to drive off the next time. Red lead and glycerine
are also hard to apply when the machine is hot.

Always use graphite and oil on the gibs.

a try it without a sealer.

What to Do if Mouthpiece Location Is Lost

Harding: The mouthpiece may be re-located by removing the mold cap,
putting liners in the mold, putting the mold in casting position, and holding
out the mold disk turning handle while you pull the clutch and let the machine
turn over until the mold disk locking studs enter the blocks. Now you can pull
the pot forward against the disk and see that the end holes come inside of the
liners for 30 picas. At this point you can shift the mouthpiece either way if
necessary, by tapping with lead pig and discretion.

Holes Must Be Properly Positioned on Bottom of Slug

Loomis: I hope you pulled the plunger pin on that last test. Now let's
turn the machine on over, after removing the liners (which should, of course,
have good full tips on them for that test), and let the machine come to normal.
Put the mold cap back on and seat the mold properly. (See How to Seat a
Mold, page 134.)

Use your 30-pica liners and cast a slug. Examine the base. The mouth-
piece holes should show round and full all along the smooth side, and the end
holes should show full - both of them. They probably won't be perfectly aligned

Mouthpiece 111

the first time. Use the top and bottom pot leg adjusting screws to raise or lower
the pot a little until you get the holes just resting on the smooth side o£ the
slug. Loosen the front screw on each leg. Loosen the bottom screw on each leg.
Use the top screw on each leg for adjusting. Each time you adjust, turn back
the front screws and the bottom screws with your fingers. When you get it set,
tighten the lock nuts on the two top screws.

It is essential that both end holes get a full cast without interference from
the liners. If one is partly covered, you can shift them some by moving the pot
up or down on one end. For instance, suppose the right-hand hole is partly
cut off. You can raise the right side of the pot a fraction and probably bring
the hole in full without throwing the horizontal adjustment off too much. You
have, of course, more leeway if you don't go below 8-point slugs. Machines vary,
but you will find the middle holes will stand more interference than the end
holes. (This is only for machines where for one reason or another you cannot
move the mouthpiece enough to bring it into alignment.)

To Test Ihe Lockup

Harding: Daub the red lead on the back of the mold and push the disk
back in casting position. Close the vise, raise the mold slide connecting lever,
and connect the ejector blade. For safety, set the ejector for the shortest mold.
Pull out the mold disk pinion and hold the disk so the studs will enter the
blocks. The motor is off. Pull the controlling lever and have an assistant turn
the cams until the metal pot locks against the back of the mold. Then back
the cams till the mold disk retreats, open the vise, pull out the disk, and examine
the lead now on the mouthpiece. There are times when this test is a little de-
ceiving. Try this method of testing:

Clean mouthpiece and mold thoroughly; spread on the transfer compound;
leave the mold in front of the mouthpiece, close the vise, and back the machine
until the disk advances; use a pinch bar between pot lever and cam to pry the
pot gently forward for the lockup test.

Loomis: Harding's test is a conventional test, but he warns you it may be
deceiving, and he is right. I have seen a lot of different lockup tests, but I have
stuck to one I learned from "Professor" Churchill at the New Orleans Mergen-
thaler School. You lower the first elevator to casting position; open the vise
(it's a little easier if you drop it into the second position); turn the machine
by hand until the pot lever roll is on the highest point of the short shoe; dis-
connect the mold slide.

Now have some red lead or litharge mixed into a paste form with oil. If
you mix up a batch, the red lead will settle and the oil dries up. Squirt a little
oil on it and rub it with the dauber made out of a part roll of 2" gauze, wound
tightly and tied in the middle until it is about 3^" in diameter. Be sure the
molds are clean. If you have not seated them yourself, or if they have never
been seated by a professional machinist, this is a good time to do so. Take off

178

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

each mold; observe shims if any; clean molds and seats thoroughly and clean
backs of molds. Replace each mold in its original place in the disk with the
same shims, and with the tighten 4 - tighten 3 -loosen 4 - tighten 4 -loosen
3 - tighten 3 ritual (see Seating a Mold, page 134).

Daub red lead on a mold with a spotting motion. Push the slide back
against the mouthpiece with a little slam. Now open the slide and look at the
mouthpiece. A perfect lockup will of course show solid color all the way around
the holes, top and bottom and both ends. Often the ends won't show too well
because the liners are shaved down.

Let's say the left end of the mouthpiece shows up light. Then the left end
is too far from the mold. Loosen the bottom screw on the left pot leg. Turn
the back screw on that leg out about half a turn. Turn the front screw up with
your fingers. Turn the bottom screw up with your fingers. Try the test again.
Keep at it until the mouthpiece shows a full transfer top and bottom, and
even from side to side.

On a pot leg with two screws front and back each, turn them up together.
When you're all through, tighten all lock nuts.

If one end in general shows heavier than the other, try adjusting the pot
legs. If you get a fairly even impression all over but there is a hole in the middle,
or if the mouthpiece shows high in the middle, try another mold. Occasionally
but not often a mold will be defective. Not often, I said- just enough to make
a check desirable. If the second mold shows up the same way, the mouthpiece
needs honing. See How to Hone a Mouthpiece, page 181.

Some machinists use soot, but that is messy. Many like to turn the machine
over under power, but this can be a fooler, as Harding suggests. Nemo Wraggett
at the Minneapolis Star got good results by holding a piece of newsprint be-
tween mouthpiece and mold at lockup, but his machines were about as near
mechanically perfect as a battery can be. For the man in the country, I like
the red lead test. It never has let me down but once; there is a certain machine
in Minnesota that has been worked over by at least five machinists, including
me, and it has had everything replaced but the pot itself, and it will still squirt
on a change-over from 30 picas to 20 picas.

One thing to remember about a poor lockup: it is entirely possible for a
lockup to give good results on long slugs but squirts on short slugs; this will
look like a bad-liner squirt, but it isn't always.

Venting the Mouthpiece

Loomis; There is quite a bit of confusion in terminology about venting
the mouthpiece. There are two operations spoken of in connection with the
vents. One is cutting the vents deeper; the other is opening the bottom ends of

Mouthpiece 179

the vents. My conclusion is that it is next to impossible to cut the vents deeper,
though this is spoken of in many books on mechanism. What is commonly re-
ferred to as "venting" means making a slight opening at the bottom of the vent
(or cross vent — they mean the same thing) for the air to escape, and that is
the way I shall use the word.

Cast twenty-five slugs to warm it up. Then stop the machine immediately
after the pot breaks away. With an extension light look behind the disk. You
Ivill now see the sprues you are getting. On a new mouthpiece you may not see
any. (The sprue is the slender squirt of metal that drops out of the cross-vent
at the cast.) Now you will have to "vent" the mouthpiece. As I said above, this
is an inaccurate term, for the mouthpiece was vented when the half-moon-
shaped cross-vents were milled in it. But "venting," as I use it, is necessary for
a good slug.

Gas pots require more sprue than electric pots. The ideal is a sprue s/±" in
length, but electric pots frequently run well on 14". At any rate, be slow to vent.
If it is a gas pot, cast at least twenty-five slugs before you start venting, for as
the mold gets hotter the sprue will get longer. On a gas pot with a new mouth-
piece I aim at a sprue about %" to i/ 2 " long, because you will often find another
14" will develop after a week's use. Therefore, don't be in too big a hurry to get
the full 34''.

Now lower the vise, pull out the disk. Get a sharp pocket-knife and a small
4-ounce hammer. Stand at one side. Hold the blade of the knife at the bottom
of the cross-vent and tap it once, gently, with the 4 ounce hammer. Go all the
way across like this. Cast a dozen more slugs and then look again. This time
some sprues will be pretty full, but some won't show. Count the ones that need
a little more. Write down the numbers, starting from the right. Open up the
machine and give those numbers a little tap.

When I say "a little tap," that is exactly what I mean - a tiny -tap. Some
mouthpieces are astonishingly soft. Now try it again. If- they don't all show up
as they should, forget it for the time being. Run it a week and then look again.
This venting is a tricky business. In my early days I vented a few pots, staying
with it until I had %" sprues all the way across, but later I was amazed to dis-
cover that my carefully vented mouthpieces ejected about a pound of metal at
each cast. It was very embarrassing — but that's the way pots are. The amount
of venting actually necessary is very little. You can hardly see it. When you are
through, take the smooth side of your perfect oil stone and make a couple of
passes to eliminate the tiny swellings thrown up by the knife blade.

What to Do When You Get the Vents Too Big at the Bottom

Loomis: Ordinarily they can be closed a little by tapping the knife blade
into the mouthpiece a little to each side of the cut, on the edge, and thus swell-
ing the sides of the cut together. Center punches have been used, and even a

180 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

ball pein hammer from underneath. But this is messy business at best, and
probably will mean another new mouthpiece before too long, because, as I said,
the sprues will grow. So be very , cautious in your first venting.

Also, to reassure you, it is well to note that occasionally you get a mouth-
piece that is brittle, and when you try to close the vent you only flake off chunks of
cast iron. This is not only embarrassing; it is humiliating.

In spite of all my experience, I vented too much on my Model 15 a year
ago. With a new mouthpiece, electric pot, I ran it several days. There were no
sprues. I vented with extreme care, for this would be one mouthpiece that was
perfect — just a very light tap against a knife blade with a 4-ounce hammer. A
week later I was hiding my head. The sprues were three inches long. The only
explanation I know is that the mouthpiece was unusually soft. I had to butcher
it -use a prick punch at each of the vents, sometimes peen up from below.
Since then I have talked to Milt Anderson, who tells me he usually does this
job that shouldn't be needed by using the knife blade at either side of the vents,
on the corner of the mouthpiece, swelling the metal over to close up the vent.
This sounds like a neater and more nearly certain way to repair a bungled job.

Shallow Cross Vents

Loomis: It is true that the cross vents must be vented or you will have
trouble getting a good face on large type. It is also true that the cross vents
themselves — the half-moons — must be deep enough and long enough. A proper
vent should be just about two picas from top to bottom. I can't give you a
figure on the depth, because it would take a special instrument to measure the
depth, but I have always assumed the vents are made by milling cutters, and
if they are long enough they should be deep enough. (Offhand, I'd say about
1/16" at the deepest place). The top of the vent should be about a pica above
the hole in the mouthpiece, and the bottom of the vent just about reaches the
bottom edge of the mouthpiece. It is well to examine a new mouthpiece when
you get it. I say again that I seriously doubt that a machinist can materially
deepen or enlarge the vents themselves. I once installed a new one that had
shallow vents, and could not get a good face on the 14-point bold. That's what
makes a machinist's life so fascinating — the unexpected.

Cleaning out the Vents and the Holes

Loomis: It is common practice in the Northwest to scrape out the vents
and the holes. Some use a discarded spaceband. Some grind the end of a file
to fit the vent. Some buy a special "venting" tool and scrape upward with the
tool fulcrummed against the dummy mold slot.

This is heresy, but I am about to disagree again. I have run two separate
batteries of machines and quite a number of single machines in the last thirty
years, and I am almost ashamed to say that I have never scraped a vent. I merely

wipe the mouthpiece with a cloth every day. And so far there have been no ill

The same goes for the mouthpiece holes. It is a. wide-spread practice, not
confined to this area, to poke the holes out every day, and at least once a month
or once a year to drill them out on general principles. I see no need whatever
for this unless you are having trouble. I never do it, and so far I have not had
that kind of trouble. The real trouble in mouthpiece comes from behind and
not in front.

How to Stop a Leak in a Mouthpiece

Loomis: No matter how carefully you put on a mouthpiece, it may leak
a little. Each time you open up the vise, during your lockup test, inspect the
mouthpiece for leaks. You may find two or three small ones, where a pinhead
of metal oozes out. These you can ignore for a few days. They will usually
seal themselves by corrosion. If they don't, they'll get bigger. Let's say they're
a little bigger than you like, either at the ends, top or bottom, or at the screw
heads. Don't be too quick to jerk off the mouthpiece. Get a nickel's worth of
epsom salts and mix it with an equal amount of table salt. Dissolve all you can
in a small glass of water. Get a small oil can and fill/ it full of the saturated
solution. (You can get soda straws; dip them in the solution and hold your
finger over the open end; then you can apply the solution — but an oil can is
more efficient, though it will corrode in a few days and be useless.) Wipe all
metal off of the place where it oozes out, and dribble your solution on the
place until you build up a white, hard film.

The heat of the mouthpiece will harden the stuff almost immediately. Try
casting again. Be patient. You may have to spend an hour at it, but you can
generally stop small ones this way. And if you can stop them for a little while,
they will seal themselves - with corrosion, I suppose.

Harding especially recommends a saturated solution of zinc and hydro-
chloric acid - soldering fluid. Drop particles of pure zinc in one ounce of the acid
until no more will be dissolved. Use a glass tube or medicine dropper to apply
several coats while the mouthpiece is hot, and allow to stand, preferably over-
night. I've never tried this, but it sounds reasonable.

Harding lists also rubber stamp compound, equal parts of lye and salt
mixed with water and applied to a cold pot; chloride of lime and cold water
applied hot.

How to Hone a Mouthpiece

Loomis: If a mouthpiece shows consistently light on the right end, for
about the width of the straight-matter slug, it is well to be suspicious of the
mold. A mold that sees long service will sometimes be worn down on that end.

182 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Check it against another mold if you have one. Or take off the one mold and
hold it up to the light (after cleaning) and try a straight-edge on it. Sometimes
you can see the low area.

But let's say you have an old mouthpiece that needs to be trued up. I've
heard of machinists who could do this with a file, and I've known some pretty
good file artists, but I tried this a number of times and gave it up. It was too
much work to hone out the file marks.

This is my method: get a No. 109 Carborundum stone. This is 1x2x6",
with one side fine and one medium. (India stones are good but cut much more
slowly.) Now hold the stone up to the light and try your straight-edge on it.
About one stone out of four is crooked — some as much as 1/32" — and you can-
not get a flat mouthpiece without a flat stone.

Open the mold slide. Have a number of rags handy, folded up to use as
pads. Have a can of cutting or threading oil to use on the stone. Wipe the metal
from the mouthpiece. Standing at the side, squirt plenty of oil on the stone and
then lay the stone flat on the mouthpiece. You can feel it when it is flat. Now
go back and forth, short strokes. After twenty-five or thirty strokes, stop and
look it over. You can tell from the mouthpiece where you are hitting and how
far you have to go. Ordinarily about fifteen or twenty minutes will take care
of a mouthpiece. Sometimes they require a couple of hours, but the difficulty
then is that you will have taken off so much metal that you have reduced the
depth of the cross vents.

The main thing in honing is to keep the stone flat on the mouthpiece.
When the mouthpiece begins to look flat, try the red lead. You may have to
adjust the pot legs.

Mouthpiece Does Not Lock up at Lower Edge

Loomis: We discussed this above on page 170, but there is another angle
to be brought out. On old mouthpieces, sometimes the bottom edge just seems
to be too far back. The mold posts are okay, the mold itself is good and the
two parts of the mold are in line, and the mouthpiece seems to be flat when
tried with a flat stone.

In this case, bring the pot legs forward as far as they will come. I don't
know why, but perhaps the crucible itself is "bent in" a little from thousands
of lockups. Ordinarily you can get a good lockup by bringing the legs forward,
but sometimes you cannot. In these cases I have had to hone the mouthpiece
at a new angle, taking most off the top and almost none from the bottom, until
a lockup could be secured. I do not use a file.

How to Drill out Mouthpiece Holes

Harding: If a little dross collects behind the mouthpiece, you may be

Mouthpiece 183

forced to drill out some holes. This is especially true on a mouthpiece that has
been used on short measure only for a long time, and which now you want to
use on long measure. Use a 1/16" or No. 52 drill; use threading oil or grease
graphite on it, and drill slowly and cautiously. Don't use too much pressure.
If you do break off a drill and cannot get hold of it to pull it out, take a
small punch and tap it on through, leaving it in the throat until the next time
the mouthpiece is off.

Should You Enlarge Mouthpiece Holes?

Harding: Sometimes, in the hope of producing a more solid slug, the
mouthpiece holes are enlarged by using a No. 51 drill or even larger. But
this is a matter for an experienced machinist to decide. Larger holes sometimes
produce complications in the form of back squirts.

Sometimes o Perfect Mouthpiece Won't Work

Loomis: Once in a while - usually on a single-mold machine - a strange
situation occurs The machinist either hones the old mouthpiece to perfection,
or puts on a new mouthpiece, only to find that he cannot get a lockup because
the mold itself is an oldtimer and badly worn. In the course of millions of
lockups, the mouthpiece has shaped itself to fit an untrue mold, and they have
worked well together, but the new mouthpiece refuses to co-operate. If you
suspect this, first be sure your hone is perfect, by testing it with a straight-edge;
then take off the mold and check it against the straight-edge. On a very old
mold you may find some astonishing conditions.

In such a case the only real remedy is to get a new mold. Some owners
have had their molds ground down to flatness, but this necessarily reduces the
height of the slug, which is not convenient, to say the least.

Cold Face Caused by Throat Clogged

Harding: The symptoms of a clogged crucible are a pitted, ragged face.
The condition develops gradually. It calls for removal of the mouthpiece and
cleaning out the throat with a throat saw.

It is believed that metal in poor condition has a great deal to do with
this trouble. An excess of antimony may produce dross in the throat, and of
course zinc, copper or arsenic above very low limits will give trouble.

Loomis: Within my experience, dross in the throat (which usually turns
out to be a thin coating of reddish oxide against the inside of the mouthpiece),
is first indicated by inability to get a good face. It eventually looks frosty, and
the giveaway is that no amount of heat has much effect.

But suppose your mouthpiece looks good, with nice deep vents, and you'd
like to be sure about the dross before you take it off. How to know?

184 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

I am about to reveal a carefully guarded trade secret. Thirty years ago I
found out about dross in the throat, and tried to figure out how to be sure
before removing the mouthpiece. I drilled holes in the side of the throat (which
I later plugged with screws) so I could look in. I tried to push a flashlight bulb
up inside the throat on two wires. I even investigated buying one of those lucite
things the doctor uses to look around curves inside of your stomach - but that
was |650. After much experimentation with those same old crucibles at Edlund's,
I figured it out. Here is what you do (and I've never told but one person before):

Have the pot full of metal, and hot. Take off the pot top, the short line
stop bracket, the splash shield. Have somebody with well padded hands and
arms hold a pig-mold under the mouthpiece. Now bring the pot forward until
the metal pours out of the mouthpiece in thirty little streams. If any hole is
even partly clogged, the stream will not be full and round and properly curved.
You will see at once the difference. This test has never failed. If you find a hole
like that, you will find something behind it that doesn't belong there.

I believe that most dross in the throat or up against the mouthpiece is
caused by a combination of things: allowing the metal level to run low in the
pot, failure to skim off the dross, lack of care in keeping ordinary trash out of
the metal. Nor do I discount the importance of maintaining theoretical pro-
portions of the metal, and by no means would I countenance contamination of
the metal by zinc, copper, and other impurities.

Read what I said about metal again. I said that I had quit using poor
metal as an excuse for casting trouble. That is not to say that poor metal will
not lead to dross in the throat. It might. I don't know. Don't take a chance.

Quick Drop Will Improve Face on Big Sizes

Question: We have recently bought a font of 18-point Gothic, but we are
having trouble getting a good face on it. A machinist from a nearby town has
checked over the pot and lockup and put on a new mouthpiece. What else can
we do? — A.B., Bucklin, Kan.

Loomis: If your crucible throat is clean, your mouthpiece well vented,
and the vents open enough to throw a fair-sized sprue, your plunger making
a good full stroke, and your slugs reasonably solid, then I suggest you send to
the company for a quick drop. This gadget is fastened to the plunger cam and
can be flipped in or out of use in a few seconds. When you want to cast heavier
faces, you put the quick drop into operation. It has the effect of making the
plunger cam extend farther and break more sharply, so the drop of the plunger
is delayed and then comes all at once. This will give you a better face, usually
with the sacrifice of some solidity in the slug.

With bigger type — 24- and 30-point in heavy faces — you will need a quick
drop and everything else you can get, but, even so, do not expect to cast slugs
that will print on enameled stock. Both companies have done a lot of work

toward securing better printing surfaces on 18-point and larger, but linecasting
display type is still largely newspaper material.

On big stuff it sometimes is difficult to get a good face at a certain spot
on a certain word. This is caused by the mat itself, for the way it has to be
made throws up an obstacle to the smooth flow of metal. In such a case, try
shifting the word to right or left. Sometimes half a pica will make a big difference.

MISCELLANEOUS SLUG TROUBLES

Letters Fall Off of Slug

Question in The Graphic Arts Monthly: I enclose a 9-point, 13-em slug,
cast on a Model 14. We get from twelve to twenty slugs like this to the galley.
The lower case o seemed to peel off when I rubbed my finger across it. It is not
the mats, for they run fine on our other machine. I have cleaned out the throat
and the mouthpiece. I don't think it's the metal, because the other small ma-
chine uses the same metal. Can you suggest something? — B.C., Parkston, S. D.

Harding: I believe so. The mouthpiece hole on the left end is nearly
all cut off. This hole that is partly closed causes the metal to spray to the right,
so the metal cools too fast. Raise the pot on the left side about half a turn of
the adjusting screw. This should swing the hole over onto the slug unless you
have seated the mouthpiece too far to the left — which is not likely.

Slug is Cold on One End Only

Question: I have always had trouble getting a good sharp face on the
right end of the slug. Do you think this indicates dross behind the mouth-
piece? — C.N., New Braunfels, Tex.

Harding: No, I don't think so. Here again the slug is missing a mouth-
piece hole. This time it is the right end, and the hole is completely covered, as
you will see by observing the long open space on the other end. Maneuver your
pot legs. You might have to take off the mouthpiece and move it over — in which
rase I suggest putting on a new mouthpiece. In a case like this, use the test
given under What to Do if Mouthpiece Location Is Lost, page 176, to be sure
the mouthpiece is in the right place.

Hollow Slugs — Causes and Cure

Question: We are having complaints because sometimes a slug from one
of our machines caves in on the dry mat roller. Will you go into this trouble?

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: Such slugs
usually feel light when you pick up a handful. Saw a sunken slug in half and

185 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

you will find an air cavity underneath the sunken letter. Usually such a slug
breaks easily in the fingers. This is an old trouble that has acquired new im-
portance with modern stereotyping machinery.

There are three fundamental causes of hollow slugs:

1. Imperfect pump action; 2, incomplete solidification; 3, ventage.

The second is due to excessive heat or unusually poor metal; the third has
been discussed under Venting the Mouthpiece, page 178.

Let us consider the first one here. The intake holes in the sides of the well
must be cleaned out, and the plunger must ride just above them. As the pot
moves forward before the cast, it also rises, and the bottom of the plunger closes
the holes before the plunger descends. An oversize plunger cam roll will raise
a plunger that rides too low.

The plunger works well at from .002" to .0035" clearance in the well. Oxides
will interfere with free movement of the plunger and cause hollow slugs. A
worn plunger can hardly be replaced with a new one to advantage. The well is
bigger at the bottom after years of use. You can buy a new crucible. The job
of reaming is for an expert with plenty of equipment.

The stress of the plunger spring is important. It has been my observation
that the smaller expansion-type springs suffer more from spring-set than the
bigger compression springs. These are not expensive and should be among
the first replacements when you have casting trouble. When you take off the
old one, compare its length with the new one. Usually you will find the old

Where the slugs are subjected to extreme pressure, as in dry-mat rollers and
making wax molds, better slugs will be obtained with less spring stress; the pump
lever should have a roll with roller bearings to minimize wear.

A plunger should have a full stroke. On short slugs you may have to drill
a hole in the bottom. Drill a i/ 8 " hole part way and follow through with a No. 52.

In my opinion the condition of the metal supply is more responsible for
oxides in the throat than anything else. The melting point of antimony is 1 166°.
and there would never be enough heat under the pot to melt it if an accumula-
tion of excess antimony should occur.

Harding: When the metal or mouthpiece is too hot, the metal in the base
of the slug does not have time to cool before the metal pot backs away, and the
molten metal runs out of the mold. This does not look like the hollow slug
Pottle talks about, but it makes an unsolid bottom to support the slug.

A low metal pot, a dry bearing, dross ring in the well, or mouthpiece badly
out of alignment with the mold, may cause hollow slugs. If the first slug is solid
but they rapidly become hollow, look for the plunger riding too low in the well.

Mouthpiece 187

See that the plunger lever makes a full, free stroke when the plunger is
disconnected. If it doesn't, remove the plunger spring and clean and lubricate
the bearings.

Imperial Metal Company in Type Metal Alloys: The following will
cause hollow slugs: loose or tight plunger, hot or cold metal, dirty metal, weak
spring, mold disk hot, mouthpiece holes clogged, vents too shallow or not open
at the bottom, throat clogged, deteriorated metal, roughness back of the mouth-

Loomis: There isn't much left. These boys have covered the ground. But
I'll tell one that shows what a traveling machinist gets into. It was on a machine
in a small plant here in Minneapolis. I rebuilt the pot and somebody else put
it in the machine. They got shells only, and I got the blame. But it turned out
that somebody at some time in the past had put a transfer spring in place of the
plunger spring. They had made a hook at the bottom so the spring went on all
right and you wouldn't notice, but the spring did not retain its stress and went
down with a soft, mushy action. It took me several hours to put the finger on
this one.

What Causes Chilled Slugs?

Imperial Metal Company: Lack of heat, an undersize plunger, too much
water or air used for cooling, dirty mouthpiece or jets, poor lockup, improper
pot alignment, unfit metal, lack of ventage, and sometimes lack of tension of
the plunger spring.

Harding: Also drafts, dirty plunger, poor lockup, or oil in the mold cell.

Loomis: Do not forget dross behind the mouthpiece. I remember when
I hit a little town west of Lincoln, Nebraska, with $1.56 in my pocket and the
gas-tank almost dry, and I — that was dross behind the mouthpiece.

Chilled Spots on Large Type

Loomis: This agrees with my own experience. Many times on large type
you get a chilled spot at the same place on a certain letter, but move the word
6 points one way or the other and it is all right. Apparently this results from
the stream of metal hitting divisions in the matrix die which deflect the metal.
The Ludlow avoids this entirely by using a slot instead of holes. The slot
runs the entire length of the mouthpiece, and thus there can be no cold spots.

Frosty Face on One End of Small Slug

Question: When I get to hanging the elevator on straight matter, in-
variably the right end of the slug comes out frosty. It won't do it on the first
dozen slugs, and if I went slow it wouldn't do it at all, but it is hard to tell the
boss on pressday, "Yes, I know you need the type, but I can't hang the machine
because the slugs will get cold." - K.B.T., Gallup, N. M.

188 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Loomis: I have several times faced this trouble — once on a memorable
night west of Huron - but maybe I've told that one before. There are a num-
ber of things to check. For some reason they never seem to cure the trouble,
but here they are:

1. It doesn't help much to raise the temperature.

2. See that the slugs are good and solid, which indicates proper ventage.

3. Be sure the throat is not clogged with oxides.

4. See that the plunger is raised above the holes in the well.

5. Gas throat burners must be burning properly.

6. Be sure both end holes of the mouthpiece show full and are not par-
tially obstructed.

One quick remedy is to drill the mouthpiece holes a very little bigger — but
this can lead to complications. Here is what I have found: Check all the above
items, then check the pot packing and all burners and deflecting or baffle plates.
See Packing the Crucible, page 198.

This latter job, if thorough and careful, will generally do the work.

What Makes Shiny Bottoms on Slugs?

Harding: The first thought is cold metal. If this is true, the face of the
slug will have the characteristic melting ice appearance. Anything that causes
a poor lockup will cause shiny bottoms, and this probably is the most frequent
cause, for obviously if one end of the mold is held away from the mouthpiece,
there will be more metal there to trim off.

Also metal on the back of the mold, a dull back knife or a back knife
screwed up until the heel rubs against the slug, broken pot lever spring, tight
upper bearing of pot lever.

Loomis: In summary, most shiny slugs go back to one of three causes:
poor lockup, improperly set back knife, or cold metal. It is also true that a worn
mold disk stud — usually the old-style small stud — will cause a very mysterious
slick bottom. The knife seems to start digging, and the play at the end of the
stud seems to encourage it. See Setting the Back Knife, page 217.

What Causes Stuck Slugs?

Imperial Metal Company: Dirty molds, warped mold cap, bad liners,
hot metal, weak clutch spring, oily clutch leathers, (rarely) dull trimming knives,
jammed ejector blade, low metal level, knife wiper does not drop low enough
to permit the blade to clear, no play between forked lever and collar (see
Starting and Stopping Adjustments, page 250), metal between mold cap and
liners which makes the slug thicker than it should be.

CHAPTER XX
HEATING THE POT

Gasoline Burners

Harding: These are capable of very hot flame, and where they are used
one should use also a pot plug, described in Pot Relief Plug Will Help Prevent
Cracking, page 156, to prevent a cracked crucible. Some gasoline burners feed by
gravity, others by pressure. The operation is the same.

All burned-out parts should be replaced. The burner cap must fit squarely
on the base.

In disconnecting, let a quart of gasoline flow from the pipe under pressure
to expel sediment and water. Use extreme care when connecting the hollow wire
tubing to the burner, for it is hard to repair the couplings; solder cannot be
depended on.

In some, gasoline is filtered through a brass tube full of gravel. The other
parts are the same.

Cleaning a Gasoline Burner

Harding: 1, Disconnect the gasoline line with a wrench, not pliers.

2. Pull out the support rod and take out the burner.

3. Lift off the cap.

4. Remove the two screws from the feed pipe, to free the control and needle

5. Loosen the mouthpiece burner set screw and pull off the mouthpiece

Brush, wipe and punch out all soot and oxides. Run a very fine wire
through the needle valve opening but do not enlarge it. If there is a bulge in
the cap, replace the cap; also the needle valve if it is corroded.

The gravel tube, the two slotted screws in the ends of the gas tubes below
the plate, and the two square head screws near the needle valve must be removed
while hot. Always put grease graphite on these screws when replacing. Yellow
litharge and glycerine should be used on joints.

190 LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

Remove the gravel and wash it in gasoline. Blow through all gas passages.
See that the needle point is sharp and the end smooth and straight.

Re-connect. Use wood alcohol to generate, to avoid soot. Adjust the needle
valve for the best blue flame. Use the control valve to regulate the flame. Use
only heating and lighting gasoline.

When gas escapes around the control valve, unscrew the bushing and wind
a thin strip of rope asbestos around the rod.

Metal dripping from a minutely cracked crucible is invariably encountered
on gasoline pots because of the intensely hot flame. Use the pot relief plug.

How a Gas Burner Should Work

Loomis: The following applies to either natural, artificial, or bottled gas.
You want a blue flame. A floating blue flame indicates too much air. A yellow
flame indicates too much gas. Bottled gas burner orifices must be smaller than
those for natural gas. Bottled gas cannot be controlled in any other way.

Keep burners free from soot. The throat burners should be about 2" long,
bent toward the front, and the tops flattened to spread out the flame. Most
pots require a baffle plate between main burner and throat burners to assure
air to the throat. Be sure the baffle plate is in place that protects the mouthpiece
burner from the throat draft, for his draft is oxygen-less and will not allow the
mouthpiece burner to burn properly.

The crucible flues, one on each side of the throat at the top, must be open,
and the top of the pot jacket must provide escape for the exhaust air that comes
up these flues; otherwise the fires will be smothered.

Pot Governor or Thermostat

It is well to remember that there are two ways of making an expansion
thermostat; you can have the expansion rod in a fairly stable case, or you can
have a stable rod in expansion case. The only difference is that the adjusting
screws work in opposite directions.

Even most older types of expansion thermostats will work well if cleaned,
graphited, and adjusted.

The mercury thermostat is now obsolete. It gradually lost its expansive
power and allowed the metal to overheat, which in turn further damaged the

Heating Pot

mercury tube. Wherever this type has blinked out - usually shown by very slow
responsiveness and consequent extreme variation o£ metal temperature - it should
be replaced by F-3425 or a similar thermostat.

Electric Heaters

There are many types of electric heater. Books of ii
able for most of them.

As with all electrical equipment, when trouble occurs, look for blown fuses
loose connections, bare wires, dirty contact points, or misadjustment of the
thermostat.

Loomis- I am very fond of a bell-tester if the trouble gets complicated
With a bell-tester you can detect rather small grounds b yj; onne ^ n S r ° ne termindl
o the machine and the other t<

with the machine in motion); you can . , . , , •,

ing or if it too has a ground - in other words, if juice is leaking through it.

Most of the trouble in electric pots seems to come from grounds. These are
small leaks, not serious enough to become shorts but neve rtheless destructive of
the efficiency of the heating equipment. These cannot be located with a lamp
tester There must be a ground tester such as a bell box (old style telephone
£1 witTa magneto turned up by hand). A neon tester will show smaller
grounds, but I have been unable to rely on it.

The worst job I ever got into was in a flour mill, with an Intertype electric
pot. The heating began to go haywire. It was tested by every electrician in the
country, with no result. I went over and spent eight hours. Still no result. Finally
the plant electrician and I got together on it. At the end of twelve hours of ex-
haustive tests I discovered the fault, entirely by accident. An invisible him of
matter had settled on the slate panel board out of the air, so that it would ground
any juice thai came into il A neon tester touched to the board, with the other
contact grounded, would show a faint glimmer. We put on a new board and the
trouble was over.

Linotype Heaters

On most machines these are four: two main pot, one throat, one mouth-
piece. The throat and mouthpiece must be bought for the proper voltage; the
pot elements are always stamped 110; they are connected parallel for 110 and in
series for 220.

The first Linotype heaters were high-low-and-medium. Then came the rheo-
stat, then the dynamic thermometer (mercury tube), now the mechanical ther-

192 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

A Linotype will run on one pot element, but it takes two or three hours to

melt down. If either throat or mouthpiece element burns out, you cannot get a

slug-
Mouthpiece elements with the terminals at the bottom o£ the pot most often

give trouble because metal has run down around the terminals.

On pots of long usage, look for metal touching wires or terminals under the

pot top. Especially look for wires with broken insulation. These wires near the

crucible have a special asbestos insulation; any other kind will crumble in a

few days.

The crucible must be removed to install a throat heater, and on most pots

there is a hole under the throat through which you can reach the head of a screw

that must be loosened before the heater can be removed.

The very earliest Linotype throat elements were removed from the bottom

without taking out the crucible.

The Linotype mouthpiece element is held in place above the mouthpiece

by a clamp, and can be readily removed after the pot top is off.

To Remove the Crucible

Loomis: This may take some doing. Loosen the set screw at the left of the
mouthpiece - although the pot jacket will spring considerably. Pry up a little
near the left front lug with a screwdriver. Use penetrating oil on all lugs, espe-
cially the back one, which generally is the hardest to break loose. Sometimes
you will have to pry on both sides at the front at the same time. When you get
the front end out of the lug sockets, put 6-point slugs under the lugs to hold
them up. Now tackle the back one.

With a very large screwdriver, try to pry up the lug, working between the
jacket and the crucible. Don't be tempted to do much hammering to loosen it.
Those lugs are only cast iron. It may be necessary to run a fairly heavy wire in
under the lug and make a loop through which to use a three-foot crowbar for
lifting. Then, while you lift with one hand, pry and work the crucible with the
other. This is sometimes stubborn but not difficult. Just don't break the lugs or
the pot jacket.

To Remove Linotype Crucible Heaters

Remove the pot top. Disconnect the wires. Sometimes these heaters are
solidly imbedded in dross, and you may have to pry them loose, a little here, a
little there, with a big screwdriver - but gently, so as not to puncture the en-
velopes. One of these heaters probably is still good.

// the pot is frozen over: If 220, connect the good element to 1 10-volt cir-
cuit; it will take two or three hours but it will do the job.

Heating Pot 193

You can completely melt down the pot with a blowtorch on top, if necessary.

In taking out elements, dip the metal as low as possible. Let the heaters
get hot but not red hot; your thermostat rod, not being immersed, will not turn
off the current, so watch it. Some heaters will quickly become red hot. This isn't
good. With the metal hot, turn off the juice, disconnect wires, lift the elements
clear of the metal. Dip out all metal promptly.

Clean out the dross. If there was a clamp holding the elements in place,
we presume you loosened it. If there was not, put one on. This is held by an
8x32 screw, and no doubt you will have to drill and tap the hole — or at least
tap it. Tapping can be done with the crucible in the pot; drilling can be done,
but takes patience and ingenuity. Some m-o's use a drill in a small hand chuck.
Use cutting oil too.

When you put in the two good elements, be sure they are held firmly in
place by the clamp.

New Linotype Mechanical Thermostat for Electric Pots

This also can be applied to outstanding pots, and is very successful. There
are varying opinions as to whether or not the bugs are all out of the Micro-
Therm, but the mechanical thermostat is truly a dandy. In replacing a mercury
type, you will need a pot top also. Be sure the expansion rod does not touch the
bottom of the pot. Washers usually are needed. The old pot top can be used,
but it is a lot of monkey business to get it drilled.

For maintenance, see that the wires are firmly screwed down, the contacts
and roller reasonably free from pitting and corrosion. These can be removed
and filed with a magneto file and ground on a smooth stone. If improperly in-
stalled, the expansion apparatus may become bent, and should be straightened.

There are two adjustments. Take off the cover.

1. Turn the top adjusting screw so the two levers are separated about
1/16". With the metal at normal heat, set the lower adjusting screw so the
roller is about in the middle. Now you can use the upper screw for finer, peri-
odical adjustment.

Linotype Control Panel and Fuses

Harding and Loomis: There is one horizontal fuse (5 amps for 110 volts,
3 amps for 220 volts) inside the panel box to protect the mouth and throat cir-
cuit. There are four fuses outside of the box (20 amps for 110, 10 amps for
220). A neon tester is the easiest and safest instrument to use on fuses. Touch
one contact to one end of the fuse, the other to the box (or to your finger; it
may tingle but it won't hurt). With the juice on, you should get a glow (from
the neon bulb, I mean). If the fuse is good, you'll get a glow from either end.

194 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

If the fuse is blown, one end will light but the other won't. Of the four fuses,
the upper two usually lead to the pot, the lower two to the motor.

The clapper switch is either on or off. It should of course be free on its
hinge pin. The contacts on the clapper switch should come up evenly and con-
tact the fixed posts at the same time. The contact arms can be bent to secure this.

The contacts should be reasonably free from corrosion. If necessary, remove
them entirely and grind new surfaces on a fine wheel. Finish with fine emery
cloth. Do not use emery cloth in the box, as it sheds material that is a conductor;
use sandpaper instead, unless you have removed the contacts from the box
entirely.

At the lower left of the clapper switch is a small plunger which makes con-
tact with a brass extension from the switch. These contacts also should be clean,
and they should definitely make contact when the switch closes. The brass can
be bent. Sometimes the plunger or the brass tube wears to bind the plunger.
The brass tube comes off by unscrewing the nut at the rear, which also provides
an adjustment. The plunger slips in from the rear.

On alternating current there is always a hum, which sometimes reaches an
annoying level. This can be controlled somewhat by tightening the screws in
the bottom of the clapper switch where the hinge pin goes through; some oper-
ators slip on washers made of copper or brass thin spaces. I have had best luck
with a brass thin space fastened down by one of these screws and bent at right
angles to bear against the right side of the lower end of the clapper switch. Just
be sure, no matter what you do, that the clapper switch falls freely of its own
weight.

The long, round resistance coil at the right of the box is either good or no
good. Take it out and test it with a bell tester.

The field coil, around the core that closes the clapper switch, is either good
or no good. If you suspect it, take it out. Lay it on the bench and hold a large
screwdriver firmly on the bench through the hole. Connect wires to the two
terminals; plug in one to a live circuit, and barely touch the other one to the
ground wire. If the coil is good, it will jump upward around the screwdriver.
(This test courtesy of Lawrence Morris.) Do not maintain a circuit through the
coil, or you will burn it out.

Other things than a burned-out coil ca
however — and usually do. In 99% of the c;
stat, which we shall take up a little later.

The Linotype Rheostat

This is the round thing which has an adjustable dial. It is made of one
fixed contact and a series of buttons of varying resistance. One button can burn
put and the others be all right, To locate the burried-out button, test the lead-in

195

eon tester on the screws, the other on a ringer; the
:t the other. Turn off the juice. Take ofi the rheo-
stat so you can see the buttons. With the lead wire not grounded anywhere,
turn on the juice. Use the neon tester to find out where the glow suddenly
quits, and this is the burned-out button. Solder a piece o£ copper wire to con-
nect the posts on either side, so it will not interfere with the rheostat arm. Order
a new rheostat.

Remember, this controls only the throat and mouthpiece.

Micro-Therm Heater

Harding: This does away with thermostat and panel box. The rheostat
is quite small, and includes both a manual and an automatic control. This
equipment may be applied to outstanding machines, but the four heating ele-
ments also must be replaced. They look different but are cared for and tested
the same. The controls are operated by a non-volatile liquid, and in severe cases
of overheating are subject to damage the same as the old mercury control.

For care and adjustment of the Micro-Therm, write to Mergenthaler Com-
pany for their literature. This is readily available.

Intertype Heaters

Harding: Intertype pots have one element for mouthpiece and throat, two
for the main pot (these fit on the outside of the crucible). These latter two are
wired in series for 220, parallel for 110, as on Linotypes.

Intertype Electric Thermostat

Harding and Loomis: The first type has two contact points at the top, and
a lever pivoted on two ball bearings. Most trouble arises from broken fiber in-
sulating washers (often none at all), and from installing the lever cold and tight-
ening it too much. Cold, it should have at least 1/32" play between the ball
bearings. Check it as the thing heats up.

Adjust the screws to allow about 1/32" between the contact lever and the
post against which it is not resting.

The newer style thermostat is turned upside down, but is essentially the
same. The fiber washers have been eliminated, which is an improvement. These
are both good thermostats if they receive half-way adequate care.

Watch for distortion of the expansion rod — as on any thermostat of this type.

Testing Intertype Heating Elements

If the throat element or rheostat is inoperative, the machine will not cast
a slug. If a side crucible unit is open, the metal on that side will stay solid. They
can be tested with a plugged-in light bulb or a bell tester,

196 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Intertype Control Panel

Harding and Loomis: This also has a clapper switch very similar to the
Linotype switch. As on the Linotype, the opening and closing coils carry current
only at the instant of contact; the movement of the clapper switch shunts the
current away from the coil.

Closing Coil Control Springs in Intertype Old Style Panel Box

A stud or shaft passes through a split bearing in the rear end of the notched
contact arm. When the circuit is open, the stud presses against the springs;
when it is closed there should be 3/16" clearance between springs and stud,
secured by bending the springs. See that the stud makes contact with both springs.

To Remove Intertype Throat Heater

Disconnect the three thermostat wires. Remove four screws from corners of
the thermostat base, and two at the sides, and the thermostat can be removed.
Remove the pot top. If the plunger is frozen in the well, you will have to discon-
nect the plunger spring, remove the pump stop bracket and the whole pump
bracket assembly. Remove terminal cover and clamp, disconnect the lead wires,
and pull out the element.

To Remove an Intertype Side Element

Disconnect the thermostat and remove. Remove the two flat-head screws at
the sides of the expansion rod. Take off pot top. If plunger is frozen in, same
as above. Remove terminal cover and clamp, disconnect lead wires, pull out ele-

Lower Pot Thermostat on Monomelt Equipment

To adjust, remove the large screw cap from above the expansion rod and
, turn anti-clockwisK for less heat. There is another finer adjustment in the small
make-and-break control box. Use a 1/16" pin punch or similar small rod to turn
the screw head at the bottom. Turn to the left for more heat. Don't touch other
metal with your turning instrument or there will be fireworks. A round tooth-
pick is safe and therefore easier to use if the screw is not too tight.

To Remove a Dynamic (Mercury) Thermostat

Engage contacts L and C. Remove the pot top, turning off the current when
you lift it. Turn current on again and through L and C, heat the metal to
about 650°. Dip out enough metal to expose the thermostat bulb. With the
power off, disconnect the three wires and label them. Remove the two screws
behind the thermostat coil and lift out the thermostat.

Heating Pot i9/

Elements that Squirt Metal Upward

Occasionally on immersed elements there will be a "hot spot" that causes
metal to splash over the machine, sometimes on a very high ceiling. Throw a
handful of loose slugs on top of the metal at the spot where the break-through
usually occurs, before melting down.

To Remove Thermostat From a Frozen Pot

This is not difficult. Disconnect lead wires. Remove screws from base of
thermostat, then remove screws from the base that holds the thermostat on the
pot top. On an Intertype, the screws that hold the thermostat to the expansion
rod must come off. On a Linotype, the thermostat is held to the rod by a nut.

Monomelt Upper Pot Adjustment

Remove the cover. The adjustment screw is at the right side and bears
directly on the expansion rod, which in this case lies horizontally.

When Pot Fails to Heat

Harding: Be sure the switch is "on."

Use the neon tester to ascertain that current is reaching the panel box.

Test fuses.

Look for a loose connection at the thermostat.

Be sure contacts at the thermostat are clean.

Be sure the thermostat contact lever is working.

Test coils and elements, and test for a ground or an open circuit.

When Metal Overheats

Harding: Generally this is a failure of the thermostat.

See that all contacts are clean, especially the brass projection that touches
the spring plunger at the left side of the linotype clapper switch, and the ther-
mostat contacts. See that clapper switch and thermostat contact lever move freely.

Test for a ground, which will produce a larger-than-usual spark as the con-
tact lever of the thermostat makes or breaks contact. Such a spark may spot-weld
the contacts.

Mouthpiece Does Not Heat

Sometimes a burned-out throat or mouthpiece element, either of which will
open the circuit. Sometimes metal shorts out the wires or contact points. More
likely, however, it's in the rheostat. Try turning it to a different spot.

198 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Testing for Grounds

Harding: For some reason this is often puzzling to electricians, but I favor
the bell tester used by Loomis. First touch the two wires together as you crank
briskly, to be sure the bell is working. Then put one terminal on the machine
and touch the other to various electrical parts - wires, terminals, element jackets,
thermostat frame, etc. Watch to see that you get a ring when you should, and
not when you shouldn't.

Fluttering Switch

If the thermostat contacts do not make or break positively, you will get this.
On the mercury thermometer there is a flat spring on the back side of the contact
lever, which should have enough tension to prevent the lever from vibrating, but
not enough to prevent free movement of the lever.

In the new style Linotype, have enough tension on the spring wire that car-
ries the roller to prevent vibration. It should go over the middle contact and
stay put.

The spring plunger at the left side of the clapper switch must make firm

On Intertype, check the 1/32" space between thermostat contacts; if it is not
there, you may get fluttering. The short coiled push spring may be defective.
And the space in the panel box (old style) between the diagonal closing coil con-
tact springs and the horizontal stud below must be 3/16" when the switch is

When Resistance Coil Burns Out

Harding: A temporary substitute is a 150-watt light bulb.

Electric and Gas Pots Interchangeable

These are freely interchangeable.

Packing the Crucible

Electric pots are packed with dry asbestos, gas pots with wet. On either type,
the mouthpiece at the last is packed firmly with wet asbestos to prevent squirts
from going inside.

Use good flake asbestos, preferably mixed with a little Portland cement or
magnesium sulphate if it is to be used wet.

On an Intertype electric, the Company recommends turning the pot upside
down and packing as much as possible, then finishing right side up. At any rate,
on either, fill all the loose space with asbestos.

Heating Pot 199

(Loomis: Don't tell on me, but I generally use wet asbestos to form a pro-
tective shield over the terminals under the pot top. Of course this will short
circuit if the juice is turned on before it dries. But once dry, it protects the ter-
minals from stray metal.)

A gas pot is packed differently. Make a thick paste. Remove the crucible
and pat into place about i/ 2 " of wet asbestos all around. (Loomis: I personally
leave an open space around the top of the crucible, but some fill this in.) Put
the crucible in place. Check to see that the two flues, one on each side of the
throat, are unobstructed. Also, in front of each flue you will need an opening
about the size of a pencil to act as a chimney for fumes from the mouthpiece
burner. A really good packing job, done wet, requires a couple of days, for the
asbestos shrinks and needs repatting into shape as it dries. But you can do it at
one fell swoop if you have to.

Pack also the pot top, seeing that you leave space for the fumes that arise
from around the crucible and from the two flues. Finish by putting on the top
and packing around the throat top and bottom, to isolate the mouthpiece.

Be sure the deflecting shield is in place to protect the mouthpiece burner
from the waste gas from the main burner.

When first melting down an empty electric pot, try to keep slugs flat against
the heating elements, or fill the pot with shavings from the saw, to avoid
operating the heaters in open air.

Pot Heat Creeps

Question: I get my heats all nicely set at 525°. Then next week they
are back up to 550° - and this happens invariably. What is wrong? - M.C.J.,
Lawrenceburg, Tenn.

Harding: First, there must be space between the bottom of the expansion
rod and the bottom of the pot. However, all pots creep. This applies, I think,
to any type of thermostat, gas or electric. If the thermostat is the expanding-case
type, the heat will creep up; if the rod is the expander the heat will creep down.
It is very seldom that you find one that does not change.

Loomis: I would say never.

Can Mercury Tubes Be Repaired?

Question: The heat range on my pot sometimes is almost 100°, and I
understand this is because mercury has escaped from the tube. Can this be re-
paired? - L.K., Heron Lake, Minn.

Loomis: It cannot. Replace it with the mechanical type thermostat.

200 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

To Remove the Metal Pot

Harding and Loomis: Occasionally this becomes desirable for the small-
town m-o. This can be done without removing the mold slide, but for one with-
out experience it will work out better to remove the mold slide. These are the

I. Dip the metal from the crucible, remove the plunger, and turn off the

a gas pot, dis-

3. Turn the machine until the pot mc
balancing spring, then allow the machine t>
enough to let the elevator head barely rest on tbe vise cap.

4. Lower the vise to second position (have you disconnected the link and
the vise closing link?).

5. Remove the splash shield.

6. Remove the ejector link.

7. If a water-cooled disk, disconnect the pipes. If air-cooled, unfasten the
blower pipe. If not cooled, relax.

8. If a Linotype, set the blade at 12 picas and take out the long screw; drop
the controller.

9. Lower the mold cam lever handle and pull out the mold disk and slide.
Watch the ejector slide if it is old style.

10. Tie the metal pot forward to the face plate.

II. Loosen the set screw in the pot lever shaft (Linotype) or remove the
screw from the center of the shaft (Intertype) and remove the shaft. Note exact
position of washers on Linotype shaft.

12. Remove the pump stop bracket.

13. Loosen the front pot leg adjusting screws and remove pot leg caps.

14. Replace the pot lever shaft for use as a handle.

15. Get an old main drive belt; run it between the pot legs and over your
shoulder. You can now lift the pot while somebody steadies the legs; move the
pot forward and out.

In replacing the pot, put hard oil on the nipples of the pot leg bushings.
Be sure the nipples go into their proper holes in their pot legs. Watch out for
fingers. When you get all through you should have ten.

Some m-o's take off the mold cam arm, but that should not be necessary.
Others take off the pot plunger bracket, but that involves several operations, and
the pot can be maneuvered out without it.

"Sfc

CHAPTER XXI
FRONT SQUIRTS

Front Squirts Caused by Loose Lines

Harding: Many front squirts are caused by loose or squabbled lines. This
may be caused by the operator, or it may be the result of misalignment of the
first elevator jaws with the line delivery rails, or nicks in the jaws, or faulty line
delivery slide. A very tricky one is main shaft bearing starting to freeze up,
which looks exactly like mold slide set too tight.

Misadjusted Pump Stop

If it allows loose lines to cast, it will make hairlines and occasional squirts.

Damaged First Elevator Duplex Rail or Elevator Jaws

Sloppy fit, worn back jaws, or anything that will allow a matrix to climb
half-way onto the duplex rail, will result in a malformed toe, and if the mat is a
thick one, a squirt.

Often too a matrix that has been thus swollen on the toe will go through
the magazine and bind in the jaw the next trip around, hindering justification
and causing a squirt.

The old Linotype duplex rails with only two lugs were weak in the center
and would bend if sprung in by a mat that jumped up, thus making it easier
for the next one to jump up.

Elevator jaws that are too tight will prevent spread of the line. Sometimes
mats bind only in the bold-face position.

A broken jaw spring pawl or too long a spring pawl screw will cause squab-
bled lines.

201

202 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Double Raised Lines

That old bugaboo, the legendary double-black of every operator, of course
causes delightful front squirts. One can buy a safety device for almost every
machine, and it is worth the price. Double-black lines also have hang-overs, be-
cause they usually swell the toes of a number of mats, which later bind in the
jaw. On a Linotype the line starts spreading from the right, so generally such
an obstructed line opens the pump stop for a cast. Most Intertypes, starting with
the old 42-em 72-channel display machine, have a block that prevents a cast if
anything keeps the pot from going forward fully.

Forward Thrust of Mold Disk

If the mold disk comes too far forward it will prevent spread of the line and
often cause a squirt.

First Elevator Downstroke Misadjusted

Either too high or too low, mats may bind and cause a squirt.

Cleaning up a Front Squirt

Harding: Don't be rough. Front squirts can be cleaned out with a surpris-
ingly small amount of force.

If a little metal has run along the combinations of the mats and the machine
stops at transfer, raise the second elevator by hand to be sure it is clear. Lock the
spaceband pawl and let the machine come to normal.

Open the vise, put a piece of furniture against the mats, lean the weight of
your body against the elevator, and tap out the matrices.

When metal holds several mats together, spread the end mat away from the
others with a screwdriver, then work it off with a pair of pliers. If they are too
much imbedded, wind a piece of string around them and dunk in a clean metal
pot several times; tap them at the pot top as you bring them out; let them cool.
If you leave either mats or bands in metal too long they will be softened.

Loomis: Don't be rough. Don't gouge jaws or molds with steel. Don't
get in a hurry to yank off molds or jaws. I have seen very few squirts, if any, in
thirty years, that could not be cleaned out with small force and no dismantlement.

For mats well embedded in the jaw, look first to the counterbores for the
two big screws that hold the first elevator front jaw in place. If the metal has
lapped over into these, pry it out. Then I take a large screwdriver and lean
against the mats from the left side. Usually this is persuasive. Hammering can be
done if necessary. You may ruin the end mat, but the time saved is worth much

Now, with metal around the duplex rail put your abdomen against the
first elevator to support it. Take a solid 12- or 14-point slug, lay it lengthwise,

Front Squirts A

edge on, against the rail, and hammer the rail in. The squirt metal will pop o.

Squirt Metal Around the Mold

Harding: Use a small steel-handled screwdriver to chisel through the metal
that flowed up over the mold cap. Cut -gently -a groove along the corner of
the mold cap, then drive what is on top o£ the mold cap through to the back.
Loomis- Some m-o's melt the metal from a mold cap screw hole. It may
be this can be done safely, but I'm scared. One way is to remove the mold, tap-
ping from behind with a pig, grip the screw with a pair of pliers and take it
out through the bottom; then drill out the metal. I am loath to recommend this,
for it involves removing the mold, against which I am firmly. On rare occasions
I have done it, but usually, by working your mold cap screwdriver as a drill, you
can reach the slot in the screw head, and then you can turn out the screw.

With metal around the mold screws, loosen them one at a time, clean out
the metal, and re-tighten. This can apply to the alignment plate screws also.

Now there is the matter of metal around the mold locking stud, which at
first looks impossible without removing the mold. But wait. Tap a little, pry a
little. Get out all you can. Then get your small screwdriver in under the metal
and start a rotary motion. With a little persuasion the metal will move, for there
are no big crevices in which it can lodge - and the fight is over. Keep moving
around and lifting, and you get the whole business out.

Now there is left the difficulty of the first elevator that gets embedded in
metal on top of the vise cap and won't rise, won't allow you to open the vise,
won't even let you go out for coffee. This also will yield to patience and per-
sistence as well as to force. (Persistence means force applied in the same total
energy but in smaller packages.) Probably the disk is still forward. Lower the
mold disk cam handle and pry in various spots until you find a weak one, then
break the disk away from the jaws. If the metal has run into the jaws, you
can do a certain amount of prying between back jaw and disk -but not too
much, or you will twist the back jaw. Between the left-hand vise! jaw and the
disk is a safe place, with a piece of cut base to protect the mold if there is one
there. Having gotten the disk back, now try prying up the first elevator. This is
a fairly safe operation, but you may find overlaps of metal that have to be worked
out first.

At any rate, remember this: cleaning up a squirt is a process of digging
away a little metal at a time, here and there. Don't try to get it all at once.

Check the Vise Automatic

Harding: Don't neglect this, for the vise automatic is in a fine place to re-
ceive squirts. Check the dog and the stop rod pawl. See that they work freely.

CHAPTER XXII
EJECTION

To Adjust the Ejector Leyer Pawl

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly:

On machines with an inside galley, the ejector blade should advance 1/32"
past the back plate of the galley. On machines with outside galley, the blade
should clear the vertical edge of the chute 1/32".

On the right side of the gear cam in back you will find a lug that engages
the ejector pawl. This lug often works loose. If tightening does not hold, get a
new lug, pins, and bolt. They come now with a narrow lock washer.

Be careful in unscrewing the adjusting screw, which lowers the pawl for a
longer stroke. If you get it too low, one cam will be pulling it forward while
another is trying to return it. This is an unhappy situation, for cast iron breaks.

To Remove the Ejector Lever Pawl

Harding: Remove the nut from the pawl screw. Turn the screw out until
it touches the cam. Push in the clutch, back the machine until the second ele-
vator starts down, and push the ejector lever forward until the pawl screw can
be turned out (from the other side) into the groove in the cam.

Slugs Jump out on Floor

Question: I cannot understand why my slugs jump out on the floor. I
have set the pawl backward and forward without result. - T.B.S., Whitingham,
Vt.

Harding: Sorry, you can't fix it that way. Invariably this is the result of a
broken or absent buffer spring. On old Linotypes and Intertypes it is on the
ejector slide: on new Intertypes, on the ejector lever link; on Linotypes with
universal ejector, inside the blade pocket.

Slugs Tip When Delivering

Question: The 12-em slug hangs up on the very tip of the lower knife block
liner/and no amount of adjusting seems to help. Could this be due to a welded
ejector lever? - A.C.O., Jasper, Ala.

Ejection 205

Harding: As a general principle, polish the slug chute and spring plate
with graphite, and the inside surfaces of the side knives.

If an old mold, sometimes the last rib is pretty far from the end and en-
courages the tip, but this should yield to other measures.

Remove knife block and spring plate. The hook on the lower spring plate
lug may be bent, or one or both lugs may be bent or loose. Get new lugs and

A very common cause is spring plate tension. While the plate is off, see that
the fiat copper spring is in good shape, and properly caught under the buttons
when you replace the plate. To adjust the tension, the best tool is a 14" rod
with a slot in the end and an L handle on the other end. With this you can bend
the flat spring while it is on and get any kind of tension - more or less. If the
plate is in good shape, you should be able to> stop tipping with this.

A rib trimming caught in the chute will hinder ejection.

As a last resort, here's a trick taught me by the representative of one of the
Companies: if short slugs appear to move up as they are ejected, try bowing the
spring plate to put pressure on both ends of long slugs but less on the top of
short slugs. If there is a projection on the lower end of the spring plate, bend it
a little to the left.

Intertype Ejector Cannot Be Changed

Harding: If the ejector locating lever (the lock) cannot be pushed down,
see that the machine is in normal position - especially that the disk is not for-
ward. If there is still trouble, look to the adjustment of the screw and lock nut
at the back of the ejector lever.

When the lever goes down but the blade won't change, this may be due to
the fact the blade has not been changed for some time. Hold the lever down and
work on the shifting lever in both directions. It usually gives.

Old Style Ejector Slide

Loomis: Many of them are pretty old. Check these items for an overhaul:

See that the buffer spring is operating.

The Ejector Slide Releasing Arm Pins (A-20), four of them, should not be
worn so as to allow the blade to sag and knock off the tip of the lower liner. If
you install new ones, be sure they go into the holes in the blade. If you have the
flat springs off, flatten them out in the ejector blade holes while you tighten the

The Ejector Blade Banking (F-589), a small flat piece, should not be worn
much where the blade banks against it. It's easy to replace.

206 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

In replacing these small parts, one should in nearly every case put in a new
blade also.

Take off the Ejector Blade Guide, just behind the disk, and see that the
Pressure Bar, the floating piece, is free and operative. Usually the Pressure Bar
Friction, the long brass strip, is badly worn. Replace it, gently tapping the new
one into place with a small hammer — the pressure bar being removed from the
guide, of course, to enable you to hammer solidly. You may have to round the
friction bar a little so the blade won't strike it on the flat side.

Universal Ejector Slide

Loomis: These are not difficult either. Take off the plate held by six screws.
Note that three screws are shorter and go in the top. Take out the ejector blade
links and the various sections of blade. If the links are tattered where the con-
troller hits them, replace. If the links are chewed up where the blades fit over
them, also replace. If the blades are sprung and bent and wavy, replace. The
bottom blade is 4 picas; the others are two except for 13 picas, where you will
find a 3-pica piece below and a 1-pica piece above. This blade, set on 12 picas,
will make a 12-pica liner look like Galveston after the hurricane.

If you keep old blades and/or old links, put the controller in place and push
the blades about one pica through a 30-pica mold. Prop the controller in place
with a piece of wood furniture or slugs. File the ends of the blades as a unit,
square and straight with the mold. Needless to say, don't file the mold.

If you take this stuff apart, note the Ejector Blade Controller Link Lift Roll
(F-I688) which came with the machine. The ejector shifter will work much bet-
ter if that roll is retained.

If you use the old controller, see that the hole is not enlarged very much,
and that the stud at the top is still in place. Ten to one it isn't. It should be
there. It is designed to slide down the slots in the ejector slide and keep the
controller fully behind the top blade instead of only on the corner.

Now let's put the whole works together. Push the mold slide not quite all
the way back — about an inch forward. Get under the pot with a light and pull
the ejector slide backward until the slot is at the back. Insert controller, put in

Back up the machine from normal position. Push forward gently on the
ejector lever, feeling for the bump of the stud at the top of the controller. Most
of the time it will hit on a partition and then go over or under. In this case, open
the vise and push the blades on through a 30-pica mold. Measure them. Over
or under? Usually under. Now on the Ejector Blade Controller Lever Latch
Handle (F-1307) is the latch which fits into notches to set the blade. This is held
on with screws and can be moved up or down, moving the controller correspond-
ingly until the stud passes easily into the proper slot. If necessary, the top of the
latch can be bent. Then set the indicator rod by the threaded piece at the bottom

Ejection 207

Improved Controller Link

Now, a word about the controller. If you have trouble on an old machine
getting the ejector to push the slug out far enough (and this can happen), you can
get an "improved" controller from Lino Parts, with a l/ 8 " ridge which gives that
much additional throw. The long screw should be replaced at the same time.

Intertype Ejector

Loomis: This works differently, havi

which is impelled by a

they will freeze up. I drill a hole on the thin (
squirt one squirt of oil about once every six m
much, it will show up on the slugs.

If a blade gets damaged, you can replace
Take off the Ejector Blade Keeper Bar and :
makeup rule push the damaged blade t

of solid blad
blade. These blades need oiling occasionally c

will stick
Easy,

rplac

Slide in the n

:r of the box, near the top, and
mths into the box. If you get too

it without taking the box apart,
emove the master blade. With a
ar. Pull it out. The other blades

-, oiled. Hocus, pocus, e

When Linotype Ejector Sticks

Harding: If the ejector blade gets s

cannot open the '

Release the real
machine to normal.

the machir
end of the ejectoi

uck in a hollow slug a
either way.
:r link and use the clutc

ie and pull out the disk. Loosen the li

1 to bring the
the Intertype

Loosen the mold cap and free the ejector.

Push the ejector blade back through the mold with a 6-point reglet.

Now you can hook out the slug with a brass wire with a hook on the end

Do not use the ejector lever handle to pound out stuck slugs. You will dam-
;e the ejector blade and eventually the mold — if not sooner. If time is pressing,
is occasionally excusable, but not as a regular thing.

Some m-o's cast a new base in a hollow slug, but this can be very complicated.

When Intertype Blade Jams at Ejection

Loomis: There is one situation in connection with stuck slugs that should
be gone into. This happens to a certain extent with Linotypes occasionally, but
in its more violent forms is more fully exemplified on Intertypes. This is the
spot where the operator tries to eject a 12-pica slug with, say, an 18-em ejector
blade. A 14-em blade would merely twist the liner and pass through, as a rule,

208 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

and a 30-em blade probably would be stopped altogether, but 18 or thereabouts
can be very bad. The blade twists the liner but doesn't break it off unless it's
6-point or smaller. The blade comes on through and ejects the slug, then tries to
return. But the twisted liner, caught between the mold and the knives, jams
against the blade and acts as a wedge. The blade cannot retract, so the master
blade either breaks the lugs off of the blade, or it slips out of the blade, or it jams
right there.

In this latter situation you have the machine at transfer. You cannot open
the vise. You cannot back the machine or move it forward. The ejector blade
and lever and connecting link hold it solidly. It is very likely that the heavy
pressure on the ejector lever will make it impossible to disconnect the link. This
is a good time to go out for coffee.

Turn off the motor. Put in the clutch. Try to disconnect the link to re-
lieve the pressure. If you can't - you can't. With a s£" socket wrench take off
the knife block. Loosen the screws on the mold cap and take it off. Pry off the
liner. Push the ejector blade back to the mold and let the machine finish its
revolution.

If the blade itself is damaged - which it likely is - you will have to straight-
en it or put in a new one. Take out the mold slide. Move the master blade to
30 picas. Take the cover off of the ejector blade box. If the blades are dry, take
the whole works apart and clean and oil. If they have been oiled recently, or if
you are holding up page one on press-day, pull the blade out slowly while you
use a knife blade to maintain the space it leaves. You can slide it back in with-
out disassembling the box. Get it lined up with the others, work the master
blade back and forth a few times. You're set.

Sometimes the master blade comes clear out. In this case the ejector slide
may jam against the column or frame of the machine and hinder movement of
the mold slide and of everything else within two blocks. You can't move the mold
slide or anything else. In such a case I have had the best luck by using a long
brass drift at the rear of the machine to hammer the ejector slide forward just
enough to loosen it. It won't take much. To get the master blade back in, if
there are no broken or twisted ejector blades in the box, take off the vertical bar
that holds the blades in at the rear, and merely slide the master blade in place.

When you get all through, put the cover on the box and put things back
together.

Intertypc Master Blade Slips out

Loomis: When you lower an Intertype vise to second position and pull out
the mold slide, be sure to disconnect and remove the ejector lever link. Very new
Intertypes have a safety device here, but on most of them, if the link is left in
and you pull out the mold slide, the master blade slips out, maybe the link itself
becomes wedged against the frame, and the boogieman comes down the chimney.
It can be very complicated.

Ejection 209

Why Does Ejector Blade Score Inside of Mold?

Harding: This is caused by a sprung ejector blade or section, maladjust-
ment of the mold disk guide support screw, or improper setting of the mold disk
locking stud blocks (see Replacing the Mold Disk Locking Studs and Blocks,
page 136).

Trouble in Ejection Caused by Warped Cap

Question: All our molds work fine except the 10-point 12-em, which starts
hanging up when the metal gets to circulating through it. This same mold is all
right on 30 picas. - B.A.M.

Loomis: The body thickness of the slug is greater on the left end. Since
30-pica slugs come through all right, it may be that your 12-em section of ejector
blade is rounded off toward the top. It is also likely that your mold cap has a
little warp. This can be checked by a machinist with a plane table and a dial
indicator, or send it in to the Company and ask them to check and grind it if
necessary.

Slugs Eject With Difficulty

High temperature. Warped caps, especially on recess molds. Poor ejector
blades, un-square on the ends. Rounded edges of mold. Accumulating of metal
on back of mold.

Polish the inside of the mold with oil and graphite.

Scales of metal around liners that have been in place for a long time, will
fatten a slug and make it hard to push through. A too-short ejector blade
may be the trouble. Ad figure molds have flat ribs and do not eject as easily as
the others.

On old machines it often helps to have a thicker ejector blade, up to the
maximum that will go through the mold. But watch those recess molds!

There is also the possibility that the clutch is too weak (see Starting and
Stopping Adjustments, page 250).

Why Do Slugs Pop or Pound at Ejection?

Harding: Keep the mold polished with oil and graphite. Linolizing is said
to help remarkably, but I have not had opportunity to observe this fully.

This popping appears to result from some peculiar property of the steel in
the mold, and not from the usual causes of ejection difficulty.

Sometimes this develops into pounding, which usually indicates the need for
mold polishing.

210 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Why Do Slugs Pull Back in Mold?

They cannot pull back far, but they can pull back a little, and get trimmed
under type high. Also, if the liners are not firmly fixed, it will pull the liners
back a little, and the back knife will shave them. This pulling back occurs at
the breakaway. The slugs are tapered .0025" smaller at the bottom to prevent
it, and the liners have tips to help. Invariably this occurs when the mouthpiece
is cool and the slug does not break away promptly. Keep mold cap screws tight;
turn up mouthpiece heat for starting.

Too Much Cracking on Breakaway

Question: Our pot makes too much noise on the breakaway — sometimes
a positive crash. Is there any way to relieve this? — T.C.I., Fitchburg, Mass.

Harding: Get a jeweler's broach for a 1/16" hole and taper the holes a
little, larger at the front. This will facilitate breakaway. Usually happens
when mouthpiece is run rather cold.

Loomis: It is well too to check the pot return cam on the inside of the
main driving cam — on the right, looking at it from the back. Sometimes this
cam, which is no more than a shoe, is broken, and sometimes the lug on the pot

A 6/0 taper reamer will do the broaching on the mouthpiece.

Welded Ejector Lever May Interfere With Setting of Ejector Level Pawl

Loomis: Due usually to an inexcusably stiff clutch, an ejector lever, heavy
and tough as it is, frequently is broken about the middle. This is one of the
most common breaks in linecasting circles. When he has it welded, the m-o
should note particularly that the welding does not build up the inside of the
lever at a point where it will hit the main cam shaft. When this happens, it is
impossible to adjust the ejector pawl so the blade will go as far forward as it
should. Clearance at this spot normally is very small.

If you have one like that, there is only one remedy: take out the ejector
lever and grind it down to its original contour on that side.

CHAPTER XXIII
TRIMMING KNIVES

Setting the Side Knives

Everett Shaffstall in Printing Equipment Engineer: There are a num-
ber of factors to check before attempting to do a thorough job of setting the side
knives. Of course these may not be necessary where you are just closing up one
end or opening up the other a little, but in any such operation as installing new
or sharpened knives, these factors must be considered, and in any situation where
there is repeated trouble getting and holding a good trim.

The disk should have just enough room to turn freely. The guide or guides
should be set up to it. Excessive looseness, especially in the mold disk hub, will
cause a varying trim and also damage to the molds, which will appear as a slight
score across the back of a mold 14 picas from the right end, caused by the back
knife as the slug is ejected from the opposite mold.

Loose Mold Disk Hub

Loomis: On old style (small hub) Linotypes you use a feeler gauge at the
back, and cut a brass shim about half the thickness of the indicated play.

On the modern large hub (Linotype), you can take off enough material
from the hub by rubbing it on emery cloth laid on a makeup table or stone. Be
careful. If you take too much, you will have to shim.

On the Intertype you can remove metal from the back shoulder of the stud.
(Loomis: For the country m-o, I think a shim might work out better, although
a really first grade machine shop man can of course do a good and permanent
job. This kind of work has its difficulties, however; turning a couple of thou-
sandths from the end of such a stud, and keeping it even, involves absolute squar-
ing up of the stud in the chuck in the lathe — and this is tricky work.)

Preparations

Mold disk locking studs and blocks must be in good shape to get a good
trim. This is essential. (See Replacing the Mold Disk Locking Studs and Blocks,
page 136.)

Molds should be cleaned. If any metal adheres to the back, remove it. Clean
the liners thoroughly.

Put 30-pica liners in all molds. Remove old knives and clean the vise casting.
Put on the left-hand knife and insert the pressure spring with the two ends

211

212 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

against the knife. If you have not moved the two knife-adjusting screws, this left-
hand knife should be somewhere near the right spot. Try a slug. Then use a
slug as a feeler to set the right-hand knife 10 points from the left-hand knife.

Set the left-hand knife so that it does not gouge. It should scrape the slug in
streaks evenly all the way across; it should trim off any overhang at the top, but
it should not "shave" the slug. This setting is done with the right-hand knife
two points open. (Loomis: I have trouble when I open the right-hand knife. I
generally keep it right up in place, even adjusting it roughly if it gets too far off,
because on old machines (not the kind Shaffstall has) which have not been well
maintained you must keep your right-hand knife in place or you won't be able
to hold the setting.)

A good slug is parallel — the same thickness at both ends and the middle,
and not tapered from top to bottom.

Slugs Thinner in the Middle

If 30-pica and two-column slugs are square but the one-column slugs are
thinner on the left end, and if all molds are alike, it may be the knife. Use a
54" square by 3" long stone, held flat against the inside of the right-hand knife,
to hone down the surface of the knife for about an inch, being extremely careful
not to round the cutting edge. Check frequently.

This trouble also arises from a mold that has been much used on short
measure and is actually worn down on that end, or from a warped mold cap.

Usually these two latter causes are present on only one mold, while the other
molds are all right. If the base of the mold is worn down, there's not much you
can do with it. The cap, whether worn or warped, can be reground by the
Company.

To Cure Slugs Tapered From Top to Bottom

Where you have constant trouble with slugs that taper smaller toward the
bottom, sometimes it will help to hone a small flat or reverse rake or bevel on
the left side of the cutting edge of the right-hand knife. The depth of this bevel
should be very slight — the stone being held almost parallel with the knife — and
the width of the cut about 1/32", but carried from one end of the knife to the

If this does not do the job, then talk to your local grinding machine man.
Ask him to lay the knife against a magnetic block with the base (which normally
fastens down against the machine) against the vertical surface of the block (to-
ward the rear or front of the grinder), and the cutting edge up. Now we assume
the base of the knife is perpendicular with the table of the grinder and with the
shaft of the grinding wheel. So we throw it out of perpendicular by dropping a
shim. .006" thick and 54" wide between the knife and the magnetic block, all
along the bottom, at the corner diagonally opposite the cutting corner. This of

Trimming Knives 213

course throws the knife out of square by .006", which is all you want. Now
grind a reverse rake along the edge of the blade, about 1/32" wide. This small
cut can be very effective. Needless to say, such things can be done by hand with
a hone, but it is easy to get too much angle.

There are times when even these alterations don't work. If the ejector lever
has been used constantly over the years to hammer out slugs, the molds may be
out of square. These have been repaired, but its value is doubtful.

Harding: The old narrow-type mold cap end guides warp sometimes, al-
lowing undue opening at the top of the mold and producing excessive body
taper. Measure this by measuring the slug between the ribs. Be sure the back
of the slug isn't gouged by the left-hand knife. The factory taper is about .0025".

A Minus Reading in Center Portion of 30-Pica Slug

This can often be corrected by honing the negative rake bevel in the area

Knives Should Be of Equal Height

They should be ground in pairs and always equal in height.

Don't Forget the Sector Screws

Remember, when you get the knives parallel on a Linotype, by use of the
sector screws you can secure an exact point-size setting for each thickness of slug
without affecting parallelism.

Hump at Bottom of Ribs

Loomis: This may be caused by several things, but first be sure the hump
changes the parallelism of the slug. Measure at the hump and at the top of the
slug. Sometimes it comes out just right; other times it doesn't.

It may be caused by knives being too low, requiring the slug to make too
big a jump from the mold.

Mold banking blocks may be worn down or gone, depriving the mold of
needed steadiness during ejection.

The forward thrust of the mold slide may be away off, allowing the disk to
jump forward when the ejector blade hits the slug. Also there may be too much
play in the mold slide.

At ejection the disk should come up firmly against the banking blocks and
should stay there, not moving until ejection is completed.

Harding: Sometimes you have only to set the left-hand knife closer to the
slug.

214 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Why, Does One Mold Trim Perfectly, While Another Does Not?

Question: Our straight-matter mold trims perfectly, while the 10-point is
away off on 30 pices. Can you tell us how to fix this? I have to keep the 12-pica
slug straight, but I'd like to satisfy the jobman too. — T.S.T., Jennings, La.

Loomis: I think so. If you have a consistent difference between two molds,
you are in for a mold-shimming job. However, there are some things to check

If the disk is much more than .005" out of true, you may need to replace
that. If your mold locking studs or blocks are worn, you will need to replace
those. If your vise locking screws, especially the right one, moves the vise as it
locks up, likewise. There is the possibility of the knife's getting temperamental
on certain molds, but that is fairly remote.

With a single-mold disk, you are all right. The knives can be adjusted to fit.
With a two-mold disk it isn't as easy, but still it can be done. With a four-mold
disk — tsk, tsk. Quick, Henry, the shims.

Shimming the Molds

Loomis: For this job you will need a big screwdriver with a perfect blade
for the big mold screws, and a smaller ditto for the mold cap screws. You will
need also several sheets of paper, from 9-pound onion skin (or tissue) which will
measure about .0015" to oiled tympan paper which mikes about .006"; 20-pound
bond hits about .004"; 16-pound, .003" or .0035". But mike them; they vary.
13-pound should hit .002" or .0025", but for some reason it often doesn't. Anyway,
it's hard to find.

Be sure the backs of the molds are clean.

Cast 30-pica slugs from all molds. Line them up and have a look at the
backs only — the flat side. The one with the least trim will be used as a guide,
for it is the farthest away — and it is ten times easier to shim than to file pockets,
and I don't like to file pockets anyway. I go around with my eyes downcast for
a week after a job like that.

Observe the backs at length. Now set the left-hand knife to trim properly
the one least trimmed. A proper left-hand knife means it just touches in streaks
all the way across, and leaves no overhang of letters at the flat side. You may
have to pull in or push out the right-hand knife somewhat as you do this, to
avoid extremely uneven pressure on the right — which can make a difference.
You needn't mike it; go by the looks of the ribs. The back of the slug should
not show any noticeable solid areas of trim; a perfect mold should not show any.
But some molds are not perfect and you cannot avoid a little along the top for
an inch or two — but no more. When you get it so the streaks are about even
all the way across — these are caused by irregularities or tiny defections in the
cutting edge of the knife itself — tighten the two bolts — extreme upper and lower

Trimming Knives

215

- firmly, and try it again. Set the right-hand knife now. On old molds you will
have to set it about .002" fat, but be sure the liners and mold do not have flakes
of metal around them. Newer molds are made a few thousandths undersize to
allow for trimming right down to size — .014" to the point.

Now cast a whole new set of slugs. Assuming your pet is still good, observe
the backs of the others. They will now be more gouged than before, and the
object is to shim them up between the mold seat and the mold (on the narrow
edge) until they are the same. This may take a slight amount of doing and prac-
tically unlimited patience.

Let's say a slug is gouged on one end, about 2" long and about 14" down
from the top. This would indicate a piece of newsprint under that end (about
.003"). I always put oil on the paper so it will stick where it is put. Work on
this one until it is right. If unfortunately you find the letters hang over on the
other end without trimming, you will then, I am sad to say, have to move in
that end of the left-hand knife, and then re-shim the first mold. This does not
happen often, but its frequency is quite enough.

Now, having gotten the first mold still farther away, tackle the second one
again, and get it as close as you can. It is not necessary to split thousandths.

Take the third one and the fourth. Be sure you put oil on all the strips.

Do not forget that every time you replace a mold you have to go through
the routine: push mold to the right; tighten 4, tighten 3; loosen 4, tighten 4;
loosen 3, tighten 3. You cannot get a comparable trim otherwise.

When you get all through, your slugs should measure pretty uniform. If
the big ones are off a thousandth or two, forget it unless you have unusual work
where you use a lot of such slugs in one spot.

Now put in your straight-matter liner in the first mold. (By the way, this
should have been the best mold. I hope you read this far before going through
the routine.) Here I don't depend on a mike. Only a very experienced machin-
ist can interpret the readings of a mike at top and bottom of every rib - and
he misses about half the time. Ribs vary considerably, and you have to think
about where the rib is on the slug, what kind of form it will be used in, etc.

Variation in ribs can be eliminated by long, tedious and careful work with
a hone on the inner surfaces of the knives, but I doubt that it's worth it. Also,
some machinists with extraordinary equipment and experience have honed
knives and even molds to make short slugs trim exactly the same as long slugs
from the same mold, but this is unbelievably complicated - and you probably
will wind up buying a new mold anyway.

Cast twenty straight-matter slugs; let them cool a minute; then mix them
up so all the hot ones won't be on one side; split them into two equal piles. All
right, so you had one left over; send it to me. Put these two piles end to end,
and use your fingernail. They should be even; if there is any question, cast
twenty more and try the two piles together; you won't go wrong with this many.

216 Linecasting Operator- Machinist

Try the other ends together also. Be sure you are not fooled by a nick in one
end where the slug slides down the chute and hits the Galley Slug Buffer —or any
other unusual bulge. Sometimes the knife wiper drags across the top and causes
a ridge.

Are they off a little? Set the right-hand knife and make them right. Do not
touch the left-hand knife ever again until you replace it or make repairs.

Now on an Intertype, if you have set your first slug to trim the proper point
size, all other slugs will trim their correct point size. On a Linotype they are
set individually. Set your knife, say, for 10-point, the 8-point having been the
first one set. Open the vise and loosen the set screw that holds the individual
point size screw, which is then reached through a hole in the right-hand frame
of the knife block This does not affect the parallelism of the knives; it changes
only the amount of the opening on that size only.

Why Are Slugs off Their Feet?

Question: Our slugs are straight from end to end, but off their feet. A
column bows up in the middle when we lock up. — F.T., Jr., Batesville, Ark.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: This could result from molds out
of square, but in this case it's nothing but slugs trimmed too fat. The ribs on
universal molds are tapered the same as the bodies on all molds. You can set
them about .002" fat, but these are .005" fat, and when you have that much you
will have slugs off their feet.

Sometimes this is caused by an overhang at the top, which means the left-
hand knife is not trimming enough.

Knife Trims Fine on All but 6-Point

Loomis: This is a puzzler that I ran into in western Minnesota. The
answer was: slight wear in the knife block gibs, which were seldom set on 6-point.
Eventually there was a frump at the 8-point, and when the knife block went
over that it canted the knife. Remedy: Very carefully hone the gibs to smooth-

Adjusting Linotype Knife Block Gibs

Loomis: First see that they are smooth on the sliding surface; oil them.
Turn down the two adjusting screws at the top of the knife. Turn down the
left one until it just binds the knife and won't allow it to slide back to smaller
point-size; then back it off just enough to release the block. Do the same with
the right-hand screw. Try the left one again. These seldom need adjustment
once they are set.

o oil holes,

Trimming Knives 217

To Set Side Knives Without a Micrometer

See Shimming the Molds, page 214, the paragraph near the end starting,
"Cast twenty straight matter slugs."

Miscellaneous Causes of Bad Trim

Warped mold; vise locking stud or screw loose or worn; metal in the right-
hand locking stud block; worn locking stud and blocks; the disk loose on the
stud; the tie rod loose at the back; anything that interferes with justification of
the line; a warped mold; mold disk guides not bearing properly; worn mold disk

Setting the Back Knife

Loomis: Knives are just about my favorite subject, and the back knife the
most so. We'll need a new knife for this job.

Take off the old back knife. Clean out the seat. (I assume the mold disk
is out far enough for you to get at it.) Set in the new knife. Be sure you have
the right one. The Linotype knife point makes an angle of 40° and must be used
on Linotypes only, while the Intertype knife is 30° and may be used on either.

With the disk pulled out and the guides properly set as described above, all
metal cleaned out from behind the disk (spin it to see if it is free), put the new
back knife in place. Often you have to lower the screws, for you want the new
knife to slide down until it is backed away from the mold.

Now turn the screws up evenly. Use a light. You can use red lead or tissue
paper for a test. I use my eyes. When the blade seems to be touching, I try the
mold disk carefully. If it goes all the way around without rubbing, well and
good. I know then it will trim about .925".

Now make a cast from each mold, using only capital letters — those unused
as much as possible - the last two rows. Let the slugs cool thoroughly by laying
them flat side down on the magazine. Mike them.

Take the tallest one. (If you have seated the molds as instructed, this mold
is the one to which you will have to build out the rest, for you cannot push
this one in.)

(Correction: Yes, you can push it in by peening the surface of the disk
against which the mold fits, but this is work for an experienced man. Let's make
it easier by building out the others to fit this one.)

Mike this tallest slug on the ends and in the middle. If one end is .925"
and the other .924", put a cigarette paper under the .924" end. Always observe
the tightening ritual.

218

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

L

(Harding: Sometimes when a 30-pica slug trims high on the right end
only, the mold disk guides are not set close enough to the mold disk.)

Now it comes out even on the ends but it measures .923" in the middle. That's
easy. The screws that hold the knife to the frame are fairly tight -not good and
tight. (I hope you ordered new screws with the new knife; the large-headed ones
are convenient.) The adjusting screws are 24 threads to the inch. One full revo-
lution would make .041". Therefore turn the insult v. ; mti clockwis t li '
than one fourth of a quarter turn. Take an old screwdriver with steel all the
way through. Put the blade in the slot in the knife (that's what it's for) and
give it a smart tap down. If the screws are reasonably tight they will hold it
down. Now try another slug.

In testing for type-high, it is best to cast three slugs every time, and use the
third one. Sometimes the first one or two will pull back a tiny bit. Let them
cool to room temperature before measuring them.

Now we've got the tallest one even, and the work begins. Measure the others
and shim them out to the first one. Suppose a slug measures .920" on both ends.
Put a sheet of tissue paper clear across the front. Etc., etc., etc. When you get
them all alike, turn your screws up a little at a time until you get about .919"
all the way across. .918" is perfect, but don't go under. .920" is acceptable. A
difference of .002" cannot be seen on enameled stock on ordinary presses. This
I have proved.

I aim at .918", and accept anything between .918" and .919".

Tighten the holding screws carefully and firmly.

Remember that a poor mouthpiece lockup will cause your type-height to
be off.
V "^ ~F»mous last words: Never again touch the adjusting screws as long as that
knife is on. In a small country shop it should last from two to three years. When
the slug gets up to about .922", you will notice it. Do not under any circum-
stances try to set up the same knife. The cutting edge is gone. You will only
push the heel of the knife against the disk and scrape off the bottom of the slug,
along with a certain amount of the mold. Get a new or sharpened knife. I will
t turn up or re-install a knife that has been used. It is time wasted.

Everett Shaffstall in Printing Equipment Engineer:

:t the front of the disk. The back

Mold slide and vise should be aligned as told in To Adjust the Mold Disk
Lockup, page 124, by shims.

Pot lockup can affect the height of the slug, the same as lack of alignment
between mold slide and vise.

Why Does Metal Gather Under Back Knife?

Question: Metal gathers on the under side of the back knife and binds
the mold. How can this be stopped? - W.B.A., Pitman, N. J.

Loomis: Fundamentally this indicates an improper grinding job. There
may be other causes, but I don't know them. I never grind a back knife by hand
unless it is an absolute emergency. Keep two knives, and when you take one off,
send it in promptly for sharpening. If the knife is not ground at the proper
angle, or if the bottom surface is unusually rough, metal will adhere. I repeat:
have your knives ground professionally.

To Avoid Variation in Height

Question: We cannot get a consistent bottom trim on our slugs. They will
vary as much as .003". -L.T.M., Chepachet, R. I.

Loomis: It sounds to me like a worn mold disk stud. That's the big, short
shaft that goes through the middle. On either Linotype old style or Intertype,
try feelers in the space at the back end, between the frame and the flange (or the
nut) on the shaft. I'll give you a tip. It may look like a lot of space, but divide
it by two when you cut your shim. Usually .002" is plenty, but I have used up
to .005". Carefully cut a single-piece round shim from unwrinkled shim stock,
then carefully smooth out the edges; I have used a makeup rule. Use dividers
to mark the right size for both inside and outside diameter. Install it at the
back, with plenty of oil. I have had only one of these come out in many years.

When you get it tightened up (all the guides are off, of course) try the disk
around and around for bind. Then try it back and forth for shake. There
should be no shake and no bind. If there is bind, your shim will soon come out.
Now set your guides to just touch the disk at its high point, i Some disks will
vibrate, and you have to back off the guide a thousandth or so.

First Few Slugs Have Slick Bottom

Harding: Many machines do this, the slick bottom disappearing after a
number of slugs are cast. This is due to the fact that the slug is slightly pulled
back into the mold on the breakaway, which happens sometimes when the parts
are cold and the metal solidifies well.

Sharpening Knives at Home

Question: I am told there is equipment for sharpening side knives at
home. Can you tell me where to get this? — S.R.P., Middleboro, Mass.

Loomas: Nix. Lay off. You won't sharpen a pair of side knives more than
half a dozen times in your life. I see the 1934 catalog still lists a lapping block,
but the block and the knife support together now catalog $44.65, and that will

220 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

pay for a lot o£ grinding at $3.50 each. You can get a loaner set of knives from
any printers' supply company that grinds these knives. Besides, grinding is
tedious and requires considerable technique; also, you will have to grind your
lapping block occasionally to maintain a flat surface. It isn't worth it.

The companies grind these by machine and do a better job than can be done
by hand. I have known m-o's who would take a back knife over to a grind wheel
and grind away a relief, then try to square it up on the side of the wheel. Then
they wonder why their back knife is hard to set, or why it gathers metal behind
the disk. Grinding by hand is no longer economical.

How Often Do You Sharpen the Knives?

Loomis: There are various schools of thought on this. Some say the side
knives should be sharpened once a year, but I do not hold with this. Once in
five years is plenty, to my notion, and one in ten years on a country machine,
unless there are nicks, etc. I doubt very much that the knives, even "dull," offer
as much resistance as supposed. This is no reflection on competent men who
think otherwise.

As to back knives, in the plant where I have taken care of two machines
that get hard use, up to two shifts a day, I find a back knife properly set will
last about eighteen months.

I once saw, in a small town in southwestern Minnesota, a machine with side
knives and back knife that had been untouched for eighteen years'. The same
operator was there who had been present when the machine was installed. The
back knife was pretty well chewed up, but it had only recently begun to give
trouble. The side knives we changed on principle.

When Are Side Knives Worn Out?

Loomis: When there is too bad a nick in them to be ground out, or when
the grinding brings the height of the knife below s/" on the top end and 1/ s "
on the bottom end. At this point the knife sits too far from the mold for a de-
pendable trim.

Such old knives can be used, however, by underlaying them with 6-point
brass rule - though most service companies refuse to sharpen them until espe-
cially requested to.

CHAPTER XXIV

KNIFE WIPER, SLUG LEVER
DAMAGED OR IMPERFECT SLUGS

Knife Wipers

Harding and Loomis: There are many kinds of knife wiper, so we shall
content ourselves with general suggestions.

The familiar "downstroke" wiper with its brass lever can always be made to
work: usually its trouble comes in a badly worn hole and stud. It may need
bending to enable it to clear the clutch bracket. Be sure the roller on the first
elevator slide goes into it smoothly and without bumping. The long rod inside
should be straight, but it the knives are low from grinding, you may have to bend
the top end forward a little. Also you may have to grind a little off the bump
at the top of the long rod, to enable the brass wiper to get down to the knives.
You may have to twist the brass wiper; if so, twist the top into the knives. The
stud that restricts the downward stroke of the rod should be there; otherwise the
wiper will drop under the knives occasionally. The wiper must have clearance
above a 30-pica slug at ejection.

If an Intertype wiper fails to rise high enough, look for a broken spring.
If the first elevator fails to seat, the nuts on the lower end of the rod may be set
too high.

After you open the vise on a Linotype, sometimes you leave the knife wiper
out of position, and the first elevator comes down on top of it. It will stop.

Keep the screws tight in the knife wiper bracket and the stud. Now you
can get narrow lock washers (E-1654) to put under the screw heads. Put a little
shellac or stiff job ink on the threads, tighten up on the screws (you got new
screws too, didn't you?) and leave overnight.

The screws that hold the Linotype wiper are 4x48. If the holes are stripped,
tap them for 6x48.

If you can't make a screw stay in the joint between the short link and the
long bar, get the screw E-1466 and the nut to match. They will hold.

The lower mold banking block, which also guides the wiper rod, often is
very difficult to keep tight. Re-drill the two screw holes and tap for 14x24 screws.
They will hold. (Loomis: I have tapped a s/ g "x24 bolt right in the middle,
and that never comes loose — but it is rather hard work, and I have had good
luck with the 14" screws.)

221

222 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Gets a Tinfoil Shaving that Sticks to the Slugs

Question: No matter what we do to the knife wiper, we cannot get rid of
this tinfoil stuff. It sticks like glue. - T.K., Hawthorne, Utah.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: Your trouble is in the left-hand
knife, which is trimming too much. It should just remove the overhang at the
top of the slug. Fix this and your tinfoil will disappear.

Slug Lever

A slug lever is relatively simple. It should go in far enough to push the last
slug out of the way of the next, and it should back out far enough to allow the
new slug to fall into place. On the old style Linotype slug lever, keep a little
hard oil on the head of the adjusting screw, and oil the dog.

If the first justification cam and roll get badly worn, the roll on the justifica-
tion rod will not descend far enough to push the slug lever out of the way of
the new slug.

On the new Intertype slug lever, actuated by a lever attached to the pot
leg, the extreme right position of the slug lever can be adjusted by moving the
screw that holds the roller up and down in its slotted hole. The roller requires
oiling. So does the slug lever. If you have 24-point slugs, set the lever so it will
come out far enough to clear, then on smaller slugs use the filling blocks to keep
the slug lever from going in too far; otherwise the smaller slug may fall over.

DAMAGED OR IMPERFECT SLUGS

Caps Are Trimmed off on Top

This is one of the most frequent complaints about slugs, and there are many

First elevator jaws out of alignment, up and down, with the mold.

This defect will show up first on the full-face sizes of aligning Gothic, such
as the largest size of 6-point.

The mold may not be level with the jaws from end to end. See Misalignment
of Mats, etc., page 109.

Faulty setting of the adjusting plate on the mold (which never should be
touched).

We assume that the left-hand knife is not set so grotesquely as to gouge off
the tops.

Wear in the first elevator connecting link, including eyebolts and nuts, eye-
bolt pins; loss of strength in the spring in this link.

Knife Wiper 223

Butted Slugs Do Not Align

Question: We are setting 50 picas for an insurance form, and as you can see,
the type does not align in the middle, although the slugs come out perfectly even.
It is a new mold and we have installed new locking studs and blocks. All molds
are the same. - S.D.O., Maryville, Mo.

Harding: It seems rather obvious here that the matter is one of misalign-
ment of the elevator jaws. See above. You might try moving the bottom first
elevator gibs a little first.

Loomis: This sort of thing often shows up more on bold face when the
flipper is used. In that case it generally indicates worn parts in the connecting
link, but I have run into old machines where it seemed to me the cast iron of
the first elevator lever had lost its original strength, to put it very unscientifically—
or the molecular arrangement had undergone degeneration, if you want it said
that way — and we could not get the bold face to cast properly without putting
a shoe on the first elevator cam. This is a piece of 6-point brass about 6" long,
and is fastened to the cam with flat-head screws. The ends of course are beveled.
It is started at the exact point on the cam where the first elevator rises for justifi-
cation, so that the rise in that cam is 6 points more than it was. I do not care for
this type of thing, but it seems to be necessary sometimes, and it seems to work.
This can now be bought (in steel) from either Company.

Harding: Yes, this has to be done. To check, cast a line in bold face on
the rail, recast it in light face, then recast it with the flipper. If it suffers cut-off
letters only when the flipper is used, check first the connecting link, then put a
shoe on the cam. See that the eyebolts on the link are properly adjusted.

Sometimes it is only necessary to install a new adjusting bar in the first
elevator front jaw to correct this. If the adjusting bar shows a worn groove on

Sides of Characters Chafed

Harding: When they appear to be damaged by a spaceband, the trouble
may be traced to badly worn studs and stud blocks, misadjusted mold disk sup-

This may result from sloppy cam rolls and eccentric pin in the mold cam
lever. (See Too Much Forward-and-Back Play in the Mold Slide, page 126.)

Descenders Nicked Off

Harding: When lower part of g, p, q, and y is damaged, check downstroke
of the first elevator, forward thrust of the mold disk, mold disk support screw,
and locking stud blocks. Reduce downstroke adjustment as much as possible.

If it happens only with the flipper, check the connecting link for wear and
adjustment. Here again a shoe may be necessary on the first elevator cam.

224 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

It is no secret that certain fonts of mats have been much worse than others
in this offense, and almost impossible to correct.

Top End of Slug Damaged or Broken off

Loomis: Usually indicates that the knife wiper flag is not being raised high
enough.

Last Letter of Various Words Is H

but about once in twelve

Loomis: This is an interesting slug. A magnifying glass shows that about
half of the last letter of certain words is somehow pressed down several thou-
sandth of an inch, obviously too low to print.

This suggests that the mold disk is breaking away from the mouthpiece
pretty hard and actually rebounding against the line, which by this time has
spread a little, so that the last letters now hit against the spacebands, causing the
damage.

This can be rather difficult. On old machines, be sure the lower mold slide
gib is up as far as it should be. Check for excessive play in the mold cam lever,
as suggested in the paragraph above. Of course anything that will soften the
breakaway will help, but this is hitting in the dark. An oversize pot return cam
shoe sometimes will help. See that the justification block goes down far enough
to clear the spacebands.

You can get E-2321, Mold Slide Spring Buffer Bracket, Assembled, which
will help sometimes, for it cushions the rebound of the disk.

Letter on Right End of Line Is Nicked

Harding: May be from too deep a downstroke of the first elevator, which
delays its rise and allows the mold disk to scrape the slug on the jaw.
This can also be caused by an overly stiff pump stop spring.

Liner Tits Damaged by Universal Ejector

Loomis: This usually happens on old style ejectors with solid blades, but
can happen on universals. It implies that the right-hand mold disk locking stud
is set too high, pulling the mold disk up all it can against the play in various
worn parts. See Replacing the Mold Disk Locking Studs and Blocks, page 136.

Knife Wiper 225

Slug Shows Chilled Face at One End

Harding: This happens rather often. See that the mouthpiece burner has
a double row of holes at each end, that the metal level in the pot is not too low.
Particularly refer to Frosty Face on One End of Small Slug, page 187.

Check the mouthpiece burner by looking at the flame.

The mouthpiece holes should lie close to the back of the slug, with neither
end hole partly plugged. An extra hole drilled between the first and second
holes, in the vent, usually helps.

Trouble on Casting Border

Harding: When recasting border, sometimes there is a little chill in the
middle. Likely this happens because the border slide is solid and does not allow
any air to escape, as does a line of mats. Turn up mouthpiece heat a little.

Why Do Characters Vary in Height?

Question: I am catching the dickens from the pressman because certain
letters on a given slug will be low or high. They are not the same letters and not
in the same place, and not always the same slug. - F.E.H., Port Huron, Mich.

Harry G. Pottle in Who's Who in the Composing Room: I have heard
that sometimes this is the fault of defective mats, but I have not seen any of them.
There are other causes more frequent.

You can easily see the difference in height of such characters by laying a
straight-edge across the face of the type and observing it from the side.

Accumulation of metal on the face of the mold will cause this. The cap and
body of the mold should be even in front. On

Harding: Check also for weak or broken pot lever spring; lack of pot's re-
treat between justifications; loose vise locking stud; forward thrust of mold disk
improperly set; a screw sticking out from the mold.

If on bold face only, check clearance in the first elevator jaws with mats on
the duplex rail. A bind here will cause trouble.

CHAPTER XXV
THE TRANSFER

First Elevator Pounds When it Seats on Upstroke

By Harry G. Pottle in the Printing Industry: I suggest you discontinue
the liberal application of graphite to the first elevator head, for that will get into
the magazine and make trouble.

See that the duplex rail is straight and smooth; clean and graphite it, and
put it back; try the levers that operate it and see that it is free.

Raise the first elevator by hand to see if there is a bind. The ends of the
duplex rail levers and their opposing blocks should be lubricated with hard oil.

Sometimes mats ■, ith distorted toes will stand up too high on the duplex rail.

Are the duplex levers pulling the duplex rail back completely, so mats on
the rail are free to drop?

The intermediate bar may be set too far forward and cause too much pres-
sure on the first elevator front jaw.

Mats Spill out at Transfer

Pregunta: Senores: Tenemos una maquina para poner tipos, y hay mucha
difficultad ahora con el transporte. Los moldes de cuando en cuando se derraman
y se dispersan en el suelo. Nuestra maquina es Linotipo, Numero 5, y tiene cerca
de treinte y cinco anos de edad. Esperamos que V. puede responder a nuestra
pregunta, y le damos las gracias mas espresivas por el favor que nosotros hace. —
D.S., Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

Loomis: Never let it be said that we ignored a yelp for help. This man
has a Model 5 about thirty-five years old, and he is distressed because his mats
frequently spill out at transfer and are scattered over the floor. It's a big ques-
tion to take on at such long range, but no more so than some we've already
wrangled.

This is not an easy subject, for many things are involved, but it is extremely
important, for it affects wear on the combinations of your mats as well as annoy-
ance. Nor is it too difficult when you know what to do. It is worth noting that
the sequence of tests and adjustments is all-important in alignment of the transfer.

E. B. Harding in The Publisher's Auxiliary, and Loomis:

Test the transfer by sliding a line of mats and bands from the first to the
second elevator by hand. Hold the mats straight up and down. Note whether

Transfer 227

they go across smoothly. There should be no drag except for the very slight fric-
tion involved and the first elevator jaw spring pawls. For one not accustomed
to setting the transfer, it is better to remove these pawls; they can be very con-
Note especially the left end of the second elevator bar plate. Does it move up
or back or to the front as the mats go over, or does it stand still? It should not

The critical point is to the right of the spring pawls. Here the mats start
onto the second elevator bar, and for a quarter of an inch are on the bar while
still in the jaws. Here they must be loose and free. Using a thick pi mat, see
that it is midway in this space, then with your forefinger try pushing it up from
beneath. Ideally there should be a tiny bit of free play here. The mat must not
be tight. This is the final test of any transfer adjustment, except for actually
running the machine.

Now let us assume that you have already adjusted the first elevator's move-
ment up and down, as told in The Gibs, page 108. If you have not, you may as
well get at it now, for a permanent setting of the transfer cannot be made if you
are going to have to change the first elevator gibs again.

Note too the absolute necessity of first elevator jaws that are level — at the
same height. With one jaw lower than the other, the mat is twisted, and it is
impossible to get a satisfactory setting. It is important too that the jaws not be
too far apart; if they are, alignment will be difficult. If they are tight, there will
be a drag that is hard to pin down.

Now, with the elevator up, take off the entire first elevator head by remov-
ing the three bolts in top. Take the intermediate bar out of the head by remov-
ing the two bolts in front. The touchy point of the intermediate bar is the pawl.
Drive out the pins and remove the pawl. If it is broken it should be replaced.
If good, rub it on emery cloth and graphite. Also rub the slot with folded emery,
and then graphite. Replace the pawl. Replace the bar.

Now pull up the second elevator and replace the head, without mats in the
first elevator. With no more than slight finger pressure, push the head forward
until the intermediate bar is against the first elevator front jaw. Tighten the
head. Set the screws in the back.

A word about this intermediate bar. If you find later that the first elevator
seems to be rubbing a nice shiny strip along the corner of the bar, back it up
just a little. It is not necessary that they have such hard contact.

This is the only forward-and-back adjustment of the intermediate bar. The
two front bolts are for sidewise movement and vertical setting.

Lock the spaceband pawl and let down the second elevator again. See that
there is space between the end of the intermediate bar and the end of the second
elevator bar. There must be freedom for the intermediate bar pawl to move up
and down, but not over 1/32".

228 Linecasting Operator-Machinist:

You may set the right end o£ the intermediate bar for height. The bottom
of the pawl, in its highest position, should be exactly even with the bottom of
the second elevator bar. You can adjust this by the screw in the top of the head,
loosening and tightening the two front bolts when you want to move the bar.
Now you can turn the machine a little forward, until the first elevator drops a
couple of inches, and lay two 10-pica slugs across the top of the first elevator
jaws. Move the machine slowly back, using the slugs to get the left end of the
intermediate bar level with the right end. Now, if your space between interme-
diate bar and second elevator bar is still correct, we shall proceed.

The next move is to set the duplex rail lever blocks. Loosen the two screws
in the top of the transfer head, and push in the plate holding the blocks until
both ends of the duplex rail are completely in the clear to allow raised mats to
drop for transfer; tighten the screws.

We now have the first elevator properly adjusted in the transfer position
except for height. Let's get to work on the second elevator.

We assume for the moment that the second elevator is in good shape; this
includes the bar, the bar plate, and the bar link - all of which are subject to
wear, and all of which affect the transfer considerably. (See Repairing the Sec-
ond Elevator, page 235).

The first item is the inside width of the transfer channel. (Loomis: Long
ago I made a .780" gauge for this. I don't know where I got this measurement,
but it is very close to perfect.) If the channel is too narrow or too wide, it can be
adjusted. Loosen the three screws that hold the front plate and put a piece of
newsprint above or below the left-hand screw, according to whether the channel
needs widening or narrowing. Do this until you get it. Do not make any adjust-
ments on the transfer channel until this is done.

With the spaceband pawl locked and the second elevator seated (the second
elevator cam roll should be free of the cam at this point), observe first the front-
to-back alignment of the bar with mats in the first elevator. A second elevator
bar plate that is badly worn where it hits the post, can cause endless difficulty here.

On new machines (both Linotype and Intertype) you can control the for-
ward-to-back position by two screws which adjust a plate in the post. Note that
the second elevator resists being twisted, so both sides of the adjusting plate
should be even.

This adjustment is first made with a good pi mat in the first elevator,
the second elevator down in place, and a piece of white paper in the transfer
channel just to the left of the spaceband box. Hold a light to shine on the
paper — not too close, or it will blind you — and get your eye down on a level
with the second elevator bar, out at the left, and sight. This is a good test but
has limitations, for after a while you can't see straight any more. At other times
you may think you have it lined up, only to find that it won't work. But the
thing now is to align it front-to-back, and usually this ends up with the inter-
mediate bar pawl in the center of the second elevator bar — but not always.

A perfect lineup here will show the teeth of the mats as a series of black

triangular teeth fitting into an opposite series o£ the same, but with a tiny
amount of white space everywhere between the two. This optimum condition is
hard to attain. Most often, perhaps, it is complicated by unevenness of the
first elevator jaws. But we are now trying only for front-to-back. Height adjust-
ment will come next.

Front-to-back adjustment on old machines cannot be attained by adjusting
the post, for there is no such adjustment. The entire transfer channel must be
moved; that is why we have already adjusted the channel at a width o£ .780". Now
the transfer plates, front and back, must be treated as a single unit. If the second
elevator needs moving forward or back, as it usually does, it must be done with
shims behind the left-hand screw (not the one we used before) (to move the
second elevator forward) or by filing off the boss behind that screw (to move the
elevator backward). The right end is not changed, for it has to align with the

Now we'll take the vertical alignment of the two elevators. This is simple.
First be sure the First Elevator Slide Stop at the bottom of the first elevator,
which holds the adjusting screw, is firmly held to the first elevator. On occasion
the first elevator casting becomes cracked or the bolt comes loose. Clean out all
lead chips and dirt from around the adjusting screw. Now, with the elevator up
and the paper in place, turn the screw until you secure the ideal white space be-
tween the teeth of the test mat and the teeth of the second elevator bar. When
this adjustment is final, tighten the lock nut. Now give the whole thing the test
mentioned above — transfer mats by hand, and set one pi mat on the end of the
first elevator, just on the second elevator bar, and tap it upward with the fore-
finger to see that it is free. If it is, finish tightening the lock nut, holding the
adjusting screw head carefully to avoid moving it. Put the first elevator jaw
spring pawls back in place.

In actual practice, these two adjustments — front-to-back and vertical — are
made simultaneously and intermittently.

Transfer three long lines by hand. They should go over very easily — no drag.

Run a number of lines through, including spacebands and plenty of capitals.
Listen for the rattle that indicates misalignment; this is not the same as the
sound that comes from stiff jaw spring pawls, although they are similar. Watch
closely for any movement of the second elevator bar plate during transfer. It
should not move.

Finally, holding the spaceband pawl, try a full 30-pica line, letting the trans-
fer finger do the transferring. The mats should go smoothly, with no apparent
obstruction but the spring pawls.

Height of Intermediate Bar

Loomis: This is a great fooler. I like to give it a final test this way: run up
a 30-pica line and do not let it transfer. Loosen slightly the holding screws of the
intermediate bar, and ascertain that the bar drops slightly to the mats. If it does,

230 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

push it back up and tighten. Sometimes the mats' teeth rub on this bar, and
that is not good. I like from .005" to .010" play here.

Transfer Releasing Lever

When the second elevator seats, the long screw that goes through a lug just
behind the second elevator pushes down the releasing lever, raising the left end
of the lever to allow the transfer finger to move to the right. The left end of the
lever should clear by 1/32".

Intertype Transfer Safety Latch

Harding: This is an additional lock on Intertypes to prevent transfer when
recasting raised lines.

Transfer Slide and Finger

Loomis: Let's start with the link, that narrow piece about 10" long; it has
two holes in one end; use the inside one. When the holes become badly worn,
replace the link. It is attached to the transfer slide by a screw that often works
out - nearly always so as to project into a hole at the back of the face plate and
stop the machine. When the screw threads in the transfer slide become too worn,
re-tap for 8x32 and put in a spaceband pawl lifting screw, sawing off what is
left over.

The finger itself should be straight, both sides even and square with the
world. The screws that hold it are almost the same as those that hold the knife
wiper (commonly called knife wiper flag). If the threads become beaten, you can
re-tap for 6x48 or 8x32, but you will always have to countersink the finger a
little to keep the screw heads from projecting. It's easier to get a new slide.

The finger should not bind on the intermediate bar, on the first elevator
jaws, or on the second elevator bar. On old machines it is sometimes necessary
to put a fancy kink in the finger to keep it from rubbing on the back jaw. Just
below the screws, bend it forward at about a 45° angle; then immediately bend
it back just below the first bend, so the net result is to move the finger forward
about 4 points. This usually does it. You won't need more.

Transfer Channel Friction Spring

While often absent, this is an important part on most machines. Adjust it
so that it bulges out slightly to create a drag against the bands and keep them
from swinging.

Leathers in the Transfer Channel

Narrow strips of leather cut from an old main drive belt, fitted snugly into
the channels, and tamped down, will often clear up trouble with transfer of
spacebands. But if you get them too thick, they will push up the spaceband
wedges against the second elevator bar and stall the machine.

Transfer 231

Spoceband Pawl

Loomis: The lever often has a lot o£ play down at the shaft. Tighten the
set screw firmly at the bottom. See that the center bar of the pawl is not worn
out; that the hinge pin is not worn down; that the spring is strong enough to pull
the spacebands but no stronger. The tips of the pawl should go about i/g" be-
low the ears of a new spaceband; there is a slotless screw, B-246 (why slotless, I
never have been able to understand), which can be used to adjust this height;
you grind off the bottom of the. screw - but if this turns out to be necessary,
you'd better consider investment in a new pawl. Loosen the si ' '

the hinge pin in place; let the pawl go i
itself there; then tighten.

Why Does the Transfer Finger Hit a 30-Pica Line?

Loomis: The transfer finger on old machines should have 5 9/16" between
it and the transfer channel; on later machines it is 5y 8 ". Cut a piece of reglet
5-11/16". Corral an assistant. Have him (or her, if you're lucky) hold the
spaceband pawl to the right until the transfer finger allows the reglet to go in.
You are behind the machine, loosening the two s/^" bolts with a thin end-
wrench. As she holds the pawl, you tap the arm of the lever against the
cam, and tighten. Chances are the finger will come about right, with that 1/16"
allowance. But never mind; you may have to do it several times. Just get the
55/ 8 "; then you take your assistant out and buy her a coke or a cup of coffee.

Why Won't a 30-Pica Line Transfer?

Loomis: More trouble with 30 picas. (What would you do with 42?) Any-
way, this happens because that same finger does not travel far enough to the
right. Here's the way I set that: Lock the spaceband pawl and let the machine
come to a safety stop. Push in the clutch. Release the spaceband pawl and let the
transfer finger come in. Now in most transfer fingers there is a i/ 8 " deep cut on
the right edge — as far as I know for this purpose only. The bottom of that cut
should be even with the end of the first elevator jaws, which would bring the last
mat outside of the jaws and free to be lifted. If this mat is left within the first
elevator jaws, there's gonna be trouble.

Now to set it. I get a small end wrench with a i/ 2 " opening — the S wrench
you use on the pot leg nuts is a natural - and lie on your right side back of the
machine. Reach up under and around the main drive shaft, locate the nut on
the safety pawl that locks the adjustment screw, and loosen same. Now generally
the screw will turn with your fingers. If not, you can work it with a small ratchet
screwdriver, or you can crawl out of the machine and turn it over until you can
reach it with a straight screwdriver — though you won't find this much easier.

This is the clumsiest operation I know of, but I have tried for thirty-five
years without improving it.

232 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Turn the screw in or out and find which way produces the proper movement
of the finger; keep at it until you get it right. If your assistant is still there, it
will be a lot easier on your knee-joints if you will show her what you are trying
to achieve, and have her tell you when you get the finger right. Then she can
hold the spaceband pawl hard to the left while you tighten the lock nut (which
usually keeps the screw from moving).

A 30-Pica Line Goes up but It Bangs

Loomis: This usually means the finger is coming too far to the right and
binding against the mats as the second elevator rises. See the adjustment above.

Transfer Finger Does Not Push Bands Under the Pawl

Loomis: This also is an adjustment of the transfer finger - but this one is
a cinch. There is a long screw in the transfer slide behind the finger which banks
on the brass buffer in the spaceband pawl. This screw should be set so the bot-
tom of the cut in the finger comes even with the inside edge of the two pawls
that pull the bands. There should be a couple of felt washers behind the brass

Why Don't the Bands Go All the Way Into the Box?

Loomis: This is an adjustment of the turnbuckle, one of my favorites, be-
cause you can make it sitting in your chair. With a 10-penny nail reach under
the assembling elevator. The turnbuckle is straight behind the bottom of the

assembling elevator. Put the nail in the hole and ti

e the space-

band pawl move either left or right. Set it so the points come i/ 8 " to the right
of the point where the incline starts in the points in the spaceband box rails If
there is so much play you are in doubt, hold the pawl to the left as you make this.

Why Do Spacebands Twist in the Channel?

Harding: Often this comes from too wide a channel. Check the .780"
width. It may result from a worn-out spaceband pawl that "rides" the bands. It
may also be badly worn bands. It may come from bands' swinging in the channel
(they should be carefree!). It may be badly worn channels.

Why Are Bands Left in the Channel?

Harding: A weak or missing spaceband pawl spring is the most common
reason. Ears of bands too narrow, or points on spaceband pawl too short, or
pawl riding too high. Any obstruction to the path of the bands; this may happen
particularly at the spot where the spaceband box rails fit into the milled-out
spots on the channels. They must fit back snugly, and must offer no obstruction
on the top edge.

(Incidentally, I have always used .785" as the distance between the channels.)

30-Pica Lines Catch in First Elevator Jaws, Though the Transfer
Finger is Correctly Set

Harding: This can happen from "spring back," a spreading of a very full
line as the second elevator starts up. We can take steps.

On the safety pawl in back of newer machines is a screw in the outer edge;
set this to prevent the pawl being driven more than 1/64" off the stopping pawl.

There is a small pawl on the right end of the second elevator bar. Grind one-
third of its width off the left side, to give the mats a little more room. (If you go
too far with this, the mats then will strike the bottom of the distributor box or
distributor box bar.)

See that the spaceband friction spring is in place.

14-point Bold Face Will Not Transfer

Question: I have been on a machine for forty-three years and thought I
knew most of the answers, but this is one I can't fathom: Our 14-point works
fine in every way — except it won't transfer on the bold face. I can see nothing
wrong, but when the mats are on the duplex rail they consistently jam at the
transfer. They do not do this if the flipper is used. — T.F.P., Millinocket, Me.

Loomis: If it makes you feel better, you aren't the first one who has labored
over this. Hardly less than twenty years ago I ran into it. The answer is this:
14-point, or at least certain faces, will not transfer on older machines when in
the raised position, for the punched die in the mat catches on the intermediate
bar. There is no answer that I know of, except to use the flipper, or release the
mats by hand before they go up, if necessary to use a mixed line. It is interesting
to note that there are some machines that do not suffer from this difficulty. Per-
haps a maladjustment of the intermediate bar will cure it — but that may lead to
other troubles.

Transfer Channel Stop Pawl for Mats

Loomis: The Intertype, lacking a stop pawl on the right end of the second
elevator bar, uses a steel plate in the transfer channel to keep the mats from go-
ing too far to the right. This can be applied to a Linotype. There seem to be
occasions where there is difficulty with the usual stopping pawl and you can't get
anywhere with it. Use an assembling elevator fiber buffer. Set it on top of the
ridge in the back plate, with the left edge 5 3/16" from the left edge of the trans-
fer channel. I have found this little device 100% effective. Thin it down so
bands will pass.

CHAPTER XXVI

SECOND ELEVATOR AND
DISTRIBUTOR SHIFTER

Adjusting the Second Elevator

Question: The second elevator does not always seat properly. Can you
tell us how to adjust it? - W.T.M., Seagrave, Tex.

Harding: The Book gives this adjustment: when the second elevator is in
transfer position, adjust so that the cam roll is free from the cam.

Loomis: I have worked out what I think is a more reliable adjustment. Do
this at the distributor box. Tighten the adjusting screw until the second elevator
starts down, then back up until it is firmly seated.

There is also another adjustment - not, as far as I have found, mentioned
in The Book. If the second elevator does not come up centered on the second
elevator guide, back up the machine and have somebody hold the second elevator
over rather hard in the direction it should go while you tap it solidly with a
4-ounce hammer on the opposite side. (It can be done on the same side, but I
have better luck the other way.) It doesn't take as much tapping as you might
think. You can thus "bend" the second elevator arm and make it center exactly
on the guide.

Lubricating the Second Elevator

Harding: Graphite the parts and oil sparingly the hinge pins (two).

Loomis: That is the accepted way, but in the country I think hard oil is
better because it lasts longer. I apply a thin film of oil to the guide post at
transfer, to the guide at the distributor box, and to the top of the bar plate.

Dismantling the Second Elevator

Harding: Disconnect the long spring, loosen the short set screw that holds
the hinge pin — or cotter pin, as may be. Push out the hinge pin and take the
elevator to the bench. Remove the two screws from the top of the bar plate,
gently pry the bar loose from the plate, and with long nose pliers push out
the pin to the right.

234

Second Elevator ^ 33

Repairing the Second Elevator

Loomis: When the bar has nicks in it, they can be dressed out with a small
three-cornered file. If the bar has been striking bands left in the transfer, it's

If the second elevator bar link (a somewhat square framework) has the holes
in the legs badly worn, you will need a new one. There are different types of
bar link, and they are not interchangeable; get the right one for your machine.
If the bar plate is badly worn either where it contacts the transfer guide post or
where the spaceband pawl rides up on top of it, replace.

I'm sorry to say that replacing parts of the second elevator is not as simple
as it seems. I know a case where a bar plate was replaced and resulted in ulti-
mate damage of $156 before the machine was back in order -and not through
any carelessness of the mo. These second elevators are more tricky than they look.

Put on the new parts. Be sure the pawl is installed in the new bar as in the
old - the slightly hooked part down and at the back, the plunger behind it, the

spring

With a new second elevator bar plate, the forward-and-back position of the
second elevator must be adjusted, of course, at transfer position, but the touchy
work comes at the distributor box. Here the bar must align with the distributor
box bar, front to back. This is best tested by feeling with the fore-finger. There
should be no rattle of the mats as they go across. After installation of a new bar
plate, usually the bar is too far forward. I usually file this on the back edge and
on the bevel until it fits. Also it is well to note whether the extension at the top
of the distributor box bar fits into the opening in the second elevator bar. Occa-
sionally these are tight, and I usually thin down the top of the second elevator
bar to bring smoothness. Tightness will prevent consistent seating.

Be sure the screws in the top of the bar plate do not project. These (BB-138)
have to be exactly the right length (i/ 2 ") or there'll be trouble.

Space between the second elevator bar and the distributor box bar should
be slight - just enough to prevent friction. The guide usually is doweled, but
the bolt holes are large enough to permit readjustment if you drive out the pins.

Second Elevator Starting Spring

Loomis: This spring, low and just inside the first elevator cam, breaks often.
The Company is trying to develop one that won't break, but vou will have to
replace it occasionally, and should have an extra one on hand ilways. It is most
easily replaced when the elevator is at transfer.

236 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Second Elevator Jiggles

Loomis: This usually results from one or both of two things: broken start-
ing spring or rough or dry second elevator shaft. Try penetrating oil. Sometimes
the end of the shaft has been boogered up by a pipe wrench. Swearing doesn't
help. Smooth it with emery cloth. Dry cam roll or one with flat spots.

Like many other things, this can be mysterious. There is a certain machine
in Minneapolis, now about fifteen years old, that was installed brand new by a
competent factory man. As soon as he left, the second elevator began to jiggle on
the way down. A number of Twin City machinists tried their hand without re-
sult. Two more men came from the factory. No dice. Finally the dean of the
factory men came out. He looked it over, examined the reports, and ordered a
bunch of new parts, including second elevator and shaft. He said he didn't
know what was the matter, but that would fix it. It did.

Difficulty in Transfer Caused by Second Elevator Bar Link

Question: Our Model B Intertype is giving trouble on the transfer. The
right end of the second elevator bar is pushed toward the back of the machine
when a long line goes over, though the left end is lined up. We have installed
new parts. - T.C.T., Murphysboro, 111.

Loomis: I rather think you have a bar link (the squarish frame) with one
leg bent out of line. This could also be the wrong bar link. Bar links for Inter-
type and Linotype are not freely interchangeable, and usually require some filing
for clearance with the bar plate.

"Breaking" the Bar

It is sometimes necessary to "break" a new second elevator bar by filing the
left end to a slight taper with a jeweler's three-cornered file. This should be done
judiciously, giving each groove a light touch. On old machines this sometimes
is a life-saver.

Putting an Extra Spring on Second Elevator

Loomis: This comes on many machines to minimize swinging of the second
elevator on the way up, and consequent occasional fouling up on the distributor

On most bar plates there is a hole just to the left of the bar link, in the back
edge of the plate. Screw a 4x48 spring hook in there. Now at the top corner of
the link, drill and tap a 4x48 (or 8x32) hole and screw in another spring hook;
then install a spring just strong enough to hold the second elevator steady on the
way up. Keyrod springs have been used for this, and are usually about right, but
sometimes a stronger spring is required.

Second Elevator 237

The Distributor Shifter

Loomis: This is not complicated but does require certain attention. The
slide should be graphited when the machine is oiled. There should be a stop
screw at the left to prevent pinched finger, and a stop screw at the right to stop
the Distributor Shifter Slide Buffer (G-2845) just short of touching the matrix
lift. The best way to adjust this usually is by putting very narrow washers inside
the cotter pin. They must be narrow, and the cotter pin must be unobtrusive,
or the thing will bind in the box. The buffer spring should be positive but not
as strong as the plunger spring — which it often is. It is supposed to give. The
buffer itself must ride up close to the distributor box bar but not touch it; it
must be centered in the box and not touch either side; and it must be square up
and down. The location of the buffer can be attained by judicious bending of
the arm on the shifter slide. Oil the screws (one drop) that connect the link to
the long lever that actuates the shifter.

CHAPTER XXVII
THE DISTRIBUTOR BOX

Rebuilding the Distributor Box

Loomis: This is not too involved, but it must be done carefully. First take
oft the box.

Let's look at the tilting rails, at the lower right corner of the box as you look
at it. These are supposed to move freely up and down. The shoulder screws
should be taken out, cleaned, and graphited. If the rails are worn, replace them.

Now about the lower rails at the lift end of the box. Replace those if the
small surfaces against which the matrix toes impinge are worn.

Replace the upper rails likewise, and also if one of them has a groove in
the middle of the inclined portion, or a narrow groove all the way up. Install
these always in pairs — never one at a time. Avoid the long (slow) lift on
two-pitch screws. That requires a short (quick) lift; the short lift (steeper angle)
will work on old style screws, but not vice versa.

How about the distributor box bar? If it is boogered up on the outer end,
either smooth it out with a three-cornered file or replace it. The outer end is to
be free to move a little up and down for alignment with the second elevator.

Watch out also for the bars with long bar points. Thin mats may twist in
these. Unless you have mats over 14-point, use the short bar point.

The bar point, if broken, should be replaced.

I generally replace the Distributor Box Matrix Lift Lever Hinge Pin (G-100)
on principle, and also the hub (G-90).

The Matrix Lift Lever (G-96) and the Matrix Lift Cam Lever (G-435)
should be replaced if the hinge pin holes are sloppy. When these are put to-
gether with the hinge pin and the hub, all must work very freely. They do not
always do so without some dinging.

The Matrix Lift Cam Roll (G-101) may as well be replaced also.

The Font Distinguisher Block, whichever one you have, usually has a flat
side and needs replacement. The Matrix Lift is usually worn, and also the screw
for it. I always graphite this screw, and it can be oiled successfully and save

238

Distributor Box 239

I£ you have slow distributor screws, you may well use the mat lift and block
that separate big mats by one space. These are G-2364 and G-1517, and the odd-
headed screw can be adjusted to separate mats of whatever thickness you wish
(usually quads of about 10-point.)

The font distinguisher calls for a look. This is formed of two parts that
screw together, with a fiat spot on one screw which holds the font distinguisher
(a tiny piece) upright. The old style is adjusted by screwing in and out. The
automatic ones must slide freely under the tension of the spring.

Adjustment of the Distributor Box

Loomis: Now to make it work.

Put a thick pi mat in the box and hold it flat against the four points on the
rails. The four prongs on the box should be bent in to just clear the toes and
ears of a new mat. Then bring the mat out onto the flat places at the very ends
of the rails and see how much play there is. There should be about .003" on
each side. Much more will invite twisting. Sight down the rails and see that you
don't bend one more than the other.

Now you will need a small square to lay across the flat places on the ends of
the rails and see if they are level. Some machinists speak of tapping these rails
up or down to level them, but I have had poor luck at this. The pins fit too
tightly, and I generally wind up grinding one off a little — which in itself is
plenty tricky, as you will find if you try it. Nevertheless, these rails must be the
same height. Smooth with fine emery paper.

Now back to the bar point. Take the thinnest mat (a thin space marked
.0277) and put two of them in the box together. Be certain that the bar point
will hold back the second mat. If not, you can peen it out. You can also break
it if you don't hold it perfectly flat on something solid. The bar point must
allow one mat of any thickness to go up; therefore it must be exactly centered
in the slot in the mat; if it is too long, file it off carefully. If too short, peen it out.

Now for the narrow flat spring in the front rail. This should be bent out a
little, should be free to move in and out of the slot, and should hold a mat
against the four points of the rails even while the shifter is withdrawn. I have
tried to make a small backward bend in the end of this spring so mats could
be backed up past it, but I have gotten into trouble, because the bent-back end
of the spring, in a nice tight box, will interfere with passage of mats, for it holds
the bulge out too far. Therefore it is safest to keep a straight bend and not try
to back mats into the box. At least, Milton Anderson does it this way and it
seems to be satisfactory.

The mat lift should be positioned by the block so the shelf just about fully
goes under each mat, and no more. You do not want the top to go under. Also
you do not want the hold to be so small that the mat will slide off. The perfect
adjustment is the width of the thin space (.0277"), and usually the shelf is that
wide. The spring on the mat lift should be soft but firm. Intertype springs here
are customarily stronger than Linotype.

240 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Fitting of the Distributor Box to the Machine

Now let's try the box on the machine. But first let's do some checking on
the big distributor bar. The distance between the top of the brass strip on the
distributor bar and the machine frame should be 37/64" (Harding's measure-
ment). If this is about right, you can set the box.

Notice that there are three very narrow lugs along the back side of the box
at the top (the front side as you generally look at it). These position the box
in relation to the distributor bar — which « > ipoitant. Try the box

in place, pushing it up before tightening the screw. Then run a pi mat out onto
the flat places at the ends of the box rails. Near the end, the mats have engaged
the teeth of the distributor bar while the ears are still on the rails.

This is the point that counts. You should be able to push up the mat with
your finger and see it rise freely about .002" or .003" — just enough to be com-
pletely clear.

If there is too much space, the mat will jump a little as it engages the dis-
tributor bar. In this case, notice again the three very narrow shelves along the
top of the box on the back side. These position the box against the frame if you
push up as you tighten the screw. Now the box needs to go higher so you will
have to file a little off the left lug (as you face the box) and half as much off the
center lug. Make it right.

But suppose the mat is tight between the rails and the bar. You can peen
the cast iron shelf a little, or you can try copper and brass thin-space shims, or
in extreme cases you can tap the left-hand lug and put an adjusting screw in it
(this seldom happens, but it happens).

When you get the height of the rails exactly right — and test often — try the
box again and see if the thing is tight in place. Most likely it will move up and
down. But if you have pushed it up firmly every time you have replaced it, the
rest is simple. (If you have not, you have the job to do over again.)

The box may move up and down on the pins (the two very short studs in
the upper part of the box). If it wiggles here, it shouldn't. The pins should
hold it tight. Turn them half-way around and try them again. Perhaps this time
you have to tighten the screw hard to force the pins into the groove in which
they fit. You will have to file a little off the side of the pins.

The general idea is to fit the box in here so that it can go in place only one
way. Then you don't have to worry about a relief operator failing to put the
box back the way you do.

There are now two more adjustments — one easy, one not as easy.

Let's take the easy one first. This is the mat lift. My own preference is to
adjust the mat lift at the bottom of its stroke. Hold a mat in tightly. With the
lift down, adjust the headless %" screw in the cam lift lever so the lift goes under
the mat, and about a point more. Now turn the distributor screw until the mat

Distributor Box 241

lift is at its height. The ear of the mat should clear the rail by 1/32" to 1/16".
Some machinists do not approve this 1/16" measurement, but I have found ma-
chines where less meant the mat lift had to go too low at the bottom of its stroke.

Incidentally, if you run into a worn mat lift block that allows the mat lift
to extend so far into the box that the very top of the lift picks up a mat, so that
the lift tries to pick up two thin mats, often you can fix it by beveling and round-
ing the surface just above the shelf of the mat lift, so that even though the mat
lift extends too far into the box, the top part of the lift slides up over a mat.

Now we have only the tough one left - and it isn't tough; it just takes pa-

With an extension light in your right hand, several mats in the box, and the
machine at normal, turn the screws, watching very closely to see that each mat,
as it is lifted, comes up just behind the screw thread ahead of it. "Just behind"
means about two points. If it does not, drive out the taper pin that holds the
cam on the end of the back screw. You will find a threaded hole in the thin part
of the cam, which will take an 8x32 screw with just about three or four threads.
An Allen head set screw, i/ 8 " long, with the point ground a little flat, is ideal. A
longer screw will hit on the frame of the machine. Put the screw in place and
put the cam on firmly. Set it so the mat will clear the screw in front by that two
points, and fasten it there with the screw. This is essential; if you don't, it will
slip. Nor will the screw alone hold it; I find this out to my embarrassment about
twenty years ago. Now pick out a fresh spot; drill and ream with a taper reamer
of any size from 3/0 up to 0. Try it again. If the distance is still there, you are

William J. Butler in the Printing Equipment Engineer: This is a rather
simple unit, but it needs to be kept in good condition.

It is well to check the adjusting bolt at the bottom of the second elevator lever
before starting work on the distributor box. As this bolt should be free at trans-
fer, it should also be loose at normal position.

The shelf in the matrix lift must be square and sharp.

Binding between the edges of the matrix lift and the lower rails is usually
caused by wear between the matrix lift lever and its hinge pin screw.

Lack of oil on the matrix lift lever cam roll may cause it to wear elliptically,
which will result in a varying upward stroke of the lift.

In timing the lift cam on the end of the back distributor screw, remember
that just before the mat clears the shoulders of the rails there should be .025"
space between the upper edge of the mat and the screw edge just ahead of it.

The box rails should be level, straight, and parallel.

If trouble is encountered getting new rails to fit on old dowel pins, use a
4/0 taper reamer in a tap wrench. Start it in the side of the rail which the dowel
pin will enter, and open the hole just enough to slip it on.

242 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

The narrow flat spring in the front rail should hold a matrix with its ears
and toes against the four rails even while the shifter is withdrawn. Be sure the
spring works in and out of its slot freely. You can bend it up or down a little -
but be careful. It is best to have a new one on hand with rivets.

Matrices Bend on Upper Ears

Harding: May be caused by a worn bar point that lets two thin mats go
up together and bind on each other, getting caught by the screw; upper box rails
worn on the vertical surfaces, with the same result; mat lift shelf may be rounded
so it slips off when half-way up; upper rails deeply dented, so the ears become
bound; the rear screw may have latch play, permitting the screw to sag away and
drive the mat by only a very small corner (the screw should be set .005" from
the distributor bar); screws may have deep grooves worn in where they first con-
tact the matrix ears, and occasionally a matrix becomes caught in the groove.
Such old screws can be welded (no brass) and dressed down or turned down by

Mat Lift Fails to Pick up Last Mat

Sometimes the machine stops too soon, with the distributor not all the way
in. Turn out a half turn on the automatic stopping lever adjusting screw (E-204
or W-425) down below.

There may be a washer on the left end of the distributor shifter buffer that
keeps it from going all the way in; or the wrong screw in the shifter slide would
do the same thing.

How to Remove the Bar Point

Harding: Emery the end of the bar to locate the pins. You cannot buy a
punch small enough. Take a 1/16" or Size A Starrett punch and grind the end
a little smaller — just a little - on the end. Or buy a nail set with a 1/32" point.
Then you can start the pins, which are 1/16".

Mats Fail to Feed to the Screws

Harding: There may be a wrong font or a mat turned backward, or a mat
with bent ear or toe; the shifter may have been locked out and forgotten; the lift
misadjusted; the bar point bent to one side.

To Get a Wrong Font or Turned Mat out of the Box

Push it backward with a piece of 6-point reglet.

CHAPTER XXVIII
THE DISTRIBUTOR

Stopping Bar Type Distributor

Harding: This type of distributor was used on early Linotypes and is still
used on Intertypes - even the big mixers. It is a simple mechanism. Most stops
on this type come under one of the following heads:

1. Damaged mats.

2. Bent channel entrance partitions, either upper or lower.
There are many other causes, but these are the most frequent.

See that the upper parts of channel entrance partitions are in line with
their fixed parts. The best way to align the lower ends is to climb up on top of
the magazine with a light and a pair of long-nose pliers, and bend each partition
to center over its equivalent partition in the magazine. The partitions should
be straight up and down (from top to bottom of the magazine). Most of the
partitions on old Linotypes, from lower case e to figure 0, are crimped except
m and w and the em quads. The caps are usually all lugged partitions.

The stopping bar must be perfectly free in its three brackets. It must move
with a partition, and immediately return. Lack of freedom here can cause
trouble. So can too strong a spring on this bar.

The stopping bar may become sluggish through dirt, bent brackets, dowel
pin lost from brackets, or nails used in place of the pins that go through the
stopping bar.

The stopping bar should overlap the stopping bar plate, at the left, 1/16".

The Mats Must Clear the Partitions

Run in all your lower case o's, n's, and h's. Throw off the belt and try them
by hand, slowly. They should clear their partitions. Examine the partition in
relation to those around it and see that it is properly spaced.

The mats should barely clear the partitions.

(Loomis: I have a little different idea about this. I have fixed a lot of
machines in the country and have gotten into trouble over a close adjustment
here, because often the distributor bar is worn and some mats drop off earlier
than others. If you find one or two mats that drop earlier than others in the
same channel, you can make scrap brass out of them, but unless you try every
channel on the machine — and this takes a lot of time — you're safer to let these

243

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST
lat on the partitions usually indicate too

Partitions Get Worn Out

Loomis: A large part of the trouble on many old machines comes from
partitions that have been bent so many times they have lost resiliency. These
are not too hard to replace. Take out the bar at the lower back of the channel
entrance frame; take off the front guard and the wire; tap the partitions up from
the bottom, and pull up and out from the top with pliers. New ones will need
a little tapping to go in. Don't forget to replace the bar.

Adjustments of the Distributor

Harding and Loomis: These adjustments are similar on all types of ma-
chines, and so will be treated together.

To Adjust the Distributor Beam

Linotypes since Model 5 have an lateral adjusting screw at the top of the
beam, on the right front. With a l/ s " socket loosen the two bolts that hold the
beam; move the beam the required amount; tighten the bolts; set the adjusting
screw against the beam.

On old Linotypes — probably where the distributor bars become worn — it
becomes difficult to move the beam far enough to the right (to your left as you
are working on it) for the mats to clear the partitions. In this case you can take
the bolts to a machine shop and have them altered. Starting just under the head,
turn the shaft of the bolt to 7/16" for a distance of t%" . This will allow plenty
of adjustment and also plenty of holding power — but don't lean on that y 8 "
socket wrench.

The beam adjustment is made on the Intertype by two adjusting screws
just above and in front of the distributor box; they bear on the frame. In ad-
justing, leave one tight; loosen the other and move the beam; then if you want
to move it back, you have the original adjustment preserved.

Vertical Space Between Bottoms of Mats and Tops of Partitions

On old Linotypes and most Intertypes the space should be 1/16". On Inter-
types having fast screws, this dimension is usually reduced; on Linotype fast
screws, it is only 3 points. If too close, it causes mats to fall all over.

Old Intertype and Linotype magazines and cradles are adjusted to raise or
lower the channel entrance by two screws that rest on the cradle supporting rod
under the cradle.

Distributor 245

Lateral Adjustment of Intertype Channel Entrance

This is done by thin washers, a pin and set screw, or an adjusting screw in
the channel entrance frame near the distributor box, but this adjustment is
usually reserved to bring alignment of the partitions with the magazine partitions.

Space Between Channel Entrance and Magazine

All channel entrances bank against a screw at each end, which should be set
to provide 1/32" between the channel entrance and the magazine.

Alignment of Floor of Channel Entrance With Floor of Magazine

The channel entrance should be slightly higher. The Intertype channel en-
trance is self-aligning. Older Linotypes have eccentric pins at the ends for this.
Newer Linotype magazine cradles have locating cradle blocks which are doweled
at the factory and need not be changed.

The Mat Guard

This should be set, by cautious bending of the brackets, so the guard will
miss the mats by about .005" its entire length. If the long strip is bent, get a new
one. The brackets can usually be bent with ease by tapping at the middle of the
curve with a small hammer, or bent back up by prying with a screwdriver against
the upper screw while it is protected by a linecasting slug.

Undoubtedly it is possible to bend the ends of the screw at this, but I have

The Spiral Automatic Distributor

Harding: In 1909 the Mergenthaler Company brought out the spiral auto-
matic distributor, a rather ingenious device which nevertheless is not complicated
when it is understood. There is no stopping bar. The partitions are fixed, not
flexible. When the bottom screw is retarded by a mat, the screws are thrown
out of time and stopped.

Adjusting the Mat Guard on the Spiral Automatic

Loomis: The mat guard is set differently here. First, oil the two bearings
through which runs the round rod that carries the mat guard. See that the spring
that pulls it into place is functioning positively. Now the usual adjustment is made
by bending the small cross-piece at the top end of the Distributor Screw Guard
Lever (G-2084), which bears against the mat guard. Usually this lever is brass,
but it is only a couple of years since I ran into one that was coppered on the

246 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

outside but cast iron on the inside. . . . We have some very good welders these

If yours is cast iron, the safest deal is to wrap a 1-point or 2-point lead
around the screw that actuates the lever. For a permanent job, you can get a dab
of metal welded on the screw and then grind it down.

Hooking the Spiral Automatic Spring

Loomis: Inside the spiral automatic clutch there is a free-floating gear,
T-49, which impels the screw itself through a spring, G-1527 for a Model 8,
G-3405 for a Model 14. (The spring for the 14 is heavier.) Occasionally this
spring breaks a loop and falls off, and you cannot start the distributor to save
your neck. If you look around on the floor you may find the spring. If not, dig
out that case of 10-point and hunt up the bellows to blow the dust off.

But let's suppose you have the spring. Hook one end of it over the upper-
most hook (you'll need a light), then turn the clutch a little. Loop a string
through the hook on the free end of the spring. Now you can hook that end of
the spring over the other hook, and away you go. (Some like to make a hook on
the end of a paper clip, and use that. It is more maneuverable.)

The free gear must be free on the end of the screw at all times. If it is not,
you will tear up some partitions.

The Clutch Stretches the Clutch Springs

Loomis: These two larger springs are easily gotten at. About the only
trouble is that if the clutch leather sticks, too hard to the clutch pulley, the
springs will be stretched beyond recognition. Later models fixed this by tapping
a hole in the flange, about y 2 " behind the small blocks, and putting in a screw so
they cannot possibly go farther apart than that. Keep these blocks tight and keep
a little hard oil on them. Here too a heavier spring is made for the Model 14, but
it is not always on the machine.

Adjust the Spring Collar

Loomis: This is movable. Set it so that it stretches the springs about i/ 2 "
when the blocks are together.

To Oil the Clutch

Harding: Besides the obvious oil holes, there are two that require atten-
tion: one in the clutch pulley, under the belt (you have to remove a screw), and
one in the clutch pulley washer flange (you find this one by separating the pulley
washer flange from the clutch spring collar).

k

Distributor 247

Why Doesn't the Distributor Stop When You Pull Down the Gate?

Loomis: It should, you know. There may be several reasons:

Spring gone from behind the distributor clutch lever; those with weighted
U's often have to have springs anyway, though they aren't supposed to.

Distributor Clutch Lever Screw worn down.

Distributor Clutch Flange Collar (G-1061) may be set too far toward the dis-
tributor box. Generally it works best on the edge next to the cast iron bracket.

Occasionally a clutch leather seems to be reluctant to turn loose. Spread the
flange away from the pulley and drop in a pinch of graphite.

Mats Strike Channel Entrance Partitions

Does Leveling Affect Distribution?

Loomis: Absolutely. In fact, you take a machine where you can't seem to
get a sidewise adjustment that will help, and you start experimenting a little with
about 6 points at a time under the right legs or under the left legs. Quite often
you can get it perfect this way.

Leveling is determined by setting a level on the long shaft to which is at-
tached the back distributor screw. Usually we set the right end (the distributor
clutch end) a little high for better distribution.

Mats Jiggle on Distributor Bar

Loomis: This too can be fixed. If leveling or raising the outer end a little
doesn't do it, you may need to re-time the screws so as to advance the lower screw,
which will carry the mat at a slant, bottom end forward. Therefore it is not free
to jiggle. Most distributors are now made this way. In any event, on old style
distributors or on spiral automatics or on Intertypes, advance the bottom screw
two or three teeth. If there are pins in the gears, you will have to remove them
by sawing them down the middle and bending out the remainder. This is a very
common practice — advancing the lower screw — and a very sound one. The beam
will have to be re-set now.

But sometimes the mats will still jiggle, and sometimes there are inexplicable
distributor stops in which a mat — only one — stops as if it had hit the partition.
Maybe it has. On an old distributor bar you may find either unusually worn
combinations or small burrs at the ends of combinations. Either of these may
cause an occasional mat to fall crooked. It is rather hard to put your finger on,
especially if the defects are on the front side of the bar. Get a dentist's mirror
and raise the back screw and you can manipulate the light so that you can get a

248 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

good look. If there is trouble from unusual wear, you will have to get a new
bar. If there are burrs, you can eliminate most of the trouble by filing them off
very carefully. You will have to remove the bar for this job. Jiggling also is
caused by burrs or nicks in the distributor screws.

Letters Drop Several Channels Late

Loomis: If this happens repeatedly on the same letters, it probably comes
from too close a setting of the mat guard, which presses against the mat as it
reaches its own channel and holds it on the bar until the mat has passed.

Mats Fly out on Floor

Question: We are having an awful time with mats flying out of the dis-
tributor box to the floor. We'll get a dozen a day like that. — D.A.T., Holden-
ville, Okla.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: It rather sounds to me as if your
distributor box rails — one or both — are bent together so as to bind the mats.
Then when they are released they might jump, and the first one or two might
go past their channels. Watch the mats as they come out of the box. There
should be no perceptible movement in connection with leaving the box rails.

Matrices Twist on Distributor Bar

Question: We have quite a number of mats getting twisted on the dis-
tributor bar. Can you suggest a remedy? — T.R.S., Clarksburg, Tenn.

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: This sounds as if the mats are not
coming out of the box right. See that the distributor box rails are spaced cor-
rectly apart (.003" on each side of a mat), level, at the right height (see Adjust-
ment of the Distributor Box, page 239). If the same mats, you probably have
some damaged combinations by now. Matrix toes reduced by wear as much as
.020" will cause this too.

Trouble With 14-Point

Question: We are using a font of 14-point Cheltenham Bold, and we have
trouble. If we get some mats to go into the magazine, others won't. I am about
to give up. - W.Y.H., Wausau, Wis.

Loomis: A heavy 14-point will always give trouble, although it can be made
to run pretty well. These are big mats, and you may have to bend the fixed
partitions a little to accommodate some of them. Then it often happens that
the entrance channel is not parallel with the magazine (this, of course, on either
end, for the channel entrances are straight, while the magazine is wedge-shaped.
A very full mat will have trouble making the curve. Although the toes will fol-
low the track, the body of the mat is stopped by the partition. Sometimes it is
necessary to put a belly in those partitions to allow such mats to go through.

Too Many Mats in Channel Will Cause Stops

Harding: This is one of the most mysterious of all. If you get more than
21 mats in a channel, you will have stops at the entrance of the magazine.

Troublesome Distributor Stops

E. M. Keating in The Inland Printer: An Illinois m-o says he had sixty-
eight stops on one of his three machines in one day. New mats and old work
alike. The drive wheels are running 74 r.p.m. and there is some vibration of the

On machines of this age, the speed should be cut down to 68 r.p.m. The
floor appears unstable, and the only thing to cure it is a cement foundation.
Determine if the machines are level; raise the keyboard side a little. Remove
all defective or damaged mats, of which you will have a number by this time.

By this time, too, a lot of your thin mats will have bent toes and ears from
the many distributor stops, wherein mats are sometimes dragged along by a too-
strong distributor clutch. The thin mats being bent can cause a great many stops.

Sometimes the land at the entrance of the floor of the magazine, having been
battered over by several thousand mats in the last thirty years, becomes an ob-
stacle. A mat will hit it and pause, but by that time another one comes along-
side, and you have a stop.

Bent thin mats can be caused by the fact that thin mats are lifted two at a

Burrs on the toes of certain letters, especially hyphens, usually indicate tight

Auxiliary Trouble

If you are using large mats in a 28-channel auxiliary, it may take some
maneuvering to make them distribute. Shift the distributor beam back and forth
a little at a time until they seem to hit right. Changing the level of the machine
will affect this adjustment much more than you might imagine. In fact, you can
adjust the dropping-point of the mats with a few leads under the legs of the
machine.

CHAPTER XXIX

MAIN CAMS AND DRIVE

STARTING AND STOPPING

MISCELLANEOUS

Do You Run the Main Cams Dry?

Loomis: In the year 1560 one o£ my ancestors was burned at the stake for
heresy, so I come by it honestly. No, I absolutely do not run the main cams dry.
Once the outer surface of a cam is worn off, the cam wears down in a hurry. Some
use kerosene on the cams; I use plain oil. Nowadays some cams are coming
equipped with felt oil wipers. The thing is: be sure the cam rolls are turning.
If one is not, get a new roll and pin. Then you can oil away all you please, and
your cams will never wear out.

Starting and Stopping Adjustments

Vertical starting lug to stand 1/64" back from the pawls; set by a square-
head adjusting bolt inside the column.

Vertical starting lug to push the pawls 1/16" off of the stopping pawl; stroke
limited by large headless screw in top of vertical lever bracket.

Stopping pawl to be pushed off 1/16" by line delivery; adjusted by turning
the plate on the stopping pawl in or out. Watch this one; the plate is cast iron
and will break; the adjusting screw should not be turned out until the holding
screw is loosened.

Safety pawl to stop when pushed off 1/16" (not on old machines).

1/32" between eccentric screw at back end of long rod and the vertical lever
lug. Machine "in action." This eccentric screw is under the metal pot.

15/32" between flange collar and machine bearing (this is the famous clutch
adjustment, just inside the frame of the machine); machine "in action." Deter-
mined by the clutch packing. The clutch rod should not have elongated holes;

250

the clutch leathers should be .125" thick; it's your baby from there on. Keep the
leathers clean; rough them up when you have the clutch out; keep the brass
screws below the surface of the leathers. The new adjustable clutch rods save a
lot of work.

1/32" between lower stopping lever and forked lever; machine "in action."
This adjustment is subject to considerable variation; I would say it is about
right when a grown man can just about stop the machine by pushing down on
the first elevator as it goes up. This is Nemo Wraggett's test. Set by the screw
in the upper stopping lever.

Clutch Slips and Assembler Slows Down

If the assembler slows down when the clutch slips, it is not a clutch slip but
a driving defect. The motor is slowing down or the drive belt is slipping.

Bounce of Cams at Stopping Point

Loomis: A couple of years ago Milton Anderson pointed out something I
had not seen in all my time around machines: that the main cams, in coming to
a stop, normally "bounce back" a little. This I think is caused by the clutch
spring acting through the forked lever. If your machine does not bounce back,
something is binding. In our case it was a cam roll that turned hard. The main
cams came up to a dead stop and gave it away.

What Makes the Machine Jerk or Backlash As It Turns Over?

n drive shaft pinion. They are not too difficult to

Loomis: We-e-11, now, that depends. Getting the old one out can be a
chore. Use plenty of penetrating oil. Stick the end of a brass rod between the
drive pinion and the drive gear. (Of course you have knocked the pin out.) Take
off the clutch pulley. Put the clutch back on, and use it to twist and pull. I re-
call one sad day when one of those pinions had to be sawed off — and that isn't
funny when you're flat on your back.

Once having gotten the old one out, try the new one in the shaft to be sure
it's going to go.

You'll need a special taper reamer from the Company to ream the two holes
together if you expect the taper pin to stay in. Set it with the clutch crosswise.
Then the screws in the clutch and the big ends of the taper pins will be up when
the machine is at normal.

Cams Keep Coasting When Clutch Is Shut Off

Harding: A gummy, sticky, or overpacked clutch will do this.

252 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Why Won't the Machine Start?

Loomis: Probably maladjustment of the stopping pawl; the line delivery
cam roll doesn't push the stopping pawl off of the vertical lever.

This also can happen when the outer screw of the clutch works out.

Why Does the Machine Keep Going After the Slug Is Delivered?

Harding in the Graphic Arts Monthly: Clean the clutch leathers. See that
the drive pulley is free on the shaft. But most of all, see that the automatic stop-
ping pawl is working freely, that it is not pushed out by the upper lug of the
starting and stopping lever, that it comes to rest on the stopping lever, that the
stopping lever is not rounded and covered with oil. The clutch lever itself (in
front) may be loaded with metal chips or it may have a dry, gummy wingpin. I
have even seen the ninth and tenth cams come loose and cause this.

If this develops suddenly, look for a disconnected line delivery link just be-
hind the face plate.

Do You Need a Brake on the Drive Shaft to Eliminate Excessive Rebound?

Loomis: No. Most likely a clean clutch, properly adjusted as told above,
will stop this.

What About Monomelts?

Harding and Loomis: The Monomelt is a good piece of equipment for
any shop. It saves re-melting and allows lower temperature in the lower pot.

Linotype Border Block on an Intertype

Harding: If a Linotype border block is to be used in an Intertype, the
under side of the block should be tapped i/ 2 " from the right end, and a 14"
screw inserted to project about half an inch. This will hold down the justifica-
tion lever and permit the cast. Eliminate use of other pin.

Slugs Stick to Border Slide

Both Doane Wood of Sioux Falls, S. D., and H. B. Royce of Reno, Nev„
say they have found border slides, usually plain ones, where the brass below the
actual face was swelled over a little, "pinching" the slug and either pulling it
out of the mold entirely or, more often, just a little before it broke loose, which
resulted in slugs of varying heights. They say these can be fixed by carefully
breaking the corners of the brass slide with a fine file.

luminum sleeve for plunger rod, 152.

ssembler: upper idle pulley or stud worn, 13, 60; matrix delivery belt should be tight and
free, 13; gum under matrix delivery belt, 13; chute rails may catch mat, 13; large plate
should not be sprung, 13; small cover must not be under large cover, 13; pulley should
run steadily, 13; when to replace matrix delivery belt, 59; matrix delivery belt should not be

delivery belt 60; adj i I i til springs to new belt, 60, bushing in assembler block,

60; matrix delivery belt support plate adjustment, 61; replacing or peening chute rails, 63;

62-63; small cover must be 'fitted, 62; drill hole to hold small cover in place, 62; small
cover should stay in place, 62; small cover should not fit in farther than big cover, 61;
large entrance cover catch must hold, 61; large entrance cover must fit, 61; when to replace
chute rail springs, 63; chute springs, 63-64; adjusting chute spring, 64; height of chute
spring, 64; belt shifter needs oil, 64; Intertype drive belt must be crossed properly, 64; old
style assembler drive clutch slips out, 64; inspect the belt shifter, 65; belt should be tight,
13; to remove the assembler block, 65; the matrix catch spring, 65; worn gears howl, 65;
to remove star wheel spring, 65; put cup grease in star wheel gear, 65; to set tension of
the wheel, 66; star wheel can be stiffened with gasoline, 66; star wheel can be softened

lever should fun, i I .1. nuflV. u light hand, 67; brake shoes, 67; brake

;mbler chute rails (see Assembler).

56; model 15, 70-71; display m

its may hit on top, 57;

be notched for big mats, 57-5 c

; to remove the guide,

8; to adjust the plate, 58; floor

plate should not be too low,

ig mats, 58; may be thinned,

59; all should be solid,

Assembler slide: hits a hard spot, 68; bracket may be loose, 67; assembler slide fails to return
68; chatter, 68; assembler slide return spring need not be stiff, 69; to remove assemble:
slide, Linotype or Intertype, 69; installing an extra spring on assembler slide, 69-70.

fall by its own weight, 73; to remove, 73; delivery slide releasing wire screw should b,
free, 73; to adjust width between front and back, 73; do not file fitted surfaces, 73; t<

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

pair the gate, 74; to lubricate the duplex rail, 74; to install matr

IX buffer, 74;

o check

Dt be used wh

n badly

; correct height, 76; operating lever affects height o£ assembling e

uld stay

a when mats are sent in, 76; stop bar banking plates may be on

upside down,

11 not deliver in bold-face posi o ji . me delivery releasi

after should be replaced, 77; mats jump out, 82; gate too tight ma

es mats jump

out, 82;

t settle down.

94; fiber

rffer may keep spacebands up, 94; (see also Spacebands).

much metal in pot will cause back squirts, 167; dirty plunger

will cause back squirts;

tight plunger or dross ring will cause, 167; short, spongy stroke o

plunger may cause back

se shaft may cause, 167;

roller bearing may cause

back squirt, 168; high mouthpiece heat may cause, 168; may be c

used by broken pot cam

roller bearing, 168; may be caused by broken pot leg bushing, 168

may be caused by pump

squirts, various causes, 168; broken crucible lug may cause, 169; m

rod, 169; caused by shallow cross vents, 169; cross vents too big a

t bottom, 169; caused by

high spot in throat, 169; caused by loose vise locking screw, 169;

aused by faulty electrical

controls, 169; mouthpiece does not lock up at lower edge, 170;

cause, 170; may be caused by warped disk, 171; not usually caus

may be caused by mold ground down, 171; cause of squirts w

short measure, 171-172; how to clean up, 172; squirts on short

slugs only, 178; may be

caused by distorted mouthpiece locking up against new mold, 18

mouthpiece locking up against a bad mold, 183.

lack-face flipper: causes double-black squirts, 109; machine should ha\

e auxiliary line safety, 109.

order block: use of Linotype block on fntertype, 252; slugs stick to

border slide, 152.

rake: on drive shaft, not needed, 252.

at of floor with floor <
e, 246; reasons for mal

Cold face (see Slugs).

istnlmtor: stops may be caused by worn toes, 40; brass dust around the mat lift, 54; snow
gathers on distributor box, 138; stopping-bar type, 243; mats must clear partitions, 243;
mats lying flat on channel em, mo partil on 213, adjustment or distributor beam! 244;'

adjustment of mat guard on spiral automatic, 245; hooking the spring on spiral automatic',
246; stopping bar should be free and with not too strong a spring, 243; clutch springs are
stretched too far, 246; to adjust the clutch spring collar, 246; to oil the distributor clutch,
246; fails to stop when gate pulled down, 247; mats hit on channel entrance partitions, 247-
mats jiggle on bar, 247-248; leveling affects distribution, 247, 249; mats drop late, 248;
mat guard must not be set too close, 248; mats fly out on floor, 248; mats twist on bar, 24s!

will cause stops, 249; too much speed causes trouble, 249; vibration of floor causes trouble,
249; bent ears on thin mats cause many stops, 249; battered magazine entrance causes
stops, 249; how to make large mats drop in a narrow auxiliary, 249.

ust hold back second mat, 239; separator for big mats
long bar points should be avoided

tchine, 240-241; adjustment, 239; rebuilding, 238-239; positioned

not move up and down on -
up two mats, 241; to set lift

Distributor bar: should be proper distance from machine frame, 240.

Distributor shifter: care and adjustment, 237.

Double-black squirts may be prevented by auxiliary line safety, 202, (See Black-face flipper).

Dross: in throat, 146; dross behind the mouthpiece causes chilled slugs, 146, 183, 187; how to

F,j«

or: must have

clearanc

etwe

en mold an

d ejector

lade,

136; che

k lis

of c

auses for

tuck slugs, 188;

to adju

lever pawl.

ector lev

:r pa

juffer spring w

g 8 jl

mp out on

floor, 204;

slugs

tip when

204-205;

ejector

change, 2

g old

style e,

slide,

205-206;

epairing unive

sal eje<

slid

, 206; slugs

pull back

in mold, 210

nterfere with se

ejector

lever pawl,

210; impro

applied,

bla

lug, 207; do no

pound

k slugs, 207

when Intertype

blade ja

short liner, 207-207;

:pl 3

ade in Int

:ruw

208;

ever link on Ir

nwering vise

to second

posit

mi !0i

r bla

ibl

«'"' !,v ™

oed mold

ap, 209; slugs

difficulty.

heck list, 209;

.vhydo

slu

' s P ound at e j ec

ion? 209.

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

First elevator: it r,
107; adjustme
height adjust

7; connecting link, 107; connecting link used to supplement
t the gibs, 108; first elevator filling piece (see Black-face

j»

106; bac

jaw should be even on the end with front jaw, 106; spring pawls may be grou

down, 10

6; Intertype spring pawls may be put in with grease, 106; tension on spring pav

equal, 106; adjustment of the line stop, 106; .005" at delivery channel, 108; m

111; mat

jumps out of line, 112; mat at end jumps out of line, 112; mat in middle of h

ut, 112; mold cap strikes jaw at lockup, 112-113; bad jaws, bad duplex rail,

aw spring pawl will cause front squirts, 201; new adjusting bar may be need

duplex r

ail lever block, 228; 30 pica lines catch as second elevator starts up, 233.

or wax: r

elps prevent accumulation of metal, 138.

nt squirts

caused by loose lines, 201; caused by main shaft bearing freezing up, 201; caus

lines, 201; may be caused by pump stop, 201; caused by first elevator paws, 2

caused by matrix with swollen toe, 201; if mold disk comes too far forward w

202; clea

ning up should be gentle, 202-203; cleaning metal from molds is not difficult fc

;s: nature of, 38; dry main cam shaft bearing may cause, 38; vise clos
se, 38; caused by cleaning solution, 37, 38; caused by lines sent in wi
caused by loose lines, 38; caused by improper bands, 38; caused by
how to weed out, 39; to prevent 39; suddenly appear on Intertype, 3

Index 257

Hempel: quoin used to repair magazine, 52.

Heating the pot: cleaning the gasoline burner, 189-190; rebuilding a gasoline burner, 189;

190; appearance of flame indicates trouble, T90; baffle plates needed 190; governors, 190;
frosty face at one end of slug, 224-225; when pot fails to heat, check list, 197; when metal
overheats, 197; mouthpiece does not heat, 197; thermostats, 190; mercury thermostat obso-
lete, 190; new type mechanical thermostat can be applied to outstanding pots, 193; Inter-
type electric thermostat, 195; thermostat on lower pot when Monomelt is used, 196; to

n of crucible, 199; Lin

otype

194; I

196; hot spot in elen

ent sq

99; fie

50-watt light bulb ma

y beu

out. !'J!. I HI " 5 '

191-192; to remove Linotype crucible heaters, 192; to remove Linotype crucible heate
that are frozen over, 192; Micro-Therm heaters, 195; Intertype heaters, 195; testing Intt
1 j, i , |or>;iore Intel throat heater, 196; to remove Intertype si

Hollow slugs (see Slugs).

Intertype keyboard spring: d

m- ^mngs cannot

:ed oiling, 121; how to cl<
;s, 122; lines vary in lengi
led, 123; on Intertype, bo
thrust may prevent sprea

Keyboard: mat fails to respond, I, 5; mat drops when keyrod works by hand, 4; delayed-action

doubles,' 14;' temporary remedy for doubles, 13; banking bar too high, makes doubles, 14;
nins missing from banking bar, 14; locking rod males doubles, 14, 17; continuous response,

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST

must be clean, 14; key le

.ransposi

iluggish

for cleaning, 22; to remove models 1, 3, and 5, 23;

remove swinging, 24; to remove Intertype, 25; to dismantle, 25; keybuttons can be washed,

levers may be bent, 45; fulcrum rod can be shifted, 46; weights can be shifted,
rings, 50; care of the bail box, 50; to remove the bail box, 51; keyboard may be raised, 10.

a, 10, 28; long screws in ends
,ay not fit, 10; cam wire may 1
th trigger out of position, 15; t

ould n

tightene.

Keybuttons: can be washed, 26.
Keyrod: must ride high enough, models

old style Intertype, 42;

observations, 221; J

end of slug, 224.

should not be home-ground, 219; erratic trim caused by worn vise locking screws, 123;

molds, 214-216; use of sector screws on Linotype, 213, 216; left-hand knife should trim

should not be moved, 216; setting the side knife, 211-212; to set side knives without a
micrometer, 217; adjusting knife block gibs, 216; when are side knives worn out? 220;
should be ground in pairs of equal height, 213; back knife may cause shiny bottom, 188;

old back knife, 218; metal gathers under backknife, 219; shimming molds for height, 217-218.

e delivery: adjustment for end of stroke, 100; adjustme:
over, 99; delivery slide blocks bind, 102; when to repl
toes cause trouble, 102; last mat falls from end of line,
caused by broken coiled spring, 103; right end of delive
channel aligning piece, 103; brass friction plate shoul

lever link screw should be pinned, 98; to remove the

must be same height, 101; grinding off boss from lin

3S knocked off, 135, 224; to repair bent liners, 135; worn liner may cause squirts,
o adjust mold disk lockup, 124-125; to test mouthpiece lockup, 177; red lead usee

stops at trans

er, 115; keeps gc

ing wh

en clutch is off,

251, 252.

azine: mat sa

ck in magazine,

2; mat

in place but wo

r't drop, 2; mat with

short

oes may

not drop, 40;

er to see why m

ats don't drop, 1

should be bov

nay h

Ip mats.

11; thick mat

ng screw may be

Lght,

; proper

use carbon tetrac

hloride

for cleaning, 36

importance of c

31-32; do not

use graphite, 33

ncy of cleaning

agaziiici

juire graphite, 33; graphite on models

25 and 26, 33;

be inspected, 3

, putt

ng back

together, 52;

remedying minor

bends

52; to take a b

prepare

.old a

place, 53; to ide

iif>

53; taking ofi

, of' an old style

8, 52;

to take out the

middle verge rac

k. of

an old style 8,

many

y magazine may

78; battered

stops, 249; thin

ion on auxiliary

49-50

trouble with es

capement on aux

liai

, 49-5

250; flan

ge collar adjustment for ck
ck at stopping point, 251; ma

it assemb

er entrance partitions, 10, 57,

lutch, 250-251; »

rubber eraser for cleaning, 34; can be cleaned with carbon tet, 34, 35; line mats up in

should be "ftTn' sidewalls, 34; what causes hairlines? 36-38; jump out of line in first
elevator jaws, 112; catch in first elevator jaws as second elevator starts up, 233; sloppy

back jaw is bad,

5; sums

242; mold shaving

tops of

but not tight line

on toes, 40, 55; to

many stops, 249;

up, 55; thin mat

in spli

LlNECASTING OPERATOR-MACHINIST
: damage, 54; bend on upper ears, 54; check list,

ats, 55; cause for letters out of alignment
^building, 40.

7 belt: (see Assembler).

i of mold, 132; snow gathers on front, 138; floor wax helps prevent accumulation
I, 138; do not leave locked on cast, 139; be sparing with mold polish, 133; may be

Id polish, ] 1 , , ', , ,
' :, 133; how ta remove a mold for

repair, 133; how to tell if a mold is warped, 134; tc

ing block, 221; oversize mold cap screws, 135; metal on back cai

mold sere

ws cause squirts.

128; bad

mold ma

cause sc

uirts with new m

Mthpiece, 183;

may cause backsquirts, 172

warped molds seld

am cause squirts, 1

posts may

clearance

pull back in mold, 210; eje

ide of mold, 209;

warped mold cap, 209; to

change li

eis, 134;

nibs knocked off 1

ners, 135: nibs

on liners

pairing b

mold properly, 134, 215; m

! ivilli i

e jaws, 125; one mold is square"

eight, 217-218,

method o

shimming mold

214-216;

o lemou

Intertype

mold, 134; mold

elevator j

w at lockup, 112

113; do n

ot remove

clean up squirts.

172.

Id disk: m

jvement of the d

sk, 124; d

sk should

not rise.

109; to adjust mo

d disk lockup,

124-125; v

up, 138-

make its

uarter turn, 141;

rses of po

g, 128; timing.

131; loose

mold screws caus

squirts, 1

28; molds must be pa

height, 217-218;

guides a

fleet height of slug, 218; w

orn mold disk

height of

slugs, 219

disk stud, 211,

219; to fa

teri lower mold

against line, 224;

jses snow, 138; to

-back pla

y in mold slide, 124, 126; sloppy

138; warped disk n

squirts, 171; to ch

disk, 127;

ected by

molds, 127, 214;

forward thrust

oper fonv

will cau

e uneven letters,

25; to remove

to repla

am rolls,

old cam lever.

127; to se

the mold disk gu

8; to adj

ist mold slide gib,

, 129; to remove

to oil the mold si

de, 139; Inter-

type mole

adjustme

ebuilt dis

;s, 127; do not fasten* gas torch

under mo

uthpiece, 139.

261

Mold disk banking block: when to replace, 137; mold must not bank on at casting, 137.
Mold disk locking studs: should be oiled, 136; replacement, 136-137; blocks must be dow

.fold disk),
aold disk does

squirts, 166; back wiper must bear against the disk at normal, 143; use oil on back n
wiper, 142; do not have oil in the mold around liners, 143; oil on front mold wiper,
Mouthpiece: to test mouthpiece lockup, 177; does not lock up at lower edge, causes back squ
170, 182; pot leg adjusting screw loose may throw off lock-up, 168; how to hone, 181-:
venting a mouthpiece, 178, 180; cleaning out vents and holes, 180; cross vents must
deep enough, 180; shallow cross vents cause back squirts, 169; how to

should be straightened before grinding, 1
be put on without sealer, 176; how to stop a leak, 181; jet marks should not
of slug, 171; holes must be properly positioned, 176-177; holes should lie clt
slug, 225; end holes should be open, 225; partly covered hole causes cold f;
partly closed causes letters to fall off, 185; holes may be moved by shifting
position should be noted before removal, 174; to locate when position lost,
ment of mouthpiece holes, 183; an extra hole may help, 225; holes 6 poin
how to drill out holes, 182; if drill breaks off in holes, 183; pot cracks on bi

may be distorted by casting against a bad mold, 183; use of oversize screws,
to test for dross in throat, 184.

P

er spring, 186; lack
;, 155; to change the s
!, 154; to replace the

proper action, 151; cleaning plunger, 151; should

:per spring should be spring steel, 153; how to loosen a stuck plunger, 153-154; t
ig in crucible, 151; metal collects on plunger rod, 152; aluminum sleeve for rod,

icible, 159-161; too big a plunger, 162.

262 Linecasting Operator-Machinist

Plunger spring (see Plunger).

Pot (see Heating the pot): to test the lockup, 177; lockup can affect height of slugs, 218;
cleaning pot well, 151; greasing pot lever roll, 148-150; thermometer temperatures, 147; to

retreat after first lockup, 138; cold face caused by clogged throat, 183; how to test for dross
in throat, 184; dross should be flushed out of throat, 175; mouthpiece holes may be moved
by shifting legs, 185; to remove thermostat from a frozen pot, 197; can be melted down

element, 196; do not run heaters in open air, 199; failure of pot to retreat between justifi-
cations will cause uneven letters, 225; to remove the crucible, 192; to remove metal pot,
200; electric and gas pot interchangeable, 198; packing gas pot jacket, 199; packing electric
pot crucible, 198-199; pot cracks on breakaway, 210; pot lever broken by double black-face,
123; eye-bolts, 144-145; metal level should be kept up, 145; dross in throat, 146; dross ring

bushings, 200; pot lever should not rub on cam, 168; broken crucible lug may cause

gauge for pot spring pressure, 148; most crucible crack on gas heat, 156; quick drop may
cause crack in crucible, 155; pot relief plug will help prevent cracking, 156; repairing or
welding a cracked crucible, 156-157; reaming the crucible, 159-161; reaming is for an expert,
186; cost of leaving heat on over night as opposed to turning it off over night, 157-158.

Pot well cleaner: type to use, 152.

Pump stop: adjustment, 117; adjusted but does not function, 117; pump stop adjusment on
Intertype, 117; adjustment for height, 118; should not clear block too much, 118; worn
cam or roll may cause trouble, 117, 118; may cause hairlines, 201; may cause squirts, 201;
steel wire spring should operate, 118; auxiliary spring not needed, 118.

without a micrometer, 215-216; letters on butted slugs do not align, 223; new adjusting ba
may be needed to keep letters parallel with slugs, 223; letters hang over at end of slugs
120-121; lines vary in length on left end, 122; capitals trimmed off top, 109; check list, 222
letters fall off of slug, 185; sides of characters damaged by spaceband, 223; descender
nicked off, 223; top end damaged, 224; letter nicked at right end of line, 224; certain letter;
pressed down, 224; some letters are low on slug, 225; frosty face on one end, 185; ched

w slugs have shiny b

.r right to get good f;

/, 210; why do slugs pound under
ist of causes of hollow slugs, 187;
tansfer spring in place of plunger

rr plate should not move, 227; lubricat

i, 234; must be in good shape

length causes difficulty with transfer. 2!

ust the chute, 87; to adjust the
ay be enlarged, 85; levers should
e Linograph box, 91; if the top

llarged hole at right ei

iceband keyrod, 88; spacel

te metal, 38, 96; he

tight spring cuts gro<

right, 92; should be replacf

LlNECASTING OpERATOR-MaCHIN

ne: peeper stone to be used in honing mouthpiece, 182.

of transfer channel, 228-229; vertical alignment of the two elevators, 229; second el,
must be in good shape, 228; setting of duplex rail lever block. 228; setting of interm

and finger, 230; transfer finger may have to be bent, 230; Intertype safety latch, 230; a
ment of transfer releasing lever, 230; 30-pica line bangs when it goes up, 232; ti
finger hits a 30-pica line, 231; 30-pica line will not go over properly, 231-232; 30-pica
"or starts up, 233; finger does not push bands under pawl

1 adjustr,

1. :>:;:<: I

i 24-point together call for less speed, '

Verge rack: shake out loose dirt, 32, may be graphited. :;r; in remove hom model i S: t<>
replace verges, or plungers, 7; one verge may be removed alone, 7; care of escape
ment plungers, 4; polish and graphite plunger, 7; plungers may be bent purposely, 7;
plunger must be free, 7; gouge in end of plunger, 6; pawl must go to the floor of the
channel, 3, 6; to install pawl, 3; springs may be weakened, 5; to rebuild, 7-8, 47; verges

to repair verges, 9; care and replacement of Intertype verges, 8; spring tension, 9; springs

paral

>e oiled, 167; worn shaft may cause back squirts, 167.

116; stops machine when no tight li:

how to tighten right-hand

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About the Authors

Edwin B. Harding, known as "Dean of
Printing" taught for thirty-three years at
South Dakota State College. He retired
from the school as assistant professor of
printing and rural journalism. He taught
nearly 600 students the fundamentals of
Linotype keyboard composition and Lino-
type mechanics. Before going to South
Dakota he worked in many shops through-
out the middle west as operator, machinist
and foreman. In 1938 he wrote and had
published a widely used training book "A
Practical Touch System for the Linotype,"
now in its third edition. For the past
seventeen years he has edited a column
in the Graphic Arts monthly entitled
"Linecasting Machine Questions." He also
contributed many articles on linecasting
problems to various printing trade maga-

Noel M. Loomis, a wage-earning operator
at the age of ten years, has worked in
many shops and under all conditions. He
is peculiarly known along publishers row
as the only free lance writer who submits
his manuscripts on galley form, set on his
linotype machine. This machine is in his
home and is used for his own story writing.
For years Noel Loomis has wanted to share
his hard-won knowledge and experience
with his fellow craftsmen. His correspond-
ence with Edwin B. Harding resulted in
this collaboration.

STOCKTON BOOK PUBLISHERS

620 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219

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