76 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



8,000,000 dollars worth of cigarettes are consumed in the course of a 

 single year. The consumption of cigarettes in Spain and Havana is 

 proportionably greater. 



NEW TYPE-CASTING MACHINE. 



AT the Fair of the American Institute, ~N. Y., II. H. Green exhibited 

 a new type-casting machine, which is thus described by the Scientific 

 American. The principal intention of the inventor of this curious 

 little machine has been to cast type under a powerful pressure, so 

 that the letter formed may be a more exact and sharp counterpart of 

 the matrice. The apparatus, which is placed on a stand so as to be 

 conveniently worked by the hand, consists, in the first place, of a 

 small furnace, in which a quantity of type metal is maintained in a 

 molten state by a fire beneath, the fire door being at the side of the 

 furnace. In the midst, and rising above the molten metal, is a force 

 pump, intended to inject a small portion of the fluid metal into the 

 moulding-box. To the pump is fixed a pipe running through the 

 furnace so as to connect with a corresponding aperture in the mould- 

 ing-box, when the latter is brought forward to the furnace to receive 

 the metal. The moulding-box is made of steel, and the top of it 

 moves on hinges so that it can be lifted up to set the matrice in its 

 place. The matrice or die consists merely of a piece of copper, the 

 shape of the type, and having the particular letter, which is to be cast, 

 sunk into it. As in every description of type, it is only the size of the 

 letter which differs, it follows that the copper matrice alone has to be 

 shifted when it is required to cast a different letter. The moulding- 

 box is made to slide between guides to and fro, and is moved forward 

 to receive the metal by a cam fixed on a shaft, which is worked by 

 hand. On approaching the force pump, motion is given to the plunger 

 by levers acted on by the above-mentioned shaft, and sufficient metal 

 to form a letter is thereby injected into the matrice. This latter 

 operation is aided by a stop-valve, which prevents the flow of metal, 

 and as the shaft withdraws from the furnace, it falls back and permits 

 the injection of the metal as above described. During this operation 

 the box is held together by a species of clamp or spring ; a spiral 

 spring then forces the box back, the hold of the clamp is relaxed, and 

 a spring, acting on the newly-cast letter, loosens it so as to allow it to 

 fall into a spout, and from there into a receiving box. The inventor 

 estimates that this machine will cast, on an average, 1 75 letters per 

 minute. The operation is altogether very unique, and is deserving of 

 hi<rh commendation. We therefore willingly award our meed of 



o ~ / f 



praise to the inventor for the improvement that he has made in the 

 work of type-casting. The great benefit derived by this machine is 

 that it casts metal 10 per cent, harder than any in use. 



