ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



A lever about two feet long projects from beneath the bed, where the 

 machinery which gives the pressure is fixed. It is very simple and 

 ingeniously arranged. The platten is hinged to the edge of the bed 

 opposite the lever, and in lifting, spiral springs at the hinges act in 

 counterbalancing the weight. The frisket is hinged to the platten. 

 When the platten is down upon the form there is an iron bail working 

 upon the top of the platten upon a center-pin. Underneath the bed 

 there is a reverse of this bail, supported upon a spiral spring. Now 

 the first movement of the handle trips a trigger at the further end of 

 the lever, which throws the upper bail around and locks the two to- 

 gether ; then, as the pressure of the handle is continued, the effect is 

 to carry down the lower bail, and of course the upper one being locked 

 into it must come down equally, and that resting upon the platten, 

 which is suspended by the springs over the form, it must come down 

 so as to give any amount of pressure, which is regulated by the cloth- 

 ing of the platten. For many purposes, both in printing offices and 

 in private establishments, this press will be useful. The press and a 

 fair assortment of job type in cases can be packed in a moderate size 

 traveling trunk. 



New Composing Machine. This machine, invented by William 

 Mitchell, of New York City, for the purpose of setting type, is thus 

 described by the New York Tribune : It has keys like a piano, with 

 a number of endless tapes, kept in motion by machinery, to carry the 

 types to the spot where they are set up. The types are laid with the 

 nicked side up, in little brass cases or galleys, some 15 or 18 inches 

 long, and just wide enough to admit a type crosswise. Of these 

 cases there are as many as there are small letters and punctuation 

 marks, and they are fixed at an inclination of about 45 over the 

 types, so that when a key is touched a type drops flat upon its tape, 

 and is instantly conveyed to another larger tape, to which [all the 

 types are carried, and which conveys them all to a little metallic throat, 

 down which they drop upon a table all set up, but requiring to be 

 divided into lines, or justified, by hand. Capitals and italics have to 

 be laid on the tapes by hand, there being in the machine no keys or 

 galleys for them. Two persons are required to attend the machine 

 one to work the keys, and one to justify and remove the matter com- 

 posed. It is a very ingenious invention. All its parts are simple, and 

 we judge that it would not easily get out of order. It occupies rather 

 more space, perhaps, than a piano. 



Delcambre's Type-Setting Machinery. A machine for setting and 

 distributing type, invented by M. Delcambre, of Paris, has been ex- 

 hibited at the New York Crystal Palace. The compositor sits down 

 before a finger-board, on which" is arranged all the letters of the alpha- 

 bet, small and capital, with the customary pauses, &c. These are 

 placed upon keys communicating by wires with the case at the top of 

 the machine. This is formed by placing thin strips of metal in a ver- 

 tical position, leaving sufficient space between them for a single type. 

 Between these the type are arranged in columns, with their faces in 

 one direction. From each of these columns of type passes a groove or 



