TKANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 811 



lines of, as it were, stereotyped matter are produced much more rapidly than the 

 most expert compositor could put tog;ether the types or letters of which they 

 consist. 



The matrices are stored in the upper part of the machine in an inclined 

 magazine with compartments in which the matrices are assorted in a somewhat 

 similar manner to that in which the types are contained in the boxes of an ordinary 

 ' compositor's case.' The matrices tend to slide downward hy gravity out of this 

 magazine. 



In the lower part of the machine there is a keyboard and connected mechanism, 

 whereby, each time a key is depressed by the finger of the operator, a single 

 matrix, bearing the character corresponding to the key, is permitted to fall out of 

 the mouth of the magazine through vertical channels. The matrix then comes 

 in contact with an inclined travelling belt, which carries it and succeeding 

 matrices downward, one after another, into the ' assembling block,' where they are 

 composed, or set up side by side in a row. 



After the line is thus composed it is transferred to the casting mechanism, by 

 which the metal is injected into the incised lines or letters of the matrices. The 

 casting box or mould provides for a bar being cast similar in height and body to a 

 line of types. It is finished by kn ives, which shave off the feet and trim or plane 

 the sides. One after another the line bars are sent into a receiver or gallej', where 

 they are made up like lines of ty^pe matter ; but, of course, with much greater 

 facility than types, being all in one piece. 



Before referring to the third operation, distributing, it is necessary to describe 

 the matrix. This is a piece of brass I^ inch long, by f inch wide. Its thickness is 

 that of the letter or point to which it corresponds. The character it is to produce 

 is punched on to the side, where there is a cavity, in which the letter is engraved 

 in intaglio, so that the casting made from it will be in cameo — that is, in relief. 

 At the upper end of each matrix are teeth, arranged in a peculiar order or number, 

 according to the character. That is, a matrix bearing any particular letter difters 

 as to the arrangement of its teeth from a matrix of any other letter. 



These teeth are relied on as the means for effecting the distribution or re- 

 assembling of the matrices. Above the open upper ends of the magazine channels 

 is fixed a bar which has longitudinal ribs on its lower edge. These ribs are adapted 

 to engage the teeth of the matrices, and to hold them in- suspension. The ribs of 

 the distributing bar var}- in conformation at different points in its length, there 

 being a special arrangement over the mouth of each channel of the magazine. 



The matrices to be distributed are simply pushed forward horizontally upon the 

 bar, so as to hang from it. Each matrix is thus suspended until it arrives over its 

 proper channel, and on reaching this point the arrangement of the bar and the 

 teeth pei'mit the matrix to become disengaged, when it falls directly into the 

 channel. Other matrices are meanwhile continuing their course along the bar to 

 their proper points of disengagement. Thus the distribution is done entirely 

 mechanically and automatically. 



One of the advantages of thus using matrices instead of tj-pe can, perhaps, only 

 be fully appreciated by those who are practically acquainted with the operation of 

 type-setting. The lines of a column or a j)age must all, except those which begin 

 and end paragraphs, be of a uniform length — not of irregular lengths like the lines 

 of a page of type-writing. When the compositor finds that a line is short, and he 

 cannot break a word because the recognised rules bearing on the division of words 

 do not permit it, he has to insert extra or additional space between the words, in 

 order to spread out the matter to the prescribed length. It is impossible before- 

 hand to calculate the space that will be occupied in any line by a certain number 

 of words, because the letters of which they are formed vary so much in width. 

 Spacing out the matter to form a full line is called justifying, and the necessity for 

 doing it greatly retards the hand compositor. In the Linotype machine 'space 

 bars ' are used, which consist of two steel wedges, wluch slide upon each other, the 

 planes of the outer edges being always parallel. These are inserted between the 

 matrices of each word as set up, and when pushed up spread out the words, making 

 the line of the required measure. 



