By Judith Present
The type from which the Herald is printed this week was set on our new type setting machine or more properly speaking, line-casting machine, installed during the new during the past week a cut of which is herewith reproduced. It is a Linograph, manufactured by the Linograph Company of Davenport, Iowa. The machine, as stated in last week’s issue, is the latest and most complete product of mechanical ingenuity. One of it’s most important advantages is that there are over 1,200 less parts in its make-up, which gives it a decided advantage over all competitors.
The Linograph is a line-casting machine and will cast lines of any length up to thirty ems (five inches) and of any desirable size of body. These lines are cast from matrices, which have been assembled into line of any given length by manipulation of a keyboard and then to the casting mechanism. Most of the work performed in connection with the making of these lines of type is done automatically.
The operator touches the keys representing the characters wanted. This causes matrices to drop out of the magazine into the assembler and when the line is completed he operates a lever, which deliver the assemble line of matrices to the casting mechanism. From this point the machine handles the line automatically, casting molten metal into the characters presented to the mold trimming the line on the bottom and sides, delivering the finished product into a receptacle for that purpose and returning the used character to the magazine so that they may be used again and again. During this automatic operation the operator may be assembling another line.
The Herald plant, with this new and up to date added equipment, is now in a position to take care of orders for work, which heretofore we were not in position to handle. It also made it possible for the enlargement of the paper, thus giving to subscribers an increased amount of reading at no increase in price of subscription. You are cordially invited to visit the Herald office and see the Linograph in operation. It is almost human in its work and will command your admiration by its wonderful performance.
(Look how far we have come in 100 years. This was very modern for it’s time and Blanche who worked for the Herald for over fifty years was the one who worked this Linograph machine.)
