| Title: | Casting of printing type (Typefounding), preceded by punchcutting |
| Original Title: | Fonderie en caractères d'imprimerie, précédée de la gravure des poinçons |
| Volume and Page: | Plates vol. 2 (1765) |
| Author: | Unknown |
| Translator: | IML Donaldson [University of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh] |
| Original Version (ARTFL): | Link |
| Rights/Permissions: |
This text is protected by copyright and may be linked to without seeking permission. Please see http://quod.lib.umich.edu/d/did/terms.html for information on reproduction. |
| URL: | http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.401 |
| Citation (MLA): | "Casting of printing type (Typefounding), preceded by punchcutting." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Translated by IML Donaldson. Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2011. Web. [fill in today's date in the form 18 Apr. 2009 and remove square brackets]. <http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.401>. Trans. of "Fonderie en caractères d'imprimerie, précédée de la gravure des poinçons," Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, vol. 2 (plates). Paris, 1765. |
| Citation (Chicago): | "Casting of printing type (Typefounding), preceded by punchcutting." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Translated by IML Donaldson. Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.401 (accessed [fill in today's date in the form April 18, 2009 and remove square brackets]). Originally published as "Fonderie en caractères d'imprimerie, précédée de la gravure des poinçons," Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, vol. 2 (plates) (Paris, 1765). |
Plate: Casting of Printing Type
Engraving of punches (punchcutting)
The picture [upper area of plate] represents the interior of a workshop containing a forge.
Fig. 1 Workman forging a punch.
2. Workman striking the counter-punch into the steel of the punch.
3. Workman [ in fact a woman ] filing the outline of the letter
Lower part of plate
Fig. 1 Counter-punch for the letter B
2. Punch after stamping by the counter-punch
3. Punch for the letter B completely finished seen from the side carrying the base of the letter.
4. The same punch as in Fig.3 but viewed from the side of the top of the letter.
5. [ the upper figure labelled 6 in the plate ] Vice fitted with two screws and holding a punch ready to be struck.
6. Square (or jig) placed on the oil-stone [numbered 8 in the figure]. 5, 1 the two faces of the square.
[ In spite of what the legend says the faces are not so marked. One is marked ‘3’ in the square on the right and the other marked face (on the square on the left) has an illegible mark. ]
7. Square (or jig) placed on the oil-stone and with a punch in place in its angle. 5, 3 the two faces of the square. [ One face is marked 3; there may be a mark on the other face but it is not legible. ]
8. Oil-stone enclosed in a wooden frame.
Plate I: Casting of Printing Type
First plate of typefounding
[upper part of plate]
The picture shows the interior of a foundry with several workmen and women engaged in various tasks.
[ Note: both women (on right of picture) are labelled fig. 2! ]
Fig. 1. Woman worker who breaks off the letters — that is, who separates off the surplus metal from the casting. [ This is probably the woman furthest to the right of the picture. ]
2. Woman worker rubbing letters on a piece of millstone grit.
3. Workman checking whether the regulus of antimony is molten in the crucible which is made of iron or pottery.
4. Workman casting the molten mixture of lead and antimony into ingots in the moulds at his feet.
5. Workman loading his casting-ladle with typemetal to pour into the mould held in his left hand.
6. Workman who has [just] filled his mould [with typemetal].
7. Furnace.
8. Workman unhooking the archet [spring] from the mould to open it and take out the letter.
Lower part of plate
8. No. 2. Plan of the furnace and the three tables around it.
9. Furnace-ladle separated into three divisions.
10. The furnace on its supporting bench.
10 No. 2. Grate of the furnace.
11. Casting table.
12. Receiver, called ‘leaf’ to catch drips of metal.
13. Two ladles; one with handle and one without.
Plate II: Casting of Printing Type
[ The legend for this plate accompanies Plate III ; it is inscribed Suite de la Pl. II and covers both Plates II & III ]
PLATE II in which are shown the mould and all the parts which make it up.
Fig. 1. The mould seen in perspective from the side of the upper half from which the matrix remains suspended when the mould is opened to extract the [cast] letter.
1 No. 2. Wood of the lower half seen from the side that fits against the platen. All the recesses that receive the nuts and other projecting parts on the outside of the platen below and also the recess for the covering of the ‘knocker’ [la chape de l’heurtoir].
1 No. 3. Wood of the upper half seen from the side that is applied to the platen. Once again the cavities for the projecting parts of the platen are visible, and also the jobet whose hook x supports the matrix from underneath and the pin, y, under which the matrix passes.
2. The lower platen complete with all its parts, seen from inside the mould.
M the matrix, whose other end is placed on the ‘knocker’, one of whose lateral faces rests against the register and whose front is against the blanc and the long piece.
[ There is no M in the figure! The matrix appears to be the oblong projecting towards the viewer from the bottom of the platen in Fig. 2. ]
3. The upper platen with all its components, seen from inside the mould.
E, the part of the register that rests against the visible lateral face of the Matrix M of the previous figure.
[ When the mould was assembled the face E would rest against the free lateral face of the oblong in Fig. 2 assumed to be the matrix. ]
4. Suspension for the matrix; it is a little band of sheepskin.
5. Jet seen from the inside face.
6. Jet seen from the outside.
A, the screw which fixes it [the jet] to the platen, and beside it, its nut.
Plate III: Casting of Printing Type
7. First figure, the blanc of the upper half, seen from the outside.
7. [ immediately to the right of the above ] Second figure with the same number; the same blanc from the side that lies against the long piece.
d, c, cavity that partially covers the ridge a, b of Fig.17; this ridge is also visible in Fig. 3 [of the previous plate].
7. No. 2. The first figure [ left figure of the pair ] shows the blanc of the upper half, seen from the outside.
7. No. 2. The second figure of the same number is the blanc of the side which rests against the long piece.
In addition to the square hole that receives the tenon of the potence , the penetrating, threaded hole is visible which receives the screw b of Fig. 21. A similar hole is to be seen in the second figure [ of the first pair under the legend Fig. 7 ].
8. Matrix for quads seen from the side that rests on the ‘knocker’ and the long piece.
9. & 10. The potences and their nuts.
11. Matrix for spaces; its horizontal part is placed between the register, the blanc and the long piece of the upper half of the mould.
12. & 13. Martix for a letter, m for example, seen from various viewpoints. [ Fig. 12 shows a matrix for b, Fig. 13 for m. ]
14. Blanc of the lower half of the mould with the potence that passes through it.
15. Blanc of the upper half with its potence .
16. A [ cast ] letter as it leaves the mould. [1]
17. The long piece of the upper half [ of the mould ] seen from the interior of the mould. The corresponding part in the upper half differs only in lacking a notch.
18. The same long piece seen from the side that rests against the platen.
19. Registers, one in plan as seen from the outside and the other in perspective as seen from inside.
20. Platen of the under half fitted with all its components but separated from its wood.
20. No. 2. The same platen with its components removed except for the ‘knocker [ heurtoir ] seen from the side to which the components are attached.
21. The same platen with all its attachments seen from the exterior to which the wood is attached.
21. No. 2. Platen of the upper half [of the mould] with its attachments removed see from the side to which the wood is attached, Fig. 1 No. 3. [ of previous Plate ].
22. The piece called the ‘knocker’ [ heurtoir ] shown on its own and seen from the side against which the matrix is held.
23. The jobet [ a wire that holds the matrix ] seen from the side which is in contact with the platen of the upper half [ of the mould ].
Plate IV: Casting of Printing Type
[ inscribed Pl. III ]
The picture shows the interior or a room into which the [cast] letters are taken.
Fig. 1. Woman worker composing — that is to say, arranging the letters which have been separated from the breaks [the surplus material which has been broken from the casting] on a composing stick.
2. Workman cutting a row of characters placed in the justifier between the jaws of the cutter.
3. Woman scraping the letters with a knife Fig. 7 of the next plate, to centre them on the body.
The room must be provided with a large number of racks to hold compositors filled with letters until they are put into packets and sent off to their destination.
Lower part of plate
Fig. 1. The cutter seen in perspective and from the side of the handle F G which is on the right-hand side of the cutter. The handle moves the mobile jaw C D which compresses the bodies of a row of letters placed between the rules [guides] of the justifier one of which guides is supported by the fixed jaw A B.
1. No. 2. Plan of the cutter between the jaws of which are placed the two guides of the justifier; a row of letters can be seen there [the striped band running vertically in the centre of the figure].
2. Iron frame and screw, called the train, that drive the mobile jaw C D which is grasped from below by the hooks A C of the bands of the frame; at the side is the key or handle [for turning the screw].
2. No. 2. Plan of the cutter; the jaws have been omitted to allow one to see the placing and arrangement of the machinery that moves the mobile jaw.
Plate V: Casting of Printing Type
[ inscribed premiere suite de la Planche III ]
Fig. 3. A B guide of the justifier with its platen seen from above — the side where the letters are placed.
A A, B B the same guide seen from below — the side which is applied to the mobile jaw C D.
4. C D second guide of the justifier seen from above — the side applied to the fixed jaw A B of Fig. 1.
C C, D D the same guide seen from below — the side which is applied to the row of letters. The two projections are visible that fit into the sockets a b of the first guide.
4. No. 2. Transverse section of the two guides of the justifier at their natural size.
4. No. 3. The same section but with the two guides separated; all the parts are iron.
5. The composer [composing stick]. This is made of wood and is used by the woman in Fig. 1 of the picture [previous plate] for arranging the letters in rows as long as the justifier can contain.
5. No. 2. Transverse section of a composer at its natural size.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 7 are relative to the scale shown at the bottom of the Plate. All those that follow are shown at the natural size of the objects they represent and so are unrelated to the scale.
6. Plane used by the cutter in figure 2 of the picture [previous plate] to cut the foot of the letters, or the sides of the character-bearing face; the plane is fitted with all its attachments.
6. No. 2. Key for tightening or loosening the screw of the plane.
7. Knife used by the woman preparing the type [ i.e. scraping the type — figure 3 of the picture on the previous plate. ]
8. The plane with its attachments seen from above.
Plate VI: Casting of Printing Type
[ inscribed seconde suite de la Planche III ]
Fig. 9 Guides or slides of the plane.
10.
- M N O body of the plane.
- R R S bow of the plane
- P Q wooden handle of the plane
11. Small metal plate [ jetton ].
12. Glass plate on which the letters are place to measure their thickness.
13. Large plate [jetton].
14. The justifier.
15. Referred to as number 26 in the article on Printing Type. Nut driver for dismantling the mould.
16. Screwdriver for dismantling the mould and the plane.
17. The bottom of the blade of the plane which cuts a hollow in the foot of the letter.
18. Letter standing vertically whose foot has been hollowed out by the blade of Fig. 17.
19. The lower end of [another] blade for the plane used to cut away superfluous metal from the base of the character-bearing face.
20. Letters which have been cut by the blade of Fig. 19, for example the letters b, d, f etc.
21. All the short letters such as a, c, m etc. which have been cut with the previous blade and the following one to remove surplus metal.
22. Lower end of another blade for the plane used to cut away surplus metal from the top of the character-bearing face.
23. All the letters with descenders such as p, q etc. of which the top of the face has been cut with the blade of Fig. 22.
Plate VII: Casting of Printing Type, Mould for rules and leading strips
[ inscribed Pl. IV ]
Fig. 1. Mould for rules [ Moule à réglets ] invented in 1737 by M. Fournier le jeune to cast strips of type metal of various thicknesses to be used a simple [single], double and triple rules as in figures 1, 2, 3 [top right of plate].
A, A, the two parts of the mould which, when brought close together, leave an empty space between them which is filled by the metal strip I. [that is, when the typemetal solidifies it produces the strip [ lame ] I]
B, jet(s) of the mould; the one in the lower part of the mould projects a little to form a groove between the blade and the jet to help in their separation.
C, movable registers which are fixed at a suitable height by the nuts of which one can be seen alongside; the other is in the opposing part.
D, long pieces between which the strip of metal I is formed.
E, jaws fixed to the long pieces that enclose them by the screws that are visible in the upper piece and in the opposite lower piece.
G, quad. It is the thickness which one wants the strip to be. The upper part presses by its extremity on the lower; this forms the space the length of the mould which is filled by the molten metal. Quads are available of various thickness relative to the body of the type. The are attached to the upper half of the mould by a screw passing through them to fix in the hole in the quads.
To make the space the same at the other end of the mould one puts there a letter of the same thickness as the quad. When the upper part [of the mould] has been lowered, the registers C are moved down on to the platen b, the nuts are tightened and the hollow space is formed.
H, wood of the mould. A wood is held to each of the long pieces by two screws; the nuts are recessed halfway into the thickness of the parts.
I, strip which has come from the mould, with the jet [break] separated.
K, notched piece of card that is put under the lower half of the mould each time it is closed and that the workman holds by the fold k between his fingers to protect them from drops of metal.
L, transverse section through the mould for rules and lines. The screw that attaches the jaws and the long pieces is stippled. The cast strip is taken out of the mould using a little flat pair of forceps which grips the jet of the strip [that is, the strip is grasped by the superfluous casting metal attached to it which is later broken off].
Fig. 2. Mould for leading strips [ Moule à interlignes ] invented by M. Fournier le jeune for casting little strips of metal of carefully regulated thickness and length to be placed as required between lines of type to separate them [these are leading pieces to increase the white space between lines of type].
A, A, the two parts of the mould fitted with all their components.
B, jet; that of the lower part of the mould is movable; it is held in place by a screw that fits in a nut formed under the jet. It is bigger than the long piece by the thickness of the leading strip [to be cast]. The jet of the upper part of the mould is enclosed in the mould-part itself.
C, jaws to push against and contain the long pieces to which they are fixed by the screws visible. The jaw of the lower piece is toothed with ten or twelve nicks, numbered to distinguish them, which receive the elbow of the register E of the upper part of the mould to fix it at the length desired.
D, long pieces between which the leading strip I is formed.
E, mobile register that is raised or lowered to set the foxed length of the strip which the spacing of the nicks in the jaw would [otherwise] make too long or too short [presumably a fine adjustment of the length]. This register is fixed to the upper part of the mould by the screw e which goes into the nut formed in the long piece.
F, heel [projection] retained transversely at the end of the upper long piece by the screw f which goes into a nut formed in the said long piece. It is bigger than the plane of this piece by as much as the jet B of the lower piece and this forms the void that is filled by the leading strip I [when the molten metal is poured into the mould]. When one wishes to change the thickness of the strip to be cast — it is normally half or a third of [the height of] a nompareille face — one places under the jet B a shim which is held in place by the screw of the jet on the platen, as in the mould for rules, then one brings the heel down to the same height by adjusting the screw f.
H, hook for pulling the strip out of the mould.
I, leading strip from which the jet has been separated.
To understand the art and for the use of these devices see the articles Printing Type, Casting in the published Volumes [ of the Encyclopédie ].
Translator's Note
1. The prism-shaped piece extending from the top is the ‘jet’ — the sprue, the metal remaining in the upper part of the funnel leading to the matrix; this is later broken off from the letter. Moxon calls the waste to be broken off ‘the Break’. Joseph Moxon, Mechanick exercises, or, the doctrine of handy-works began Jan. 1, 1677 and intended to be monthly continued (London, 1677), 2: 176.