Linecaster Bibliography

If you don't know a thing about Linotype or Intertype linecasters, there are two excellent introductions available online.

(1) If you have a fast Internet connection, the best introduction to linecasters is probably the film Typesetting by the Salesian Vocational and Technical Schools (Italy). (The film as presented online has been dubbed into English.) It dates from 1960 and uses Intertype equipment, but the principles are the same as those of the Linotype. It has been collected as a part of the Prelinger Archives of advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur films hosted by The Internet Archive The film has been split into two parts online, and is identified in the archive as "Typesetting: Linotype (Part I)" and "Typesetting: Linotype (Part II)." The direct links to it are: http://www.archive.org/details/Typesett1960 and http://www.archive.org/details/Typesett1960_2

2. Bibliography

See the next section for an annotated list of Linotype, Intertype, and related patents.

This is a collection of information prepared by William Spurling of Linotype.org from documentation supplied by Leonard Spencer. He indicates that most of the documents were Intertype Corporation analyses of their Linotype competition. It describes the various Linotype models, giving features, dates, and serial numbers. It is an excellent starting point.

"The Big Scheme of Simple Operation" is a "technical marketing" document explaining the operation and features of the Linotype. It is a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with the machines. It was also incorporated in other publications, such as the Linotype Maintenance Manual and Linotype Machine Principles (see below).

An advertising pamphlet which covers Models 8, 14, 25, 26, and 9. It illustrates each. It also contains a large fold-out illustration of a Model 14, pointing out its salesworthy features (this plate also appears in Linotype Leadership, see below).

MLC. Linotype Leadership. Brooklyn, NY: MLC, 1930. 54 pages, plus foldout plate.

This is a "technical marketing" overview of various specific features of the Linotype. It is similar in its purpose to "The Big Scheme of Simple Operation," but different in its presentation and in some of its material. It doesn't identify specific models, but concentrates on subsystems and features. It contains the same large fold-out illustration (of a Model 14, I think) present in Linotype Flexibility (see above).

MLC. Linotype Machine Principles. Brooklyn, NY: MLC, 1940. Fifth Printing. ix + 487 pages.

[From the advertisement for this book which appeared in Linotype Maintenance Manual (1943)]: "Every mechanism of the Linotype (both Blue Streak and earlier models) is explained simply and thoroughly in this book. It is the result of two years of effort by Linotype engineers and technicians and has been carefully checked by independent machinists with years of experience maintaining Linotypes in both newspaper and commercial plants."

It also includes "The Big Scheme of Simple Operation" (see its entry above as a separate booklet).

MLC. Linotype Maintenance Manual. ("Including The Big Scheme of Simple Operation") Brooklyn, NY: MLC, 1943. 169 pages, plus 2 pages of advertising for other Linotype publications.

(For notes on "The Big Scheme of Simple Operation," see its entry above as a separate booklet.)

This Linotype Maintenance Manual is just that - a guide to uderstanding, operating, and maintaining the machine (but not necessarily sufficiently detailed for rebuilding the machine).

The 1951 edition of this Manual is online at linotype.org (see below). This 1943 edition bears the code "610.31-D-V-15X"

MLC. Linotype Maintenance Manual. ("Including The Big Scheme of Simple Operation") Brooklyn, NY: MLC, 1951. 169 pages, plus 2 pages of advertising for other Linotype publications.

Rodgers, John R. Linotype Instruction Book: A Detailed Description of the Mechanism and Operation of the Linotype with Instructions for Its Erection, Maintenance, and Care. Brooklyn, NY: MLC, 1925.

This is available online on linotype.org at http://www.linotype.org/OnLineDocs/LinotypeInstructionBook-1925/LMP-contents.pdf (PDF contents) or http://www.linotype.org/OnLineDocs/LinotypeInstructionBook-1925/LMP-TOC.html (HTML contents) (The PDF contents page is the intended main page. Your browser should load it using a helper application such as Acrobat® Reader or KPDF. Make sure that this helper application's "bookmarks" tab on the left is open, and use it to navigate to the hotlinked chapters. Unfortunately for me, my browser/reader combination (at the time I write this, Firefox3/KPDF 0.5.9) won't follow the hotlinks, so I either use the HTML version, LMP-TOC.html, or offline copies of the files.)

Subtitle: "A Complete and Practical Treatise on the Installation Operation and Care of the Linotype, for the Novice As Well as the Experienced Operator."

Most of this work is presented in the format of a highly artificial dialog between an inexperienced Operator and a wise Machinist. The earlier chapters, which discuss specific subsystems and mechanisms of the Linotype, are a bit light on illustrations. This book appeared originally in 1902 without the cooperation of the MLC. According to the preface of this (1916) edition, the MLC supplied illustrations for it of the later Linotype models. It discusses the Model 1 in depth, and then the differences between the Model 1 and: Models 3 and 5 (illus. of 5), Models 2, 4, 6, and 7 (illus. 4, wih illus. of some subsystems), Models 8, 11, and 14 (illus. 8 and 14), Models 9 and 12 (illus 9, with illus. of casting subsystems), Models 16, 17, 18, and 19 (illus. all four), Models 10, 15, and K (illus. 10 or 15, K) It also contains information on erecting the machine, and providing underfloor lineshaft power and gas.

3. Annotated List of Linotype, Intertype, and Related Patents

US patents are available in several locations online. The US Patent and Trademark Office ( http://www.uspto.gov/) has the all, but in image form only for the period of interest here. Also, they present these images in TIFF format, and for some reason my browsers always have trouble with this without some configuration. Patents are also available via Google http://www.google.com/patents, where they are to some extent searchable and are presented in PDF format.

U.S. Patent Application 137,225. Filed 1884-07-09. Ottmar Mergenthaler. [machine for producing printing bars]

For matrices with "cameo" (raised" characters). Compare with US Patent 313,224 (1885-03-03) for matrices with "intaglio" (sunken) characters.

U.S. Patent 313,224. Filed 1884-08-30. Issued 1885-03-03. Ottmar Mergenthaler. "Machine for Producing Printing-Bars."

For matrices with "intaglio" (sunken) characters. Compare US Patent Application 137,225 (1884-07-09) for matrices with "cameo" (raised) characters; see above.

U.S. Patent 317,828. Filed 1884-07-09, Issued 1885-05-12. Ottmar Mergenthaler. "Machine for Producing Printing Bars."

This may be the "basic" Linotype patent, as it covers the assembly of independent matrices into a mold for casting lines of type ("printing bars.") The machine as drawn in this patent differs at least visually from the Linotype as typically constructed. In, e.g., his patent 436,531 of 1890, Mergenthaler cites this present patent as basic.

U.S. Patent 378,798. Filed 1886-07-17. Issued 1888-02-28. Ottmar Mergenthaler. "Machine for Producing Type-Bars."

U.S. Patent Application 303,396. Filed 1889-03-15. Ottmar Mergenthaler. [title unknown]

Cited in Mergenthaler's patent 436,532 (1890-09-16) as basic form of the machine improved in that patent.

U.S. Patent 436,531. Ottmar Mergenthaler. Filed 1889-11-11. Issued 1890-09-16. "Machine for Producing Type-Bars."

U.S. Patent 436,532. Files 1889-11-11. Issued 1890-09-16. Ottmar Mergenthaler. "Machine for Producing Linotypes, Type-Matrices, &c."

General improvements (magazine, keyboard, spacebars, molding, distribution); refers to "linotype" by name. Cites application303,396 (1889-03-15) as specific previous form of machine. Mergenthaler cites this patent in his patent 678,828 of 1901.

4. Annotated List of (Probably) Unrelated Patents

U.S. Patent 696,360. Filed 1898-09-13. Issued 1902-03-25. Erl V. Beals. "Machine for Producing Printing-Bars."

This is a linecasting machine which employed coordinated multiple keyboards and an electrically controlled matrix assembling mechanism.

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Linecaster Bibliography

1. Preface and Quick Pointers

2. Bibliography

3. Annotated List of Linotype, Intertype, and Related Patents

4. Annotated List of (Probably) Unrelated Patents