safeties on Linotype
There are some ways in which the Linotype(and Intertype)machines have safety built in.One is that the drive motor is small,about 1/3 horsepower.One place I worked,it was decided to drive the Linos faster than the normal 6 and 2/3 cycles per minute,so larger motors were coupled by flat belt to the intermediate shaft,the long one which drives the small belt going up to the distributor screws; these machines were driven at about 9 cycles per minute,maybe faster.
Some machines where I served apprenticeship wore main cams(the ones which rotate once per cycle)badly;the engineer built them up with hard steel strips using countersunk bolts into original cams;these repair strips may have been manufactured by original manufacturer of machine?Machines had done many decades service, 11 shifts plus overtime per week.
When we got Intertypes,operators after clearing stoppage would close vice(U.S. vise)by turning locking pin handles while moving to sit on chair;this gave extra force,damaged the cam shape on the locking pins which engage with the locking sockets;after we knew about it, no problem.
Saw an operator,last slug of day,close vice (U.S. vise) hurriedly after clearing stoppage,put justification lever on wrong side of collar on justification rods,snapped lever(cast iton?);engineer knew good welder, satisfactory repair.
Intertype problem,traced to pot body bearing against nut on mould-wheel central pivot pin;no problem daytime,slower operator; prob at night,faster operator; only slight difference of heating, but enough to reduce clearance to a negative distance.
Afer servicing keyboard cams,be careful when oiling bearings of rollers driving cams,excess gets on cam teeth causes prob,also puts oil onto rubber rollers.Anyone remember specification of cam oil [very light]?
Alan.
Alan—With regard to the composition of the oil used on cams, after they have been cleaned: Dave Seat who is in business servicing line casters as “Hot Metal Services” recommends “clock oil.” He recently serviced the Model 5 I acquired last June. He didn’t have any clock oil with him, so he used ordinary 3-in-1. I had on hand some gun oil which at least to the touch feels like a very light oil. I intend to use it when next I service the cams. Interestingly enough, Dave had me pluck a single strand from a straw broom, dipped an end into the 3-in-1 oil and applied just that much as was picked up on the strand (a tiny amount) to the axle pin of each cam. I found your account of linecaster maintenance when you were working in the trade very interesting.
Keyboard cam oil and clock oil are a non-drying and non-gumming formula, and at one time whale oil or dolphin oil was used. It was used in cameras too, but there is probably some silicone oil or the like that is used today in such applications.