Parts Catalog for Linotypes
When the Arcata Union closed in 1995, I went down with the ship, but not before walking away with lots of artifacts that were dumped in the trash. Over the years these items have blended in with my other crapola. Tonight I discovered this catalog tucked away in my garage. It's good for models 8, 14, 25 and 26. If you have a model 18, you're screwed.
This diagram shows the Linotype's mechanisms. There's an assembly mechanism, a casting mechanism, a distributing mechanism and a driving mechanism. Each mechanism has numerous components, like a "cruciible mouthpiece wiper," "gasoline-kerosene burner," "slug lever" and, my favorite, the "pi stacker and tube."
When fixing this machine, be careful. It sounds like it could catch fire or drip hot lead on your typesetter.
When there's a problem with the "back cam yokes," you'll be happy you have a swinging keyboard.
Inside the catalog was a note to Craig, apparently reminding him of the "Safeway pickup." My guess is that it was a note to the late Craig Hadley. He probaby needed to pick up the weekly inserts from the Arcata Safeway. Oh, and it looks like the Arcata Union was late with Larry's letterhead.
There was another hand written note in the catalog listing parts G-1603 and G-2467. Looks like they had a problem with the "distributor clutch shaft, assembled" and the "distributor clutch shaft gear."
If they couldn't fix it themselves, they contacted the Mergenthaler Linotype Company in San Francisco. "RUSH ORDERS GO OUT ON THE NEXT TRAIN!" the catalog proclaims.
I'm glad I looked at this page, because I own a "revolving belt punch." It's been in my tool box ever since.... yeah, 1995, when I apparently dragged it out of a dumpster and brought it home. I also have some odd-shaped wrenches that are explained by this catalog.
posted by Jack Durham at 7:31 PM
2 Comments:
So Jack; You were apparently in the business when the newspapers were using linotype. Just wondering: When did they stop using linotype machines?
I'm old enough that when I started in the business they were using something resembling a MacPlus and were still pasting up pages using wax and razor blades. But Linotype is much older.
Perhaps someone else knows how long ago they would have been used? Late 1950s?
I just grabbed all the old crap before they threw it away. I even have a few boxes of the actual Linotype "type." The Arcata Union building was like an old printing museum before it was cleaned out.
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