CARE OF THE MACHINE

The following schedule of work should be performed on each machine in a shop or school, in regular periods as indicated by the caption under which each item is listed.

In a school where each student is to care for a certain machine, the various operations should be performed at a certain specified time, all students working on the same schedule at one time.

In a shop where machinists do this work it will be necessary to form a regular routine including all the items of the working schedule, so that each machine will receive its proper care at a certain specified time. Of course it will be necessary to distribute this work so that it will not interfere with the productive time of the machine and so that the machinists can have time to care for the ordinary machine troubles as they occur during the productive time. Much of the regular care of the machines can be done by helpers outside the hours when the operators are at work. In making such a schedule, each machine should be listed, by number, for certain operations each day. In this way it will be a simple matter for the head machinist to check up on the work, for by referring to the schedule he can determine what work should be performed on each machine for any particular day. Of course, the schedule must vary in minor points in various shops, due to climatic conditions. Dirt is the chief offender in causing machine trouble, therefore the cleanliness of the building in which the machines are located will very frequently cause a variation in the working schedule.

The following schedule will be found sufficient for the average linotype and if followed efficiently, will keep the machine in “pink of condition.”

Daily Operations

Wipe off the dust from the machine frame—the front, back, vise frame, underneath the pot, top of magazine, etc., using a rag and brush. With bellows or air hose, blow the dust out of the assembling elevator, keyboard, main drive cams, and all other places not reached with a brush, excepting the metal pot.

Clean the mold disk. Use a brass rule and rag. Remove all metal from the face and back of the mold, scraping the metal loose with the brass rule and wiping with a rag. Remove all metal from behind the mold disk.

Wipe off the mouthpiece with a rag, and scratch out the cross vents with a sharpened brass rule if they are filled or corroded.

Lubricate the locking studs. Put a small amount of graphite and cup grease mixture on the mold-disk locking studs.

Inspect the mold wipers. Examine the front and back mold wipers; see that they are in working condition. A small amount of graphite and cup grease mixture should be applied to the back mold wiper. For the front mold wiper, wet the pieces of felt in gasoline and then apply graphite until well saturated.

Inspect the knife wiper. See that it works freely up and down. Straighten or replace flag, if needed.

Inspect the pump stop lever. See that it is working.

Inspect the vise-automatic dog. See that the vise-automatic dog and the stop rod are free from metal and that they move without interference.

Apply graphite. With a very small amount of graphite on a magazine brush, rub the following:

1. Line delivery channel.

2. First elevator jaws.

3. Front side of the intermediate bar in the elevator slide top guide.

4. Slideway of the delivery.

5. Transfer-slide slideway.

6. Distributor-shifter slideway.

7. Top and front edge of the second elevator bar plate.

8. Second elevator upper guide.

9. Back and side of the second elevator lower guide.

Clean the plunger and metal pot. Clean the plunger in the cleaning box. Use a well-brush in the well. Open the holes on the side of the well, using the hook of the pot mouth-wiper. Skim the dross from the pot.

Clean the spacebands on a smooth board, using graphite. See that no metal adheres to the spaceband sleeve, and that the dark spot on the sleeve is removed.

Repair damaged matrices and spacebands.

Weekly Operations

Clean the distributor screws. Also clean the bearings of all surplus oil.

Clean the surface of the main driving cams thoroughly.

Test the vise-automatic. See that the vise-automatic stops the machine if the first elevator does not descend the full distance.

Oil the machine. Put oil in all oil holes, using it sparingly in the places where there is not much wear. Parts subjected to heat should have plenty of oil. Wipe off all overflow oil with a rag while oiling. A drop or two in oil holes is sufficient for most of the holes. The late model machines will have grease cups instead of oil cups. If there is plenty of grease in the cup, give it a turn. Put a small amount of dry graphite in the various slideways.

Note—While oiling give the machine a good general inspection. Watch for any loose parts or loose screws.

Test assembler measures.

Examine star wheel. Replace if necessary.

Polish magazines.

Measure thickness and height of slugs.

Monthly Operations

Clean the magazine and matrices.

Take out all matrices which have the lugs sheared or damaged too much for good use.

Take a matrix proof. This is done by running out all the matrices of each character and casting them on a slug. Then take a proof.

Remove the main driving clutch, and clean the inner surface of the pulley and the leather buffers on the clutch shoes.

Clean the surface of the keyboard rollers with soap and water. Sandpaper them if needed.

Examine gas burners. Clean if necessary.

Clean assembler plate and slide.

Clean distributor box.

Clean and dress commutator.

Clean magnetic thermometer contact points on electric pots.