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Composition Caster - Typesetting, Monotype, Mid 20th Century Reg. No: HT 15173

Summary:: Machine used in the Railway Printing Branch before that department was amalgamated with the Government Printing Office.

Operation
The paper ribbon prepared by the keyboard operator is fixed in the caster tower. It unwinds step by step and passes over air vents. Compressed air passing through these air vents raises stop pins and these pins control the positioning of the matrix-case as the perforations for a particular letter pass over the air vents. The matrix-case is halted at the required position over the mould for a fraction of a second needed to cast and eject the corresponding type and then it moves to the next position.

Themes this item is part of:	Information & Communication Collection
Primary Classification:	COMMUNICATIONS
Secondary Classification:	Printing
Tertiary Classification:	typesetting
Inscriptions:	Metal label: Monotype Corporation/Composition Caster/Made in England/Patented/Serial No: 30261/Registered Trade Mark/Monotype Label on side: Monotype The machine has a Funditor Metal Pot, Serial No. 69454, 3000 watts Machine has an oily tag on the side - 'Lot 23' - which relates to its VGPO heritage.
User:	Victorian Government Printing Office, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1930-1989 This particular machine was used in the Railway Printing Branch before that department was amalgamated with the Government Printing Office.
Manufacturer:	Monotype Corporation Ltd, London, Middlesex, England, 1930-1940 Dates are estimated.
References:	Sources used by Peter Marsh (2 July 2007) for this record: VPRS 9957/P1, Unit 29, File 82/27/1 VPRS 9957/P1, Unit 56, File 87/103/1 VPRS 9957/P2, Unit 17. File 81/214 (VPRS = Victorian Public Record Series)