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Hardened Steel in Hand Molds

David Bruce contends that the use of hardened (vs. soft) steel in hand molds was a distinctively American practice. I would argue further that this was a partial factor determining the form that the first successful type casting machine, Bruce's pivotal caster, took.

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Lever Hand Mold as Predecessor of the Pivotal

It has long been observed that the pivotal type caster is in a sense an "automated hand mold." In the 19th century, it was clearly understood that this meant an automated lever hand mold. But this has been forgotten as the lever mold has been forgotten.

Very briefly, the mechanism of the lever and the pivoting matrix (distinct from the pivoting of the mold as a whole) of the Binny-style lever hand mold is clearly the origin of the matrix handling equipment of the pivotal type caster.

What I should have here is an essay entitled "The Typefounder's Lever Hand Mold as an Engineering Predecessor of the Pivotal Type Caster." I began this in 2015, but it is still unfinished; sigh. In lieu of this is a series of photographs (wrapped up into a PDF) taken in 2015 which I put together to show my friend the late Steve Saxe my "eureka" moment where I made the connection between the mechanism of the lever hand mold and the matrix equipment of the pivotal.