Russian Linotype Video

[Mechanic]

This video of a Russian Linotype is interesting in a number of areas. In particular when the line is being cast there appears to some sort of splash guard that covers the first elevator jaws. I have not run across this before.


https://youtu.be/-MqhJ3XRWqg

[Dave Hughes]

Well spotted George.

Surely there's a chance that the "splash guard" could interfere with the operation of the space-bands when setting justified matter!

I also noticed, round the back of the machine, what looked like a metal plate that you would use as a step, moving during the casting operation.

[Mechanic]

I wondered about the justification and spacebands interference. There are bands in the lines she is setting so they must be accommodated in some way. You will also see the machine has a straight line delivery a la Elektron.

[Autospacer]

A very interesting video. The place that I worked at in NZ had all the machines fitted with splash guards at one time. They were installed at the behest of the Labour Department, years before OSH were even thought of on the premise that without such a device, an operator or someone nearby could be burnt in the event of a splash. The design of the ones we had were a sort of boxed cap that covered over the top of the mats and bands during casting, much the same in principle to the device in this video, although I note this one is much flatter. Our splash guards did not always seem to operate smoothly with the result that sometimes the machine would stall, usually prior to casting. Adjustments to the device seemed to be needed frequently. All of us that have experienced the hiss then the sight out the corner of our eye of that white metal spewing in every direction, most often preferred that to the fully directed downward plume that emanated from the splash guard. Plus the clean up was twice as time consuming, especially so if you had a Mohr saw on your machine!
The foot plate that was moving in the video I think may have been moved manually to show the cams.

[Elrodfk]

That looks more like an Intertype Monarch with the short second elevator to me than a pure Linotype but its got the Electron assembler front probably a Ruskie lash-up, still it looks a good machine nice and smooth. We used to live in terror of the girls in the bindery, I don't think those girls would have lasted long in the comprooms I worked in they'd all end up mothers!

[Dan Williams]

Clean machine. However its second elevator movement is scary and the slide movement is more of a slam. Regarding the similarity to Elektrons, I think Russians were very good at copying everything except Democracy. And those women look like they could clean anyones clock.

[sky100]

Hi,
Seems that i have the same or very similar russian linotype on stock. Factory table is lost, so impossible to identify model or manufacturer. May be some day somebody wants to buy this machine... if not, than after cleaning and some restoring it can be beautiful think for office interior :-)

[Dave Hughes]

Welcome to the forum Sky100.

Where abouts is your machine situated?

[mikefrommontana]

What a fun video.  Looks like there were two machines:  the fully enclosed Elektron looking machine and then another older machine that seemed to have distributor problems (since we were on the keyboard end of the machine, whereas the Elektron machine was next to the wall).

Nope, don't mess with the operators, or you'll wind up in the pot!

I believe squirt guards were available in the US market, but I'm not sure where I saw the reference to that--probably not very popular though, given being another fiddly part to jam.

[sky100]

Welcome to the forum Sky100.

Where abouts is your machine situated?

This machine was installed on old paper factory. Factory closed about 6 years ago.  Used maybe till 90's, just for paper roll labels. For printing we found adast A3 size press,  used very lot. But as i understood, labels for paper rolls always repeating similar words and digits, so this linotype looks that used not so much.
Keyboard is with Lithuanian letters - i think just few machines left on Lithuania...
Not moved many years, so wet conditions and dust  little bit damaged this machine, but not so much like i found on  burlesonlinotype.com  :-)

[Bruce Anderton]

The machines could possibly be Neotypes, which I believe were initially manufactured somewhere in the Eastern bloc but assembled near Köln (Cologne) for western customers; unfortunately the builder's plate shown is in Cyrillic, so is of no use to us.
One of their models (a four-magazine machine with four side magazines) was exhibited at IPEX 84 in (I think) Birmingham, and it looked most impressive. These machines were said to be good because the manufacturers ignored the various Linotype and Intertype patents and incorporated all the best features of both manufacturers on their machines. Their catalogue listed six different models, plus a copy of the Elrod strip caster. I recall the only other hot metal exhibit at the exhibition was an Intertype C4 setting Arabic, and I produced a few slugs on it, but they were above ·918 type height.

[Keri Szafir]

Soviet line, type and strip casters were made in Leningrad (old Soviet name for Sankt Petersburg). The factory was named Leningradskiy Zavod Poligraficheskikh Mashin (Leningrad Printing Machine Factory), later on renamed to Lenpoligrafmash, now defunct.