STAND STILL.

A compositor is said to stand still, if he be out of copy, or out of letter: a pressman, if he has not a form to lay on, or is prevented working by any other cause. A compositor says he is standing still for copy, or for letter—a pressman says he is standing still for a form, &c.

STANHOPE PRESS.

The merits of the Stanhope press, and its superiority, are so well established in the minds of printers, from long experience of its valuable properties, that any additional praise from me would be an act of supererogation; I shall therefore confine myself to giving engravings of it, and a rather full description.

Figs. 1. and 2. are elevations, fig. 3. a plan, and fig. 4. a section. A A is a massive frame of cast iron, formed in one piece: this is the body of the press, in the upper part of which a nut is fixed for the reception of the screw b, and its point operates upon the upper end of a slider, d, which is fitted into a dovetail groove formed between two vertical bars, e, e, of the frame. The slider has the platen, D D, firmly attached to the lower end of it; and being accurately fitted between the guides e, e, the platen must rise and fall parallel to itself when the screw, b, is turned. The weight of the platen and slider are counterbalanced by a heavy weight, E, behind the press, which is suspended from a lever, F, and this acts upon the slider to lift it up, and keep it always bearing against the point of the screw. At G G are two projecting pieces, cast all in one with the main frame, to support the carriage when the pull is made; to these the rails, H H, are screwed, and placed truly horizontal for the carriage, I, to run upon them, when it is carried under the press to receive the impression, or drawn out to remove the printed sheet. The carriage is moved by the rounce or handle K, with a spit and leather girths, very similar to the wooden press. Upon the spit, or axle of the handle K, a wheel, L, is fixed, and round this leather girths are passed, one extending to the back of the carriage to draw it in, and the other, which passes round the wheel in an opposite direction, to draw it out. By this means, when the handle is turned one way it draws out the carriage, and by reversing the motion it is carried in. There is likewise a check strap, f, from the wheel down to the wooden base, M M, of the frame, and this limits the motion of the wheel, and consequently the excursion of the carriage. The principal improvement of Earl Stanhope’s press consists in the manner of giving motion to the screw, b, of it, which is not done simply by a bar or lever attached to the screw, but by a second lever; e. gr. the screw, b, has a short lever, g, fixed upon the upper end of it, and this communicates by an iron bar, or link, h, to another lever, i, of rather shorter radius, which is fixed upon the upper end of a second spindle, l, and to this the bar or handle, k, is fixed. Now when the workman pulls this handle, he turns round the spindle, l, and by the connexion of the rod, h, the screw, b, turns with it, and causes the platen to descend and produce the pressure. But it is not simply this alone, for the power of the lever, k, is transmitted to the screw in a ratio proportioned to the effect required at the different parts of the pull; thus at first, when the pressman takes the bar, k, it lies in a direction parallel to the frame, or across the press, and the short lever, i, (being nearly perpendicular thereto,) is also nearly at right angles to the connecting rod h; but the lever, g, of the screw makes a considerable angle with the rod, which therefore acts upon a shorter radius to turn the screw; because the real power exerted by any action upon a lever, is not to be considered as acting with the full length of the lever between its centres, but with the distance in a perpendicular drawn from the line in which the action is applied to the centre of the lever. Therefore, when the pressman first takes the handle, k, the lever, i, acts with its full length upon a shorter length of leverage, g, on the screw, which will consequently be turned more rapidly than if the bar itself was attached to it; but on continuing the pull, the situation of the levers change, that of the screw, g, continually increasing in its acting length, because it comes nearer to a perpendicular with the connecting rod, and at the same time the lever, i, diminishes its acting length, because, by the obliquity of the lever, the rod, h, approaches the centre, and the perpendicular distance diminishes; the bar or handle also comes to a more favourable position for the man to pull, because he draws nearly at right angles to its length. All these causes combined have the best effect in producing an immense pressure, without loss of time; because, in the first instance, the lever acts with an increased motion upon the screw, and brings the platen down very quickly upon the paper, but by that time the levers have assumed such a position as to exert a more powerful action upon each other, and this action continues to increase as the bar is drawn forwards, until the lever, i, and the connecting rod are brought nearly into a straight line, and then the power is immensely great, and capable of producing any requisite pressure which the parts of the press will sustain without yielding. The handle is sometimes made to come to rest against a stop, which prevents it moving further, and therefore regulates the degree of pressure given upon the work; but to give the means of increasing or diminishing this pressure for different kinds of work, the stop is made moveable to a small extent. Another plan is adopted by some makers of the Stanhope press, viz. to have a screw adjustment at the end of the connecting rod, h, by which it can be shortened; it is done by fitting the centre pin which unites it to the lever, g, in a bearing piece, which slides in a groove formed in the rod, and is regulated by the screw. This shortening of the connecting rod produces a greater or less descent of the platen, when the handle is brought to the stop.

The carriage of the press is represented with wheels, m, m, beneath, to take off the friction of moving upon the ribs, HH. These wheels are shown at fig. 4., which is a section of the screw and the platen, with the carriage beneath it: their axles, n, are fitted to springs, p, and these are adjustable by means of screws, r, so that the carriage will be borne up to any required height. This is so regulated, that when the carriage is run into the press, its lower surface shall bear lightly upon the solid cheeks, G, which are part of the body of the press, and these support it when the pressure is applied, the same as the winter of the old press: but the wheels by their springs act to bear up great part of the weight of the carriage with the types upon it, and diminish the friction, yet do not destroy the contact of the carriage upon the ribs, because this would not give the carriage that solidity of bearing which is requisite for resisting the pull. This is only at the time when the carriage is run into the press, because as it runs out, the ribs on which the wheels run rise higher, and therefore the wheels support the whole weight. The manner in which the wheels run in rebates or recesses in the edges of the ribs is shown at fig. 1. The carriage is made of cast iron, in the form of a box, with several cross partitions, which are all cast in one piece, and although made of thin metal, are exceedingly strong: the upper surface is made truly flat, by turning it in a lathe. The same of the platen, which is likewise a shallow box: the slider, d, has a plate formed on the lower end of it, which is fixed by four screws upon the top of the platen, and thus they are united. At the four angles of the carriage, pieces of iron are screwed on, to form bearings for the quoins or wedges which are driven in to fasten the form of types upon it in the true position for printing. The tympan, P, (fig. 2.) is attached to the carriage by joints, with an iron bracket or stop to catch it when it is thrown back: the frisket, R, is joined to the tympan, and when opened out, rests against a frame suspended from the ceiling. The register points are the same as in the wooden press, and all the operations of working are exactly the same. The iron frame, A, of the press is screwed down upon the wooden base, M, by bolts, which pass through feet, s s, projecting from the lower part of the iron frame. Another wooden beam is fixed into the former at right angles, so as to form a cross, which lies upon the floor. The ribs, H, for the carriage to run upon are supported from the wooden base by an iron bracket, T.

The advantages of the iron presses in working are very considerable, both in saving labour and time. The first arises from the beautiful contrivance of the levers, the power of the press being almost incalculable at the moment of producing the impression; and this is not attended with a correspondent loss of time, as is the case in all other mechanical powers, because the power is only exerted at the moment of pressure, being before that adapted to bring down the platen as quickly as possible. This great power of the press admits of a saving of time, by printing the whole sheet of paper at one pull, the platen being made sufficiently large for that purpose; whereas, in the old press, the platen is only half the size of the sheet. In the Stanhope press, the whole surface is printed at once, with far less power upon the handle than the old press. This arises not only from the levers, but from the iron framing of the press, which will not admit of any yielding, as the wood always does, and indeed is intended to do, the head being packed up with elastic substances, such as scaleboard, pasteboard, and the felt of an old hat. In this case much power is lost, for in an elastic press the pressure is gained by screwing or straining the parts up to a certain degree of tension, and the effort to return produces the pressure: now in this case, the handle will make a considerable effort to return, which, though it is in reality giving back to the workman a portion of the power he exerted on the press, is only an additional labour, as it obliges him to bear the strain a longer time than he otherwise would. The iron presses have very little elasticity, and those who use them find it advantageous to diminish the thickness of the blankets in the tympan; the lever has then very little tendency to return; in fact, if the pull be so justified as that, when the bar is pulled home, the end of the lever, i, that is attached to the connecting rod, h, passes in a small degree the centre of the second spindle, l, the pressure is past its maximum power, the press bar has no tendency to return, and the pressman can rest upon his pull in fine work, without any exertion.

Stationers’ Company. See Donations.

STEM.

—The straight flat strokes of a straight letter is called stem.—M.

STEREOTYPE.

—The surface of a page of types cast in one piece, of type metal, about the eighth of an inch thick, and turned in a lathe at the back of the plate, so that the whole of the plates of a volume shall be of one uniform thickness.

When they are required to be printed they are mounted on what are called Risers: these risers, with the thickness of the stereotype plate, are precisely the same height as the types, so that when a form is composed of stereotype plates and types, the pressure shall be equal on both.—See Risers.

The spaces and quadrats are cast higher than for the common process; and when the form is ready, the face of it is oiled with a brush, then burnt plaster of Paris (gypsum) mixed with water to the consistence of cream is poured upon it; when the plaster is sufficiently hardened it is taken off from the types and forms a matrix in which to cast a facsimile of the types; this matrix is then placed in an oven to dry, and made hot, when it is secured in a frame and immersed in a caldron of melted metal, where it remains some time; when it is taken out, and cool, it goes to a person styled the Picker, to remove any superfluous metal, and to remedy any defects; it is then, generally, turned at the back to a specific thickness, and to remove any inequalities; after this it is ready for press. For the details of the process I refer the reader to “An Essay on the Origin and Progress of Stereotype Printing: including a Description of the various Processes. By Thomas Hodgson, Newcastle: printed by and for S. Hodgson, &c. 1820.”

This process was first practised by William Ged, of Edinburgh, who commenced in the year 1725. After much perseverance he formed an engagement with the University of Cambridge to print Bibles and Prayer-books; but the plan received so much opposition from the workmen, in making errors and batters, that it was discontinued, and the plates were ultimately sent to Mr. Caslon’s foundery to be melted down. Mr. Hansard, in his Typographia says,—“But a remnant escaped from Caslon’s cormorant crucible; and I have the opportunity of here presenting my readers with an opposite view of a pair of the very malefactors; and challenge any other to dispute the palm of venerable antiquity with them: they have been rather roughly treated, but besides the purpose for which they are here exhibited, will serve to show the style of type, typography, and stereotype of those days.”

Mr. Tilloch had a page of Ged’s casting given to him by Mr. Murray, of Fleet Street, bookseller, which I have seen: there is also a plate of Ged’s casting, at the Royal Institution, containing fourteen pages of a Common Prayer, presented by Mr. Frederick Kanmacher, of Apothecaries Hall, from which I had impressions printed.—See “Biographical Memoirs of William Ged. By John Nichols.” 8vo. London, 1781. “Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders and Founderies, by Edward Rowe Mores, A. M. and A. S. S.”

Stereotype-Plate Risers. See Risers.

STET.

When a word has been struck out, in reading a proof, and it is afterwards decided that it shall remain, then it is usual to make dots under the word which has had the pen run through it and write the word stet opposite to it in the margin, which is the third person singular, imperative mood, of the neuter verb sto, to stand, to endure, or abide.—See Correcting.

STICK.

The composing stick, commonly so called.—M. See Composing Stick.

STICKFULL.

When a compositor has arranged as many lines in his composing stick as it will contain, it is termed a stickfull.—M.

Stiff Justifying. See Hard Justifying.

STOLEN PROPERTY.

The Act of the 25th of Geo. II. c. 36. s. 1. inflicted a penalty of fifty pounds upon any person who should print or publish any advertisement offering a reward for the recovery of any property that had been stolen and no questions asked; this section has been repealed by the Act of the 7 & 8 Geo. IV. c. 27., one of Mr. Peel’s Acts; and by another of Mr. Peel’s Acts, of the 7 & 8 Geo. IV. c. 29. s. 59., it is re-enacted, with some verbal alterations and the addition of the words “or lost,” as may be perceived by the following extract, which it is of importance for printers to be acquainted with.

Stops. See Points.

Strahan, Andrew. See Donations.

Strahan, William. See Donations.

STRIP A FORM.

Taking the furniture away from the pages.—M.

STROKES.

Strokes are fat, lean, fine, hair.—M. The hair strokes of letters are now termed ceriphs by the founders.

STRONG INK.

Ink made with a powerfully binding varnish, so as to prevent the separation of the colouring matter and the spread of the varnish in the paper. It is usually made with superior colouring materials, and more care taken in grinding it than with common ink. See Engravings on Wood; Fine Presswork; and for more details I refer the reader to my treatise on the Preparation of Printing Ink.

STUD.

A piece of hardened steel, a little hollowed at the top, on which the toe of the spindle works. It is square on the outside, and fitted into the cup of the platen, but so as to be taken out, when it wants altering or repairing.

SUMMER.

In a press, a piece of wood nailed across the wooden ribs on the under side, close to the winter, to keep them steady in their place.

In Moxon’s time a summer was for a different purpose; viz. to prevent the cheeks of the press from springing open; the winter was dovetailed into the cheeks, to answer this purpose: after describing the winter, he adds—

“But yet I think it very convenient to have a Summer also, the more firmly and surer to keep the cheeks together; this Summer is only a Rail Tennanted, and let into Mortesses made in the inside of the Cheeks, and Screwed to them with long Screws, similar to those used for Bed-Posts; its depth four Inches and an half, and its breadth eight Inches, viz. the breadth of the Cheeks.”

Sunday, Public Meeting on. See Public Meetings.

SUPERIORS.

Superiors are small letters and figures, upon the upper part of the shank of the body, so that they range with the top of the letter to which they belong; as, ^abcdefgh, ^1234567890; they are generally used as references to notes, and occasionally in abbreviated words; as M^r, Master; M^rs, Mistress; D^o, Ditto; N^o, (Numero,) for Number, and in many other instances; also in contracted words, in the printed Records. See Records. References. It would be a convenience if the type founders would cast the , ; : and . to them, as it has not a good appearance, when a point is necessary, to see a comma or any other point used that has been cast for the regular body; it is too large, and does not range in line.

Supernumeraries. See Newspapers.

SWASH LETTERS.

In the seventeenth century Italick capitals, in which some of the letters had their terminations projecting considerably beyond the shank, were in use: this projection was called a swash; as—

SWEDISH.

The Swedish Alphabet consists of twenty-eight letters.

The order they here stand in is that of the Swedish Alphabet.

The Swedish language has no diphthongs. When two vowels occur together, they must both be heard, as bēēdiga, brōār.—Brunnmark’s Swedish Grammar. London, 1805.

SWEEPINGS.

When the boys sweep the composing room in a morning, all the letters and spaces that are on the floor in each frame are carefully gathered up and placed on the bulk belonging to it, and it is the customary rule for the compositor to distribute them the first thing; what are swept together from the middle of the room are collected from the dust before it is taken away, and put in some appointed place for the person who has the care of the materials to distribute.

Swift. See Fire Eater.

Symbols, Chemical. See Formulæ.

SYRIAC.

Under this appellation are classed three different alphabets.

Key to Column Headers—
U   - Unconnected.
F   - Final.
M   - Medial.
I   - Initial.
PL - Powers of the Letters.
NV - Numerical Value.

The first and most ancient of these, called Estranghelo, is formed with square rectangular characters; another alphabet, a little smaller, has letters slightly differing from the first, for greater facility in writing; the third is that known generally by the name of Syriac, and is the only one existing in type in England. The Syriac reads from right to left.

Olaph, when followed by Lomad, is written obliquely, as ‏ܐܰܠܗܳܐܳ‎. But when Lomad is followed by Olaph, it is written in the beginning of words thus, ‏ܠܐܳ‎ not; in the middle thus, ‏ܓܷܠܿܓ‎ he is bewailed; and at the end thus, ‏ܓܰܠܠ‎ it rolls.

The pronunciation of the letters is the same as in Hebrew and Chaldee; yet it may be observed, (1.) that Olaph, in certain cases, takes the sound of Jud, as, ‏ܐܳܐܰܪ‎ ojar air, ‏ܡܠܵܐܐܵ‎ mlojo fulness, ‏ܣܐܷܵܡ‎ sojem placing; (2.) that Vau initial is to be pronounced ܠܷܗܲܕ‎ as the consonant v, but when medial or final, as the vowel u; (3.) that initial Jud with Chebhozo is pronounced as i, as, ‏ܝܻܠܷܦ‎ ileph he learned; (4.) that Ngae followed by He has the sound of ‏ܐܷ‎, as, ‏ܠܷܗܲܕ‎ ehadh he remembered; and (5.) that the aspirated sibilant Schin has no peculiar point by which it may be distinguished from the simple sibilant Sin.

The numbers are expressed by the same letters as in Hebrew, excepting that ‏ܝܗ‎ denotes 15, ‏ܩ‎ 20, and ‏ܢ‎ 50. A point above the line is used to convert the tens into hundreds, as ‏ܝܿ‎ 100, ‏ܟܿ‎ 200, ‏ܠܿ‎ 300, &c., although the four first hundreds may be expressed also by the four last letters of the alphabet. An oblique line, slanting to the right, under the first nine letters, serves to denote thousands, as ‏ܐ݈‎ 1000, ‏ܒ݈‎ 2000; and a similar line, but transverse, designates the tens of thousands, as ‏ܐ̱‎ 10,000, ‎‏ܒ̱‎ 20,000.

The vowels are five in number, which are represented either by figures or by points, according as the ancient or modern system is followed, but very frequently both are met with together. The simple vowels are—

and both figures and points are joined with consonants in the following manner:—

Petocho ‏ܒܰ‎ or ‏ܒܲ‎ ba.
Rebhozo ‏ܒܷ‎ or ‏ܒܸ‎ or ‏ܒֽܸ‎be.
Chebhozo ‏ܒܻ‎ or ‏ܒܹ‎ bi.
Zekopho ‏ܒܳ‎ or ‏ܒܵ‎ bo.
Ozozo ‏ܒܘܽ‎ or ‏ܒܘܿ‎ or ‏ܒܘܼ‎ bu.

Formerly the marks for the vowels E and I were only written below the line, as ‏ܒܷ‎ be and ‏ܒܻ‎ bi; and the vowels A, O, and U, were only written above, as ‏ܒܰ‎ ba, ‏ܒܳ‎ bo, ‏ܒܽ‎ bu; but now they are placed sometimes above and sometimes below, as may be most convenient in writing. The points never change their places.

Zekopho does not give precisely the sound of o, but an obscure sound between o and a, as we find in 1 Cor. xvi. 22. ‏ܡܓܳܪܰܢ ܐܳܬܐ‎ Maran-atha, and in Mark xiv. 36. ‏ܐܰܒܳܐ‎ Abba.

Ozozo is never written without Vau (‏ܘ‎), except in ‏ܒܽܠ‎ all, and ‎‏ܡܷܓܛܾܠ‎ because of.

When the point Ozozo is above the line, it denotes Kibbutz; but when below the line, Shurek.

The diphthongs are formed by the combination of the vowels with the points, of which these are the most used, ‏ܓܰܘ‎ au, ‏ܓܰܝ‎ ai, ‏ܓܳܝ‎ oi, ‎‏ܘܳ‎ ou.

The vowel marks are not always annexed to the letters to which they belong, but sometimes to the preceding or subsequent letter, and sometimes omitted altogether, so that grammatical analogy must always be attended to by the reader, as, for example, in the word ‏ܒܰܢܝܓܳ‎ of a son, the point ‏ܒܰ‎ does not belong to the ‏ܒ‎ over which it is placed, but to the ‎‏ܢ‎ following.

Three letters (‏ܐ ܘ ܝ‎) become quiescent under certain circumstances. Olaph, with the vowels Petocho, Rebhozo, and Zekopho in the middle and at the end of a word; with Chebhozo only at the end. Vau always with Ozozo, and in foreign names also with Zekopho. Lastly, Jud with Rebhozo and Chebhozo.

Olaph never allows of sheva before it, but brings its own vowel into its place, and in that case becomes quiescent.

The vowels are doubtful as respects their quantity, and at one time are short, and at another long; the difference is to be traced from analogy.

There are also two points, called Kuschoï and Ruchoch, used for showing the peculiar power of certain letters, and generally distinguished in manuscripts by a difference in the colour of the ink. Kuschoï is a point placed above the six letters ‏ܒ݁ ܓ݁ ܕ݁ ܟ݁ ܦ݁ ܬ݁‎ begadcephat. It answers to the dagesh in Hebrew, and takes away the aspiration properly belonging to those letters; thus ‏ܒ݁‎ is equivalent to b, ‏ܓ݁‎ to g, ‎‏ܕ݁‎ to d, ‏ܟ݁‎ to k, ‎‏ܦ݁‎ to p, ‏ܬ݁‎ to t, also to bb, gg, dd, kk, pp, tt. Ruchoch is a point placed below the six letters ‏ܒ݂ ܓ݂ ܕ݂ ܟ݂ ܦ݂ ܬ݂‎ begadcephat; it shows that the letters are to be aspirated, and answers to the Hebrew raphe; thus ‏ܒ݂‎ is equivalent to bh, ‏ܓ݂‎ to gh, ‏ܕ݂‎ to dh, ‏ܟ݂‎ to the Greek χ, ‏ܦ݂‎ to φ, ‏ܬ݂‎ to θ. These points are rarely expressed, unless where there is an ambiguity to be explained.

Besides those before spoken of, certain lines or points are also employed, having a use partly in orthography, and partly in etymology. To orthography belong—

1. A small transverse line written above combined numbers, or contracted words, as ‏ܝ̅ܗ‎ 15, ‏ܬܫܟ̅ܘ‎ for ‏ܬܫܟܘܽܝܛܐܵ‎ praise.

2. A similar small line, called virgula occultans, under certain letters, which, when indicated thus, are of no value, and to be passed over in reading, so as scarcely to be heard in pronunciation. Thus ‏ܩܳܪܐ ܐ̱ܙܵܐ‎ is not pronounced kore ano, but koreno; and ‏ܐܳܡܪ ܐ̱ܙܵܐ‎ not omar ano, but omarno. Olaph, Dolath, He, Lomad, Nun, and Risch, are the letters most subject to its influence.

3. A diacritical point, changed in its situation in order to avoid an ambiguity in reading. The following may be taken as cases of this sort:—

The following belong to etymology:—

1. Two points are used to distinguish the numbers of nouns, because there is often no variation of case or of termination, or mutation of letters, to distinguish the singular from the plural. These two points are called Ribbui, multitude, and are placed over the letter, similarly to the Hebrew tzeri, in this manner ‏ܒ̈‎. But if Risch (‏ܪ‎), which always has a point above it, to distinguish it from the Dolath (‏ܕ‎), should occur in the word, then the single point of Risch coalesces with the double point thus, ‏ܩܲܩܪ̈ܐ‎. In the verbs, the double point indicates the feminine third person plural of the preterites.

2. A point is placed beneath the line in all the persons of the preterite (excepting the first person singular, where it is placed above), and besides this, the third person singular has another at the left side.

3. The present active participle has a point above the line, but when Vau is in the middle of the word, the point is placed below.

4. The infinitive and imperative often have a point placed beneath them, but this is not regular.

5. The second and third persons of the future have a point below the line, but the first person has the point above.

6. The imperatives of all the passives require the virgula under the second vowel.

There are no accents expressed in Syriac. The stress in pronunciation ought to be laid on the last or penultimate syllables; and in this respect the analogy of the Chaldee is to be attended to.

In the derivation of words from the Hebrew, letters may frequently undergo mutation with others of the same class, or of the same organ, and also sibilants with linguals.

The servile letters are eleven in number, as in Hebrew, and are the same, saving that Dolath is servile, and on the other hand Schin is radical.

The preceding observations are extracted from Gaspar Waser’s Grammatica Syra, Leyden, 1619, and from Jacob Alting’s Synopsis Institutionum Chaldæarum et Syrarum, Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1717.

Syriac in the British Founderies.