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by broswell 3399 days ago
Linotype Line Casting Machine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linotype_machine
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I just ran across a video on how those work (through the History of Information website -- a dangerous timesink but an absolutely fascinating site).

The flow of matrices, keyboard, roman and italic typefaces, justification, casting, and return mechanism for the matrices (keyed by teeth) is absolutely fascinating. A study in mechanical logic.

Even the automated linotype -- via punched tape -- was only a bolted-on (literally) extension of the original.

Here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6wHiddZOfa8