Stereotype Plate Mold

Three-quarter view of a flat stereotype plate mold marketed by Hoe & Co. in 1881. It is described as follows in the catalog:

This mould, for casting stereotype plates from a paper matrix, is made of iron and balanced in bearings in an iron frame. When used, it is held in a horizontal position by a trip lever, and the cover is thrown up against the back stay. The matrix is then laid in, the gauge bars adjusted to it, and the cover closed. In the smaller sizes, the cover is secured by a single screw in the centre; but in the larger sizes it is fastened by four or six clamps at the sides. The mould is then turned in an upright position to receive the metal, and back to a horizontal one to have the stereotype plate removed.