Improved Means and Apparatus for Secret and other Writing.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Secret and other Writing.
I. MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of 3 Palace Grove, Upper Norwood, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates partly to machines for ordinary type writing purposes, and
partly to machines for secret or cipher writing mechanically, so that little or no labour
or mental effort is necessary in writing and deciphering secret communications as set
forth for example in the Specification of my current application for Letters Patent
bearing date 19 August 1887 No. 11,341.
The machine for ordinary type writing purposes consists of a comb having teeth of
thin metal or other suitable material the type being arranged on the under side of the
outer end of each tooth. This comb is mounted on a plate which is adapted to slide
in suitable grooves or guides from end to end of the fixed frame of the machine, or
across the entire width of the paper to be written upon. This plate also carries a scale
or table of the letters and signs in the same order as they appear on the type at the
ends of the teeth of the beforementioned comb, and by sliding this plate along in its
grooves or guides any required letter or sign may be readily brought opposite to an
index finger or pointer which is carried by the printing key.
;
The fixed frame of the machine is provided with a series of notches into which an
inclined part of the printing key engages as the said key is depressed in the act of
printing the said key, index finger and inking device, being thereby moved along
the necessary space ready for the printing of the next letter or sign, and being retained
in position by means of a spring pawl for example. A second presser key is provided
for making the desired movement over the paper to form the spaces between words
and the like.
In the specification of my beforementioned application for a Patent 1 provide for
the index, scale, dial or pointer of a type writing machine being made moveable so
that it may be adjusted to stand in certain relations to the printing type, or for the
printing type being made moveable so that they may be adjusted to stand in certain
relations to the index, scale, dial, or pointer. That is to say, when it is required to
write in cipher, the index, scale, dial, or pointer can be shifted one or more characters
or places to the left or to the right of the normal position with reference to the type,
or the type can be shifted one or more characters or places to the left or to the right
of the normal position with reference to the index, scale, dial, or pointer so that
writing or printing with the machine in accordance with the indications of the index,
scale, dial or pointer, the characters produced are different from those that would be
produced with the machine when the index, scale, dial, pointer, or type is or are in its
or their normal position. When it is required to decipher or translate the cipher
writing, the index, scale, dial, or pointer, or the type, as the case may be, is or are
adjusted so as to stand as many characters to the left or right of the normal position
as it or they stood to the right or left thereof when producing the cipher writing, so
that on proceeding to write or print from the cipher, the original words are printed by
the machine instead of the cipher writing. I also provide in the said Specification
for other variations of cipher by varying the arrangement or order of the type among
themselves, the arrangement or order of the letters on the scales, indices, or dial plates
being varied to correspond.
One object of my present invention is to facilitate this variation in the
arrangement
or order of the type, and for this purpose I employ moveable type which are inter-
changeable in the type holders. For example in the case of the machine hereinbefore
escribed the type may be formed of type metal with the letter or sign formed on its

page_text: side and the body of each type may be adapted to slide into any one of the sheaths or
holders formed on or attached to the ends of the teeth of the comb, and the type may
Or the type may he
thus be readily shifted into any desired order of rotation.
permanently attached to the teeth of the comb, and each tooth may be arranged so as
to be readily shifted. Or in the case of machines where type wheels are employed
each type may be formed with dovetail sides so as to take into any one of the similarly
shaped notches or recesses on the type wheel or other type holder or carrier.
Having arranged the type as required, a new index or scale may be made by
printing off by the machine on a strip of paper in consecutive order the type as now
arranged. Or in some cases the letters and signs of the index or scale may be
arranged so that each of them can also be separately adjusted so as to be made to agree
in order with the type.
1000
M. A. WIER,
Per W. H. Beck, 115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Secret and other Writing.
I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of 3 Palace Grove, Upper Norwood, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This invention relates to type writing machines for producing secret or cipher
writing mechanically, so that little or no labour or mental effort is necessary in writing
and deciphering secret communications, as for example in the apparatus described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and bearing date the 19th August
1887, No. 11341.
In the specification of my said Patent I provide for the index, scale, dial, or pointer
of a type writing machine being made moveable so that it may be adjusted to stand in
certain relations to the printing type, or for the printing type being made moveable so
that they may be adjusted to stand in certain relations to the index, scale, dial, or
pointer. That is to say, when it is required to write in cipher, the index, scale, dial, or
pointer can be shifted one or more characters or places to the left or to the right of
the normal position with reference to the type, or the type can be shifted one or more
characters or places to the left or to the right of the normal position with reference to
the index, scale, dial, or pointer, so that when writing or printing is done with the
machine in accordance with the indications of the index, scale, dial, or pointer,
the characters produced are different from those that would be produced with the
machine when the index, scale, dial, pointer, or type, is or are in its or their normal
position; that is to say, a cipher is produced. When it is required to decipher or
translate this cipher writing, the index, scale, dial, or pointer, or the type, as the case
may be, is or are adjusted so as to stand as many characters to the left or right of the
normal position as it or they stood to the right or left thereof when producing the
cipher writing, and on proceeding to write or print from the cipher, the original words
are printed by the machine instead of the cipher. I also provise in the said specifica-
tion for other variations of cipher by varying the arrangement or order of the type
among themselves, the arrangement or order of the letters on the scales, indices, or
dial plates being varied to correspond.
The object of any present invention is to facilitate this variation in the arrangement
or order of the type, and for this purpose employ moveable type which are inter-
changeable in type holders specially constructed to receive them."
In the drawings hereto annexed, Figures 1, 2 and 3 show how my invention may
be applied to the type of a type writing machine, in which the type holders are
arranged in the form of a comb, such as, for example, that described and shown in the
specification of a patent granted to me bearing date the 4th March 1886, No. 7527.

page_text: A is the type made of type metal for example much in the usual way, but having the
printing part thereof formed on one side instead of on the end; the said type being
adapted to slide into the sheath B formed on the end of the holder C. The body of
the type A is formed of the same size for each letter. figure, or sign, and the sheath B
is made the same size and shape for each holder so that any type of the series will fit
into the sheath of any holder. The sheath is preferably formed of sheet steel, hard
brass, or other somewhat elastic metal, and a slit D is left along one side so that the
sheath grasps and holds the type securely notwithstanding slight differences in their
sizes if such should occur. If preferred, the type in such a machine may be per-
manently attached to the teeth of the comb or other type carrying device, and each set
of such teeth or other type carrying device arranged so that its position in the machine
may be readily shifted as required.
In machines where the type are arranged round the edge of a drum or wheel, the
type may be adapted to fit into dovetailed recesses in such drum or wheel as shown
in Figure 4 for example, each type fitting into any one of the said recesses so as to
be interchangeable therein, and in order to facilitate the insertion of the type into, and
its removal from, the said recesses, it is preferable to make the latter, and the part of
the type which fits into it, slightly tapered lengthwise.
Assuming there are 26 letters, 10 figures, and 6 punctuation signs, or 42 separate
type in all in a given machine, such type may be arranged in as many different
orders as it is possible to arrange 42 things, and these variations, combined with the
shifting of the index, scale, dial, or pointer, or of the type, to the left or right of the
normal, enable an immense number of different ciphers to be produced with great
facility, and with little or no mental effort, on any type writing machine.
Having arranged the type in the required order, a new index or scale may be made
for using the machine as a cipher writer in accordance with my aforesaid patent
No. 11,341, by printing off, with the machine, on a strip of paper for example, and
in consecutive order, the characters as now arranged. Or, in some cases, the letters
and signs of the index or scale may be arranged so that each of them can also be
separately removed and adjusted to correspond in order with the type.
It is obvious that the particular form and arrangement of the type holder, and of
the type, to enable the latter to fit interchangeably into the former, may be varied to
suit the construction of the particular type writing machine employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In type writing machines the construction of the type and their holders so that the
said type are interchangeable in the said holders, substantially as hereinbefore
described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed, and for the purpose
specified.
Dated thin 17th day at A nui 1003
W. H. BECK,
115, Cannon Street, London, Agent for the Applicant.