Improvements in Key-boards for Composing-machines, Type-writers, Printing-telegraphs, and other Machines connected with Printing.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 7th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Key-boards for Composing-machines, Type-writers,
Printing-telegraphs, and other Machines connected with Printing.
I DAVID PITCAIRN of 7 New Square Lincoln's Inn, Barrister-at-Law, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide improved key boards for machines
connected with printing such as composing machines, type writers and printing
telegraph instruments, in which types or letters are so arranged that a number of
them can be operated simultaneously and themselves act successively in respect of
position.
Instances of machines to which the invention is applicable are Winder's
Composing Machine (Patent 1879 No. 4856) The Monotype (Patent 1884
No. 10,718) Higgins Telegraphic Printing Machine and the Linotype.
The improvement aimed at is the enabling an operator to deal with syllables.
By dealing with syllables the number of operations is diminished and, the motion
of the hand corresponding with syllabic impulses, manual dexterity is more easily
acquired.
In the application of the invention to Winders Machine greater simplicity in
the machine is aimed at especially.
In the application to the other machines above mentioned greater rapidity of
action.
MEANS EMPLOYED.
Syllables of the English language are compounded (neglecting small variations)
of a definite number of elementary sounds (about 34).
I find that such elements combine in syllables according to certain laws. The
spelling of the language however does not strictly follow the sound.
The number of the letters is less than the number of elementary sounds (even
including redundant & double letters) and some of the letters are frequently used as
modifiers.
Notwithstanding the defectiveness of the alphabet and the irregularity in
orthography, having regard to the natural laws above referred to 1 can arrange a
set of letters comprising, in the case of some letters, one, of others two or more
of the same letter in consecutive order so that the consecutive letters of any
syllable can be selected from such set of letters in proper order.
yu
That
The following is such a set of letters (in which every syllable, except a few of
very rare occurrence, is provided for). jg bfzvdskptcqwhlmnrw
aeoia eouwrlsmnffdggcptkyhxzzbby elm nrtd s.
The arrangement of the set of letters can be varied to a very large extent.
is to say the position of many of the letters may be varied within limits.
The following are illustrations of such limits and variations.
The vowels u a coia eo u come together. The position of that set of letters is
fixed. The letter u at each end and the i in the middle are fixed in position so are
the two sets a, e, o, but the relative position of the a, e & o in either set may be
varied to any extent. The q may occupy any position after the first s and before
the first u.
According to my invention I apply such arrangement (more or less modified for
practical reasons to suit the circumstances of each case) to the key boards of such
machines as are above referred to, with the obvious corresponding alterations of the
machine.

page_text: The kind of modifications I propose to introduce may be indicated thus. The
letter z occurs seldom it is generally after a vowel; but to be able to treat every
syllable with only one operation a key board would require three z's. Zeal has a z
before the vowels buzz has two after the vowel. If only one z (the one after the
vowels) be used each of these words would require two operations; but the average
number of extra operations would be a small fraction
On the other hand,
cent.
per
by a proper arrangement, in many cases (e.g. only) two syllables at once can be
operated; and, by introducing a space among the letters, in a great many common
cases two words or parts of words can be operated at once (e.g. of the; and
before).
I propose to use (where suitable) a cross arrangement of some keys, with a view
to the keys arranged cross wise being worked by the thumbs.
The only type writer I am aware of now existing or designed by others to which
my invention is at all applicable is Furse's Type Writer (Patent 1881 2550);
According to his invention the letters are divided into "series groups or categories."
I have worked out from my arrangement of letters a better classification of letters
applicable to his machine.
The plan of a key board designed for the Monotype is appended. A number has
been put on each key in the plan to indicate the consecutive order of the letters
spaces and stops corresponding to the keys.
Note there is no initial k, v or z so that king vow & zest each require two
operations so several of the final consonants are not doubled. Egg & off each
requires two operations.
It is estimated that on an average about four and a half symbols can be operated
by that key board at once.
The cross or thumb keys are so arranged that sp & s t can be put down at once
by the left thumb. They are preferably arranged piano wise. The finger keys
are preferably arranged in tiers the back tier being slightly higher, the front tier
slightly lower than the middle tier.
12th April 1800
DAVID PITCAIRN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Key-boards for Composing-machines, Type-writers,
Printing-telegraphs, and other Machines connected with Printing.
I DAVID PITCAIRN of No. 7 New Square Lincoln's Inn Middlesex, Barrister-
at-Law, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
(1.) The object of my invention is to provide improved key boards for machines
connected with printing such as composing machines, type writers and printing
telegraph instruments in which the types or matrices are so arranged that a number
of them can be operated on simultaneously and themselves act successively in
respect of position.
(2.) Instances of machines to which my invention is applicable are Winders
Composing Machine (Patent 1879 No. 4856) The Monotype (Patent 1884
No. 10718) Higgins Telegraph Printing Instrument the Linotype and the Thorne
Type Setting Machine.
(3.) The improvement I aim at is the enabling an operator to deal with complete
syllables and to some extent more than one syllable at once.
(4.) I find there are laws regulating the order in which letters combine to spell
syllables. By means of those laws I can select and arrange a set of letters
comprising, as to some characters, onc, as to others two or more of such characters
so that the letters which spell any syllable occur in such set of letters in their
proper order of sequence. The arrangement of the set of letters can be varied to

page_text: a very large extent; that is to say-(within certain limits) the position in arrange-
ment of many of the letters may be changed. My invention consists in the
application of such arrangements, modified as hereinafter explained, to the key
boards of such machines as are above mentioned.
(5.) A part of my invention consists in the use of a cross arrangement of some
keys with a view to the keys arranged crosswise being worked by the thumbs.
(6.) The following is an arrangement of letters in which (with few exceptions)
the letters comprising every syllable in the English language will be found in the
order of sequence in which they occur in such syllables.
jgbfzvdskptcqwhlmnrwyuacoiacou ywrlsmnffdg ge
pbtkvhuz z ti en dr s.
Exceptions occur in the words phthisis plague and psalm and in a few others.
(7.) The order of the characters may be changed, subject to the following
limitations.
The position of the i and the two u's is not to be changed.
No character coming before one of those three characters is to be placed after
it, & no character coming after one of those three characters is to be placed before it..
Of the characters before the vowels.
(8.) If such an instrument as is referred to in the first & second paragraphs
hereof is made so as to have the above 59 characters in one of the orders indicated
above with a corresponding key board, syllables can be operated by a simultaneous
pressure on the keys corresponding to the letters of such syllables.
(9.) I arrange the requisite mark of punctuation to follow the letters so as to be
operated together with the previous syllable. In the same way I add other
characters (such as inverted commas and brackets) before and after the letters as
required so that they may be operated with the following or preceding syllable as
the case may be. I also insert an apostrophe before the final s.
(10.) I now proceed to explain the modifications of the above arrangement of
characters that I employ.
(11.) In the first place some of the duplicate characters may be omitted from the
key boards with little loss of power because the syllables containing them occur so
infrequently that to operate such syllables by two impulses occasions a small
percentage of loss of time. Syllables beginning with z, v, k & sk are of rare
occurrence. I prefer therefore to omit from the arrangement I employ the z, v & k
before the vowels, necessitating thereby two operations for the production of such
syllables as "zeal" "skill " & " vow."
(12.) Again the double z & double g occur seldom. I prefer therefore to use
one & one z after the vowels, necessitating thereby two operations for such
syllables as "buzz" "
egg." Double f is treated best as a distinct character.

page_text: (13.) The arrangement given above admits of two syllables being operated at
the same time in many instances (e.g. "whether" "little"). The number of
instances in which y occurs between a vowel and final e is small: I prefer to place
the second y at the end of the arrangement allowing thereby such words as "only
"many" to be operated at once, & sacrificing power in such words as eye
aye."
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"
(14.) The introduction of a few additional characters would enable a large
number of dissyllabic words to be operated at one impulse e.g. an additional b would
provide for such words as rubber bubble. But though the number of words in
which an operation would be saved by the introduction of six or seven additional
characters is very large, for example the three letters tc & e inserted before the
final y would allow many terminations to be added such as
"ent" "
«tre,"
an a before the final n would also be useful: they do not occur so frequently as to
make the percentage of time saved by their introduction commensurate with the
disadvantage of having additional characters.
ence
(15.) insert a space immediately in front of the second c: by that means
numerous & frequent combinations of two words or parts of two words can be
operated together for instance of the" "he re "ceives. I estimate that extra
speed to be obtained by this device is not less than 12 per cent.
(16.) I find that by having two separate sets of keys corresponding to the
characters at each end of my arrangement of characters to be worked by the
thumbs can operate with greater facility on a larger number of keys and use for
the finger keys narrower keys than are required for the thumbs and thus bring the
keyboard into smaller compass & the keys within better reach of the fingers.
The effect of this will be seen by inspection of the drawings annexed.
The characters chosen for each set of thumb keys should be generally such as do
not require to be used together, but such characters as s p and s & t may be placed
together with advantage so as to be pressed down together. An inspection of the
drawings hereunto annexed will explain this. It will also be found that to some
extent any of the fingers can be employed together with a thumb to operate the
keys specially intended for the thumbs; and, if expedient, one thumb can be
crossed over to the set of keys on the other side.
(17.) No provision has been made above for the double. & treble characters
ff, fi, fl ff ffi & ff. The proper place for fi & fl is near the beginning of the
arrangement the proper place for ff ffi & ff is immediately after the vowel i.
(18.) In the drawings hereunto annexed Fig. (1) represents a keyboard that
can be made applicable by a simple adjustment of levers to instruments of. the class
above mentioned. The numbers on the keys indicate the order of succession in
which the characters corresponding to the keys succeed one another in position
when the corresponding keys are operated simultaneously.
The 51 keys at the top (numbered from 12 to 62 inclusively) are intended to be
worked by the fingers of the two hands. The two sets of larger keys below are
intended to be worked by the thumbs.
I have chosen the particular arrangement with a view to having (as far as possible)
characters, which frequently come together, in juxtaposition laterally (such as th, ng)
so that two keys may be pressed by one finger.
The size of the finger keys I prefer is inch deep by wide. They may be
wide only including an interspace of 16.
The size of the thumb keys I prefer is one inch square they may be a
little less.
I prefer to have the back row of the finger keys higher & the front row lower
than the middle row.
Rider. With regard to the size level and distance between the centres of keys it
is to be observed that if the distance to be pressed down is very small very small
keys with small distances between their centres on the same level may be con-
veniently used mere buttons such as are used for sounding electric bells are suitable

page_text: they may be set apart at distances of not more than of an inch laterally an
even less from back to front. The sizes given above are suitable to keys to be
depressed from to of an inch. The smaller the compass within which the keys
can be brought without danger of pressing a false key the quicker can an operator
work. I prefer to guard very small keys if such be used by placing them in a
depression. The keyboard for capital letters may be conveniently placed above
the part of the keyboard represented in the drawing. The keys for figures and
peculiars may be placed on the sides of the lower part of the keyboard.
Fig. 2 represents a keyboard where the vowels keys are to be worked by the
thumbs, with an alternative form of the lower part of the keyboard.
Fig. 3 represents a keyboard for an instrument of the Monotype class where two
sets of characters are operated by one set of keys.
Fig. 4 represents a keyboard for an enlarged Thorne type setting machine.
Fig. 5 represents a keyboard for a Thorne type setting machine with 90 characters.
The figures and some of the less used capitals and other characters have been
omitted. Such keyboard is suitable for a machine for setting up matter containing
few figures other than those that can be expressed conveniently in words.
The form of key delineated in this drawing allows the board to be compressed into
small space.
If the keys are inch wide and the lateral spaces of the same
width these will be the full width of piano keys for the play of each finger laterally
while the board will be only 11 inches long.
This keyboard contains an improvement in respect of the position of x & z.
By placing the z in the middle of the vowels power is gained in words beginning
with a z while power to less extent is lost in respect of a few words such as
"Breeze." By placing the x in the middle of the vowels power is gained in many
words such as "exert " examine." If the x were placed immediately before the i
a number of operations would be saved; but some not uncommon words would
require two operations instead of one; for example "fix" & "mix."
Fig. 6 represents a keyboard adapted to a modified Thorne type setting machine
with two cylinders. The keys are arranged in pairs, one number is used in the
drawing to denote each pair. The keys of each pair are intended to be locked so
that only one key of each pair can be depressed at one time and the arrangement
of characters is such that the two characters in one pair of keys need not be used
together. In the application of this keyboard to a Thorne type setting machine
each of the two cylinders would have 55. stacks of type. Each of the stacks of
type in each cylinder would correspond to and be operated by one key in each pair
of keys. The stacks of type would be set at reverse angles in the two cylinders.
The tables below the cylinders would revolve synchronously in opposite directions.
The guides above the turn tables would be set in inverted directions and the types
would be conducted to the same carrier belt face forward and then conducted in
the same way as in the present pattern of machine. For this purpose some obvious
adjustment of the position of some of the machinery would be required. The
position of the cylinders would be so arranged that it would take the same time for
a type to travel from the stacks of type in each cylinder corresponding to each pair
of keys. This keyboard could not be applied to the complete Thorne machine
including the distributing part of the machine without some additional invention.
But if so much of the machine, as relates to distribution only, is removed, the stack
channels of type in the fixed cylinder can be filled by hand (while the machine is
in operation if necessary) and the type setting part of the machine can be adapted
to this keyboard by means of only obvious mechanical arrangements.
I claim
(1.) The application of the arrangement of characters as substantially described
in the 6th & 7th paragraphs above to keyboards in a Monotype a Linotype a
telegraph printing machine a composing or type setting machine and any instrument
of substantially similar character connected with printing or type writing to which

page_text: (2.) The modifications of such arrangements, as in the 10th 11th 12th & 13th
paragraphs above substantially described, in the said keyboards.
(3.) The keyboards as substantially delineated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of November 1800.
DAVID PITCAIRN.