An Improved Method of Reporting by Means of Stenographic Machines.
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Reporting by Means of Stenographic
Machines.
I FRANK ROBERTS of 3 Rendlesham Road, Hackney Downs in the County of
Middlesex Shorthand Writer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF REPORTING BY MEANS OF STENOGRAPHIC. MACHINES".
to be as follows :—
It is a fully acknowledged fact that the task of taking a verbatim report of a
rapid speech and the transcription into long-hand is one which, even after consider-
able training, involves a severe strain upon the mental and physical powers of the
reporter. Any means therefore of materially reducing the labour of the process
would be very beneficial. Mechanical means have been employed for this purpose,
but serious difficulties have arisen in its use, chiefly because the various signs
employed cannot easily be changed in their relative order, as desired. This
renders it difficult to systematically use more than one sign at a time, i.e, to
indicate more than one letter. For instance take the word "strong "In writing
this word it would be comparatively easy to strike 6 keys to signify respectively
the six letters composing this word, but then it would be necessary to indicate the,
order in which the letters are to be read, and when we remember that any six
letters are capable of being varied in their relative position as many as 700 times
this difficulty is at once apparent. To obviate this some Inventors content them-
selves with writing only one letter at a time. Others have arranged their signs
into two or more series to be read in succession. Thus if it were desired to strike
say any 4 letters simultaneously then all the letters must be repeated in each
series, that is, 4 times.
But to both these methods there appears to be an objection, the first being in,
most cases too slow a method for general use (as it would seem to demand a very
high degree of efficiency in the operator), and the second being very complicated,
which is a sufficiently grave objection in any system for such a purpose.
Now the object of my Invention is to provide a means of reporting or recording
language with rapidity, which shall be comparatively easy of acquisition, and
which may be transcribed by any intelligent person with very little previous
instruction, if transcription be necessary or desirable.

page_text: These (i.e. Nos 1 to 20) may be called "principal" keys. Each of these principal
keys has 2 auxiliary keys placed near to it in some convenient position to allow
of their being readily manipulated in place of their principal keys.
For instance I may have one key above and one key below each of the principal
keys, in which case I propose to give them the following significations

page_text: whole of the consonants in almost any possible syllable may be indicated by
striking 2 signs ouly (not including the signs for the final letters). Indeed there
are many syllables in which only one of these signs would be required for this
purpose. It then remains to show the position the two signs are to be read in (if
two are struck).
This is done by means of key 1b which we may speak of hereafter as a
Reverser. When the Reverser is struck simultaneously with any two keys
it is understood that the signs produced are to be read in the reverse order
to that in which they appear. When the Reverser is not struck such two
signs would be read in their normal position. This Reverser is also employed to
indicate exactly where a vowel is to be inserted whether such vowel be struck or
not. Thus (the word being divided into syllables) one syllable, generally speaking
is struck at a time. When two of the consonantal signs are used it is understood
that a vowel is to intervene between them. If only one consonantal sign be used
without the Reverser it is understood that the vowel follows the consonantal sign-
If the Reverser be used it is understood that a vowel precedes the consonantal
sign.
It should be observed that the order of the signs have been arranged, after much
thought, so that they are likely to occur in their normal order, thus the use of the
Reverser is avoided as far as possible. They have also been arranged in such a
manner as to render them easy to remember. Nevertheless this order might, of
course, be modified to some extent, without essentially altering the system. It
should also be noticed that other methods might be used for indicating the Reversal
of their order, such as the omission of the Reverser instead of its use and vice versa.
Thus also the imprinting of a sign in a heavier or lighter manner might be used to
indicate (more or less perfectly) the Reversal of the order of the consonants, or the
end of a word &c &c These and such like modifications would not affect the
essential features of my method.
The mechanism I employ for my purpose consists of a set of levers one end
bearing the keys to be manipulated, while the other end bears the types or other
means employed to print, stamp, or pierce the paper passing above them A common
lever is also attached, or placed in connection with, all the other keys so that when
all or any of the keys are depressed the common lever is also depressed. For
instance the ordinary levers may be constructed so that they rest on the common
lever. A spring or weight tends to keep this lever in its normal position. This
common lever is employed to regulate the movement of the paper by the following
means. To the further end of the common lever is pivotted a swinging pawl of
suitable shape working into a ratchet wheel. When this lever is depressed, the
pawl at its further end rises and engages in the next tooth of the ratchet wheel,
and when the lêver is released & returns to its normal position (by the means just
alluded to) the pawl also resumes its former position and in its downward move-
ment turns the wheel round one step. This wheel may be made to turn the actual
reel which winds up the paper. I prefer, however, the following arrangement―
The reel which receives the paper is actuated by clockwork and continuously tends
to roll up the paper, but the paper is held by a roller to which the ratchet wheel is
attached. As the ratchet wheel is turned it releases the desired length of paper
which is to intervene between each stroke, and the amount released is immediately
reeled on to the Clockwork Receiving-reel. This arrangement has the advantage
that the extent of movement of the paper is the same irrespective of the quantity
which is reeled on to the receiving-reel-a matter of some importance as it is
desirable to avoid excessive length of the paper used.
Suitable guiding arrangements may be used for keeping the pawl in its proper
position.
The 20 principal keys may be placed in any position suitable for easy
manipulation. For instance they may be arranged in 3 rows for each hand. The
1st row having 4 keys, and the other two rows 3 keys each. The top row may be
worked by the three middle fingers and the bottom row by the thumb, the middle

page_text: row being worked by either according to circumstances. Keys 1 a, 2 a, 3a, 4a,
2 b, 3 b, 4 b, 5 b, may be worked by the little fingers. Keys 5 a and 7 b may be
worked by the thumbs, and the Reverser key 1 b, I propose to actuate by the knee
or foot, as also keys 6 b and 8 b, although of course any suitable arrangement in
this respect may be made.
I propose to use suitable guides for the hand where they can be advantageously
employed. Thus each row of keys may be sunk into grooves as a guide for the
fingers. The auxiliary keys may be arranged so that they are worked by being
depressed or they may be actuated by a slight forward or backward movement.
In the latter case, if their ends projected a little above the principal keys it would
assist in forming a guide for the fingers.
The signs may be produced on the paper transversely in one line in order to
limit, as much as possible, the length of paper employed. The auxiliary keys may
either act on the levers belonging to their principal keys, making some additional
distinctive sign, or they may have an entirely separate lever and sign of their own.
It is obvious that for almost all the signs the ordinary alphabet may be used thus
rendering the transcription simple, with little skill; and indeed for some purposes
transcription may be entirely dispensed with. Any other suitable signs may also
be employed instead of the alphabet.
The above Invention may, by modifying the signs & be adapted for other
languages, retaining the general plan of providing that two keys will indicate
almost any syllable of frequent occurrence, combined with the use of the necessary
final letters and reversing arrangement.
It is easy (in any language) to make special provision for a limited number of
'words which the usual methods will not include.
It is obvious that my method can be applied for the use of the "blind," and also
to telegraphic purposes by slight adaptations.
In the foregoing specification it is assumed that phonetic spelling is adopted.
The signs for mr, nr, lr &°, are used in such words as summer, manner, tailor &°,
which are indicated at one stroke.
001
1007

page_text: An Improved Method of Reporting by Means of Stenographic
Machines.
I, FRANK ROBERTS of 3 Rendlesham Road Hackney Downs in the County of
Middlesex Shorthand Clerk do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF REPORTING BY MEANS OF STENOGRAPHIC MACHINES"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It is a fully acknowledged fact that the task of taking a verbatim report of a
rapid speech and the transcription into longhand is one which, even after
considerable training, involves a severe strain upon the mental and physical powers
of the reporter. Any means therefore of materially reducing the labour of the
process would be very beneficial. Mechanical means have been employed for this
purpose but have hitherto met with but little success, chiefly because the various
signs employed cannot be interchanged in their relative order or position as desired.
For instance take the word 'strap-In writing this word it would be comparatively
easy to strike five keys producing signs to represent the five letters composing this
word, but if it were desired to write the same letters in a different order, for example
to represent the words ' 'traps 'sprat'" parts' &c, a very great difficulty would be
at once introduced. This difficulty is the more apparent when we remember that
any six letters can be interchanged in their relative order as many as 700 times.o
To obviate this difficulty, (which of course does not exist at all in manuscript
shorthand) some Inventors of Stenographic Machines provide for only one letter
to be represented at a time. This method, however, is in my opinion far too slow
to answer the general requirements of the Reporter unless of very exceptional
efficiency as an operator. Another method is to provide several alphabets or parts
of alphabets, in sets, arranged in succession. Thus if it be desired to write any
given word of four letters, four alphabets are required, following one after
another-To form any given word of six letters, six alphabets are required, and so
on. It will be seen that by this method it would involve too great a multiplication
of keys to have a separate sign for each letter in each of the various alphabets,
& to avoid this, certain signs are used in different combinations to represent a
single letter-Hence to write four letters at a time as many as 8 or 10 signs must
frequently be struck. Various modifications of this principle have been applied to
Stenographic Machines. The system is, however, very complicated, which is a
sufficiently grave objection in any method for such a purpose.
The object of my Invention is to provide a method of reporting or recording
language with rapidity, which shall be comparatively easy of acquisition, and
which may be transcribed by any intelligent person with very little previous
instruction, when transcription is necessary or desirable,

page_text: I will first describe the order and arrangement of the keys which I employ for
the English language with the signs or letters which they cause to be represented
when struck
TA Hond
Right Hand.
1 b
Numbers to 20 may be called "principal keys." Each of these principal
keys' has 2 auxiliary keys placed near to it in some convenient position to allow
of their being readily manipulated in place of their principal key. For instance
I may have one auxiliary key above and one below their principal key (i.e.
further from or nearer to the operator) in which case they would have the
following significations.
combination respectively).
Numbers 2 a and 4 à
The special keys (1 a, 1 b &c &c) have the following uses.
are used in combination with the first row of consonantal signs to represent
vowels. By the aid of these two keys a sufficient number of distinct combinations
can be produced to represent the various vowels when required. Numbers 1 a 3 a
and 2 b are used either alone or in combination with other keys as arbitrary signs
for words and phrases. Numbers 3 b 4b and 5.b are used to represent respec-
tively finals, final t, and final ts. Number 6b to indicate the end of a word."
Numbers 7 b and 5 a denote that the letter struck with either of them is doubled
< rare 'lull' &c.
in the same syllable as in such syllables as 'pipe' 'babe'
Number 8 b is used to signify that the letter or letters struck with it combine
with the letter or letters immediately preceding them to form one and the same
syllable-Lastly I will now explain the use of Number 1 b.
>

page_text: employed to give the paper the necessary slight forward movement for each
depression of a key or keys is now well-known in connection with the various
type-writers in use, and such can be readily devised by any ordinarily experienced
Mechanician.
In my Provisional Specification I have referred to the method usually adopted
but I do not lay claim to, nor confine myself to any particular method for this
purpose.
With regard to the finger pieces-these should be arranged for convenience in
operating, the object being that any two keys may easily be struck simultaneously,
together with an additional key for the final letter when such is required. For
this purpose it would be convenient to arrange the keys in three rows for each
hand, and, to avoid the necessity of using many fingers at a stroke the key N° 1 b
as well as keys N° 6 b and 8b may be worked by the knee or foot-although
of course any suitable arrangement may be made in this respect-It might act as a
guide for the fingers to have each row of keys sunk into a groove in the finger-
board.
It is convenient and economical to have the signs produced transversely upon
the paper ribbon in order to limit its length as much as possible. These signs may
in most cases consist of the ordinary alphabet if such were found preferable.
Each auxiliary key may actuate a separate sign of its own, or it may actuate the
principal key to which it belongs together with some distinguishing mark.
The above invention may be adapted for foreign languages retaining the general
plan of providing that 2 keys will indicate almost any syllable of frequent
occurrence combined with the use of the necessary final letters, and with the
arrangements for indicating the reversing of the order in which the two signs are
to be read, and for shewing exactly where the vowel sounds occur (whether such
vowels be or be not written).
To represent the vowels keys 2 a and 4 a are used, alone or in combination with
the first row of keys. Key 2 a is combined with keys Noa 1, 2, 3 & 4 for this
purpose, but should either of the latter keys be required for representing a
consonant in any syllable, then key No 4 a must be used, alone or in combination
with keys Nos 11, 12, 13 & 14 to represent the vowel. By these means the vowel
can always be represented simultaneously with the consonants belonging to the
same syllable. In actual practice however, it would rarely be necessary to indicate
the vowel sound as the certainty of its position in the syllable would, as a rule, be
quite sufficient.
It is easy to make special provision for writing the limited number of words
which the ordinary methods will not include.
The signs for mr, nr, Ir &c are used in such words as 'summer,' 'manner'
tailor' &c which are indicated at one stroke
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
1. In connection with a Stenographic Machine the method of providing separate
signs to represent simple or combined consonantal sounds in such a manner that
two of them, at most, will (with the addition of the required final letter or letters)
represent the whole of the consonants in almost any given syllable, as and for the
purpose described.
2. In a Stenographic Machine the method of employing signs to indicate final
letters, as described.
J
3. In a Stenographic Machine the method of indicating that signs are to be
read in the reverse order to that in which they are produced, substantially as
described.
4. In a Stenographic Machine the method of indicating exactly where a vowel
sound-occurs whether or not such vowel sound is written, substantially as
described.
-

page_text: 5. In a Stenographic Machine the method of representing the whole of the
consonants in almost any given syllable by the employment of one or at most two
signs, with the addition of a sign for final letter or letters, combined with the
method of showing the order in which the said signs are to be read, and the
method of indicating exactly where the vowel sounds occur, substantially as
described.
Dated this theater ninth day of 100