Improvements relating to Stenography and to Apparatus for Use in Connection therewith.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1889-Accepted, 22nd June, 1889
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Stenography and to Apparatus for Use in
Connection therewith.
I, JOHN POST LAWRENCE of the firm of Lloyd, Lawrence and Company of Worship
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Merchants, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:-
My invention relates to stenography or shorthand, and has for its chief object to
provide a machine for writing the different signs or characters. In order to render
the construction of the machine termed a stenograph, as simple as possible it is first
of all necessary to reduce the number of signs used as much as possible, and I have
accomplished this by employing a series of similar dashes or marks, each of which
corresponds to a certain sound and which are adapted to be placed in different positions
relatively to each other to indicate other sounds or words.
The machine itself as I have at present constructed it is adapted to make five
vertical marks or dashes the type for producing each dash being carried upon a
distinct lever, in such a manner that if all the levers are depressed together, the five
dashes will be one above another in a vertical line. Each lever can however be moved
separately to produce its own mark.
•
The paper upon which the signs are marked is in the form of a strip, wound into a
roll carried in a suitable bracket. The free end of the said strip is passed beneath a
small impression roller immediately above the dash-types and an inking ribbon is
arranged to pass between the paper strip and the type so that when the type touch
one side of the band, ink from the other side of the same will be impressed upon
the paper.
The inking ribbon is mounted upon two rollers which are provided with gear wheels
connected by suitable intermediate gearing to a cog wheel on the impression roller so
that as the latter is rotated in the manner hereinafter described, one of the ribbon
rollers will be correspondingly rotated.
In order to cause either ribbon roller to be positively rotated as desired the inter-
mediate gearing is mounted upon a swinging arm so that it can be placed in
engagement with the gear wheel upon either ribbon roller.
The impression roller is provided with a ratchet wheel with which a pawl secured
to a plate lying upon the top of the type levers, engages so that when one or more
type levers is or are operated the impression roller will also be rotated to feed the
paper forward.
The levers to which four of the five type are secured, are in the form of a bow, the
type being at the apex of the bow while the free ends carry keys or manuals. The
fifth type lever is however single and is arranged centrally relatively to the other keys,
the object of this arrangement being to enable the apparatus to be worked first by one
hand and then by the other.
To enable spaces to be formed between the signs representing different words the
pawl-carrying plate is provided with a separate key so that it can be moved to cause
the paper to travel forward independently of the type levers.
1012 1A 198e
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Stenography and to Apparatus for Use in
Connection therewith.
I, JOHN POST LAWRENCE, of the firm of Lloyd, Lawrence and Company of
Worship Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Merchants, 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:
My invention relates to stenography or shorthand, and has for its chief object to
provide a machine for writing the different signs or characters. In order to render
the construction of the machine termed a stenograph, as simple as possible, it is first
of all necessary to reduce the number of signs used as much as possible, and I have
accomplished this, by employing a series of similar dashes or marks, each of which
corresponds to a certain sound and which are adapted to be placed in different positions
relatively to each other to indicate other sounds or words.
The machine itself, as I have at present constructed it is adapted to make five
vertical marks or dashes, the type for producing each dash being carried upon a
distinct lever, in such a manner that if all the levers are depressed together, the five
dashes will be one above another in a vertical line. Each lever can, however, be moved
separately to produce its own mark.
The paper upon which the signs are marked is in the form of a strip, wound into a
roll carried in a suitable bracket. The free end of the said strip is passed beneath
a small impression roller immediately above the dash-types and an inking ribbon
is arranged to pass between the paper strip and the type, so that when the type
touch one side of the band, ink from the other side of the same will be impressed
upon the paper.
The inking ribbon is mounted upon two rollers, which are provided with gear wheel
connected by suitable intermediate gearing to a cog-wheel on the impression roller, so
that as the latter is rotated in the manner hereinafter described, one of the ribbon
rollers will be correspondingly rotated.
In order to cause either ribbon roller to be positively rotated as desired, the
intermediate gearing is mounted upon a swinging arm, so that it can be placed in
engagement with the gear wheel upon either ribbon-roller.
The impression roller is provided with a ratchet wheel with which a pawl, secured
to a plate lying upon the top of the type levers, engages, so that when one or more
type levers is or are operated, the impression roller will also be rotated to feed the
paper forward.
The levers to which four of the five type are secured are in the form of a bow, the
type being at the apex of the bow, while the free ends carry keys or manuals. The
fifth type lever is, however, single and is arranged centrally-relatively to the other keys,
the object of this arrangement being to enable the apparatus to be worked first by
one hand and then by the other.
To enable spaces to be formed between the signs presenting different words the
pawl-carrying plate is provided with a separate key, so that it can be moved to cause
the paper to travel forward independently of the type levers.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which,-
Figures 1 and 2 are views representing pieces of tape upon which is shown
the relative arrangement of the marks and dashes for indicating different letters
and sounds.
Figure 3 is a plan of the instrument or apparatus for producing such marks or
dashes.
Figure 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the sama

page_text: Figure 7 is a plan of the type carrying levers detached.
The arrangement of the dashes for indicating the letters of the alphabet and the
sounds and signs most frequently required, will be readily understood by reference to
Figs. 1 and 2 without any further description, the figures over each combination of
marks indicating the particular keys, (numbered as hereinafter described) which it is
necessary to depress to produce such combination.
Referring to Figs. 3 to 7 a is the frame of the machine, and 61, 62, 63, 64, 6 are
the type levers which are pivoted upon the cross bar a¹ of the frame. Each of these.
levers, with the exception of the central one, is bent or bowed, as shown most clearly
in Fig. 7 and provided with two keys, numbered 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4 and 5, 5-
according to the lever to which it belongs. The key of the central lever is
indicated by the Figure 1, and the lever itself is supported on the cross
bar a at two points b*, * for the purpose of preventing the same from moving
laterally.
cc are the type for producing the marks or dashes, each lever being provided with
one type; and d is the impression roller.
e is the inking ribbon, which passes beneath the impression roller, and ff1 are the
rollers upon which the same is carried, the said rollers being mounted on the
bracket projecting from the frame a. The rollers ff have attached to them
gear wheels h¹ respectively, and on the spindle of the impression roller d is a
lever i carrying a train of gearing j and operated. from a gear-wheel k on the
spindle of the said impression roller, so that, by oscillating the said lever, the
gearing can be caused to engage with one or the other of the gear wheels h h', as
indicated by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 5 to positively drive the same, that is to
say, if it is required to wind the ribbon upon the roller f, the lever is moved to
the left, and if the ribbon is to be wound upon the roller the lever is moved to the
right, as indicated by dotted lines.
7 is the spacing lever which has its fulcrum on the bar a¹ and m is a pawl attached
to a plate m¹ forming part of the said lever, and engaging with a ratchet wheel n on
the spindle of the impression roller d, so that at each movement of the lever, motion
will also be imparted to the impression roller to feed the paper forward, as hereinafter
described, and to the inking ribbon. The plate m¹ of the lever m rests upon the type
levers 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, so that whenever the one or
more of the keys 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is or are depressed, the spacing lever will be operated
to move the paper the required distance. The spring m² serves to hold the plate m¹
in contact with the levers and to return the latter to their normal positions after they
have been operated. The said spacing lever is provided with a key o, so that it can
be operated independently of the type levers for forming spaces between words or for
other purposes.
p indicates a roll of paper, which is carried in a bracket q. This bracket is pivoted
at r to the frame a, so that when the apparatus is not in use, the said bracket can be
folded down, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4.
The paper as it comes from the roll passes under the impression cylinder and
between the latter and the inking ribbon, so that when the type are pressed against
the underside of the inking ribbon, an impression will be transferred from the
latter to the paper in a well known manner, the paper being fed forward, as
herein before described, by the rotation of the impression roller. In order to
ensure the proper feed of the paper, a roller t is adapted to bear against the
underside of the paper to press the same into close contact with the roller d. This
roller is carried on a spring arm u attached to the frame a, which spring arm also
serves as a guard to prevent the paper from coming into contact with the inking
ribbon, and carries a loop y for guiding the paper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A stenograph adapted to produce a number of marks or signs, either separately

page_text: or simultaneously in any desired combination, the type for producing the said marks
or signs being carried upon independent levers, substantially, as described.
×
2. In a stenographic writer of the kind hereinbefore described, arranging the
type upon duplex levers, so that the apparatus can be worked by either hand,
substantially as set forth.
=
3. In a stenographic writing apparatus, the combination with the inking ribbon
carrying rollers and the impression and feed roller, of a movable train of gearing for
positively transmitting motion imparted to the said impression and feed roller, to
either ribbon carrying roller, substantially as described.
4. A stonographic writing apparatus adapted for use with the system of steno-
graphy hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. The manufacture and use of the improved stenographic writing apparatus
herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
The oth
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.