An Improved Portable Note Taking and Reporting Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1894-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Portable Note Taking and Reporting Apparatus.
CHARLES HEATH 40 Lena Gardens Hammersmith Builder and Shopfitter do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of this invention is to provide a ready means of taking notes,
reporting speeches lectures, sermons &c. either singly or in duplicate without the
inconvenience of turning over the leaves replacing the carbon or copying paper,
or of loosing a rest for the hand, when getting near the bottom of the page.
As it is the practice with newspaper reporters and others, to write for more
than one paper, or to make more than one copy at a time; the present system of
replacing the carbon or copying paper between the leaves after each page is
completed, necessitates a great loss of time, also in making single copies the hand
looses its rest as it gets near the bottom of the page which makes rapid writing
very difficult; to overcome these difficulties I roll upon a metal or other roller
the number of pieces of paper, the width and length required, either ruled or
unruled and in some cases perforated or marked at such intervals as is convenient
for the compositor or other persons engaged in the printing office. The number
of pieces of paper required being rolled upon the one roller which I place in
bearings fixed to the side of the frame or case, these bearings are constructed so
that the roller is easily removed or replaced for the refills of paper; to prevent
the paper on the roller becoming loose I apply a spring which presses tightly on
the roller, but does not prevent the roller turning round.
At the other end of the frame or case I prefer where several copies are required
to use two rollers covered with india rubber or made of material of a yielding
character between which the papers, rolled on the 1st mentioned roller pass; to
one of these I attach a knob or disc with which the roller is turned; as the two
rollers are pressed together by means of a spring or screw, when the one roller,
preferably the bottom roller is turned, the papers are drawn through; adjoining
these rollers and as near the top of the case as possible, I ix a suitable flat
surface for writing on; on each side of the case above this flat surface I form
racks to keep the carbon or copying paper securely fixed while the writing paper
coming from the roll easily passes between the carbon papers which are secured
in the rack, the writing paper is then made to pass through an opening in the case
on to the table; I attach a paper clip to the ends of the papers and either pass it
under the case and allow it to fall on the floor or retain it on the table.
To keep the paper in its proper position I attach small rollers on either side of
the case
To allow of writing on the paper I cut a chase almost across the top of the case,
but in some instances I prefer to hinge a part of the top and turn it back tor that
purpose.
I sometimes prefer to have the pair of rollers and the single roller at the same
end of the case, in such instances i use intermediate small rollers as guides.
When writing on single paper and sometimes when using two or more papers I
prefer to wind up the written matter on a roller to do this easily I affix a clip or
clips on the roller this clip pressing the paper or papers on the roller and so
prevent the paper slipping when the roller is turned round, which I perforin by
means of a knob fixed to the roller on the outside of case or a disc milled on the
edge attached to the roller and coming through the top of the case; by means of
a spring pressing on the paper it is kept tight for writing on, and as the roller is
turned by means of the knob or disc the writing matter is wound up on the roller.

page_text: As this invention will be used for trade purposes and private note taking as well
as reporting, I use cases of different size and shape for instance, as it will be a
great convenience for persons to note down the small sums of money continually
being spent in railway bus or tram fares, small purchases made in the street or at
shops. I make the case small to be carried in the hand or pocket, that portion not
used by the rollers or papers, 1 form into a purse or receptacle for money, stamps
railway tickets &c.
In those for trade purposes and such like I form a receptacle for trade cards &c.
For reporters I sometimes form it as a minature writing desk, with feet underneath
to allow the paper to pass under, I also form receptacles for pencils, calender &c.
such cases can be carried by a strap as an opera glass.
I do not confine myself to any design as to the case or fastenings for same,
whether it be of a skeleton character or of a more elaborate design, whether made
in wood, metal millboard or leather, I sometimes make the case in one material
and cover with another for strength & appearance; I also vary the shape,
sometimes to represent a book, purse &c. or whatever is most convenient to
manufacture or sell; neither do I confine myself to the placing of the rollers or
the mode of distributing the paper; but the object of my invention is to provide
a simple and portable note taking and reporting apparatus, the paper or papers
coming direct from a roller enclosed in a case, in some instances passing between
carbon or copying paper and being taken upon a roll or to pass out through the
case.
Also for a portable note taking apparatus, a ready means of taking notes in
single copies direct from a roller and being received again on another roller, a
large amount of writing being done without the difficulty of turning over the
leaves or loosing a rest for the hand.
Dated this 5th day of October 1893
CHARLES HEATH.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Portable Note Taking and Reporting Apparatus.
CHARLES HEATH 40 Lena Gardens Hammersmith W. Builder and Shop Fitter
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the saine is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide a ready means of taking notes, reporting
speeches, lectures, sermons &c. either singly or in duplicate without the incon-
venience of turning over leaves, replacing the carbon or copying paper or of
loosing a rest for the hand when nearing the bottom of the page.
As it is a practice with newspaper reporters and others to write for more than
one paper or to make more than one copy at a time, the present system of placing
the carbon or copying paper between the leaves after each page is completed
necessitates a great loss of time.
To overcome this difficulty I roll upon a metal or other roller the number of
strips of paper corresponding with the number of copies required, the length being
determined by the amount of writing matter required; for a whole night's report at
the House of Commons, a political meeting or any meeting where a number of
speeches have to be reported, each strip would measure from 6 ft. to 20 ft. in length,
the width generally would be the same as used for note books or to suit the
convenience or fancy of the reporter or compositor, these pieces of paper can be
perforated or ruled at certain intervals so as to be torn or cut off to be sent to the
printing office for the compositor, the outside strip or piece of paper can be ruled as
a guide for the writing, but it is advisable not to rule the remainder as there is a
great difficulty in winding them all so that the lines would come under each other;

page_text: to better understand the invention, reference must be made to the drawings herewith
enclosed.
Fig. 1 is a section through what I prefer to call the reporters desk, A. is the
roller upon which I roll the number of strips or pieces of paper required,
B represents the paper rolled up on it, C is a wood shelf over which the papers
pass and upon a part of which the writing is done, D is a rack for holding the
carbon or copying papers which is drawn to a larger scale as D', this rack is formed
in very thin metal doubled together to form a clip, the carbon paper is placed
between the two thicknesses of metal which is as long as the case is wide as D in
Fig. 2; a hole is bored through each clip near the ends, a tapped nut is fixed in
shelf C the screw E passes through the whole of the strips forming the rack and so
leeping them firm; to allow the writing paper to pass easily; between each metal
strip which holds the carbon, I thicken out each end either by doubling over one
piece of the metal or of soldering another piece on. The width of the shelf C and
the width of the carbon papers are determined by the number of copies required, as
it is necessary to take them a certain distance from the rack, to prevent the
thickness being too great, otherwise clear copies cannot be made; the paper is
drawn through the rollers F F these rollers are covered with indiarubber or made
of any yielding material, the bottom roller has attached to its end a disc or milled
head or a small handle for the purpose of turning the roller which when turned, the
paper is drawn through. To accomplish this fix the rollers in metal bearings
which are screwed on the side of the frame or desk and adjusted with a screw; His
a sketch of this bearing jointed as a hinge on one side and fitted with a screw
tapped into the lower part of the metal on the other side, I sometimes use a bearing
as at H' which is simply a steel spring fixed to bearings on one side and adjusted in
same manner as H on the other side. The object of having them adjustable and
movable in this way is to allow the top roller to be easily removed when a new
supply of paper is put in. To prevent the papers on the roller A becoming loose
I affix a spring I to shelf C or any other part of the frame so that whatever
quantity of paper is on the roller there is always a pressure upon it to prevent it
becoming loose but yet not too much to prevent the rollers drawing it through as
explained in my Provisional Specification. The roller upon which the writing
paper is wound I put in bearings one or both of which I slot as K so that the
roller can be easily taken out and a new roll of papers put in; these bearings are
fixed on the side of the case and after the roller is in I insert pin K' which keeps it
in its place, this is not always necessary as the spring will prevent its falling out.
The case I sometimes form in wood, cardboard or as described in my Provisional
Specification with parts hinged as at L & L' the part at L I throw back when in
use and the paper after being written on passes over it, M is a receptacle for
holding pencils, pens, or any article required which is hinged at L' and each of
the hinged parts are fitted with small side hooks or catches which are in common
use for writing desks &c.
Fig. 3 is a sketch of the desk when not in use shewing the disc or handle for
turning the roller. But I do not confine myself to this shape, neither do I always
place the roll of papers in the position there shewn, for I sometimes find it necessary
to roll up the written matter upon a single roller, I then dispense with the 2 rollers
and adopt a method hereafter described.
Fig. 4 is a section through a case used for single copies in which no carbon or
copying paper is used.
This case can be made in any shape as a book as in Fig. 6: N Fig. 4 is a roller
fitted in bearings as K which are fixed on the side of the case, upon this roller is
rolled a piece of paper the width and size required, from this roller the paper is
carried and fixed (by means of a clip) to roller O this roller has formed on one of
its ends a disc see O' which passes through the top & bottom of the case by which
means the roller is turned; so that the refills of paper may be easily fixed to the
roller groove the whole length of the roller see section at O" I then bore a hole
in the side of the disc in continuation of the groove and by means of a piece of

page_text: wire one end of which I force into the hole made in the disc, the other end I keep
in position by means of a loose ring passing around the roller and wire, this keeps
the paper in position and is easily removed; a section of this wire is seen at O" as
it fits the groove and also at O Fig. 4; as will be seen by this, the paper in
rolling forms an irregular roll by passing over the wire after the paper has been
pressed down by the wire; to prevent these rollers turning in the wrong direction
or the paper getting loose I fix a spring P which always exerts a pressure on each
roller but does not prevent them being turned when required, Q is a shelf upon
which the paper passes and where the writing is done, to allow which a slot is made
in the case as will be seen in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. The space I use as mentioned in
my Provisional Specification for trade cards &c. I sometimes find it necessary
where only one copy is required to have the written matter not wound on the
roller but to pass on as heretofore described, in that case I use two rollers as before
mentioned, I sometimes find it necessary to have a number of spaces for writing, in
one case or desk as in cashier notes, where the cashier has to take an account of
the assistants invoices and note them down under different numbers or letters, for
this purpose I make the number of slots required in the case having a roll of paper
and a roller with a disc connected as before described; as the paper for this is very
narrow a large number can be fitted in one desk see Fig. 7 and for section of same
Fig. 8 and upon the same lines as Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 with the addition of guide
rollers Z Z.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. In a portable note taking apparatus the rolling of two or more pieces of
paper upon one roller to be carried between carbon paper for the purpose of
writing two or more copies at one time.
2nc. In a portable note taking apparatus a rack for holding carbon papers
formed of metal clips secured to the writing tablet of the apparatus.
3rd. In a portable note taking apparatus a pair of rollers in adjustable bearings
used for the purpose of taking the paper or papers from the roller after the notes
have been taken.
4th. In a portable note taking apparatus the adoption of a roller for the receiving
of plain paper connected with a roller having milled disc for retaining the same
paper after being written on.
5th. In a portable note taking apparatus a wire fitted into a groove in roller
with a hole in disc at one end and ring at the other to keep paper in position
during the winding on roller.
6th. In a portable note taking apparatus for cash notes, a number of rollers
connected as before described but contained in the one case.
Dated this 4th day of July 1894.
CHARLES HEATH.