1911 Ireland Stenotype
(Last Updated 9/7/2014)
Developer:
Ward Stone Ireland (1883-1956)
(Help from Father [Winfield], Brother [Murray], and Walter F. Teer)
Prototypes:
1. About 1906, weighed 54 pounds. Called "Old Ironsides."
2. Between about 1906 and 1910, weighed 31 pounds.
3. 1910, weighed about 11 pounds. Had no -D or -S under -D key (see patents below)
Introduced:
Many people cite 1911, but the first factory production machine was in August 1912.
Specifications:
About 11 pounds. 12.5” deep (+4” with paper roll extended), 5” high, and 9” wide.
Features:
Manual table top machine. Printed on 2-3/8” wide roll of paper. 10-yard ribbon with switch for reversing ribbon direction.
Manufacturer (Owensboro, Kentucky):
August 1912 to about May 1914 by The Universal Stenotype Company / The Stenotype Company
(Note: "Universal Stenotype Company" changed its name to "The Stenotype Company" in April 1913)
About 12,000 to 16,000 machines were made. This is based on my personal observations of machines I have seen for sell.
Manufacture (Indianapolis, Indiana):
About May 1914 to 1917 by The Stenotype Company
Model No.1 vs. Model No. 2:
After the stenotype went into production in August 1912, Ireland and others (Marshall Sargent and Arvid Karlberg) continued to improve the machine. They applied for patents in 1914 (see below).
From a December 1917 Stenotype Company advertisement, you could buy paper for the Master Model No. 3 and "rolls" for "Model No. 2". Based on the patents and the advertisement, I call the Owensboro manufactured machine "Model No. 1" and the Indianapolis manufactured machine "Model No. 2". All that I can say for sure is that the Stenotpye Company had a machine they called "Model No. 2".
Patents by Ward Stone Ireland (Model No. 1):
US980273 – Stenotype Machine
US980274 – Stenotype Machine Keys (Note: No –D and –S (under -D) keys)
US980275 – Paper roll rewinder
US980276 – Ribbon Mechanism
US980277 – Paper Feeding Mechanism
US980278 – Copy Holder
US980279 – Reel and Reel Mounting
US980280 – Ribbon Mechanism
US1057964 – Writing Method (Note: No –D and –S (under -D) keys)
Other Patents (Model No. 2):
US1105082 – Paper feed (Sargent & Karlberg)
US1114532 – Ribbon Guide (Sargent & Karlberg)
US1119644 – Machine Mechanism (Sargent)
US1149087 – Paper Feeding (Sargent)
My great grandfather was Walter Fred Teer named above...Still have a couple of his typewriters and some stenography stuff.
ReplyDeleteYour great grandfather was influential on the development of the stenotype. He was also the first stenotype operator and an early demonstrator. I would love to hear more about him if you want to share.
Delete