US639379A - Type for arabic characters. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. l9, I899. A. R. GUEST & E. T; RICHMOND.

TYPES FOR ARABIC CHARACTERS.

(Applicahon filed Sept. 25, 1899.) No Model" 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 639,379. Patented Dec. l9, I899. A. R. GUEST & E. T. RICHMOND.

TYPES FOR ARABIC CHARACTERS.

(Application fild Sept. 25, 1899.) (No Model.)

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No. 639,379. Patented nee. l9, I899;

A. n. GUEST & E. T. mcnmoun.

TYPES FOR ARABIC CHARACTERS.

(Applicaition filed Sept. 25, 1899.)

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llwrrnn STATES PATENT Fries,

A ARTHUR RHUVON GUEST AND ERNEST TATHAM RICHMOND, OF LONDON ENGLAND.

TYPE FOR ARABIC CHARACTERS.

SPECIFICATION ftirming part of Letters Patent No. 639,379, dated December 19, 1899.

Application filed $eptem'ber 25, 1899. Serial No 731,603. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may conce n;

Be it known that we, ARTHUR RHUVON GUEST, a resident of The Cottage, Roehan1pton, and ERNEST TATHAM RICHMOND, a resident of Beaver Lodge, Ham mersmith,London, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Types for Arabic Characters, (for which a British patent has been applied for, No. 4,523, dated March 1, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby type-writing machines can be used to produce type-writing in what is known as the Arabic alphabet, which includes the characters usually employed in Hindustani, Persian, and other oriental and African languages, and also to facilitate printing in such languages by the printing-press. The practical accomplishment of type-writing in such languages in a simple and practicallyavailable manner has hitherto been prevented, because the letters of the Arabic alphabet and the like are of varying breadth at the base, and the junction of the letters to one another is not made on one straight line with the direction of the writing, but on two or more lines. Moreover, the connected letters are written in Varying forms-viz., initial,

medial, and final-according to their position in a word. Printing in the said languages will be facilitated by the use of type made in accordance with this invention. We have designed a form of alphabet of the said languages whereof type can be cast of a description fit for use in type-writing machines or for printing purposes, the said alphabet being so contrived that all the types are of equal width at their bases. The base width of those letters which are not joined to the letters which follow them-that is, which lie to the left-includes the necessary space for their separation, so that all the types can be struck from blocks of equal size. The form given to the characters is arranged so that the junction of all characters which in writing are joined to others takes place upon one horizontal line in the direction of the writing. The medial and initial letters are made of the same shape, which is in the majority of cases a compromise between the medial and initial forms as hitherto used, and the final letters are type-written or printed from separate types, and in type-writers in which in ordi nary writing either capital or small letters can be printed from the same key the final letters are usually printed from the same key as those from which the initial and medial letters are printed by means of a suitable shift-key.

The type-writing machine will have its motion reversed, as Arabic and like languages are written from right to left, so that a motion from left to right must be given. to the paper relatively to the type, and as the types are equal in breadth the amount of lateral movement of the paper will be the same for all the characters and will effect the junction of the characters in their proper places where they are required to be joined. In all the characters required to be joined the common horizontal line will be in the same'relative position on all the types both for type-writers and for printing. The keys for the various characters are arranged in the typewriter in the positions and order most convenientsay, for example, for Arabic-and where two characters are printed from one key, as aforesaid, there are thirty-two keys arranged in four rows. For Persian there will be four more keys, and for Hindustani eight more keys.

In the accompanyingdrawing we have illustrated ordinary forms of Arabic characters in the Naskhi alphabet,which is one of the oldest forms and similar to that ordinarily used in printing, and we have also illustrated the char I: acters as used on types in accordance with this invention. It will be seen that all the types made in accordance with this invention are on blocks of equal width, and that the character on each type commences from a point at,

the right-hand side,which point is the same in all the types and is herein referred to as the point of alinement, the line extending horizontally across the type from this point being referred to as the alinement.

Ordinary forms of Alif are shown at 1 2, and at 3 is shown an Alif type formed in accordance with this invention. It commences 25 left-hand edge of the type.

at the point of alinement and does not occupy the breadth of the type, as it has not to join letters following it.

Ordinary forms of 13a are shown at 4, 5,

'5 7, and 8. The initial and medial form of the Ba type in accordance with this invention is shown at 6. It commences at the point of alinement and terminates on the alinement on the left-hand edge of the type. The up- IO stroke should be as near as possible to the right-hand edge of the type, and should be of a length which will answer sufficiently well for use both as an initial and a medial. The

final form of Ba in accordance with this in- 15 vention is shown at 9. It starts from the point of alinement, but need not extend to the left-hand side of the type.

Ordinary initial and medial forms of Ha are shown at 10 and 11. The type Ha a0- cording to this invention for these forms is shown at 12. Its nose or bend is at the point of alinement, and its base extends along the alinement the breadth of the type, but its upper member does not extend quite to the The Ha final is formed in accordance with this invention as shown at 18, while two ordinary forms are shown at 17 and 13. In the type according to. this invention the nose or bend of the letter is on the point of alinement.

Ordinary forms of Dal are shown at 19 and 20. The form of type according to this invention is shown at 21, the lower right-hand stroke starting from the point of alinement 5 and the upstroke being near to the right-hand edge of the type. The letter does not ex tend to the left-hand edge of the type.

Ordinary forms of Ra are shown at 22 and 23, and the form according to this inven- 0 tion is shown at 24. It commences at the point of alinement and terminates below the alinement.

Ordinary forms of the letter Sin are shown at 25, 26, 28, and 29. The forms according to this invention are shown at 27 and 30, the'first being the form for use as a medial or initial letter and the second being the final form. They both commence at the point of alinement; but the first extends along the alinement the breadth of the type, while the second need not extend across the breadth of the type.

, Ordinary forms of Lad are shown at 31, 32 34, and 35. The forms according to this invention are shown at 33 and 36, the former being the initial and medial form, starting from the point of alinement and extending across the type on the alinement, the latter being the final form, and starting from the '60 point'of alinement; but it need not extend to the left-hand side of the type.

Ordinary forms of the letter Ta are shown at 37, 3b, 40, and 41, while at 39 is shown the form of type according to this invention. The

base extends along the alinement and the upper part is formed upon the base, as indicated.

Ordinary forms of the initial and medial Ain are shown at 42 and 43. The form for these for the purposes of this invention is shown at 44. It generally resembles the usual medial form; but the two ends'are on the aline-' ment at both sides of the type.

Ordinary final forms of Ain are shown at 45 and 46, while the form for the purposes of this invention shown at 47 should generally resemble the final joined form shown at 46; but it is placed on the type so that it commences at the point of alinement.

Ordinary forms of Fa are shown at 48, 49, 51, and 52. Thejorms of type according to this invention are shown at 50 and 53. They both start from the point of the alinement, and the initial and medial form 50 eX tends across the type on the alinement.

Ordinary forms of the letter Lam are shown at 54, 55, 57, and 58. The initial and medial form of this letter according to this invention is shown at 56. The vertical memher is placed near to the right-hand edge of the type, the first stroke starting from the point of alinement and the termination eX- tends in the alinement to the left-hand side of the type. The final form (shown at 59) according to this invention starts from the point of alinement.

Ordinaryinitial and medial forms of Min are, shown at 60, 61, 62, and 68, and the form in accordance with this invention is shown at 64. It extends across the alinement of the type, and the main part of the character is placed close to the right-hand edge of the type. Ordinary final forms of this letter are shown at 65, 66, and 67, while that in accordance with this invention is shown at 68. It starts from the point of alinement.

Ordinary forms of the letter He are shown at 69, 70, 72, and 73, and the initial and medial form for the purposes of this invention is shown at 71. It commences at the point of alinement, is situated near to the righthand edge of the type, and ends by extending along the alinement to the left-hand edge of the type. The final form of this letter according to this invention is shown at 74. It commences at the point of alinement.

Ordinary forms of the letter Kat are shown at 75, 76, 78, and 79. The initial and medial forms of type according to this invention are shown at 77. It commences at the point of alinement and ends in the alinement at the left-hand edge of the type. The final form according to this invention is shown at 80. It commences at the point of alinement.

Ordinary forms of Lam-alif are shown at 81 and 82. The type according to this invention is shown at 83. It commences at the point of alinement.

The foregoing deals with the characters of letters of the Arabic alphabet. To avoid useless repetition, those which are differentiated from those illustrated merely by dots are not separately illustrated. It is, however, well to illustrate the type according to this inven tion for final Nun, final Ya, (ordinary 7 forms of these two are shown at 14, 15, and

16,) and final Qaf, and the letter Waw, and we have shown these respectively at 84, 85, 86, and 87. They, in common with all the others, according to this invention, start from the point of alinement.

In the foregoing reference to the left and right hand edges of the type it will be understood that the type is regarded from above in the position in which it is printing, so that by the right-hand edge is meant the commencement of the letter and by the lefthand edge is meant the edge at or toward which the letter terminates. It is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise forms of the characters illustrated in the examples shown, because they may be somewhat varied, provided that they be arranged for alinement, as hereinbefore explained, For example, when the types are used for a type-writer the characters may be of the same shape for medial, initial, and final, (except Ya and He,) the final letters being distinguished, when required, by strokes called tails, which tails, as Well as certain other signs (such as diacritical points and dots) which are added to the characters to distinguish them from others of the same form, are made as separate types and can be type-written in proper position to the characters they supplement by an arrangement that does not actuate the motion of the paper on which the writing is being done, so that the tail or other sign is applied. in its proper place to complete the writing of the letter. This can be effected by slotting the lever, the striking of which in actuating the ordinary types causes the actuation of the type and the motion of the paper-carriage also, so that when the said tails or other signs are being applied the paper-carriage is not moved. I

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y As new articles of manufacture the types for typewriters or for printing purposes in languages in which the Arabic characters are used the said types being of the same width at the base and having the parts thereof which are to be joined to another letter or to other letters so arranged that there is one common alinement for all the types substantially as hereinbefore described. a

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR RHUVON GUEST. ERNEST TATHAM RICHMOND.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR OYRIL RICHMOND, FRANCIS WILLIAM PRESCOTT.

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