A typewriter for people who don’t know how to read
In its Apr 20, 1972 issue, New Scientist magazine drew attention to Mildred Olsen's unusual invention (Patent No. 3,501,849):
I think New Scientist was being overly harsh. In the patent itself, Olsen explained that she believed her invention could help students learn to read, as they simultaneously grew familiar with using a typewriter. I can't find any more info about her invention, but I'd be curious to know how students responded to it.
The Olsen invention is intended to help illiterates learn typing. (Why we need illiterate typists the patent doesn't explain.) It divides the keys of a typewriter keyboard into eight sectors, each including several individual keys. Each sector has a different colour. The would-be typist wears coloured rings on her fingers and watches a visual indicator, which shows a colour either with or without an arrow. Where there is no arrow, the typist presses her finger with the associated colour directly downwards. Where there is an arrow, the typist first moves the correct colour finger up, down or along one key in the direction of the arrow.
I think New Scientist was being overly harsh. In the patent itself, Olsen explained that she believed her invention could help students learn to read, as they simultaneously grew familiar with using a typewriter. I can't find any more info about her invention, but I'd be curious to know how students responded to it.
Comments
One of my favorite 'it likely happened someplace at at some time' anecdotes: the Army hired locals to unload crates. Any who could read/write English got a clipboard to write down the contents of the crates as printed on their sides. That's how they ended up with forty-seven "Use No Hooks" and twenty-three 'This End Up."
I can envision typing without understanding what you're writing. Transcribing intercepted coded transmissions springs to mind. I'll think of several great examples as soon as I hit 'Submit' for this post.
If nothing else, working such a job would give you a great line: "My work is so secret, even I don't know what I'm doing."
I can envision typing without understanding what you're writing. Transcribing intercepted coded transmissions springs to mind. I'll think of several great examples as soon as I hit 'Submit' for this post.
If nothing else, working such a job would give you a great line: "My work is so secret, even I don't know what I'm doing."
Posted by Phideaux on 02/15/25 at 06:26 PM
Category: Technology | Patents | 1970s