Automata

Friedrich von Knaus, writing machines

Programmable machine:

• https://www.technischesmuseum.at/tmw-zine/ki-zine/schreiben_wie_von_selbst
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLUoDSNDj4U

Von Knaus became a Catholic in 1754; see page 21 of his Schribmaschine

From Computer Timeline website:

During his show in front of Emperor Franz I, on 4 October 1760, the Writer of von Knaus filled the Emperor and the entire Court with wonder, by writing under his eyes the following headwork in French: Dear Sir, do me the honor of listening to me and to what I am writing for you. The world thought that I would never be perfected by my maker, he was even so persecuted, that it was possible: but now, he put me into such a state that I write all languages, despite all his envious people, and I am truly, Dear Lord, the most loyal secretary. — for this quote, see page 83 of von Knaus’s text

From Alfred Chapuis and Edmond Droz, Automata: A Historical and Technological Study (1958) https://archive.org/details/automatahistoric0000edmo/page/292/mode/2up

“Automata actually writing were first manufactured in the eighteenth century and were surprisingly successful. These mechanical writers and draughtsmen rank high among the most perfect (or if it is preferred, least imperfect) imitations of human beings.” (289)

Friedrich Von Knaus — 4 machines

1. 1753, presented to different courts, female hand dipping in ink, writes VIVAT LUDOVICUS CAROLUS CLEMENS-AUGUSTUS in printing letters; was presented July 16, 1753 to Louis XV at Versailles and then on December 28 1753 to Prince and Duke of Lothringen at Brussels in the Netherlands; then in December 16, 1756 to Electoral Highness Clemens August, in Bonn, as the capital of his dominion

2. Presented on March 28, 1758, to his Majesty the late Emperor Francis I; says that a hand appears from a frame representing glories of the reign, writing AUSTRIACAE DOMUI DEUS and some lines from Virgil like “new metas serum new temporary ponat” (I set no limits in space or time)

3. Grand Duke of Tuscany received as a gift in 1767 from (the emperor?); six lines of script visible in 4 minutes; 6 lines saying: HUIC DOMUI DEUS NEC METAS RERUM NECT TEMPORA PONAT.

4. 1760, 4 October, shown to Emperor Franz I, wrote a letter in French that read: “MONSIEUR! Faites moi la grace de m' écuter à ce, que je vous ecris par celle ci. Le monde a cru, que je ne ferois ja-mais perfectionné par mon crésteur, même on le perfécuta tant, quil fut pofible: mais maintenant il m'amis dans un tel état, que j écris toutes les lanques; malgré tous fes envieux, et je fuis en vérité MONSIEUR le plus fidel Vienne le 4. Octobr. Secretaire.” — praised and kept and preserved in Imperial and Royal physical and mathematical cabinet in the Homburg; is different in appearance than the others; goddess personifies Providence and the idea that no Prince can rule without this guidance — around page 51-52 in his Schreibmaschine, von Knauss describs how the other machines were trained only for a single court, repeating the same rote phrases, while this one “is suitable for all courts, for she is a goddess” — you can see the inner workings (and the pictures in the book show the workings now, unlike the others) — it writes in Latin, Rench, Spanish, English, and many other languages; can fill two sides of a quarto sheet in 15 minutes; never writes the same thing twice — explanation on page 53-4

Page 53-6, describes last writing machine’s mechanism:

sie, die osterwähnte Wundermaschine, hat zwen scheinbare Werkzeuge, oder mechanische Mittel, die sie Jedermann darbiethet, um desselben Gedanken zu erfahren und auszufuhren. Will man ihr blos etwas, es sen hernach, was es nur will, andictiren; so nimmt man in eine hand seinen gemachten Aussak, teckt ihn auf der unterhalb wo angebrachten Walze, vermittelst der daben liegenden Steckstistchen, recht vom Worte zu Worte ab, zieh ruckwarts auf, und lasst sie sofort gleichwohl schreiben, bis sie ganz fertig ist; sie wird schon selbst authoren, wenn si keine Anrichtung von dem ihr aufgegebenen Thema mehr hat. man kann sicher sie ganz allein lassen, und unterdessen seinen Geschaften willkurlich nachgehen. -- Will man aber diess nicht, sondern sich gegenwartig mit ihr unterhalten, so braucht man die ganze mathematische Walze nicht, die man beliebig sogar herausnehmen und ganz weglegen kann, gleichwie es mire der Herr Grosskunstler auf mein Verlangen bereits gethan hatte: man darf alsdenn nur das nachst daben vorscheinende Register, nach dessen sichtharem alphabethe daselbst, beruhren, und seine Willensmennung, seine innersten Gedanken, fren vom Kopfe her, ohne weiteres Zeichen, ihr auf diese simpelste Weis zu verstehen geben, oder ben sich erst selbst etwas im Sinne auf-und zusammenseken; kurz:man darf nur denken, und darnach den Fingerzeig ihr geben, so weiss sie schon das Geheimniss unserer Gedanken, sie entwirst sie augenblicklich, wis bringst sie zu Papier, ganze nach eigener Willfuhr des denkenden, ohne, das dieser mi Reden seine Brust und Stimme zuvor anstrengen, und erschopfen musse. Aus welchem dann klar am Tage liegt, dass diese Gottermaschine ihre Kunst auf zweyerley Art machen kann, als namlich vermitelst der Walze, da man allese auf einmal zugleich ihre ehe aufgiebt, und sie sofort fur sich allein das Thema verarbeiten lasst; oder vermittelst des Registers, da man hingegen von Schritt zu Schritt gleichsam mit ihr blos im Gedanken, ohne hinterlassenen Steckzeichen, fort arbeitet, und ihr blos auf Augenblicke, nur im Borubergehen seine Geheimnisse wissen lasst, oder ja recht flugsweis anvertrauet. -- Auf solche Art verdoppelt sich das Wunder, und wachst der Werth dieser alles screibenden Maschine ganz ausnehmend eben daher, weil die Walze und das Register miteinander gar keine Berbindung haben, sondern vollkommen unabhangig und fur sich allein zu ihren handlungen und Wirkungen erklecklich sind. Es ist demnach gerade so viel, als wenn unser Herr Mechaniker nicht nur eine einzige, sondern gar zwo -- und noch dazu auf zwenerlen Bortheile, selbst schreibende Maschinen, folgsam zwey unterschiedene Kunst und Meisterstucke in einem vensammen erfunden, versertiget und verewiget hatte.

This aforementioned wondrous machine has two apparent tools, or mechanical means, which it offers to everyone to understand and execute their thoughts. If one simply wants to dictate something to it, whatever it may be, one takes the prepared statement in one hand, places it on the roller located below, using the accompanying pins, precisely word for word, pulls it back, and lets it write immediately until it is completely finished; it will even author on its own when it has no further instructions on the given topic. One can safely leave it entirely alone and pursue one's business at will in the meantime. -- But if one does not want to do this, but rather converse with it in person, then one does not need the entire mathematical roller, which can even be removed and put away completely, as the great artist had already done for me at my request: one then only needs to touch the register appearing next to it, according to the visible alphabet there, and communicate one's intentions, one's innermost thoughts, freely from the mind, without any further signs, in this simplest way, or first compose and assemble something in one's mind; in short: one only needs to think and then give it a sign, and it already knows the secret of our thoughts, it instantly drafts them, brings them to paper, entirely according to the free will of the thinking person, without the latter having to strain and exhaust their chest and voice by speaking beforehand. From which it is then clearly evident that this divine machine can perform its art in two ways, namely by means of the roller, where everything is given to it all at once, and it immediately processes the topic on its own; or by means of the register, since, on the other hand, one works with it step by step, as it were, purely in thought, without leaving any visible marks, and only allows it to know its secrets for brief moments, only in passing, or even entrusts them to it very quickly. In this way, the wonder is doubled, and the value of this all-writing machine increases exceptionally precisely because the cylinder and the register have no connection with each other, but are completely independent and sufficient in themselves for their actions and effects. It is therefore just as if our master mechanic had invented, constructed, and immortalized not just one, but two—and moreover, two machines with different advantages—self-writing machines, consequently two distinct works of art and masterpieces, all in one.

More that the machine wrote around page 58-9

Could write as many as 107 words

Last of Von Knauss’s writers was presented to Austrian Emperor on October 4, 1760; wrote passage of 68 words in French

MONSIEUR!

Faites moi la grace de m' écuter à ce, que je vous ecris par celle ci.

Le monde a cru, que je ne serois jamais perfectionné par mon créateur, même on le persécuta tant, qu'il fut possible: mais maintenant il m'a mis dans un tel état, que j’ écris toutes les lanques, malgré tous ses envieux, et je suis en vérité

MONSIEUR le plus fidel Vienne le 4. Octobr. Secretaire.

(quoted in Selbstscreibende Wundermaschinen page 45)

Von Knaus wrote Selbstschreibende Wundermaschinen (1780) — “Malassis of Paris found an original piece of mechanical writing folded in with one of the plates” (291)

Seems the first three writers only produced a set text; the latter could be programmed

34 levers; each pushes on a large horizontal cylinder; cylinder has ratchet wheel of 79 teeth

Cylinder has 34 rows of 79 holes which pegs can be put into

Pegs control what letter is written

Jacquet-Droz writing machine

From Alfred Chapuis and Edmond Droz, Automata: A Historical and Technological Study (1958) https://archive.org/details/automatahistoric0000edmo/page/292/mode/2up

Complete by 1772; displayed around Europe along with draughtsman, musician, and grotto

Distinguishes between light and heavy strokes, leaves spaces between words, changes lines

“To compose a text, the disc is taken out and the wedges are adjusted to produce the desired letters.”

Maillardet’s writing machine

On the one that turned up in Philadelphia: https://fi.edu/en/science-and-education/collection/maillardets-automaton

Father Charles Paris’s writing machine 
Lazarite monk; sent to China to succeed Jesuit fathers and continue French mission

studied automata, carillon, etc before going to China; Emperor Kien-Long asked him to make a new version of the automata the King of England had sent him

Made one 4-5 tall, wrote praises of Emperor in Chinese, Tartar, Mongol, Tibetan

Houdin draughtsman-writer

Exhibited at the Paris Exhibition of 1844