History of the Typewriter

—106 — semi-circular banks. Each key carried three types, namely, the upper case and lower case letters, and a figure, punctua- tion mark, or other sign. The entire width of the keyboard being just twelve inches, the hand had too great a distance to travel to permit of very high speed. The shift-keys were placed towards the centre of the machine, but above the keys, which would render it a little difficult to avoid error unless working very slowly. The great and essential feature, however, upon which the English was constructed, was the type-bar movement. Fig. 86 The type-bars hung in a semi-circle on a universal pivot, and were kept perpendicular by their own weight. The lower ends were not connected to the levers, but were curved in such a manner as to cause the bar end of the lever, on rising, to tilt the bar, and so bring the type on to the paper. The paper-carriage was, as will be seen by the illustration, at the rear of the machine. A circular universal bar placed under the levers controlled its movement. The depression of the bar had the effect of actuating a ratchet, which rose and fell between two dogs or clutches attached to the carriage frame. This ratchet had an upper and lower set of teeth so arranged that, on the depression of a key, the lower rack fell on the under dog, and when the upper dog was left free, the carriage travelled half the distance of a letter space, and on the return of the universal bar after pressure had been removed, the rack rose clear of the under dog, and completed its movement. On the left of the machine will be noticed a circular drum. In this was coiled the spring, from which was derived the motive power actuating the carriage. A number of minor conveniences were incorporated, and finally the machine was sent out to face all comers. It is unfortunate that greater success did not attend it.