History of the Typewriter

— 123 — this, the teeth of the spring box are geared into the teeth of the rack bar. There is also, similarly situated, another small wheel, which latter is attached to a spur wheel. These spurs engage the dogs, and as the levers are depressed, they cause the universal bar to throw the loose dog out, and so permit of the spur wheel advancing one point. This spur wheel and direct gearing are invaluable in securing rapid and regular work, involving the minimum of strain, adding to the lifetime of the machine and reducing repair bills to a vanishing point. The Williams is manufactured in America, but the eastern hemisphere is controlled by the Williams Type- writer Company for Europe, a company specially organized for the purpose. Group 2.—Thrust Machines. The five machines which follow have the carriage at the rear, but instead of the type-bars striking down to the top of the platen, they are so arranged as to dart forward, striking the platen at the front side. They are thus termed “ thrust machines.” Only one member of the group has attained any large proportion of success, namely, the Empire. This instrument is undoubtedly the best of its class, and the large amount of Government patronage which it has been accorded fully demonstrates the entire practicability of the instrument. The Rapid. In 1890 there was placed on the American market a machine bearing the above name. It was the invention of Mr. Bernard Granville, and was manufactured at Dayton, Ohio, and claimed to possess a number of excellencies not to be met with in other machines. The keyboard extended to forty-five characters, the Rapid writing only capital letters and the necessary figures, and other signs. The characters were engraved