History of the Typewriter

— 135 — The type-bars in the Brooks are constructed on a new principle. The pivot, instead of being part of the type-bar is rigidly driven into the hanger, and is of twice the length and size of those attached to the type-bar. The wearing point is thus much more extended, with the result that the alignment is rendered more lasting. The mechanism of the machine is very simple, there being only some 600 parts therein. The space after a word can be made simultaneously with the last letter in the word. This feature is only possessed by the Waverley, some models of the Blick, and the Brooks. Among other features claimed for it are the following:—There is an automatic line lock, preventing letters from being piled up at the end of the line of writing. The platen can be easily removed, and the upper carriage with the paper in its place, may also be easily taken off. An extra wide carriage can be fixed on the smaller machine. The key levers have uniform depression and leverage. It feeds paper nine inches wide and writes a line of seven and a half inches. The exact printing point is indicated by a pointer, and the ribbon is easily removed and readily reversed. The platen can be revolved in any direction, whilst the bell trip may be adjusted to ring at any desired spot ; all of which features are now regarded as essential in a first-class machine. The Waverley Typewriter. This machine, which was first placed upon the market in about 1896, was of English invention and manufacture, having been patented by Messrs. Higgins & Jenkins, and made at Clapham, London. The type-bars stood erect, striking down on top of the platen towards the operator. The inking was effected by means of a ribbon, and the universal keyboard, with one shift-key, was employed. But although employing a shift-key, the method by which the Waverley machine changed from lower case to capitals was altogether different to that of any other typewriter. So far as the type-bars were concerned, a separate bar was provided for every character used on the machine, seventy-six in all. On the depression of the hift-key, the practical effect was to unhook the connecting wire between the further end of the lever and the type-bar and hook it on to the connecting wire of the capital type-bar. The advantage secured by this device was, that it ^was impossible for the capitals or lower case Jetters to print