History of the Typewriter
Forfatter: Geo. Carl Mares
År: 1909
Forlag: Guilbert Pitman
Sted: London
Sider: 318
Søgning i bogen
Den bedste måde at søge i bogen er ved at downloade PDF'en og søge i den.
Derved får du fremhævet ordene visuelt direkte på billedet af siden.
Digitaliseret bog
Bogens tekst er maskinlæst, så der kan være en del fejl og mangler.
—164 —
We referred just now to the “ depression ” of keys.
Properly speaking the keys are not depressed, at any rate
in the usual sense of the word. They are just tilted, ever
so slightly, not more than one-eighth or one-tenth of an
inch. Directly this distance is covered, a slight and al-
most imperceptible “ click ” is heard, and behold, the
letter is printed. The click is the sign of the breaking of
the contact which the clutch before mentioned has made,
and in a flash, the result is made upon the paper.
Now, when the key is tilted, the impression is made
automatically. The lightest and most fairy-like touch
will produce just the same quality of impression as would
a sledge hammer. It is waste of energy to strike hard.
The operator does not, in fact, strike at all, but merely
indicates by a touch the character wanted, and it is printed.
Light touch, thereiore, does its work. The machine
always exerts an even touch, and the impression is regular.
One letter is not faint and the next blurred. The writing
is as even as though from a printing press.
If, for the purpose of making a number of carbon copies,
it is thought a heavier blow is required, the machine, by
the movement of a lever, will throw on that extra power.
The machine does it. The operator indicates what he wants
the machine to do, and the machine does it ! Up to fifteen
or more carbons can be turned out at one operation, and no
more effort is required on the part of the operator than if
one copy only were wanted.
Then there are two keys on the right of the keyboard,
marked “ R ” and “ L ” respectively. Touch the one
marked “ L ”, and the carriage returns automatically to
the commencement of a new line, shifting the paper as it
does so. Touch the “ R ” key, and the carriage travels
slowly to the right, enabling any margin to be made. Work
the two fingers alternately ’on these keys, and the carriage
sways to and fro like a thing possessed, but always under
the most perfect control. The practical effect of this is
that the writing proceeds from the “ Dear Sir ” to the
“ Yours truly,” without raising the hand from the key-
board. If the machine under notice contained no further
novelty than these two keys, the makers would be fully
justified in placing it on the market, on its own merits, in
competition with all others.
Then the carriages are interchangeable. Lift a catch and
the foolscap carriage will slide off, and a brief one put on. •
Same machine in all cases, but with a power of carrying
any carriage, whatever its length. We understand the