History of the Typewriter

—250— Fig. i8i. The Merritt. This is a very stately, very ingenious, and thoroughly workable little instrument. The types are of metal, each piece being separate, and are mounted in a suitable holder. Over the types the paper rests in a movable carriage which is hinged, and appears to have been suggested by a much more elaborate machine. In front of the machine will be seen the index plate, and when it is desired to print, the handle (shown in the centre of the illustration) is moved along until it is over the notch corresponding with the desired letter. It is then pressed down, and the type rises in its holder, and passing through a centre guide (identical with that on the Yost) strikes the paper. The capital and figure shifts, and the space key, are shown by the cut. Inking is effected by means of two small rollers placed beneath the carriage, and which can be instantly changed. In many ways the Merritt is the very best of the index machines. Morris. This instrument was manufactured by the Hoggson & Pettiss Manufacturing Company, of New Haven, Fig. 182. Conn., and was patented January nth, 1887. It is a single-case machine, printing only capital letters, figures and punctuation marks. The keyboard, containing forty- five characters, is shown upon the movable type-plate