History of the Typewriter

—251— on top of the machine, the character required to be printed being brought directly under the pointer above, when the knob is grasped by the right hand and depressed, and the printing is done by means of a rubber type-plate below, upon the platen which holds the paper. The Morris prints from the face of the type, much after the manner of the Hall, no ribbon being required. The types are moulded on the end of the rubber posts, or pillows, and these are held in their relative positions by a perforated metal plate which is exact, and brings each letter to the line, rendering it impossible to print out of alignment. The machine weighs 4I pounds. Mercury. This machine, although classed in the Fig. 183. index section as a matter of convenience, really occupies a midway position between ordinary keyed typewriters and those of the index variety. It was an ingenious and altogether remarkable attempt to make the most of each idea, since a complete keyboard working with a double shift was provided, the order of the keys being according to the standard arrangement. At the same time the impression was made by means of the impression key at the left of the keyboard. The type characters were engraved on the periphery of a wheel which slid along on its axis when the shift-keys were used. The movement of the letter keys was trans-| mitted to the typewheel by means of a toothed rack. This rack was geared to a similarly geared wheel attached to the typewheel, and as it rose more or less according to the key operated, the wheel performed a corresponding rotation. When the selected letter faced the printing point, the depression of the printing key caused the impact. Inking was effected by means of a moist ink roll, which pressed constantly against the typewheel. The paper fed round a cylinder, mounted on a travelling carriage in the usual way. McLoughlin. This machine was placed on the