History of the Typewriter

—279— Fig. 203. set of symbols and points to another, or from one language to another, by changing three parts in a few minutes. It prints from the type direct ; not through a ribbon. Its print is clear, and this is always so because the type never gets fouled. The type is inked by a pad, which is easily inked when dry, and replaced when worn out. The ink-pad of the Lambert costs one-fourth as much as a ribbon, and lasts half as long. The other after expense is about in the same proportion. The chief novelty of the Lambert lies in the fact that the “keyboard” is no keyboard at all, but a mere.plate. It hangs on a ball-and-socket joint at its centre. Touch a letter ; it tilts and prints. The type-plate is under the foot, a finger’s length below ; it is all one piece. When the plate is tilted, the foot swings away from the letter touched, and brings that very type to the centre, where the pi inting is done—through the square hole in the shield of the ink-pad. The Lambert is sold in a neat little leather case about the size of a small brief bag, and weighs in all under nine pounds. It can be conveniently carried about when travelling. That it is fast may be inferred from the fact that several typists are said to have averaged no words a minute. The Lasar. jThis machine has also been described as a very large and heavy one. It bore considerable resem- blance to the Horton. Only a few experimental machines were made. We have no details of the Lasa,r, but oui information is that it infringed on some other patents, and it was largely owing to an appeal threatened, if not actually made—to the Courts, that the manufacture of the machine was not persisted in.