All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

Romance of the Typewriter 193 him were severely limited, and reacted somewhat against the success of his efforts for some years. Although the Remington was experiencing such a stern uphill fight against commercial conservatism and prejudice, its chequered career did not affect the enthusiasm of other inventors who aspired to woo fortune with the typewriter. Two men, J ames B. Hammond and Lucien Crandall, endeavoured to steer clear of the Remington patents by introducing type- wheels. This precipitated an unexpected denoue- ment. The machine which had been invented by Pratt in 1866, while he was resident in London, and which was quaintly described as the “ pterotype,” attracted attention. The inventor, realising its short- comings, devoted considerable labour and expense upon improvements. Finally, he applied to the United States Government for patent protection. But, to his dismay, he discovered that Hammond and Crandall disputed his claims with their respective type-wheel principles, and he was threatened with litigation. For a time there was a complete dead- lock, but at last the situation was overcome by Pratt conceding Hammond’s claim to prior invention, while Crandall proceeded with his patent, which, he main- tained, differed from both that of Pratt and Hammond. The typewriter of to-day may be divided into three broad classes, according to the principle of operation. There is the type-bar machine, such as the Remington, and this is the principle adopted in the greater proportion of machines of the times. Then there is the index machine, in which there is an index plate and a pointer. The letter to be printed is brought into position over the printing point, and N