The most striking recent development is the adoption of a three-coloured ribbon device. A simple movement of the lever in front of the machine brings the required colour into place ready for use. A two-colour or single colour ribbon may be employed. If desired the ribbon can be instantly shifted from the printing point for duplicating purposes. The ribbon reverses automatically, and it is attached to the spools with clamps—one on each spool, dispensing entirely with pins and tapes.
Fig. 230. The Oliver No. 3
The Oliver, [Fig. 230], differs in mechanical principle from other machines. It has a wide U-shaped steel type bar, provided with a tool-steel axle as broad as the bar is long, and braced joints insuring the alignment without guides. The connection between the type bars and the key levers is direct and perpendicular. The type bars strike down on the platen in a line perpendicular to its plane, thus transmitting the maximum power with the minimum resistance, and further, maintaining the alignment with several sheets as with one. The type are of steel, and lie face upward—very convenient for cleaning. The keyboard is the "Universal," having twenty-eight keys with a "double" shift, giving eighty-four characters and the special model thirty-two keys, giving ninety-six characters.
The tension and depression of the keys are light and uniform. It may also be noted that the type blocks decrease in weight with the increase of length of type bar—necessary to secure a uniform stroke. The escapement mechanism is exceedingly simple and positive, and although very rapid is almost frictionless. The writing is semi-visible. The carriage is provided with three paper-feed rolls, thus ensuring a perfect feed of the paper down to the bottom edge of the sheet. It runs on anti-friction travellers on guide rails, ensuring an easy and steady motion. It is equipped with all the necessary devices. The line space mechanism operates automatically as the carriage is returned from the left to the right for a new line. The machine is compact and portable—weight about twenty pounds.
The parts of any of the machines now in the market, may readily be disconnected, but care must be taken by the novice in laying aside the parts so that they may be easily and correctly assembled. Repairs on the various parts may be made while out, and when made may be placed in situ. Any or all of the parts may be cleaned when the carriage is taken off. A little study of the machine when sitting before a person, will enable him to understand its mechanism, and when this is accomplished, cleaning and repairing can be done intelligently.
The tendency of the times is to employ the type-writer whenever possible. Special devices are from time to time invented to meet extended uses. The most important of recent applications is to office work for billing and book-keeping; this work alone has necessitated important modifications. In this direction, the tabulator calls for review. The lack of a practical method enabling tabular matter to be typed with a rapidity equal to that of the ordinary typing has long been felt to be a deficiency in type-writers. The invention of the tabulator has enormously increased the scope of the machine in this direction.
The tabulator is a device by means of which, figures or words can be written in columns, with out employment of the space bar or carriage release lever, or any adjustment whatever of the carriage by hand. By its use, the carriage may be set automatically at any point that may be required. At present this device is an accessory to most machines, but in the near future, it must form an integral part of all machines, and further, enable the carriage to be automatically placed in a proper position to write numbers in correct relation to each other in columns; that is, units under units, tens under tens, and so on. The built-in tabulators of to-day, with but two exceptions, are deficient in this respect. The tabulator in either form does not interfere with the use of the machine for other work, such as correspondence, etc.
The tabulator was followed by the introduction of a bi-chrome (two-coloured ribbon), and quite recently the Smith Premier Typewriter Company has advanced still further in this direction by introducing a tri-chrome (three-colour) ribbon. By a simple movement it is possible to vary the colour of the impression instantaneously, so that credits, marginal notes, footnotes, and underscoring may be indicated in red or other colour preferred. One-colour ribbons can be used if desired.