Electric Typewriter

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An IBM "Selectric" Typewriter circa 1961.

The electric typewriter was an advanced version of the original typewriter. It contained a motor and improved upon its predecessor in a number of ways. For example, it greatly reduced the instance of “jams,” in which two keys pressed at once became “stuck.” It also created higher-quality documents than traditional typewriters and simplified the typing process. The primary difference between the electric typewriter and the non-electric typewriter was that the former employed a cylindrical typewheel and a motor where the latter engaged individual typebars. The new technology of the typewheel allowed for many of the improvements mentioned previously and ultimately facilitated the widespread popularity of the electric typewriter.

Pivoting Type Balls.

The first electric typewriter was patented by Thomas Edison in 1872. Yet his creation was “large, cumbersome and expensive” (IBM) and thus enjoyed little success. During Edison’s time, the cylindrical typewheel had not been invented, so he relied on a series of magnets to power his machine. George Blickenderfer was the first to create a modern electric typewriter and also the first to employ the new typewheel technology, which functioned in the following manner: “when a key was struck, the cylinder pivoted to that letter, then brushed over an ink roller on its way down to strike the paper on the platen” (Champlin 47). Though certainly an improvement over Edison’s invention, Blickenderfer’s model was likewise unsuccessful. Nonetheless, it did lay the groundwork for the IBM electric typewriter. In 1933, IBM acquired a company called “Electromatic Typewriters, Inc.,” the successor of the Northeast Electric Company, which had worked with Remington to produce the first commercially successful electronic typewriters. IBM developed its own innovative model, the “Selectric” typewriter, which included a pivoting ball. This technology can be viewed in action here: http://www.history.com/videos/history-rewind-electric-typewriter-1961#history-rewind-electric-typewriter-1961.