Technology · 2
On 1870s Sholes & Glidden typewriters, which physical component swung upward to strike the ribbon and was prone to jamming when nearby keys were pressed too quickly?
Answer
The typebar
Each key was connected to a metal typebar that swung up to hit the ribbon and paper; if two typebars for adjacent keys rose at nearly the same time, they collided and jammed, prompting the QWERTY rearrangement.
💡 Did you know?
The QWERTY layout was designed to prevent typewriter jams by separating frequently-used letter pairs, not for typing speed.
Other options people guess
- The ribbon spool
- The carriage return lever
- The platen roller
Topics
- typewriters
- mechanical-history
- qwerty
- vintage-tech
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