Ford Typewriter Ford Typewriter The Ford typewriter was an early prototype typewriter introduced in 1895 by Eugene A. Ford, who later became chief development engineer at IBM (no relation to Henry Ford who founded the Ford Motor Company). It was a commercial failure and only a few were manufactured. Unlike many competing typewriters of this time, it was a forward-striking machine, meaning the hammer struck forward against the paper which was held against the platen roller, instead of up from underneath. This allowed the typist to see the text as it was typed, which was not possible in most other typewriters of
Typewriter was acquired by IBM, which then spent on a redesign of the Electromatic Typewriter, launching the IBM Electric Typewriter Model 01 in 1935. By 1958 IBM was deriving 8% of its revenue from the sale of electric typewriters. In 1931, an electric typewriter was introduced by Varityper Corporation. It was called the "Varityper", because a narrow cylinder-like wheel could be replaced to change the font. Electrical typewriter designs removed the "direct" mechanical connection between the keys and the element that struck the paper. Not to be confused with later "electronic" typewriters, electric typewriters contained only a single electrical component: the