The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-08-27
A DODGE CITY INVENTION.
A New Type Writer Which Promises
to RevOlutiOnize the Business.
Topeka Capital.

Topeka Capital.
The mechanical construction of new
typewriter to be called 1.-The Rapid"
was commenced in Topeka at the ma
chine shops near the Rock Island freight
depot. March 1st. this year. Except an
intermission of about one month. work
has been continuous since that date.
The inventor is J. F. Frankey. a prom
inent lawyer of Dodge City. The ma
chine work was done by Charles Axel-
son and under the mechanical direction
of Mr.. Frankey.
The design of this machine is to furn-
ish more convenient and rapid ma
chine than any now in use. There are
probably thirty or forty type writers
manufactured in this country. and it is "A
singular fact that the first machine
brought out about twenty years ago, will
write almost if not quite as rapidly as
any of the later ones. the improvements
being mainly in the mechanical construc-
ton, enabling the operator to do neater
and more artistic work. Only about
seventy-five per cent. of the time of the
operator on any of the machines can be
employed in actually making letters.
The other % percent of the time is mainly
occupied in making spaces between
words and returning the carriage for a
new line. and turning the platen or pa
per feed to make a space between the
lines. Expert operators estimate tina,
One-fifth of the time is taken up making
spaces between words. This estimate is
probably too high, as the punctuation
marks occupy some of the space and nc
space is required at the end of the line
Probably -fifths of this amount OF
Is per cent would be the correct estimate
About s per cent of the time is requir-
ed to return the carriage and make the
line spaces. 1t is the design of the in
ventor of 1.-The Rapid" TO enable the
operator to utilize large portion of thi;
time in making letters. On the ordinary
type writer it requires the same time tr
make a space between words that it doe:
to make letter. The ''Rapid" is prOvi.
ded with what the inventor denominate:
an Independent spacer, for making
the spaces between the words. that is, i
operates independently of the space
which makes the space for each letter
1t may be struck practically stimuli
taneOusly with the first letter of a wore
when a space will be made in advance o
the letter and also the usual letter space
will be made. A practical Operato
should save at least two-thirds of TIT
time it requires on the machines now il
use to work the spacer between the words
This would add over ten per cent to tn
capacity of the machine for speed.
The carriage return movement i
operated with a treadle by the foot
and returns the carriage and moves tn
paper forward for the next line instanta
neously-quicker than it is possible TO
the operator to grasp the lever for tina
purpose on ordinary machines. 1t save
fully 5 of the Sper cent. of the time o
the operator now required for that pur
pose. These two devices alone, it ma
readily be seen. will enable an operate
to write fully Is per cent. faster than o.
the ordinary machines. Thi. machin
possesses many other novel and conven
lent devices which add both to the spec
and the convenience of the operator. sue
as putting in the paper, releasing tn
carriage, turning the platen to see tn
writing, and many others. On the Who'll
it is simple in construction, having n
small complicated parts and will not east
ly get out of repair.
The general plan of the machine
similar to the Remington and Caligraph
but the details Of construction are radi
cally different from these machines.
HUTCHINSON FAIR ASSOCIATION