The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
PERMINENCF or TYPEWRIrING.
Result of Chemical Tests Made Mt the Re
quest of the state Department.

The recording Of public On the
typewriter. which has been authorized Lately in
,evera! States. has given rise 70 fear that writ
ing done in this way is likely to fade and iISap-
pear after a few years. Complaints have been
received to the effect that typewritten records
which were supposed 70 be as PERMANENT as
those made with a pen have become 50 nearly
eiaced that 1t will be necessary 70 have them
recopied il the text IS t. De preserved.
lnasmuch as the typewriter IS now used gen.
orally 70 record the proceedings q courts. has
found its way into a.Ithe departments az Wash
ington. and has suprlanted the pen wherevsr
speed in writing ard clearneS- ot cory ara ie-
sirabie. il is highly Important that the tuya-
bility of typewriter documents should be- as
sured il the machine is to retain The place
which it occupies at present. 1t Is only within
the last two years that inventors have made it
possible t. adapt thu typewriter for use upon
bound pages. ~Bookwriters - machines that
will write in books % am size and thickness
ara now used throughout tho country. and TO
their introduction probably more than 70 any,
thing else are due the ioults concerning the
inie!ihiiity Of tyrewritten impressions,
The ribbons which are employed for mixing
automatically the type VI most writing ma
chimes are made in great variety and by scores
OF manufacturers. and in most eases the for
mula for mixing the lax with which the rib
bons are filed is concealed with great rare ~
the respective makers. Through the Efforts Of
the Department Of state. however. - de'or-
mine the permaneucy vi the writing done with
a hook typewriter submitted Tor the adoption Of
that deuartment. an eNperc chemical analysis
has been made 0. the ink with which me rib
bon Of the machine was filed. Both the INK
an the ribbon were submitted lo the Division
OF Chemistry Of the Department. Of Agriculture,
and the following table shows the nature and
percentage OF the pigments and Ives and the
proportion Of oil and other iuiis which the ink
was found 20 contain.
ot iaHaHt, g. ~ ~
pf sia; blue p Gi2
L4m?Dl,ek Or other form u hueiy divided 'ar-
Regarding one Of the ribbons submitted for
=" II was placed III typewriter and samples
Of writing were made IN three grades u "a,
Ter Portions Of each OF these We're submitted
ior seven LAYS % the a''i2ho OF the t3uPwIngFe re-
agents. Petroleum ether, alcohol. water.
alcohol. 8 per cent oNailc acid. 10 per cent.
| ctrIc acid. 10 per cent. hy irO"hiorl" acid. ~
hytrate There was no visible acton excop;
that. in the case o; the chlorine water and
sodium hy1rate. III" wiring was turned brown
thyl-ne Glue and a E4trt OF, the PrussIan blue.
SEVERAL Of these reagents ieroIort2- the ordl-
spite Il TINS partial bleaching n" writing was
sill yers d,s-lnc, aGf readily l":tn.s. ,. .,,,
structibIe Uy reagents which vii not. also de-
stroy ths papeer, and the OF! which toT.nS the
bon 80 far into IN" pa!"?. even when IN" latter
ia very thoroughly glaZe!, that any attempt at
erasure uecessitatcs such an abrasion II thu
surface o. the pau"r as l. read ~ detected by a
lens, i not with the nak"l eye
The only Improvement Indicated by the
testS made hy this department IS the increas"
Of the percentage y ~,rarion and the decrease
doubtedly true that al ink male Of these IN
gradients in the proportions Indicated above
Will meet every requirement in regard 10
!ast p The relative Rermanensy .; the fpjt
lax used upon the, Typewriter ribbons referred
to was made in the department u chemistry
OF the Columbian University. Inscriptions
pen aud the machine. Th.rry-Ono and a half
hours after the ,Inscrtptlon was made with INK
and a half hours after me uLe had b-ru made
on III" Typewriter the -h"ej wa immersed Tor
rye minutes in a strong solution al hydrogen
diox.te, Five time, The volume Of ~,I-tli.et
water was then added and the sheet wa, com,
plately covered with the solution aud a. owed
t. remain in the sunlight "lGhty-'uur hours.
On being removed. washed aud dried u wt-
found that, while the inscription with the IT,
partm-ut'- iHk wa~ scarcely ti~'"rultie. that
made with the machine vas clear and 81 -turr.
lndiyt,tia. tests were also mad w,th b!eaGh,
caustir potash solution. and as" with SOU
tons OF suIPhurIc aid. potas>lum prrman-
bUA4N'F tAN'A ~ Nh1hN $50 $50 - 90 - "N-' ~ 49,.
SUITS obtained from IA" r buru WHICH was 81
the "ulark record variety v"T' -up"riOr 10
those produced by TIA" regular writing luk II
the state Department.
AnotErr ftri r"a'irrnc! ~ n. examiners T.,
thar wri'lng don" with the machine vii! resist
atras on or rra~Ur" murh 'crtrr than 'hat IpLr
with a pen. It's iyUitl thar TIA" INTACT 90. mo
typ' forces 'h- INK well into the aor"- of tu'
paper and uaN"s taH ~'yV"Wr''"u 'ht-t"'' p
much NOR" I'll t'i"l.t 10 rrmuV" with lh"lUlcus
or uthsTw - than those ma 4" with a ton.
Some ribbons IN III" market. mad ~ write
in different q lOrS. viii n.I leave an Al ~'lut"'y
iuieInie IMPRESSION amt ar" no, qua an'a"'l To
DO So. Others are recommended as indrllb'p
without any practical test having been uai e tp
demonstrate the peTuldGeLcT Of thelrrupy rs
not asserted that ordinary printing nix i lack
ing in the uuaiit eS which insure Perfect indie
structihi.Ity 80 far as exposure 70 light and air
Is concerned. aud the ink with which the best
type writer :" record y Gibbons are saturated j.,
composed virtually Of the same Ingredients as
Is the ink used by printers. Experts say that
all ink Of which lam pblack constitutes a prom
inent part is strictly indeltb!e. aud that when
this element forms the base OF the ink used
upon typewriter RIBBONS. no fear should bs m
t~ertained as tn the fastness OF the record
which they produce. ..