Re: typewriter function for an impact printer?
If you ever watch someone (for example, at the county clerk's office)
using an IBM electronic typewriter to fill out a form, you'll see
constant manual adjustment of the platen, using the clutch which is
built into the platen and is actuated by the knob of the platen.
But common dot-matrix and daisy-wheel printers have no platen clutch.
While they may have a "micro" up and down adjustment buttons, they are
too slow and cumbersome for constant repeated use.
While the IBM Selectric (and particularly, the Correcting Selectric
II) also does a fine job and is easy to use with forms, the problem is
that the Selectric needs periodic adjustment (by a skilled
technician), including replacement of certain parts. Such maintenance
appears no longer to be available commercially. Without periodic
maintenance, the Selectric slowly degrades into an almost unusable
state. Also, with only occasion use, ribbons and correcting tapes dry
out and become unusable. Regrettably, in the present day, it appears
impractical to keep the machine running.
All things considered, it is difficult to improve upon an old type-bar
machine for occasional use in filling out forms. A type-bar machine
which is in good repair needs only an occasional ribbon; and so long
as there are dot-matrix printers, ribbons can be had readily and
cheaply.
RLH
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