DigiSim

Front-Strike Mechanical Typewriter

Writing machines · 1920s

EN
Front-Strike Mechanical Typewriter

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Operate

1× = 0.65 s per key · inspection timing

Inspect

Record

New sheet discards every impression on the current page. Save the paper first to keep a copy.

Margins and tab stops

Tab stops follow the carriage scale.

Keyboard, model and sources

American fraction keyboard: 42 keys, 84 faces, 83 distinct glyphs. No dedicated 1, !, + or =. Unsupported text is rejected as a whole. Backspace never erases.

Reconstructed from period manuals and photographs, with the original project’s movable geometry. Dimensions, 20-tooth escapement, 54-tooth line ratchet and auxiliary contact phases are illustrative, not factory CAD.

Pin-and-slot motion and rack/pinion phase are solved geometrically. Forces, wear, paper deformation and simultaneous-key jams are outside the model. Inspection speed and synthesized impact sounds are not historical measurements.

1929 manufacturer’s operating manual
1920 mechanism and repair manual

Whole machine

Drag to orbit; pinch or Ctrl/⌘ + scroll to zoom. Click the machine, then type on your keyboard, or click a key.

Inside the stroke
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At restSelect a character key

Choose a key, then use Step to follow its complete mechanical stroke.

  1. 1Select type face
  2. 2Key drives typebar
  3. 3Ribbon contact
  4. 4Typebar returns
  5. 5Carriage advances
Column / margin
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Key travel
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Typebar angle
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Carriage lift
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Impressions
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Queued actions
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Latest marks on paper