LATEST INVENTIONS.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 27 February 1928, Page 6

LATEST INVENTIONS.

WORK-SAVING DEVICES. CHICAGO BUSINESS SHOW. An automatic typewriter, somewhat like a player-piano in its operation, and which, it was claimed, does more work than three typists, was exhibited at the National Business Show at Chicago. Four of these machines, which one girl can supervise, do more work than 12 individual typists, it was asserted. A letter is written on a record, just as on a music roll, and this roll is then inserted in a cabinet. An operator merely presses a- button to start the electric current, and' the typewriters that are connected commence to write out the letter. If any inserts are needed the machine can be stopped while the words are written on the typewriter, and the current can be turned on again to write the rest automatically, it was explained. Another device was a machine that multiplies, adds, subtracts, and divides simultaneously. In three seconds and with a single stroke of a lever this calculator solves intricate problems, it is asserted. An automatic cheque writing machine that writes a cheque, makes a record of it, and then releases the cheque, and at any time can reveal the total amount of all cheques written, was also presented at the show. For convenience of restaurant and theatre owners, and other business men, a drum-shaped receptacle built outside a bank to receive deposits after banking hours from those who have a key to the device was shown. A chute leads from the receptacle to the bank. Aluminium furniture composed another exhibit. Of interest to the woman shopper was a small metal plate to be carried by her. After selecting merchandise she passes the plate to the clerk, who presses it down on an order book page, thereby imprinting the shopper’s name, address, and charge account number. This speeds up sales, and tends to discouiage fraud, it was said.