Merritt Manufacturing Co., Springfield, USA

The designer was M.G. Merritt. The typewriter was patented in 1890. It was introduced on the market in 1889. Later it was produced by Lyon Manufacturing Company Co. of New York. Merritt is a linear index typewriter. The sliding rail contains small letters, capitals and symbols. Depression of the knob raises each type to the underside of the platen. Merritt is a blind typewriter and the typist had to lift the carriage to see the work. Although inexpensive, it could not compete with the keyboard typewriters. It was on the market for about ten years.