Flexowriter

The Flexowriter was a mechanical printing terminal, similar to a Teletype, popular with early computers in the 1950's and 60's. It was available with an associated paper tape reader/punch.

Unlike the Teletype, which printed using a cylindrical type element carried on a head which moved across the horizontally-held paper, the Flexowriter was built around a 'type basket', conventional on most mechanical typewriters; the paper was held by a rubber roller in a carriage that moved from side to side (again, exactly as on most mechanical typewriters). All of the actuation was done by a combination of relays using AC line power, and an electric motor.

The Flexowriter was originally created in the 1940's by the Commerical Controls Corporation. CCC was purchased by Friden in the 1950's; Friden were in turn purchased by Singer in 1965.

External inks

• Friden - documentation at Bitsavers
  • Friden Flexowriter SFD Technical Manual - an earlier model than the one shown below
• The Friden Flexowriter - Word Processing Before Computers
  • The Friden Flexowriter - A Guided Tour - very well illustrated