A typewriter is a machine that produces letters on paper when the user strikes a key, which, in turn, forces a steel type to hit a ribbon and transfer ink from that ribbon to the paper. Typewriters were used from the late 1800s until the late 1900s when computers gained popularity. The earliest U.S. patent for a typewriter was issued in 1829 to William Austin Burt of Detroit, Mich., for a device called the Typographer. It consisted of a type mounted on a semicircular frame. The frame was turned to bring the desired letter to the printing point. It was then pressed against the paper using a lever.

Source: Britannica