> Carriage return moved the paper (on typewriters before the IBM Ball) and moved the print head (the "ball" on an IBM typewriter, or the actual print head on TTYs and DECWriter equivalents) back to column 0.
Carriage return always returned the carriage to the far right. Neither the print ball (if there was one), the printwheel, nor the typebars moved. Linefeed rotated the platen.
It's true the carriage return lever operated both the carriage and the platen. Manually operated with the left hand and pushed one level deep it would release the carriage lock and let you return the carriage to the right. Pushed a second level deep it would rotate the platen one, one and a half, or two lines depending on the setting.
> Neither the print ball (if there was one), the printwheel, nor the typebars moved.
Certainly the head moved on most if not all ball/cylinder/wheel devices. Look at the Selectrics, Teletype 33, the Diablo/Xerox/Qume terminals, as common examples.
I have never seen a Selectric in which the ball moved instead of the carriage. I can't imagine how complicated the mechanics would be for that and how often it would jam, break, or malfunction. Certainly not something a company such as IBM would make their reputation on. I used many Selectrics in my time.
Carriage return always returned the carriage to the far right. Neither the print ball (if there was one), the printwheel, nor the typebars moved. Linefeed rotated the platen.
It's true the carriage return lever operated both the carriage and the platen. Manually operated with the left hand and pushed one level deep it would release the carriage lock and let you return the carriage to the right. Pushed a second level deep it would rotate the platen one, one and a half, or two lines depending on the setting.