Abstract: In an advancing device for the motorized vertical displacement of a record carrier in an electrically driven office machine, which device includes an operating element mounted for movement in either one of two directions from a zero position, and members responsive to movement of the operating element in either one of its two directions for displacing such carrier in a respective vertical direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the operating element, the members are made to be responsive to movement of the operating element in at least one direction from the zero position for advancing the record carrier at a rate which increases as the extent of displacement of the operating element from the zero position increases.