Manual Switch Box

I have a manual switch box used to connect one parallel port with two – ie. to connect one PC with two printers. I’d like to use it to connect one Win98SE PC to a Dot Matrix printer and a fairly new HP LaserJet printer. Is there any reason this should not work? And if it would work, is there any reason not to use it? Is there any way it could be harmful to either the computer or one of the printers?

The switch is a beige metal unit approximately 2″ height x 4″ depth x 6″ width. On the frontit has a black knob allowing you to select between ‘A’ and ‘B’. In tiny print along the lower edge it says ‘Data transfer switch.’ On the back it has three parallel ports, one labled I/O, another labled ‘A’, and a third labled ‘B’.