1 - freck
- New Member
Offline - Registered: 02-7-2015
- Posts: 6
Carriage Won't Advance
Hi, I recently inherited an old Underwood (probably a 4 or 5 I think?). All the keys work great, the only problem is that after I press a key, the carriage doesn't advance to the next space. It allows me to push the carriage over a space (with a great amount of force) after I type a letter, but it won't go automatically. Any ideas why this might be happening? Thanks.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
Sounds like an extreme amount of grime on the carriage rails, and the escapment gears. If you can, move the carriage all the way to one side, and clean. OR (Less likley) It may have been dropped at some point, bending some part of the frame making the carriage wont move. That happened with my Royal KMG.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Uwe
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
It's important to first determine freck if the problem suddenly appeared, or if it was like this when you first got the typewriter. Also, be careful when forcing anything on a typewriter as it's very easy to do more damage and create even bigger headaches for yourself.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- malole
- Inactive Account
Offline
- From: East Anglia, UK
- Registered: 02-6-2014
- Posts: 330
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
Could it be a broken draw band? This is the first thing I think when I hear this described. All three Remington Portables I have, had descriptions of carriage not advancing, and it was just that the draw band was snapped / broken, due to wear and tear of the old gut string.
A good and careful clean would be my first port of call, then you can see better what might be wrong 
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
^ No, In his picture in the other posts, the drawband is there.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Uwe
- Moderator
Offline
- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,408
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
TypewriterGuy wrote:
^ No, In his picture in the other posts, the drawband is there.
And there's no chance the pictures were taken before something like the drawband broke? ;-)
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Mech
- Touch Typist
Offline
- From: California
- Registered: 06-4-2015
- Posts: 109
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
Could it be a broken draw band? This is the first thing I think when I hear this described.
I agree with malole. My typewriters that have had carriage advancement problems had either broken or detached drawbands. I would check to make sure that the drawband is intact and attached to the mainspring and carriage with adequate tension.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
Offline
- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
But he said the carriage was hard to push on, so I would say thats not a drawband problem, but a lcoked upescapment.
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- malole
- Inactive Account
Offline
- From: East Anglia, UK
- Registered: 02-6-2014
- Posts: 330
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
Well, freck, could be a whole combination of issues, really! But hopefully it is something - one thing that can be fixed without too much bother - ie cleaning and maybe de-rusting, drawband maintenance. Perhaps a bit daunting if it is your first typewriter, but take things slowly and bit by bit, you can eliminate all the possibilites we are suggesting!
- Mech
- Touch Typist
Offline
- From: California
- Registered: 06-4-2015
- Posts: 109
Re: Carriage Won't Advance
But he said the carriage was hard to push on, so I would say thats not a drawband problem, but a lcoked upescapment.
A recent typewriter that I worked on with a carriage advancement problem had a combination of issues. The carriage wouldn't move because:
1. the drawband was intact but detached,
2. the drawband was tangled and jammed under the carriage, preventing movement on the rails,
3. the mainspring wasn't winding - gummed up
4. The carriage rails were very dirty and rusty
5. the escapement was all gummed up
After I noticed that the drawband was detached and jammed under the rails, I carefully removed it. I then tested the escapement by gently pulling to the left on the carriage while I typed (to simulate a functional drawband). I found that the carriage advanced when I pulled gently to the left.
I then examined the mainspring to see if it had "zip" when wound - enough power to pull the carriage. It wasn't moving, so I applied a penetrant and manually worked the spring until it was winding with some power. Fortunately, the mainspring wasn't broken which could be another cause for the lack of carriage advancement.
I also cleaned the carriage rails and escapement, wound the functional mainspring, reattached the drawband and the carriage began to move with typing. It was a combination of issues that was causing the lack of carriage advancement and fortunately the escapement was merely a bit gummy.
When I prowl junk stores and come upon a "broken typewriter", I check the drawband first to make sure that it is attached with adequate tension. It is not uncommon to find a broken or detached drawband.
Last edited by Mech (04-7-2015 01:07:05)
