thetypewriterman wrote:

The printwheel on the right is definitely for a Silver-Reed - no doubt about that at all.  The one on the left can't be from an IBM Actionwriter because the basic mechanical mechanism was actually made for IBM by Triumph-Adler - the one and only time IBM sub-contracted manufacture to another maker (the Actionwriter's circuit board was all-IBM)  The Actionwriter takes a T-A printwheel.

Yes, I've since been able to confirm that the mystery wheel does not fit the Actionwriter, or at least my one which arrived yesterday. I thought it might, because, if one ignores the cap on the mystery wheel, then the metal spring clipping mechanism either side of the central hole is similar. But the Actionwriter's wheel has a larger diameter.

thetypewriterman wrote:

 The cap on the mystery printwheel looks exactly like the one on an IBM 196c (Selectric III) golfball head.  There isn't any posssibility that someone has been fiddling around fitting a golfball cap onto an old printwheel to make it work on a Siver-Reed ? Does it look like a factory job when you turn the printwheel over ? 

Great idea. I'd certainly say it looks quite crude compared to the Silver Reed one (note the uneven counter-sinking in particular - the mystery wheel is still the one on the left. The one on the right is out of focus; the counter-sinking on that one certainly isn't even either, but it's way better than on the mystery wheel):



But here's an interesting thing which may possibly indicate, while it has been relatively crudely put together, it could be an 'IBM' thing (possibly a prototype?): it came in a plastic container embossed with the IBM logo and which seems to be perfectly made for it.

Here's the internals of the container:

 

Could the container be for an Actionwriter wheel? I can't see any such containers in a Google image search for 'Actionwriter printwheel' - have you ever seen them before? Also, while it does just fit an Actionwriter wheel:



The plastic hub in the centre of the container is too small for the Actionwriter wheel - it doesn't hold it in place at all - the wheel rattles about freely in the case. Plus when you look through the window of the container, you can't clearly see the text written on the wheel, i.e. the text is partly obscured by the container (the hole isn't big enough):



However the mystery wheel snaps onto the hub of the container perfectly, holding it tightly:

 

And when you look through the hole in the container you can easily see the writing to know what wheel is in it:



 

thetypewriterman wrote:

OK then.  Possibly the mystery wheel IS an IBM product.  I wonder if it (and its container) were made not for a typewriter but for a daisywheel printer - in which case of course it would be totally useless to you !

Good thought, it could well be for a printer. I'm a bit surprised however that I couldn't see any similar containers when I did a Google image search for "IBM Printwheel".

I'm hoping I will get some use out of it eventually - I may get a Silver Reed EX series typewriter at some point, and the size, letter placement and fittings seem identical to the Silver Reed wheels. Funnily enough that may well also mean I have a daisywheel printer as I gather at least one model in that series can serve as such!

Once incentive I have to get a Silver Reed daisy wheel machine is because this mystery wheel came in a package with 10 Silver Reed wheels of various fonts, so it might be nice to play with them.

There are 3 numbers embossed on the wheel itself (not the clip that somebody may have stuck on).

Each number is 3 digits with leading zeros where necessary: 726, 067, 005

From a brief look at images of print wheels online, the numbers also seem to point to IBM. On their printwheels for the Wheelwriter, they have 3 3-digit numbers with leading zeros, 067 indicating UK for example.

I can't yet find any other printwheel brand that has the same numbering habit.

All quite curious. Does any one know, or is anyone, an old-time IBM service person who may be able to shed some light. The person I bought the collection of wheels that these came with did say they were from an IBM engineer I think., but I am not in contact with them.

I have two of these, unfortunately they are both Rhetoric 10 so that makes the fun exactly 50% of what it could be.