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- Engineer
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Offline - Registered: 27-7-2015
- Posts: 4
Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
I am refurbishing this Underwood that I bought a few years ago, when I bought it the carriage refused to stay in place (always slid fully to the left), I've fixed that after dealing with some minor corrosion, and I am replacing the rollers and platen's rubber.
I did notice however there is no bell ring from the carriage. After investigating the design thoroughly I am completely stumped on where the bell mechanism is, or, if there even is one?
Seems like the functionality of a typewriter is severely reduced without a bell; however, I realize 1936 is the height of the depression, and that was possibly a cost reducing measure? Any idea where it is and how it the ring is toggled?
- skywatcher
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
Greetings Engineer and Welcome to the Forum
Looking at the margin rail in picture # 1 from a mechanic's perspective, there is a left margin stop but no right margin stop. If there's no right margin stop, there will be no bell - simple as that. My guess is this unit was designed for home use as opposed to office use before touch typing had become common place.
If you're a hunt and peck typist at home, you tend to keep an eye on the copy paper as you are typing from your thoughts. An office typist would likely be touch typing from a dictation or from a hand written letter so would have his or her eyes on the draft as opposed to the copy. Here's where the line end warning bell comes into play, so the touch typist knows he or she is getting close to the end of the line. Just some thoughts to ponder. All the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Uwe
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
It's likely an Underwood Junior model, which was the most bare-bones that the company sold at the time. It's missing much more than the bell when you compare it to the more expensive models in the range such as the Universal and the Champion. Underwood described it as the Economical model (E), and considered it to be better featured than the competition's budget machines. Such modest typewriters were common at the time, every manufacturer produced one, and as such they were meant for personal use - a situation where a missing bell, among other features, was less of a concern.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Engineer
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
That certainly makes sense thank you both for the details.
Thankfully the typewriter otherwise is in splendid condition, yesterday i cleaned off tobacco stains from the paint, that wasn't easy, but it is now polished and waxed and the paint has a nice shimmer to it now. Other than the rollers and platen everything will be reassembled today!
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Thread Starter- Pete E.
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
Looks like a hunt for new "feet" might be in order...?
- Engineer
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
Pete E. wrote:
Looks like a hunt for new "feet" might be in order...?
Definitely in the list of replacements I am searching for!
If you or anybody else knows of a good place to begin my search for the replacements please let me know
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
In most cases I just use furniture bumpers to replace worn or missing feet. They come in a seemingly endless variety of shapes and sizes, they're extremely easy to find, and they're very inexpensive. Then again, I'm more concerned about function than replicating the original feet in every detail; it would be one thing if I was restoring a model that was extremely difficult to find, but for common models rubber bumpers don't look out of place.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- skywatcher
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Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
Hi Again Engineer
Assuming you are in the US, the first person who comes to mind is Tony at Typewriter Stuff. Tony has been working in typewriter repair shops since the 1970's and now has his own shop where he makes feet and other accessories for vintage typewriters. Whether he has feet for your particular machine, I don't know, but it's probably worth getting in touch with him. Tony sells on both Etsy and eBay. (click on links)
If you are in the UK, then Tom The Typewriter Man is the person to contact. Tom is factory trained typewriter technician who has been repairing typewriters in the UK since the 1970's. Hope this gives you a useable starting point. All the best,
Sky
We humans go through many computers in our lives, but in their lives, typewriters go through many of us.
In that way, they’re like violins, like ancestral swords. So I use mine with honor and treat them with respect.
I try to leave them in better condition than I met them. I am not their first user, nor will I be their last.
Frederic S. Durbin. (Typewriter mania and the modern writer)
- Pete E.
- Typewriter Talk Elite
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- From: Idaho - USA
- Registered: 23-6-2020
- Posts: 2,406
Re: Underwood Portable (1936) E model - Where is the bell mechanism?
Several of the local hardware stores near my home have some very decent selection of rubber bottle stoppers in their hardware aisles. Good starter-material that may need some trimming and shaping.
And as Uwe mentioned...the furniture pads work well too.
I even glued on new rubber/neoprene washers to the bottoms of my existing feet on my Royal Futura 800 machines. Feet shape was still good, but the old rubber hardened like glass and would not grip onto my desk top. Now they do very well.
Sort of like using re-thread tires on a car...like we did when young and poor students.
.
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