1 of 1- BabyShelagh
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Offline - Registered: 22-3-2015
- Posts: 4
Mercury Royal
The metal piece on my Mercury Royal that holds the ribbon gets stuck in the "up" position. It won't go down. So now when I type, I cannot see what I'm typing. I'm sure I'm not using the correct terms. Thanks in advance.
- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Mercury Royal
With respect to your Royal (manufacturer's name) Mercury (model name), the "metal piece" is called a vibrator. When you say it gets stuck, do you mean on occasion, or does it permanently stay in the elevated position?
Incidentally, is this what your machine looks like?
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- BabyShelagh
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Re: Mercury Royal
Hello, you nice person, you! Thank you for telling me what the proper names are for my trouble area.
Yes, that is my typewriter. I bought via online auction, and I think it has seen little use.
The vibrator stays in the upright position once I start typing.
Thank you
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Thread Starter- ztyper
- Key Master
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- From: Somewhere in New Jersey
- Registered: 01-10-2014
- Posts: 773
Re: Mercury Royal
Hmm... I have a Royal 200, which is the exact same machine as your's only with a different name, and the vibrator has never given me any trouble. Was it stuck in the up position when you got it?
A high schooler with a lot of typewriters. That's pretty much about it.
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Mercury Royal
The same thing has happened on several old machines that I have bought. It's normally caused by old oil / ink / gunk on the sliding parts of the vibrator. I usually take the ribbon off and flush the vibrator freely and repeatedly with meths or a de-greaser (be careful not to get it on the paintwork, just in case). This, and use, tends to free it up again. Also, look closely at the parts - any of them bent? They should be quite flat, I think.
Good luck.
Sincerely,
beak.
- Spazmelda
- Key Master
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- Registered: 25-2-2015
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Re: Mercury Royal
I had a typewriter where the vibrator would get stuck up, not all the time, but sometimes. I did as beak suggested above and it freed it right up. I just used a q-tip soaked in naptha and gently squished the fluid down in there repeatedly.
- BabyShelagh
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- Registered: 22-3-2015
- Posts: 4
Re: Mercury Royal
Thank you all very much! I will do as suggested and post my results. It's a lovely little typewriter, and I look forward to typing my great novel on it. ;-)
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Thread Starter- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Mercury Royal
It's not an uncommon problem. Beak's solution is hopefully all that will be required, but there could be a mechanical issue too. Before you start cleaning the vibrator and all of its moving linkages, you should type a little with the ribbon cover off and verify that the ribbon spools are moving. I've seen a vibrator become jammed in the up position from ribbon tension because the automatic reverse mechanism didn't trip.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- BabyShelagh
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- Registered: 22-3-2015
- Posts: 4
Re: Mercury Royal
Well, all of your great advice worked, and I'm tapping away! I have many more questions, but I will start new threads. Thank you all very much.
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Thread Starter