Typewriter Talk / 1976 Baby Hermes: update: question on ribbon direction lever. . where?

**Posted by Kalani** 16-12-2022 22:30:04

Thanks everyone for your kind help. I got everything working, serviced, and put back together. After putting in a new ribbon, I can't find a lever or thing to switch the direction of the ribbon.
How to switch ribbon direction?
Can anyone help me figure this out?

Huge thanks.
jim

**Posted by Kalani** 16-12-2022 22:31:35

1976 Baby Hermes.

**Posted by Pete E.** 17-12-2022 10:25:45

Hi Kalani,

I have a 1968 Hermes Baby made in Germany...but I think mine might be very similar to your machine.

1. Firstly, Hermes machines take ribbons with small metal eyelets at both end of the ribbon. Check your ribbon/spools and verify you have a metal eyelet on each end of your ribbon. The automatic reversing mechanism will not work without those eyelets.

2. If you ribbon has the eyelets and still does not reverse, you might need to deep clean all the mechanisms that move and reverse the ribbon.

3. On my 1968 machine, there is a manual lever to reverse the ribbon. I have circled its location in red in the photo and you gently move it towards the back of the machine one time and release it and it should spring-return back by itself and the direction of your ribbon movement should have then reversed. It not...the mechanisms are probably gunked-up and need a cleaning.

Hope these tips are of some use to you. Let us know what you find.

p.s. You can operate a Hermes without the ribbon metal eyelets...but then you will just have to keep an eye on when you get close to an empty spool on one side and use the little manual lever to force a reversal.
.

**Posted by Pete E.** 17-12-2022 11:36:31

Kalani,

Another thing I noticed in your photos, above.

Your plastic ribbon spools might not be seated, completely downwards on the ribbon posts. The top of the metal spindle for each spool mechanism should be "flush" with the top of the plastic spool.

In your photo, I cannot see the top of the spindle.

**Posted by Kalani** 17-12-2022 12:28:37

Thanks so much for your help. There's no lever on the Hermes that I have. Shucks.
The spools are engaged okay. But, they don't "auto reverse". So, I guess that's next on the list of things to fix.

Huge thanks again.

**Posted by Pete E.** 17-12-2022 12:55:22

Kalani,

That is perplexing...

There is a 1980-made machine (Brazil made) in the TWDB galleries that seems to have that little lever.

Is it possible your rubber bumper around the metal lever fell off and the lever is tight against metal framing and maybe not easily visible ?
.

.

**Posted by Kalani** 17-12-2022 21:42:16

Okay. I found it. It's really deep inside and "dark" so not easily visible.
I pushed it with a small screwdriver and the ribbon direction doesn't reverse.
More "fiddling" with the rubber bumper metal tab thing, still no direction reversal.
Although, when pushing it back and forth, I see linkages moving under each "spindle".
New to this so don't know what things are called.
So, at this point, the auto reverse doesn't work and the rubber baby bumper tab doesn't work as well.
Maybe the only way to reverse the ribbon is to switch the spools as a last resort?

Huge thanks for the help.
jim

**Posted by Pete E.** 18-12-2022 07:45:59

Kalani,

If you remove the machine from its bottom/case...more of the ribbon movement and reversal mechanisms should be accessible :

1. To make sure they are all clean. I use denatured alcohol and my air compressor for blowing out on the liquified gunk.

2. You can also trace all the linkages and make sure they are all connected and/or aligned to result in a "reversal" of the ribbon direction movements.

**Posted by Kalani** 18-12-2022 16:42:41

Huge thanks for the help.
Machine is clean everywhere.
Mechanisms seem to be in order. Nothing disconnected or bent or missing.
The "hook" shaped thing beneath each spindle moves when the rubber baby bumper tab is pushed all the way, but the spindle direction isn't activated until the hook is further depressed by hand.

There is a cross link stiff wire that connects both spindles via this end mechanism, shown here with the top of a pin fastened with a ""C" link. If that is pushed either all left or right, then the direction of the spindles do indeed change.
But, I don't see how that motion is effected by the; rubber baby bumper tab, or the "C" hooks below the spindles, or the movements (none) of the ribbon guides.

so, at this point, I'm lost at what to do. The ribbon direction at least can be changed by pushing those end pivot blocks that are connected with a long cross link/wire to each other, from either full left or full right. Beyond that, including the rubber baby bumper tab, there's no other way to reverse direction. Short of just flipping the ribbon spools.

Do you have any ideas on where to look or what next?

Huge thanks again. I'm new to all this so sorry for the lack of terminology on what things are called on a typewriter.
Aloha
jim

**Posted by Pete E.** 18-12-2022 18:03:26

Hi Kalani / Jim , Let's go back to the issue of whether your existing ribbon has metal eyelets on each of the ribbon or not. The two “ribbon guides” (circled in green in the photo, below) need the metal eyelet at the near end of the ribbon to trigger the ribbon guide to move towards the center of the machine. Once the ribbon guide has moved and is held there by the tension against the ribbon, the next strike of a type-slug on the platen will result in a reversal of the ribbon movement direction. Assuming your ribbon does not have eyelets, you can still figure out if it works… Note which spool and the ribbon direction is presently moving to. Then at the ribbon guide on the opposite side, hold the ribbon guide with a finger and keep it held in place while you press any key-top. With the strike of that key-top, release that ribbon guide by removing your finger. Now when you type a few letters, you should observe that the ribbon has reversed direction but with the help of your finger on the ribbon guide. If this happens and the reversal has taken place, then the only thing missing are the ribbon metal eyelets...one on each end of the ribbon. Let us know what you find with this experiment...
.

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