Typewriter Talk / Smith Corona Electra 220 What are these plates for?

**Posted by Kalani** 04-2-2023 10:05:02

I took the body off of a Smith Corona Electra 220 and found these 2 plates inside, one mounted sort of, and the other loose laying on the bottom. Does anyone know what they are for and how they are mounted to the internal frame, etc?
Are they even needed?

Thanks for your help.
I checked my series 6 manuals and there's no mention of them and no pictures of them.
k

**Posted by OregonJim** 04-2-2023 12:26:17

I'm guessing from their location that they were part of a shipping bracket that the dealer forgot to remove. There was probably a third piece that spanned the two brackets across the type basket to prevent the typebars from hitting the platen while in transit. Just a guess.

**Posted by Pete E.** 04-2-2023 13:41:43

I am curious about the sheet metal cover over the idler pulley.

Seems like a home-made item...???

I had had 2 Electra 220's come across by work bench. Certainly not enough to know either way...but my 2 machines did not have such. But then again, my 2 machines could have come with them and were just lost over time in a repair shop...???...

**Posted by Kalani** 04-2-2023 13:49:32

Pete E. wrote:
I am curious about the sheet metal cover over the idler pulley.

Seems like a home-made item...???

I had had 2 Electra 220's come across by work bench. Certainly not enough to know either way...but my 2 machines did not have such. But then again, my 2 machines could have come with them and were just lost over time in a repair shop...???...

I had a senior "brain fart" moment. There's 3 typewriters on my shop table that are opened up and this one is an "Electra 250". The ones' with the full length bottom rubber bumpers and other features.
Apologies.
THe 250 seems pretty much the same as the 220. I don't know what the differences are.
But, yes, I have several 120, 220, and this 250 and only the 250 had these brackets.
They aren't screwed or bolted on. They just sit in a notch on the side frames with nothing really keeping them there.
Strange.
k

**Posted by Pete E.** 04-2-2023 14:05:50

Duane Jensen goes over some of the "upgrades" with the 250's...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IouRmZ_JlpE

**Posted by Kalani** 05-2-2023 13:41:06

On reassembly, I can't see how these plates have a function. They are not solidly attached to anything. As suggested, perhaps they were originally for shipping from the factory as an inner spacer support for the sliding cover, or some other function. Oh well.
But, putting anything back together again and having extra parts left over is never a good feeling.. . . .
k

**Posted by OregonJim** 06-2-2023 03:10:46

OregonJim wrote:
I'm guessing from their location that they were part of a shipping bracket that the dealer forgot to remove. There was probably a third piece that spanned the two brackets across the type basket to prevent the typebars from hitting the platen while in transit. Just a guess.

On second thought, the type bars aren't really free-moving in an electric machine, so there would be no need to protect them or the platen.

On the other hand, that big black piece over the pulley looks like a "lawyer request". In other words, somebody got their finger caught in the belt while messing with the ribbon (with the power on), and likely tried to sue Smith-Corona. Then the SC lawyers told them to quickly make the machine more idiot-proof, thus the hastily added bracket. Again, just a guess.

**Posted by Kalani** 10-2-2023 13:58:17

Solved:
Found this in the original purchase documents for the typewriter:

**Posted by Pete E.** 10-2-2023 14:52:06

Kalani,

Glad you got to the bottom of this mystery.

BTW...that is such a lovely vertical-cursive script on the luggage tag/label for the typewriter case.

If S-C ever made that type-font, it would be one I would keep in my collection.
.