Typewriter Talk / Royal Standard No. 1 -- spacebar

**Posted by Fleetwing** 03-11-2025 16:07:42

I got this some years ago and finally got around to getting it in working shape. The drawband was broken, but 30 lb. test fishing line seems to work. The keys work fine and move the escapement, but the spacebar sticks down -- won't return and so the escapement will not work unless I push the spacebar back up. Not sure if this is the escapement, or the ribbon vibrator, or what. Right now I'm trying to flush these with lighter fluid but so far without results.

Very hard to get into the depths of the machine to see just what the culprit is. The weird thing is that before I installed a ribbon, the spacebar worked fine. I can't find any repair manuals for this machine anywhere -- it's different enough from the Model 10 that the Ames manual doesn't seem to give me much to go on.

I appreciate any thoughts!

**Posted by Fleetwing** 12-11-2025 22:11:39

Further investigation leads me to think that the righthand spacebar linkage (attached to the underside of the spacebar itself) is binding on the slot where it passes through the sheet metal cover and into the machine's interior. I've tried to form the linkage enough to clear the binding, but without success thus far.

I think I need to get under the sheet metal to get a better purchase on the linkage to form it. Doing so looks to be complicated by the fact that the front of the machine (under the keys) is a series of stair steps, which adds to its distinctive look. Each "step" if you will is held down by a screw at each end, but because each step is slightly overlapped by the one above it (i.e. moving toward the top of the keyboard), I may have to remove or at least loosen each set of screws to be able to get underneath the bottom step where the spacebar linkage enters the innards.

**Posted by Pete E.** 16-11-2025 11:36:17

Not familiar with your machine...as I usually collect from the 1950's and on-wards.

But I have used a small, thin jeweler's metal file to open up the vertical slots on other machines rather than bending a lever/link.

Just passing along a thought.
.

**Posted by Fleetwing** 18-11-2025 16:30:41

Thanks -- actually that was on my mind as one approach. Just a little bit of filing would do the trick; we're talking like .1mm I think. Amazing how the slightest bit of tweaking makes all the difference (and that typewriters are made to be adjusted by judicious bending when necessary).

Actually I think I've been able to bend the righthand spacebar linkage so that it's not binding, without having to resort to getting under the sheet metal as described below, or filing as you suggest. I need to load spools in the machine and test it out but I think I'm on the right track here.