Sunday, November 17, 2013

Royal HHP a.k.a. the HH



This is my stand-up typing desk.  The HHP sits on top of 2 old speakers at one end of the work bench. This could be captioned A Contrast in Technologies.  The computer is reflecting the ceiling light.


All I did to this one is blow the dust out of it and install a fresh ribbon from Jay Respler.


This is quite like it looked when I received it.



My favorite feature, an easy to read, accurate position indicator.

These are the card guides that flip down by a little lever beside each one.

I ran out of paper.  The last of this section is repeated below.



All the text in the original is clear.  For some reason it blurred.  Blogger is too finicky to remove and try to insert an image.  So please pardon the blurrs.



This little cover flips forward to open allowing removal of the cylinder.


Here it is.  Royal's own name for the ribbon carrier and cylinder.






There are D-shapes in the left end of the platen that fit over the drive pin.

Thought I'd start adding serial number locations.  All I need to do is remember to do it with all typewriters.


I wanted to title this post H-Squared mathematically, but one of the features Blogger lacks is the ability to superscript in the title. I tried coding it and the title does not let me enter html code either.  I thought He2P or H^2P may not be clear to someone not in programming or engineering or math.

21 comments:

  1. Gosh Bill, every time I read your posts it takes me right back to secretarial college, although at no time whatever did I ever know as much about the workings of a typewriter than you do :)

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    1. I was completely ignorant of all but how to change the ribbon and the improper method of cleaning the platen and type slugs when I took typing. It to eons after graduation until I learned the real stuff.

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  2. Your enjoyment of using your Royal HH comes through clearly in this interesting post. One thing that especially caught my attention was your remark about the smoothness of the Adler J4 carriage return. I recently noticed the same thing as I was giving mine some last bits of TLC. I tried to figure out what gives it that quality - many carriages on my machines move as smoothly. Perhaps it is the combination of the smooth-rolling carriage, together with the just right feel of the clicks of the line advance.

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    1. The newer Adler typewriters seem to be quite under rated in the typosphere, but I find I can judge most others by its functionality by comparison to my Adlers or Underwoods. Underwoods beat all in touch and snappy action, but Adlers frictionless carriage (and the easy way they get removed) beat all others. Too bad Underwood carriages (at least the ones I have) are not as slick as even this HH.

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  3. These are great typewriters. They must have been popular around Cincinnati, because about half a dozen have been donated to WordPlay (mostly brown).

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    1. Ryan Adney is not alone in desiring one of each color. I'd like that also -- even if they were all the same pitch or font. As you know these machines are built like a tank or battleship.

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  4. I forgot to add at the end of the typecast that most of the manuals posted on line were green. Mine is pink. I did not think I needed to post the manual (just because it is pink) because there are several sites where the manual is already posted in .pdf

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  5. Magic Margin...ah, the words take me back to my high school typing class and my first years of teaching.

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    1. I don't recall any of these in our class. I remember IBM Selectric and a few other electrics, but I was one of the few taking typing as an elective and got assigned to the manual machines. If I remember correctly I had an Olympia.

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  6. I've always been fascinated by that magic tabulator palm control thing that is such a signature for the Royal HH.

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    1. I find it is the easiest, fastest, and best method for tabbing of any of the keys or bars. Why more manufacturers did not use it (or even Royal using it more) I do not understand. Maybe it was a patent issue and Royal did not want to license it to any other company. The big mystery is why Royal did not use it more. I do not recall it being on their newer machines.

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  7. Great old battleship of a machine. I enjoy visiting them, but they are too large to keep in my corral. (:

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    1. I really do not have room for office machines. Now that I have 2, the Underwood and this one, I need to keep one in the garage and hope to find a place in the house before next summer when the heat in the garage will be too harsh for working typewriters.

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  8. These machines are great! I purchase one and the second machine was a gift. Both machines have great typing action. Not to many bloggers writer about the Royal Standard typewriters, Thank you. Try the FP, that one is excellent! Here is a link to my twins.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bronxtypewriters/

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    1. I noticed an unusual color of an FP about a year ago and I have had an FP with that color on my wish list ever since. I need to be careful not to buy office machines impulsively because I do not have room for them.

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  9. Great review of a fantastic typewriter. A friend who uses this model as his regular desktop model confirms that it is top level for writing.

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    1. This was destined to be my desk top primary typewriter until I got the Underwood Standard. I really like the snap of the Underwood more than the quiet of the softer platen on this one.

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  10. I just bought this same machine this morning at an estate sale for $8. Couldn't believe that price! Nice.... everything seems to move freely and smoothly. Any idea as to when these were produced? My serial number is HHP 5184057 Thanks!

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    1. Looks like 1953 according to The Typewriter Database .
      These are really nice brute kind of machines that seem they will never wear out. Happy typing.

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  11. Thanks for the quick response and info. I'm looking forward to typing on it...

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  12. This one looks like my 1952 model. I have a feeling this one is also a '52 or a very early '53. The shifting mechanism needs a slight adjustment--the capitals are just a tad high. Otherwise, this machine types perfectly. Mine drops its letter h.

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