Replacing an Underwood Rhythm Touch (SS) Platen

This arrived in todays mail

In order to use what arrived today I first had to start here and remove it about a week or so ago.  Remove the two screws holding the cover and remove the cover.

The right knob gets removed first by loosening the two set screws.

Loosen the left screw

Loosen the right screw

Use a small screwdriver to hold back the ratchet dog from the line feed ratchet gear.  You can do it with just your fingers if you are brave enough should it slip and you get pinched.

Hold the platen with one hand and twist the shaft using the knob with your other hand while pulling on the knob at the same time.  The black knob not the variable spacer push button.  As you pull you will need to let go of the plaen and release the feed with a screwdriver until the gear passes.  Twist and pull on the line feed knob to help get the shaft out.  Also hold on to the little lever or it will fall. If it falls onto the work bench it will be fine. If it falls on the floor it may decide to hide from view.

This is the little lever that releases the feed dog.

This is where the semi-circular end rides

Original

Feed pressure rollers before removing to send off.  Also shown is the paper feed tray.  Note, every other metal section that fits under the paper tray has a rubber pad on it.

Last Saturday I took time to TRY my Oliver.  Also the Underwood skips when I bottom out the keys rather than properly press them.

The recovered platen

The recovered pressure rollers.  That is not a flat spot on the one small one.  It is a mark like a water mark.

The shaft and line feed are back together.  They go back to gether in reverse of taking them apart. 

The platen shaft has a flat for tightening the set screws against.  Align all the screws with the flat spot.

All finished in about 30 to 40 minutes including the time to take the photos.  After this photo was taken I rejuvenated the rollers on the paper bail and they are not so shiny any longer.

This is what the pressure rollers look like with the paper feed tray installed

This is what the paper feed rollers look like when the feed tray is removed.  The front rollers can be removed quite easily, but the larger ones under the paper tray take a bit if wiggling since they are spring loaded and fit quite tight.  All the rollers are easily removed by loosening the screws in the shaft collars. Note where and how the tiny rollers go on the front ones as they must be reassembled the same.

Not hollow ground, but quite useful around typewriters, especially loosening and tightening the right knob screws on this typewriter.

The two feed roller photos should be near the beginning.  I remembered to insert them too late.  Blogger is a pain to rearrange photos after insertion so they stay out of sequence.

I hope there is enough detail here to help anyone who wants to tackle an Underwood platen.  My 1941 M is the same as this 1947 SS.  I'm unsure how many others match.

Very highly recommended.
 http://www.jjshort.com/typewriter-platen-repair.php

Underwood Master or Champion?

The post card and the image above I think originate in the New York Public Library.  They are all over  on line so I do not know who to correctly recognize as the originating source.

Mine, missing some chrome.

Here's the link to the one that has plastic keys.  The keys even look like they may be dark green.

I thought I may be able to differentiate between Master and Champion by the pull tab on the type slug access door.  Then I found some sites with Underwood Master shown without the pull tab.  I'm sure there are variations between model years, and maybe even production runs.  I'm wondering whether mine is a Master, as I found M to designate that, or was the space bar changed some time in its life, or is that normal for the Master to have CHAMPION on the space bar. Remember in all the typing contests Underwood won. 

Another Typewriter Joins the Staff at Work

Thought is best to use some engineering paper since I was at work in the lab.
I was thinking of my SS when I typed SS.  I meant model S.

Under the sheet of styrofoam was a few sheets of high density foam and the entire machine was packed nicely with it too.  The basket was filled with balled plastic grocery bags and the entire machine stabilized in its foam encasement.  Excellent work.

The machine as it sits on the back section of my desk.  Also the H3k stored away in its house.

Dates to 1940

Wish mine had the fancy paper tray that Robert Messenger's has.  Mine needs some chrome too.

I really enjoy using my Underwoods.  They are the best, snappiest, fastest, easiest typewriters in my collection.

Our engineer intern now wants a typewriter.  I think I'll see what I can find on the to-be-repaired stack for him.  I know I have at least one repairable H3k.

I'll be sending this platen off to JJ Short when the other one comes back.  I could save a few dollars if I'd waited until I got this one. 

Fantastic Underwood Standard

I could not find the model name for this one.  It looks like several. Closest I can find is the Rhythm Touch.

I guess you can tell I get 2 sections of a typecast from one sheet.

I like the shift lock key on both sides.  The margin set on these is different than the ones on the rear. Left sets the right margin and right sets the left margin.  The setting is made by squeezing the indicator and sliding it into position.

Left Side.  Pressure rollers are still soft.  Platen is hard.  Feeds paper like a champ.  Straight and even from the start all through to the end.

Right Side.

I just noticed I typed one CR on the right and the one on the right.  It should be the one on the left is a carriage return and line feed while the one on the right is just a hook that can move the carriage.

Left end

Right end. Is this a right hand carriage return or is it used in conjunction with the carriage release to guide the carriage to position?  What is the purpose of the chrome piece under it? The tab beside the hook, when pressed, allows the left margin stop to be over-ridden.

The typewriter was quite dusty, but the bottom is near spotless.

Carriage return / line feed

Card guides in position

Card Guides retracted

I thought this was unique.  Nearly hidden is the ribbon guide where the ribbon comes off the spool.  There is a little lever on the spool holder that moves the guide out.  It is spring return. Sorry, I mis-spelled guide.

Halda - Facit,  Underwood had a round smooth easy (easier than my TP-1 actually) to slide carriage rail too.

The only thing on the back (sorry I did not take a photo) is Underwood Standard across the top and in the middle Product of Underwood Corporation.  I've always liked the scale and margin sets right on the front of the carriage.   

The only thing I find referencing 11 is in 1927.  This machine is newer than 1927.

  

I believe this is a Rhythm Touch, but I am not sure.  It matches the Underwood Standard from 1947 on Alan Seaver's site.  Mine is not as clean, yet.  The numbers past the 11 (which may indicate the platen or carriage length) put this machine in 1947.

The book I mentioned I found by a link Robert Messenger  posted on his blog, but I could not find it again to link to his post.  The book was written in 1917,
The Evolution of the Typewriter. 

So far the best 2 typers in my collection are my Underwood Standard Portable 4 Bank and this typewriter.  Nothing is as fast and easy to key as these two.  My Adler J4 comes close, but just does not quite make the fantastic Underwood feel.