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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Sholes visible: escapement

I'm coming to appreciate some of the clever design features of the Sholes Visible. The escapement / mainspring unit, for example, can be eased out of the typewriter just by removing four screws.


With the escapement/mainspring unit out, you can get an unobstructed view of the magic mechanism.


This will be my last post about the Sholes Visible for at least 10 days, as I'm on vacation in California. (I left last Friday -- my posts since then have been showing you photos taken in the basement typewriter room in Cincinnati before I left.) A message from California will be coming online in a couple of days.
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12 comments:

  1. Bill MJuly 18, 2012 at 12:26 PM

    It would be nice if modern typewriter escapements were so easily removed.

    Have fun in California.

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  2. deekJuly 18, 2012 at 1:34 PM

    The Oliver 9's mainspring is all housed in one unit and removed with one screw. Those older typers are bigger and not as efficiently designed, but they are really easy to work on.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 18, 2012 at 2:44 PM

    Wow, that top image is so cool. May I swipe it for reference some time? I may be able to put all that gearing to some use in an upcoming project.

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  4. rnJuly 18, 2012 at 3:52 PM

    Your photos reveal layer upon layer of wonderful engineering. Amazing. Many thanks. Rob

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  5. L CaseyJuly 18, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    This is getting neater and neater with each post. I love easy disassemblies.
    Have fun on vacation.

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  6. Dwayne F.July 18, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    Have a great vacation! I hope it is in one of the cooler and less polluted parts of California.

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  7. michaelianyJuly 18, 2012 at 10:14 PM

    Richard - if you're over near LA or the OC and possibly San Diego (my wife's family is there), i can meet you up!
    Also, Peter Baker is down here on business to for another couple days.
    we're meeting up tomorrow by LAX for a impromptu type-in!

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  8. notagainJuly 18, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    California?? Can you join our type-in? Somehow I doubt it but I had to ask.
    That sure is a cool machine to see inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard PJuly 18, 2012 at 11:46 PM

      Unfortunately I won't be in LA at the right time.

      Delete
  9. Miguel ChávezJuly 18, 2012 at 11:54 PM

    Amazing! Even more so when you consider that all those gears, levers and mechanisms were made with standard machine tools, operated by humans and not by computer-programmed robotic laser metal cutters. The precision machining shown in the pictures is fantastic! I can definitely see that this machine was made with care but also with pride. Good thing you're trying to make it work again!

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  10. Ton S. July 19, 2012 at 9:01 AM

    Piece after piece, fascinating.
    Enjoy California!

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