Saturday, April 11, 2015

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