[GreenKeys] Associated Press's Teletype Machine Needs Help

[George B. Hutchbison]

Some tips....

Make saure that there is an eyelet in each end of the ribbon. The 
ribbon reverse mechanism relies on the ribbon, with eyelet, running 
between the fingers of each of the ribbon reverse arms.

The ribbon spools must be put on correctly. The left hand ribbon 
spool turns clockwise to unwind the ribbon. The right hand ribbon 
spool turns counter-clockwise to unwind the ribbon.

Ribbon reverse action can be checked by gently pushing each ribbon 
reverse arm towards the  center of the carriage. If the mechanism is 
working correctly the ribbon drive shaft will shift to the side that 
the reverse arm has been moved and will engage the bevel gears 
causing the ribbon spool shaft on the side being checked to start 
pulling the ribbon back on to the spool.

Adjustment of the ribbon reverse action can only be done with the 
carriage removed from the typing unit.

The right-hand margin bell mechanism may be completely missing. It 
was not unusual for a radio station or newspaper to have the margin 
bell disabled by completely removing the bell, or removing the 
entire bell-clapper shaft, (about five inches long and perhaps 3/16" 
square), with the trip adjustment being a small adjustable ramp 
which fit over the shaft and was adjusted by loosening a small 
thumbscrew accessible from the rear of the machine.

A spring loaded pawl in about the center of the rear of the carriage 
would ride up on the ramp and would cause the shaft to rotate 
raising the clapper away from the bell, and when the carriage passed 
the adjustment point, a spring would cause the clapper to pop down 
striking the bell.

As the carriage returned to the left the spring loaded margin pawl 
on the rear of the carriage would slide over the upper point of the 
ramp as the carriage returned to the left.

A simple but ingenious mechanism.

W7TTY