Chris,
I am looking at Teletype Bulletin 144 (1931), Page 11. I had trouble with the mainshaft clutch on my 15. The driven part is the one with the spring behind it. When released, the spring drives it into the teeth on the driving part which is locked to the geared part of the shaft. The spring would not move my driven part. it was stuck to the shaft. I put some oil on the shaft between the two sets of teeth and, with the motor off, forced mine to engage (I forget how.) Then I put oil behind it and forced it back again. Back and forth, adding oil occasionally and also rotating it, until it would slide freely. Presto when I turned it on, my machine started typing. It looks like you also have a clutch that won't disengage. Same thing. Get it to slide back and forth smoothly with oil and a little work. See the group for the proper oil to use. I am fortunate enough to have genuine Teletype oil.
Any place you see a felt clutch, (a disk of felt between two shiny steel discs held together by a strong spring) that felt must always be saturated with oil.
Mine had other problems. Yours may also. Study Bulletin 144 and Tackle them one at a time in order. It will eventually start to work.
It is a great feeling to see one of those old clunkers start to type again!
This fellow seems to know what he is talking about.You will also find model 15 manuals there.
I work on my 15 in an unheated basement and my 28's in my unheated radio building. The weather is getting cold now and cold Teletypes get flaky. They settle down in the spring.
I bought a parts washer from Harbor Freight to bathe Teletype pieces in
Simple Green. My Simple Green is now black. I will replace it next spring. and get back to work on my 28's or on another 15 if I can find one.
I want to take two 15's to a school, where a friend is the security guard,
and set them up between two classrooms
for a few hours. I want 15's because the operation is much more intuitive than a 28. If other schools ask, I will take them anywhere in the district.
I will be asking the group soon for help with with the final problem on my 15. The baseline on the page is very uneven.
Tom N3CRK