Learn something new … Remington Noiseless (Standards) go “thud”….
Wow! The Remington Noiseless (Standards) are thrust typewriters…
Learn something new … Remington Noiseless (Standards) go “thud”….
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Interesting Gee. So the type bars are pushed or “thrust” to the print point rather than being pulled? The shorter distance for type bars to travel makes them quieter?
Steve:
I think it is because the type bar is on the same level as the platen and the type bar presses against the print point (like using a rubber stamp) instead of moving upward and hitting the platen.
Thanks for this. I’ve known about these machines forever, but still don’t own one and am pretty curious to have hands-on experience. I did not realize they were made as late as 1968! Their heyday was the ’30s and ’40s.
The place where non-noiseless thrust typewriters found a welcoming home was Germany. The Wellington/Empire design was licensed to Adler, which made jillions of them up to WWII, including portables such as the Klein-Adler and Favorit. There were also clones by other manufacturers, such as Protos.
The reason these machines are quieter is that the typebars are slowed down as they approach the platen, and actually come to a halt a hair’s width before they hit it — they go just far enough to push the ribbon against the platen. Full details in ETCetera no. 81.
Gee, I agree with your description of the feel. I understand there was one variant of the noiseless design wherein the typewriter could be switched on demand to sound more “normal”; it has come to be known as the Noisy-Noiseless. I forget the details right now, brand and model….
In looking at mine, I don’t see why one would need a screwdriver to change a ribbon, though you do have to deal with that fussy Remington core-spool.
Scott, the mechanism does sort of “push instead of pull” but the main mechanism is, instead of driving the type slug hard against the platen as in a regular typewriter, in a noiseless the type arm stops a short distance (a couple of millimeters?) before the platen and a designed-in weight carries the slug the rest of the way to printing, giving a gentler but adequate impact. It’s one of those designs that makes me wonder, “Whoever thought that would actually work? Who had the patience to work out that linkage?”
The short distance isn’t especially to reduce noise. Notice that there are only half as many type arms in the basket. Then notice that each slug has four, not two, characters on it. With half as many arms to accommodate, there can be a smaller arc. Don’t know why the designers thought that was an advantage, though it does provide amusement when half of the slugs jump up much higher than others. It also requires the outer slugs to have radically sharper angle between the plane of the arm and the plane of the face of the slug; makes it look like the slug would slide across the paper when it hits. It doesn’t though.
The Noiseless is indeed a fascinating typewriter.
== Michael Höhne
Machael! It was Steve that asked, not me! Although, I can understand that the Steve K, Scott K thing (as we are also both in Australia) is going to be a little confusing.
I do actually have two of these machines, but both of them are in horrendously poor condition aren’t going anywhere for the time being. So it was interesting to read your take on them – especially as i have yet to see one of my own working.
Scott, I’m glad you understand the S.K. confusion. When I wrote that, I knew I was answering Steve and yet “Scott K.” is so ingrained in my mind from all the many times I see it in comments that I kinda automatically wrote that. Psychology—who can figure it out?
Yeah—and how come Australia is so overrepresented in the typosphere anyway??? (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)
== Michael Höhne
Whenever my noiseless comes around in the correspondence rotation it takes me a few paragraphs before i realize i don’t have to pound the keys to make an impression. Yes, the mechanism is fascinating and complex. When you realize that prior to the PC, typewriter design was on the level that computer operating system design is now, then you can understand the huge amount of resources invested in their development.
The noiseless Typewriter was developed to be used in courtrooms, council chamber meetings, Parliament etc. and quite areas. The machine was developed by Remington and made also for their opposition Underwood. When I started my apprenticeship as a typewriter mechanic in the 1950s we had a noiseless room were the machines were adjusted to be quite. They were replaced by the shorthand machine and then voice recording
Ray:
Thank you Ray for the information. Do you still work on typewriters?