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Sunday, 6 July 2014

Anatomy of a Fox No 1 Portable Typewriter

Of course, it is impossible to offer even a little help or advice to someone with a problem with their typewriter unless that typewriter is right there in front of you. Even when you have the problem typewriter at arm’s length, it is a huge advantage to have another, working model of the same typewriter, to sit beside the problem machine and work out where the two differ.
The best I can do in the case of Tyler Anderson is to post here a series of photographs showing the anatomy of the Fox No 1 portable, in the hope he will be able to look through them and work out what needs to be fixed. This, by the way, is the typewriter Richard Polt so generously gave me when I was in Cincinnati last October.
Tyler has approached a few collectors, including Richard, seeking advice on the restoration of his Fox. “In my endeavours, I have found that the system for ringing the bell has been rendered inoperable. Namely, the small wire holding the weight which strikes the bell has, in the machine’s long life, snapped. Alongside this, the wire spring which puts tension on the rotating piece which holds said weight-wire had not been in its proper place. Luckily, I believe I have found all the pieces within the carrying case, and am now at the conundrum of having to figure out exactly how the system is supposed to work. I ask for your help in understanding how the pieces are supposed to go together again.”
Tyler, if any more photos are required to help you out, please let me know, but I think this series of 35 images just about covers the whole anatomy of a Fox No 1 portable typewriter:
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6 comments:

  1. Bill M6 July 2014 at 12:11

    That is some great work Robert. Those photos should be an excellent help for any one working on a Fox No. 1.

    You're right about having a machine to look at while working on a non working machine of the same make and model.

    I've done that quite a a bit when I've worked on some of mine.

    This post would be a good one to add to Nick Beland's repair repository.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Words are Winged6 July 2014 at 12:41

    Above and beyond my wildest hopes! This will be a great aide in my restoration endeavors, and will be a wonderful source of insight for anyone else who stumbles upon such issues.
    I thank you for your time, and your attention to ensuring every angle has been covered in your photographs, Mr. Messenger

    ReplyDelete
  3. shordzi6 July 2014 at 18:17

    Weren't the 1920s a nice time for typewriters? I just received a NEYA as a birthday present, and am stunned. In a way, it looks like a child of Burnett's.
    As to the Fox No. 1, this beautiful machine is very high on my wish list.

    ReplyDelete
  4. David B12 November 2020 at 16:25

    I stumbled on this page while looking for a Fox No.1
    My great grandfather is Henry Nordmark. I have his original patents but I do not have his Typewriter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. David B12 November 2020 at 16:25

    I stumbled on this page while looking for a Fox No.1
    My great grandfather is Henry Nordmark. I have his original patents but I do not have his Typewriter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown13 October 2021 at 02:49

    Thanks for the post. I pick a Fox portable today. The machone need cleaned, oiled and put in shape. Your pictures are very usefull for my.

    ReplyDelete

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