BARR PORTABLE TYPEWRITERS

Barr Portable Typewriters Page Four

Production machines in a single model. The next brief phase appears to include machines labeled with only one model identification, and available with only a few options. These could be considered a continuation of the early model as built prior to serial number 2000, or as the small block of production machines before identifiable model labeling appeared. Again, luckily, my machine with serial number 2521 is in this category.

Barr Typewriter, S/N 2521, Will Davis collection.

Note that the familiar ribbon spool covers have appeared, and that they are held down by small spring loaded levers installed in the spool posts. Notable also is the lack of any labeling on the paper table, and the label "Barr Typewriter" on the front of the machine. This machine has the ribbon selector. No tabulator as one would normally think of it was yet available. Machines produced later, which were made after the tabulator was developed but which optionally did not have it, do not have the shift lock key abreast the third row of keys as does 2521 seen here. In those later machines, the shift lock key is more conventionally near to the right side shift key.

This machine does, in fact, have a primitive tabulator and paragraph indent device, fitted entirely to the carriage and operated by the lever seen here. This is the one patent found for these machines which is not credited to John H. Barr. Instead, it is in the name of Walter E. Barnard, as an assignor to Barr-Morse. It was filed August 4, 1926 and granted July 17, 1928 and is patent number 1,677,165. It is only found on a very few, very early machines.

Here we see one of the patent drawings. It is easy to see that the control lever is on the left in the drawing, thus this is a view from the rear of the machine. Note the two extra stops on the margin set tab rack.

One must operate both the lever and carriage release to obtain stops for tabulation. Similarly, if the lever is operated while the carriage is being returned to the left side of the paper, the carriage will stop short of the left margin set, at the point of the set stop. This is a quite primitive device, clumsy to operate, and was apparently quickly replaced with a true key-operated tabulator.

Looking at the rear of Barr Typewriter S/N 2521, we can see labeled in yellow the carriage lever for operating the device and the two extra stops.

One might safely assume, considering information to be found on the following page, that this machine most closely correlates to the Barr Universal. It has a ribbon selector, not available on the Barr Special, and does have a tabulator of sorts, again available only on the Barr Universal (and then offered optionally.)

Barr Typewriter, S/N 2099, Herman & Connie Price Collection

The machine at right is a quite recent addition to the Price collection, and is a stunning example of the same style machine as the red one seen above, but in a wonderful green. Note again the matching painted section of the type bar segment, and the name -BARR- just visible above the upper row of keys. This is only the second known machine which falls into the range of production wherein only a single model was produced, but above serial number 2000.

The machines you see on this page are the fourth and fifth oldest known machines of this line; known examples number about twenty.

Blotter advertising the BARR TYPEWRITER; courtesy of Peter Weil.