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| ...continuing Barr Portable research In the article concerning the Barr portable typewriter family, I promised that further information, if found, would appear online -- and here it is. This information will remain on this page until it can be expanded upon and conclusively supported, at which time it will be integrated with a revised article appearing on all of the previous pages. |
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| At left, we see an illustration from newly-discovered patent material. It illustrates, in diagrammatic fashion, the actual type-bar mechanism used in all Barr machines, which, as noted, differs considerably from the original mechanism patented by Barr. This is just a section from one page of US Patent 1,884,514. |
| Introduction of separate models. As noted in the article, the first phase of production was semi-prototypical and ran through serial number 2000. Following this, it appears from surviving machines and literature that only one model -- the Barr Typewriter -- was available, until some point at which this machine became the Barr Universal, with simultaneous introduction of a simplified machine known as the Barr Special. Christer Nygren has reported that he owns Barr Typewriter s/n 4133, which is of single-model variant. This narrows the range of introduction to between serial numbers 4133 and 8871. While no official records exist to guarantee the actual date of the model split, it appears now as if the start of 1930 is a supportable guess. One brochure which shows the single-model variant has a printing date of 7-29, but we also know (via a letter from Barr-Morse to a prospective dealer, and other materials) that by mid-1930 both the Universal and Special were available. Judging by overall serial number totals, it seems as if annual production on average was somewhere around 2000 to perhaps 2500 machines as a wide range guess, so that if production began sometime in 1926 as originally assumed, and progressed at nearly these rates, the appropriate serial number range would have been reached by 1930. It seems certain that no more than 41,000 machines of all variants were built in the US and Canada from 1926 through 1939, judging by the apparent return to sequential numbering by Barr Typewriter Corp. (Weedsport production era.) At this moment, 38 machines are verified to be in the hands of collectors or museums. (May 2008) |
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| Delineation of features within model type production. Recent discoveries have led to the finding of numerous further patents taken out to cover these machines, and the filing dates of these may be useful in determining dates of production, since machines may or may not actually contain the features patented. Some of these design alterations were not filed until 1931, indicating that many earlier machines will not have them ---- or else indicating that the beginning of production was actually later than 1926. (One competing theory to help explain the coding used in serial numbers of these machines requires the start of production to be actually mid-1927 or even 1928.) To help to determine which machines feature which changes, below is a listing of all presently known U.S. patents for the line. The date is the date that the patent was filed, and the text following is a description of the relevant details submitted for patent. Hopefully, these changes can be used to correlate serial numbers and eventually dates. All are by John H. Barr except the two noted, by Walter Barnard. |
| 4/30/25 Patent filed on entire machine, including description of features intended to reduce manufacturing cost and effort. 8/1/25 Patent filed for back space mechanism -- essentially as found 10/7/25 Patent filed for platen adjusting mechanism -- essentially as found 12/5/25 Patent for universal bar design filed -- essentially as found 1/8/26 Patent filed for margin set tabs and rack 6/29/26 Patent filed for carriage paper feed and roller setup 8/4/26 Patent filed (by Barnard) for the paragraph and indent device found only on machines 8871 and below, so far. 10/13/26 Patent filed for carriage release mechanism 3/7/27 Patent filed for carriage locking mechanism, and line space lever design -- found on all machines 4/6/27 Patent filed for ribbon vibrator mechanism -- two color type, found on all pre-2000, all intermediate and all Universal 4/23/27 Patent filed (by Barnard) for slant-top carrying case with locks in base. 5/9/27 Patent for ribbon feed mechanism operated by bail 5/19/30 Patent for ribbon feed mechanism operated by shaft and gear drive from escapement (present on s/n 2521.) 1/31/31 Patent filed for stencil cutout for ribbon vibrator, which is operated by a tab on right side, bottom (near ribbon reverse) 2/16/31 Patent filed for key-operated tabulator mechanism. |
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| In the illustration at left, the shift lock key can be seen on the right side of the keyboard, being the next key up in line vertically from the right-hand shift key. It is odd in not being directly adjacent. Following adoption of the new key operated tabulator, all machines (whether they had tabulator or not) had the shift key moved down to a more normal position by the right hand shift key, with the tab key (if present) being near the position formerly occupied by the shift lock. Peter Wei'ls example, s/n 2P1103 has the old position, but known examples in the series of numbers beginning with codes like "B3P" or C2U" have the new position. In these codes, the meaning of the first two digits is not yet clear, but the final character relates to model. P is for Barr Special, U is for Barr Universal, and D is for Barr Universal with Wide Carriage. |
| At this point, the two most easily found features for research are the position of the shift lock key, and the presence of a stencil cutout tab under the right side of the machine. It is these, coordinated with serial number, that may help break the code. |
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| by Will Davis |
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| "Standard Model MERCURY" s/n 40155 Tilman Elster collection A previously unremarked relabeling of the later Weedsport era BARR machine, finished in overall crinkle paint with black keytops. Note the winged-foot emblem on the paper table. Machine has US keyboard; exact origin of label unknown. |
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| BARR SPECIAL s/n P17857 Herman Price collection Herman Price was quite lucky recently (November 2006 as this addition is being made) to acquire a Barr Special, clearly labeled as having been manufactured by Barr-Morse Corporation, in an unusual crinkle blue paint scheme. This machine goes against the rule that all Barr-Morse machines were painted in flat enamel; it is the only known crinkle-painted machine made during the life of the first concern. Clearly, then, at some point crinkle finish was offered, but we have no idea how many colors were offered. It also seems clear that not many were sold, since this machine is the only one of its kind! |
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| BARR s/n P13777 Tim Champlin collection This machine appears to be essentially the BARR SPECIAL, but is not labeled as such on its paper table. It has crinkle finish paint as does the previously seen machine with "P" prefix and serial number only about four thousand higher in sequence. More interestingly, this machine says -BARR- on its front, where the slightly later machine does not. Neither has a ribbon selector. It appears now, with the evidence of these two machines that the product line was still in a state of flux at the time of these serial numbers and that for a short time the crinkle finish was available. |