1442 Card Reader/Punch is quite broken in the punch mechanism, but have hope for the reader side

1442 CARD READER/PUNCH RESTORATION

I am quite hampered by the fact that the illustrated parts catalog for the 1442 does NOT show the type of punch on my machine, the part I am trying to replace/repair. There are three types of punch units, A, B and C and in the C there are individually replaceable and group replaceable punches. I have a type C with individual punches. The catalog shows punch type C but the wrong type of punches.

It appears as I attempted to fit the punch that the part I have is broken off, with the remainder of the punch down in the holder where I can't see it. The reasons I assume this:

1. The punch, of which this piece is a partial example, extends down through the body and several guide bushings so that it can extend out into the card throat to push through the card stock. The part I have is not long enough by far
2. The punches go down through a 'punch stop comb' under which there is some kind of spring to push the punch back up after the punching pressure is released. The parts catalog for the incorrect punch types shows this as a helical spring held down between the body and the punch stop comb. It would have to make contact somewhere on the punch itself to push it up, yet there is nothing on the part I have where the spring might make contact. 

I may be able to extract the broken off part, assuming it is in the body and that the helical spring has not gotten free and fallen out where I can't find it. However, that is a much more major disassembly than any in the maintenance manuals and likely will involve repair or creation of a replacement punch part, with quite a bit of delay.

Since I have a limited time to get the 1442 operational for use at VCF West when I am demonstrating the 1130, I have decided to forgo any punching. I will reassemble the punch, sans the row 9 punch part, and put it back into the 1442. That way, I can get card transport and reading operations working properly. At some later point I will take on the task of attempting a punch repair.

This afternoon, I reassembled the punch and began to install it into the 1442 chassis. All was going well until one of the pushrods got itself wedged very strangley, wouldn't come loose, then put enough pressure to crack the other ceramic wheel on the axle where I had just repaired one side. Yes, you read that right. The second ceramic wheel now has an arc cracked off about the same size as the original defect I spent weeks repairing.

Fortunately, the ceramic wheel only turns by means of the intermittent drive unit, which is only activated during punch operations. The punch has one broken/missing row punch and a broken drive wheel, so doubly inoperative. I have to say that I have developed an animus towards this particular mechanism which may delay any attempt to repair the punch for a loooong time.

At least I can get back to testing and repairing the card reader function of the 1442, deliberately leaving the punch side inoperative. I might even look at ways to block the logic from attempting a punch at all, to avoid having the mechanism move the wheels or drive the punches.