The gorgeous Bar-Lock 6 typewriter is defined by its prominent Baroque styled, pressed copper, shield which is positioned in front of the type bars.
The Bar-Lock typewriter was invented by Charles Spiro, one of the great typewriter pioneers, who had apprenticed in his father’s New York watchmakers shop. He had previously invented the Columbia index typewriter (Model 1 and 2 can be seen in this collection).
The type bars swing down to the top of the platen so that the words are visible as they are typed, provided the typist sat up straight enough to see over the copper shield.
Just before the type bars strike the platen, they encounter a small semi-circle of metal pins that ensure alignment. Supposedly these pins also reduce the clashing of the type bars, but they seem to have little if any effect on either matter. Non-the-less the Bar-Lock typewriter gets its name from these alignment pins and their function as a bar lock for the type bars. See detail below.
This typewriter originally sold for $100.