Kelsey Gripper Bar Removal

I had a Kelsey 5x7 with much the same problem. The long spring is threaded at the end and screws into the center of the gripper bar. Using heavy pliers try to unscrew the spring. Once out the bar should slide out and probably be straightened.

Hope that Ginkgo has offered a solution to your problem. However if your press has a round rod gripper bar with the sheppard’s crook style spring, you should be able to grasp it and push the spring towards the back of the unit. Hopefully it will unhook from the bar. In the late 60’s we at the Kelsey Company went from the sheppard’s crook to a spring that looks a little like a sideways 7. That is what I replaced on my 1930’s vintage 3 X 5. If this does not make sense, maybe you could forward a picture of your press and the problem area.

Pete

I think Ginkgo is correct, but I can’t get the thing to budge and I am concerned about mangling the gb spring with plier jaws. I think a little more penetrating oil and some patience, but this isn’t severe enough of a problem that I have to get it apart.
Thanks for the input.
Image is looking from the rear of the press to where the gb spring meets the gripper bar.

gripperbarspring.jpg

It really doesn’t matter if the gb spring gets nicked up, as long as it sticks out where it belongs it will work fine.

Just for completion, I thought that I would add that I successfully removed the gripper bar. Wound up that it was not threaded at all; the end of the spring is slightly tapered and was driven into a hole in the gripper bar.

gripperbar.jpg