Hi Tony and others,
As requested, here is a pic taken from the top with the thimble holder removed. I can’t see the lever being there to prevent the paper from riding up as the paper doesn’t take that route. On the picture, the paper runs from the spool in the top right hand corner (7) from right to left, then through the printing block (8) and finally onto the take-up spool (9). Now that the thimble holder is removed, the lever 5 is pulled over as it is spring loaded.
JohnT (used to live near Dagenham by the way, now out in the countryside in Wiltshire)