How SHOULD the lid catch work?

[Frank W]

Working an the Amborola 30...

Does the lid support go into the square guide or out of the catch over the wiggle ( I am being very technical this afternoon)?

What is the purpose of the hole on the end of the wiggle?

Do I have all the parts or is there something missing?

Thanks for your input and instruction. Since this machine came to me in pieces, I am just trying to figure it all out.

[Jerry B.]

You might check behind the hole. I suspect you'll find a hole in the case for a screw. A screw through that hole would not allow the lid support piece to escape the mechanism. Please let me know if this is successful.

Jerry Blais

[Jwb88]

Without taking my Amberola 30 apart, I tried to get the best photo I could of the lid support. Mine is a fairly early one, I think about 1916. Your lid support looks the same. Works very well, too. Mine does indeed have a screw through that hole on the left, but also has a wood or fiber washer/spacer, as you can see in the photo. Note that the photo is sideways (sorry), and in the position shown, the lid is open/up and supported.

I think later Amberolas did away with this automatic-style support, which is similar to those used on the diamond disc models.

[Roaring20s]

The mechanics of it, as per the above...

Scan.png (67.6 KiB) Viewed 726 times

James.

[NEFaurora]

That pic that Jwb88 posted is accurate. That is the Early Amberola 30 Lid Catch for the Two Screw Lid Rod. Sometime in Late 1917 I believe, Edison went to a different Lid catch that used much less metal and was smaller for the later One Screw Lid Rod.

It looks like you are missing the screw and the spacer... It should not be too hard to locate either....from any Phonograph Repair Parts Vendor..

)

Tony K.

Edison Collector/Restorer

[Frank W]

Thank you all... it is always helpful to know what the missing piece looks like.

I found a hole in the inside of the Amberola case as Jerry B suggested. JWB88's image and James' drawing set me on the right path. After finding an appropriate screw, I fabricated the spacer (wood dowel). Image show results.

We win the race one step at a time.