Unknown Horn Crane Question

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SonnyPhono
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Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by SonnyPhono »

I apologize for the many questions lately. You have all been a big help and I appreciate it. I have a horn crane and am trying to find the maker. The only writing tells the patent dates as seen in the picture. Does anyone know what company made this style of crane? Thanks again for the help!

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phonogfp
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Re: Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by phonogfp »

Hawthorne & Sheble.

George P.

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SonnyPhono
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Re: Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by SonnyPhono »

Wow, George! That was quick! Thanks for the help. Is there any chance the horn you helped me identify earlier could be a Hawthorne & Sheble as well? The only reason I would think that is because they came together.

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Re: Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by phonogfp »

My best guess on the horn is from the New Jersey Sheet Metal Company. I can almost guarantee that it's not a Hawthorne & Sheble. There have been a few times when I've discovered a machine, horn, and crane "in the wild" that have clearly been together forever, but the horn and crane don't come from the same manufacturer. A dealer might well have carried aftermarket horns from 2 or 3 different manufacturers - and cranes too. The H&S crane was rugged, stable, bulletproof, and offered more adjustment flexibility than any other, so it's not surprising they turn up so often and with a variety of horns.

George P.

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Re: Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by estott »

I had two Edison machines come out of one house (a Standard and a Triumph with repeater) and one of those cranes came along. Both machines had a very shallow area cleanly cut out of the top of the cabinet box so the crane would sit down and allow the top frame to fit snugly- a very subtle refinement, probably done by the dealer.

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SonnyPhono
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Re: Unknown Horn Crane Question

Post by SonnyPhono »

That's how the machine I am using it on came. It has a small notch taken out of the rim of the cabinet that the crane fits snugly into. I was reading up on this setup tonight and found that this was probably a common thing. When the larger horns came out for the Edison phonographs around 1907, if someone wished to add the horn to an existing machine they would have to cut a slot in the top left hand edge of the case. The specs for the slot called for it to be 1-5/64" wide and 1/16" deep cut 3-⅛" from the left hand inner edge of the cabinet. This would allow the crane and new larger horn to be added to existing model B phonographs which up until that point were equipped with 14" horns.

So if you ever come across an Edison model B with a notch cut out of the rim of the cabinet, you can rest assured that it was for the addition of a large horn and crane at some point added after the original purchase.

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