Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Discussions on Talking Machines & Accessories
Post Reply
Dave D
Victor IV
Posts: 1302
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:43 pm
Location: Port Huron, MI

Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Dave D »

I have attached several photos of the Betinni attachment that came on a Home Model A machine. I am having trouble understanding how it should be adjusted. I assume that the reproducer should be level across the record and that it should raise and lower in order to take off and put on a record. Can anyone explain to me how to accomplish this? I am happy to provide any other photos needed to give me the help I need.

Thanks in advance.
Dave D
Attachments
IMG_1418.JPG
IMG_1418.JPG (73.26 KiB) Viewed 1629 times
IMG_1417.JPG
IMG_1417.JPG (94.83 KiB) Viewed 1629 times
IMG_1416.JPG
IMG_1416.JPG (89.8 KiB) Viewed 1629 times

joybird
Victor Jr
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 9:31 am
Location: Wilmington, NC 28412 USA

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by joybird »

First one I've seen.
Loooks like Rube Goldberg made it.

My opinion :


Bob T
Attachments
IMG_1416.JPG
IMG_1416.JPG (58.33 KiB) Viewed 1578 times

Starkton
Victor IV
Posts: 1116
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:00 am

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Starkton »

It certainly looks different to Bettini reproducers and carrier arms I have seen on Home phonographs.

User avatar
TinfoilPhono
Victor V
Posts: 2014
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:48 pm
Location: SF Bay Area, Calif.

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by TinfoilPhono »

That is very odd, nothing like the one I used to own.

From what I can see it should be possible to loosen the collar on the halfnut blade to tilt the carriage arm back a bit, then reposition the halfnut to touch the feedscrew againt. After loosening the reproducer locknut and aligning the reproduer it should fit more level. BUT -- it would also pull the entire reproducer assembly toward the back so the stylus may be far from centered. And it would also lower the stylus so much that there may not be clearance. Hard to know without trying.

Even at that, I wonder if it would be sufficient to sit level.

Yamaphone
Victor O
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:32 pm
Location: Hurley, New York

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Yamaphone »

Could it be that the carriage was originally for a Triumph machine and that at some point someone fitted it to a Home Phonograph by adding a reducing bushing where the carriage slides on the back shaft?

User avatar
phonogfp
Victor Monarch Special
Posts: 8005
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:08 pm
Personal Text: "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - A. Lincoln
Location: New York's Finger Lakes

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by phonogfp »

Yamaphone wrote:Could it be that the carriage was originally for a Triumph machine and that at some point someone fitted it to a Home Phonograph by adding a reducing bushing where the carriage slides on the back shaft?
I was thinking the same thing. If you have a Triumph or Spring Motor, see if the brass bushing can be removed and try fitting it to the larger machine.

George P.

Dave D
Victor IV
Posts: 1302
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:43 pm
Location: Port Huron, MI

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Dave D »

phonogfp wrote:
Yamaphone wrote:Could it be that the carriage was originally for a Triumph machine and that at some point someone fitted it to a Home Phonograph by adding a reducing bushing where the carriage slides on the back shaft?
I was thinking the same thing. If you have a Triumph or Spring Motor, see if the brass bushing can be removed and try fitting it to the larger machine.

George P.
I was starting to wonder that myself. I don't have either of those machines so I will have to wait until I visit a friend who does. I was just there last week and I doubt that I will be back anytime soon.

Just curious, how big is the carriage rod on a Triumph? That might tell me something.

This machine came from a farm auction about 30 miles from here. Now, I know that does not mean it is unmolested, but it did not come from an old time collector or someone who may have been putting machines together out of parts. (Unless this farmer bought it from someone like that...)

I was thinking that since it has been apart for a couple of years just sitting around that maybe I had something together wrong.

Dave

Dave D
Victor IV
Posts: 1302
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:43 pm
Location: Port Huron, MI

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Dave D »

Yamaphone wrote:Could it be that the carriage was originally for a Triumph machine and that at some point someone fitted it to a Home Phonograph by adding a reducing bushing where the carriage slides on the back shaft?
Here is a photo, but I am not sure if it will help. It might be useful to know that the collar that holds the half nut and bar was brass and did not have any plating on it. I plated it and noted a new set screw that holds it in place. The collar fits on a shaft that is solid and does not appear to have been altered. Perhaps the best thing is to wait until I can visit my friend again and check this out on his machine.
Dave
Attachments
IMG_1422_1.JPG
IMG_1422_1.JPG (67.17 KiB) Viewed 1504 times
IMG_1422.JPG
IMG_1422.JPG (67.17 KiB) Viewed 1504 times
IMG_1420_1.JPG
IMG_1420_1.JPG (57.61 KiB) Viewed 1504 times

Yamaphone
Victor O
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:32 pm
Location: Hurley, New York

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Yamaphone »

It might be possible that the entire carriage sleeve with the half nut arm was added by someone. It looks like if the reproducer carriage was taken off the present carriage sleeve that it might fit onto a regular Triumph sleeve. Since the Triumph carriage consists of two parts, unlike the one piece design of the Home Phonograph,Bettini attachments could make use of the existing sleeve/half nut parts.

Dan Z.

Larry Hawes
Victor O
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:05 am

Re: Help needed adjusting a Betinni reproducer

Post by Larry Hawes »

Contact me at [email protected]
I will tell you what is needed and walk you through it.
We can set a convenient time to speak on tele and I will have my attachment in front of me to assist.
Larry Hawes

Post Reply