The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

TinfoilPhono wrote:If you Google Stirling engines (that's the correct spelling) you'll find a ton of info on how they work. It's a complicated system of recycling the same enclosed air by heating it then transferring it to a cooling chamber with an internal piston to drop temperature, then heating it again. It's remarkably complex yet fundamentally simple. In basic terms, it's considered an external combustion engine. It doesn't work by evaporation so it's nothing like propane refrigeration -- there are lots of moving parts.

See, I told you I know nothing! Thanks for the suggestion. Google is our friend.

Here is a photo of the only known #208. Again, there is no spindle....just a large table that revolves. The black cast iron base is the same as the #207. However, the #207 is enclosed in a black metal rectangular case with large holes perforating it throughout.

I thought I would add the pages from a period Paillard catalog that shows the models that were offered. And offer a little more history on these great machines.

The Stirling engines were in fact made in Liege Belgium and then shipped to Paillard in Switzerland. By approximately 1914 the machines seemed to have been discontinued. One reason for this was because of the incendiary dangers that an operator could be faced with. I can state from personal experience that these machines can surge on you and burn. Three times our machine has come close. Water or a extinguisher on hand is a MUST!!!... . The other reason for the demise is the fact that the town of Liege was heavily damaged as well as the plant that made these engines during WW1 and the plant never reopened.

You may notice on these pages that all three Gramophone models have a "Victor" style tone arm. Yet, the model #207 and the model on the opening page show a straight tone arm.
This is because a potential buyer of one could order how they wished their machine to be. In other words, if you wanted to play lateral & vertical records....you paid more an got a straight arm that had two attachments for the tone arm. Of course this arm was an option and extra $$$. A buyer also had the choice of back brackets. The oak leaf pattern bracket (like ours) was the most expensive. I believe that given this fact....these machine were in fact "made to order". Not to mention they were expensive even without the extra's.

Paillard also made these for a Gramophone dealer in London England "Craies & Stavridi" and sold under the "Apollo" name.

There are two types of Stirling engines that were used. The early engine (like ours) will run "free" while ungoverned. The later engine has a safety device that controls the engine from running "free" and can only run as fast as the pitch control will allow it.
I hope some of the members will enjoy this run of my fingers..... .