The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Roaring20s wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:19 am Jerry is on the right track.

This will get you going ...
https://www.bolha.com/ostali-aparati-um ... as-5789540

Buy it or copy those photos before it's gone!

James.

I saved the motor images for you ...

polyphon-slika-20959170.jpg
polyphon-slika-20959169.jpg
polyphon-slika-20959168.jpg
polyphon-slika-20959167.jpg

Wow ! Thank you so VERY much ! This is just what I needed to compare my 'inner workings' with a complete, 'put together' working version.

The photographs show exactly the same 'inner workings' - on the 'face of it' - although mine loads the coins from the side so there may be one or two differences ? I will spend many a happy hour figuring out 'what goes where, if I am missing some parts etc. (Like the 'non-return cog').

Oh, and "yes", Jerry was 100 % correct - I should never have doubted him ! Thank you once again Jerry.

So, having had a look at the 'inner works' design and compared, there do seem to be some interesting differences. I wonder if this means that my machine is earlier / later than the 'top coin loading' ones or just a different design ? This needs to be looked at in more detail - a bit like finding an alien space-craft and attempting reverse engineering ha ha !

Any-way, here is my second 'What is this' question:

As shown in the following photograph, my coin op has a circular part below the usual coin slot.

It doesn't seem to be another coin slot though (too large an opening ?) - so what is it I wonder ? Maybe a 'token' instead of coins ?

Thank you once again for any help / ideas with this.

poodling around wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 4:32 am

Oh, and "yes", Jerry was 100 % correct - I should never have doubted him ! Thank you once again Jerry.

Thank you, sir. You are welcome. I am happy for both of us.

This looks like a bowl niche that likely would have a protruding lever to make the coin pass through the mechanism, something you move with a finger after inserting the coin.
Also, if no-one has told before, the ratchet and pawl retaining mechanism looks like the Garrard system, and that would explain the pin:

Inigo wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 12:16 am This looks like a bowl niche that likely would have a protruding lever to make the coin pass through the mechanism, something you move with a finger after inserting the coin.
Also, if no-one has told before, the ratchet and pawl retaining mechanism looks like the Garrard system, and that would explain the pin:
IMG_20260211_061536.jpg

Thank you, Inigo! That is the device that I was referring to in my previous comment, but that I could not find the proper words to describe...

...it could be for a device that lifts the pawl away from the ratchet wheel during winding, then pushes the pawl down against the ratchet wheel when the crank begins to reverse. (This would allow the winding process to be silent) Honestly, it's a bit difficult to describe that style.

JerryVan wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 6:33 am

Inigo wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 12:16 am This looks like a bowl niche that likely would have a protruding lever to make the coin pass through the mechanism, something you move with a finger after inserting the coin.
Also, if no-one has told before, the ratchet and pawl retaining mechanism looks like the Garrard system, and that would explain the pin:
IMG_20260211_061536.jpg

Thank you, Inigo! That is the device that I was referring to in my previous comment, but that I could not find the proper words to describe...

...it could be for a device that lifts the pawl away from the ratchet wheel during winding, then pushes the pawl down against the ratchet wheel when the crank begins to reverse. (This would allow the winding process to be silent) Honestly, it's a bit difficult to describe that style.

Now that seems to be VERY interesting.

I can now see clearly how the ratchet works.

Also, although the motor is clearly marked 'Polydor-Aut. 75' (photograph 'below') if it could be a Garrard system / design then maybe there are many similar Garrard motors I can find with the same size 'parts' ? I could therefore restore this area using parts (cog etc) from these motors maybe ? Like maybe a Grarrard 10 or 1a ? I wonder .............. I have a spare Garrard 1a and others maybe.

I will investigate this then.

Thanks again Inigo and Jerry !