The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

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

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

My opinion :


Bob T

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

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.

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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