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I've just acquired this Columbia Disc Graphophone minus the motor , turntable and crank.
Before I start looking can anyone tell me which model this is?
The top is 9 and 3/8ths inches square and the base is 10.5 inches square.
Thanks
Steve

Hello,
Looks to me like you a second model Columbia AJ.
Pete

flashpanblue wrote:Hello,
Looks to me like you a second model Columbia AJ.
Pete

Thanks Pete, much appreciated
Steve

It is interesting that the Companion shows the second style AJ as a rear-wind machine, while this example is side-wound. Was there possibly a transition between the second and third styles?

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote:It is interesting that the Companion shows the second style AJ as a rear-wind machine, while this example is side-wound. Was there possibly a transition between the second and third styles?

Bill

I wouldn't be surprised, Bill... I have an early BJ "Imperial" that appears to have been built from left-over front-mount parts: crank is on the left (!), and the speed / brake control is at the rear. Crank and control positions all jive with earlier front-mount motors.

De Soto Frank wrote: I wouldn't be surprised, Bill... I have an early BJ "Imperial" that appears to have been built from left-over front-mount parts: crank is on the left (!), and the speed / brake control is at the rear. Crank and control positions all jive with earlier front-mount motors.

That's good to know , so a BJ motor might fit!

I would be happy to take pictures and measurements, bear in mind that at BJ motor is a two-spring job.


Will get back to you with this info.

stevel wrote:

De Soto Frank wrote: I wouldn't be surprised, Bill... I have an early BJ "Imperial" that appears to have been built from left-over front-mount parts: crank is on the left (!), and the speed / brake control is at the rear. Crank and control positions all jive with earlier front-mount motors.

That's good to know , so a BJ motor might fit!

Okay, digi-cam needs a charge, so pictures to come later.

But here are some measurements from my BJ "Imperial", circa 1905.


If one stands facing the machine ( as if you were going to play a record ), the crank is on the left side, and the "plunger" for the brake & speed regulation are out the back, to the right-side of the back-bracket.


If one draws two center-lines through the spindle / center-hole of the motor board as reference lines ( 9 o'clock <> 3 o'clock = "horizontal axis", and 12 o'clock <> 6 o'clock = "vertical axis" ), the hardware lines-up as follows:

Crank - dead-center on the "horizontal" axis.

Speed / Brake plunger - approx 1-¾" to 2 " to right of "Vertical" center line


Motor-bolts - there are four, and they fall as follows:

upper row is on a line 2-½" above the horizontal center-line, lower line is on a line 2-½" below the horizontal center-line.

Vertically, the left side bolts fall 4" to the left of the vertical center-line, the right side bolts fall 3" to the right of the vertical center-line.


Total spacing on the bolts is 7" in the horizontal and 5" in the vertical.


On my machine, the motor is mounted to the motorboard with a stack of leather / felt washers between, probably around ½".


The center-line through the crank falls ¾" below the underside of the motorboard, as mounted.


The center-line of the brake/speed plunger falls +/- ⅜" below the underside of the motorboard, as mounted.


The height / depth of the motor assembly from top face of casting to bottom of spring barrels is approx. 3-¾".


My machine has a two-spring motor, but the barrels are small in comparison to a Victor, and I believe Columbia motors of this era were somewhat "modular", in that a given motor-plate casting could accommodate one, two, or three spring-barrels.


So, measure your case, and see if any of the above jives...

I'll try to get some pics tomorrow.

Just went back to top of this thread, and examined the scans of the AJ that Pete ( flashpanblue ) posted from one of the books...


Looks like the correct motor for this machine incorporates the catch for the motor-board latch, and is built on a steel bed-plate, and uses a ratchet-crank ?

The motor in my BJ is built with a cast-iron frame, uses a screw-on crank, and has no provision for the motorboard latch catch...

I think you're going to be looking for an earlier motor...

Thanks Frank , that is really appreciated.
I shall get measuring later!