The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hey all, can a phonograph spring motor be rated in terms of horsepower?

Yes... probably.
The typical method for measuring actual torque produced by a motor of any sort is by use of a mechanical brake (Prony brake, etc.). The measured torque can be converted to HP (or small fractions thereof, as I suspect would be the case for most phonograph spring motors). I don't know that any actual torque measurements have been conducted on such motors, though, and, as you know, the power output of spring motors of any sort is not steady, but depends on the constantly changing tension of the spring(s) from the fully-wound state. I believe that most electric motors for early phonographs would run in the 1/10 to ⅛ HP range, though.

mhb - Mike

winsleydale wrote:Hey all, can a phonograph spring motor be rated in terms of horsepower?