Hello Marty Bufalini. Your Chippendale model C 250 is a very nice example of the most successful model of Diamond Disc Phonograph ever produced.
This particular Chippendale C 250 is very interesting to me, from the standpoint of the installed Edison
Electric Automatic Stop (aka the so-called "Duncan" stop). This is the first C 250 I've seen with what is apparently the later "aftermarket" factory accessory kit version of the device - that an owner would buy from a dealer, and install (or have installed by a technician) on their earlier machine.
A very cool feature!
This is a relatively early C 250 that was produced around April 1916 (my production estimates can be found here:
https://www.antiquephono.org/edison-c-2 ... -1925-pdf/), thus it wouldn't have been originally equipped with the Edison
Electric Automatic Stop, as this feature wasn't introduced on the C 250 as standard equipment until January 1917. (If you're interested in the history of the E.A.S., my article on the development and history of this feature can be found at the Antique Phonograph Society website under the members "advanced" articles section.)
It appears to me from looking at the reproducer, what was referred to as the"Pivot Block Cap" - in factory literature - has the modified cap installed for use with the electric stop. This cap would have been necessary for the electric stop to function; presumably it would have been provided with the kit, and installed to the rear of the reproducer at the same time as the solenoid/brake lever and wiring assembly. There should be some insulation between the reproducer Pivot Block Cap and Pivot Block. Also the reproducer "limit loop" is not the later rearward "bent" version of loop, that would've been provided with the later factory installed E.A.S. version of reproducer which had insulation applied to the "Limit Pin".
I have a few of questions for you, if you would be kind enough:
- Would you remove the turntable and snap a photo of the motor plate for me? I'm curious to see whether or not the solenoid/brake lever arrangement differs from the factory installed version of the feature.
- Also, with the factory installed electric stop, a bracket would have been installed in the rear-left corner of the horn compartment, to which a battery that powered the device would have been stored. Would you look in this area, and see if any such bracket - or battery - is present?
- Would you also snap a photo of the "Official Laboratory Model" medallion found mounted to the front-left corner of the turntable compartment?
My sincere thanks for your help, and if you have any questions, I would be more than pleased to help,
Fran