The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Some of you may find this spring servicing instructions useful, it was sent by Victor to its dealers.

Mark

Great information. Thanks for posting it.
Ken Brekke

Yes, great information. Very helpful. It also finally answers the question how to install a new spring that comes with a retaining ring. No need to manually wind it in, just push it into the spring barrel.

Thank you very much!
Andreas

alang wrote:Yes, great information. Very helpful. It also finally answers the question how to install a new spring that comes with a retaining ring. No need to manually wind it in, just push it into the spring barrel.

The replacement springs that I've bought so far don't come with that huge "C"-shaped retainer seen in fig. 5, but are retained with a circle of iron wire. Not only the rivet slot is not exposed, but the whole spring+retainer combo may fit inside the barrel with no possibility of pushing away the retainer as explained. Also, I would always be in doubt that the rivet and the slot have correctly engaged. Personally I wouldn't do it that way in any case.

These instructions seem to me mainly a theoretical essay about how these operations would be performed by immaterial ghosts in an ideal world. Fig. 4 almost makes me laugh and I challenge anyone at taking a picture of barrels A and BC in the same position without barrel BC rocketing out of the window. Fig. 13, where the shaft is re-inserted without even pushing it, but actually gently holding it from above, delivers a similar comic effect.

Thanks a lot in any case for posting these pages, Mark, they're a very interesting period document!