The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

All the pictures of Amet motors in phonographs have the front door that tips down. Did they put any in machines that you had to lift up the top works to get at the motor?

The rare 3-mainspring aluminum "Chicago Motor" of 1896-97 was sold in a cabinet lacking a drop-down door. However, no one knows who designed the motor. It could have be Edward H. Amet, but there's no proof of that.

That possible exception is the only instance I know where an Amet motor might have been sold in a cabinet with no drop-down door.

George P.

Thank You George.

Does anyone know if any of the early Amet phonographs came with a lid. I have only ever seen a lid on the coin-op Amet phonographs, otherwise I have never seen a lid displayed with an Amet phonograph. Did they originally come with one?

Yep - they all have/had lids. I guess no one includes them in the pictures!

George P.

Thanks George!!

You bet, Mike!

George P.

Here are some photos of my Amet Spring Motor machine with the 3 Ball governor. The lid has posts that come through holes in the bedplate. levers engage the post to hold it in place. The bent wood of the lid is very thin oak not veneer. and is subject to cracking. The handle looks to have been replaced with an Edison handle at some point.
Gregg

Beautiful phonograph Gregg!!! Thanks for posting these.

You're Amet show why motors that have been identified as Amet have drop down doors. The motor is secured to the bottom of the case. Therefore, with the belt in place, a top open arrangement would not work. Access was best given by a front door. Plus is is is so much cooler!!!!

Great pics!!!

Shawn

Here is my example of the Aluminum Motor Chicago talking machine. This example has the Bell Tainter type K upper works. The casting was designed to be used with either the Class M upper works or Bell Tainter. The Crank is also cast Aluminum and is threaded. The bedplate has a cool Chicago Talking Machine Stencil on it. The lid uses clips with spring loaded buttons on the side of the lid to release. I would not want to trust these to carry the machine even when it was new! The motor reminds me of a Triton motor at first glance due to the three spring design and the black spring barrels. However the similarity ends there. It has a metal edged fiber gear very similar to early Columbia motors. Other than these similarities it seems to be unique. On other unique feature to this machine is that the belt runs as a figure eight or the the mandrel runs backwards!
Gregg