The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Members.
I have a Victor L Door 16 with an unusual brake. In all my years collecting I’ve never come across another.
It appears to be damaged and repaired but it’s fully operational.
There are no holes in the motor board indicating a brake was removed and this was installed.
Is this a factory brake?
Thank You!

It seemed to be branded SIMPLEX and other lettering I cannot decipher .. TYPE ...? and PAT APLD FOR
It's not a Victor product, I guess....

Let me try and get a better picture of that area

Victor didn't offer an automatic brake in its Victrolas until 1913.

If you have a copy of A World of Antique Phonographs, you'll see some pictures of a Simplex Start and Stop Device on page 136. (Click twice on the image below to enlarge.) Yours appears to be missing the reset arm. These are made from pot metal, so it's not surprising.

We used a period advertisement of the Simplex as the frontispiece for an earlier book.

George P.

WOW!!! I have never heard of this one. I would love to see it in operation.

Here is a better picture of the top. I’ll make a video of it tomorrow