The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi all,

I managed to pick up a reasonably rare VV 9-15 (yep, VV, not VE) this past weekend and am in the process of sorting out the things to be fixed list. As you may know, this rather large beast has a RCA Radiola 28 on the left and a 4-spring Orthophonic phonograph on the right as you face the machine.

The radio shares the built in horn with the phonograph via a valve turned by a knob inside the phonograph compartment which shunts the sound passage to either the path that begins with the sound box and the tone arm for the phonograph or with a speaker driver attached to the related plumbing. I have (I hope, this is a first try with posting pics) attached two pics of the bit of plumbing that contains the valve.

There is a 90 degree angle where the shaft from the knob meets the shaft from the valve. You can see the shafts in the pictures, but alas they do not meet. There are supposed to be two gears which attach to these shafts via pins so configured as to mesh with each other at the 90 degree angle. Alas these gears were made of the dreaded pot metal. One is completely missing. I have the other (although it is hiding from me at the moment), but it is missing one tooth. Anybody know where I could get these gears, original or repro?

The other issue is the sound driver, which attaches to the part of the plumbing that looks a bit like a tone arm. It attaches via the same kind of twist lock slot that is used to attach a sound box to a tone arm. The machine came with 2 (count um, 2) speaker drivers. Picture of those also attached, I hope. (Haven’t gotten so far yet as to see if either actually works.) They are marked as having been supplied to Victor by RCA, so I am guessing they are of the right type. However, neither has the type of coupling that would fit onto the slotted end of the plumbing. Does anybody know if (1) these are the right type driver and (2) was there some sort of fitting that coupled the driver with the plumbing?

Tis a puzzlement.

Clay

Those drivers were also sold separately and were intended to take the place of the reproducer in order to utilize the Orthophonic horn as a radio speaker. Looks like they are both missing the rubber isolator and brass indexing collar, that are the same as one would find in an Orthophonic reproducer.

As for the missing gears, take the valve down to your local Grainger or McMaster-Carr and see if you can fit a U-joint in
place of those gears.

Thanks John,

Your remark about the rubber isolator and brass indexing collar makes great sense. The dimensions are pretty much the same as a tone-arm end and Before cleaning it up the side of the plumbing where the driver fits had a brass collar on it with some bits of a rock hard substance clinging to it--no doubt the petrified remnants of 85 year old rubber. A excellent clue as to something to try.

As an aside, the driver wasn't an after-market option on the 9-15s, but came with it. This one was not one of the models that came from Victor with an empty space for later installation of a radio. The 9-15s came from Victor with a battery operated Radiola 28 installed--an early transition to radio/phono combos and, as to the VV portion of 9-15 production, one of the last deluxe combos for homes that had not yet been electrified.

I am afraid I am not familiar with "Grainger or McMaster-Carr"??????

Clay

Glad I could help. I was just saying that same driver was also sold separately to convert ANY Victrola into a radio speaker.

W.W. Grainger and McMaster-Carr are two huge industrial supply houses. Google them. There are brick-and-mortar warehouse stores located all over the US, and their catalogs are on-line as well. The counterman at the store may be able to help you select the proper U-joint if you brought the part in.

Thanks again John.

Clay

Please keep us updated on your progress!

Now that I'm a little more awake, I'm thinking that the joint you want may be called a knuckle-joint because it has a middle 45-degree section in order to make the 90-degree turn.

Yes, in nosing around the websites of the industrial supply firms you mentioned it looks like 90 is too sharp an angle for a U joint and that the gears originally there are called miter gears. There is a Granger outlet about 20 miles from me. Will get out the search warrant for the one surviving original gear (in case of a miracle of there being the same gear set commercially available today) and when I find it go have a look. Will also order an isolator.

Clay

A workable substitute for the missing bevel-gears might be a length of rubber hosing ( thinking fabric-reinforced fuel or heater hose), that could be slipped over the shafts, and pinned.

90 degrees is too sharp a bend for a cross & yoke / Cardan type joint.

Back in the era of your Victrola / Radiola combo, rubber hose was used to connect two shafts that were not in perfect axial aligment, for low-torque applications such as washing machines, water-pumps & generators(the variety driven off the camshaft).... on vintage cars

Just a thought...

Please share pics of the whole machine !

Here she is. Mostly still in "as found" condition. Have cleaned the top, but not the front and sides yet. The tone arm and sound box are out for repair and I haven't installed the new turntable felt yet. The radio bits that show are in very nice condition. The inner workings of the radio are quite another story. Expect that will be a longer term project. Right now, just want to get the phonograph playing well.

Clay

Nice 9-15, Clay! Looks like it will clean up nicely. There are some radio guys on this board that should be able to help out once they see this thread, I'd hope.

Sean