In a message dated 8/8/2006 9:48:51 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes:
Anyone have any info or references on the wood cased Edison Business Phonos, including motors used, power sources, etc. There doesn't seem to be much info available, probably because they are not highly collectible and do not play the standard cylinders. Ray. Greetings Ray: Sorry for the delay in answering. The Class M, E, and C phonographs were the first business machines. They were big expensive and problematical for office work. The first wood cased machines that I have seen were from 1906 and were labeled as Model B Business Phonographs. One was electric with Type DC stamped on the patent plate. One was Type Mains. One was SM for spring motor. Since it was stamped Model B one assumes there was an earlier Model A. The last patent date was May 22, 1906. The motor for these electric business machines was an Edison bipolar open frame type. The Model B machines serial numbers ended in the high 5000's. The next Model C machines followed. Some of these had the same spring motor as before. It was in fact the same motor as the two spring Triumph machines. The endgate was eliminated. The machines also had bipolar motors for a short duration then switched over to an Aluminum cast shell universal motor with a rheostat in back. The rheostat had connection points for AC and for DC. These go up through serial 14,000 I believe. The Model D came out with several improvements. The wood case continued but was gone by serial number 20,000. The spring motor seems to have been dropped about the same time so that only electric machines continued. The cylinder ejector lever was changed to a spring loaded butt end that was actuated by pushing in the end of the mandrel. The D continued for some time with the motor changing to a round casing and the AC/DC connection became a switch to taps in the motor windings. I would really like to have descriptions a serials of machines from anyone interested. There is one person out there in phonographland who has specialized in these machines. Eric have you any corrections and a ton of additions? Kindest Regards to Everyone, Al Sefl PS: The above is from memory since I can't remember where the notes are!
