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Now the Story Can be Told - 1949 WECo 500 Set

Started by Dan/Panther, March 20, 2010, 11:08:11 PM

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Dan/Panther

I fully understand the need to come up with something NEW, but this thing with all the different style feet is really bizarre. I mean it's not like they are all completely different, basically they are very similar, and to a novice probably quite the same in appearance, I just don't understand the number of variations. If cost savings was the bottom line when it came to cutting for the final production run, this is definitely one spot they overlooked.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Kenny C

D/P the phone looks great and I am happy to hear that it works.
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

dencins

Dan

Glad the footpads worked out.  Your footpads are unique and would not have made it to production.

First Ma Bell had a strategy to reduce or eliminate field repair for the 500 so being able to remove the footpads was not necessary.  Repair centers with the appropriate equipment were set up.  Phones were replaced with other phones and the old phone went to the repair center.  This was to reduce the number of trained field service people.

In manufacturing it is less expensive to put in rivets than screws.  Rivets cost less than screws.  The tapping step eliminated.  It is also easier to automate riveting.  I believe automation is also why the dimples were put back into the footpad plate and the holes in the base plate.  By making the bump on the base round rather than triangular the footpad can move on the bump until the dimples fall into the base plate alignment hole then the rivets are inserted and crimped.  All this was to reduce cost to produce the phone.    

As far as the 500 footpads in production are concerned, I have only seen four.  

1.  Leather rivetted (1949)
2.  Neoprene triangular riveted (1958)
3.  Neoprene round ribbed riveted (1963)
4.  Neoprene round flat riveted (1966)

Dennis

Jim Stettler

I have a set that is 2 original leather riveted feet, and 2 round rubber feet. This set was "c" stock. The blue handset cord waas painted black.

Regarding Dennis's statement on Feet.
I think The bumps also kept the feet aligned as time progressed. I think screwed feet would loosen and wobble.

I suspect my Rubber 5302 screw feet were unique to 5302's.
The screw on 500 feet struck me as factory.
I just pulled a foot .

This screw on 500 foot is on a 1956 base. The back side of the rubber foot has 58 molded (raised) . The rubber foot is molded as 1 piece including the bumps. The threaded piece seems to be designed for the foot, and is either molded in or a tight fitted insert. Photos later.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

AET

Oh, if you were wearing lipstick, I'd bet it'd be on both ears for a smile as big as I bet yours was when you heard that dialtone, that ring, I'm just smiling thinking about it.
- Tom

Dan/Panther

Quote from: AtomicEraTom on April 16, 2010, 05:37:33 AM
Oh, if you were wearing lipstick, I'd bet it'd be on both ears for a smile as big as I bet yours was when you heard that dialtone, that ring, I'm just smiling thinking about it.

Tom;
I only wear lipstick on the weekends. But that's a story for another thread.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

AET

Scary visual D/P!
l
Quote from: Dan/Panther on April 16, 2010, 01:28:52 PM
Quote from: AtomicEraTom on April 16, 2010, 05:37:33 AM
Oh, if you were wearing lipstick, I'd bet it'd be on both ears for a smile as big as I bet yours was when you heard that dialtone, that ring, I'm just smiling thinking about it.

Tom;
I only wear lipstick on the weekends. But that's a story for another thread.
D/P
- Tom

benhutcherson

#742
QuoteThis screw on 500 foot is on a 1956 base. The back side of the rubber foot has 58 molded (raised) . The rubber foot is molded as 1 piece including the bumps. The threaded piece seems to be designed for the foot, and is either molded in or a tight fitted insert. Photos later

I have an early('53 I think) base which was later refurbished with 4 feet of a similar arrangement to what you're describing. The rubber is one piece, and it's held on by a sort of screw and nut arrangement.


Jim Stettler

Ben,
That is the setup I was talking about. The screw goes in from the top, and there is a nut-type piece in the foot. I didn't check to see if the "nut" is a seperate piece , or if it molded with the foot.Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

benhutcherson

The nut is definitely a separate piece, although, as I recall, it's a fairly tight fit inside the foot.

dencins

#745
Quote from: benhutcherson on April 16, 2010, 08:05:36 PM
The nut is definitely a separate piece, although, as I recall, it's a fairly tight fit inside the foot.
The one's I have seen used 1/4" long binding screw nuts which have an 8-32 thread which is the same as the 302 footpad screw.  I do not remember the exact dimensions but the rivet has a 9/64" shaft which would make the hole 5/32".  If the binding post shank is 3/16" the binding post nut could be forced through the hole in the neoprene giving a tight fit.  If someone has a magnet, could they check to see if the nut is aluminum?

If these phones had been refurbished at a Bell service center the footpad would be riveted on.  They had the tools and the rivets to do it that way.  

One issue with the rivets and neoprene pads is they corrode with moisture.  People took them off then needed a way to put them on without riveting.

Dennis    

Dan/Panther

Dennis;
Would the people you refer to as "they took them off because they were corroded", would they be subscribers or refurb people. If it were refurb people wouldn't they also have the means to rivet them back on ?
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

#747
The screw is 8-32. The #'s seem to be mold #'s, not part #'s.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Dan/Panther

If everyone is still interested in the conference call, this weekend may be a good time, but I have no idea how to set it up.
Just tell me what to do, I'll do it.  Maybe tomorrow evening early enough for West Coast people, but not too late for East coasters.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Dan/Panther

Quote from: Jim S. on April 16, 2010, 10:55:54 PM
The screw is 8-32. The #'s seem to be mold #'s, not part #'s.
Jim

My experience with small molded parts is the number is usually the number of a certain cavity in a multiple cavity mold.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson