pick up bar AE40

[recrum]

My recent AE40 is the first one I've purchased that had the carry handle.  The phone has the chrome handset rings and cut away chrome finger wheel, so it just seems strange to me that the pick up bar is black.

[unbeldi]

Sets were refurbished often many times. Perhaps this is a set that didn't have one or still had the older versions originally.
Some detailed pictured would help to estimate the age of the set, especially the bottom plate and internals.

[recrum]

Hope these help

[Jim Stettler]

I have had several AE 40's with the black bar and chrome trim bands, I think the only set I had with a chrome bar was a very pretty AE47.  It The  AE47 is a 2 line w/hold set. They have a neat look.
JMO,
Jim S.

[unbeldi]

Thanks for the pics, yes they help.

The set is labeled SN 4020 A0 on the bottom.  It is an early set, meaning before the war shortages set in. The housing also matches that period, but the lift bar does not. This kind was not available until the late 1940s.
The number card is from the 1930s, probably too early to go well with the remaining parts.  I just don't think they used this style anymore in the late 1940s.
Does the dial have twin-contacts ? This would indicate an upgrade in the early to mid 1950s.
So, I would argue that the phone was perhaps not taken out of service this way.

[recrum]

pic of the back of the dial.

[unbeldi]

pic of the back of the dial.

Ok, indeed twin-contact dial springs assembly.  These were introduced with the No. 51A dial in ca. 1954, and were available as a replacement part.


I see you have a schematic in the set also.  It should verify the stamping on the bottom.
Which form (D-) number is it?

[Doug Rose]

I have a chrome bar if you need one....Doug

[recrum]

I'm really confused with the AE dials.  What are you referring to with twin contacts?  after some conversation with terry I thought the stamped dial case with screw on contacts were the older ones.

[recrum]

doug how much you asking for that?

[unbeldi]

I'm really confused with the AE dials.  What are you referring to with twin contacts?  after some conversation with terry I thought the stamped dial case with screw on contacts were the older ones.

Yes, the dial case is a 24A36 from before 1949 or so.  But the contact assembly can be upgraded by removing the two screws and lifting the entire assembly off the back of the dial.  Look at the contact springs, each is bifurcated with two contact points each.

To show the difference, here is a dial with single-contact springs,  not bifurcated yet.   The dial casing though is of a later date than yours.

[recrum]

What lift bar would have been used if this one didn't come along until the late 40s?  I have another one from about the same period that has a metal tube type one.

Thanks for the pics, yes they help.

The set is labeled SN 4020 A0 on the bottom.  It is an early set, meaning before the war shortages set in. The housing also matches that period, but the lift bar does not. This kind was not available until the late 1940s.
The number card is from the 1930s, probably too early to go well with the remaining parts.  I just don't think they used this style anymore in the late 1940s.
Does the dial have twin-contacts ? This would indicate an upgrade in the early to mid 1950s.
So, I would argue that the phone was perhaps not taken out of service this way.

[Jim Stettler]

What lift bar would have been used if this one didn't come along until the late 40s?  I have another one from about the same period that has a metal tube type one.

There are Finger holds on the side of the cradle, The handset needs to be off hook to carry.
Jim S.

[unbeldi]

There was also what the collectors call the "butler handle".   It was a metal bridge that normally laid down the rear slope, but for carrying it pivoted up as a carrying handle.

Here are pics from the forum.

[AE_Collector]

I don't think your phone is from late 40's, more like early 40's. It most likely originally came with a dial, almost for certain a numbers only dial and it would have been a 24A36 in the early 40's.

Your phone was probably refurbished sometime from the early 50's on. The dial was likely replaced with this one, possibly due to a problem with the original dial or maybe to upgrade it to a Metropolitan (numbers and letters) dial or maybe to upgrade the dial to the type with bifurcated contacts.

At the time of the refurb the carry bar had become the standard so that was replaced as well but they didn't worry too much about keeping everything Chrome for whatever reason.

That 40 that you have or had with the rod between the cradle blocks has to be a modification done by a telco's refurb shops or an individual. I have never seen that before. It is possible that someone came up with that before the carry bar was designed or maybe as an inexpensive replacement for missing butlers handles.

Terry