Kellogg 25 Ringer Box

[Pourme]

I was attracted to this box because of the design, double layered door, mounting board, nickle gongs...what's not to like? I followed the auction and placed a low bid and bought it without much competition at $26.49 + $11.30, not bad.

http://tinyurl.com/y9pymerd

It arrived today and now i'm trying to figure out what I have. I searched the TCI library and found nothing.

I experimented with a working 302 subset trying to make it ring and had no success.

The tag inside reads: Condenser 12. Jun ?? 1907

The number "25" is stamped into the wood on the top edge, this is the identifying number I'd expect to see on any documentation I would find from Kellogg.

No doubt it will clean up well, a little polish and Howards.

Can it be used with my Kellogg 925? How should I attempt to wire it? The condenser looks to be original and not added after the fact. Could a condenser from 1907 still be functional? Most ringer boxes I see don't have condensers, do I even need one? Should it be wired it to bypass it? I'm full of questions and no answers!

I look forward to comments from the revered phone whispers!

Benny

[Pourme]

One more pic

[poplar1]

Your bell box apparently has a No. 26 harmonic ringer. See ringers on page 38-39 of Kellogg 1910 catalog:

http://www.telephonecollectors.info/strombergcarlson/kellogg/PDF/1910_CAT_APPARATUS.pdf

It would need to be in series with a condenser (capacitor) but it is probably not responding to 20 hertz because it is tuned for a different frequency.

[Pourme]

Thanks Popular1 for the link. I pulled my ringer looking for marks and didn't see anything. What I did notice was the clapper. Mine has the unique cylinder shape striker instead of the ball shape, code 26 on page 38. Page 39 says it could only be 16 2/3 for No 4,  or 66 2/3 frequency for No. 3, if I read it correctly. I would need Code 28-No.2 ringer. Fat chance to run across one of these!

Perhaps I will clean it up and display it in my collection. It's over 100 years old and I hate to be the one to destroy it!

Thanks for the help!

[TelePlay]

Unlike a straight line ringer which has a pivot point and some sort of bias spring, in this image you can see the thin, flat metal reed (red arrow) that is mounted between the two bottom blocks (yellow circle) and attached to the clapper assembly. The size and/or thickness of that reed is one of the parameters (another one of which is the hammer) used to get the ringer to work at a specific frequency.

Rather than pivot on an axle as in a SL ringer, the metal bends back and forth, flexes, allowing the hammer to hit the gongs.

[poplar1]

Page 39 says it could only be 16 2/3 for No 4,  or 66 2/3 frequency for No. 3, if I read it correctly. I would need Code 28-No.2 ringer. Fat chance to run across one of these!

The table on page 39 is a continuation of the one on page 38:

Code No.       Frequency      Resistance      Remarks

26--No. 1       33 1/3            500
26--No. 2       50                  500
26--No. 3       66 2/3            500
26--No. 4       16 2/3            2500
28--No. 1       20                  2500           No. 26 but different frequency
28--No. 2       60                  500             No. 26 but different frequency   

[Pourme]

Thanks for the information guys!... For now I cleaned it up and gave it a place on the display wall. I mounted it so I could remove it easily if needed. It's a good looking piece and worthy of a place of respect.

Thanks again!