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Automatic Electric 47 Chrome Phone with 4 buttons- also a hold button Very cool

Started by John S, June 19, 2016, 09:01:00 PM

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John S

Hi-

I was wondering if any of you have seen this type of phone before? I found it tucked away in my collection.  I forgot that I had it.  Its a automatic electric monophone. I never seen anything like it before. It has four buttons and another button on top.  It look original, the buttons. Its a very cool phone. I don't think someone did it home-style.    Here are a few pics of it. When I push one of the buttons, the handset pop up and down. I am not sure how to use the buttons.  Any help would be very appreciated.  Check out the pics.

John

rdelius

AE type 47.It is a 2 or 3 line version of a type 40.Note H (hold) button next to answer button.No key system needed. Puts a resistor on line for hold.Button next to cradle can be a 3rd line or used as a buzzer push button.Has only one ringer inside so an external ringer would be needed for the otherline. Set is newer than the type 40. Introduced late 1940s.

unbeldi

A good description of this type is in the patent publication, which wasn't approved until 1952.

Jack Ryan

The code on the base seems to conflict with the configuration of the telephone.

I haven't come across other that a "standard" Type 47 before and the code specifies no chrome highlights and a frequency ringer. Any chance of "popping the hood"?

Thanks
Jack



Fabius

Quote from: Jack Ryan on June 19, 2016, 10:28:43 PM
The code on the base seems to conflict with the configuration of the telephone.

I haven't come across other that a "standard" Type 47 before and the code specifies no chrome highlights and a frequency ringer. Any chance of "popping the hood"?

Thanks
Jack

The markings on my AE47 are: L4111 ESL,  7-57-5 (1957?)
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

Jack Ryan

Quote from: Fabius on June 19, 2016, 11:08:26 PM
The markings on my AE47 are: L4111 ESL,  7-57-5 (1957?)

That is a standard Type 47 with black dial and straight line ringer.

I haven't recorded dates but 1957 is within the production period of the Type 47.

Jack

John S

Thank you for the information, PDF file.  Here are more pictures (inside).  The whole product has a very clean slick look to it. 

John

unbeldi

The ringer in your set appears to be a straight-line ringer, AE used a 0.4 µF capacitor (as printed on the coil label) only for the SL ringer.  Does this match the capacitor installed?    It also has an additional low-voltage buzzer installed, perhaps that was used for a local intercom circuit, or behind a key system. See the little round unit in front of the induction coil.  Looks WECo style or some other brand.

rdelius

I looked closer at the type 47 set. I built this set while at COT.I removed the large veristor and added a smaller one. This freed up space for the buzzer on the second line.The baseplate might not match the set, it was chosen for nice looks. All the chrome trim was added by us.Rings on the handset were custom made.

Jack Ryan

Quote from: rdelius on June 20, 2016, 09:37:10 AM
I looked closer at the type 47 set. I built this set while at COT.I removed the large veristor and added a smaller one. This freed up space for the buzzer on the second line.The baseplate might not match the set, it was chosen for nice looks. All the chrome trim was added by us.Rings on the handset were custom made.

Thanks. That explains the discrepancies then.

Jack

AE_Collector

Quote from: John S on June 20, 2016, 09:05:03 AM
The whole product has a very clean slick look to it. 

John

They are a marvel if mechanical engineering! If you look closely at the dial you notice that it doesn't quite sit flush like it does on an AE 40. They had to raise it up slightly to make enough room inside the housing for all the parts and pieces.

The interconnect between buttons and handset plungers is just like the AE 87 and the 187 phones. Since resistors in the phone perform the hold function, lines must be knocked off of hold when the phone is hung up thus a held line will be released if the receiver is put on the cradle. You will notice that the plungers never match on these phones. One will be chromed brass and the other black Bakelite OR on slightly newer sets one will be clear plastic and one red plastic. Only one plunger is interconnected with the mechanicals on the phone so the other plunger can be used to drop a call and get a new dial tone without having to completely hang up the receiver and then go off hook again. New users of these phones had to retrain themselves and after dumping a few calls inadvertently the user training was almost complete!

A = Answer (or Line)
H = Hold

An option for the little switch up top is as mentioned, a buzzer button or a Line 3 without a Hold function.

I was doing Installation and Repair Orders in downtown Vancouver when I first ran into two of these phones in an office. The office had two 47's and two 187's on a two line over line. I think that I was adding another one or two 187 sets. Seeing these two phones instantly put me into "salesman mode" offering to get them two more 187's to swap out "those OLD sets". The business owner wasn't having any of it though. He then told me that he used to have four of them but had to downsize for awhile removing two of them. When he arranged to have the two sets reinstalled later on he got the two new 187's in their place and he still wasn't very happy about it. I knew that I was beat and would have to continue my search for AE 47's elsewhere. I have four or five of them now.

Terry

oldguy

Very cool looking phone. It's amazing how they can put that much mechanical stuff in one housing. AE had very talented designers & mechanical engineers. 4 or 5 of them Terry, lucky man & very persistent searcher.
Gary

unbeldi

I am certain that the base plate of the pictured AE 47 has been swapped from a standard single line set.

L4123 is never a multi-line set, it should be 4106 or 4111.

The patent decal is also wrong.  It is form number  D-780504-A41, but should be D-780504-A46.

AE_Collector

Yes too bad it won't be of much use for research now. I couldn't figure out what was up with the AC buzzer where the varistor was supposed to be but then rdelius explained what had happened!

Looks like Fabius has a 47 that would be nice to get more details about. I sent Tom a PM.

Terry

Jack Ryan

Quote from: unbeldi on January 16, 2017, 07:24:42 PM
I am certain that the base plate of the pictured AE 47 has been swapped from a standard single line set.

L4123 is never a multi-line set, it should be 4106 or 4111.

The patent decal is also wrong.  It is form number  D-780504-A41, but should be D-780504-A46.

I agree - I made that comment early on.

Jack