Western Electric 143 Receiver - 1st edition

[wds]

Just wondering if anyone has - or has seen - one of these first edition 143 receivers? 

[Ktownphoneco]

Dave   ....  I have the actual receiver, (bottom picture in your post) but not the shell and cap.

Jeff

[poplar1]

A few months ago, I purchased a 1317E ("Queen Bee") -- the first version of the 1317 model --  just to get this early 143 receiver.

122-type receivers (exposed binding posts) are appearing quite frequently on Ebay these days. But the early 143 is difficult to find.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I can certainly see where it got it's design from...

It really looks like a 122 with an extra cap on top (no more exposed terminals)! The later shell versions were obviously more refined and sleeker, less like their older counterparts.

[wds]

I let a couple of these slip through my fingers in the past because I wasn't sure what it was.  Won't happen again.  This one is more rare than the #122, but I wonder if it has much of a value since no-one seems to know that it exists. 

[wds]

I found another one of the first edition 143 receivers.  I haven't cleaned it yet, but it feels like bakelite.  The cap is a little bit heavier and thicker than the later caps.  Magnet has the patent dates.  Very nice find.  Now I just need to find one in hard rubber.

[unbeldi]

I got another one of the first edition 143 receivers.  I haven't cleaned it yet, but it feels like bakelite.  The cap is a little bit heavier and thicker than the later caps.  Magnet has the patent dates.  Very nice find.  Now I just need to find one in hard rubber.

Are you sure it is Bakelite ?
Bakelite wasn't invented until just a few years, maybe 5, before the 144 receiver came out and most of those were vulcanized rubber too until much later.

[wds]

I know the feel of bakelite, and the stink of hard rubber.  I'm not versed on the dates of when each material was used, but look at the Ad I posted and note that these had composition cases, and rubber was issued upon request.  Is a composition receiver not the same as bakelite?

[Ktownphoneco]

I can fully appreciate this discussion, as I've closely examined both Bakelite and "hard" rubber receiver cases, caps and telephone handsets over the years.     In so doing, I've come to the conclusion that several telephone manufacturers have used what I believe to be a 3rd material, which really doesn't fall under the category of either rubber or Bakelite.    All of the telephone catalogs I have, are mostly Northern Electric and Western Electric.     Both companies have no problem using the word "Bakelite" when describing the various telephone parts or components which are made from that material.
However in a number of instances, they refer to 140 series receivers being made from a "composition shell and cap".     In Northern's T-6 Second Edition catalog, page 61, for example, it stipulates that the No. 143 Receiver has a "composition shell and cap", while the No. 144 Receiver has a "hard rubber" shell and cap.
The receivers which appear to be made of neither Bakelite or hard rubber, are almost impossible to shine.   Fine to medium grit wet / dry sand paper cuts through the material very fast.    A lot faster than Bakelite or hard rubber.        Any time I've looked at one of these receivers that's been damaged, the exposed grain isn't the same as Bakelite, and almost has a "crystallized" appearance.
But what exactly is it ?    I have no idea, but I'm quite sure it isn't Bakelite.

Jeff Lamb

[unbeldi]

I think the term "composite material" or "composition" can be used for many materials.  Indeed Bakelite with asbestos or cellulose fillers is also a composition material.
But time-wise, Bakelite just does not seem to fit the period. I looked up Bakelite history and it wasn't until 1909 at an ACS meeting when he reported in front of a scientific audience.  It was not particular prevalent in the 1910s, and only took off in the 1920s for consumer products.  The Bakelite Company was founded in 1910. So all this just seems too late for the 143 receiver.

I think Jeff is probably right that it was some other kind of material.
I think shellac might have been used in composites.  The way that catalog excerpt reads, is that it was a cheaper material than hard rubber.

[rdelius]

There is another type of rec shell -composition.It is black,brittle and seems somewhat porous in nature.The material seems similar to the shallac that 78 rpm records were pressed from.super glue seems to soak in somewhat and bond well .WE composition receivers have a ridge around the cord hole.Not found on Hard rubber ones.I think the composition was replaced with Bakelite and fell our of favor

[wds]

The #122 receiver seems to have only been made in Hard Rubber.  I remember reading in one of the Western Electric catalogs that one material was marketed as a more durable material, and I think it was the Composite.  I'm still looking for that article.

[Ktownphoneco]

Would it be this catalog page (attached)  Dave ?    This is page 233 of Western's No. 5 Catalog of 1923.   It shows and describes both the 144AW and 143AW receivers, and recommends that if the receiver is destined for rough service, or a high humidity environment, the hard rubber 144 receiver should be used rather than the composition 143.     Unfortunately it doesn't explain exactly why that is.

Jeff

[unbeldi]

I think that description indeed rules out that "composition" is Bakelite, because Bakelite has a much better resistance to humidity and heat, than hard rubber.

[wds]

I think that's it.  Also, the article lead me to believe that the 143 and the 144 came out at the same time.  I used to think that the 143 was the earlier receiver, (with the exception of this 1st style 143), but maybe both were introduced at the same time and were simply two different versions ?  or at the very least the two receivers overlapped for a while.  The previous article says that the 143 came in both composite and hard rubber, but maybe w.e. changed the 143 to be composite only, and the 144 to be hard rubber only?