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W.E. dial governor tool.

Started by N7LTH, January 10, 2014, 10:36:13 PM

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N7LTH

Howdy-

I have a W.E. 5302 and (just acquired) 302 phone and both dials (#5M and 5H, respectively) return a bit on the slow side, and I would like to adjust them. The BSP's show a special tool No. 260 which holds the governor weights in place while adjustment is performed. Does anyone know where I can get one of these? If so, I would greatly appreciate it as I do want to maintain my equipment properly.

Thank you in advance.
You know you have either phonitis or phonosis when your favorite film is "Dial Comes to Town".

dencins

I doubt it has anything to do with the governor and would advise not to touch the governor.

Might just need a good cleaning.  You could adjust the coil spring around the center post.

The safest way is to send them to Steve Hilsz.

Dennis Hallworth

G-Man

Quote from: N7LTH on January 10, 2014, 10:36:13 PM
Howdy-

I have a W.E. 5302 and (just acquired) 302 phone and both dials (#5M and 5H, respectively) return a bit on the slow side, and I would like to adjust them. The BSP's show a special tool No. 260 which holds the governor weights in place while adjustment is performed. Does anyone know where I can get one of these? If so, I would greatly appreciate it as I do want to maintain my equipment properly.

Thank you in advance.

While not uncommon they are generally not readily available since only limited amount of them were produced and those of us who have them on our workbenches tend to keep them for our own use. Since there are a lot of retired "Bell Heads" on the TCI list, you may want to inquire there as well.

Still, they do occasionally come up on eBay so patience is the keyword.

unbeldi

#3
Regarding your slow dials, indeed this is not an uncommon problem with old dials. When they return slowly it usually means they are dirty, not misadjusted. Adjustment should only be performed when the dial is mechanically sound and dirt free.

At first I just place a tiny drop of oil on the holes that hold the gear rods, and even onto the gears themselves to ease friction from accumulated dust or dirt. If that doesn't help enough, I stick those dials into an ultrasonic cleaner with a strong detergent for about 10 minutes, after removing easily removable parts, dial face, dust barrier, finger stop, etc. to provide as much direct access as possible for the water to circulate. It doesn't take off the type and date markings, but the dirt comes out quickly and very visibly.

I have also used some electronics cleaner spray from Radio Shack, just blasting the gear area with the spray, which certainly has helped.

Only once perhaps, on a #4 dial, I think, I had to wind up the recoil spring a turn or two to give the dial more energy.
Never needed to adjust the governor, although I do have a #2 dial that is clean but still runs at only 7.8 pulses per second, so that one I may actually adjust some time, but my equipment still recognizes the pulse train without errors.

teka-bb


Is there a picture available of this tool No. 260?
=============================================
Regards,

Remco, JKL Museum of Telephony Curator

JKL Museum of Telephony: http://jklmuseum.com/
=============================================
TCI Library: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/
=============================================

unbeldi

#5
Quote from: teka-bb on January 11, 2014, 02:09:17 AM

Is there a picture available of this tool No. 260?

Here is the page for the tool from AT&T Specification 4566 of February 1926, p.113.

Matilo Telephones

I agree with unbeldi. A good clean almost Always solves the speedproblem.

If the problem persists, I fist adjust the spring a little.

After these two steps, the dials still having speed problems are very very rare indeed. Nowadays I´d first check if, after these steps the dial is still faulty, for other problems inhibiting correct function. (do all contacts operate properly, test dial on another Phone, does the fingerstop not touch the fingerwheel, etc).

I´ve refurbished over 200 dials now and had to correct the governor in only a hand full of cases, some of which I suspect were because of my inexperience.

Besides that, isn´t it possible to make such a tool yourself?
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

teka-bb

Quote from: unbeldi on January 11, 2014, 02:16:33 AM
Here is the page for the tool from AT&T Specification 4566 of February 1926, p.113.

Thanks. It's hard to see how the tool looks from the drawing. Hopefully someone has a picture of the real tool?
=============================================
Regards,

Remco, JKL Museum of Telephony Curator

JKL Museum of Telephony: http://jklmuseum.com/
=============================================
TCI Library: http://www.telephonecollectors.info/
=============================================

unbeldi

#8
Quote from: teka-bb on January 11, 2014, 02:43:51 AM
Quote from: unbeldi on January 11, 2014, 02:16:33 AM
Here is the page for the tool from AT&T Specification 4566 of February 1926, p.113.

Thanks. It's hard to see how the tool looks from the drawing. Hopefully someone has a picture of the real tool?
Well, it's just a little metal plate that clamps onto the governor housing and has tabs bent to the inside to arrest the governor rotor.
I do think this can be made fairly easily. Perhaps even from thick copper wire, I have some from house wiring that is rather hard to bend over the distance of half inch or so.

G-Man

Here are a few photos of one of my tools. Hopefully they will be clear enough for you to see how it is used.

DavePEI

#10
Quote from: G-Man on January 11, 2014, 05:33:07 AM
Here are a few photos of one of my tools. Hopefully they will be clear enough for you to see how it is used.

What a neat little tool! Sadly, however despite the size of my tool collection, I have never come across one. Thank you G-Man for posting a photo of yours! Now I will know what to look for....

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

Doug Rose

I second that Dave....it is a very cool tool. Nice find G-man...Doug
Kidphone

N7LTH

#12
Thanks a million for all of the responses so far! Great to see photos of an actual #260 and know it really DOES exist   :)

I think I'll clean 'em up first and see if that rectifies the issue, and I'll keep an eye on eBay for one as well just in case. I bet these could be fairly easily made if one has the dimensions.

Thanks again.
You know you have either phonitis or phonosis when your favorite film is "Dial Comes to Town".

Contempra

It is a great tool except that I use 2 twizzlers because I do not have this tool... A machinist could make some. I suppose.

Matilo Telephones

Wow, thanks for the clear pics. It is basically a plate with bent tabs. Such a tool can easily be made.

Perhaps someone can post a pattern with exact dimensions?

Or put the tool under a scanner with a ruler, preferably with both inches and centimeters.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones