Northern Electric Dial?????

Doug Rose · July 17, 2022, 01:05:58 PM

Quote from: TelePlay on July 17, 2022, 01:03:48 PMI don't have a clue of what that has to do with this dial in this topic but a prior reply is interesting in that it shows how the governor is tucked away with the main gear (missing in the image) meshes with the worm gear on the governor and somehow the main spring gear around the main spring shaft.

It almost seems the main meshes face to face instead of edge to edge to convert spring torque 90 degrees from vertical to the horizontal main gear (not shown but the axle point and depression for the main gear is seen in the image).

There is a lot more intricate engineering to this dial, more complex, than most. At least there is access to the governor so that the fly wings can be worked on to adjust dial speed.

A chronological photo display showing step by step how the dial is disassembled would be interesting and helpful. Granted, there aren't a whole lot of these out there and most people won't attempt disassembly but for the knowledge base, it would be interesting to see how this dial is made and functions.

All dials aren't that complicated in that the telephone manufacturers hired people off the street to put them together. The engineers designed the dials but also designed them to be assembled by a common man off the street, not rocket science. Problem is that some dials, when assembled, were done so in a way that does not allow them to be taken apart - some SC dials have the number plate fixed to the dial housing by bending over metal prongs. This dial may have that issue as well in some of its parts, say the governor which from the picture looks like it's permanently attached to the dial case.

just replying on what phone it would go on, if it doesn't belong, please delete it...Doug

RDPipes · July 17, 2022, 02:06:47 PM

Quote from: FABphones on July 17, 2022, 11:40:56 AMHow does that governor door open?
Cute.

Well it looks like it would just slide open but when I tried (several times) it wouldn't budge and I even loosened the screws near it.
Maybe corrosion is keeping it from opening or just plain orneriness, I'm unsure at this point, LOL!

tubaman · July 17, 2022, 04:29:35 PM

Quote from: FABphones on July 17, 2022, 11:40:56 AMHow does that governor door open?
Cute.

It slides open, but even on my NOS one it's pretty stiff.

RDPipes · July 17, 2022, 04:46:35 PM

Quote from: tubaman on July 17, 2022, 04:29:35 PMIt slides open, but even on my NOS one it's pretty stiff.

I'll have to try mine again, maybe with a little penetrating oil.

TelePlay · July 17, 2022, 05:11:54 PM

The door probably wasn't meant to open easily so it wouldn't open when the phone was handled during use. Adjacent case screws may be used to "pinch" the door shut, to keep it closed.

Put this dial on my want list, to take it apart and post that "step by step" on the forum.

kleenax · July 17, 2022, 06:23:58 PM

Quote from: tubaman on July 17, 2022, 08:09:25 AMThese are certainly interesting dials. I have this NOS one I picked-up some years ago. The governor door is stamped "5 31" - May 1931?
All I need now is a phone to go with it.

Your NOS North Dial is the smaller version, I believe 2-7/8" instead of the larger 3" dial. Your dial was used primarily on Stromberg-Carlson Dial sticks, but is found on some other phones. Needs an adapter plate to mount however.

TelePlay · July 17, 2022, 07:04:57 PM

QuoteOkay, North Electric, . . .

More North dial information.

New on eBay is a North dial (their description) that is not similar to this topic's "North" dial. Description says North may have made up to 4 different dials, this being the last version they made.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194888314744

Item Description: "1934 - 1940s Bakelite-Brass Rotary North Dial - With precious metal contact points. Metropolitan (red numbers, black letters). I was told that the contact points on these have either platinum or palladium on them; I don't recall. So the contacts may be worth more than $9? North Electric in Galion Ohio was big on dials and switching apparatus. This is possibly and perhaps likely the last dial they made. After they got going on/with Ericofones, you didn't hear much about their other products. There were probably 4 or more versions of the North rotary dial. Their earlier dials had a cam thing that fell off easily making the dial not functional. Used – Untested."

It's listed by Phonecoinc so they should know the original manufacturer.

Only thing similar is the dial case, sort of. From experience, every manufacturer, except WE, continuously changed the designs of their dials without any numbering system like that used by WE. I can see how it would be hard to keep dials in memory.

tubaman · July 18, 2022, 02:34:52 AM

Quote from: kleenax on July 17, 2022, 06:23:58 PMYour NOS North Dial is the smaller version, I believe 2-7/8" instead of the larger 3" dial. Your dial was used primarily on Stromberg-Carlson Dial sticks, but is found on some other phones. Needs an adapter plate to mount however.

I've just measured its diameter and it's 2-5/8" across.

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Northern Electric Dial?????