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Western Electric Dial Value Question/Blank fingerstops/"0" only dial plates

Started by Desert Phone Guy, June 29, 2018, 06:51:19 PM

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Doug Rose

#15
Thank Jeff.....a rumor I had heard....Doug
Kidphone

poplar1

Quote from: Doug Rose on July 01, 2018, 08:12:38 PM
David... to Clarify, on the notchless dial plates, did any metropolitan plates have just the zero and not have operator. I have  numbers only with and without the operator, but all metropolitan plates have operator with he zero....many thanks....Doug

Doug, I don't recall any WE 132/149/150/164 number plates with letters and numbers but without "operator." There are refurbished 302s -- often Northern Electric -- with letters and numbers without "operator" -- on some of these number plates, the appearance is rough, as if the porcelain had been redone....NE/NT 500s and other phones sold in Canada after a certain date (1970s?) were manufactured without "operator."
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

poplar1

Quote from: Ktownphoneco on July 01, 2018, 09:45:07 AM
I have one of the "D75978" dials, and made the assumption, be it right or be it wrong, that it was some sort of experimental or test dial based on the parts that I found inside.    The finger stop as poplar1 has already stated, is unmarked, and inside, there are 2 springs which seem to operate the pulse pawl arm.     If you look at the pictures, you'll notice the larger copper colored spring is "U" shaped, and is anchored using one of the small brass round head screws normally used to secure one of the three legs of the porcelain number plate support.      The number plate support leg at that position has been cut off very neatly, and at the bottom of the leg.     That "U" shaped copper colored spring applies pressure to what I would describe as the top flat portion of the pulse pawl.
The second spring is a little harder to see because of the small diameter of the spring steel wire it's made from, but it's in the shape of a reverse "question mark - ?", and one end attaches to the hole at the bottom of the pulse pawl where the coiled spring found on a normal type 2 dial would be situated.    The other end of the spring attaches to the post incorporated into the inside of the case on any type 2 dial, and to which the other end of a pulse pawl coil spring attaches.   
As you case see from the pictures, this "D75978" dial has enough scratches, chips, and finger stop discoloration to indicate it's been in use somewhere.   
My theory regarding the relationship between the pulse pawl springs and the "D75978" numbering might be totally wrong, but without any official documentation, that was the conclusion I came to, and perhaps all the chips and scratches are indicative of a dial attached to a "Butt Set".

Pictures attached.    Double click to enlarge.

Jeff Lamb


Jeff, I just compared a D75978 dial with a 2A> 4H CONV dial. The springs are identical in these 2 examples. I don't know what the 2 springs on your dial are, but they apparently have rien a voir avec the D75978 designation.

The U-shape spring in your dial does resemble somewhat the U-shape spring on the WE 1936- I 38 "silent" 5H dials. Said dials have an all-phenol pulse pawl
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Ktownphoneco

Poplar1, I couldn't place where I'd seen that "U" shaped spring before until you mentioned it.   I have 2 W.E. dials, a "5-L and a 5-F", with the phenol pulse pawl and the "U" shaped spring, see pictures.      Interesting.     I'll have to experiment with the spring set up, and see if the "reverse question mark spring" will operate the pulse pawl all by itself.     The spring was almost certainly made for the specific purpose of testing it's ability to operate the pulse pawl.     If it wasn't performing that well, perhaps the "U" shaped spring was added just to see if it assisted the other spring in  any way.   The "D" number may not have had any sort of direct relationship to pulse pawl spring testing, but I'm wondering if it was given the number as some sort of test platform for component testing in general.   I'm assuming that without specific documentation as to the reason that "D" number was created and assigned to the dial, it's difficult to say with any sort of certainty, exactly what the function of the dial was intended to be.

Jeff


poplar1

#19
I believe Haf has the same D75978 dial in a Kellogg wall set. Perhaps Ray can check his dials, if they still have the original 132-style # plate without operator. My guess that all the D75978s -- other than yours -- differ from the 2A  only in the number plate, the unmarked finger stop, and the vermilion stamp on the back.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Greg G.

#20
This is a 2AA dial that came with the brassed-out "lamp phone" I bought from Goodwill 6 years ago. 
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Ktownphoneco

Doug   ....   You were asking me the other day about whether or not telephone dials installed in telephones in the Province of Quebec used the French version of the word "operator" over the "Zero".
I replied that the English spelling was used.      Here's a picture of a dial I just received from a collector in Montreal (514).   Sorry about the filthy condition.    I haven't had a chance to service it yet. 
Double click to enlarge.

Jeff