Fixing the governor

As a gramophone owner you were expected to regularly take the thing apart and oil it. Or maybe expected to take it up to your gramophone shop and have it serviced. The instruction leaflet that came with such machines does include the steps to take out the motor-board ("grasp edge of horn by left hand, grasp winding key by right hand and lift out motor board").

Once you have the motor board out, you can see the lubrication chart that is glued to the bottom of the case. ("oil according to greasing chart to be found below motor").

Now there's a thought for typewriters. The service chart could be in the lid or cover and right there when the mechanism is opened up. (Maybe some machines did have that, I do not know...)

Because the turntable did not keep a stable speed and make a rather loud chugging noise, the friction pad in the governor was the first suspect. If that has gone 'solid', there would not be a large stable rpm range and any un-evenness would give a chugging sound like a steam locomotive at speed.

With an additional four screws loosened, the motor indeed gently drops out of the board. The motor is heavy, most of the weight of the whole gramophone is the motor. The plates and pillars are dimensioned generously, then again it does need to safely contain a strong spring with a lot of energy in it.

The little friction pad had indeed taken the consistency of a small stone. Hard like a little rock. After first trying to soften it up and re-oil it, it was decided to replace it. Gently prying open the clamps holding the leather the 'stone' dropped out. Stacking two small pads cut to size (old leather belt), these were clamped tight again in the friction pad holder and then provided with several generous doses of machine oil. This made the new pad soaked and fit for service.

Putting the machine together to try, it now runs at a stable speed. The pitch regulator now actually governs the speed where first it was more of a switch from 'stop' to 'as fast as you can'. The chugging sound was also mostly gone. As the new leather pad settles in, this is gradually becoming less.

Also had to oil and work the sliding bush of the governor with the friction disc. It moves now, but a bit sluggish. This makes it slow to reach stable speed but otherwise has no ill effect.

Now to fine-tune and re-adjust the pitch regulator, perhaps to print a strobe disc.

Like the typewriters also very mechanical, but definitely on a different scale. Different both in size of the components and in the complexity of the mechanisms.

An enjoyable excursion :)