Looking for advice

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

Hello,

I hope this is OK to ask

My grandfather was an award winning model engineer in the 1980s and 1990s and I inherited the replica he made of Dr Robert Voss's Electrical Induction Machine of 1880 ,(exhibited at the Midlands Model Engineer Exhibition in 1982 and 1986)

It has worked perfectly for nearly 40 years, but now needs adjustment/repair and I'm looking for advice for how to go about this. I'm in the West Midlands

It would mean so much to me if I could get it running smoothly again

Many thanks

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi Pippa can you put a picture on here so we can see what it is and what may need repairing. What was your grandfather's name.

David

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1269672

**LINK**

Something like this?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Possibly this …

**LINK**

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DUS410053A

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

 [ SORRY ]
 

… another ####### double post caused by some recent change in the forum software

MichaelG.

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 02/12/2022 08:43:18

[Dave DanielsParticipant @davedaniels93256]

Lot of info here:

https://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq/electrostatic.html

D.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

That's an interesting link Dave – it's possible that one of the many links could show Pippa's grandfather's machine.

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

Thank you everyone, I'm trying to work out how to post a photo on here and how to reply to individual people but in the meantime

, in answer to David: My grandfather was Cedric C Mell. I think he was best known for his Peugeot 1895 Vis a Vis Motor Carriage 'Marie Claire' and he wrote a large article detailing that in Engineering in Miniature, split between the April and May 1991 issues.

He also made a Wimshurst, several clocks and lots of others!

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 02/12/2022 08:39:24:

Possibly this …

**LINK**

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pn%3DUS410053A

MichaelG.

Thank you – it is this one exactly

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Pippa on 03/12/2022 13:19:18:

Thank you everyone, I'm trying to work out how to post a photo on here […]

.

You have obviously managed the tricky bit, Pippa … putting photos in an Album

Now just start a new post, click the camera icon on the top row of the composition pane [next to the silly face] and follow your nose

MichaelG.

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

The problem is that somehow it has become misaligned. One of the prongs (sorry, I don't have the technical language!) has gouged out some of the silver colour circles and it now has a creaking sound if I try to turn it. Also, a few years ago the paper came loose in one area but I just left that as I didn't know if it needed a specific sort of glue.

I've now created an album on here, so lets see if I can get photos in this post…

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

this is the gouged disc

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Are those glass discs [as per the patent] , Pippa ?

or did your grandfather use plastic of some sort ?

… the gouging looks quite severe

MichaelG.

[PippaParticipant @pippa]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 03/12/2022 17:50:51:

Are those glass discs [as per the patent] , Pippa ?

or did your grandfather use plastic of some sort ?

… the gouging looks quite severe

MichaelG.

It's plastic of some sort rather than glass, and yes the gouging is bad on that circle. I'm not sure what they are made from.

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