Electric Motor

[Louis Luu]

Screw size for reference.  Next to it is an Ajax toy motor.

Setscrew on the belt pulley:

 

Hex nut:

 

Brush holder screw:

[Russ Huber]

That is a push button switch to demonstrate the motor. The push button must be frozen. Spray WD-40 into the switch push button and see if it will free it up. Use compressed air if you got it to force the WD-40 into the switch body. The WD-40 won't hurt anything, so give it a good blast.

Edited July 29, 2022 by Russ Huber

[Louis Luu]

11 minutes ago, Russ Huber said:

That is a push button switch to demonstrate the motor. The push button must be frozen. Spray WD-40 into the switch push button and see if it will free it up. Use compressed air if you got it to force the WD-40 into the switch body. The WD-40 won't hurt anything, so give it a good blast.

I got some screw unlock liquid laying around....non greasy and cleans up easy.  WD is nasty smelling.  Will give it a try.

 

 

[Russ Huber]

WD-40 will dissolve road tar, yet it is one of the least harsh solvents I have used on old paint finishes. You could spray it inside your rotor cap years back to remove moisture to stop misfires. I use it to shave. Don't let a little stink detour you from a good thing.

[Jim Kovar]

1 hour ago, Louis Luu said:

I have no idea what this thing is for?

It's a panic button...

AKA an E-Stop or
O-S button.

[Louis Luu]

1 hour ago, Jim Kovar said:

That is the button I use for bidding on eBay.

[Jim Kovar]

6 minutes ago, Louis Luu said:

That is the button I use for bidding on eBay.

Sometimes that's what
I press after receiving
a busted up eBay item!

[Louis Luu]

Just now, Jim Kovar said:

Sometimes that's what
I press after receiving
a busted up eBay item!

It is a multi-universal button.

[Steve Cunningham]

Louis you’re right. I’ve never seen oilers like those.

[Louis Luu]

23 minutes ago, Steve Cunningham said:

Louis you’re right. I’ve never seen oilers like those.

Steve, it is not just the oilers that are odd.  Both endbells are brass!  And the screws are not just small like on the toy motors, but much smaller.  If I had to guess, I would say everything on this motor has been shrunk to proportion to represent a bigger motor for sale?

Edited July 29, 2022 by Louis Luu

[Louis Luu]

As far as little motors go, there is only a couple in my collection that really excite me.  This thing needs a little TLC.  I will buy some clear liquid tape to brush on the ends of the wire so it does not fray and is properly insulated.  I need to remove the brushes to make some minor adjustments so it sits properly on the commutator.  Too bad the tag is lost on the base though. 

[Louis Luu]

Will be taking the motor apart today.  Wiring reference:

[Louis Luu]

Found out why the commutator was in such great shape.  The motor was inoperable due to a crack brush.  Luckily, this part can be printed.  The brush can be desoldered and new brushes be printed in copper or brass.  I can get the proper thickness by gently sanding it down after printed.

 

A better alternative would be...does anyone know where to buy some brass brushes?

Edited July 31, 2022 by Louis Luu

[Michael Rathberger]

The local ace and a pair of decent scissors would make short work of those. It's what I did for another motor I had. That brass is thin.

[Louis Luu]

Cut by hand?  This is available on Amazon.

[Louis Luu]

4 minutes ago, Michael Rathberger said:

The local ace and a pair of decent scissors would make short work of those. It's what I did for another motor I had. That brass is thin.

Sounds like a much easier solution.  I will measure the thickness and get some.

[Louis Luu]

I got the brushes out with a small torch and a forcep.  The slit holding the brush is 0.2 mm.  That is incredibly thin.  I can't imagine how the heck anyone can do this without modern tools....I am not a machinist but am amaze by what folks could do with just basic tools in the old days.

I ordered both 0.1 and 0.2 brass sheets from amazon and a pair of metal shears to replace the brushes.

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Louis Luu

[Louis Luu]

I think I narrowed down the country...Germany.  Most likely some sort of motor/dynamo for power steam engine.

[Nicholas Denney]

On 7/31/2022 at 8:00 PM, Louis Luu said:

I can't imagine how the heck anyone can do this without modern tools....I am not a machinist but am amaze by what folks could do with just basic tools in the old days.

 

I have a lathe from the 1870s, line shaft powered. Still tight 150 years later!

Small motors that are hard to identify are pretty common. I have a few that aren't like anything yet known. I call this one my 'squid' base. 

[Steve Rockwell]

        For your consideration:

   I was scrutinizing the Roth motor

due to obvious motor frame similarities when the bearing housing on the Burke really caught my attention. Other motors have similar bracketing for bearings,

and the Roth's opening corners are actually rounded, making the opening oval in shape. I like the base on the Northwestern for being so like Louis' motor...

 

 

 

   I've never really heard of the Burke Co. before,

 

     The photos depict nothing close to identical, but I can't get past that bearing. The motor Louis has shown might have been a rather short-lived item for all we know. A catalog would be a great help...

     Burke had many styles of motors, same as many other manufacturers, and likewise they seemed to concentrate (or at least their publicity did) on larger-sized motors in early days. I could not find comprehensive info on their product line, but I nonetheless see some possibility of Burke Electric being an answer...

   The history opens up other possibilities i.e. Bergmann, back to the thought on the first page about this being a German motor (Is the hardware metric?)...

 

        At any rate, until a photo of identical model or another example with identification turns up, we'll keep guessing........

 

 

[Louis Luu]

13 minutes ago, Steve Rockwell said:

        For your consideration:

   I was scrutinizing the Roth motor

due to obvious motor frame similarities when the bearing housing on the Burke really caught my attention. Other motors have similar bracketing for bearings,

and the Roth's opening corners are actually rounded, making the opening oval in shape. I like the base on the Northwestern for being so like Louis' motor...

 

 

 

   I've never really heard of the Burke Co. before,

 

     The photos depict nothing close to identical, but I can't get past that bearing. The motor Louis has shown might have been a rather short-lived item for all we know. A catalog would be a great help...

     Burke had many styles of motors, same as many other manufacturers, and likewise they seemed to concentrate (or at least their publicity did) on larger-sized motors in early days. I could not find comprehensive info on their product line, but I nonetheless see some possibility of Burke Electric being an answer...

   The history opens up other possibilities i.e. Bergmann, back to the thought on the first page about this being a German motor (Is the hardware metric?)...

 

        At any rate, until a photo of identical model or another example with identification turns up, we'll keep guessing........

 

 

Thanks Steve.  After taking apart the motor and studying it.  I am convinced it is not a sample motor but a toy motor built in German.  Just a hunch....no definitive prove other than it is really well built with high specs.  I've heard, German make good stuff.

 

[Jay Carter]

14 hours ago, Louis Luu said:

Thanks Steve.  After taking apart the motor and studying it.  I am convinced it is not a sample motor but a toy motor built in German.  Just a hunch....no definitive prove other than it is really well built with high specs.  I've heard, German make good stuff.

 

I am currently trying to replace some worn brass/bronze brushes in a 1909 fractional dc motor. I had some success by using a carpet cutting knife for the straight edges on longer cuts, then using a jewelry shear to curve the tips. I tried to hot glue the brass/bronze to a piece of thin balsa , and even a bit of scavenged plastic from a milk carton because the shears would simply bend and deform the thin metal before I could complete the cut. Jewelry saw was tough to learn. Still searching for the magic method to cut and shape such a small and springy piece of electrical contacts.

On the subject of salesman’s samples. I have never seen a functional antique miniature motor that was truly a salesman’s sample. I hear the term “salesman’s sample” bandied about by antique dealers when they can’t identify a small functioning item, but I have never seen such a creature in a antique or vintage motor (or fan) and would love to finally see one if anyone has an example.

IF Louis’s motor is a miniature functioning model of an old German motor , Germans often copied bigger electrical motors for an authentic feel. Siemens was a popular example. But in my opinion , Louis’s motor was a upper quality tool as a dynamo/motor for schools or labs, or something to use by professional jewelers or tradesman. Not much of a toylike set of components in that motor. BUT that type motor or dynamo would usually employ phosperbronze, or copper gauze, or even a carbon brushes . That simple springy brass brush is weird for keeping tension on the quality commutator. Be interesting when repaired to see what voltage it runs at (or outputs).