Russ Huber Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 The last rib base models on the market in 1911. Smooth was in at Fidelity in 12. Fidelity 12" & 16" models still used brass trimmings as late as 1918. The image dates 18. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 Per my other post, I currently have 9 Fidelity pieces. I believe Fidelity may not have any order or reason when it comes to identifying by specifics. The highest serial of all I have ever seen appears on an ornate tag. I have seen more than 5 styles of tag, which is excessive for a run of hardly 2 decades, compared to other makes, especially when their fans changed very little overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 The following is a '17 Electrical snippet A DC swivel trunnion is depicted as having a drop ring guard with large center ring and a short skirted base An AC trunnion is depicted as having a parallel ring guard with small center ring and a high skirted base An AC oscillator is depicted as having a drop ring guard with large center ring... and a high skirted base. NOW... technically Fidelity did correctly mark their solid field core motors for DC and their laminated field core for AC or universal... so maybe the visual characteristics in the ad copy are meaningless and only for variety's sake to demonstrate offerings? I thought that a short or high skirted base would be an indicator, e.g. resistive or inductive speed control, but high-skirted bases with AC motors still have nichrome resistance rather than a speed coil. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 If the 12" and 16" models don't have a ribbed base, it dates 1912 +. If it is a 12" or 16" model with a steel guard, bummer, its a late model 1919? +. If you have a rib base model with the George C. Towle name on the tag, 1901-03, its Christmas. Fact Jack. How Fidelity continued to successfully market boat anchors well into the 20th century, remains a marvel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 The real mystery for me is the telephone booth fan that Fidelity apparently made. In any instance I have seen it mentioned, it is never actually depicted. It is also maintained that the booth fan is NOT a socket fan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 25 minutes ago, Russ Huber said: If the 12" and 16" models don't have a ribbed base, it dates 1912 +. If it is a 12" or 16" model with a steel guard, bummer, its a late model 1919? +. If you have a rib base model with the George C. Towle name on the tag, 1901-03, its Christmas. Fact Jack. The short-skirted base could presumably be a transition from the ribbed base, which is of similar low profile. Perhaps the fact that they simply did not discontinue their more primitive specd fans lent to their being no clear reasoning for some designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 14 minutes ago, Nicholas Denney said: Perhaps the fact that they simply did not discontinue their more primitive specd fans lent to their being no clear reasoning for some designs. The Stauffer gang were not a bunch of indecisive idiots randomly placing cast iron boat anchors with blades on the market. They continued to market them as they did for years because if the bills are getting paid and they're making money doing it, if it ain't broke, why fix it. R&M had a separate catalogue for their long selling cast iron models up until 17. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Stephens Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Boat anchors or not, my Fidelitys don't have the GE whine and run very well, especially this 12" oscillator which I passed on at first for $65 back in 2001. Later the seller said $25 if I took a few more of his fans. With new gears to make it oscillate it was just over $200. I'll have to get some recent photos showing the new gears in place. My first try at getting a new worm gear did not work out as you can see below; too big and probably for a 16" version. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Huber Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 (edited) Steveo, 1919 electrical trade supports little to no changes in Fidelity fans. This would give strong support your steel guard oscillating boat anchor posted above may be 1920+ manufacture. Edited August 29, 2022 by Russ Huber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Fisher Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Nicholas, You stated: "I have seen more than 5 styles of tag" What are the styles? I have seen only 2 styles so would like to see the other 3. Thanks.................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Rockwell Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 There are right now two Fidelity threads building in parallel, and I'd better connect the original one, for posterity's sake at least... https://new.afcaforum.com/index.php?/topic/2551-fidelity-database-and-research/ This is a sewing machine motor tag, and very possibly different form any of the fan tags..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas Denney Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 On 8/29/2022 at 11:15 AM, Terry Fisher said: Nicholas, You stated: "I have seen more than 5 styles of tag" What are the styles? I have seen only 2 styles so would like to see the other 3. Thanks.................. I'm considering type face, perimeter shape, etc. There's the 'marquee' or ornate shape, the radiused corner, and the hard corner. With the typesetting, there's the serif capitals, the wave, etc. I'm putting together a set of photo examples. Here's an example of serif capitals on a radius corner tag, motor generator set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Campbell Posted August 31, 2022 Share Posted August 31, 2022 Anyone know when they stoped making Fidelity fans? All I have is this motor... No idea when it would date to either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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