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British Ericsson 35MW, 135MW, 235MW, 765MW/CBW/AW Towards the end of the 19th century, the Swedish firm of L. M. Ericsson were one of the leaders in the rapidly growing telephone industry. With the Scandinavian market approaching saturation it became good business sense to branch out into other areas. Britain was particularly attractive because of their rapid growth and their colonial interests which relied on the mother country for technology. In 1903 a new company was formed, the British L.M. Ericsson Manufacturing Co. Ltd, at Beetson, Notts.,‘having no connection with any firms trading under a somewhat similar name’. The company was a 50/50 venture between L.M. Ericsson Sweden and the National Telephone Co. In 1911, with the takeover of the National Telephone Co. by the Post Office, LME redeemed National’s 50% (£50,000) holding and doubled its investment in the business to £200,000. It was not until 1926, the year that Lars Magnus Ericsson died, that the company changed its name to Ericsson Telephones Ltd.
Fig. 1. British Ericsson 35MW with “White” solid back transmitter
The 35MW (early version shown in Fig. 1) was known as the No. N2500 by British Ericsson and went into production in 1916. Also in 1916, the Australian Post Office chose the British Ericsson Magneto Wall telephone to be their standard telephone to replace the then standard Commonwealth Swedish Ericsson 131 M.W. Due to the war and the fact that the Beeston factory was heavily engaged in manufacture for the war effort, deliveries probably did not start to arrive in quantity until 1919-1920. This new telephone was very different from the ornate 131MW (Commonwealth) model. It was based on the Swedish-built model AB232 (Fig. 2). This model had a side-mounted handset, but the British-built
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models had separate transmitter and receiver. This is unusual for Ericssons, who had been producing handsets on their phones since the 1890s. The reason for this may have been that the Australian Post Office was ordering candlestick telephones for use as automatic, C.B. and magneto table phones with separate transmitter and receiver and the idea of standardisation of parts would have been desirable. The introduction of the 37AW/CBW was probably also planned and these also used separate parts. Additionally, the idea of the city folks with the fancy automatic and C.B. Sets may not have taken too lightly if those country folk on magneto exchanges had the more desirable combination handset. The telephone is constructed as follows: An oak case, measuring 415 mm. high x 240 mm wide and 150 mm deep (16.75” x 10” x 10.5”). The generator, magneto bell, switchhook spring set, induction coil, together with 2 dry cells are mounted in the wooden case which had a full length door opening right Fig. 2. Swedish designed telephone model AB232 to left. Mounted on this door was the magneto bell, also a transmitter and a writing slope. On the right hand side of the case was the Generator handle and an 8mm hole for a cord to attach an additional receiver, if required. On the left hand side of the case was a bell receiver. Wiring terminals and mounting screw holes were hidden. In the early 1920's, the transmitter was changed. It is not clear which came first - the White Solid Back (shown in Fig. 1) or the “barrel” with a capsule insert (Fig. 3). The barrel housing could be rotated through 360 degrees to free-up the carbon granules in the inset cartridge when they packed together in time, through use. This packing of granules caused a decrease in transmission efficiency.
Fig. 3. 35MW fitted with “barrel” transmitter accommodating the inset capsule Page 2
Fig 4. 135MW fitted with Bakelite transmitter housing and inset capsule
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In approximately 1930, the transmitter was again replaced, this time with the new inset transmitter, No.10 capsule, housed in a bakelite mounting and coded Telephone 135MW (Fig. 4). (The inside view of a typical 35/135 MW is in Fig. 5). The next development came about as the network was modernised and engineers saw the need for a more flexable telephone (Fig. 6). So the 765 MW/CBW/AW was born. In its MW configuration, it resembled the 35/135MW in size and shape but the circuit was designed so that, by changing the coil and a few straps, the phone became a Common Battery type. Add a dial and it became an automatic.
Fig. 5. Inside view of 35/136 MW
The 765MW used a standard induction coil No 12 (1/25ohms) but, when converted to Common Battery or automatic working, an induction coil No 15 was substituted (1/19/38ohms). Although a fair number of these phones exist in collections, very few are found in anything but the original magneto format.
Fig. 6. 765MW/CBW/AW
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In 1932 the Australian Post Office adopted the handset telephone, designed in 1929 by Siemens Brothers, with a black Bakelite case and a Bakelite handset. This led to pressure from the public for handset telephones no matter what type. As 1930 wore on and more Bakelite handsets became available, the APO started putting them on British Ericsson wall phones when they were in the workshops for refurbishment. And so the 235MW was born and became a regular sight on the walls of houses in magneto areas (Fig. 7).
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The process for refurbishing a 35/135MW was as follows: 8The case was repaired and the surface polished. 8The components were removed from the case, reconditioned as necessary and returned to the case. 8The holes left with the removal of the transmitter mount were covered with a notice on how to use the telephone. 8A clip was added to the writing slope. 8The bell receiver was replaced by a black moulded handset with a 3 ft. 6 ins. black cord. 8The switch hook rest was replaced with a receiver hook "M" and bent to prevent the tip of the mouthpiece hitting the wall when on the rest. 8The two-winding induction coil No.12 was saved and rewound with 4 windings, 3 inductive and 1 non inductive. An extra terminal was attached to each of the cheeks of the coil-former to accommodate the new windings. 8A new wiring loom was installed. The notice frame is usually seen in landscape (as per Fig. 7) but examples exist with the frame in portrait. This may be due to the refurbishment having taken place in different state workshops.
Fig. 7. 235MW with Bakelite handset An Ericsson Telephones catalogue, edition 26 (undated but probably early 1920s as the solid back transmitter is standard) indicated that these phones left the factory with “matt polished woodwork and with the metal fittings finished in good quality, black and copper bronze”. Features included “All terminals are enclosed”, “sensitive polarised ringer”, “Powerful generator”, “Solidback transmitter”, “Double pole ‘Bell’ Receiver”, “Induction coil” and a battery compartment to accommodate 2 cells. “The wiring is so arranged that a condenser may be readily added in the ringer or receiver circuit as desired”.
Fig. 8. British Ericsson with 5 bar generator Page 4
A few British Ericsson phones are found with 5 bar generators but these were probably not used by the Post Office but rather by other instrumentalities such as Water Authorities, etc. Some had separate transmitters and receivers (Fig. 8) whilst some had combination 164 handsets. Catalogue 26 showed model N2501 as having a 5 bar generator and the same dimensions as the N2500. Those in collections are generally half an inch wider (10.5”) and are thought to be models N2409 or N2510 introduced around 1932.
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Quite a number of British Ericssons seem to have survived in collections and in country sheds. This was due to the Post Office policy at various times of selling them off, (5 shillings seems to be the most commonly reported price). Thus they came into private hands in large numbers for farm and other private uses, and then on to collectors. Of course, stories are often told of old phones being thrown in the river or down wells and of bonfires of old phones in the exchange yard and no amount of pleading from passing farmers would allow them to buy a couple for the farm.
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Items of Contention 8Is the reasoning about the separate transmitter and receiver or combination handset correct? 8Which really did come first - solid back or “barrel” transmitter? 8When was the BE first made and when did they first arrive in Australia? 8Did the always come with black brass parts or were some bright nickeled? Was bright nickel only used in Workshops refurbishment? 8What transfers (if any) were supplied on the various versions?
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