Well, here it is at last, the day you have all awaited for so long - the inside bits of a 17.5 Home Talkie, which I promised you a long time ago.

Dull, isn't it?

I am struck looking at these chitterlings for the first time in many years at the simplicity of the mechanism. There are just two gears, with the single sprocket on the shaft of the large gear and, directly mounted on the motor shaft, a double cam which imparts a completely square motion to the claw, a thing I always thought excellent. I came across one or two twiddly bits which might help someone if they ever fiddle with a Talkie. The sound flywheel can only be removed and, more important, put back, when the two castings are at least partly separated. It may also be impossible to screw in the tiny lens for the sound reader when the flywheel is in place; it may, however, be possible to create enough slack to overcome this by loosening the rear bearing pin. It strikes me that the edge of the sound drum on this particular machine is actually a tad too far away from the sound reader, tho' I have yet to be able to test. This could mean that too much or the wrong part of the track is read, creating nasty noises. It cannot come any closer, because then the larger rear part of the flywheel fouls the projector body. I am considering a little thingy to sit on top of the reader lens, with a small slot in it to limit the width of track read. I am also trying to come up with a way to make it possible to adjust the reading position while the machine is running (as most 9.5 sound machines do). The position can be adjusted, but the retaining screw you need to access is under the sound chute, and you end up with trial and error, and no easy way to cope with varying track positions from reel to reel or, indeed, within a reel which I found with Lorna Doone.

If you look at picture 3, you will see slightly above and to the right of the claw frame two brass-lined holes. These are the two stops in which the pin of the moveable sprocket roller retaining assembly locates (open or closed position). They are clearly later additions, presumably because of wear. I found that the special screw on which this assembly pivots had in a similar manner partially stripped its thread and would no longer grip. The thread was not one for which I have a tap to hand, so as well as making and inserting a threaded brass sleeve, I had to make a new screw as well, so I could use a thread I do have. I've also had to make a screw for the lamphouse pivot, and a replacement roller to replace one of an incorrect design - this assembly and its correct functioning are critical. Fortunately, I have another machine to copy from.

It would appear that the machine is supposed to run with a puddle of oil in the bottom. There is a sight glass; others I have seen require you to keep the oil about half way up the sight glass. It is, however, very difficult to attain a complete seal; the sight glass is especially difficult because, of course, you actually need to be able to see through it afterwards so cannot simply smear it with gunk. That springy arm on the claw frame may be to splash the oil about a bit?

Next are some pics of the sprocket on the Talkie; only the first three are actually a Talkie, the others are a Natan 175 as the eagle-eyed will have spotted.

There was the usual good-quality instruction book for the Talkie, which I have scanned in and am gradually cleaning up. This for some reason managed to survive the Great Software Disaster of 2015 so you have to access the pix one at a time. REMEMBER, use the BACK key in the top bar to return to the text before selecting the next picture. First is a pdf to make it easier.

Home Talkie Instructions File.pdf

 Here is a magazine review of 17.5, plus a Pathescope Monthjly reference to the fabled "improved" Home Talkie. There are more pix of 17.5 adverts etc in the Publicity section (vis Index page link below).

Return to Index page 17.5