AMI continental

Can anyone tell me if the record pick-up bow and gears are the same from a ..say JAO series to a continental ? A JAO has the 1100 series mech in it . I can't compare the two because it's far away . Thanks ... Robert

Robert,
I'm about 99% sure that they are NOT the same--the"1100" was the first Rowe designed mech--Connties the last AMi/Jensen design.
Do you have the "parts books"--that should tell you---Ron Rich

Ron, Thanks for your quick response !!! I don't have a parts book on a Continental,it been many moons since I poked my head inside one too.I'm thinking you're right about this .I think the 1st 1100 series mech came about in 1963, the year after the continental .I've got several manuals on Ami's from JAO & up. Robert

Hi Robert,
No problem--My great but not too long memory says that the motor in the Conties was different for sure, and that the gears were downsized, in the 1100's ?? Ron Rich

Ron already answered, but having owned several of each type I'll confirm that there is no interchangeability.

Rob/NYC

Thanks Ron & Rob for answering my question ! AS usual ///// it looks like i'm a day late and a dollar short ! I know I don't have that bow .I'm not sure I'm going to fix this thing for this guy being he wants it fixed in home. Since I'm not familiar with that mech, I will probably pass. It has that wobbly bow thing going on ... and throwing records, and sometimes can't grab the record out of the rack, because the bow isn't centered on the record. Thanks again . Robert

Ryan, if you want get somewhat familiar with that mechanism, and don't mind plowing through my disorganized Photobucket uploads. Check these out:

http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/Rob-N ... rt=3&page= Centering instructions here.

http://s1192.photobucket.com/user/Rob-N ... t=3&page=1 -AMI stuff begins with the color scan at bottom right.

It is important to note that one these older AMI mech there is no "sprag" assembly to enhance magazine alignment and also no guide fingers at the record slot as on the later versions of the 1100 mech. This makes the accurate operation of the stopping switches (behind magazine) more critical.

If the stopping microswitches have tenuous contacts this will make proper alignment impossible.

Also, it is essential that all record slots be filled to balance the magazine.

I've yet personally see a bad gripper on these machines due to wear. However, if the old oil and grease become molasses-like it can prevent the gripper from closing soon enough, or all the way to hold a record. they close on spring pressure alone.

Mechanisms this old really need major dissassembly, washing-decreasing and testing of f all switches and contacts. It is a big, tedious job, but not that difficult if you have the basic skills and data.

Rob

Ryan,
Going from a long ago memory--which may be about as convoluted as Rob's stuff above--seems to me that there is some type of a "link", very near the motor, made of soft metal, that has a hole in it that a pin fits into--that "hole" becomes enlarged, and the system then becomes sloppy--I think I "JB Welded" and re-drilled it, to solve that problem ?? Ron Rich

Ron, you are getting close...but not quite there....

Here is a shot of the AMI mech as used in K thru Continental-2; http://www.retroaudiolab.com/amimechanism.htm Not my site.

As you can see the former DC gripper motor was replaced with an AC gearbox motor and cam-crank-segment gear assembly. The original straight gear on the gripper box was now driven by a segment gear linked to the crank on the gearmotor.

While wear can occur in the linkage, the real problem was simply the backlash that occurred as the record traveled over-center and again when beginning the lift-return motion. This wouldn't affect the larger rugged gears in the DC motor for which this mechanism was designed (in the late 1920s!) but it was murder on the delicate AC motor gears.

When I was preparing my Continental 1 for commercial use in early 1990 I retrofitted an original DC motor. During testing I found out why they had gone to an AC though. If the pin cancelling fails to reset the memory pin fast enough the gripper remains powered and jams -blows fuse. It might happen only once in 100 plays -but that convinced my to use a Seeburg V instead. In a similar scenario with the AC motor all that happens is that the record gets placed back and not played. However, the operation will loop till the pin is reset.

Rob

Hi Rob,
Yea--my memory is a bit "foggy" on this matter--Last time I saw this hasta be at least 30 years ago--
Don't recall ever seeing bad gears--do recall seeing several DC motors "burned up", as one of your "friends" decided he was tired of replacing the fuse, and put a "stove bolt" in it's place --
Ron Rich

Thanks Rob & Ron for all the helpful tips ! I may end up with this in the shop yet! (I'm a fool for pain ) I thought this guy told me the machine was restored by maybe Zuddie or something like that about 6 years ago . He said he talked to him and he said something about a gear that goes bad.He said this guy whatever his name is has since retired from working on jukeboxes,and he's from another state . Appreciate all the help !!!!!!!