TEAM CAR DASHBOARD SWITCHES
THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING SUBJECT THAT I WILL TRY TO EXPAND ON THIS PAGE.
THE ABOVE PHOTOS ARE OF THE DASHBOARD OF THE ORIGINAL BIRKIN BLOWER UU5872. NOW OWNED BY BENTLEY MOTORS. AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST SOME OF THE INSTRUMENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH MODERN REPLICA INSTRUMENTS
THIS IS A PHOTO TAKEN FROM TIM HOULDINGS WONDERFUL OLD MOTHER GUN REPLICA.
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SWITCHES DESIGNATED ON THE DASHBOARD PHOTOS. TYPE A, IS AN AIR MINISTRY MAGNETO SWITCH BY THE MANUFACTURER LUNDBERG. TYPE B IS A SINGLE POLE SWITCH OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. TYPES C&D ARE SIMPLE OFF THE SHELF SINGLE POLE SWITCHES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. |
TYPE A SWITCH
THESE WERE MANUFACTURED BY A.P. LUNDBERG OF LONDON, THEIR TRADE MARK WAS "LEKTRIK"
ABOVE LEFT A PAGE FROM THE 1909 CATALOGUE, CENTRE 1918 AND RIGHT 1923
THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1882 BY A SWEDISH IMMIGRANT ANDREAS PETER LUNDBERG AND OPERATED FROM PREMISES AT LIVERPOOL RD. HOLLOWAY LONDON. THEY WERE SUPPLIERS OF SUPERIOR DOMESTIC ELECTRICAL GOODS AND ACCORDING TO THEIR CATALOGUE HAD EARNED A ROYAL WARRANT FOR THEIR SUPPLY. FROM KING GEORGE V.
IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THEY SUPPLIED TWIN SINGLE POLE SWITCHES FROM THE PAGE ABOVE LEFT FROM 1908..
THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1882 BY A SWEDISH IMMIGRANT ANDREAS PETER LUNDBERG AND OPERATED FROM PREMISES AT LIVERPOOL RD. HOLLOWAY LONDON. THEY WERE SUPPLIERS OF SUPERIOR DOMESTIC ELECTRICAL GOODS AND ACCORDING TO THEIR CATALOGUE HAD EARNED A ROYAL WARRANT FOR THEIR SUPPLY. FROM KING GEORGE V.
IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THEY SUPPLIED TWIN SINGLE POLE SWITCHES FROM THE PAGE ABOVE LEFT FROM 1908..
THEY ALSO SUPPLIED THE AIR MINISTRY WITH MAGNETO SWITCHES FOR THEIR AIRCRAFT AND OTHER TYPES FOR SPECIALIZED USES. ALL ITEMS THAT WERE REQUIRED BY THE AIR MINISTRY WERE PUT OUT TO TENDER TO APPROVED VENDORS AND THEN HAD TO BE APPROVED BY THE TECHNICAL SECTION BEFORE PURCHASE. THEREFORE, THESE APPROVED SWITCHES SUPPLIED BY A.P. LUNDBERG WERE BASED ON THEIR DOMESTIC SWITCHES BUT PROBABLY BEEFED UP TO THE A.M. SPECIFICATION
NOW THIS BEGS THE QUESTION WHY BENTLEY USED THESE AIR MINISTRY SWITCHES INSTEAD OF BUYING THE DOMESTIC PRODUCTS WHICH WERE BASICALLY THE SAME? THE ANSWER HAS TO BE THAT FOR THE LONG DISTANCE RACING SUCH AS LE MANS, KNOBBY CLARKE, WITH HIS BACKGROUND IN THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS, CHOSE THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIABILITY OVER THE POOR SURFACE OF ROADS OF THAT ERA.
AVAILABILITY OF THE TYPE A AIR MINISTRY MAGNETO SWITCHES IS ALMOST ZERO!. A SEARCH ON THE NET WILL SHOW THAT THE DEALERS THAT HAVE SUPPLIED THEM ARE OUT OF STOCK AND ASKING TO BUY THEM IN. IN THE PAST THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS FROM THE AIRCRAFT ENTHUSIASTS THAT THE BENTLEY BOYS HAVE BOUGHT ALL OF THE AVAILABLE NEW OLD STOCK SWITCHES. THE PLANE BOYS NEED THE ORIGINAL SWITCHES AS THEY ARE AIR MINISTRY APPROVED BUT THE BENTLEY BOYS ARE NO LONGER THUNDERING AROUND THE LE MANS CIRCUIT ON THE 1920`S ROAD SURFACE AND CAN USE A NORMAL SWITCH AS LONG AS IT CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE ORIGINALS.
ABOVE ARE SOME PHOTOS GLEANED FROM THE NET SHOWING 17 REPRODUCTION SWITCHES IN THE COURSE OF PRODUCTION. THEY LOOK TO BE WELL MADE BY A CLEVER ENGINEER, PROBABLY IN AUSTRALIA JUDGING FROM THE MUG INCLUDED IN THE MIDDLE PHOTO. I`M BETTING THAT THESE WILL INTRODUCED TO THE MARKET AT A HUGE PRICE THAT FEW WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD. I NEED A PAIR BUT WOULD I BUY A PAIR OF THESE?
WHEN THE ORIGINAL SWITCHES ARE EXAMINED THEY ARE BEAUTIFULLY PRECISION ENGINEERED ELECTRO MECHANICAL DEVICES, COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT TO MANUFACTURE. THE ABOVE SWITCHES WILL NO DOUBT HAVE SOME TEETHING TROUBLES AS THE CONSTRUCTOR IS MODIFYING THE INTERNAL ARRANGEMENTS TO SIMPLIFY IT FOR PRODUCTION.
IN THE ABOVE PHOTO, THE CENTRE SWITCH IS AN ORIGINAL LUNDBERG MANUFACTURED AIR MINISTRY APPROVED MAGNETO SWITCH. TWO SINGLE POLE SWITCHES COMBINED, SO THAT IF ONE FAILS THE OTHER BACKS IT UP. A SIMPLE FAIL SAFE DEVICE. THE SWITCH ON THE LEFT IS AN ORIGINAL LUNDBERG MAGNETO SWITCH OF A LATER DATE DESIGNED TO USE AN EXTERNAL STARTING MAGNETO TO ASSIST ENGINE START. I BOUGHT A FEW OF THESE ON THE NET, THE BASES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AND WILL MODIFY THEM TO FUNCTION AND LOOK THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL DUAL MAGNETO SWITCH.
THE RIGHT HAND SWITCH IS A MUCH HEAVIER DUTY SWITCH DESIGNED TO CARRY A LARGE CURRENT. I BOUGHT THIS ON THE NET BY MISTAKE THINKING THAT IT WAS A MAGNETO SWITCH!
RECENTLY, LOOKING AT THIS SWITCH MORE CLOSELY, THE INTERNALS ARE ALMOST THE SAME DESIGN AS THE CENTRE SWITCH, SO IT MAY WELL BE A MAGNETO SWITCH BUT TOO LARGE FOR THE BENTLEY DASHBOARD.
THE RIGHT HAND SWITCH IS A MUCH HEAVIER DUTY SWITCH DESIGNED TO CARRY A LARGE CURRENT. I BOUGHT THIS ON THE NET BY MISTAKE THINKING THAT IT WAS A MAGNETO SWITCH!
RECENTLY, LOOKING AT THIS SWITCH MORE CLOSELY, THE INTERNALS ARE ALMOST THE SAME DESIGN AS THE CENTRE SWITCH, SO IT MAY WELL BE A MAGNETO SWITCH BUT TOO LARGE FOR THE BENTLEY DASHBOARD.
HERE ARE THE TWO LUNDBERG MAGNETO SWITCHES.UNDRESSED THERE IS NO CURRENT RATING STATED AS THE FUNCTION OF THE SWITCH IS TO EARTH THE MAGNETO ROTOR TO KILL THE SPARK AND THUS STOP THE ENGINE. THE RIGHT HAND ONE IS THE CORRECT SWITCH AND THE ONE ON THE LEFT CAN BE MODIFIED TO OPERATE AS THE ORIGINAL.
BOTH TYPES OF SWITCH, THE CONNECTED TYPE AND THE INDIVIDUAL LEVER TYPE CAN BE REPLICATED FROM THIS SIMILAR LATER LUNDBERG SWITCH SHOWN ON THE LEFT.
THE EXISTING MO OF THE SWITCH ON THE LEFT IS THAT THE EXTENDED TOGGLE IS PULLED ON BRINGING WITH IT THE SECOND TOGGLE AND ONCE THE ENGINE IS STARTED, UPON RELEASE OF THE SPRING LOADED EXTENDED TOGGLE, THIS WILL RETURN TO THE OFF POSITION, LEAVING THE SECOND TOGGLE IN THE ENGAGED POSITION.
SOUNDS EASY DOESN`T IT BUT DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH CAN BE EASILY DAMAGED, GREAT CARE AND SKILL WILL BE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT THIS WORK AND I WILL RELY ON MY TOOLMAKING EXPERIENCE TO CARRY OUT THIS DELICATE TASK SUCCESSFULLY.
THE MECHANISM WILL HAVE TO BE DISMANTLED AND THE RETURN SPRING REMOVED, THE TOGGLES WILL HAVE TO BE BENT AND MODIFIED TO LOCK THE TWO TOGGLES TOGETHER AND A NEW MINISCULE SPRING WILL HAVE TO BE MADE ETC.
BY DOING THIS I WILL HAVE TWO ORIGINAL SWITCHES WITH THE ORIGINAL MECHANISM WHICH CAN BE USED WITH FULL CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY AND AT A REASONABLE COST. I WILL BE ADDING THE CONVERSION DETAILS TO THIS PAGE WHEN I HAVE THE TIME ,WISH ME LUCK!
BOTH TYPES OF SWITCH, THE CONNECTED TYPE AND THE INDIVIDUAL LEVER TYPE CAN BE REPLICATED FROM THIS SIMILAR LATER LUNDBERG SWITCH SHOWN ON THE LEFT.
THE EXISTING MO OF THE SWITCH ON THE LEFT IS THAT THE EXTENDED TOGGLE IS PULLED ON BRINGING WITH IT THE SECOND TOGGLE AND ONCE THE ENGINE IS STARTED, UPON RELEASE OF THE SPRING LOADED EXTENDED TOGGLE, THIS WILL RETURN TO THE OFF POSITION, LEAVING THE SECOND TOGGLE IN THE ENGAGED POSITION.
SOUNDS EASY DOESN`T IT BUT DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH CAN BE EASILY DAMAGED, GREAT CARE AND SKILL WILL BE REQUIRED TO CARRY OUT THIS WORK AND I WILL RELY ON MY TOOLMAKING EXPERIENCE TO CARRY OUT THIS DELICATE TASK SUCCESSFULLY.
THE MECHANISM WILL HAVE TO BE DISMANTLED AND THE RETURN SPRING REMOVED, THE TOGGLES WILL HAVE TO BE BENT AND MODIFIED TO LOCK THE TWO TOGGLES TOGETHER AND A NEW MINISCULE SPRING WILL HAVE TO BE MADE ETC.
BY DOING THIS I WILL HAVE TWO ORIGINAL SWITCHES WITH THE ORIGINAL MECHANISM WHICH CAN BE USED WITH FULL CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL FUNCTION PROPERLY AND AT A REASONABLE COST. I WILL BE ADDING THE CONVERSION DETAILS TO THIS PAGE WHEN I HAVE THE TIME ,WISH ME LUCK!
MODIFYING THE ABOVE LEFT HAND SWITCH TO THE FIXED LINK TYPE
IT`S TIME THAT I STARTED THIS PROJECT AND THE TAPS AND DIES THAT ARE REQUIRED HAVE BEEN ORDERED FROM TRACY TOOLS.
ABOVE ARE VIEWS OF THE PARTLY DISMANTLED SWITCH, FURTHER DISMANTLING WILL BE REQUIRED.
STARTING THE FURTHER DISMANTLING, THE LEFT HAND IMAGE SHOWS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. THE CENTRE TEMPORARY IMAGE SHOWS THE TOOLS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO REMOVE THE RIVETS FROM THE LEVERS AND THE TEMPORARY RIGHT HAND IMAGE SHOWS THE DISMANTLED ITEMS READY FOR MODIFICATION.
(WILL PROVIDE BETTER IMAGES SOON AS I NEED TO IMPROVE THESE TO GIVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING). TO BE CONTINUED
(WILL PROVIDE BETTER IMAGES SOON AS I NEED TO IMPROVE THESE TO GIVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING). TO BE CONTINUED
ANOTHER TYPE OF LUNDBERG MAGNETO SWITCH
JUST OUT OF INTEREST IN THIS LUNDBERG THEME, ABOVE YOU CAN SEE A PAIR OF DIFFERENT MAGNETO SWITCHES BUT NOT AIR MINISTRY APPROVED. YOU CAN SEE THE FAMILY SIMILARITIES WITH THE DEEP DOMED AIR MINISTRY SWITCHES BUT THESE OPERATE DIFFERENTLY FROM THEM.
TO BE CONTINUED