Ancient Hammond history

[Rhodesplyr]

In the context of a discussion on a Hammond-specific list, I consulted Laurens Hammond's original 1934 patent for the tonewheel generator organ and ran across a detail I'd never noticed before.

For anyone who's ever turned on a tonewheel Hammond, you know that you have engage the Start motor to get the generator up to speed so that the synchronous Run motor can take over. However, in the original patent, the method for starting the generator was a hand-crank coming out the side of the organ, like an early car.

I'm trying to imagine Keith Emerson hand-cranking his C-3 to life prior to playing Hoedown.

[J M Fahey]

Cool info.
Well, it was 1934 !!!

[Enzo]

A HANDCRANK??? Well, obviously, they should have just used a MOSFET.


I think the earliest ones ran on steam. You had to shovel coal into them.

[soundguruman]

The start switch was kind of like a hand crank, you had to lean on it for a while, go out to lunch, then it was up to speed.

[Rhodesplyr]

A HANDCRANK??? Well, obviously, they should have just used a MOSFET.

If they'd stayed with that approach, I'm guessing they would have ended up with a mechanism like that of a lawnmower, so I'd be doing emergency service calls to replace a broken pull-cord.

I think the earliest ones ran on steam. You had to shovel coal into them.

They finally had to electrify them because church congregations objected to the unbearable amount of smog that this created in the sanctuary ;-)

[soundguruman]

If they'd stayed with that approach, I'm guessing they would have ended up with a mechanism like that of a lawnmower, so I'd be doing emergency service calls to replace a broken pull-cord.



They finally had to electrify them because church congregations objected to the unbearable amount of smog that this created in the sanctuary ;-)

I should have kept my propane powered Farfisa.