Disassembly of a Wommelsdorf machine


   By November 2013 I received these photos from Frank Jones, showing the disassembly for restoration of a classical Wommelsdorf condenser machine, of which I had already made  a version. The photos show all the details of the construction and even allow an exact reproduction of the machine. This particular machine was originally poorly assembled, with base holes incorrectly aligned, and so probably never worked properly, a possible reason for its survival in so good conditions.


Front view

Back view


Neutralizer support

Top of neutralizer support

Lateral supports

Lateral supports with brushes and insulators

  Charge collector brushes and plugs for the Leyden jar switches.

Vertical support with insulators

Neutralizer bar

Blocks under the lateral supports

Top horizontal insulator

Upper pulley

Insulators

Screws that fix the top horizontal insulator

Main support and axles

Crank

Inductor brush assembly

Discharger

Inductor plates. Paper over metal strips

Inductor covers

Disk, with internal metal sectors accessed through the edge

Tubes where the dischargers slide



Base

Leyden jar switch

Leyden jar mount rotated

Leyden jar mount in place

Main support

Disk axle and nut

Lower inductor support

Screws that fix the inductors to the top horizontal insulator

Switches that go to the Leyden jars

Leyden jar support

Leyden jar support balls

Partial disassembly

Partial disassembly

Details about the parts and their dimensions can be found on these notes, by Mr. Jones.

Below are pictures of another Wommelsdorf machine belonging to Mr. Jones' collection. It has a box for transport and a different structure.


Box closed

Machine in the box

Front view

Back view



Created: 5/7/2014
Developed and maintained by Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
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