The book of the Ferrograph #2

[John1]

Hi,

I have been working on and off on some old apparatus which appears to
use one of these. Its badged as a 'Wearite' but i have always thought
it was a Ferrograph.

This is a long term project for me, trying to get this old piece of
apparatus back into working order. Its a relay driven self selecting
system of a sort, rather like an old juke-box. It seems to use the
recording tape to operate relays and to play music. Its quite old,
and i am still drawing out the circuitwork, as and when i feel like it.

Any chance i could get some scans of the pages ?
If so, i could make myself up a 'copy booklet' similar to that one.

Regards, John

****************

[Kat Manton]

Hi John,

What you appear to have is a piece of apparatus which uses a tape transport made by Wright & Weaire, hence "Wearite".

Wearite tape transports were sold seperately. These were bought by companies such as Vortexion and Clarke & Smith who fitted them into their own cabinets along with their own electronics to make complete tape recorders.

Where confusion seems to arise is that Wright & Weaire also used their own tape transport in a range of tape recorders and branded these "Ferrograph". Information on these tape recorders may be found on "Ferrograph World" and www.ferrograph.info.

"The Book of The Ferrograph" is the (wonderfully classy-sounding) hard-backed instruction manual (with diagrams) for the complete tape recorders made by Wright & Weaire. You don't get instruction manuals like this any more...

There may be some useful information in the relevant manual concerning your tape transport only; your electronics are unlikely to be the same. But, the Wearite transport was made in several versions and fitted in different "series" of Ferrograph tape recorders. You need the book or copies of the relevant pages for the recorder which used your transport. Some Ferrograph manuals are available here, you may find your transport was used in one of them.

Looking at your photo I think that's a Series 2 deck (with at least one modification - there's a turned aluminium flanged thing where the speed change lever should be.) Try the Series 2 Ferrograph manual.

Regards, Kat

[John1]

Hi Kat,

Thank you very much for that.
Yes, that is pretty certainly the deck.
The modification you mention is not an original item.

I have downloaded the PDF of the manual, and i may put together
a booklet using it. Its 62 pages, which is a little more than i
expected, but i am so pleased to get it !

Now i suppose i will have to find staples for my long-reach stapler.
They are half-inch inside leg, and i dont think they are made any more.
I dunno if a metric equivalent would do, cos it has to be a pretty good
fit on to the carrier in the stapler.
Still, if i cant find the right ones, i will have to put the staples
in by hand ! Afraid i am no bookbinder.

I have spoken to the man who put this monstrosity together, he told
me that there were two versions made.

The first version which apparently worked very well, was for some
reason unacceptable, he was of the opinion that this was because they
could not understand how it operated. It used signals on the tape, to
find passages on the tape, using a clattering box of relays to drive
the motors.

The second version used a geared down moving arm to show the tape
position and find a new position when required to do so, by means of
a large semi circular array of sliding contacts, again operating relays
to drive the motors to find passages on the tape.
It had a large user-operated arm on top worked by a knob, and another
rotating arm running also within a perspex cover over the deck.
This version apparently worked alright for fixed sized chunks of tape
and was readily understood. Except for one thing he said. They were
always asking ... How does it know which way to go ? He never told
them, he just said those relays are an electric brain.
They never paid him for it, so he kept it. Along with a bit of a hump
about it. I was lucky he explained as much about it as he did.
It hasn't worked for over fifty years, so i am in no rush.

The two versions were the same monstrosity, the first version was
altered and cobbled up into the second version, so its not like there
are two of them.

I am in two minds as to which of the two versions i would like to have
working eventually. The second version looked better he said, with a
nice big scale on top, and knobs to set things on this big scale, it
looked quite fancy for its time.

But the earlier version intrigues me, it was simpler looking, the deck
looked pretty much as it normally would, sitting on top of a chest
high box about two foot square, full of valves and relays in curious
combinations.
The user inputted the references for the relays to locate the
required passage on the tape ... and the relays clattered into life,
spinning the tape to find it, then stopped the tape, which would
over-shoot, then reversing and running the tape back to the start of
the piece chosen. Fascinating to watch.

I am still studying the circuitry, and if i choose to try and resurrect
the first version, its gonna take a while.
And having the booklet for the 'Wearite' deck will certainly help.

Thanks again,
John