Feld Hell Motor Generator Overhaul

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator
Overhaul of the
Hell Feldfernschreiber
Motor-Generator
by Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

The author does not assume any liability for correctness of the descriptions and instructions contained herein,
nor for any damages that may result from following the instructions. All rights reserved world wide.
Version 1.1, 23 May 2009
Restrictions stated on the cover page apply.
2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

www.nonstopsystems.com/hell.htm
CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 2
LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................................. 3
LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................................. 3
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................... 5
GENERAL RULES .............................................................................................................................. 7
Required tools, materials and components ......................................................................................... 7
Literature references ........................................................................................................................ 9
OVERVIEW OF THE TASKS.............................................................................................................. 10
Task 1 remove the Motor-Generator from the Bottom-Unit of the Hellschreiber ......................... 11
Task 2 remove the carbon brushes of the generator ............................................................... 12
Task 3 remove the tappet and ball bearing shield at bottom of the generator ........................... 13
Task 4 remove the speed adjustment cap and dial at the top of the motor ............................... 14
Task 5 remove the contact plate above the centrifugal speed regulator .................................... 15
Task 6 remove the centrifugal speed regulator from the top of the Motor-Generator shaft ......... 19
Task 7 take the motor carbon brush clips off their pin ............................................................ 24
Task 8 take apart the Motor-Generator housing and remove the rotor...................................... 27
Planning the next steps .................................................................................................................. 33
Task 9 assess the surface of the carbon brushes and commutators .......................................... 34
Task 10 remove the motor and generator ball bearings .......................................................... 37
Task 11 mount new ball bearings.......................................................................................... 40
Task 12 refurbish the capacitors ........................................................................................... 44
Task 13 reinstall the motor carbon brushes............................................................................ 47
Task 14 perform installation of a single bearing shield washer ................................................. 51
Task 15 reinstall the rotor and generator bearing shield washers ............................................. 52
Task 16 reinstall the top of the housing and motor bearing shield washers ............................... 55
Task 17 reinstall the housing bracket and hexagonal studs...................................................... 56
Task 18 reinstall the centrifugal speed regulator .................................................................... 57
Task 19 reinstall the contact plate ......................................................................................... 58
Task 20 reinstall the speed adjustment dial............................................................................ 60
Task 21 reinstall the carbon brushes of the generator ............................................................. 61
Task 22 reinstall the tappet on the motor output shaft............................................................ 62
Task 23 power up and test run of the Motor-Generator........................................................... 62
Task 24 calibrate the speed set point of the speed regulator ................................................... 64
Task 25 mount the Motor-Generator back on the Bottom Unit ................................................. 68
Task 26 reinstall the black plastic speed regulator cap and drum cover .................................... 70
Task 27 reinstall the cover box on the back of the motor-generator ......................................... 70
Task 28 perform the final operational test ............................................................................. 71
CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 71
LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
Appendix 7
Appendix 8
Assessment of carbon brush surface appearance ................................................... 72

Assessment of commutator surface appearance ..................................................... 73
Abnormal bearing sound characteristics and related factors .................................... 74
Ball bearings and their (dis)mounting ................................................................... 75
Capacitors .......................................................................................................... 78
General cleaning ................................................................................................. 86
Strobe disks ....................................................................................................... 87
Diploma ............................................................................................................. 88


LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15
Figure 16
Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20
Figure 21
Figure 22
Figure 23
Figure 24
Figure 25
Figure 26
Figure 27
Figure 28
Figure 29
Figure 30
Figure 31
Figure 32
Figure 33
Figure 34
Figure 35
Figure 36
Figure 37
Figure 38
Figure 39
Figure 40
Figure 41
Figure 42
Figure 43
Figure 44
Figure 45
Figure 46
Figure 47
Figure 48
Figure 49
Figure 50
Simplified cross-section of the Motor-Generator ...........................................................6

Most of the tools that I used for this project ................................................................8
Rear of the Motor-Generator with cover box .............................................................. 11
Location of the generator's carbon brushes................................................................ 12
One of the generator's carbon brushes and its brush holder cap .................................. 12
Output shaft - before and after removal of the tappet ................................................ 13
Bottom of generator ball bearing tappet and shield washer removed......................... 13
Tappet, bearing shield washer and associated screws ................................................. 14
The speed regulator adjustment ring - disassembled .................................................. 15
Contact plate before disassembly ........................................................................... 16
Cross-section of the centrifugal speed regulator ......................................................... 17
The regulator disk is visible after removal of the contact plate ..................................... 17
Contact plate top and bottom view ........................................................................ 18
Contact plate side views ........................................................................................ 18
Filter capacitor C68 .................................................................................................. 19
Access to the screw that secures the speed regulator disk........................................... 20
The centrifugal weight mechanism atop the motor shaft ............................................. 20
Centrifugal regulator side views ............................................................................. 21
Centrifugal regulator top and bottom view .............................................................. 22
Top of motor housing regulator removed, bearing shield visible ................................ 22
The motor bearing shield, with bushing and wavy spring washer ................................. 23
Top of motor housing ball bearing shield removed ................................................... 23
JAHRELYT capacitors from Richard Jahre GmbH and 1942 advertising .......................... 24
Lead-wire of the +12 VDC motor carbon brush .......................................................... 25
Lead-wire of the -12 VDC motor carbon brush............................................................ 25
Access to one of the motor carbon brush clips ........................................................... 26
The motor carbon brush clips and springs .................................................................. 26
Top ends of the mounting rods ................................................................................. 27
Bottom ends of the mounting rods ............................................................................ 28
Motor-Generator housing with bracket ....................................................................... 28
Motor-Generator housing bracket .............................................................................. 29
Hexagonal guide-pin studs and associated springs ...................................................... 29
Motor-Generator housing separated, rotor removed ................................................. 30
Rotor of the Motor-Generator with ball bearings and shields ........................................ 31
Filter components and carbon brush attachment points............................................... 31
Looking down into the base of the generator ............................................................. 32
The disassembled items ........................................................................................... 33
Sliding face of the generator carbon brushes ............................................................. 34
Sliding face of the motor carbon brushes ................................................................... 35
Commutator of the Motor ......................................................................................... 36
Commutator of the Generator ................................................................................... 36
Rotor of the Motor-Generator and bearing shields bearings removed ......................... 38
Bearing pullers and a bearing splitter ........................................................................ 39
Limited space for bearing puller between bearings and commutators ........................... 39
My new ball bearings in standard packaging............................................................ 40
A small arbor press and the cross-section of a drift ..................................................... 42
Rings of discarded bearings can be used as drifts ....................................................... 42
Using a drill press, vise, and bearing ring drifts .......................................................... 43
Schematic around generator filter capacitors C64 and C65 .......................................... 45
Paper capacitor C64 (top) and C65 (bottom) .............................................................. 45


Page
Figure 51
Figure 52
Figure 53
Figure 54
Figure 55
Figure 56
Figure 57
Figure 58
Figure 59
Figure 60
Figure 61
Figure 62
Figure 63
Figure 64
Figure 65
Figure 66
Figure 67
Figure 68
Figure 69
Figure 70
Figure 71
Figure 72
Figure 73
Figure 74
Figure 75
Figure 73
Figure 74
Figure 75
Figure 76
Figure 77
Figure 78
Figure 79
Schematic around C62, C63, and C66 ........................................................................ 46

Schematic around C67 ............................................................................................. 46
Motor-Generator interconnect panel .......................................................................... 47
Motor turning direction and carbon brush clip installation ............................................ 48
Carbon brush clips of the motor put back onto their pins............................................. 48
Paperclip retainers for the motor carbon brush clips ................................................... 49
Dimensions of the paperclip retainers ........................................................................ 49
Carbon brush clips retained with paperclips................................................................ 50
Attachment of the retainer clips on the outside of the housing..................................... 51
My tap & die set and a bar-wrench with tap ............................................................... 52
Identification of the motor and generator end of the rotor .......................................... 53
Paperclip folded into hairpin ..................................................................................... 53
The rotor - put back into the base of the housing ....................................................... 54
Hole in shaft - for mounting screw of speed regulator disk .......................................... 57
Alignment and push points of the contact plate .......................................................... 60
Alignment of carbon brush and commutator............................................................... 61
Shape of the generator's carbon brush holders........................................................... 61
Location of the sparks at the K2 contact .................................................................... 63
Circuit continuity measurement points ....................................................................... 64
Optical tachometer (prototype and "wand" version) and schematic .............................. 65
Oscilloscope indicating 3600 rpm (240 Hz, 4-segment strobe disk) ............................... 65
Feld-Hell on the operating table, strobe disk attached to motor output shaft ................. 66
Centrifugal regulator with set screw .......................................................................... 67
Access to the speed regulator adjustment set screw ................................................... 67
Bottom view of the Motor-Generator (left) and top of the gear-box (right).................... 69
A typical non-shielded ball bearing ............................................................................ 75
Open, shielded, and sealed ball bearing (left to right) and cross-section ....................... 76
Characteristics of several capacitor types ................................................................... 81
Using heat to remove a paper capacitor from its potted tube ...................................... 83
Paper capacitors freed from their tar-potted cardboard tube........................................ 83
A paper capacitor freed from its tar-potted plastic tube ............................................... 84
Strobe disks with 2, 4 and 8 segments ...................................................................... 87


INTRODUCTION
Sooner or later in the life of any Hell Feldfernschreiber, there comes a time that maintenance must be done
(or be contemplated) on the motor-generator. This was the case with my own Feld-Hell machine, serial
number 3386, built in 1938.
The immediate reason was a worrisome shrill, dry metal-on-metal noise that emanated from the top part of
the motor-generator, as well as unexplained rpm reductions. To check running noise, the sound can be
amplified and the type of noise ascertained with a listening instrument placed against the housing of the
motor-generator (e.g., a large screwdriver don't stick the blade in you ear ). A clear, smooth and
continuous running sound is normal. A light whirring sound is perfectly normal for electric motors, and stops
as soon as power is removed (even though the machine is winding down). A high pitched, metallic or
irregular sound indicates some error in function.
if the noise continues after power removal, it is mechanical and there may be cause for concern.
Not wanting to do irreparable damage, I decided to not operate the machine until this problem was
corrected.
There is a Maintenance & Operating Manual from 1941 (ref. 1). This is a field manual. Regarding the MotorGenerator, it covers replacement of the carbon brushes, lubrication of an easily accessible part of the speed
regulator, replacement of the contact plate above the speed regulator, and adjustment of the set point for
the speed regulator. The Manual states that all other maintenance and repair actions are explicitly beyond
field maintenance and shall be done by a qualified teleprinter fine-mechanic who has received special
training on Hellschreibers. Such mechanics are hard to come by these days! So we will consider ourselves
qualified by reason of our affection for Hellschreibers, do the required special training "on the job", and issue
ourselves a diploma - upon successful completion (see appendix 8)!
Note that the 1941 Manual says "The ball bearings of the motor-generator shall not be replaced." Well, at
least not as part of field maintenance! This 1941 Manual also says "Every 100 operating hours, but at least
every 8 weeks, the Feldfernschreiber must be oiled and greased." This includes the ball bearings of the gearbox and the character drum. Most of these bearings turn at a speed that is lower than that of the MotorGenerator's bearings, so you can imagine the latter definitely need maintenance. Furthermore, in ref. 3 it is
stated that "Grease should not be allowed to remain in a bearing for more than 4 years, or if service is very
light and temperatures low, 5 years, irrespective of the number of hours' operation during that period, as
separation of the oil from the soap and oxidation continue whether the bearing is in operation or not." So,
even if the bearings in your machine are not (yet) making any scary noises, it is probably a good idea to
perform the overhaul anyway.
This document captures and illustrates the steps that I followed to disassemble the motor-generator, replace
the ball bearings, replace capacitors, perform lubrication, re-assemble the motor-generator, and perform
final adjustments and test. I am generally opposed to all dogmas, so do not interpret the content of this
manual as "the only way".
Special thanks go to Arthur Bauer, PAAOB, for his expert advice and moral support.
I intended this document to be the kind of manual I wished I had when I started the overhaul. Should you
find this document in any way incorrect, incomplete, or otherwise in need of improvement, please do not
hesitate to contact me (
).
73 de Frank Drenberg, N4SPP


Figure 1
Simplified cross-section of the Motor-Generator

(motor and generator field windings not shown)

GENERAL RULES
You are about to operate on a piece of history, possibly a museum piece! Here are some simple rules to
observe:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Read this document at least once.

Do not rush!
Easy does it do not brute-force anything!
Careful when manipulating wires the original insulation tends to be brittle after all these years, as do
some of the electronic components.
Use the correct tools: right size, no screwdrivers with worn/rounded blades, no pliers, etc.
Retain originality to the extent possible:
Do not make modifications that are not 100% reversible.
When electronic components need to be replaced: leave the original in place and disconnect
only one of the lead-wires (insulate with shrink tube or cloth tube if necessary), install the
replacement component (typically much smaller) across the original.
When mechanical components need to be replaced (ball bearing, screws, etc.), keep the old
ones.
Non-aggressive cleaning is OK, but touching up the paint is not.
Only use acid-free lubricants.
When in doubt, ask!
Required tools, materials and components

Required tools and materials:
Screw driver appropriate for M5 screws.

Screw driver appropriate for M3 screws.
Screw driver with wide blade, for speed setting adjustment.
Small 6 mm open-ended wrench, or an equivalent small adjustable wrench (referred as "spanner" in
the UK, "English key" in France, Germany, Holland, and "Swedish key" in Denmark).
Soldering iron (not a soldering gun!) best is a medium sized one, with a controlled tip temperature
(400-425 C, 750-800 F).
Solder wick. Use fresh instead of years old wick: it is ineffective when the braid has started to oxidize.
Small plastic bags (e.g., small size Ziploc bags) to keep disassembled components organized.
M3 x 20 mm screw (temporarily needed during re-assembly).
Sewing machine oil (this is inexpensive, so go with a major brand sewing machines).
A pair of wooden or hard plastic chopsticks (oriental eating sticks).
A small bearing puller and bearing splitter (see Task 10).
A non-slip mat, to protect your work bench or the table (esp. if you are doing this job on the dining
room table, like I did) and to protect disassembled and replacement parts (esp. ball bearings). A large,
thick mouse pad may do.
Clean, lint-free cloth.
Toothbrush, for general cleaning inside the housing.
Pliers are not on this list: they always cause damage. They should not be used on anything that you care
about! To turn or hold screws and nuts, use a properly sized wrench.
Required replacement components:
2 new ball bearings of type 627 "double shielded" (Z, ZZ, or 2Z, depending on the manufacturer).
They should not have been sitting on the shelf for years and not come from somebody's junk box.
2 new axial-lead electrolytic capacitors 12 F (22 F is OK), at least 25 volt rating (pref. 35 V).
2 new axial-lead electrolytic capacitors 10 F, at least 25 volt rating.


Figure 2
Most of the tools that I used for this project
(bearing puller and splitter not shown; ref. Figure 43)

Optional/recommended tools:
capacitor checker or capacitance meter (I used a Wavetek 2015 digital multimeter, capable of
capacitance measurement).
Hemostat (a surgical tool which resembles a pair of needle nosed pliers with a locking clamp). They
come in handy in many projects! See Figure 2, to the right of the black/yellow screwdrivers.
Calipers.
Old-fashioned pink typewriter or ink eraser (to clean the commutators, if necessary).
Small flashlight (UK: "torch") with fresh batteries.
Jeweler's loupe (small magnifying glass that is set in an eye piece).
Reading glasses (they may actually not be optional ).
Tachometer for motor speed calibration (I prefer using a simple/cheap home-built optical tachometer
(circuit diagram is provided as part of Task 24) and an oscilloscope).
Recommended replacement components:
2 new axial-lead capacitors (e.g., polypropylene), 270 nF, at least 630 volt rating.
Several M3 screws (various lengths, flathead; to replace missing screws, if any).
Several replacement M3 flat washers (to replace missing washers, if any).
Several replacement M3 lock washers (star or split type; to replace missing washers, if any).


Literature references
Ref. 1a: the 1941 Operating & Maintenance Manual "Der Hell Feldfernschreiber", document D 758/1
Ref. 1b: "The Hell Feldfernschreiber", translation of Ref. 1a into English by me, Frank Drenberg N4SPP
Ref. 2: "The Feldfernschreiber Model 24a 32: list of components, annotated circuit card layout, connector
pin-outs, complete circuit diagram", 2008, by me.
These documents are available from the "articles/literature" and the "maintenance" page of my Hellschreiber
website, www.nonstopsytems.com/hell.htm.
Ref. 3: pp. 2337-2340 in "Machinery's Handbook: A Reference Book for the Mechanical Engineer, Designer,
Manufacturing Engineer, Draftsman, Toolmaker, and Machinist", by Oberg, Jones, Horton,
McCauley, Ryffel, Heald, Hussain, 27th ed., Industrial Press, 2004, ISBN 0831127007
Ref. 4: "NTN Rolling Bearings Handbook", Cat. No. 9012/E, 83 pp., available on-line from NTN Corporation
Ref. 5: "PanTrac Carbon Brushes for Industrial and Railway Technology", Ver. 1e/7-03; available on-line
from Pantrac GmbH
Ref. 6: "Commutator Surface Conditions" available on-line from Morgan Industrial Carbon
Ref. 7: "Assessment of Performance of Carbon Brushes" by Engineering Carbon Products
Ref. 8: "Handling and Mounting Precision Ball Bearings", MMG 7/94, available on-line from Barden Precision
Bearings (BPB)
Ref. 9: "Carbon brushes - Frequently Asked Questions", SKT/GB4, available on-line at Schunk
Kohlenstofftechnik GmbH
Note: hyperlinks in the above references were verified to be correct at the time this document was written.


OVERVIEW OF THE TASKS

This job of disassembling the Motor-Generator of the Feld-Hell machine can be broken down into the
following tasks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Remove the Motor-Generator from the Bottom-Unit of the Hellschreiber.

Remove the carbon brushes of the generator.
Remove the tappet and ball bearing shield at bottom of the generator.
Remove the speed adjustment cap and dial at the top of the motor.
Remove the contact plate above the centrifugal speed regulator.
Remove the centrifugal speed regulator from the top of the Motor-Generator shaft.
Take the motor carbon brush clips off their pin.
Only after completing all these steps can the Motor-Generator housing be taken apart, and the rotor (with its
top and bottom ball bearing) be removed!
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Take apart the Motor-Generator housing and remove the rotor.

Assess the surface of the carbon brushes and commutators.
Remove the motor and generator ball bearings.
Mount new ball bearings.
Refurbish the capacitors.
Reassembly is basically done in reverse order of the disassembly:

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
Reinstall the motor carbon brushes.

Perform installation of a single bearing shield washer.
Reinstall the rotor and generator bearing shield washers.
Reinstall the top of the housing and motor bearing shield washers.
Reinstall the housing bracket and hexagonal studs.
Reinstall the centrifugal speed regulator.
Reinstall the contact plate.
Reinstall the speed adjustment dial.
Reinstall the carbon brushes of the generator.
Reinstall the tappet on the motor output.
Power up and test run of the Motor-Generator.
Calibrate the speed set point of the speed regulator.
Mount the Motor-Generator back on the Bottom Unit.
Reinstall the black plastic speed regulator cap and drum cover.
Reinstall the cover box on the back of the motor-generator.
Once this is all done, we can

28. Perform the final operational test.
Throughout this document, line items marked with
permanent damage.
require special attention, as it is easy to do
All task steps are marked with a check-box, so that you can check them off as you progress .

10

Task 1 remove the Motor-Generator from the Bottom-Unit of the Hellschreiber

This task is described in line item 119 a) of the Manual, and is trivial:
Remove the Mechanical Unit from the case, and remove the protective cover of the drum. Remove the
cover on the rear of the motor-generator, after loosening its mounting screw. Then remove the four
mounting bolts (marked with a red ring) at the base of the generator, and carefully remove the motorgenerator.
Undo the mounting bolt of the Amplifier-Interconnect Unit of the Feld-Hell machine, and partly pull
this unit out of the Feld-Hell case.
Disconnect the two rectangular 6-pin connectors on the left hand side of this Unit (note: this cannot
be done unless this Unit is at least partially pulled out of the case).
Release the latch lever of the Mechanical Unit, and slide this unit completely out of the case.
Loosen the knurled two red knurled-head screws of the cover of the character drum, and remove the
cover.
There is a rectangular protective cover on the rear of motor-generator; undo its mounting screw (M3
x 7 mm, countersunk-head with 5 mm diameter) and remove the cover.
Put this mounting screw and the protective cover in small bag nr. 1.
Undo the 4 mounting machine screws (M5 x 18 mm) at the base of the motor-generator
Put these mounting screws in small bag nr 1.
Lift the Motor-Generator off its base of the Bottom Unit.
Figure 3
Rear of the Motor-Generator with cover box

11

Task 2 remove the carbon brushes of the generator

This step is described in line item 31 of the Manual, and is trivial. The high-voltage generator has two carbon
brushes. They are located at the base of the motor-generator. One at the front (marked with and ), the
other at the rear (marked with +).
Unscrew the black plastic cap of each carbon brush holder.
Gently pull each carbon brush out by its spring-lead.
Check the general condition of the carbon brushes, and make sure that they are still at least 6 mm
long ("). If not, you will have to find replacements....
Put the carbon brushes and the brush holder caps in small bag nr 2.
Front of the unit: the carbon brush for 165 VDC return
Figure 4
Figure 5
Back of the unit: the carbon brush for +165 VDC
Location of the generator's carbon brushes
One of the generator's carbon brushes and its brush holder cap

12

Task 3 remove the tappet and ball bearing shield at bottom of the generator
This task is not described in the 1941 Manual. However, the task is trivial.
With an appropriately sized (6 mm) open wrench or a small adjustable wrench, remove the M3 x 6
mm screw (with 6 mm hexagonal head) that attaches the tappet to the motor shaft.
Pull the tappet off the motor shaft by its ends.
o If the fit is tight, this also allows some gentle wiggling and prying.
Remove the three screws (M3 x 11 mm) of the shield washer, and remove the washer (34 mm outer
diameter, 12 mm inner diameter, 1 mm thick).
Put the screws and washers, the tappet, and the shield washer in small bag nr. 3.
The generator's ball bearing is now exposed.
Figure 6
Figure 7
Output shaft - before and after removal of the tappet
Bottom of generator ball bearing tappet and shield washer removed

13

Figure 8
Tappet, bearing shield washer and associated screws
Task 4 remove the speed adjustment cap and dial at the top of the motor
This step is described with sufficient detail as line item 120 of the 1941 manual:
Remove the index pointer of the motor speed adjustment tape-scale, after undoing the two
mounting screws. Remove the regulator cap with its tape-scale by turning the cap counterclockwise.
Remove the 2 screws (M3 x 5 mm; 5.5 mm oval head) of the speed dial index marker.
Remove the marker itself.
Put the screws and the marker index into (small) separate bag nr. 4.
Unscrew the regulator cap (speed dial with black plastic cap) counter-clockwise until it comes off the
top of the motor. Starting with the speed dial set to 5, this takes a little more than 2 turns.
Contrary to the 1941 Manual, we will remove the black plastic cap from the dial ring. The reason for this is
that this we need a way to manually turn the rotor after the Motor-Generator has been completely reassembled and installed back on the Bottom Unit (see Task 25). We do not want to power up the motor to
find out whether the pin coupling to the gear-box has been mated correctly!
Remove the four machine screws (M3 x 6 mm, button-head) of the black plastic speed regulator cap
Remove the plastic cap from the speed dial ring
o There is a thin aluminum (UK: aluminium) cover disk between the plastic cap and the dial
ring. The bottom of this disk has a thin disk riveted to it, that looks like it is made out of
pertinax or similar resin laminate material.
o The inside of the black plastic cap has a small marking T-typ. 58: the official SiemensHalske designation for this type of teleprinter equipment.

14

Pull out the metal spacer ring that is inserted around the contact plate inside the top of the motorgenerator.
o This is ring made of flat band metal (H = 8.5 mm ( 13 ), diameter = 90 mm (3))
Put bag nr. 3, the regulator cap, and the spacer ring into separate bag nr 4.
speed dial
index marker
Figure 9
speed regulator cap
cover plate (upside down)
spacer ring
The speed regulator adjustment ring - disassembled
Task 5 remove the contact plate above the centrifugal speed regulator
The contact plate is a basically a large, thin washer (OD = 92 mm, ID = 58 mm; 3" and 2"
respectively). It is suspended above the centrifugal speed regulator disk by two cylindrical springs on guide
pins. As shown in Figure 10 below, the two speed regulator spring-contacts are attached to the contact
plate; as the motor speed changes, the contacts are moved up & down by a small rectangular piece of
Turbax or Harex. This is a so-called "Hartgewebe", a cotton-reinforced laminate of thermosetting material
(phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin, similar to Bakelite). The lever of the centrifugal speed has a small ball
(from a ball bearing) that is placed on the centerline of the rotor shaft. The ball remains centered when the
tip of the lever moves up & down with speed changes. Movement of the lever is transferred to the Turbax
piece via the ball. Note that the ball is captive, so you cannot loose it when the contact plate and the
centrifugal speed regulator are removed . The contact plate also holds inductors and capacitors that
suppress contact arcing and associated EMI.

15

This task is described in line item 120 a) of the 1941 Manual:
De-solder the wires from the terminals (items 3, 4 and 5 in Figure 10 below), and unscrew the two
clips (items 6 and 7). After loosening the two screws (item 8 and 9), remove the contact plate.
It is easier to de-solder the wires when the clips are removed first, so that's what we'll do:
Remove the screws (M3 x 4 mm, flat-head) from the two wire clips and remove the clips.
De-solder the three designated wires from their respective terminal lug.
The contact plate is held in place laterally by two short mounting screws; they are threaded into vertically
installed guide pins (items 9 in Figure 11). The contact plate is spring-loaded by cylindrical springs on these
guide pins. They push the contact plate upward against its mounting screws. The plate can be moved down
by turning the cap of the speed regulator. You can (carefully) push down on the contact plate, right near its
mounting screws it is fairly wobbly.
Remove the screws (M3 x 6 mm, flathead; item 8 and 9 in Figure 10 below) that hold down the
contact plate.
Note that as soon either screw is removed, the plate pops up on that side, due to the loading springs on the
guide pins underneath the contact plate.
Remove the contact plate.
Put the contact plate, its mounting screws, the clips and their mounting screws in a small separate
bag nr. 5.
5
9
Figure 10
Contact plate before disassembly
The dark reddish-brown "spaghetti" wire insulation tubes (sleeves) are "lackgetrnkter GewebeIsolierschlauch" made of varnish-impregnated cotton or linen cloth ("lleinen"). The varnish used in this
application is typically a derivative of linseed oil or shellac (a resin secreted by the female lac bug). The latter
is relatively inflexible.

16

Turbax piece
ball
9 (ref. Fig. 9)
8
(ref. Fig. 9)
Figure 11
Cross-section of the centrifugal speed regulator
ball
Figure 12
The regulator disk is visible after removal of the contact plate

17

Figure 13
Contact plate top and bottom view
Figure 14

Contact plate side views
18

The black filter capacitor in Figure 13 and 14 is 2000 pF, 500/1500 Vdc (operating/max) was manufactured
by Richard Jahre GmbH, Spezialfabrik fr Kondensatoren, Induktivitten und Glimmerplatten, of Berlin (still
in the capacitor business today). This capacitor corresponds to C68 in the schematic. Its cylindrical housing
measures 26 mm in length x 8 mm diameter ( 1 x 13 ). The housing is a black plastic tube; the actual
capacitor is inside, potted with a tar-like substance. Over the years, the value of this capacitor in my machine
had increased from its nominal 2nF to 14 nF.
Figure 15
Filter capacitor C68
During a previous overhaul, capacitor C69 had already been replaced with the flat light yellow capacitor
visible in Figure 13 and 14 above. It is a modern polycarbonate 3300 pF, 20%, 1000 volt made by ERO. I
have replaced both with new 630 volt polypropylene capacitors. Ref. Appendix 5 regarding replacing and
rebuilding capacitors.
The accompanying filter inductors are D72 and D73, where "D" stands for "Drossel": choke coil. They are
marked 191 and 192 in Figure 10 and 13. The schematic does not list their value, and the digital multi-meter
that I had at my disposal does not measure inductance.
Task 6 remove the centrifugal speed regulator from the top of the MotorGenerator shaft
The centrifugal regulator assembly is basically a disk or flange that sits on top of the rotor shaft. The shaft
smoothly fits into a hub or collar at the bottom of the disk. The disk is secured to the shaft with an M3 x 10
mm screw that goes completely through the rotor shaft; the (lock)washer has an outer diameter of 6 mm.
This securing screw is only accessible through one hole in the motor housing. It is located just above the +
marking of the motor carbon brush, See Figure 16 below.
Line item 101 of the 1941 Manual says:
The accuracy of the regulator can only be retained with careful treatment. Removal of the regulator
is forbidden.
So, let's go ahead and do it anyway!

19

access hole
(tip of motor shaft and
bushing are visible)
Figure 16
Figure 17
Access to the screw that secures the speed regulator disk
The centrifugal weight mechanism atop the motor shaft

20

(this cross-section from the 1941 Manual does not show the ball bearing right below the disk; ref. Figure 1)
Manually turn the shaft until the screw that secures the collar of the regulator disk to the rotor
shaft, is aligned with the access hole in the side of the motor housing.
Remove the screw (M3 x 10 mm).
o The screw will drop to bottom of the speed regulator section of the housing; it is
easily retrieved once the speed regulator disk is removed.
Carefully pull the speed regulator disk off the rotor shaft.
o The fit between the bore of the disk and the shaft may be tight! In this case, the
disk may have to be "persuaded" off the shaft with a screwdriver. Carefully insert a
"thin but wide-blade" screwdriver into the access hole, and slide it between the
collar of the flange and the bottom of the compartment of the Motor-Generator
housing in which the speed regulator is located. See Figure 17 above. Carefully pry
up the flange collar (alternating between both sides of the shaft) until the disk can
be removed by hand. I had to do this in my machine, as the securing screw had
disappeared, the collar had moved down on the shaft, and the fit was very tight.
Put the regulator, the screw and the lock washer in small bag nr. 6.
recessed hole
for the screw
Figure 18

Centrifugal regulator side views
21

Figure 19
Centrifugal regulator top and bottom view
The centrifugal speed regulator weighs about 150-160 grams (5 oz.)

Once the centrifugal regulator is removed, the top of the motor ball bearing is visible. It is covered with a
bearing shield washer. Note that original bearings are "open" type, i.e., they do not have an integrated
shield. An external shield was added on top of and below the bearing, to retain the bearing grease. The
bearings in my machine had already been replaced with shielded bearings. So there was no greasy mess. In
a machine with original open bearings, there probably will be grease or at least the soap part of the
grease, that may have turned into a hard cake.
Figure 20
Top of motor housing regulator removed, bearing shield visible
(electrolytic capacitor on the right is a replacement from an other overhaul; original was not left in place)
Removing the bearing shield is trivial.
Remove the three M3 x 12 mm screws that retain the cover shield.

Remove the shield (34 mm OD, 12 mm ID, 1.7 mm thick).
Pull the bushing off the shaft (10 mm OD, 8 mm ID, 3 mm high).
Remove the wavy spring washer (21 mm OD, 16 mm ID, 0.3 mm thick).
Put the shield, screws (with their washers), the bushing, wavy spring and the speed regulator in
separate bag nr. 7.

22

A wavy-spring washer (or "wave washer") is a thrust washer that is typically used in high-speed applications,
to pre-load a bearing axially. It has an undulating form. It is applied from the outside against the outer race
of one bearing, whereas the bearing at the opposite end of the shaft is typically clamped. The shaft, pressing
against the inner race, supplies the reactive force. This pre-loading reduces bearing noise and highfrequency vibration. I dont know whether the original bearings were of the deep-groove (Conrad) type.
Figure 21
The motor bearing shield, with bushing and wavy spring washer
the ball bearing,

rotor shaft and
bushing
Figure 22
Top of motor housing ball bearing shield removed

23

Note that the cover shield on top of the ball bearing has a matching shield at the bottom of the ball bearing.
The screws that retain the top shield are actually threaded into the bottom shield. This bottom shield drops
about 1 cm () when the screws are removed, and then rests on the motor commutator. The screws are
too short for being screwed back into the bottom shield and pull it back up. A little trick will have to be used
to do this, when we re-assemble the motor-generator.
Also visible are two electrolytic filter capacitors, see Figure 22 above. They correspond to the components
designated C62 and C63 in the schematic (ref. 1-3). They are 12 F, 25/30 volt (operating/max), and
marked JAHRELYT. This means that they were manufactured by Richard Jahre GmbH of Berlin. These
capacitors are actually packaged in a small cardboard tube that measures 40 mm x 12 mm (length x outer
diameter; 1" x "). Electrolytic capacitors (of all vintages) are notorious for large tolerances on their
values, significant value changes due to ageing, development of leaks, etc. The inner diameter of the tubes
is 9.8 mm (") which means that they can easily be re-stuffed with a modern electrolytic capacitor. See
Appendix 5.
Source: Schneiders Bauhefte Nr. 6 of 1942
Figure 23
JAHRELYT capacitors from Richard Jahre GmbH and 1942 advertising
Task 7 take the motor carbon brush clips off their pin
This step is addressed in line item 130 of the 1941 Manual:
Unscrew the lead-wires from the terminals [Figure 24, 25], take the pull-springs off their pin, and
take the carbon brushes off their bearing pin [Figure 26].
The instructions from the manual make it sound easy enough, don't they? Well, unscrewing the terminals
actually is easy, as they are readily accessible.
However, the tension-springs are hard to get to! One end of each spring is attached to the clip of the carbon
brush and is inaccessible. The other end is hooked onto a short pin, protruding downward from a brass Lbracket mounted on the pertinax ring that is installed against the bottom of the flange that has the socket
for the motor ball bearing (see Figure 35 and 55). The spring should be unhooked from this pin, but you just
can not get to this pin via the (narrow) oblong holes in the motor housing.
So, we are not going to follow the manual here!

24

Figure 24
Lead-wire of the +12 VDC motor carbon brush
Figure 25
Lead-wire of the -12 VDC motor carbon brush
Loosen the terminal screw of the spade connector on the lead-wire of the + carbon brush of the
motor, and slide the spade from underneath the screw.
Loosen the terminal screw of the spade connector on the lead-wire of the carbon brush of the
motor, and slide the spade from underneath the screw.
The "classical" way to proceed is to take the -shaped part of the carbon brush spring clips off their bearing
pin. This will take "some" fiddling, and several tries (be patient!). Some of the wiring interferes with these
manipulations. I used two chop-sticks to do this.
Gently pry the clip of the + carbon brush off its bearing pin, and release it into the innards of
the motor-housing.
Gently pry the clip of the carbon brush off its bearing pin, and release it into the innards of
the motor-housing.
I think you should SUFFER through this at least once, like I did myself! If suffering is not one of your
favorite pastimes, I'm happy to inform you that I found an easier way!
Temporarily skip forward to Task 13, read all the details, look at the photos, and make the
required retainer clips out of paperclips
Push and hold each carbon brush clip away from the motor's commutator (see Figure 26 and
27). I use a chop stick to do this.

25

o Contrary to the "classical" method, the carbon brush clips will not (yet) come off their
bearing pin!
install the retainer clips and tie them off with twisty-ties (ref. Task 13).
bearing pin
push
here
Figure 26
yellow
capacitor
Access to one of the motor carbon brush clips
push here
Figure 27
The motor carbon brush clips and springs
The actual carbon brush is permanently fixed to end of a 6 mm (") wide spring metal strip (possibly
phosphor-bronze; looks like a copper alloy). The end of this spring has an -shape, beyond which the spring
continues almost at a 90 angle. The clip spans 39 mm (1"). The -part of the spring strip is simply
clipped onto a bearing pin, with very little force, if any. A cylindrical tension spring pulls the carbon brush
against the commutator of the motor, and keeps the clip on the bearing pin.

26

When we separate the motor housing parts, we have to be very careful not to catch anything on the
carbon brushes and damage them! Likewise, during re-assembly.
Task 8 take apart the Motor-Generator housing and remove the rotor
The housing of the Motor-Generator shall only be taken apart upon completion of tasks 1-7!
The housing of the Motor-Generator consists of three parts, see Figure 1 and 30. They are made of cast iron.
From top to bottom: two cylindrical sections, and a tapered part with the base flange. These three sections
are held together with two long thin rods: 4.8 mm diameter ( 316 "), and 12 cm in length (4"); the last
15 mm (") at both ends are threaded. The top end of each rod is screwed from below through the
separation wall between the speed regulator section and the rotor section of the housing, into the hexagonal
stand-off studs of the centrifugal speed regulator. Note that the construction is slightly different from what
the 1941 Manual suggests: contrary to Figure 28 below, there is no nut below each hexagonal spacer (nor is
there any need for the nuts to be there). The sections of the Motor-Generator housing are held together
firmly by tightening the hexagonal studs onto the rods.
hexagonal stud with

guide pin
hexagonal stud with

guide pin
non-existant nut
non-existant nut
rod
rod
Figure 28
Top ends of the mounting rods
The bottom end of each rod is threaded into the bottom section of the Motor-Generator housing, and is
visible in a small hole, right above each generator carbon brush holder. See Figure 29.

27

Figure 29
Bottom ends of the mounting rods
speed regulator
top
center
base
Figure 30
Motor-Generator housing with bracket
As part of Task 5, three wires were de-soldered from the contact plate. They are attached to the
housing with a clip that is held in place with a screw and a nut. See the upper part of Figure 22
above. Remove the clip, such that the wiring can move freely.
With a soft pencil, make a mark across the seam between the top and center sections of the
housing; this will help expedite precise realignment during the re-assembly.
A bracket (8 mm x 8 cm; 13 x 3") secures the three sections together, with an M3 x 6 mm
screw in each section of the housing. See Figure 30.
Remove the three screws from the bracket.
Put the clip, bracket, screws, washers and nut into a separate small bag.

28

Figure 31
Motor-Generator housing bracket
The three sections of the housing are also held together by the rods mentioned above. They are tightened
down with hexagonal studs in the speed regulator section of the housing.
Pull the cylindrical springs off the guide-pin extension of the hexagonal studs (Figure 32).
Remove one of the two hexagonal studs with an appropriately sized (6 mm) open wrench or a
small adjustable wrench.
do not use pliers they always cause damage!
o
o mark the stud, such that you can put it back in the same location during re-assembly; this
will make it easier to re-install the contact plate, in case one or both studs/guide pins are
no longer straight (as is the case in my machine).
Repeat for the second hexagonal stud.
Put the springs and the hexagonal studs in a separate small bag.
Figure 32
Hexagonal guide-pin studs and associated springs
The overall length of the studs is 44 mm (1), the hexagonal part being 18 mm long and 6 mm wide
("), whereas the round guide pin is 26 mm long. The guide pin has an M3-threaded hole in the top. The
hexagonal stud has an M4-threaded hole in bottom. The upper sections of motor housing will now be loose.
Stand the Motor-Generator on its base.
Grab hold of the top section with both hands (base of the Motor-Generator facing away
from you) and carefully wiggle it, while pushing down with both thumbs on the outer ring of
the motor ball bearing. In my case, the ball bearing slid out of its socket quite easily it is a slipfit, as opposed to the press-fit installation of the ball bearings onto the rotor shaft.

29

Separate the top two sections of the housing only slightly (1 cm, "). You will feel
resistance. Do not force things; also, the wiring may interfere. Carefully proceed with the
separation, and feel where and when you need to carefully push some wiring out of the way.
The carbon brush springs will probably come of their pins by themselves during this manipulation
(unless you did the trick with the paperclips in Task 7).
Figure 33
Motor-Generator housing separated, rotor removed
In my case, the center and base section of the housing did not separate by themselves. I did not try to
separate them either, as there is no need for this, even if you want to access the capacitors in the very
bottom of the base.
Do not pull the rotor out of its socket at the bottom of the housing!
While holding the top and center/bottom section, carefully lay the Motor-Generator on its side.

30

The generator ball bearing at the base of the housing is slip-fitted into its socket. Grab hold of
the base of the housing (top of the Motor-Generator facing away from you) and push on the
outer ring of the ball bearing with both thumbs, to slide the bearing out of its socket.
Figure 34
Rotor of the Motor-Generator with ball bearings and shields

(L: motor commutator, R: generator commutator)
filter capacitor
carbon brush
bearing pin
pertinax (?)
plate
filter inductor
motor
turn
direction
carbon brush
spring pin
carbon brush
spring pin
carbon brush
bearing pin
filter inductor
(underneath the wires!)
filter capacitor
Figure 35
Filter components and carbon brush attachment points

31

The yellow filter capacitors in Figure 35 are 200 pF, 10%, 1500 V manufactured by HOGES (Hochohm
Gesellschaft mbH of Berlin). They correspond to capacitors C70 and C71 in the schematic, and measure
measures 21 mm x 8 mm (length x outer diameter). The filter inductors are D74 and D75 in the schematic.
The schematic does not list their value.
+165 V generator
carbon brush holder
capacitor retainer clip
filter capacitor C65

capacitor retainer clip
filter capacitor C64
-165 V (return)
carbon brush holder
Figure 36
Looking down into the base of the generator
(front side of the housing is towards the bottom of the photo)

As you can clearly see in Figures 33, 35 and 36, there is a grimy black deposit everywhere inside the
housing. This is not powdery dust that can be brushed off! Some of it is in the form of small hard black
drops, like carbonated grease you might find baked on the inside of the window of an oven or barbeque. I
presume it is fried old bearing grease (the original bearings were open type, with additional shields that
were not very tight around the rotor shaft) and other lubricants, possibly with carbon brush dust mixed in.
Do not use solvents or alcohol to remove the black crud. The crud does not interfere with proper
operation of the Motor-Generator. The only cleaning that I did, was use a toothbrush to brush off any loose
crud and dust deposits, and then vacuum out the inside of the housing. Appendix 6 discusses some general
aspects of cleaning.

32

Planning the next steps

At this point in the process, we have disassembled the Motor-Generator as far as we need to.
Figure 37 The disassembled items

Now it
is time to do some refurbishments, before putting it all back together again. We need to:
Assess the surface of the carbon brushes and commutators.
Remove and replace the ball bearings.
Refurbish the paper and electrolytic capacitors.
After having done all that, the remaining re-assembly is basically done in reverse order of the dis-assembly,
with some minor twist here and there

33

Task 9 assess the surface of the carbon brushes and commutators

Now we can inspect the carbon brushes of the motor and the generator. Line item 102 and 103 in the 1941
Manual says:
The carbon brushes of the motor must be replaced if they are worn down to a length less than 5 mm
[1/5"].
The carbon brushes of the generator must be replaced if they are worn down to a length less than 6
mm ["].
The motor brushes in my machine have about 11 mm length left, and the generator brushes about 9 mm.
The 1941 Manual does not mention the length of factory-new brushes.
The motor and the generator have a commutator diameter of 24 mm and 27 mm respectively (1). At 3600
rpm nominal rotational speed, this translates to a linear (peripheral) speed of about 4 m/s and 5 m/s
respectively. Close to 110 miles per hour! There is an empirical formula (ref. 9) for estimating normal brush
wear in mm/1000 hrs:
where D is the diameter of the commutator in mm. Using our commutator dimensions and speed, we arrive
at an estimate of a little under 1 mm / 1000 hrs. I have no way of ascertaining whether the formula applies
to the carbon brush materials, brush (spring) loading, and electrical loading used in the Feld-Hell machines.
The motor brushes in my machine have about 11 mm length left, and the generator brushes about 9 mm.
That is, about 3 and 5 mm more that the allowed minimum. So I should have a couple of thousand hours left
on the brushes. That is equivalent to about 300-500 standard rolls of paper tape. The 1941 Manual does not
mention the length of factory-new brushes.
Typically the carbon brushes will not need replacement. Arthur Bauer, PAAOB, has used one of his Feld-Hell
machines on a weekly basis for over thirty years, without wearing down the carbon brushes enough to have
to replace them. Thirty years at one hour a week is "only" about 1600 hrs
6.4 mm
5 mm
Figure 38
Sliding face of the generator carbon brushes

34

6.4 mm
6.4 mm
Figure 39
Sliding face of the motor carbon brushes
Figures 38 and 39 above show the sliding face surface of carbon brushes in my machine. The generator
carbons appear to have a higher copper content than the motor carbons.
I compared these photos against the diagnostic pictures in Appendix 1. This leads me to believe that all
carbon brushes are in decent enough shape. I don't have spares anyway!
Inspect the patina and wear-pattern of the generator carbon brushes against the diagnostic
listing in Appendix 1.
Inspect the patina and wear-pattern of the motor carbon brushes.
Next we'll inspect the appearance of the commutators. Figures 40 and 41 below show the surface of the
commutators in my machine. The motor commutator has 24 copper segments (bars), the generator
commutator has 36. Commutator bars should appear copper colored with some areas with darker patina
("skin") where the brush contacts the commutator's surface. The patina depends on many factors, such as
the environment (dust, lubricant vapors, etc.), electrical field and current, carbon brush material, carbon
brush spring loading, rotational speed, etc.
I compared these photos against the diagnostic pictures in Appendix 2. This leads me to believe that the
commutators are in decent enough shape; yes, there is some streaking, but is hasn't developed into metal
transfer or threading.
Inspect the patina and wear-pattern of the motor commutator surface against the diagnostic
listing in Appendix 2.
Inspect the patina and wear-pattern of the generator commutator.
As the brushes have to make electrical contact with the commutators, the surface of the commutators should
obviously be clean. But do not confuse "dirty" or "fouled" with a perfectly normal patina!

35

10 mm
24 mm
Figure 40
Commutator of the Motor
11 mm
27 mm
Figure 41
Commutator of the Generator
Line item 99 in the 1941 Manual says:
If the commutators are only lightly fouled, then they are to be cleaned with a cloth that is lightly
dampened with kerosene [UK: paraffine oil]. If they are heavily fouled, then the converter motorgenerator must be removed in accordance with line item 119, and made to run by applying 12 Vdc.
The commutators must be very carefully rubbed down with very fine sandpaper, and then the
remains of this sanding and other dirt must be thoroughly cleaned off with a cloth that is lightly
dampened with kerosene.

36

Contrary to what the above line item from the Manual may suggest: never make the motor run by
simply applying 12 Vdc to it! There will be no motor speed regulation, and the motor speed will run away to
about 10000 rpm! Only turn the motor on via the Hellschreibers Amplifier & Interconnect Unit!
Note that the above line item from the 1941 Manual implies that the Motor-Generator is completely put
together, and the sanding is done by sticking some kind of sand paper or emery-cloth covered appliance (like
a lollipop stick) into the spinning machine, through holes in the housing. Better wear safety goggles,
protective gloves, etc!
Also note that applying any type of abrasive against the spinning commutator even when "only"
at the nominal 3600 rpm can do permanent damage to the commutator surface in a very short time. If you
really insist on doing this, make sure to only apply very little force and minimal abrasiveness!
Never use steel wool to clean the commutators, not even (or maybe especially not) extremely fine
steel wool (e.g., type 0000). It doesn't necessarily damage the commutator, but it is impossible to avoid tiny
(conductive!) particles of the wool from settling between the commutator bars (and elsewhere!) and it is
basically impossible to clean it all off.
A fairly safe way of cleaning commutators is with an old-fashioned pink eraser for typewriters or ink. Yes, the
rubbings will get in between the commutator bars, but they are soft and non-conductive and the can be
removed with a toothbrush or a good whiff of compressed air (e.g., from an air "spray" can).
Task 10 remove the motor and generator ball bearings

Before dismounting the rotor ball bearings and installing replacement bearings, read Appendix 4.
The top (motor) bearing in my machine made some noise when spun by hand, like it was running a little
dry. There were no noticeable hard points, but still a good candidate for replacement. The bottom bearing
made much less, if any, noise. As the machine is disassembled anyway, both bearing will be replaced. For a
listing of possible bearing noises, see Appendix 4.
The markings on the outer race of the ball bearings that were installed in my Feld-Hell machine indicate that
these (replacement) bearings are of type NTN 627 Z and NSK 627 Z. That is:
Manufacturer: NTN and NSK (both good Japanese brands)
627: universal bearing number code.
o Type code "6" means "deep groove"
o Diameter series "2" means 22 mm Outer Diameter (OD)
o Nominal bore diameter "7" means 7 mm Inner Diameter (ID; "bore", shaft diameter)
o Height = 7 mm
shield/seal code: "Z" means " steel shields". Note that other manufacturers use ZZ or 2Z for this type,
and use Z for bearings that are shielded on one side only.
Per the NTN catalog, the NTN bearing has a limiting speed of 32,000 rpm (other manufacturers have
different speeds for their 627s). The Feld-Hell runs at 3600 rpm: the low end of what is considered "high
speed". The weight of this bearing is 13 grams ( oz.).
The ball bearings of the Motor-Generator shall not be replaced.

Well, at least not as part of field maintenance! In addition, line item 100 of the 1941 Manual says:

37

Every 100 operating hours, but at least every 8 weeks, the Feldfernschreiber must be oiled and greased
in accordance with line items 135 through 142.
Note that this includes the ball bearings of the gear-box and the character drum. Most of these bearings turn
at a (much) lower speed than the Motor-Generator bearings, so the latter bearings need even more
attention!
Furthermore, as stated in ref. 3:
Grease should not be allowed to remain in a bearing for more than 48 months, or if service is very light
and temperatures low, 60 months, irrespective of the number of hours' operation during that period, as
separation of the oil from the soap and oxidation continue whether the bearing is in operation or not.
So, even if the original bearings have at some point been replaced with "greased for life" shielded bearings,
and still appear to be OK at this time (based on their noise and feel) it may be time to replace them!
As can be seen in Figure 44 below, both ends of the rotor shaft have a collar ("shoulder") close to the
commutator, against which the ball bearings are installed. So it is not necessary to measure how far down
the shaft the bearings have been seated, to be able to mount the new bearings in the same position.
Anyway, I did measure how far the rotor shaft sticks out beyond the bearings in my machine: 17.02 mm
(probably 17.0 mm nominal) and 10.14 mm (probably 10.0 mm nominal) respectively for the motor and the
generator bearing. Clearly, the distance between the two collars is the critical dimension: 129.0 mm.
Figure 42
Rotor of the Motor-Generator and bearing shields bearings removed

(L: motor commutator, R: generator commutator)
There are two standard methods to remove ("dismount") a ball bearing from a shaft: pull the bearing off
the shaft with a bearing puller (surprise!), or push the shaft out of the bearing with an arbor press. In the
end, the relative movement is the same.
A bearing puller looks like a scissor device with two or three "legs" or "claws, and has a "forcing screw"
("jack screw") piston at the center. See Figure 43. The one-legged types don't work very well . The tips of
the claws are placed behind the bearing that is to be removed, and the forcing screw (jack screw) is applied
to the tip of the shaft. The screw is then turned, thereby pushing the shaft out of the bearing (or,
conversely, pulling the bearing off the shaft). Ideally, the claws should pull on the bearing's inner ring.
Often, the "fingers" of the claws will not reach the inner ring, in which case the bearing is pulled off by the
outer ring. This is OK if the bearing will be replaced anyway. Note that there also exist so-called "blind"
bearing pullers. Their thin, narrow claws pass between the balls of the bearing and pull on the inner ring.
They tend to be rather expensive!

38

Figure 43 Bearing pullers and a bearing splitter

As you can see in Figure 44 below, there is not much room between the bearing and the commutator. There
is even less room between the original bearing shield washer (installed between the bearing and the
commutator) and the bearing. The claws of a standard bearing puller will not fit. The options then are to
apply the puller to the bearing shield washer, or use another tool. The washer is made of soft metal, and will
probably just fold around the bearing when pulled.
In this case, an excellent method is to use a two-legged puller in combination with a so-called "bearing
splitter" (a.k.a. "bearing splitter plate", "bearing separator", "strong back puller"). See Figure 43. This puller
attachment is specifically designed for insertion behind bearings, where space limitations preclude the use of
a standard jaw puller.
The other option is to use an arbor press. In this case, the bearing must be fixed in place with some sort of
jig such as a bearing splitter, mounted in a bench vise.
bearing
original
bearing shield
Figure 44 Limited space for bearing puller between bearings and commutators
Prevent bulging and swelling of the tip of the shaft (so-called "mushrooming"). Put a small soft
metal disk (e.g., 1-2 mm thick brass, copper, aluminium softer than steel) between the tip of the shaft,
and the tip of the center of the tip of the jack screw of the bearing puller (or of the arbor quill). Note that
the rotor shaft is made of relatively soft steel. Both ends have a dimple or shallow drill hole from when the
shaft was machined and the commutators were trued on a lathe. If in your machine this hole is threaded,
then put a short flathead screw in it, and use the screw head as the point where to apply pressure with the
puller or press.
39

Prevent seating damage! Make sure that the center of the tip of the jack screw of the bearing puller
(or of the arbor quill) acts on the center of the shaft. If you have a choice, use a self-centering puller.
Note that even small bearing pullers are capable of applying considerable forces! Do not misuse the
tool by just continuing to tighten the puller screw more and more, if the bearing doesn't move. Eventually
something will give, and be damaged.
I do not (yet) own a puller and splitter, and could not find a local store that carries them. Note that some
on-line tool suppliers sell bearing puller/separator sets that are reasonably priced (but are probably not
meant for professional or industrial use). After some searching, I found a small local company that re-winds
and repairs electric motors and generators, small and large. This 3-man shop enjoys a nationwide (positive)
reputation, so I was confident that they know what they're doing. In addition to showing me around and
explaining their projects, they were nice enough to carefully pull the bearings of my rotor with the aid of a
bearing puller (OK, and some simple "helper" tools of the trade). Free of charge! They assured me that the
tightness of the fit of the bearings on the rotor shaft was normal/OK.
Task 11 mount new ball bearings

Bearings of brands such as SKF, NSK, Fafnir, BSB, and NTN are "known-good" (note that this is not an
exhaustive list). Nachi is considered sub-top. Bearings made in China (independent of whether the brand
name is Chinese!) may have to be treated with some suspicion. Good ball bearings are not overly expensive
(early-2009 list price for a good "627" bearing is about $5-10 in the US, 3-8 in Europe). Saving a little
money by choosing lower quality parts is a bad idea, especially when going through the substantial trouble
of disassembling the motor-generator. Note that type 627 (7 mm bore) and 608 bearings (8 mm bore) are
standard for skate boards and in-line skates, so your nearest skate board shop may carry what you need,
and at a reasonable price level. Hang loose !
Figure 45 My new ball bearings in standard packaging

Before mounting the new ball bearings onto the rotor shaft, we have to decide whether to re-install the
original shield washers. If we install pre-greased shielded ball bearings (recommended) then it is actually
not necessary to put them back in, at least not because we need them as grease shields. However, these
40

shields also limit the axial movement of the bearings and, thereby, of the rotor. The bearings are mounted
into the housing with only a slip fit a fit that is much less tight than the press fit of the bearings onto the
rotor shaft. So it is probably a good idea to reinstall them, even though it is a hassle to do so! If you decide
not to install them, then at least install the washer below the generator's bearing before putting the rotor
back into the base of the housing. See Task 15. Before we do anything, here are some general rules for
dealing with new ball bearing:
Never use replacement bearings of unknown origin and/or history (e.g., from your junk box).
Never drop bearings.
Never squeeze a bearing in a vise (unless for the purpose of destroying it).
Never press fit a bearing onto a shaft by applying force across the bearing raceways, through the
bearing balls. This will always destroy the bearing due to permanent brinelling damage to the
bearing races. The most common cause of failure of small ball bearings is excessive force applied
during assembly!
Also:
press only the inner ring, to press fit the bearing on the shaft.
apply force evenly along the ring.
when you start pressing or tapping, make absolutely sure that the bearing is getting seated
straight onto the shaft, otherwise you will ruin the shaft, the bearing, or both!
press only the outer ring, to press fit a bearing into the housing socket.
There are two basic ways to mount a bearing onto a shaft:

Mechanical force - press a bearing onto the shaft.
Differential thermal expansion - reduce the diameter of the shaft by cooling the shaft, and/or heat the
inner ring of the bearing to increase its bore diameter.
When press fitting, you need two things: a press and a drift. Bearings must be pushed straight onto the
shaft: the centerlines of the bearing and the shaft must be aligned (i.e., coincide coaxially). A drift is used to
ensure that the pressing force is only applied to the inner bearing ring, and is applied evenly around the
ring. Pressing is normally done with an arbor press.

41

Figure 46 A small arbor press and the cross-section of a drift

A drift is a hollow, straight-edged cylinder with an inner diameter just slightly larger than the diameter of the
shaft. The drift pushes down on the inner ring of the new bearing, and thereby that inner ring onto the
shaft. You can buy "official" drifts, but I happened to have a couple of old open and shielded 608 bearings in
my junk box. They have a bore of 8 mm, which makes their inner rings perfect drifts for the inner ring of
627 bearings (7 mm bore). Simply punch a hole in the shield with a nail and hammer, pop the shield off, drill
through the ball retainer, pull out the retainer with needle-nose pliers, move the balls up against each other,
and pull the inner ring out with small pliers. So, don't throw away old bearings, they may come in handy!
Figure 47 Rings of discarded bearings can be used as drifts

If you don't have access to an arbor press, you can use a drill press and a decent drill press vise. This
actually works very well, and is what I did (see Figure 48), after I applied the thermal method described
below to get the bearings started onto the shaft. Note that you don't need an industrial-size drill press. As
an absolute last resort, you may try and carefully tap the drift with soft-blow mallet or plastic-tip hammer,
or a regular hammer and small block of wood. Support the opposite end of the shaft a flat hardwood block,
on the floor or a solid work surface. But this is bad practice

42

Figure 48 Using a drill press, vise, and bearing ring drifts

"Hot mounting" is typically only used for large open-type bearings with an outer diameter of over 5 cm (2").
We can get also get the required temperature difference by cooling the rotor shaft. A temperature
difference between bearings and shaft of 80-90 C (145- 165 F) should suffice. I have tried applying
generous amount of ice spray to the shaft ends to accomplish this, without the desired result. I then used
the following method to at least get the bearings properly started onto the shaft:
Clean the rotor shaft ends with a clean, lint-free cloth

Re-install the bearing shield washers onto the shaft ends (you can see from their markings which
side should face the commutator and which side the bearing)
Pull the shield washers up against the commutators, and hold them there by threading strings or
rubber bands from each of the three holes in one washer to the holes in the opposite washer
o we will not have the time to get the washers out of the way when we are going to seat the
bearings!
Put the rotor and the bearing shield washers in a Ziploc freezer bag, suck the air (and moisture)
out, and put the bag into the freezer overnight at -32 C (-25 F).
Remove the bearings from their package with clean dry hands
New bearings are very lightly coated with rust inhibiting grease or oil. Do not remove this
coating!
Before taking the bag with the rotor out of the freeze, put the bearings in another Ziploc freezer
bag (use a couple of layers of good kitchen food wrap film if you don't have such bags), suck the
air out, stick it in a pot, and add boiling hot water.
o Do not get the bearings wet!
o My new bearings are made by SKF; the grease used in SKF bearings can be warmed up to
100 C (212 F) operating temp without a problem.

43

The next steps must be done very quickly!
Take the bag out of the freezer and the rotor and shield washers out of the bag (avoid warming up
the rotor shaft ends by touching them)
put the bearing washer on to each shaft end (correct side towards the commutator)
quickly slip on the hot new bearings
stop trying to push the bearing onto the shaft as soon as you feel resistance
and the inner ring seizes on the shaft. This will only be a fraction of a second!!!
remove the strings between the bearing shields.
This way, I was only able to just slide the bearings onto the shaft ends, i.e., no shaft sticking out beyond the
bearings. The shaft and the bearings are so small that they do not have enough thermal mass to retain the
temperature difference long enough to completely mount the bearings. If you have access to a standard
"electronics industry" temperature test chamber that can go down to -50 C, you may be able to do the
entire mounting process without a press (not having done this, I cannot guarantee that this works any
better then a domestic freezer).
After getting both bearings started this way, I simply pressed them all the way to their respective shaftcollar with the aid of a drill press and several 8 mm inner bearing rings for drifts. See Figure 48 above.
Task 12 refurbish the capacitors

At this point we still have access to all the filter capacitors of the Motor-Generator. From bottom to top:
0.25 F, 250/750 Vdc - paper capacitor between each generator carbon brush and ground (ref. Fig.
36)
200 pF, 1500 Vd (yellow) ceramic filter capacitors above the (ref. Fig. 35)
12 F 25/30 Vdc - electrolytic capacitors just below the centrifugal speed regulator disk (ref. Fig. 20)
2000 pF, 500/1500 Vdc - paper capacitor on the contact plate of the speed regulator (ref. Fig. 13-15)
500 pF, 500/1500 Vdc - paper capacitor on the contact plate of the speed regulator (ref. Fig. 13-15)
In addition, there are two more electrolytic caps on the outside of the Motor-Generator (ref. Figure 53):
10 F, 25/30 Vdc - electrolytic capacitors from the +12 Vdc and the 12 Vdc return, to ground.
Clearly, these last two capacitors remain easily accessible after the Motor-Generator has been reassembled,
but we might as well take care of all the capacitors now.
Appendix 5 provides details regarding the options of replacing, rebuilding (re-stuffing), and reforming of old
capacitors. I personally prefer and recommend rebuilding these electrolytic and paper capacitors into their
original tubular package. The ceramic capacitors should only be touched if they are physically broken.
The two brown generator filter capacitors that are (barely) visible in Figure 36 above, correspond to C64 and
C65 in the schematic (see Figure 49 below). They are manufactured by Siemens-Halske and are marked
0.25 F, 750/1500 Vdc (Betrieb./Spitz. = Operating/Max), 70 C (160 F). They are paper capacitors,
packaged in a cardboard tube that measures 37 mm in length and has a 16 mm outer diameter ( 1" x
").

44

Figure 49 Schematic around generator filter capacitors C64 and C65

As detailed in Appendix 5, decades old paper capacitors typically need to be replaced. For that reason, and
because we cannot measure the value of a capacitor while it is in situ, I decided to remove them. They are
deep down in the base of the generator housing, and not all that easy to get to. They are held in place with
a thin malleable (rather than springy) metal clip.
Bend the clips upward.

With the aid of one or two chop sticks, push each capacitor towards the center of the housing
(i.e., towards the socket of the generator's ball bearing).
o This could also be done with one or two long thin screwdriver, but this is bound to
scratch up the capacitors.
Cut the capacitor wires about 1-1 cm (") from the capacitor package, to facilitate
soldering-in the replacement capacitors.
Figure 50 shows that C64 has tar-like insulating material oozing and bulging out on one side. C65 is shown
after some minor cleaning.
Figure 50 Paper capacitor C64 (top) and C65 (bottom)

C64 and C65 measured 3.8 F and 1.8 F respectively, compared to their nominal 0.25 F value! I rebuilt
them by re-stuffing their cardboard tube with a 0.22 F (220 nF) polypropylene capacitors with 630 volt
rating. This is 3-4 times higher than the operating voltage rating (250 Vdc) of the original capacitors, though
45

lower their max rating (750 Vdc). This should still provide sufficient margin. Polypropylene capacitors with a
1000 volt rating do not fit in the tubes. Refer to Appendix 5 for details on replacing and rebuilding old
capacitors.
I decided not to re-pot the paper capacitors after melting the originals out of their tubes (see Appendix 5). I
just put a new capacitor into the emptied tube. But I did keep the tar for future re-building projects! I did
not slide the tube back onto the capacitor until after soldering one of the lead wires back in place.
Solder one lead of the capacitor back in place.

o Depending on the length of the lead wires, you may have to cut off about 1-1 cm (").
Slide the cardboard tube over the capacitor.
Solder the second lead wire back in place.
With the aid of one or two chop sticks, push each capacitor towards the outside of the housing (i.e.,
away from the socket of the generator's ball bearing).
o The capacitor tube must be as far away from the center of the base of the housing as
possible. The bearing shield washer (between the generators commutator and bearing) will
have to get by them
While keeping the tube pushed towards the outside of the housing, bend the retainer clip
downward.
Repeat for the second capacitor.
Figure 51 Schematic around C62, C63, and C66
Figure 52 Schematic around C67

Observe correct polarity when installing electrolytic capacitors!
46

If not sure which capacitor is C62 vs. C63, then use an ohm-meter between the wiring of these
capacitors and the terminal of the + carbon brush of the motor (marked as such on the outside of
the motor housing) to identify the C63.
If not sure which capacitor is C66 vs. C67, then use an ohm-meter between the wiring of these
capacitors, and the top end of the large grey resistors W60 and W61 (see Figure 53 below), to
identify C67. By default, the wiring of C66 is then also identified.
Electrolytic capacitors C62 (12 F) and C66 (10 F) are installed with their + side connected to ground!
Looking at the schematic shows that this is correct and does not constitute reverse polarity! If you have
already removed these electrolytic capacitors without noting to which wire their + side is connected, you will
now have to positively identify the capacitors:
ground
C66
W60/W61
C67
+
12 V return
+12 V
Figure 53 Motor-Generator interconnect panel
(the original capacitor packages were not left in place during a previous overhaul)
Task 13 reinstall the motor carbon brushes

The motor spins counter clockwise looking down at the motor. This direction is also marked with an arrow
on the outside of the motor housing, next to the marking of the carbon brush of the motor. See Figure 54.
Conversely, looking up towards the motor end, the rotor turns clockwise. See Figure 55.
Clip both of the motor carbon brushes back onto their respective bearing pin.
o The face of the carbon must be pointing towards the center of the housing.
o The tension spring must be facing away from the nearest yellow capacitor, i.e., against the
turn direction of the rotor.
Make sure to install the motor carbon brushes in the right direction!
o
Re-attach the tension spring from each clip to the associated attachment pin (protruding from the
small brass angle-brackets). This must be done now, as it is basically impossible to do so later.
Guide the lead wire of each carbon brush to its associated terminator block, slide the spade
connector under the screw, and tighten the screw.

47

turn direction
spade connector on its
terminator block
carbon brush clip on

its bearing pin
Figure 54 Motor turning direction and carbon brush clip installation
rotor
turn
direction
Figure 55 Carbon brush clips of the motor put back onto their pins
(the carbons clearly interfere with access to the bearing socket)

48

As shown in Figure 55 above, the tension springs pull the carbon brush clips across the mounting socket of
the motor's ball bearing. Clearly, this will interfere with reinstallation of the rotor and seating the ball bearing
of the motor into its socket.
The motor's carbon brushes must be pulled out of the rotor's way during the reinstallation of the rotor and
when putting the top section of the housing back in its place. I found a simple-but-effective way to do this,
by making retainer clips out of paperclips. See Figure 56 and 57.
Bend and cut four (medium sized) paperclips into retainer clips, with shape and dimensions per
Figure 57.
Figure 56 Paperclip retainers for the motor carbon brush clips
Figure 57 Dimensions of the paperclip retainers

49

Pull one of the carbon brush clips against its tension spring, until it is up against the yellow
capacitor. See Figure 58.
Insert the long retainer clip through the nearest oblong hole in the motor housing, and clip it onto
the carbon brush clip.
o Note that this retainer clip has a tiny ( 1+ mm) "hook" that catches underneath the carbon
brush clip. This is actually Rev. 2 of my clip design, and it prevents the paperclip from
prematurely jumping off the carbon brush clip. It appears to work rather well.
While holding that retainer clip against the outside of the housing, install a small S-shaped retainer
clip on the outside of the next (when looking in the direction of the rotor rotation) oblong hole.
Tie the two retainer clips together on the outside of the housing, with a twisty-tie. See Figure 59.
o This is easier than trying to tie the clips with a small rubber band, while trying to hold the
retainer clips in place.
Repeat for the other carbon brush clip.
Figure 58 Carbon brush clips retained with paperclips

50

Figure 59 Attachment of the retainer clips on the outside of the housing
Task 14 perform installation of a single bearing shield washer

If you have re-installed the bearing shield washers between the bearings and the commutators, then skip to
step 15. If you have not done so, then you should at least install a shield washer below the generator
bearing. The bearings are mounted into the housing with only a slip fit a fit that is much less tight than the
press fit of the bearings onto the rotor shaft. So it is not impossible for the rotor to move axially - though
this should not happen inadvertently Without at least the shield washer at the bottom of the base of the
housing, there is nothing to limit such movement in the most probable direction: downward. Now is the time
to do this installation, as Option 1 below can not be done once the rotor is back in the housing!
Option 1: use the shield washer that originally was installed between the generator's commutator and
bearing; it has three screw holes that are threaded for M3. It can be installed from below the bottom of the
base, with screws from inside the base. The original screws can be used.
Screw in the three mounting screws + lock washers from the top (i.e., from inside the base of the
housing), but do not fully tighten them
Once all three screws are installed, fully tighten them.
Option 2: there are three holes around the housing socket of the generator's ball bearing. They are not
threaded, as the M3 mounting screws of the shield washer just pass through them. We can tap an M4
thread into at least two of these holes, and re-install the original cover shield. Note that a standard M4.0 x
0.7 thread requires an unthreaded hole with 3.3 mm diameter (you can not tap an M4 thread into an 4 mm
hole). The three holes in the base of the housing have a diameter of 3.2 mm; this is close enough. This is a
minimally invasive procedure that doesn't prevent reinstallation of the original shield washers at a future
date.
Use a tap to cut an M4.0 x 0.7 thread into each of the holes in the base
o Cast iron does not require the use of a cutting fluid (lubricant), but a drop of oil won't hurt
o Hand taps don't automatically remove the chips they create. A hand tap cannot cut its threads
in a single rotation because it creates long chips that quickly jam the tap (a.k.a. "crowding"),
possibly breaking it. Normal wrench usage is to cut the threads 1/2 to 2/3 of a turn, then
reverse the tap for about 60 degrees until the chips are broken by the back edges of the
cutters. It may be necessary to periodically remove the tap from the hole to clear the chips.
De-burr the holes and clean them out with a pipe cleaner brush.
Clean all metal chips and filings out of the base of the housing with a vacuum cleaner.
Increase the size of the three holes through the original bottom shield washer from 3.5 to 4 mm.
51

o If you do not want to modify the original washer, make a new one with similar dimensions (34
mm outer diameter, 12 mm inner diameter, 1 mm thick), or make a bracket for two of the
three holes.
If you do this, make sure that no part of the new washer or bracket touches the inner
ring of the bearing!
Install the shield washer with three M4 x 10 screws and M4 lock washers.
o Make sure that the thickness of the washer, plus the thickness of the lock washer and the
height of the screw head does not exceed 4.5 mm.
o
Now continue with step 15, but ignore the task steps regarding the bearing shield washers.
Figure 60 My tap & die set and a bar-wrench with tap
Task 15 reinstall the rotor and generator bearing shield washers

Note that it is physically possible to install the rotor upside down, i.e., with the motor bearing into
the housing socket of the generator bearing, and vice versa. That would not be good! Fortunately, the motor
and generator ends of the rotor are easy to identify, based on the commutators and the shape of the shaft
tip (Figure 61):
The tip of the rotor shaft at the motor end is right-angle.
The tip of the rotor shaft at the generator end is tapered.
The commutator of the generator has more (36 vs. 24) and narrower bars than the motor.
Clean the housing sockets of the generator and motor bearings with a clean lint-free cloth (dirt,
hardened lubricants, corrosion).
The seating of the bearings into their socket is based on a friction fit, so do not grease the
sockets!

52

motor (top)
generator
(bottom)
Figure 61 Identification of the motor and generator end of the rotor

Once we reinsert the rotor into the base of the housing, the shield washer between the generator's
commutator and bearing will no longer be accessible. Likewise, motor's shield washer is no longer accessible
when the top of the housing is put back on. Each of these two washers has a matching washer that will
have to be reinstalled onto the outside of the corresponding bearing socket. This requires reinstalling M3
mounting screws from the outside, through the outer washer, through the holes around the bearing socket,
into the threaded holes of the washer between the commutator and bearing. In turn, this requires that these
holes be aligned. We need to make a small "helper tool" that allows us to align the holes of the washer
between the commutator and bearing, with the holes around the bearing socket.
Unfold a medium sized paperclip and straighten the wire (should be about 9-10 cm (4") in length).
Fold the wire in half, to create a hairpin, see Figure 62.
Bend both ends of the wire so as to make a small right-angle hook of about 2 mm; with some
wiggling, you should be able to pass the entire hairpin through the screw holes in the washer
between the commutator and bearing. After all, we need to be able to remove the hairpin at some
point .
attach string
here
2 mm
4-5 cm (2)
Figure 62 Paperclip folded into hairpin

Attach a string the folded end of the hairpin.
o I use a piece of dental floss. It is strong and versatile: I have re-sewn my boat shoes with it!
Attach a (long) upholstery needle to the other end of the string. If you don't have such a needle,
you can unfold and straighten another paperclip and fold over a small part at one end; again, it has
to be able to pass through the holes.
53

Starting at the commutator side, feed the string completely through one of the screw holes in the
washer between the generator's commutator and bearing.
Pull the hairpin also through the hole, such that the little hooks of the hairpin grab hold of the
washer.
Hold the rotor above the base of the housing, and use the upholstery needle to feed the string
through one of the (unthreaded) screw holes in the base of the housing.
While keeping tension on the string from below the housing, slowly lower the rotor into the base of
the housing,
o Proceed carefully once the hairpin touches the bearing socket, and pull the hairpin through
the hole near the bearing socket, without unhooking the hairpin from the shield washer!
o The hairpin may stick out below the bottom of the base of the housing. So you either have to
raise the base of the housing sufficiently off your work area (desktop or other), or ask someone
to hold the base for you while you are doing all this.
Fully lower the rotor into the base of the housing, and push down on the tip of the rotor shaft to
start the generator bearing into its socket.
o Avoid pushing on the motors bearing.
o Remember, this is only a slip fit. It should not take much force at all! If it doesnt slide in,
then lift up the housing (while keeping it upright), check the bottom of the base and make
sure that the bearing is properly centered with respect to its socket. Do not try to force it!
Continue to push down on the tip of the rotor shaft until the races (rings) of the generators bearing
are flush with the outside of the bearing socket.
o If you have installed a washer or bracket as part of Task 14, then push the bearing into the
socket until you fell that the bearing is up against the shield washer.
o If you have not done so, then check flushness at the bottom of the base of the housing.
Adjust as necessary, by pushing on the tip of the shaft, or (if the bearing is sticking out the
bottom) pushing from below on the outer ring of the bearing.
Figure 63 The rotor - put back into the base of the housing
54

Thread the string through one of the holes of the external shield washer, and slide this washer all
the way up to the hairpin that sticks out below the bottom of the base of the housing.
Maintain tension on the hairpin with the string, to keep the washer inside the base of the housing
against the bearing socket, and carefully push the external shield washer onto the hairpin.
Carefully insert one of the original M3 x 11 mm screws into one of the other two available screw
holes in the outer shield washer, screw it into the shield washer inside the base, and lightly tighten
it.
o As the holes will not be perfectly aligned/centered, this may take a couple of tries or fiddling
with the screw. You may help things, by inserting another unfolded paperclip into the third
hole.
o The inside shield washer must remain pulled up against the bearing socket during this
manipulation.
o It may be easier to use a longer M3 screw first (e.g., M3 x 20 mm) and then the original
screws. Do not forget to replace the long screw with an original screw!
Insert the remaining two screws and tighten all screws.
Remove the hairpin.
If this is not your lucky day, the hairpin may become prematurely detached from the inner shield washer. At
this point you have two options: start over, or do it the old fashioned way:
Lay the Motor-Generator on its side, such that one of the holes for mounting the external shield
washer is at the top (12 o'clock position).
o The Motor-Generator will be resting on its back side, i.e., on the components shown in Figure
53 above.
Unfold a small ( = thin wire) paperclip and bend the end into a small hook.
Insert it through one of the holes in the external shield washer, then through one of the holes
around the bearing socket, and then "fish" for one of the holes in the shield washer between the
motor's bearing and commutator.
o Use the highest of the holes around the socket, such that both the internal and external shield
washer will be hanging from it. Gravity should then help align the other two holes.
o If you're (very) lucky, you will find the mating screw hole right away. If not, you will have to
fiddle with the paperclip wire to try and rotate the inner shield washer. Be patient, and don't
drink too much coffee before you do this .
o You may want to use a small flashlight to try and shine through one of the other holes, and
try to spot the mating hole.
o You may need a second unfolded paperclip (without a hook) to help move/rotate the internal
washer.
o This operation may take a while. Don't get frustrated!
Once the threaded screw holes of the inner shield washer has been "caught", then pass a long M3
screw (M3 x 20 mm or longer) through one of the other two holes, get it started into the internal
shield washer, and pull that washer up against the generator's bearing.
Install an original mounting screw in the remaining two holes, but do not fully tighten them.
Remove the paperclip, and install another original mounting screw into that hole, and tighten all
three screws.
Task 16 reinstall the top of the housing and motor bearing shield washers
There is very little room between the rotor and the "core" of the motor/generator windings, for the rotor to
wiggle radially (see Figure 63 above). So the motor's bearing is automatically pre-aligned for its socket in the
top of the housing. Also, we have already pulled the carbon brushes of the motor out of the way as much as
possible.
The shield washer on top of the motor's ball bearing has a matching shield between the motor's commutator
and bearing. When the three mounting screws were removed (Task 6), the internal shield washer dropped
55

about 1 cm (), and then rests on the motor's commutator probably at an angle. The original screws are
too short to be screwed back into the bottom shield and pull it back up.
Reinstall the bushing and wave washer (ref. Figure 21) onto the motor shaft.
We will now do the same "hairpin trick" with the motor's bearing shield washers as we did for the
generator's washers (see Task 15).
Starting at the commutator side, feed the string completely through one of the screw holes in the
washer between the generator's commutator and bearing.
Pull the hairpin also through the hole, such that the little hooks of the hairpin grab hold of the
washer.
Feed the string through one of the (unthreaded) screw holes next to the bearing socket in the top
part of the housing.
Grab the top section of the housing with both hands, lift it up slightly without pulling too much on
the wiring, and position it level and centered with respect to the lower part of the housing.
Rotate the top section of the housing, such that the two mounting rods that protrude from the lower
part of the housing, are aligned with the holes in the top section through which they must pass.
While keeping tension on the string from below the housing, slowly lower the top section of the
housing onto the mid-section, slightly moving the top section as necessary, such that the rods pass
through the flange of the top section, and the motor bearing is seated into its socket.
o Proceed carefully once the hairpin touches the bearing socket, and pull the hairpin through
the hole near the bearing socket, without unhooking the hairpin from the shield washer!
Verify that the bearing is flush with the housing flange.
Once the top section of the housing is properly seated, pull on the wire (hairpin) to pull the motor's
inside bearing shield up against the bearing socket.
The screw holes in the lower and upper shield washer should be pretty much aligned.
Install the bushing and the wave washer onto the shaft.
Thread the wire (hairpin) through one of the screw holes of the upper shield washer and install the
latter on top of the wave washer, such that its screw holes are aligned with the screw holes around
the bearing socket.
Lightly pull on the hairpin, so as to pull the washer inside the base of the housing against the
bearing socket.
Carefully insert one of the original M3 x 12 mm screws into one of the other two available screw
holes in the upper shield washer, screw it into the lower shield washer, and lightly tighten it.
o As the holes will not be perfectly aligned/centered, this may take a couple of tries or fiddling
with the screw.
o The lower shield washer must remain pulled up against the bearing socket during this
manipulation.
o It may be easier to use a longer M3 screw first (e.g., M3 x 20 mm) and then the original
screws.
Insert the remaining two screws and tighten all screws.
o Do not forget to replace the long screw with an original screw!
Verify that you can turn the rotor freely by hand (at least one full revolution), and without any
interference or "hard points", mechanical noises, etc.
o Give it a good spin by hand. It should continue to turn for a couple of revolutions. There should
be no noise whatsoever, as the carbon brushes have not yet been re-installed and the shielded
bearings also make no noise.
Re-install the clip onto the three wires that protrude from the rotor section of the housing into the
speed regulator section (ref. top of Figure 22), and will be reconnected to the contact plate as part
of Task 19.
o Insert the screw from the outside of the housing.
Task 17 reinstall the housing bracket and hexagonal studs

56

This is the inverse of what was done during Task 8.
As part of Task 8, pencil marks were made across the seam between the top and mid-section of the
housing. Now turn/twist the top section of the housing, such that the pencil marks are aligned.
o this is important, in order to be able to correctly re-install the contact plate (Task 19)
Each section of the housing has a threaded hole for mounting the housing bracket (ref. Figure 30 and 31
above). This bracket merely prevents the housing sections from separating; it does not keep them accurately
aligned.
Reinstall the housing bracket with the three screws and lock-washers.
When we removed the hexagonal studs (Task 8), we marked them so that we can put them back in their
original location just in case in case they are no longer straight.
The threaded mounting rods stick up about 6-7 mm (") into the speed regulator section of the
housing. Get the hexagonal studs started onto the rods by hand, and tighten them with an
appropriately sized (6 mm) open wrench or a small adjustable wrench.
Check through the oblong holes in the side of the housing (the ones that provide access to the
motors carbon brush clips) that the carbon brushes are indeed fairly centered on the motors
commutator (i.e., not riding on, or close to, the edge of the commutator).
Verify that you can turn the rotor freely by hand (at least one full revolution), and without any
interference or "hard points", mechanical noises, etc.
Remove paperclip retainer clips that were temporarily installed on the motor carbon brush clips as
part of Task 13.
Verify again that you can turn the rotor freely by hand (at least one full revolution), and without any
interference or "hard points".
o Give it a good spin by hand. Now you will hear noise from the carbon brushes riding on the
motor's commutator. It should continue to turn for about one turn.
Task 18 reinstall the centrifugal speed regulator

Put the Motor-Generator upright on its base
Turn the rotor shaft such that the hole that runs through the tip of the shaft is visible through the
access hole in the housing that is used during motor speed calibration (see Figure 64).
Figure 64 Hole in shaft - for mounting screw of speed regulator disk

Before pushing the speed regulator disk onto the shaft, pre-align the hole of its mounting screw with
the hole through the shaft
Get the bore of the speed disk started on the shaft, and push down until the hole through the shaft
is aligned with the center of the screw hole in the collar of the disk.
57

o The collar of the regulator disk will be seated against the bushing that was re-installed as part
of Task 16.
If you somehow missed the hole in the shaft due to angular misalignment, then:
o Grab the shaft at the bottom of the base of the Motor-generator with a vise grip (not ordinary
pliers!).
o Note that both ends of the rotor shaft have a (threaded) hole through them (see Figure 61
above). In my machine, they are almost aligned. This helps when turning the bottom end of
the shaft to align the hole in the top end with the hole through the collar of the speed disk.
o Hold the speed disk between thumb and index finger, and turn the shaft until the holes are
aligned.
The collar of the speed regulator disk has a hole for the mounting screw. This hole is not threaded, and its
diameter is such that the mounting screw can not be pre-installed.
Lay the Motor-generator on its side, such that the access hole (ref. Figure 64) is facing upward
Install a spot light (I use a small one that can be clamped onto a photo tripod), and point it at the
access hole, such that the tip of the shaft is illuminated
Put the lock-washer on the mounting screw, and use a pair of tweezers (mine are 8 cm (3) long)
to grab the lock-washer
o The tweezers must be narrow enough to be spread a bit to release the screw while still
inserted into the access hole!
Lower the screw through the access hole and into the (countersunk) hole in the collar of the speed
disk.
o You dont have to lower the screw all the way the hole through the collar of the speed disk
is large enough; actually, lowering the screw all the way will make it more difficult to release
the screw from the tweezers.
o Release the screw to let it drop into the hole through the collar.
o If you miss the hole, the screw will drop past the collar and can easily be retrieved (you may
have to shake the Motor-Generator a bit).
Tighten the mounting screw.
Verify that the speed regulator disk can be freely turned by hand (more than one revolution),
without mechanical noises (other than the carbon brushes), "hard points", etc.
Task 19 reinstall the contact plate

Before really installing the contact plate, we are going to dry-fit it onto the round guide-pin studs. The
contact plate must be able to freely move vertically, merely guided by the guide pins. This is important for
manual speed adjustment!
Seat the contact plate onto the guide pins.
o The guide pins should stick up through the contact plate; the contact plate should not just be
sitting on top of the guide pins.
Verify that the contact plate can be easily slid up & down the guide pins.
o There must be some wiggle room left for the plate to move freely.
o If this is not the case, one of the guide pin studs may no longer be straight, or the top section
of the housing may not be sufficiently aligned with the center and base section (Task 16
above). You may have to adjust one or both guide pins with a vise grip.
Line item 120 b) of the 1941 Manual says:
When installing a new or refurbished contact plate, the Turbax piece must be lightly oiled.
Both the Turbax piece and the bearing ball on top of the speed regulator disk are still separately accessible
at this point, so we do not have to follow the more complicate lubrication task described in Line Item 101 of
the 1941 Manual:
58

A small strip of paper is to be dipped in teleprinter selector-bar oil, the oil is to be squeezed off with 2
fingers, and the paper strip is to be inserted between the ball of the regulator lever and the (Turbax)
insulator block of the lower contact spring. The paper strip is pulled through, while both parts (i.e., the
ball and the insulator piece) are lightly pushed together.
Every 100 operating hours, but at least every 4 weeks, the equipment must be oiled after cleaning.
Only Whlschienenl (teleprinter selector-bar oil) shall be used.
For oiling, it is convenient to use a wire with about 1 mm (18 AWG) that is dipped about 5 mm ()
into oil. The drop that hangs from the tip of the wire is enough for one oiling point.
I use sewing machine oil as a substitute for teleprinter selector-bar oil. It is a highly refined, light weight
mineral oil, without additives, and intended for high speed precision machinery. Just what we need! As it is
inexpensive, get a decent brand at your local sewing machine store or fabric store. A small bottle will last
you a long time!
Do not use WD-40 for lubrication! As nice a product as it may be, it is primarily designed as a
penetrating cleaner/degreaser, to loosen stuck parts, prevent corrosion and displace water (WD-40 stands
for Water Displacement 40th formula). Per the manufacturer, it is explicitly not intended for use on parts
that move continuously! Use it on squeaky door hinges, but not to lubricate Hellschreiber parts!
Some people use Custanol-F teleprinter receiver oil (F stands for Fernschreiberempfngerl, though it
was also used in computer disk drives); it is a stable, non-gumming blend of paraffin oil and neatsfoot oil.
But alas, its manufacturer Firma W. Cuypers in Radebeul (near Dresden/Germany) has ceased production in
the late 1990s, after having been absorbed as Werk 2 (plant nr. 2) by the pharmaceuticals conglomerate
VEB Arzneimittelwerk Dresden. Custanol-F currently still turns up on major internet shopping and auction
sites.
Put a small drop of oil on the bearing ball on top of the speed regulator disk.
Clean off any access oil.
This will also lubricate the Turbax part, which will now be seated on top of the ball.
If the Turbax part is dirty (e.g., with a cruddy mix of oil and dust), carefully clean it.
A tiny drop of oil may be put on top of this part, at the spot where it is touched by pin that
protrudes downward from the spring contacts above it.
o Before applying a drop of oil straight from the oil bottle, check how big the drops are. If they
are too big, use the wire-drop method described above (from the 1941 Manual).
Clean off any access oil.
The contact plate must be inserted and fixed in place with the two screws; the wires soldered back on,
the two clips screwed back on
Install the cylindrical springs back onto the guide pins of the two hexagonal studs.
Align the mounting screw holes of the contact plate with the holes on the top of the guide pins of
the hexagonal studs.
o The round notch in the perimeter of the washer of the contact plate (ref. Figure 64 below)
must be aligned such that the three wires that emerge from the rotor section of the housing
can pass by it (ref. Figure 10).
Do not push down on the contact spring blades, but only on the washer part of the contact plate,
see Figure 65!

59

push here to
verify vertical
movement
push here during

installation of
the contact plate
push here during
installation of
the contact plate
do not
push here!
push here to
verify vertical
movement
align with
wires
Figure 65 Alignment and push points of the contact plate

Push down on the contact plate (areas marked in green in Figure 65), such that one guide pins
slightly sticks up through the plate, put a screw (M3 x 6 mm) in it, and lightly tighten it
Put in second screw, and lightly tighten it
Verify that the contact plate can easily be pushed down by simultaneously pushing down on the
areas marked in blue in Figure 65.
Fully tighten the two screws.
Solder the three wires back onto their terminals (ref. Task 5, Figure 10)
o You may need to manipulate the wires a bit.
Reinstall the clips (item 6 and 7 in Figure 10) back onto the wiring.
o One clip is slightly larger than the other. The prior holds down two wires, the latter only one.
Task 20 reinstall the speed adjustment dial

We are only going to reinstall the speed adjustment dial at this point! We will not yet reinstall the black
plastic cap on top of the dial ring. The reason for this is that we will need a way to verify that the MotorGenerator is mounted correctly back onto the Bottom Unit (Task 25 below). We don't want to do this by
applying power to the motor, just in case of incorrect mating of the pin coupling between the MotorGenerator tappet, and the corresponding follower on the input shaft of the gear-box of the Bottom Unit. So
we need to have a way to turn the rotor manually. As long as the cap is not installed, we can still do this.
Reinstall the spacer ring (see Figure 9) around the contact plate. Ensure that it is well seated all the
way around.
Put the speed adjustment dial on top of the Motor-Generator and turn it clockwise (looking down at
the cap), all the way down to the stop.
o If necessary, back off from the stop, such that the small tab between the "0" and "10" on the
speed dial is just to the right of where the dial index marker must be installed
Reinstall the speed dial index marker with the two screws (M3 x 5 mm, oval head).
Turn the speed dial to "5".

60

the regulator cap with the scale-tape must be screwed on and turned until the end-stop, then turned
back until the 5 on the scale is aligned with the two screw holes for the index-pointer. Then the indexpointer is screwed back on, and equipment put back into the case in accordance with line item 115.
Task 21 reinstall the carbon brushes of the generator

This task is the reverse of Task 2. For each of the two carbon brushes:
turn the carbon brush such that the concave sliding face of the carbon follows the curvature
of the generator commutator. See Figure 66.
gently push the carbon brush into the brush holder. The lead-wire spring will still be partly sticking
out of the brush holder.
put the black plastic cap of holder onto the end of the lead-spring of the carbon brush, and with the
cap, carefully push the lead-wire spring all the way into the brush holder and screw the cap into the
holder.
Figure 66 Alignment of carbon brush and commutator

Figure 67 shows the view through both brush holders of the generator, when the rotor is removed. Clearly, a
part of the brush holders has a rectangular shape, to facilitate correct installation of the carbons.
Figure 67 Shape of the generator's carbon brush holders

61

Task 22 reinstall the tappet on the motor output shaft

This task is also the reverse of what was done as part of Task 3:
Slide the tappet back onto the motor shaft, such that its screw hole is aligned with the matching
hole through the motor output shaft.
Put the hexagonal-head screw back into the tappet, and tighten this screw with an appropriately
sized (6 mm) open wrench or a small adjustable wrench.
Verify that the tappet can be freely turned by hand (more than one revolution), without mechanical
noises, "hard points", etc.
We are now done with reassembly of the Motor-Generator!
Task 23 power up and test run of the Motor-Generator

Time for a test drive! First, hook up the Motor-Generator:
Make sure that the main switch of the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit is in the "Aus" ("off") position.
Connect the 12 V power supply to the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit.
Connect the cable (with the 6-pin connectors) from the Motor-Generator to the Amplifier &
Interconnect Unit.
o Note that is not necessary to also connect the cable from the Keyboard/Drum Unit to the
Amplifier & Interconnect Unit (but it is OK to do so).
Lay the motor on its side on your work bench
Select the main switch of the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit to the "Bereit" ("Standby") position.
o The red signal lamp on the front panel of the A&I Unit will illuminate. If this is not the case,
make sure that the retainer clips have been removed from both carbon brushes of the motor,
that those carbon brushes are positioned against the commutator (peek through the oblong
holes in the housing), and that the lead-wires of the brushes are connected to their terminal
block. As can be confirmed by tracing the circuit diagram of the Hellschreiber (ref. 3), the
signal lamp's circuit passes through the motor's carbon brushes and commutator!
Wait 1 minute (for the tubes to warm up).
If you have cleaned the motor's commutator, you may have removed whatever patina was on them.
A new patina will have to be formed. This will happen all by itself, when the motor is first powered
up. This is literally a burn-in process of the combined commutator / carbon brushes. Some smoke
will probably appear, and an "electrical" smell will emanate from the holes in the housing, nearest
the motor's carbon brushes! This is normal, and should stop after a couple of seconds. If not, you
probably have a serious electrical problem and have to shut off the power immediately!

62

Now turn on the motor:

Select the main switch to the "Ein" ("On") position. The motor will spool up.
Wait for the speed to stabilize.
Check that there are only normal electro-motor noises and that the motor turns at a normal
speed (no overspeed!). If not, immediately select the main switch to the "Aus" ("off") position and
troubleshoot.
o In case of overspeed, re-check the generator carbon brushes and their installation (orientation
with respect to the commutator's curvature, full/complete insertion).
If the motor is running smoothly, without abnormal noises, the generator is also operating correctly:
the speed regulator uses a tube (valve) stage in the A&I Unit; so all carbon brushes appear to have
been installed correctly. Great!
Push the blue button on the volt meter on the front of the Amplifier and Interconnect Unit and verify
that the indicated voltage is in the blue range of the voltage scale.
When I turned on the Motor-Generator, it made less mechanical noise than before the entire operation, but
something was not quite right! The motor speed did not sound right There was no runaway of the motor
speed, so at least the generator was producing something close to 165 volt (as confirmed with the volt meter
on the front of the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit). And the motor speed did vary when turning the speed dial.
There were no sparks visible at the four carbon brushes, but there were small sparks at the K2 (overspeed)
contact of the contact plate (see Figure 68). This is another reason for not installing the black cap back onto
the speed regulator dial, until correct operation has been verified! These sparks were present for most
settings of the speed dial. After 15 minutes or so of frustration and disbelief, my first thought was that the
vertical position of the rotor might be (slightly) off, but I could not figure out how that would explain things.
Then I decide to solve this analytically:
Overspeed in absence of speed runaway means that there is no normal speed regulation via the K1
contact and the speed regulator tube.
Overspeed regulation via the K2 contact means that the generator produces sufficient voltage to
prevent speed runaway. The observed sparks are normal in this case: unlike the K1 contact, there is
no spark-suppressing LC-filtering at the K1 contact.
Conclusion: the normal speed regulation control loop is broken: either the speed regulator tube has
failed (not likely), or the signal from the K1 contact does not reach the speed regulator tube.
K1
small
K2
sparks
Figure 68 Location of the sparks at the K2 contact

I decided to verify circuit connectivity between contact K1 and the cable to the Amplifier & Interconnect
Unit. That is, between K1 and point 10 in the schematic, see Figure 69 below. There should be DC-continuity
via the inductors D73 and D72. Sure enough, the ohm-meter indicated that there was an open circuit
between D72 and point 10. While manipulating the contact plate and refurbishing C68, I had somehow
disconnected or broken off the (very thin!) lead-wire from D72 where it should have been connected to the
solder-lug that it shares with C68. Easy enough to fix. No more sparks at the K2 contact!
63

10
loose
wire
D72
C68
D73
C69
K1
Figure 69 Circuit continuity measurement points
Task 24 calibrate the speed set point of the speed regulator

There is no reason why the speed regulator setting would have changed during the disassembly and
reassembly process. However, its exact position on the motor shaft may have moved. This has the same
effect as a change in the regulator setting. Anyway, the speed of the motor should be at its nominal value
(3600 rpm) when the speed dial is set to "5" (mid-scale). Most likely, it is not. This is a good time to check
the speed, and adjust the setting of the centrifugal regulator (i.e., not the speed dial) if necessary. This
process consists of two steps that are repeated until the desired speed is achieved:
1. measure the speed
2. adjusting the setting
There are several ways to determine the actual speed. Line item 106 of the 1941 Manual provides a simple
way to determine the relative speed (slow/fast).
For correct speed of the Motor-Generator (3600 rpm), 50 pause characters are sent in 80 2 seconds.
Obviously this is a straightforward method; it can only be done if the Motor-Generator is mounted on the
Bottom Unit of the Hellschreiber (Task 25). I wanted to use a tachometer to determine the absolute speed
of the motor-generator. This can be done when the Motor-Generator is separated from the Bottom Unit,
which is the case at this point of the overhaul.
If you have access to a "real" tachometer: great! I don't, so I have built a very simple optical sensor (4
cheap components). See Figure 70. The sensor consists of an infrared LED and a phototransistor. No specific
types. You can also use an IR diode + transistor in a single package, e.g., an SY-CR102. I shielded them
with shrink tube (black on the 5 mm LED, blue on the 3 mm phototransistor in the photo below). As you can
see in the photo, I bent the leads such that the diode and transistor are not parallel, but are trained at a
point just in front of them (about 2-3 cm, 1").
64

I used a small dab of household glue to attach a simple paper strobe-disk to the tappet at the output shaft of
the motor-generator. You could make a crude strobe card with a black felt marker, but such markers are
really not black at all, the ink does not have the right reflectivity, and it is hard to get same-size strobe
segments. Best is to simply print one on regular paper with a laser printer. Just print the strobe disk sheet of
Appendix 7, and cut out one of the disks patterns.
Figure 70 Optical tachometer (prototype and "wand" version) and schematic

With this set-up, I obtain a swing of the sensor output signal of 5 Vpp for black/white transitions of my 4segment strobe disk. I use an oscilloscope to measure the frequency of the sensor output signal. My scope
was set to AC-coupling, the time base to 500 s / division, and the scale factor to 1 volt / division. If your
digital multi-meter is capable of frequency measurement, you may give that a try.
Figure 71 Oscilloscope indicating 3600 rpm (240 Hz, 4-segment strobe disk)
65

If you have a fancy scope, you can set it up to automatically measure the signal frequency. If not, use
adjustable cursors (or just your eyes) to determine the period of the sensor signal, and from that, the
frequency. Then simply take the measured frequency value, divide it by the number of black segments on
your strobe disk, and multiply by 60 (seconds per minute). You now have the rpm! Example: 240 Hz and a 4segment strobe disk yields (240 4) x 60 = 3600 rpm.
Note that the speed dial on top of the Motor-Generator provides an adjustment range of about +/- 5% of the
nominal speed (3600), i.e., +/- 180 rpm. If the speed is off by more than 1% when the speed dial is at "5", I
definitely recommend that adjustment be done. It is a simple trial-and-error procedure that only takes a
couple of minutes, so there is no excuse for not doing the calibration.
Figure 72 Feld-Hell on the operating table, strobe disk attached to motor output shaft
Line item 106 of the 1941 Manual outlines how to do the actual speed adjustment:
The regulator must be re-adjusted by turning the set screw with the aid of a screwdriver that has a wide
blade. To do this, the motor must be switched off.
The set screw (ref. Figure 73 below) is accessible via any one of the four round holes below the manual
speed adjustment ring (ref. Figure 74 below).
66

Turning the set screw clockwise increases the speed of the motor. Turning the set screw
counterclockwise reduces the motor speed.
decrease
rpm
+
increase
rpm
Figure 73 Centrifugal regulator with set screw
access holes
(two more holes on
opposite side)
Figure 74 Access to the speed regulator adjustment set screw

Now we can determine the speed:
Make a speed measurement with the tachometer.
Calculate and note the speed.
Select the main switch to the "Aus" ("Off") position.
Wait until the Motor-Generator is no longer turning.
At this point we can adjust the speed setting, if necessary:

67

We must make absolutely sure that there is no way we (or "someone") can accidentally
turn on the motor while we have a screw driver inserted through one of the holes in the motor
housing! Disconnect the Motor-Generator cable from the Amplifier and Interconnect Unit, and/or
disconnect the power supply from the Amplifier and Interconnect Unit.
By hand, turn the tappet at the output shaft at the bottom of the Motor-Generator, until the large
round, slotted head of the adjustment screw of the centrifugal speed regulator (ref. Figure 73) is
aligned with one of the four access holes at the top of the motor housing (ref. Figure 74).
If the measured speed is higher than 3600 rpm, then turn the set screw counterclockwise by a small
amount, e.g., of a turn.
If the measured speed is lower than 3600 rpm, then turn the set screw clockwise by a small amount.
Most likely, the desired speed setting will not be achieved with a single adjustment:
Repeat the motor energization, speed measurement, and speed setting adjustment steps until the
desired speed is obtained (3600 +/- 36 rpm or better).
Installing the Motor-Generator back on the Bottom Unit will indeed put a mechanical load on the motor.
However, the motor speed regulation only depends on the setting of the calibration set screw and the speed
dial; it is independent of the load (within limits, of course).
Task 25 mount the Motor-Generator back on the Bottom Unit

Now that the Motor-Generator appears to be running fine, we can mount it back onto the Bottom Unit. This is
covered in line item 119 of the 1941 Manual:
When installing the new or refurbished motor-generator, the tappet of the pin coupling on the gear-box
side must be turned such that the red line on the tappet is aligned with the red line on the alignment ring
on top of the gear-box. The coupling must be aligned so as to be parallel to the red line on the tappet of
the gear-box. The tappet (Figure 75, item 2) of the Motor-Generator must be turned such that its red line
is aligned with the red line (Figure 75, item 3) on the guide ring. Then, the Motor-Generator is carefully
mounted onto the gear-box, such that pin of its tappet engages the hole in the follower of the tappet of
the gear-box.

68

turn direction
turn direction
3
2
3
3
2
1
1
1 = guide ring
2 = tappet
4 = coupling pin
5 = hole for the coupling pin of the motor tappet]
3 = red alignment line
Figure 75 Bottom view of the Motor-Generator (left) and top of the gear-box (right)
By hand, align the red line on the tappet of the motor output shaft, such that the guide pin (not the red line!)
on this tappet is aligned with the red line on the guide ring on the base of the Motor-Generator housing. Note
that this is actually the opposite of the Manual instructions.
Apply a drop of sewing machine oil:
o Underneath the head and the washer screw that attach the Turbax follower of the tappet on
top of the gear-box of the Bottom Unit.
o To the inside of the guide pin hole in that follower.
Remove any excess oil with a clean, lint-free cloth.
By hand, align the longitudinal red line on the tappet on top of the gear-box of the Bottom Unit, such
that it is aligned with the red line on the guide ring on top of the Bottom Unit.
o The red paint may have worn off over the years; the groove (notch) should still be visible.
o This is not the red line near the Turbax follower that has the hole in it.
o This tappet will not be oriented along the 6 o'clock 12 o'clock line.
By hand, align the follower such that the red line next to it (on the tappet) is visible.
o The hole in the follower should be at the 6 o'clock position (same position as the guide pin of
the motor tappet).
Line item 119 b) of the 1941 Manual also says:
Finally, the Motor-Generator is bolted down with the 4 mounting bolts, the protective cover on the back
of the motor-generator and the protective cover of the drum are put back and the mounting screws
tightened, and the Mechanical Unit is installed into the case in accordance with line item 115.
So, here we go:
Hold the Motor-Generator above the gear box part of the Bottom Unit, and align their center lines.
Lower the Motor-Generator onto the Bottom Unit.
69

o If the two tappets and the follower have not moved, the guide pin will line up perfectly with the
hole in the follower.
Wiggle the Motor-Generator a little to fully seat the guide ring of its the base, around the matching
guide ring of the Bottom Unit.
Insert the four mounting bolts (M5 x 18 mm) through the base flange of the Motor-Generator and
tighten them.
Put the protective cover back onto the character drum, and tighten the two red knurled-head screws.
That line item also states:
Turn the rotor of the Motor-Generator by hand to check that the contact drum follows in both directions.
This is why we haven't put the black plastic cap back onto the speed regulator yet!
Verify that the speed regulator disk can be turned freely by hand (several revolutions), without "hard
points", noise, etc.
o There is very little room for turning the speed regulator disk with your fingers. Do not try to
give the disk a good spin, as your fingers will be caught between the disk and the contact plate!
o As the Motor-Generator is now connected to the Bottom-Unit, the character drum will also be
turning. There is a cam wheel attached to the drum shaft. Once per revolution of the drum, this
cam pushes against a spring-loaded bar. This increases the force required to turn the motor.
This should not be interpreted as a "hard point". Turn the speed disk enough times to go
through a full revolution of the drum.
Task 26 reinstall the black plastic speed regulator cap and drum cover
At this point we no longer need to be able to turn the Motor-Generator rotor by hand, and we can put the
black plastic cap back onto the speed regulator.
Put the thin aluminum cover disk onto the dial ring.
o Make sure that the pertinax disk is on the bottom side.
Re-seat the plastic cap onto the speed dial ring and align the screw holes with those of the speed dial.
Insert and tighten the four machine screws (M3 x 6 mm, pan head)
Task 27 reinstall the cover box on the back of the motor-generator

This task is the reverse of what was done as part of Task 1 and is trivial.
Put the rectangular protective cover back onto the rear of motor-generator
Put back and tighten its mounting screw

70

Task 28 perform the final operational test

From the preceding tasks, the Motor-Generator should still be connected to the Amplifier and Interconnect
Unit.
Ensure that the Amplifier main switch of the Interconnect Unit is in the "Aus" ("off") position.
Connect the 12 V power supply to the Amplifier and Interconnect Unit.
Select the main switch to the "Bereit" ("Standby") the position.
Wait 1 minute.
Select the main switch to the "Ein" ("On") position. The motor will spool up.
Wait for the speed to stabilize.
As a final test we'll simply send some text:
Ensure that the ink roller is lowered onto the printer spindle.
Ensure that the pinch roller of the paper transportation is engaged.
Type some text.
Check that typed text appears on the paper tape.
CONCLUSION
You are now one of the very few people alive who have successfully overhauled the Motor-Generator of a Hell
Feldfernschreiber!
And you have earned a diploma for this achievement! See Appendix 8. You can download this diploma in
PowerPoint format from my website: www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/diploma.ppt and edit your name and
call sign. You will need to install the Churschsische Fraktur font for this, which you can download here:
www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/chursaechs.zip.
Comments and suggestions are very welcome. If you actually overhauled a Motor-Generator, please let me
know how it went. Just send me a mail:
Next adventures in this series are:
Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber gear-box and ancillary gearing.
Tuning of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Tone-Generator and Bandpass Filter.
There are (or will be) corresponding manuals by me. I hope that this manual was interesting and helpful.

71

Appendix 1
Assessment of carbon brush surface appearance

SMOOTH POLISHED
SURFACE
BURNT EDGES
OPEN TEXTURED
SURFACE
PITTED SURFACE
FINELY LINED SURFACE
LAMINATED SURFACE
FINELY SERRATED
SURFACE
DOUBLE-BEDDED SURFACE
This indicates good

performance. However, if the
polish is mirror-like (glazed),
high frequency chatter due
to low current may be the
cause. Check the side-faces
of the brush for signs of
vibration.
This, again, indicates that

brush performance is
satisfactory. Actual
appearance will depend on
the type of grade.
Another satisfactory
condition. Fine lines indicate
the presence of dust in the
atmosphere. This may be
overcome by the use of
filters or ducting the
machines air supply from
another area.
This is a further
development of (S3) above.
The causes are normally
atmospheric contamination
or lack of load current.
HEAVY SERRATED
SURFACE
Normally occurs on the trailing

edge of the brush. Caused by
poor commutation and heavy
sparking.
Indicates heavy under-brush

sparking as a result of current
overload or brush instability.
This is an unusual condition

caused by an armature winding
fault giving rise to poor
commutation.
This occurs as a result of brush

tilting on a reversing machine,
i.e. the brush beds itself in both
directions of rotation. In itself
this does not give any cause for
concern.
COPPER PARTICLES
As (4) above, but problem is

more severe or has been
allowed to continue for
longer.
GHOST MARKED
SURFACE
Copper pick-up from

commutator surface can result
from copper drag problems or
heavy peak loads. Can cause
further commutator wear.
CHIPPED EDGES
This may be associated with

difficult commutation and
can arise from incorrect
neutral position, inter-pole
problems or other causes of
poor commutation.
Normally occurs on the leading

(entering) edge of the brush.
breakage can result from poor
commutator profile, high micas
and severe brush instability.
Source: Ref. 7

72

Appendix 2
Assessment of commutator surface appearance

73

Appendix 3
Abnormal bearing sound characteristics and related factors
Source: page 56 in ref. 4.

74

Appendix 4
Ball bearings and their (dis)mounting
My Hellschreiber had its original bearings already replaced once or twice over the decades. I presume that
the original bearings were "open" (i.e., not shielded), as the original external grease shield washers were
still in place (though no longer needed).
A typical ball bearing comprises an inner and an outer race, and a number of balls. Races are concentric
steel rings; the inner race has a raceway groove on the outside; conversely, the outside cage has a
raceway on the inside. The balls run in the channel formed by these grooves. A cage (or retainer or
separator) may be added to distribute the balls evenly along the races, and to prevent them from
scuffing against each other. A cage reduces drag, but also reduces both the load capacity (since fewer
balls can be installed), and the tolerance against misalignment of the races.
Figure 76
A typical non-shielded ball bearing
The original bearings had been replaced (and will be again) with a single-row, deep-groove radial ball
bearing with non-contact-shields and spot-pack solid grease.
Deep-groove simply means that the groove in the races is deep with respect to the diameter of the balls.
This enables the ball bearing to simultaneously handle both radial and axial loads. As the Motor-Generator
of the Feld-Hell is installed vertically, its ball bearings are axially loaded. This type of ball bearing is widely
used, and is suitable for high-speed applications. Both sides of "my" ball bearings have a metal shield. It
keeps the grease in, and dirt out (but not dust or moisture).
The "Z" is the most common type of shield (depending on the manufacturer this may be "ZZ" or "2Z"). The
shield is non-removable, being permanently staked to the outer race of the bearing. There is a small gap
(typically less than 0.125 mm, 0.005") between the inside diameter of the shield and the bearing's inner
race. As it does not touch the inner race, it is "non-contact". There are bearing types that have a
removable shield. It is kept in place with a C-ring, D-ring or a spring wire. Once the ring or spring is
removed (with special pliers), the shield can be removed and the bearing cleaned and re-greased. Yes,
non-removable shields can be removed once! This is typically done by poking a small hole in the (thin)
shield with an awl or a drill, and prying it of bending the shield in the process. As the shield cannot not
be re-used, you now have an "open" bearing
Note that a shield is not a seal! The latter is a synthetic rubber washer with a steel core. The seal is fixed
to the outer race and touches the inner race: higher protection against contamination, but more friction.
When bearings sit idle for a long time, they must be protected from any and all moisture. This impossible
to do with open-type bearings, such as the originals in the Feld-Hell machine.
Shielded ball bearings are "spot-pack" greased at the factory: grease is injected only into the race.
Depending on the manufacturer. 30-50% of the space is filled with grease. Note that excessive packing
causes overheating and loss of lubrication. "Solid" means that the grease has special compounds and has
been processed so as not to be runny; hence it should not leak from the bearing during normal operation.

75

outer race
cage
inner race
bore
ball
shield
Figure 77
Open, shielded, and sealed ball bearing (left to right) and cross-section
Bearings are manufactured to very tight tolerances. Hence, they are susceptible to shock and
impact loads. Dropping a ball bearing on a hard surface causes irreversible brinelling (denting damage) of
the bearing races. It is recommended that work-surfaces be covered with a layer of shock-absorbing
material. Note that there is a "10 second rule" that is (almost) universally used in restaurant kitchens:
food that drops on the floor can be put back onto the plate or into the pan, if it has been on the floor for
less than 10 seconds. This rule does not apply when dealing with ball bearings. In other words:
if you drop a bearing on the floor or a hard surface,
you should seriously consider discarding the bearing!
But do not throw old/bad bearings away! Take them apart and keep the inner and outer rings; they may
come in very handy when mounting new bearings on a shaft, and you need a so-called "drift" (cylinder to
drive the inner or outer ring).
The most common cause of failure of small ball bearings is excessive force applied during
assembly! This causes brinelling (permanent raceway damage), resulting in noise, increased resistance
(required torque), reduced lifetime, etc.
Whenever a ball bearing is removed ("dismounted") from a shaft, it is standard practice to replace it with
new bearing assemblies. So, if you really insist on continuing to use the original open ball bearings, and
you are sure that they have not been operated while over-lubricated, under-lubricated or dry, and the
bearings are spinning freely without any grittiness, "notchieness", or abnormal noise, then do not remove
them from the rotor. You will have to clean and re-grease them while they remain on the rotor shaft
Bearings are installed with so-called interference fits ("friction fits"). Standard machine practice is a slip fit
("clearance fit") into the bearing housing, and a press fit ("shrink fit", "tight fit") onto the shaft. There are
76

ISO standards for this. For small bearings such as type 627, this is typically a j5 shaft fit and an H6 or J6
housing fit.
If a (new) bearing fits loosely on its shaft or into its housing socket, the shaft or socket probably is
excessively worn. This means that it can (and will!) spin on the shaft or in the socket. Excessive looseness
under load is bad. It allows a fidgeting, creeping, or slipping of the inner ring on the rotating shaft. This
causes the surface metal of the shaft and bearing to fret, scrub, or wear off. This permanent damage to
the shaft and socket will progressively increase, resulting in even further looseness.
In theory - you may try and repair damaged shaft and socket areas (after cleaning with a solvent) with
products such as Locktite Weld, Locktite Quick Metal 660, or two-part epoxy that you reinforce with
finely cut glass fibers from wall insulation (may get messy). There is also a Locktite product called
"Bearing Mount". Shafts may be spray-welded and re-turned to size (the best way), knurled and turned to
size, or (quick-and-dirty) make raised-edge dimples in the bearing seat part of the shaft with a center
punch. I am no expert on this whatsoever, and I will not make any recommendations in this area regarding
what to do, how to do it, or which product to use.
Version 1.0, 26 February 2009

77

Appendix 5
Capacitors
CAPACITOR TYPES
The Motor-Generator and Amplifier & Interconnect Unit of the Feld-Hell machine contain various standard
type capacitors: electrolytic, paper, and ceramic. I have not (yet) come across mica ("Glimmer" in German)
capacitors in the Feld Hellschreiber. Capacitors tend to be the most failure-prone components in old
electronic equipment, especially electrolytic and paper capacitors. With very few exceptions, decades old
electrolytic and paper capacitors need to be replaced. It is not unusual to find paper capacitors with a
capacitance value that is a factor of 3-10 off the original value, and an isolation resistance less than 100
k! Ceramic capacitors enjoy excellent long-term stability and reliability. Do not replace them unless you
are sure that they have gone bad.
Electrolytic capacitors consist of cathode aluminium foil, capacitor paper (electrolytic paper), electrolyte
(either wet/"aqueous" = liquid, or dry/"non-aqueous" = moist paste), and an aluminium oxide layer, which
acts as the dielectric, formed on the anode foil surface. This type of capacitor has many bad characteristics,
but they exhibit the lowest component volume for the capacitance and voltage rating. They are not suitable
for RF applications. If subjected to reverse polarity (installing them backward), they will explode (very
quickly if sufficient voltage and current sourcing is applied) - we used to do this routinely at the local PTT
repair center where I had a summer job while in school, underneath the desk of certain unpopular
technicians. Yes, the good old days This is dangerous and makes a big mess. Do not do this! Note that
electrolytic caps may also explode due to over-voltage of the correct polarity.
The electrolytic capacitors in the Hellschreiber are small capacitance (8, 10, and 12 F) and low voltage
(25/30 Vdc). They are packaged inside a small cardboard tube, the axial leads sticking out the ends. The
cardboard tube is either impregnated with wax or varnish, in an attempt to make it moisture-proof.
Paper capacitors ("Papierkondensator", "Folienkondensator") were very popular in equipment from the
1930s, and even through the 1950s. They typically consist of a long rolled up strip of two layers of
aluminium or tin foil, separated by one more layers of paper dielectric; sometimes a thin layer of metal was
deposited on a paper strip. The paper is impregnated with oil, wax, or clophen (a nasty PCB, to be treated
as a "haz mat" and disposed of accordingly; toxic dioxin fumes develop when heated).
The rolled-up capacitor is packaged into a small tube made of (brown) cardboard, pertinax, glass, or shiny
black plastic. The tube may be coated with wax or varnish. Capacitor parameters are either printed on the
tube, or on a paper wrapper. The tubes are usually 2-4 cm (1-1") long and 6-10 mm (-") in
diameter. The ends of the tube are sealed ("potted") with tar (pitch, bitumen) or a wax-like substance.
These capacitors may also be molded/cast into a cylindrical bar of tar, in which case they are referred to a
"bumblebees" and "black beauties", or "Teerie" ("Teer" in German = "tar"). In the 1930s, one or more
paper capacitors were also packaged into rectangular blocks, and referred to as "block capacitors"
("Blockkondensator"). By the way, the same terminology is also used for capacitors with a DC-blocking
function ("Abblockkondensator", "Sttzkondensator", "Siebkondensator").
Older cylindrical paper capacitors are marked with a narrow band around its circumference at one end. This
does not indicate polarity! It merely indicates the end of the capacitor that has some additional metal foil
that may act as a shield. This end is typically connected to ground or to the lowest voltage of the two endleads.
Paper is highly hygroscopic, absorbing moisture from the atmosphere through tiny cracks or pores in the
potting, the enclosures, and the coatings. Absorbed moisture degrades performance by increasing dielectric
losses and decreasing insulation resistance.
CHECKING CAPACITORS
Primary parameters of interest are:
Visual
Isolation resistance, or "leakage"
Capacitance value
78

Visual inspection
There is not much useful you can tell about a capacitor from its external appearance, unless it has
exploded or is otherwise physically broken. Over the decades, electrolytic capacitors tend to dry out. This is
not visible from the outside (unless the can has a hole in it). A paper capacitor may have its potting
sagged, oozed, or melted, but might still be OK (though this is a sign of overheating, possibly due to failing
insulation). Conversely, it may look OK, but the capacitor fails a capacitance value and/or isolation test.
Measuring capacitor leakage / isolation
Over time, a charged capacitor will discharge itself. Depending on the type and state of the capacitor, the
discharge current may range from extremely small to rather significant. This is referred to as "leakage".
This effect is modeled as a resistor representing the dielectric's finite isolation resistance, in parallel with an
ideal capacitor. Factory-new paper and plastic foil capacitors have isolation resistance in the range of 500
M 12000 M; 300 M is typically considered the minimum for a coupling capacitor between tube
(valve) stages (grid coupling). Sometimes the RC time-constant of the voltage across a charged-butdisconnected capacitor is used to express the leakage. Note that this electrical leakage is not to be
confused with physical leakage, when a capacitor's electrolyte oozes out of the capacitor's package.
With an ohm-meter, you can only check capacitors for shorts. An ohm-meter can not give any assessment
of a capacitor that leaks, but that is not shorted.
Electrical leakage/isolation can only be measured correctly when the operating voltage is applied to the
capacitor (this may be several hundred volts).
A quick-and-dirty way to do an isolation check on a paper capacitor, is to connect it via a 470 k currentlimiting resistor (in case the capacitor has a short) and a small neon lamp (or analog mA meter) to the
anode voltage . Some time after applying the voltage (depending on the capacitance value), the capacitor
is charged, and the lamp turns off. Obviously, for small capacitance values this is not practical unless the
leakage is very bad. The neon lamp method cannot be used with electrolytic capacitors. The leakage
current is measured with a mA meter that is bypassed for the first couple of minutes upon applying the
operating voltage. Note that electrolytic capacitors need their leakage current to self-repair the dielectric
oxide layer.
Source: Funkschau, 1936, Nr. 1, 5 January, page 8 and Nr. 2, 12 January, page 15, 16.
Measuring the capacitance value

The only reason to measure the capacitance value of capacitors simply out of interest, or when there is a
chance that the capacitor is still good which is highly unlikely with decades old paper and electrolytic
capacitors. They should probably be replaced profilactically anyway.

79

Note that some Digital Multi-Meters (DMMs) can measure capacitance. However, they are not proper
capacitor testers that can measure leakage/isolation, Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), or breakdown
voltage. For "good" capacitors this is not a problem at all, especially given the fairly large tolerance on the
capacitance value of certain types, even when "factory new". For capacitors with a large "leak" (i.e., low
isolation resistance), the capacitance value measured by a DMM will be inaccurate.
REPLACING CAPACITORS
There are several options when contemplating to replace a capacitor:
Do nothing: "if it's not broken, don't fix it". This may be fine if the circuitry that includes the original
capacitor is still working correctly. This is hard to tell for (line) filter capacitors and (de)coupling
capacitors. Tubes (valves) may be unhappy, but still do their job
Replace the original capacitor, but leave it in place (disconnect one lead, and isolate it with heat
shrink tube to prevent shorts) and install the new component parallel to it.
Rebuild (re-stuff) the original capacitor (if the actual capacitor is packaged in a potted tube made of
cardboard, pertinax or glass, or is molded into a tar-like substance).
Restore (reform/regenerate) the capacitor (if it is a paper or electrolytic capacitor).
The primary parameters for replacement capacitors are:
Capacitance value.
Voltage ratings (AC, DC, operating/max).
Type (electrolytic, paper, ceramic).
Dimensions: f you are rebuilding an electrolytic or paper capacitor that is packaged in a small
cardboard or plastic tube, obviously the length and diameter of the replacement capacitor must be
taken into account.
Capacitance value of replacement capacitors:
As a general rule, the capacitance value of the new capacitor should be with 20% of the value of the
original capacitor as marked on the component or in the schematic. Electrolytic capacitors have a wider
(upper) tolerance range, and a value that is 80-100% higher than the original is OK.
Note that some original capacitors have values that are not standard today, e.g., 30 nF, 40 nF, 50 nF, etc.
With the 20% rule, you should still be able to find a replacement that is close enough.
Note that the range of available capacitance values of new capacitors depends on the type of capacitor and
the desired voltage rating.
Voltage rating of replacement capacitors:
Many, if not all, of the capacitors in the Hellschreiber are marked with two DC voltage ratings: operating
voltage ("Betriebsspannung") and test voltage ("Prfspannung") or max voltage (Spitzenspannung"). The
latter two are typically a factor three higher than the prior. Some examples from the Hellschreiber:
250/750 Vdc - filter caps from generator carbon brush to ground.

25/30 Vdc - motor electrolytic capacitors.
500/1500 Vdc - filter caps on the motor's speed regulator contacts.
500/1500 Vdc - 900 Hz tone generator in the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit.
250/750 Vdc - 900 Hz bandpass filter in the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit.
Replacements for the electrolytics can have a standard 35 or 63 Vdc rating. I have replaced the ones that
have a 250/750 Vdc rating with caps that have a 630 Vdc rating. Likewise, I have replaced the 500/1500
Vdc ones with 1000 Vdc types. It is typically not a good idea to simply put capacitors in series, for the
purpose of increasing the combined voltage rating. If one of them fails, the entire voltage will be applied to
a single capacitor that is not rated for that voltage.
Do not spend a lot of money on new capacitors that have a voltage rating that is significantly higher than
that of the originals.
80

Types of replacement capacitors:

Electrolytic capacitors must be replaced with electrolytic capacitors. "New Old Stock" (NOS) replacements
should be considered with suspicion they are over 70 years old by now, and probably as bad as the ones
you are replacing. If you do insist on using them, you may want to reform them before installation (see
further below); note that this is not all that important, as the electrolytics in the Hellschreiber are not used
as power-supply filter caps. Still, rebuilding the original electrolytic capacitors is a better idea.
The Hellschreiber Motor-Generator has 10 and 12 F electrolytic capacitors (2 each). The Amplifier &
Interconnect Unit (the Hellschreiber's "electronic box") has 8, 10 and 12 F electrolytics. All of them are
only used in the 12 Vdc circuits; accordingly, they have low voltage ratings (25/30 Vdc).
In my machine the electrolytic caps had already been replaced with small new ones during a previous
overhaul. Unfortunately, only in one case was the original cardboard tube packaging left in place.
Source: Elcap
Figure 78
Characteristics of several capacitor types
Paper capacitors are still manufactured today, but as a specialty product (expensive, limited choice). It is
perfectly OK to replace them with modern plastic and polyester film capacitors; these are (much) smaller
than the originals, not expensive, and have superior performance with respect to the originals. Several
types of modern capacitors can be used: metalized polyester film (e.g., Mylar), metalized and metal-foil
polypropylene film, polystyrene, polycarbonate, etc. The choice primarily depends on the required
capacitance value and voltage rating.
Polyester capacitors have wider tolerances than polypropylene, are small (not really an issue in our case),
and are available with larger capacitance values (1n 10 F). Polystyrene capacitors are one of the earliest
types of plastic capacitors, often encased in a clear plastic tube. They are available in small capacitance
values (pF range); they are not good for RF applications, and should probably not be used in the RF/EMI
suppression filters of the Hellschreiber's motor-generator. Polypropylene capacitors are generally "low loss"
and have higher voltage ratings. Polycarbonate capacitors are expensive, have a low temperature
coefficient, but tend to absorb moisture.
I used metalized polypropylene film capacitors to replace and rebuild tubed paper capacitors. Due to my
location at the time I was doing this Hellschreiber overhaul project, I ordered mine from an on-line shop in
81

Germany: Antik Radio Restored; they were not overly expensive: about 18 plus 5 S&H for some 50 caps
with 630 and 1000 volt rating (early 2009 pricing). I basically ordered two full sets, for both the MotorGenerator and the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit (including a handful to tune the 900 Hz tone generator
and bandpass filter of the latter Unit). Some US-based sources appear to be MCM Electronics, Antique
Electronic Supply, Just Radios (worldwide shipping), Radio Daze, Allied Electronics; of course, Radio Shack
is useless. In the UK, Savoy Hill may be a source. No need to get expensive audiophile capacitors.
Make sure to get axial-lead components!
There are two ceramic tubular filter capacitors of 200 pF (1500 V) in the motor-generator. Ceramic
capacitors age well. They will not need to be replaced unless they are physically broken. If they are to be
replaced, replace them with ceramic caps of equivalent capacitance and voltage rating. The originals are
not packaged in a tube or molded, and look-alike replacements will have to be NOS (New Old Stock) or
salvaged.
RE-BUILDING/RE-STUFFING CAPACITORS
To me, it is important to retain the originality of the Hellschreiber to the extent possible and practical. This
means leaving a failed component in place (disconnected on one side) and installing a replacement part
across it (there is enough room to do this), or rebuilding the failed component. The capacitors that are
potted in a small cardboard, pertinax, glass or plastic tube are good candidates for re-building: putting a
new capacitor in the original tube. This can be done with both the electrolytic caps and the paper caps in
the Hellschreiber.
The process of re-building potted capacitors comprises the following steps:
If the (electrolytic) capacitor has polarity markings, note the way it is installed (this can also be
reconstructed from the schematic; note that sometimes the + side is connected to ground).
If the (paper) capacitor is marked at one end with a band around its circumference, note the way it
is installed (this is not marked in the schematic, but the band is normally connected to the lower
potential); the band is not a polarity marking.
Remove the capacitor from the circuit by de-soldering; using solder wick ("braid") and a soldering
iron of sufficient power makes this easy; a de-soldering iron with vacuum suction would be great. As
usual, soldering guns are "out"!
If there already really is not much potting material left, you may try to carefully pull the
actual capacitor out of the tube with pliers (one of the very few allowed uses of pliers!). Do not
force anything! If this doesn't work, proceed with the heat treatment described immediately below.
Protect your work area melted tar or wax is hard to remove from furniture, tablecloths,
and clothing.
Make a small drip pan out of twice-folded aluminum kitchen foil (see Figure 76 below).
Apply heat to carefully and slowly warm up the tube.
o
be careful not to burn the tube or the text markings on it!
o I used a regular 40 watt spot light; some people use hair dryer or heat gun on "low" .
o Start out at sufficient distance: at least 5 cm (2").
o Heating up will take time (several minutes). After about 10 minutes, the tar will begin to
ooze out of the tube. I like the smell of hot tar (and of burnt Jet-A by the way)!
o Alternatively, put the capacitor in the drip catcher and stick it in an oven (preheated to 75100 C, 165-210 F) for about 15-20 minutes.
The potting material (wax or tar) will melt and drip out of the tube ends; collect this for later restuffing!
After the potting material has softened, push the capacitor out of the cardboard shell.
o You may try and slowly pull it out of the tube with small pliers, but you may end up just
pulling out the lead wire, and the wound-op capacitor foil may unwind like an old-fashioned
fly catching strip (which is interesting and OK).
If you are going to re-pot the capacitors and the new (axial!) capacitor does not fit snugly into the
tube, wrap the capacitor with a strip of stiff paper (e.g., "Kraft" packing paper) until it does fit
snugly.
82

Completely fill both ends of the tube with the wax/tar that was removed; if you need more stuffing,
consider (slowly) melting down a piece of a stick of hard furniture touch-up wax (available in many
colors), or melted beeswax with some die powder mixed in.
o Do not use the hard, brittle, shiny sealing lacquer "wax"!
o Some people use silicone sealant to fill up the ends of the tube. This stuff is heat resistant,
non-conductive, and can be removed in the future, if needed.
o Some people seem to successfully use hot melt glue (glue gun with glue sticks), but don't do
this if you ever want to be able to rebuild this capacitor again, without destroying the
cardboard tube.
Figure 79
Using heat to remove a paper capacitor from its potted tube
Figure 80
Paper capacitors freed from their tar-potted cardboard tube

83

I also re-stuffed the remaining original paper capacitor on the contact plate of the speed regulator, see
Figure 78. It is stuck in a small black plastic tube. The new 2.2 nF / 630 volt capacitor only has a 5 mm
outer diameter so it fits without a problem, as the plastic tube has an inner diameter of 7 mm.
Figure 81
A paper capacitor freed from its tar-potted plastic tube
Molded black tar capacitors are more difficult to rebuild than tubed capacitors, as a new casting mold must
be made (e.g., a section of plastic tubing cut in half lengthwise), and molding material be made (in a
double boiler, melt 15 parts paraffin wax, 5 parts bees' wax, 3 parts resin powder, 1 part tar from a
pharmacy or a roofing company).
In my machine, the one remaining cardboard tube (one of the electrolytic caps) was perfectly clean,
without potting. A new cap fitted into it snugly without any need for additional wrapping. I did not seal or
pot this one; not sure if the original ever was Note that modern capacitors do not need additional
potting/sealing for protection.
In my machine, the paper wrappers/labels of the brown paper capacitors cannot be removed without
destroying them. If in your machine, the wrappers can be removed in one piece, you may consider doing
so; you can then scan them into your computer and use graphics software to alter the value and voltage
markings to make a wrapper for whatever (missing) capacitor you need to recreate with salvaged
shells/tubes. This is not authentic, but if done right, will look much better than today's new capacitors
RESTORING/REGENERATING/REFORMING PAPER CAPACITORS
Paper capacitors can be regenerated. First they have to be removed from their packaging (without
unwinding the rolled-up foil) and all the potting and sealing material be cleaned off. Then they have to be
boiled in paraffin wax at 120-130 C (250-270 F), to boil off all moisture that has absorbed into the
capacitor. Then the cap has to be rebuilt and sealed back into its package. A lot of work, and bound to only
be a temporary fix. With the same effort, you can rebuild the capacitor by replacing it with a modern one
into the original package.
RESTORING/REGENERATING/REFORMING ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS
Electrolytic caps regenerate (reform) their formation (the aluminimum oxide layer) continuously during
normal operation. The oxide layer will deteriorate completely over time, when the cap is not used (DC
voltage applied). The formation of the oxide layer can be restored to its original thickness and uniformity,
by slow re-application of DC current (hours or even days!). A capacitor that has lost its formation has a
very low DC-resistance, like a short circuit. If the cap is used in a power supply, interesting fireworks may
be observed when powering up the equipment! If at all, performing the process of reformation only makes
sense if the capacitor has not lost any of its electrolyte. Even if you do manage to reform them, they may
not perform as well as when they were new. A better alternative is to rebuild the capacitor by replacing it
with a modern one into the original package. When in doubt, change it out!
84

However, if you insist on going through this trouble You may use a multi-meter to measure the DCresistance of the (discharged) capacitor. The meter applies a voltage to measure resistance, so make sure
to connect the + of this voltage to the + terminal of the capacitor. If the measured resistance remains
below 250 k for more than 20 sec, it needs reforming. This requires a power source with a voltage that
is the same as the operating voltage rating of the capacitor! The current must initially be limited to a
couple of mA, e.g., with a series resistor of sufficient wattage. Th current limit is then increased every
couple of hours by a couple of mA. Small, low-voltage electrolytic caps, such as those in the Feld-Hell, may
be reformed with two 9 volts batteries in series, and a 100 k / 2 W current limiting resistor. Reform for a
couple of hours, then disconnect the batteries, discharge the capacitor via a 2 k / W resistor. Then
check the formation with the ohm-meter, as outlined above. Repeat the formation if necessary.

85

Appendix 6
General cleaning
There is no reason to clean any parts of the Hellschreiber,

other than those that require lubrication.
If you start cleaning with any product, it will probably be very visible where you have applied a cleaning
product and have done any rubbing or buffing. This will probably look (much) worse than before you
started cleaning!
It is OK to do general vacuum cleaning, and wiping the dirt off the Hellschreiber's case and its main units
with a lightly dampened cloth - but towel dry right away.
Do not use any chemical product until you have checked that it is does not damage anything
- try it first at a small, inconspicuous spot -
Do not use solvents or alcohol (denatured ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methylated spirit): it tends to
dissolve the clear lacquer and wax coating of the components; it also removed text markings on
components and silk screen component, connection, and placement markings on circuit boards and
connectors. Isopropyl alcohol dissolves solder flux rosin, but also text markings The packaging of
most capacitors in the Hellschreiber have such delicate markings printed on them, as do the circuit
board and connector/terminal blocks in the Amplifier & Interconnect Unit. The water content of
alcohol (70% alcohol means 30% water; the strongest surgical alcohol still has 3%). Water causes
hidden cracks in circuit boards, and corrosion.
Do not use steel wool (coarse or extra fine): it will shed little (conductive) particles and wreak
havoc.
Do not use soaps and liquid detergents. They leave residues that can be hard to remove.
Do not use ammonia on shellac (sometimes used to coat or impregnate wire insulation tubing).
Do not use trichloroethane on anything plastic.
Alcohol, gasoline (UK: petrol), various solvents, and liquid detergents do a fabulous job of softening
and removing silk screen inks, other soluble markings, tube markings, wax coatings - even those
that may be safely soaked in water for a few minutes.
Do not use products such as WD-40 (Water Displacement formula nr. 40) it leaves a sticky,
dust attracting film.
Keep water away from the inside of the Motor-Generator and the rotor.
The inside of the Hellschreiber's Motor-Generator will probably be covered with petrified lubricants (a.k.a.
black burnt crud). It is not harmful to the machine. There is no sense in trying to remove it, beyond
vacuum cleaning the inside of the Motor-Generator housing. Use a toothbrush to loosen dirt and other
deposits (such as the black crud), while keeping the vacuum nozzle near the brush so that it will pick up
loosened dirt.
Black crud will not come off with water (which you don't want inside the Motor-Generator or near the rotor
anyway). You may try a little ammonia or diesel fuel on a Q-tip ("cotton swab").
There is no reason to polish any parts. If you do insist on doing any polishing, consider using a soft cloth
and some toothpaste. Safe for teeth, safe for a machine

86

Appendix 7
Figure 82
Strobe disks
Strobe disks with 2, 4 and 8 segments

87

Appendix 8
Diploma
This diploma can be downloaded in Powerpoint format from my website: www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/diploma.ppt

and the Churschsische Fraktur font at www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/chursaechs.zip.
88


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Feld Hell Motor Generator Overhaul

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Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

by Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Assessment of carbon brush surface appearance ................................................... 72

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Simplified cross-section of the Motor-Generator ...........................................................6

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Schematic around C62, C63, and C66 ........................................................................ 46

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

73 de Frank Drenberg, N4SPP

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Simplified cross-section of the Motor-Generator

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

(motor and generator field windings not shown)

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Read this document at least once.

Required tools, materials and components

Screw driver appropriate for M5 screws.

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Most of the tools that I used for this project

(bearing puller and splitter not shown; ref. Figure 43)

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

OVERVIEW OF THE TASKS

Remove the Motor-Generator from the Bottom-Unit of the Hellschreiber.

Take apart the Motor-Generator housing and remove the rotor.

Reassembly is basically done in reverse order of the disassembly:

Reinstall the motor carbon brushes.

Once this is all done, we can

require special attention, as it is easy to do

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Task 1 remove the Motor-Generator from the Bottom-Unit of the Hellschreiber

Rear of the Motor-Generator with cover box

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Task 2 remove the carbon brushes of the generator

Back of the unit: the carbon brush for +165 VDC

Location of the generator's carbon brushes

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP

Overhaul of the Hell Feldfernschreiber Motor-Generator

Output shaft - before and after removal of the tappet

Bottom of generator ball bearing tappet and shield washer removed

Version 1.1, 23 May 2009

2009 Frank M.G. Drenberg, N4SPP