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-   -   WS19 vehicle cable reel (http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29786)

Russell Boaler 28-01-19 00:55

WS19 vehicle cable reel
 
2 Attachment(s)
At the end of WW2 a number of British vehicles were fitted with cable reel to enable direct wired communication between individuals outside the vehicle and those inside the vehicle via their WS19 set. The drum would rotate to allow cable to be withdrawn when required and the cable could be wound back up when no longer needed via a manual winding handle on the drum. The attached picture of a Daimler AC shows said cable drum fitted to the back of the turret.

Does anyone have any information on this type of cable drum or the equipment used to connect it to the 19 set? According to the Daimler parts book the drum and boss had a part number of W2-WB4021 and the associated junction - remote control part number Z1-ZA10649/1.

Regards

Russell

Russell Boaler 07-02-19 19:32

2 Attachment(s)
Here's a picture of the drum in question. I'm wanting to get an understanding of the missing locking mechanism and cable retaining clips that would have been fitted on the front of it as well as the mounting bracket for the rear.

Lauren Child 10-02-19 13:35

There’s a remote control option for use on ws19s with a reel. Junction Remote Control no.1 interfaced to a control unit on on the 19 set, and Junction Remote Control no.2 dangled on the other end if up-to a mile of cable.

Tank telphones used an aux connection into the drivers distribution box.

During wartime, a field mod used reels between some hq tanks so the rear-link tank could talk to the command tank directly, filtering messages to/from the two command nets on the A sets.

Different reels are used on Cent etc. which were there to enable comms between tanks without using the radio while laagered, again using the remote control box (IIRC).

I’m guessing it’s an extension of one of those purposes.

Tim Bell 11-02-19 13:31

I have a 25ft long extension cable with a snatch plug at each end which I believed was to be used to run the WS19 remote control unit from a trench next to the tank... the cable passing out of the pistol port from the Wireless operator's control box.

It would be good to know if this belief is correct.

At some point I will need to find a nice original WS19 remote control unit for the WS19 Canadian MK3.

Cheers

Tim

Russell Boaler 10-07-19 02:54

Drum internals
 
2 Attachment(s)
The inner workings of the cable drum are as per the attached pictures.

The wiring from the radio comes into the inside of the drum via the hollow mounting shaft and attaches to two grooved brass rings cast into a Bakelite housing. This housing is fixed to the mounting shaft with a small grub screw. My housing was shattered so I had to patch it back together and re-build the missing bits with some fibreglass.

Two spring loaded braided wire loops run in the brass grooves which attach to a pair of spring loaded terminals mounted in a Bakelite mount which are accessible on the outside of the drum. The drum body can spin freely on the mounting shaft and the wire loops running in the groove maintain a constant electrical connection.

I haven't figured out how the wiring that would be wound on to the outside of the drum would be connected to the spring loaded terminals... seem a bit odd as there's no means of a positive mechanical connection (like a threaded terminal and a couple of nuts would offer). Any ideas on how the wires might be connected would be appreciated... a couple of small hose clamps maybe???

Chris Suslowicz 11-07-19 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russell Boaler (Post 261788)

I haven't figured out how the wiring that would be wound on to the outside of the drum would be connected to the spring loaded terminals... seem a bit odd as there's no means of a positive mechanical connection (like a threaded terminal and a couple of nuts would offer). Any ideas on how the wires might be connected would be appreciated... a couple of small hose clamps maybe???

I reckon that's a hub and not the actual drum. My guess would be that there's a cable reel with a large central hole that fits over it, with a contact block that goes into the cutout on the hub and carries a pair of strips that make contact with the spring loaded contacts on the hub. This would allow the cable reel to be carried inboard for protection, and also quickly replaced if it was damaged - just pull the old reel off and slap a new one in place. It probably used something like jacketed twin cable since it wouldn't need to be as robust as D3 - something like the wire used on the early remote control units (Q10?) on their small reels, but obviously on its own special drum to fit this hub unit.

I've got both ends of the Junction Remote Control if anyone needs a photograph of those.

Chris. (Back again, but still very busy at work.)

Russell Boaler 11-07-19 21:19

That's a very interesting thought Chris and I think that you might well be on to something there.
I always wondered why the three longish studs were provided on the face of the unit and guessed that there were possibly some spring loaded twistable lugs or similar fitted over them... but then why would you bother. If you were going to wind cable directly onto this assembly then why wouldn't you just weld on an end plate to stop the wiring from falling off the end

Any "disposable" roll of wire would have to be fairly shallow as it would need to fit under the cable guide which hangs just a few inches clear of the current drum.

The spring loaded contacts, the lack of an end on one face of the drum and the three securing studs would certainly align with your suggestion. The challenge now is to find a picture or publication that confirms it. I've seen almost no pictures or reference to this type of drum anywhere... probably another overly complicated arrangement that didn't catch on.


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