Accession No

5999

Brief Description

Sherrington-Starling recording drum by C. F. Palmer, London; circa 1940

Origin

London, UK

Maker

C. F. Palmer

Class

biology; laboratory apparatus

Earliest Date

1940

Latest Date

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, iron, stainless steel); rubber

Dimensions

height 460mm; width 215mm; depth 245mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Transferred by Estate Management and Building Services, University of Cambridge, on or before 08/04/2004. Found with 11 other objects in a lecture theatre, probably belonged to 'Applied Biology', University of Cambridge.

Inscription

'C. F. PALMER' (on top of base)
'C. F. PALMER (LONDON) LTD
EFFRA ROAD, LONDON S.W.2.
MADE IN ENGLAND' (On metal label attached to base)

Description Notes

Sherrington-Starling recording drum by C. F. Palmer, London, comprising of brass drum attached to a steel shaft, which rotates in a green base.

The cylindrical brass drum can be raised and lowered on the shaft by loosening a screw beneath it. The drum can be locked onto the shaft so that they can rotate together by tightening a small lever on top of the drum.
At the bottom of the shaft are two metal contacts that can be rotated about the shaft in either direction. These make contact with an electrical terminal that moves a small amount by loosening a screw, so that a spring-loaded contact connects with one of the contacts on the shaft. There is another electrical terminal on the top of the base.
On the front(?) side of the base is an adjustable levelling screw that can be used when the recording drum is in a horizontal position.
Running through the base is a steel axle. On one end is a cone comprising of four brass wheels of diameters 39mm, 50mm, 85mm and 112mm. The wheels have a groove on their circumferences for an external motor to drive the axle. At the other end of the axle are three notches. The axle can slide and then locked into position by a sliding lock with screw. The inner notch gives a high gear, the middle one neutral and the outer one a low gear. The gears can be activated by rotating the clutch to the right by 90°. With the four wheels and two gears, rotating the axle can make the drum rotate at eight different speeds.
On the underside of the base are three levelling feet, two of which are adjustable. One protective rubber foot is missing.

Similar to object in C. F. Palmer catalogue

Condition: good; complete

References

Events