A Vox Continental from mid 1963

Fittings and hardware

On this page, a collection of details of the fixtures and fittings: switches, sockets, latches, and feet. For the most part, fixing screws were chrome, raised cross head, 3/8" in length.

Further details to be added in due course. General views of the organ can be found here.

Lid latches and hinges

The "draw latches" for the lid (sometimes called "toggle latches") were made by Wilkes Berger Engineering Limited and patented by Wilkes in the mid 1950s (patent number 783191). JMI is likely to have sourced the ones used on Continentals from a local Dartford hardware shop.

Dimensions (closed): 2 1/4" tall, 1" wide at the widest point. The latching bracket on the main case is 3/4" wide, fixing centres for the two screws 3/8" apart.

A page from the Wilkes patent application.

On the back edge are two small "lift-off" hinges. Dimensions: 1 1/8" wide; 1 1/2" tall in total. The centres of the fixings for the pairs of screws are 1/2" apart.

Mains socket and output jack

The mains socket is a standard Bulgin, requiring a cut-out of 1 1/8" in diameter. The output jack is a REAN part. REAN was based in Dartford (on Burnham Road) a step away from the JMI Works on Dartford Road.

Rotary switches

Manufactured by Morganite - a Type V, which evidently covered a fair range of styles in Morganite's catalogue. Later Continentals had rocker switches.

Some rust still to be removed.

Feet

Manufacturer at present unknown. Two of the original four remain. The ones on the lower case evidently went when it was recovered.

Small domed foot upper right.

Below, some quick shots of a foot/stud removed (simply out of curiosity) from the case: - diameter 3/4" (19mm); height of dome 3/8" (9mm); length/height of split rivet fixing 3/4". Like-for-like replacements are quite hard to find in the UK these days. They are common in the USA though - sold as "guitar case feet", "luggage/suitcase base studs", and so on.

Sockets for T-nuts / "butterfly" side stand screws

A rough and ready shot of one of the four inset sockets for the side stand screws - 5/16", British Standard Whitworth thread. There is also a socket on the back panel for the stabilising cross-bars.

On to the page on the electronics.