183 AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SPACE-MAKER

(NB-830 series)



Description of phone as found in the AE catalog:

This handy telephone mounts on desk, wall, or any vertical surface. Adjustable dial tilts back to 45 degrees, rotates
360 degress locks in place at any point. Hookswitch swings in  a 180 degrees  arc, locks in seven positions.
The Space-maker phone may be used as an extension , or with  Type 33 compact ringer box as a complete subscriber's station.


The phone comes in mulitple colors.

Below is the phone I found and cleaned up a bit, though it was in very good condtion considering it is over 45 years old.

Here it is as found:



As you can see it was made in 1966- already in good shape



Here it is completely disassembled then re-assembled and polished on left





The photo below shows where the "lock" is located to remove the fingerwheel




The RED here is the Spring steel lock shown in the above photo.

A.E. Co. Acrylic end Polycarbonate Fingerwheels
To remove an A.E. Co. D-780896-A acrylic or polycarbonate fingerwheel from the dial shaft:
(1) Using a standard fingerplate removal tool, H-886316-1 (or STRONG paperclip) insert the end into the small
hole located in the ribbed area of the fingerwheel surrounding the number card just adjacent to the 6/MNO hole.
(2) The end of the tool must enter at a slight angle aimed toward the 6/MNO finger hole. Once the end is
seated against the latching lug (see Figure above), push gently downward on the tool until the lug is down
and out of its latching detent (see Figure above).
(3) Rotate the dial clockwise past zero until the clamping disc releases.
(4) Release the fingerwheel and allow it to return to rest (zero hole between 8/TUV and 9/WXY on the number plate).
(5) Lift the fingerwheel toward the upper left away from the finger stop.

NOTE: If the latching lug on the clamping disc fails to spring out of its detent when pushed down by the
escutcheon tool, the zero finger hole will not pass beyond the finger stop when the dial is wound. In this
case, hold the fingerwheel in the fully wound position, insert the tool, and press against lug, while turning
the fingerwheel farther in clockwise direction.
To install an A.E. Co. D-780896-A acrylic or polycarbonate fingerwheel:
(1) Hold the fingerwheel parallel to the number plate. The zero hole positioned between the 8/TUV and
9/WXY designations.
(2) Move the fingerwheel to the upper left, then lower the lower right side under the finger stop.
(3) Center the dial on the clamping disc and rotate the fingerwheel counterclockwise. As the zero passes
the 9/WXY position, the latching lug should engage with a click










Additional technical info added soon.