Meccano in the United States

Meccano^® in the United States

Parts

I include here some pictures (and links to bigger and, in some cases, more pictures) of Meccano parts, as well as other items related to parts. Click on the picture for the bigger images and more information. Many of these are US Meccano parts.

In some of these descriptions, I refer to "DMS". This is Development of the Meccano System. For more information, see the Meccano References page.

Everyone knows that Meccano uses 5/32 BSW bolts - right? It turns out that US Meccano used a different size: #7-32. The difference is small (can you identify which two bolts here are #7-32?) but 5/32 BSW bolts will generally not fit into #7-32 nuts (or other threaded parts), even though they have the same number of threads per inch. Click on the picture for more of the story.

This is a dealers display cabinet. It is in the Parts area, because the cabinet was used to display parts - at least that is the best justification I can think of!

Here are some couplings, part No. 63, with an undocumented variation.

Here is an interesting variation on the 56 (later 57) tooth gear, part No. 27a. There is an article on these in the March 2002 issue of the Canadian MeccaNotes, but there is no mention of this variation. Click on the picture for a larger version, and some of the story on this variant.

Here are the various 1/2 " pulleys with boss, part 23a, that I have found. Click on the picture for a larger version, and the story.

Here are the various designs of US Meccano motors which are in my collection. These are in roughly chronological order, A through H. Only A, B, and C are shown here; click on the picture (or here) for larger scans of all of the motors, and the full story about them from my article in the Fourth Quarter 2000 issue of the Southern California Meccano and Erector Club Newsletter, Volume XXIV No. 4. (There is also a picture of a French Meccano 110 volt motor, and the US advertisement for the 110 volt motor.)

This is a scan of the various designs of 3" pulleys, part number 19b, found in some of my US outfits. The four-spoke version is rather uncommon in England, but was used much more in the US. The four-spoke 19b was introduced in 1918 in England; it was replaced by the slotted version (shown in both red and green in the scan) in 1920. The March-April 1917 issue of the US "Meccano Engineer" magazine (the predecessor to the "Meccano Magazine") announces the new 19b - was it introduced in the US BEFORE it was available in England?? The four-spoke version continued in use in the US through 1927. Click on the picture (or here) for a larger image.

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