MTFCA Forum

Anyone know what the roller for this timer looks like? Thanks Dan

I searched "Herz Timer" on Google books. They were manufacturing timers early on, long before Model Ts arrived on the scene.

Around 1920, they introduced the Herz Hammerblow Timer for Fords.

If you search "Hammerblow timer" on Google Books, it yields some good information (two web pages worth of results).

Unless your timer is not a Hammerblow, it is missing the rear apron.

I believe it had a cam instead of a roller.

Click on this link:

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22hamm ... z-modeless

Click on link and read the description - does not use rollers, brush, fibre or raceway. A quickly read some of the material I posted above and it did have a cam as I assumed.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mo ... frontcover

I captured the articles referenced in the links above & found an ad that someone posted in FaceBook. Think the ad gives a good idea on what it looked like. Basically a rotor

Posted by Mark Osterman July 23 2019 https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=h ... ow%20timer

The claims on 'page 39' are almost good enough to have been generated by AI!

I would not have much confidence that the relative timing of each cylinder was at all consistent with such a small radius, and spring loaded contacts

And the cost!

That Herz timer priced at $4.75 in 1921 when most timers cost under $2.

Today’s dollars a std. timer was 20 bucks or so, that bronze casting and hardened steel spring contacts was the equivalent of $70 today

Now I wonder if there were two styles of Hammerblow timer - one with the apron and one without (late version vs early version or vice versa) or if the one shown in the ad that Mark posted was just for illustration purposes.