Late Wurlitzer Style-BB (Ball Bearing)
Enclosed Worm Gear Standard

(Photograph courtesy of Rusty King)

This late Style-BB worm gear standard featuring ball bearings for the high-speed worm shaft belongs to Wurlitzer Style I No. 54432. From the outside the gear standard looks like the earlier type Style-B units without ball bearings. Other than the obvious nameplate Type SA-BB designation, about the only way to tell the difference between the two is to pull off a high-speed shaft bearing end cap and see what kind of bearing it is. An oddity for the Style-BB is that there was no provision to recover any oil that seeped past the ball bearings, suggesting that they were a reliable barrier to leakage.

(Photograph courtesy of Rusty King)

This late (circa 1920s) fully enclosed Style-BB Wurlitzer Worm Gear Standard is a Type SA-BB, serial number 5734. The top cover has been removed, along with the bearing cap for one end of the worm shaft, revealing one of the ball bearings. The thin cast iron bearing cap is visible at left. The unit was found in a junk store and is obviously in need of restoration. It is unknown what style of Wurlitzer instrument this ball bearing unit was originally installed in, or where the instrument might have been located.

(Photograph courtesy of Rusty King)

Top cover for the circa late Style-BB Worm Gear Standard, serial number 5734. The brass nameplate states: The Rudolph Wurlitzer Co.; Worm Gear Standard; Type SA-BB; Gear 51 Teeth; Worm 3 Thread; Motor 1150 R.P.M.

(Wurlitzer Service Manual Drawing courtesy of Dana Johnson)

This drawing of a Style BB Worm Gear Standard is from "The Wurlitzer Long Roll Tracker Frame Care and Use" service manual. The pair of worm gear shaft ball bearings are clearly evident, but curiously there are no oil seepage recovery provisions shown in the drawing. Apparently the construction of the ball bearings was deemed a sufficient leakage barrier. The small circles under the worm gear represent the location of the fiber star oilers.