Multigraph help

Here’s a link to an office machine website which shows a photo of the Model 58 (see the section on folding machines). No particular date listed for it, but I think you may be correct in assuming pre 1930. http://www.officemuseum.com/mail_machines.htm

Yours looks complete. Have you tried running a sheet of paper through to see if it folds? You should be able to place a sheet up against the caliper roller and give it a try. You should eb able to just turn it over by hand using the humongeous handwheel. The adjustment of the stops within the folding plates determine the length of the fold at each of the plates. If only a single fold is required, you can set one of the plates to deflect the sheet so it by-passes that particular plate.

Little has changed from that folder design in subsequent models, and you should be able to find a later model manual if you feel you need one.

Hi jhenry,

I went to that link and lo and behold that is the same picture as the one I posted here. I think the people that I bought it from sent the Office Museum a picture to try to figure out what they had. I took these pictures from the ebay listing they had. I didn’t know they had it on ebay until after I bought it through craigslist. The ebay listing is crazy. I don’t know what was going on there.
Anyway…what is the caliper roller, the stops and which are the folding plates? So I should be trying to look at Addressograph folding equipment as well. Good idea.
Thanks
Connie

Connie, John is right, your folder looks pretty complete and most folding machines work the same way, so you should be able to make it work. I hope (and assume) you didn’t pay anything like the $1000 price it was listed for on eBay! I’d guess this model machine came out in the early- to mid-twenties. I acquired one of these last Fall but haven’t had a chance to do anything with it yet, so may (someday) be able to help if you have specific questions. Dave Churchman was kind enough to lend me a manual, so maybe I can find a bit of time to finish the scanning/cleanup/pdf work on the manual and send you the file or a printout.

Dave

Connie,

I have a Multigraph folder model 1501, but it looks quite similar to yours only not as clean. I have a copy of a parts catalog and a copy of a catalog of “Instructions for Operating.” Some pages are too light to copy, but the operating instructions look OK. There is no date and the catalogs say “For Multigraph Folder Model 1500,” so I don’t know how it compares to yours.

It sounds as if Dave may have what you need, but if he doesn’t, I may be able to help out, but not for a while as I fractured my shoulder and I depend on my husband and kind friends to do everything now.

Just googled “Multigraph Folder” and see that it is again or still on ebay, so maybe it will be sold before I get to scan it. It does look like a fun machine to operate.

multigraph.jpg

Hi,

Dave,
Thanks! A PDF would be great!

Elizabeth,
Sorry about your shoulder. Your folder does look similar.

When I bought the folder there was only one day left on the ebay listing so I didn’t think much of it.
I guess I should remind them to take it off of ebay or they could get bad feedback if someone actually bought it and they didn’t have it anymore. Although I can’t see that happening. I paid $75.00. That might have been high but I couldn’t resist. I can’t imagine how they arrived at $1000.

I’m glad there are others out there with these little machines. I’m hoping all it needs is a little cleaning to get it running. When/if I get it operating I will share a video on youtube.

Thanks again,
Connie