Luke Myers asks about adjusting the Aeolian roll tracking system.
This is the procedure I use for the most often encountered designs.
Others may have different opinions and there is no absolutely
definitive procedure, but this should serve for most cases.

1. Loosen the locking screws of the tracking ears and rotate them as
far as possible AWAY from the center of the tracker bar.

2. With the motor off, insert a known good original (not recut) roll
in the chuck.  Make sure the layers of paper have been tamped toward
the treble flange and there is approx.  1/16" clearance from the bass
flange.  Also, make sure the bass flange is tight enough within the
spool core that the spring pressure from the bass carrier cannot push
the flange toward the paper, reducing that clearance.

Hook the tab onto the take-up spool and manually advance the paper
until a few holes are at the tracker bar, ideally near the center.
(Take care that the paper is not being damaged by the take-up spool
flanges.  More precise alignment of that comes later.)

3. Manually move the linked tracker pneumatics left and right until the
centers of those holes are precisely aligned with the tracker bar hole
centers.  Hopefully, your system is not so far out of whack that you
are mis-aligned by an entire hole, left or right.

4. Observe the position of the "cam" that impinges on the right-hand
end of the treble carrier as it exits the transmission.  Typically this
cam pushes the supply spool to the left as the tracking pneumatics are
also moving toward the left.

When the paper and tracker bar holes are centered, both the cam and
the pneumatics should be at the middle of their respective excursions.
If not, adjust the (usually) threaded link on the transverse connecting
rod from the pneumatics to the cam, taking care to periodically recheck
the alignment of the holes.

You may also have to adjust the screw (with locking nut) on the cam's
mounting bracket in order to get all of these elements in the centers
of their excursions.  In rare occasions, the transverse rod may have
worn or "egged" the hole in the cam to the point there is excessive
"slop" in that connection.  In that case, you will probably have to
enlarge that hole to receive a "sleeve" shim of brass tubing with an
inside diameter appropriate for the rod.  (Sintered bronze sleeve
bushings are a better choice for this, but may require more precise
machining.)

5. Sometimes the right-hand end of the treble carrier will have worn
a groove in the cam.  In this case, remove the cam and grind or sand it
to remove the groove, then polish it to a mirror finish.  Some designs
have a swaged ball bearing in the end of the carrier, similar to a
ball-point pen, that rides on the cam.

If you have this design, make sure the ball is free and turns smoothly.
If it is rusty or corroded, apply a rust solvent to free it up.
Sometimes an ultrasonic cleaner will be helpful.  If the ball is free
but does not turn smoothly, you will probably have to try to find a
replacement from someone's "boneyard".  Lubricate the ball and/or cam
with a light grease.

6. With these components aligned, turn your attention to the take-up
spool.  Rarely, but occasionally, the axial alignment of this may have
been disturbed.  Typically, there is a locking screw at the bottom of
the transmission that, when loosened, allows the right-hand end of the
take-up spool to "swing" inward and outward, the purpose of which is to
make sure the paper remains "flat" on the tracker bar.

The best way to adjust this is to loosen the screw and manually push
the carriage back and forth to its maximum excursions while observing
the paper (which should be relatively tight between the two spools.)
You should be able to see the paper "buckle" first at one end of the
tracker bar, then the other.  Continue moving the carriage through
smaller and smaller distances until you reach the happy medium, then
re-lock the screw.

7. Manually rewind the paper and disconnect the hose attached to the
outside of the take-up spool's bass carrier and turn the carrier
counter clock-wise far enough that the spool can be removed.  Inspect
the right-hand pin for corrosion and/or ball bearing problems as above.
Inspect the left-hand pin to make sure the channel to the surface hole
of the spool is not clogged with old grease.  Correct as necessary and
renew the leather disk surrounding the hole if necessary.  Grease the
pin sparingly and reinsert the spool, turning the left-hand carrier
until the spool is roughly centered.

8. Re-attach the roll's tab to the hook and manually advance the paper
until the full-width of the paper approaches the take-up spool flanges.
Continue to adjust the left-hand carrier to achieve an equal gap of the
paper with respect to each flange.

9. Advance far enough for blank paper to cover the bar, shift into
play, set the tempo at zero and turn on the motor.  If the paper wants
to "creep", remove the air motor chain from the transmission, but you
should correct the creeping later.

10. Observe the tracking pneumatics.  They should be centered and
stationary.  If they are off-center to the left, manually "squeeze" the
treble tracker ear pallet.  If the pneumatics return to center, renew
the leather seat of the pallet.  Make sure the pivot joint of the
pallet operates smoothly and apply a minute amount of penetrating oil
with the point of a toothpick if it doesn't.  If the treble ear needs
attention, the bass ear will almost assuredly need the same attention,
especially if the pneumatics are initially off-center to the right.

11. If the pneumatics are initially centered, exercise each ear to
confirm that the pneumatics move uniformly in the proper direction
when the ears are exercised.  If either movement is compromised (slower
than the opposite movement or not at all), cut the motor off and
examine the signal cut-out block, usually located under or near the
tracking pneumatics.  It's a good idea to open this block, remove any
accumulated dust or debris and reseal or replace the pouches if they
are deteriorated.

12. Reassemble the cut-out block and reconnect the tubes from the ears
but leave the corresponding signal tubes to the tracking pneumatics
disconnected.  Turn the motor back on.  Assuming the transmission is
still in play, confirm that the supply hoses to the cut-out block and
tracker pneumatics have vacuum on them.  Momentarily shift to rewind
(chain still off).  Supply vacuum to the cut-out block should drop but
should remain on for the tracking pneumatics.

13. If the pneumatics are not centered in either play or rewind when
the tubes from the cut-out block are disconnected, there is leakage
from one pneumatic, or both, either internally (rarely, from one to the
other) or externally (more common, to atmosphere).  Temporarily block
both signal nipples at the pneumatics (don't reconnect the tubes from
the cut-out block).  If the pneumatics return to center, either they
are communicating internally, one side to the other, or they are both
leaking evenly to atmosphere, with either event unlikely.

14. As you block and unblock the two signal nipples alternately, the
pneumatics should travel to each maximum position with the same speed.
If they don't, either there is unequal leakage to atmosphere from one
or both pneumatics or one of the internal bleeds mounted in the center
board which determine the movement speed, is fully or partially
blocked.

If the latter, try forceful in and out "pumping" of the nipples to try
to clear the bleeds.  If the travel speeds are still unequal, recover
the entire assembly, making sure while it is open that the bleeds are
clear and not leaking around their insertion holes.  Take extra care to
use good quality cloth for minimum through leakage and no corner leakage.

15. If you are satisfied that the tracking pneumatics are tight and
moving with the same speed, check to make sure the signals from the
tracking ears are getting through the cut-out block properly.  With
motor on, transmission in play, tempo zero, attach a suck tube to the
"back" of the cut-out block tube(s) going to the tracking pneumatics.

Open and close the ear pallets in turn to make sure you can pull
atmosphere through the cut-out block when the pallets are open and the
"resistance" to flow seems even.  Reconnect the cut-out block tubes to
the tracking pneumatics and confirm you have the travel directions
correct.

16. _Now,_ with all tracking components (except the ears) and the
paper centered, rotate the ears back toward the paper until there is
a hairline gap between the ears and the edge of the paper.  Retighten
the lock screws.  You should now have perfect tracking for THAT roll,
for THAT temperature and THAT humidity.  If _any_ of those parameters
change, you _may_ have to readjust the ears.

17. Final thoughts:

A. The tracking pneumatics should be under _constant_ power, whether
in play or rewind.  They must remain centered and receive no correcting
signals from the tracking ears during rewind.  That is the purpose of
the cut-out block which is powered (passing signals) _only_ during play.

B. Adjust the reroll brake for minimum force or disconnect it altogether.

C. Adjust the travel of the bypass slider in the airmotor governor so
that it barely opens when the transmission is shifted into rewind.
This can be done by turning the appropriate leather nut on the slider
stem so that the linkage has considerable "free play" and only moves
the slider a small amount at either excursion, closed or barely open.
That way, the rewind speed can be controlled largely by the Tempo lever
rather than the "design" Mach 3 speed which can have such devastating
effects on old, fragile rolls.

John Grant