Seacoffee wrote:I wonder what the cost of electricity was n the day. I expect homes could not afford a coffee machine on all day. I am suggesting that the machine is turned on and off for use much like I do now with my two switch pavoni Europiccola

I would imagine that a home owner able to afford such a machine would also be able to pay the electricity for it.
Can it be the machine had a continuous bleed valve like the Faemina to regulate boiler pressure (the spring and ball thingy)? If not left on permanently that would be enough if the water level in the boiler would be monitored while being on like with the Faemina.

Yes, Marcel I am concluding that the machine was designed with the pressure relief valve to bleed pressure just like the faemina and the europiccola and many other domestic machines. It did this as long as the heating element was left on and I think the machine was only left on long enough to make some shots and then turn off. As I say there is evidence on the top of the boiler that pressure was bleeding off.

O forgot to congratulate you on this terrific find! great looking machine!

Just few historic finds that I wanted to share.

First, on the «Olimpica» brand . As I said (first page of the thread), it is a brand commercialized for at least 40 years (from the 40s to the 80s) by José Girbau Rubinat, owner of a small shop in 93, Rosal (nowadays Carrer del Roser), Barcelona.
Here are the machine style over the years:

The 30s-40s








The 40s-50s






The 50s-60s




This is John's machine.

During this period he extended the brand to other appliances, such as roasters, grinders, but also refrigerators, washing machines and blenders.




The 60s



This is the machine from Andreas, that correspond to this Spanish patent for model (up to 4 groups):


Deposited in September 1960, just before this other model (also up to 4 groups, October 1960):



The 60s-70s

He certainly produced some "Automatic" (hydraulic) machines, because he owns two patents for that kind of group:



And the 80s




For some finds on the inventors of the peculiar lever group, go >> here <<.

As Gary pointed out, that white-backed Olimpica was still in daily use in Girona Spain when I visited in 2015. A real gem, and I visited the cafe several times to enjoy the espresso.

Hey Sebastien, thanks for the great history of the Olimpica.

peacecup wrote:As Gary pointed out, that white-backed Olimpica was still in daily use in Girona Spain when I visited in 2015. A real gem, and I visited the cafe several times to enjoy the espresso.

Hi Jack did you get to pull the levers?

That is likely and it may have had 2 different wattage heating elements at one time. There is the penetration where that new design elbow is presently located.

Rich, a two heating element would make sense for what I think may have been the operation of the machine, but that hole does not appear to be the same dimension as that where the existing heating element is in place. When the machine arrives and I take a look at the boiler plate we may learn more. It is possible that is a new hole tapped to install the pstat. I will see if there are some telltail signs.

.
Since there is a pressure gauge on the machine, it won't be so difficult to operate the machine anyway... knowing that most of the Baristas in the old times had to regulate the machine temperature with a control on the gas input (and most of the time, their hands on the group, because there was no pressure gauge).

The equivalent to the gas regulation on the electric side will be the use of a rheostat on the line, as the systems used in the Snider like machines produced in the 30s (as the first Girbau or Olimpica machine shown).

That being said, I don't see any problem to add a pressurestat (maybe more elegantly than the piping done) in order to get more comfort on the machine operation. You seem to have the port to do so, or you you can place a T on top of the machine, coupled with the over-pressure valve.