[CR]Ultra-rare 1940/1 Sturmey Archer 4 speed top tube trigger

For anyone interested, I've just acquired an example of this very rare trigger, whcih can be viewed at: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v396/hadendowa/Sturmey/

There is a rivet missing, whcih shouldn't be too much of a problem to replace, but what IS puzzling me is that it was described to me as a top tube trigger, and also referred to as such in Tony Hadland's "The Sturmey Archer Story". The clamp is, indeed, for a 1 inch tube, but as far as I can tell, the operating cable will exit from the front of the trigger, which would be facing in the wrong direction. (My wife, bless her, suggested that it might be for a 4-speed hub in the front wheel...).

My best guess is that it should, perhaps, be fitted to the seat tube, with a short cable run, and requiring the rider to reach down and operate it blind, so to speak, rather like the 1940's/50's lever-operated front derailleurs.

An interesting feature is that it has an integral spring, like the later triggers, and not the detachable spring of the 1930's/40's GC3 handlebar triggers (See: http://genetics.mgh.harvard.edu/hanczyc/pdfs/satriggers.pdf for illustrations).

Does anyone have any firm information in this respect?

Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England