No, no, no, Robbie!  You got that Link business all wrong!  You don't
separate the ends of a Link roll to change it.  You insert a device which
I can only describe as a 2-pronged fork, like a tuning fork, with one tine
on either side of the roll, then turn the handle on the end.  There's a
flange between the tines and the handle, and the tips of the tines push up
against the back of the music chamber.  Does that makes sense?

When you're done rolling it up you have a loop of paper on the outside of
your "roll" which loops back on itself, instead of a tab or a dead end
which must be spliced to the other end when put into play.  There's a tune
# and arrow printed on the roll at the beginning of each tune, which is
supposed to indicate which side is up and which way the music is to
travel.  I say all this from watching a friend change the roll on his
Link 2E - a neat machine!

I might also add that the Link roll arrangements are mechanical but
outstanding - snappy as hell, and among many people's favorites.  Don
Rand recently had a recutting project with them (RX rolls are the most
common type).

Not that your Moebius Roll concept isn't possible or interesting!  If
the roll were inserted backwards and didn't get the proper shutoff signal,
though, I bet the proprietor wouldn't be very happy.  Hard to get more
nickels if the damn machine doesn't shut off.  Or doesn't play all the
way through a (backwards?!!) tune on a single nickel.    ;-)

Cheers,¶
Rob DeLand¶
(deland_robert@macmail1.csg.mot.com)

 [ Authors acknowledgement:
 [
 [ Well, well, well!  The times I watched while the music was changed
 [ the operator separated the roll at the splice, as I described, and
 [ wound it on a core.  The music rolls were unlabeled re-cuts with no
 [ markings to identify left/right and beginning/end.  After installing
 [ the new roll the operator anxiously asked me, "Does the music sound
 [ okay?" (!) Thanks, Bob and Rob, for explaining how it _should_ be done.
 [
 [ -- Robbie