Re: Phonograph Wound by Pumping Piano
By Karl Ellison
Al Menashe recently wrote:
> I saw an interesting item at an auction here in Portland. It was a
> Player piano with a phonograph built it. <snip> I don’t recall the brand,
> but it was American made.
Could it have been a "Standard Playerpiano [sic] Phonograph"?
In the book "Player Piano Treasury" by Harvey N. Roehl, see page 55's text ... okay, I'll show it to you:
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"The Standard Playerpiano Phonograph, the first announcement of which was made in the Standard Player Monthly for March, has caused widespread comment.
This device permits manufacturers and dealers to sell a playerpiano and phonograph in the same playerpiano case. The phonograph is built on the player action at the left of the spoolbox and is invisible in the playerpiano except when the left panel in the top frame is open to receive the record.
This playerpiano phonograph is equipped with a Meisselback spring motor. We consider this the best and most reliable motor for the purpose. It is especially designed to do the most efficient work required and of the gears and pinions and even the frame itself is especially heavy. Nothing but cut gears are used. The worm gear is hand made, and the fibre [sic] gear in which the worm runs is especially cut to give the best results. The sulfo-bronze barings, micronic adjustments and nickel trimmings place this motor at the head of it's class.
The turntable in this phonograph runs nearly vertical but is set at such a plane that it absolutely prevents the record from falling over.
The tone-arm is especially designed to give a full, round, deep tone, free from the scratch that is so annoying in many phonographs. It is of the universal type and with it's black die-cast case swings freely on it's pivot baring. The tone-arm is so balanced that the needle runs firmly and smoothly along the sound waves.
In the selection of the sound box, great care was taken to select one that gives a pure, rich, full tone. The sound box will not easily get out of adjustment, and will give the best results on all styles of records.
The spoolbox acts as a tone-chamber for the phonograph. The horn, which carries the tone waves from the tone arm to the tone chamber is made of wood. The phonograph will play any phonograph record manufactured. By simply turning the sound-box or reproducer, you can play either laterally-cut or vertically-cut records.
The playerpiano case does not have to be mutilated in any manner in order to receive this playerpiano phonograph. The only restrictions involve the use of a three panel top frame. This is for a left panel must be provided to open and expose the turntable to receive the records.
Of course, the playerpiano is fundamental and of first importance, but this new invention permits dealers to sell their customers two instruments in one - a playerpiano and phonograph."
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Photographs and a drawing accompany this article.
It's interesting to see on the same page an ad for a Weydig Piano Corporation "Radi-O-Player", that instead of a record player, has a radio set in the upper left panel by the stack. Neat!
- K a r l B. E l l i s o n
Ashland, Massachusetts U.S.A.
KBEllison@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/kbellison/kbe.html
[ Editor's Note: Is this book out of print ? I'd sure like
[ to find a copy of it some time...
[
[ Jody
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(Message sent Mon 23 Sep 1996, 22:31:11 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.) |
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