This weekend, in an antique shop, I ran across 6 disks of music from
a mechanical device apparently called a "No. 48 Zilotone", made by
Wolverine Supply & Mfg. Co., in Pittsburgh, Pa.  The patent number on
the disks, 1777712, is from 1930.  (The player was nowhere to be
found, just the disks.)

Each disk was a two-piece sandwich of metal, approx. 3 - 4 inches in
diameter, with the top one being bigger, and painted a bright color
(yellow, orange, etc.).  The outer circumference of the top disk was
irregular -- it had very small "steps" cut into it -- apparently that
is how the tune's note information was stored.

My question is, has anybody ever heard of the Zilotone?  What was it,
some sort of music box?  How did the notes change by reading the
circumference steps?

Rick Inzero, Rochester, NY, rdi@cci.com