John Kleinbauer wrote in MMDigest 981225:

> The unit had a crank, a large wide rubber band with nubs on it and
> a row of thin metal rods.  When the unit was cranked the large rubber
> band would move and the nubs would pluck the thin metal rods.  ...
> I then figured out it was the insides of a "Jack in the Box" because
> it played "Pop Goes the Weasel".

John Rhodes reminded me that this device was patented long ago
(probably in the 1930s), and licensed to Mattel Toys, by a man
named Duncan.

This invention is a significant development to the storage of
"binary music data", and it's related to the Lador Musicano, which
has pins inserted into a plank.  (See http://mmd.foxtail.com/Pictures).

I feel that the method of the "rubber-band music box" ranks in
significance with the pinned barrel and punched disc, partly because
the rubber music band can be mass-produced by moulding (like phono
discs).

Robbie Rhodes