Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #083 - 1982 - January [International Arcade Museum]
Put Another Nickle In
Continued from page 43
takeup spool above the tracker bar, while the WurliTzer-
made changer has a smaller takeup spool located
under the tracker bar and roll changing mechanism.
The subject of this article is the American, WurliTzer-
manufactured mechanism.
WurliTzer was proud of their roll changer, and they
let the world know it One ad humbly proclaims "This
invention means as much to the production of auto
matic music as the multiple printing press means to
newspaper printing. The WurliTzer Music Roll Changer
is a mechanical device built on the principle of the
original Ferris Wheel of the Chicago World's Fair. This
device has been pronounced a marvel of mechanical
ingenuity and effectiveness. We have been at work on
it for many years, knowing that when perfected, it
would revolutionize the automatic musical instrument
business, and place the WurliTzer instruments so far
beyond other makes that all comparison would cease."
Despite WurliTzer*s enthusiam, over the years of
production as published in The Encyclopedia of Auto
matic Musical Instruments, over 5,400 models A, B, C,
D, DB, I and IB were made (with ordinary single-roll
spoolboxes), while just over 3,700 models AX, AXB, BX,
CX, DX, EX, IX, IXB and LX were made (with roll
changers). In WurliTzer terminology, the X suffix
denotes a roll changer.
Two basic varieties of WurliTzer-manufactured
changers were made: the earlier style with a chain
drive on the right side to drive the lower drive shaft for
the changer mechanism, and the later style with a
geared vertical driveshaft replacing the chain. The
earlier style has a tempo adjustment knob on a vertical
threaded shaft sticking up out of the right side, while
the later style has a stamped metal bracket in front of
the takeup spool, with a speed control knob which
slides in a horizontal slot See illustrations 1 and 2 for
the two basic varieties.
With the exception of the drive chain vs. the drive
shaft, the early and late style changers operate on the
same principle. This article concentrates on the later
style and complements the original "Instructions for
care of WurliTzer Roll Changer published by WurliTzer
and reprinted by the Vestal Press. (Stock number B-13,
available from the publisher or Coin Slot books). The
beautifully reprinted 16 page 9x12" booklet includes
instructions for oiling, cleaning the tracker bar, adjusting
the music roll spools* lists of parts with original WurliTzer
identification numbers for old and new style changers,
and instructions for the care of the gear standard
which connects the motor drive shaft to the pumping
bellows in the bottom of the case. This article does not
pretend to be a comprehensive treatise on the restor
ation of the roll changer, but rather is a supplement to
the WurliTzer booklet to make the basic operation of
the changer more easily understandable to someone
who has never completely disassembled or studied its
operation. The article conforms to the original termi
nology and nomenclature.
Following are some of the major features and parts
of the changer mechanism:
The ferris wheel which holds the music rolls is called
the "reel." The six rolls on their "spools" are held
between a spring-loaded "music spool bearing" (22X)
on the left side, and the "music spool driving shaft" (8X)
on the right side. Attached to the right end of each
music spool driving shaft is a "music spool rewinding
disc" (7X) for rewinding the roll. Each music roll leader
has a wire fastened to the end, and the wire is held to
the reel with "latches" (10X) when the roll is fully
rewound. The reel and other mechanisms are supported
by the left-hand and right-hand "side plates." It is
important to make the distinction between the reel and
its associated parts (the ferris wheel or carriage) and
"This article does not pretend
to be a comprehensive treatise
on the role changer,
but rather is a supplement
to the WurliTzer booklet
to make the basic operation
of the changer
more understandable to someone
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International
Arcade
Museum
COIN
SLOT
the roll (the music roll and spool).
On the right side, to the left of the right side plate, is a
transmission which may be latched in play, rewind or
neutral. The casting which engages and disengages
the "rewind disc" (61X) for rewind and "driving pinion
for takeup spool" (246X) for play is called the "bell
crank for reversing" (56X). More of a yoke than bell
crank, this casting may be latched into neutral manually
with the "stop cam" (183X) or automatically during the
roll changing cycle with the "rewind release lever and
cam" (101X) and "connecting linka"
On the left side is located a clutch consisting of "bell
crank" (34X), "driving disc for turning reel" (38X) and
"sprocket for turning reel" (39X). When this clutch is
engaged, the "reel turning shaft" which runs horizontally
across the bottom of the changer under the takeup
spool drives the left hand chain, turning the "sprocket
for revolving reel" (23X). One revolution of the large
sprocket 23X equals one change cycle, rotating the
reel 1/6 of a revolution to a new roll by means of the
"reel turning cam" (17X), threading the new roll leader
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
January 1982