Cremona Dual-Cone Drive

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Illustration from Cremona Style J orchestrion #10842. This example of an intermediate style spoolbox illustrates a beltless drive system consisting of gears, chains, and a simple cone type drive arrangement fitted with an intermediate adjustable friction wheel that allowed for easy adjustment of the music tempo. This new system replaced the last leather belt with a friction wheel that also sometimes slipped. Instructions told the operator to apply rosin to the leather friction wheel, a remedy that helped but had to be renewed occasionally. In this picture, the cone on the drive shaft driven by the pump crankshaft gearing is in the back.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Illustration from Cremona Style G orchestrion #11031. This view shows a variation on the dual-cone drive, with the cone in front being attached to the main drive shaft. A chain from the adjustable speed rear cone connects to the music roll's take-up spool. The idler friction wheel is continuously adjustable left or right over the range of the two cones by a lever assembly attached to an easy to reach control knob located underneath the keyboard. The position of the idler wheel determines the music roll speed and music tempo.