[ Re MMD 040710, "Blow-a-Tune" Player Panpipe Musical Toy ]

Dear Phillip & Bea:

"Blow-a-Tune" was made by Kenner Products, Cincinnati, OH, c. 1949.
Cardboard discs are punched to play a tune on 10 fixed plastic organ
pipes.  The player's air power operates the pipes as the handle turns
the disc.  It retailed for $1.00.  US Patent 2,506,039 filed Apr 22,
1949 by Moses Sivitz, assigned to the Bromo-Mint Company, Cincinnati,
OH.

It appears that the Lawrence Welk Music Maker is the Blow-A-Tune
re-issued in the 1950's to leverage the popularity of Lawrence Welk's
name.  The patent diagram makes an interesting exhibit item and would
be a good addition to the "Begin Here" web pages.

I have found many of the U.S. patents for musical boxes, including many
musical toys.  They are available for download from the US Patent
Office at no charge (we taxpayers have already paid for them!).  Here
are a few of the toys and their patents:

Rolmonica and Chromatic Rolmonica Made by Rolmonica Music Company,
Baltimore, MD, c. 1925.  Played by blowing or inhaling on a mouthpiece
while turning the winding handle to advance a punched paper roll.
Plays a 12-note harmonica having 2 sets of reeds, one for inhaling and
one for exhaling.  The Chromatic version plays on a 16-note harmonica.
US Patent 1,560,497 filed Jul 19, 1922 by Joseph Leroy Banks of
Baltimore, MD and a later patent 1,720,991 filed Dec 14, 1927 also by
Mr. Banks.

Play-a-Sax Made by QRS-DeVry in Chicago, IL, c. 1929.  Manually
operated by blowing into the Saxophone and turning the winding handle
to advance a punched paper roll.  Plays on a 16-note harmonica,
identical to the Chromatic Rolmonica. Cost $3.50 including 2 rolls in
1929.  US Patent 1,752,978 filed Apr 12, 1929 by Henry O. Drotning of
New York, NY.

Turn-A-Tune No. 350 Made by Kenner Products,  Cincinnati, OH, c. 1958.
Manually operated by a turning handle.  The songs are programmed on
7-1/4" diameter cardboard discs that operate strikers on 8 tuned steel
bars.  Comes with eight discs (8 tunes). US Patent 2,769,362 filed Mar
29, 1954 by Albert Weinstein, Wilton Woods, VA.

Music Maker Books Made by Mattel, Inc.,  Los Angeles, CA, c. 1959.
A complete set of musical children's books was made from 1951 through
the late 1960's.  Each book has a story and also contains a unique
"rubber band" musical box that plays on 12 tuned steel bars.  US Patent
2,504,632 filed Oct 14, 1949 by N.  Paul Blair, Los Angeles, Ca.,
assigned to Mattel Creations, Inc, Culver City, CA. Another similar
patent 2,647,427 was filed Mar 4, 1950 by Theodore R. Duncan, North
Hollywood, CA.

Strum-Fun Getar No. 655 Made by Mattel, Inc.,  Hawthorne, CA, c. 1959.
Played by the strings as a regular guitar and also plays a 3" diameter
disc operating a musical box with 12 notes located in the back of the
guitar body.  The yellow lever is pushed down to advance the plastic
disc and pluck the tuned steel teeth in the music box.  US Patent
2,735,328 filed Oct 2, 1950 by Joseph F. Banzo and Theodore R. Duncan,
North Hollywood, CA, and assigned to Duncan.

Musical Radio No. 795 Made by Fisher Price Toys, East Aurora, NY, c.
1963.  Spring-wound motor operates Japanese-made cylinder musical box
and a moving visual in the window above the yellow winding knob.  US
Patent 3,114,216 filed May 18, 1060 by Ralph W. Crawford and Leslie W.
Sly assignors to Fisher-Price Toys, Inc., East Aurora, NY.

Razz-Ma-Tazz Player Piano Made by Hubley, Lancaster, PA, c. 1965.
Manually operated.  Eight songs are programmed on each of two plastic
cylinders.  A song is selected using the lever below the keyboard.  The
keyboard is pressed that turns the cylinder and activates the strikers
against a set of 8 tuned tin bars.  US Patent 3,195,390 filed Jan 23,
1963 by Marvin Glasser, Gordon A.  Barlow and Henry Stan assignors to
Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, IL.

Fisher Price Record Player No. 995 Made by Fisher Price Toys, East
Aurora, NY, c. 1972.  A spring wound motor drives 4-3/4" diameter
center-driven plastic discs programmed with music, one tune on each
side.  A Swiss-made disc musical movement is contained in the head of
the tone arm. US Patent 3,710,668 filed Feb 24, 1972 by David P. Van
Slice and Paul A. Martin assigned to Quaker Oats Co., Chicago, IL.

Tuneyville Player Piano No. 1024 Made by Tomy Corp, Carson, CA Mfg in
Thailand, c. 1978.  Battery-operated motor operates a fan that provides
air to blow through 2 plastic pipes.  Holes in the pipes are covered by
pads to create the 8 notes as a real flute.  Can be played by the 8
white keys as a real piano or by the operation of a 3" diameter
tooth-edged plastic disc (4 included), each programmed with 2 songs,
one on each side.  A music book was included.  US Patent 4,185,533
filed Nov 13, 1978 by Kenzo Akiyama and Masaru Ogihara of Tokyo,
assigned to Tomy Kogyo Co., Tokyo.

Tuneyville Choo Choo No. 1006 Made by Tomy Corp, Carson, CA Mfg in
Thailand, c. 1980.  Similar to the Tuneyville Player Piano, without
keys but operating from the same discs.  Uses 8 pipes, rather than only
2.  This toy adds the motion of the moving train engine across the
floor as the musical disc is played.  US Patent 3,982,459 filed Feb 13,
1975 by Kenzo Akiyama, Long Beach, CA assigned to Tomy Kogyo Co.,
Tokyo.

Musically yours,
Bill Wineburgh
http://members.aol.com/WWineburgh/