The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, has a nickelodeon
that has problems rewinding.  This problem is aggravated because of
the large diameter of the 15-song rolls being played.  The outer wrap
of paper is even with the side roll flanges when loaded on the top
feed spool.  This extra diameter on the top roll causes the paper
rewind speed to be greatly increased when getting close to the start
of the roll.  The roll frame is exactly the same as this unit posted
on the MMD many years ago at

  http://www.mmdigest.com/Gallery/Tech/SpoolF/gloeggler.html 

There is a simple brake on the right side of the bottom spool that when
adjusted properly, the paper doesn't lift off the tracker bar when
switching from rewind to play.  The problem being that if this leather
strap and spring brake has too much drag, the roll will stop in the
middle of the rewind cycle because there isn't enough power in the
rewind motor to overcome this friction.  If the brake tension is set so
the paper will rewind properly, then the paper lifts off the tracker
bar and shuts down the vacuum motor when the rewind cycle switches into
play.

I was wondering if I can replace the current rewind motor (style 2Z811,
120 RPM) with a 1MBF9 motor which is only 66 RPM but is over two times
the torque.  A 90 RPM motor would be ideal but they don't seem to make
it.  I am worried about the extra drag of the rewind motor on the paper
when in play mode since the rewind motor doesn't disengage when in play
mode.  Any ideas about this type of change will be welcome (good or
bad).

Pete Knobloch
Tempe, Arizona

 [ The simplest solution is to split the big roll into two small rolls!
 [ ;-)  Otherwise, maybe the existing gearmotor could be replaced with
 [ a variable speed motor.  The belt-driven spool frame pictured at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Gallery/Tech/SpoolF/gloeggler.html  has been
 [ identified as built 1975-1984 by George Cooper of Mechanical Music
 [ Mfg. Co., Wichita, Kansas.  -- Robbie