Hi, Its been a few years since I've been here.  I'm starting on a new
project, and I realize it is a bit of an odd duck, but I'm hoping there
are smarter folks than me here that can shed some light on this for me.

I have an American Automatic Piano Company "Pianette".  It is a disc
operated piano, identical to the F.G. Otto Pianette advert pictured in
Bowers' Encyclopedia on page 494.  I see nothing in the Encyclopedia
about the American Automatic Piano Company.  Did Otto's partner spin
this off after Otto stopped producing instruments in 1909?

The discs are almost identical in manufacture to Criterion Discs, so
I assume it is the Pianette of F.G. Otto's design.

This one, sadly, had the spring and coin mechanisms removed around
1930? (my guess, based on the age of the motor and transformers found
in the case).  It was built to still accept coins (10 cent) and run
electrically.  The discs were modified to have a start notch on the
right side where a limit switch was added to ride on the edge of the
disc.  The drive gearing was moved to the left side (while facing it)
of the disc mechanism, and is chain driven from the worm drive motor.

My understanding is that this machine resided at a restaurant in
Phoenix for over 60 years until the firm closed it doors recently.
I'm guessing that I will rebuild it as an electric machine unless
anyone knows of Criterion parts that are available that would work
in this machine.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Scott Currier
http://www.currierandives.com/ 
scurrier@yahoo.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ A Google search on "American Automatic Piano Company" returns mention
 [ of a New Jersey corporation of circa 1905.  -- Robbie

 [ Case view
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/15/06/13/150613_190357_Pianette%20001.JPG 

 [ Maker/Patent information
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/15/06/13/150613_190357_Pianette%20002.JPG 

 [ Piano Mechanism
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/15/06/13/150613_190357_Pianette%20003.JPG 

 [ Former location of missing spring driven mechanism
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/15/06/13/150613_190357_Pianette%20005.JPG