The Music House Museum recently received a donation of an Angelus
Orchestral, a very early push-up player also equipped with organ reeds,
made by Wilcox and White (circa perhaps 1897).  The instrument is
generally in very good condition, with some restoration performed
occasionally over the last 30 years.  Additional actions are ongoing
to prep this machine for display.

During this review, a question has arisen concerning the arrangement of
a subsystem consisting of a medium size bellows and a smaller bellows.
This is called a "choker" on the cutaway diagram from the manufacturer.
It was used to govern the volume of play.  The attached photos show the
component as we have received it, another photo shows a portion of a
shop diagram outlining the choker components, numbers 1 and 2.

The diagram shows the open end of each bellows facing each other, with
the smaller engaging the larger by  a screw mounted on a tab projecting
from the moveable leaf of the smaller bellows.  The arrangement of these
parts as we have received them is much different: the smaller bellows
faces away from the larger bellows, and the tab/screw is missing.

As now installed, this component would seem unable to affect playback
volume.  Removal of leather from the small bellows shows a very faint
footprint for something attached to the end of the movable leaf --
perhaps something is missing?

A number of player piano actions had roll motor governors incorporating
a small bellows opposing a larger bellows as part of a subsystem to
stabilise the vacuum during play.  We suspect this was also the case
here, and the mechanism was re-assembled wrongly sometime in the past.

Another pair of photos shows the celluloid escutcheons for control
levers used to change intensity, or accent notes during play.  The
labels on these are badly faded.  Does anyone have replacements in
better condition, or know of a source to create a replacement ?

Does anyone have experience with this machine, and could give guidance
on the "choker" subsystem arrangement, or more generally comment on
any other "surprises' that might arise during rehabilitation?   The
Museum would greatly appreciate your help.

John Acton - Music House Museum
Acme, Michigan (just north of Traverse City)
http://musichouse.org/ 
info@musichouse.org.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ These images weren't received (too big?) so ask John to email
 [ them separately:
 [
 [   IMG_4208.jpg (575K)
 [   IMG_4205.jpg (1,972K)
 [   IMG_20190714_132135811.jpg (4,427K)
 [   IMG_20190714_132155557.jpg (4,269K)
 [
 [ Photos of Horatio Asborno's instrument in Argentina are at
 [ https://www.facebook.com/pg/PianolasYRollosEnLaPatagoniaArgentina/photos/?tab=album&album_id=398779790162443 
 [
 [ Search on "Angelus Orchestral" within the index at
 [ http://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/KWIC/O/orchestral.html 
 [ -- Editor (Robbie)

 [ If we receive copies of these photos, I'll add them to this message in
 [ the MMD Archives.  --Jody