Cremona Nickelodeon Mechanics
Text & photos by Don Teach & Robbie
Rhodes
Cremona brand instruments were made by
Marquette Piano Co., Chicago.
Fig 2-1. Early Cremona transmission. The horizontal axle
below turns the cone pulleys
for play mode only, rewind power is via the ladder chain drive.
This is the only design
commonly seen in which the round leather belt runs at a slow speed.
Fig. 2-2. Late Cremona transmission. The big ladder
chain for rewind is still used,
but instead
of the leather belt and cone pulleys, a flat wheel and adjustable
rubber tire drive mechanism
turn the takeup spool.
Fig 2-3. Cremona pump. A worm in the middle of the crankshaft
turns a worm gear
that drives the spool frame via the horizontal shaft.