Introduction of  M. and H. Marxsen (Liederbach / Germany)

 Musical Boxes are the Hobby of  Hauke Marxsen 

Cylinder Movement (smaller Category)

I would like to tell you about smaller movements. 
You get them with 1 to 4 tunes per cylinder and 12 to 72 teeth per comb. 
It consist out of a cylinder, a comb, a speed controller, a  lever to switch it on and 
off and a spring in a capsule to let it run. If there are 2 or more tunes on a cylinder 
a  tunechanger is needed. It will shift the cylinder a millimeter aside after each rotation; 
then other pins are activ. If all tunes are played the cylinder will jump back to the beginning.

Musical Box Movement
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- Cylinder - a tube with small embedded pins.

Cylinder with Pins
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- Comb - steel plate with a series of tuned teeth 
which plucked by the pins of the cylinder;
short teeth ===> high note; 
long teeth ===> low note.

Comb
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To get a note lower  - a small lead weight is attached  underneath a tooth. 
A small plastic strip underneath the tip of a tooth is the damper. 
After a tooth has been plucked it will vibrate for a while. If the next 
pin comes into contact with a tooth which is still vibrating, a raspy 
or buzzing sound will be the outcome. If there is a damper the next 
pin will contact at first the damper; the vibration will stop and after 
that the tooth will be plucked.

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- Spring - in a capsule. Smaller movements  mainly get wind up with a key under the 
bottom of a box. Via  rack-wheels the power of the spring will let rotate the cylinder.

Barrel with Spring
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- Speed Controller - an upright shaft; in the upper part a crosswise standing stripe of metal. 
Via  rack-wheels there is a connection to the cylinder. The spring will let rotate the 
shaft and the stripe of metal is twirl the air. A constant rotating speed is adjusted.

Speed Controller

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