Deck the Halls Unique Music Box

The deck the halls unique music box is approximately 3.5 inches long, 2� inches wide and 1 inch tall when the box is closed. When the deck the halls unique music box is open it is approximately 5.5 inches long. When the deck the halls unique music box is wound it will play the much loved carol, Deck the Halls. The animation is in a 2 by 2 inch section of the music box. The center scene is a Christmas tree. In the second ring of the music box five dancing couples rotate around the Christmas tree. The walls are painted like a grand ballroom. Against one wall is a band with a piano, two cellos and a horn. Against the other walls are people sitting on sofas or standing and watching the dancers. Even the outside cover of the box has a beautiful picture of a grand ballroom full of elegantly dressed people.

Note: Do Not Over Wind. Over winding will lock or damage the music box mechanism.

Operating instructions.

Carefully open the box and pull out the unit inside.
Gently push the inside tray from right to left until full extended to find the wind up key.
Turn the wind up key. Be very careful not to over wind. You will permanently damage the music box mechanism.
Gently push the inside tray from left to right until full extended and the song will start to play and the figures will move.
Wind up the unit again by repeating steps 1 to 3 if you wish to continue playing.
To stop, push the inside tray from right to left.

What is a Music Box?
The music box is a 19th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder so as to strike the tuned teeth of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called �Carillons a Musique.� Some of the more complex boxes also have tiny drum and small bells, in addition to the metal comb. Alec Templeton, an avid collector of music boxes and a professional concert musician, once noted that the tone of a musical box is unlike that of any musical instrument.

Coin Operated Music Boxes.
In Switzerland and the United States coin operated music boxes, usually capable of playing several tunes, were installed in train stations and amusement parks. Some of the models had a mechanism for automatically changing the metal disks. These were the precursors to jukeboxes. However, since they produced music instead of playing back any sound, including human voices singing, they soon disappeared from their intended venues, displaced by the jukebox.
Because most of the coin operated music boxes were built for rough treatment many of these large models have survived into the 21st century, despite their relatively low production quantities. They are eagerly sought by collectors who have the space for their large or very large cabinets.

Music Box Elements.

The bedpan is the relatively heavy metal foundation on which all the other pieces are fastened usually by screws.
The ratchet lever or the windup key is used to put the spring motor under tension, or to wind it up.
The spring motor or motors, 2 or more can be used to make playing times longer, give anywhere form a few minutes to an hour or more of playing time.
The comb is a flat piece of metal with dozens or even hundreds of tuned teeth of different lengths.
The cylinder is the programming object, a metallic version of a punched card which instead of having holes to express a program, is studded with tiny pins at the correct spacing to produce music by striking the teeth of the comb at the correct time. This function is played by the disc in a disc music box.
The disc is the programming object, a metallic version of a punched card which like it has holes to express a program, star wheels which turn with the disc produce music by striking the teeth of the comb at the correct time. This function is played by the cylinder in a cylinder music box.