The primary motive of the manufacturer was to produce a product that would generate profits for the buyer and the seller. These purposes have been distorted today by the people who own or wish to own these devices.
In the past few years the boxes have gained a certain aura likened to an art form. This may indeed be true. Nevertheless, they are still a complex device subject to many problems. A piece of furniture or a painting may give years of enjoyment with a minimum of maintenance. This is not true with the jukebox. It must be viewed in its entirety. To completely appreciate a jukebox one must see the inside as well as the outside.
The various manufacturers marched to different drummers and came up with their own terminology for the components used. There is a need for a common language for fellow buffs to communicate. If this endeavor is successful, a Wurlitzer owner may even understand a Seeburg owner's language.
It would probably be easier for a novice to gain this knowledge than a person indoctrinated by a specific terminology. However, there may be hope for all.
For instance, the coin handling works have been called "slug rejector," "coin rejector," "coin acceptor," "coin changer" and many other things. The most common term now used is "slug rejector." This now could be considered generic since it has been used for fifty years.
Items that have a common name in the industry should be considered generic.
In describing the various systems used in a jukebox, common terms will be
used. Items that have a specific name by one manufacturer and another by others
will be assigned a name that hopefully will be understood by all. We will
now try to break down the whole into working systems that make a jukebox.
The money system will deal with the coins from the time they leave the music
lover's hand until retrieved by the collector person.
The credit system will deal with the direct effect of the money system on
enabling the patron to play music.
The selection system will deal with the ability of the patron to select chosen
tunes.
The memory system will deal with selections stored until played.
The record playing mechanism functions:
Start up: Places the mechanism in a hunting mode to find a selected tune stored in the memory, once a selection is made.
Finding: A selection is found. "Stopping the search."
Transfer: Taking a selected record from storage to playing position. Initiated by the "stopping."
Clear memory: Occurs sometime during transfer.
Playing: The selected record is now on the turntable and the tone arm has
descended to the lead in groove.
Rotating record: The turntable motor has started turning sometime between
start up and playing position.
Amplification: Raising the music taken from record to an audible level. This is the work done by the amplifier.
Speakers: To convert the amplified music back to sound waves similar to which the artists originally roduced.
Termination of tune: Place mechanism in return mode, removing record to storage and starting hunting for more tunes if selected.
Many of these systems overlap each another and some continuity may be lost
in specific chapters.
In the beginning, the designers were either naive or we had a more honest clientele. The early systems were not much more than a straight drop from the entry to the coin box. On the way the coin hit a paddle or lever to let the credit system know that something just went to the coin box (never mind what). (The collector person will find that out when he comes.)
Incensed collector persons let their discomfort be known to the designers. Some early remedies consisted of a sizing slot in the side of the chute to divert undersized slugs to limbo. This helped until ingenious individuals got adept at producing proper size slugs. Magnets were added, this too helped. Aluminum was discovered. Now we must weigh the coin.
The answer was the slug rejector. Sounds good on paper. The first ones were crude and complicated and transferred the problem from the collector person to the serviceperson. At the introduction of this marvelous device, the manufacturers were overcome with joy. To affirm their faith in this device, they put them in the most inaccessible places imaginable in the cabinets, probably assuming they would need no service. The slug rejectors were well protected from the serviceperson but not from the soda and beer fed to the box based on the assumption that this would improve the quality of music. Years later the slug rejector was refined some and placed in a spot where a normal sized person could gain access. These later jewels check the size, weight, hardness and electrical conductivity of the various coins and divert them to proper paths to send information to the credit system via coin switches and wires. Their existence is now questionable in boxes placed in homes. They can be altered to be less discriminating to imperfect coins.
Around this heart of the money system lies entries, chutes, rods, choke wires, levers, paddles, more chutes and assorted gadgets to hasten the coin to it's rightful place in the money box. And also deliver bad coins back to the insertor. If the coin was too bad for passage, it would hang up. First the player is obliged to bump, slap, jostle and finally kick the box. After many attempts fail, the patron is instructed to manipulate a furnished coin return lever or button. However this is used only as a last resort.
In the slapping procedure the person learns that well directed blows in proper places will vibrate the coin paddles and sends false information to the credit unit and give free plays. In extreme cases the entire coin works would be mounted on springs or rubbers in an effort to prevent this. You will find damaged sides on boxes as evidence. Slug rejectors may be removed and cleaned in a dishwasher if domestic tranquillity can be maintained.
The current awareness of a large segment of the population to the jukebox has been limited to such things as design and form. There is a wealth of information dealing in this and the history of the industry to be found elsewhere.
There is a need to acquaint the interested person with a basic theory of the inner workings of these devices. All technical publications were written for persons working for dealers and attended seminars conducted by the manufacturers.