FOR SALE: Zilotone Childs Toy Xylophone - SOLD

[kendphono]

This sale is for three Zilotone children’s toys. It is not exactly a phonograph, but it shares many of the same characteristics. It is spring wound, plays a disc and plays music. The disc has two cams. One controls the up and down of the hammer and the other moves the clown to the correct note. There is one disc, “The sidewalks of New York”. One of the players is almost completely restored and the other two are basically parts machines, but restorable. Two have working springs. These are fun machines to get working and they actually play the tune quite well. I want $100 plus shipping for the set of three. Payment to be made by check. If interested, contact me at [email protected].

The following is some information about the toy.

The Zilotone was invented by Howard N. Barnum of Cleveland, Ohio. On October 7, 1930. The model No. 48 Zilotone was produced by the Wolverine Supply and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The design itself was quite simple. The clown plays the Xylophone with two basic movements. An up and down stroke of its arms is used to strike the various bars. A sideways motion of the entire body is used to select the proper note. In Barnum's patent illustration, the various mechanical parts and their assembly are illustrated. In essence, a rod rides a spiral track on the changeable disc and then drops off. This in turn causes the arm of the figure to rise and then drop, striking a note. At the same time a rack and pinion arrangement is used to turn the figure back and forth, positioning the hammer over the desired note in the tune sequence.

The final production model was considerably simplified and improved over the original patent by riveting a second serrated disk to the cam plate. Each serration acts through simple levers on a spring-loaded rod that runs through the body of the figure which in turn moves the arms and striker up and down. This has the great advantage of permitting phrasing in the music as wherever a tooth is not cut on the serrated disk a pause or rest will occur. These are synchronized with the notes selected by the contours of the cam disk to which the serrated disk is riveted.

The Zilotone was introduced in 1930 and was last catalogued in 1935. When first sold the Zilotone was priced at $2.50 and included a set of six tune discs. Although the price changed little over the following six years, the number of disks included declined from six to three. Optional sets of disks were available at three for .50 cents. There were nine disks available.
These were:
200 Wearing of the Green 201 My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean;
202 Good Night Ladies 203 Listen to the Mocking Birds;
204 Silent Night 205 Yankee Doodle;
206 Sidewalks of New York 207 My Old Kentucky Home;
208 Farmer in the Dell

[fonograph]

SOLD.
I'll take it Ken.
Bob