Musical Box

Musical Box, a case containing a mechanism which, when the spring is wound up, plays tunes automatically. Teeth projecting from a barrel (as in a barrel-organ or a mechanical peal of chimes) impinge on and set vibrating the tongues cut out in comb or steel plate; the difference of tone being due to the greater length and breadth of the teeth. The larger and better boxes, some of which play many tunes after one winding up, can be regulated in pace by a fly regulator, with flat wings, which catch the air. The invention dates from about the middle of the 18th century. Switzerland (especially Geneva) is the headquarters of the manufacture.