(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. This beautifully restored specimen has 43 polished brass whistles and can be played either manually by keyboard or automatically by a music roll. The front access panel has been removed to show the interior components. Near the bottom of the compartment is the pneumatic stack with lever bars on the front side that pull down on connector rods attached to a metal key lever attached to the bottom side of each black and white key. When a key is depressed it opens a corresponding valve in the pressure chest that blows the appropriate whistle.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Detail view of the key connector rods in a Calliaphone. Attached to the underside of each key is a thin metal lever or strap that projects forward. At the front edge there is a small hole in the lever, but large enough so that the key connector rod fits loosely through the hole. The top end of the key connector rod is threaded, on which is screwed two adjustable leather nuts with felt washers. The top nut is adjusted so that when both the key and the stack pneumatic are at rest the nut and washer are just lightly touching the top side of the key lever. This allows the key to be at its uppermost position, but when the stack pneumatic is activated the key will be fully depressed, thereby causing the corresponding whistle to speak. The lower nut is adjusted so that when the calliope is played by hand a key can be fully depressed without interfering with the motor pneumatics making up the stack.

The pneumatic stack is near the bottom of the picture, and at the front of the stack is a row of lever bars, one for each playing note. The bottom of each key connecting rod is bent into a hook shape, which then easily snaps into a slot in the bottom front side of a lever bar. The wooden lever bars pivot near their center balance point, with the other or back end connected by another wire rod to a motor pneumatic on the stack.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Detail view of the front end of the metal key levers or straps that are attached to the underside of each key. Looking at the lever at far left the small hole in the end of the lever used to accommodate a key connector rod is visible.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

A partial row of unit pneumatics in the pneumatic stack in Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. To the front is a row of wooden lever bars that pivot near their balance point, and are supported by a sturdy wooden framework that, like the stack itself, is attached to blocks fastened to the inside surface of the cabinet. On the front bottom edge of each lever bar is a notch fitted with a spring arrangement that captures the hook shaped end of the key connector rod when it is snapped into the notch. The back end of each lever bar is attached to a motor pneumatic by another wire rod. There are four tiers of motor pneumatics, and on the top side of each one is a metal unit valve. In this picture only the top row of pneumatics with their unit valves are fully visible, with the second row underneath only marginally visible.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Individual metal unit valve with attached motor pneumatic. The unit valve assembly is attached to the motor pneumatic by four woods-crews, and the whole assembly can then be further attached to the stack header or channel board using just two wood screws through the integral flange at picture right. Quick removal of the unit valve makes for easy servicing when the Calliaphone is out on the road giving performances. The two nubs projecting out beyond the flange are actually hollow passageways that connect with the stack's vacuum supply chamber. Access to the leathered valve disc can be had by removing the circular atmospheric valve seat with the knurled outer edge. The actuating pouch, which is underneath the valve disc and within a special recessed area, can be accessed from the bottom side by unscrewing the metal valve body from the stationary part of the pneumatic, the top of the pneumatic acting as an air tight seal for the bottom side of the metal valve body. The sloped area to the left of the valve opening is an air channel to the interior of the pneumatic, which lines up with a hole bored into the wood slat.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Interior construction of the pneumatic stack. With the stack's vacuum cover removed it is possible to see the rubber tubing distribution method for communicating the tracker bar signal to each unit-valve assembly. The tracker bar is connected to the elbows protruding out of the bottom of the stack, with internal individual rubber tubes connected to an elbow whose location is coincidental with the pouch channel in the valve/motor pneumatic assembly that is screwed to the outside of the vacuum chamber. The two holes slightly above and on either side of the pouch channel match up with the two vacuum ports that project out from the metal valve assembly.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Front view of a Calliaphone four-tier pneumatic stack without the lever bars in the way. At the bottom front of the stack and running its full width is the bleed block, with individual machine screws threaded into the wood cover over each bleed, so that, if necessary, a bleed can be accessed for cleaning. The brass elbows protruding downward at the bottom edge of the stack channel board are for connecting rubber tubing to the tracker bar.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

The Calliaphone pressure chest. With the keyboard removed the pressure chest with two rows of key valves is revealed. The key valves sit directly under the keyboard. There is one valve for each of the 43 keys. The operating plunger for each key valve is spring-loaded to keep the valve assembly up and closed. At the top of each plunger assembly is a felt pad that the key contacts when it is depressed, thereby pushing the valve plunger down, causing the corresponding whistle to speak.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Detail close-up of the pressurized key valves. Inserted into the chest board (which forms the valve seat for each valve) is a metal elbow. At the top of each elbow is an up-standing metal tube that acts as a guide and pressure seal for the valve stem, which protrudes upward and is topped by a hex shaped metal nut with a felt pad on its top end. Between the metal guide tube and the hex nut is a coil spring that keeps the valve up and in the closed position. On the horizontal part of the metal elbow that extends out toward the back side a rubber hose is connected that goes to the appropriate whistle. The valves are arranged in two rows and spaced horizontally to coincide with the spacing of the piano keys.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

The impressive array of 43 polished brass whistles atop Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. The whistles are easily removed by simply unscrewing each pipe from the threaded connector located under each whistle.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168, with the backside access panel removed to reveal the roll frame and associated mechanisms. Above the roll frame some of the hoses below the whistles that lead to the wind-chest are partially visible.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

The roll frame and associated mechanisms in Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. The white hose at lower left is the vacuum supply, which is connected to a small vacuum reservoir on the floor of the compartment.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

Close-up of the roll frame's geared transmission in Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. The transmission either moves the music roll forward for playing, or rewinds the roll at high speed. The brass guide at the edge of the tracker bar serves to keep the roll in place and helps to prevent such things as the paper "looping" off of the tracker bar when going from rewind to play.

(Photograph courtesy of Paul Manganaro.)

Nameplate for Tangley Model C-A 43 Calliaphone #1168. The nameplate ratings are: Tuned: 1 lb. pressure; Gauge Pressure: 1-1/4 lbs.; Speed Blower: 700 RPM; Pressure Range: 1 to 1-1/4 lbs.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Roll label for Tangley Special music roll No. 20 for the Calliaphone. Tangley did not arrange nor cut the music rolls they sold for the Tangley Calliaphone. They were standard 65-note rewind type electric piano rolls, commonly known as "A" rolls, which were made by the Clark Orchestra Roll Company.

(Photograph courtesy of Dana Johnson.)

Roll label for Tangley music roll No. 948. This is a Clark Orchestra Roll Company label with the Tangley name pasted over the underlying Clark logo. This "Tangley" roll has the identical tune lineup as the usual Clark 948 roll that does not have a Tangley label. Just below the pasted on Tangley overlay is the notation: "For 65-Note Rewind Electric Pianos." As was the case, "A" rolls as used on air calliopes that had player mechanisms were standard coin piano music rolls.