The Ramey Banjo-Orchestra
(made by the Ramey Piano Company)

The new Ramey Banjo-Orchestra shown in an Oak case, with the front access doors opened to fully reveal the banjo and percussive trapwork.
Top Section: At the center is the automatic banjo, with the piano action visible on either side. At top left is the snare drum, with both a reiterating and single stroke beater. The wood block is directly below and midway between the snare drum triangle. The bass drum is at top right, with the tambourine in front of the bottom portion. The castanets are below the tambourine.

Bottom Section: The music roll frame is at top center, with various control devices scattered at left and behind. The bottom front side of the feeder pumps are partially visible just below the reddish stained music roll shelf. The black yoked fittings are attachment points for the crankshaft connecting sticks. The electric motor that drives the pumps is at bottom center.
The Music Roll Shelf in the new Ramey Banjo-Orchestra. The roll-frame is shown with the ten-tune music roll rewound, exposing the 100-hole tracker-bar. The ladder-chain drive for the music roll is on the right, and connects to the feeder-pump crankshaft for motive power.
View inside the back of the Ramey Banjo-Orchestra, showing the main pneumatic stack (which mechanically interacts with the piano action).
The main stack not only contains valves that control the individual piano pneumatics, but it also consists of the actuating stickers, which push against the piano action whippens, causing the various piano note hammers to strike the piano strings.
Go-Back