Weber Unika Interior Views |
 The upper portion of the Unika, with the music roll mechanism in the center. The Unika contains 28 beautifully voiced wooden violin pipes, divided into two separate pipe chests, with the upper 16 pipe notes on the left chest and the 12 lowest notes on the right. In the top of the case is a set of swell shutters to add expression to the pipework. |
 The music roll mechanism. Each music roll must be manually threaded under the slotted brass pressure roller assembly and onto a large wooden drum on the back side of the roll-frame (not visible in this photograph). Most Weber instruments use wind-pressure for the tracker bar system, instead of a vacuum common in most other brands. This means the music roll must be physically held down against the tracker bar when the instrument is playing music, otherwise the music roll would blow up and away from the tracker bar causing all the notes to play simultaneously. Keeping the music roll in place is accomplished by the heavy cast metal framework with the slotted brass roller underneath it, which is lowered onto the music roll during play, and then raised slightly during the time the music roll is rewinding. |
 A close-up of the upper range of wooden violin pipes in the Unika. The small external motor pneumatics corresponding to each individual pipe operate a pallet type valve inside the pipe chest, thereby allowing wind-pressure to be admitted to the toe of the appropriate pipe, causing it to sound. |
 The late style box pump in the bottom of the Weber Unika produces both vacuum and wind-pressure. The wind-pressure blows the pipes and operates the primary portion of the main valve stack, with all other player mechanisms vacuum operated. |
 The electrical control system consist of the start-stop switch mechanism located in the center of the photograph, which still uses the two original ceramic liquid mercury pots for electrical contacts. A locking armature keeps the contact wires up and out of the mercury pots, but can be released by a small electro-magnet (either by a small electric button on the music roll frame or by a remote wall-box) allowing the contact wires to drop down into the mercury pots. The small motor pneumatic above the contact mechanism lifts the contact wire from the mercury pots to turn off the instrument. |
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