Although jukeboxes hit their peak of fame in the 1940’s and 1950’s, they were around in the ‘20s and ‘30s. They were commonly seen in bars and diners all across the U.S. and the U.K.
Brief History:
Jukeboxes were commonly made out of hardwood, glass and small light fixtures. They also needed to be hooked up to separate external speakers. As time progressed the machine started to be made out of neon lights, high quality plastic and even chrome accents. The new look is what really made them blend in with the diner looks in the ‘40s and ‘50s. They were coin operated machines that played music either from records or CD's depending on the time period they were from. They were not always popular due to being associated with sleazy nightclubs or dirty arcades, but they did eventually rise in popularity due to the birth of rock and roll. Nowadays they are rarely seen anywhere but one can occasionally be spotted in an old diner or bar, but even then they usually aren’t functional.
How a Jukebox works:
First a person inserts a coin into the machine. As the coin goes through a sizing dispenser small pins move up and down as the coin passes through them. If the coin is an incorrect amount the pins will reject it. If it is the correct amount it goes into a chute to process the transaction. The chute checks the weight of the coin to make sure it is not counterfeit. Once a coin passes through, a selection of music can be made.
A push button system is used in the selecting process. As the user reads through the offered records the select bar inside the machine raises and lowers the specific record holder. The machine’s select bar is controlled by a memory drum which is connected to push-button selections. The push-button selections determine the positioning of the select bar. Once a music selection has been made the record wheel will be set in place and a corresponding wheel will play the record exactly how a normal record player would.
The playback mechanism is set in place once a selection has been made. The mechanism changes the stack of records on the record player. Basically, if 2 selections are made a camera finds the first selection and it directs the select bar to move it up so it can be played. The second selection is then moved through the machine and is elevated above the first record until it is done playing. Once the first record is done playing the second is quickly lowered so that it may begin. While the second record is playing the first record is then moved back into place in the machine.
To use a jukebox, a person simply inserts the correct coin into the machine. Once they have chosen a song to be played they press the button next to the label and the machine raises and plays the chosen record.