Rock-Ola
| Rock-Ola Mfg.Corp.
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|---|---|
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| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1924 |
| Seat | Torrance |
| management | Glenn Streeter ( CEO ) John Schultz (President) Ross Blomgren (Vice President) |
| Website | http://www.rock-ola.com/ |
The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation was founded in 1927 to prepare games and vending machines. The company later produced a. a. Parking meters , pinball machines , furniture, automatic pianos, and firearms, however, became best known for the production of jukeboxes . The name Rock-Ola is by no means derived from rock 'n' roll , as is often assumed, but was formed from the name of the founder David Cullen Rockola.
history
Born in Manitoba on January 23, 1897 , David Cullen Rockola began building small chewing gum machines in 1919. In 1924 he founded the Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation and from 1927 he was involved in the construction of coin operated personal scales , such as the Loboy model (manufactured from 1931 to 1939), as well as a variety of slot machines. In 1929, David Rockola was implicated in organized crime in Chicago and escaped prison only through a "deal" with law enforcement. Rockola quickly recognized the market's need for all kinds of machines, rented larger premises and now developed and produced a wide range of different gaming and vending machines. On January 22, 1931, Rockola patented a mechanical bathroom scale. The increasing demand for his machines forced Rockola to expand the business and he bought an old piano factory in the north of Chicago with an area of 55,000 m². On August 29, 1939, Rockola received the patent for a mechanical parking meter. As early as 1940, the company had more than 1,500 employees and was one of the largest machine manufacturers in the USA.
The Rock-Ola Mfg. also manufactured loudspeaker systems and remote selectors for their boxes, as well as a table shuffleboard from 1948 to 1949 . During the Second World War, the Rock-Ola Mfg. the M1 carbine for the US military.
In 1977 Glenn Streeter's Antique Apparatus Company developed the first “Nostalgic” jukeboxes with a modern Rowe mechanism for 7 "records and later with a Philips CD player. In 1992, the Antique Apparatus Company Company acquired the Rock-Ola Corporation and the Rock-Ola brand.David Cullen Rockola died on January 26, 1993 in Chicago.
In the early 1980s, Rock-Ola began producing arcade video game machines for amusement arcades such as Eyes (1982) and Fantasy . The most successful game developed in-house was Nibbler (1983).
Locations
Rock-Ola not only produced in the USA, but in 1954 in Mexico for INSSA, Venezuela and Australia. The company NOVA, as the general importer for Germany, imported individual parts and assembled some jukeboxes. It is worth mentioning in this context that David C. Rockola and the boss of NOVA, A. W. Adickes, met as early as the 1930s and planned to sell jukeboxes in Europe; the Second World War prevented this project and the plan had to wait another 14 years for implementation.
In addition to the headquarters of Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp. In Torrance there are official European representations in Adligenswil / Lucerne in Switzerland and in Paris . The exclusive distribution in Germany takes place through the company "Jukeland - Gerry Mizera" based in Berlin.
The jukebox production
Rockola acquired the rights to the Ristau brothers' changer mechanism, the so-called Ristaucrat, from John Gabel in the early 1930s; in 1935 the first jukebox was produced with it. The Ristaucrat changer has no complicated couplings, but rather separate motors for the changer mechanism and for the turntable drive.
One of the most important innovations was the introduction of a rotating disk magazine, which made it possible to increase the disk capacity to 60 and, after a further modification, to 100 disks. From 1940 the devices were equipped with a mechanical popularity counter, through which the machine operator received an overview of the frequency of the individual plate selection; this made plate replacement much easier. From 1950 to 1953 there were model variants for shellac records and for vinyl singles ; in 1954 the changeover was completed and only single boxes were produced. From 1959 onwards, the devices intended for Europe were built by Nova Aparate GmbH in Hamburg for a few years; these were provided with amplifiers adapted for European tube types and with ELAC pickups.
The last box for 7 "vinyl records was built in 1987 with the Nostalgia 1000. With the XCD 496 , Rock-Ola also heralded the CD age of music boxes, followed by the Laser, Mirage, Trilogy, Gala, Rocket and Comet series , Fireball and VIVO.
The Rock-Ola line Nostalgic Music Centers was launched in 2006, and two new music center models, the "Mystic" and the "Q", were introduced in 2008. Rock-Ola models are produced with 100 CDs or with 1 TB HDD, such as the Harley-Davidson, Jack-Daniels, Pfau, Gazelle, American - Beauties, President, Commando, or Spectravox series.
Rock-Ola jukeboxes from 1935 to 1980 (selection)
Jukeboxes for shellac records
- 1935: Multi-selector
- 1936: Night Club
- Regular
- Rhythm King
- 1937: Rhythm Master
- Imperial
- Windsor
- monarch
- 1938: Ambassador
- 1939: Deluxe Luxury Lightup
- Luxury Lightup Counter
- 1940: Super Luxury Lightup
- master
- Rockolite
- 1941 Junior Console 1409
- 1942: Premier 1413
- Commando 1420
- 1946: Series F 1422
- 1947: Series F 1426 A
- 1949: Magic Glo 1428
- 1950: Rocket 1432
- 1952: Super Rocket
The Fireball 1436 model was built in 1953 for shellac records and 7 "vinyl records.
Jukeboxes for vinyl records 7 "
- 1954: Comet Fireball 1438
- 1955: Hideaway 1450
- 1959: Tempo 1/120 1468
- Tempo 1/120 Stereo 1468ST
- Tempo 1/200 1475
- Tempo 1/200 Stereo 1475ST
- 1960: Tempo 2/120 1478
- Tempo 2/200 1485
- 1961: Regis 200 1495
- 1962. Princess 1493
- Empress 120 1496
- 1963: Capri 404
- Rhapsody / Capri Deluxe 160 408
- 1964: Capri 2 414
- Rhapsody 2 / Capri Deluxe 2 418S / SA
- Princess Royal 424
- Grand Prix 425
- 1965: Grand Prix 2 426
- Starlet 429
- 1966: Coronado 431
- GP 160 432
- GP Imperial 433
- Concerto 434
- Princess Deluxe 435
- 1968: Ultra 437
- 1969: Deluxe 441
- 1971: Console 456
- 1976: Princess 461
- 1977: Grand Salon 468
- 1978: Sybaris 474
- 1979: Grand Salon II 476
- Max 477-1
- Mystic 478
- 1980: Techna 480
gallery
Rock-Ola 1422 (1946)
Rock-Ola 1458 (1957-1958)
Rock-Ola Capri II (1964)
Rock-Ola Capri II, drive
Rock-Ola Capri II, amplifier
Rock Ola Princess deluxe (1967)
The pinball machine production
In 1932, David Rockola patented a pinball machine called the Juggle Ball . By 1938 he designed more than 50 such skill machines; partly purely mechanical, later also electromechanical devices. These machines are the forerunners of the later pinball machines .
Rock-Ola pinball machines from 1932 to 1938 (selection)
- Juggle Ball 1932 mechanical
- Three Ring Circus 1932 mechanical
- Bally-Hoo 1932 mechanical
- Wings 1933 mechanical
- World's Fair Jig-Saw 1933 mechanical
- Jig-Saw 1933 pre-flipper
- World Series 1934 mechanical
- Pleasure Island 1934 mechanical
- All American 1934 mechanical
- Army and Navy 1934 mechanical
- Football 1934 mechanical
- Big Game 1935 electromechanical
- Electromechanical bomber 1935
- Buzzer 1935 electromechanical
- Cat's Paw 1935 electromechanical
- Screamo 1935 electromechanical
- DeLuxe 46 1935 electromechanical
- Flash Lite 1935 electromechanical
- Gold Award 1935 electromechanical
- Gold Rush 1935 electromechanical
- Gold Top Army and Navy 1935 mechanical
- Mystery Three 1935 mechanical
- Ship Ahoy 1935 electromechanical
- Squadron 1935 electromechanical
- Stampede 1935 electromechanical
- Sunbeam 1935 electromechanical
- TNT 1935 electromechanical
- Trojan 1935 electromechanical
- Flash 1935 mechanical
- Miss Liberty 1936 electromechanical
- Monte Carlo 1936 electromechanical
- One Better 1936 electromechanical
- Queen Mary 1936 electromechanical
- Fortune 1936 electromechanical
- Alamo 1936 electromechanical
- Bank Nite 1936 electromechanical
- Big Bank Nite 1936 electromechanical
- Totalite 1936 electromechanical
- Trans-Atlantic 1936 electromechanical
- Credit 1936 electromechanical
- Ditto 1936 electromechanical
- Draw ball 1936 electromechanical
- Hollywood 1936 electromechanical
- Trap shot 1936 electromechanical
- World Series 1937 electromechanical
- Globe Trotter 1937 electromechanical
- Magic Pins 1937 electromechanical
- Jig Joy 1937 electromechanical
- Across the Board 1938 electromechanical
- Across the Board 1938 electromechanical
- Easy Steps 1938 electromechanical
- Three Up 1938 electromechanical
Rock-Ola slot machines
From 1928 to 1935, Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation manufactured a variety of slot machine models.
Rock-Ola slot machines from 1928 to 1935 (selection)
- Reserve 1928 Slot Machine / Bell
- Jackpot Conversion 1928 Slot Machine / Bell
- Front OK Jackpot 1929 Slot Machine / Bell
- Jack-Pot Mint Vender 1929 Slot Machine / Bell
- 3 Jacks 1930 Slot Machine / Coin drop
- Five Jacks 1930 Slot Machine / Coin drop
- Hold and Draw 1930 Slot Machine / Poker
- Reserve Revamp Bell 1930 Slot Machine / Bell
- Double Regular 1932 Slot Machine / Bell
- Jackpot 1932 Slot Machine / Bell
- Super Triple 1932 Slot Machine / Bell
- Sweepstakes 1935 Slot Machine / Racing
literature
- Alan Elliott: A Daily Dose of the American Dream: Stories of Success, Triumph, and Inspiration . Rutledge Hill Press US 1998, ISBN 1-55853-592-6 .
- Vincent Lynch: American Jukebox, 1938-1948: The Classic Years . Chronicle Books Llc. 1990, ISBN 0-87701-678-X .
- Christopher Pearce: Vintage Jukeboxes . Quintett Publ. Inc. 1988, ISBN 1-55521-323-5 .
- Cornelia Kemp, Ulrike Gierlinger: When the penny drops ... coin-operated machines - yesterday and today . Deutsches Museum 1988, ISBN 3-924183-11-2 .
- Kerry Segrave: Jukeboxes: An American Social History . McFarland 2002, ISBN 0-7864-6260-4 .
- Jerry Ayliffe: An American Premium Guide to Jukeboxes and Slot Machines: Identification and Value Guide . Books Americana Incorporated 1991, ISBN 0-89689-082-1 .
Web links
- Official website , accessed June 13, 2013
- arcade-museum.com: Manufacturer: Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp. (English), accessed June 13, 2013
- Jukebox Manufacturing: "A Visit to Wurlitzer" 1950 Wurlitzer Making Phonograph (video, English), accessed on June 23, 2013
- US patents from Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp. , accessed June 23, 2013
- Rock-Ola jukeboxes, remote selectors and speakers. , Archive Jukebox-World
Individual evidence
- ↑ As of: 2012 annual financial statements
- ↑ Kerry Segrave: Jukeboxes: An American Social History , p. 44.
- ^ Alan C. Elliott: A Daily Dose of the American Dream: Stories of Success, Triumph, and Inspiration . Thomas Nelson, 1998, ISBN 1-4185-7147-4 , pp. 1 .
- ↑ Nick Talevski: Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door . Omnibus Press 2010, ISBN 0-85712-117-0 , p. 556.
- ↑ Kerry Segrave: Jukeboxes: An American Social History . McFarland 2002, ISBN 0-7864-6260-4 , p. 43.
- ^ Bill Berning: Scales, A Collector's Guide . Schiffer Publishing 1999, ISBN 0-7643-0778-9
- ↑ Gus Russo: The Outfit: The Role Of Chicago's Underworld In The Shaping Of Modern America . Bloomsbury Publishing 2009, ISBN 1-4088-0661-4 .
- ↑ Patent number: 1916234. Retrieved June 23, 2013 .
- ↑ Patent number: 2171345. Retrieved June 23, 2013 .
- ↑ Leroy Thompson: The M1 Carbine . Osprey Publishing, 2011, ISBN 1-84908-619-2 , p. 21.
- ↑ Nick Talevski: Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door . Omnibus Press 2010, ISBN 0-85712-117-0 , p. 556.
- ↑ arcade-museum.com: Eyes . Retrieved June 13, 2013 .
- ↑ coinop.org: Fantasy (English). Retrieved June 27, 2013 .
- ↑ arcade-museum.com: Nibbler . Retrieved June 13, 2013 .
- ↑ rock-ola.ch , accessed on June 23, 2013
- ↑ rock-ola.fr , accessed June 23, 2013
- ↑ JUKELAND Berlin is the exclusive ROCK-OLA jukeboxes distributor for Germany.
- ↑ Authorized Rock-Ola Jukeboxes Distributor For Germany
- ↑ Ristaucrat Jukebox (English). Retrieved June 12, 2013 .
- ↑ David John Cole, Eve Browning, Fred EH Schroeder: Encyclopedia of Modern Everyday Inventions . Greenwood Publishing Group 2003, ISBN 0-313-31345-8 , p. 157.
- ↑ Info: popularity counter. Retrieved June 12, 2013 .
- ↑ jukebox-world.de jukebox-world.de: List NOVA Apparate GmbH
- ^ Ralph M Kovel: The Kovels' antiques & collectibles price list: a guide to the 1983–1984 market for professionals, dealers, and collectors. Crown Edition 16 Crown Publisher, 1983 ISBN 0-517-55028-8
- ↑ Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation: Rock-Ola Model 1544 and 1546 120 Selection Wall Box Models Service Manual, Installation Instructions and Parts List. Staff Verlag AMC Corporation 1984, ISBN 0-913599-32-8 .
- ^ Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corporation: Rock-Ola Model 1493 "Princess" of 1962: Service Manual, Parts List and Schematic for the 100 Selection Model "Princess" Jukebox of 1962. Staff Verlag AMC Corporation, 1984 ISBN 0-913599-29- 8 .
- ↑ Registration with the US patent authority: Patent DE 87,759 [GAME DEVICE] filed July 21, 1932. Granted September 13, 1932 to David C. Rockola.
- ^ The Internet Pinball Database Presents: Juggle Ball. Retrieved July 10, 2013 .
- ^ Andre Millard: America on Record: A History of Recorded Sound . Cambridge University Press 2005, ISBN 0-521-83515-1 , p. 169.