Now on ebay...a press release photo from Westinghouse in 1952 and on the back is the story of how the music box dryer came to be...a great idea then...and now!
re: Video showing one playing at the end of the cycle:
Here's a Mini-Xylophone that someone went through the trouble and expense of to put in specially-modeled slant-front Westy dryers to let you know when your clothes are done:
Installed in place of a buzzer, bell or a single-key chime...
And notice how it takes a few "chimes" for a certain key to be finally hit--and only ONCE????!!!!--...
Thanks, Dave! I also found a couple of other videos posted by AW members on YouTube showing the end of cycle chime. OMG... I wish I had room for a set! LOL! I always loved the styling of those, but now I'm in love.
I was always pulling the fronts off Westinghouse dryers and removing the "HDIA" uint. AnyWestinghouse laundry trades always went to the scrap guy so I could be pretty careless...prying the panel off with a big screwdriver and often breaking the plastic and sometimes cutting my hands on the musical "instrument." Eventually I had a box of about 20 of them. I can't remember where they went...it was eons ago.
Appears to have passed away prior to 2000; I found a discussion group post referring to his death. One of his twin sons, Michael, passed away in 2010. I wasn't able to find much more, with the exception of patent applications, which are very numerous.
1,205,699. Washing machines. WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC CORP. 11 Nov., 1968 [22 Nov., 1967], No. 53220/68. Heading D1A. [Also in Division G1] A washing machine provided with a weighing mechanism (see Div