Bruce Hansen writes: This 1940-49 version of the parachute jump model was built from a 1946 No. 9 1/2 set. The CS wheel segments were blue this year making the look of this model unique. The finished tower is about 5 feet tall.
The parachutes run up/down on a string tied between the top of the tower and a board at the base. The NT cones run up/down on the same string as the parachuters. The cones are raised by an additional string running over pulleys at the top of the tower and down through the tower to drums attached to the motor.
The action of the model is completely manual. The operator engages the motor which turns the drums and cranks the cones to the top of the tower. Then the motor is switched to neutral, and the heavy cones drop and wedge on washers at the top of the parachutes. The motor shift lever is engaged again and the cones/parachutes lift to the top. A washer on the string near the top of the tower knocks the parachutes out of the cone and they flutter to the bottom of the tower.
Top of tower view: The string from the motor drums goes up through the center and passes through a turret plate in the center. The string continues up and over pulleys and down over AQ pulleys to the cones.