Patent GB-191020490-A (GB)
Title: An Improved Type-writing Machine for Music.
Inventor: FORTONI LUIGI
IPC: B41J3/34
Filed: 1911-03-02
Granted: 1911-07-27
Abstract: 20,490. Fortoni, L. March 2, 1911. Machines for writing music; type - lever actions; papershields. -Relates to machines wherein there are two keyboards, one for printing the musical signs and the other for shifting the carriage to the required stave position. (1) The printing-mechanism consists of type-levers operated by key-levers g, Fig. 1, and comprises means for writing all the notes and signs in both the " ordinary " and the " small size, the latter being used mainly for writing shakes, cadenzas &c., and for orchestral scores. The printing- mechanism comprises two sets of four levers g, one set for " ordinary " and the other for " small," each set consisting of minim and crotchet types with the stems upwards and downwards. For printing notes outside the stave, there are provided a series of levers which are arranged to print at different levels, so that the notes outside the stave may be printed directly, without elevating the carriage. The types on these levers are formed with ledger lines and the levers are operated by keys, which are arranged in the same order as the keys of the shift keyboard. In printing a chord having some of the notes outside the stave, the same lever for printing notes outside the stave may be struck separately, the carriage being elevated to the required positions by the shift keyboard. (2) The length of the stems of the notes or chords is adjusted by means of a stopping-off device consisting of a very thin plate h, Fig. 2, which is arranged between the type and the paper. The plate is secured to a rod h', which is mounted for vertical adjustment on the frame-rods a<3>. Paper-carriages; letter-spacing mechanism; 'sheet feeding and guiding arrangements.-The carriage is mounted by rollers a<Î>, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, on rods a<1> secured to the racks a<2>, which are guided vertically by means of rollers running on the frame-rods a<3>. The carriage is maintained in engagement with the feed-rack i<4> by being provided with pins i<2>, which are mounted to slide in tubular sockets on the feed-rack. The paper b is secured on the flat platen a by means of spring-clips i<1> and rollers i through which the paper is inserted. Carriage-shift mechanism; shift-key actions.- The shift-mechanism is adapted to raise the carriage through thirty-three steps, ranging from the fifth ledger line below the stave to the sixth ledger line above the stave. The steps are determined by a " diagram " or " divider," which, in the form shown, consists of a rotary drum f, Figs. 1 and 4, formed with thirty-three peripheral steps, the drum being connected by bevel-gearing e<1> to a fluted shaft e, which is adapted to be rotated by means of toothed sectors d<1> on the keys d of the shift-keyboard, this being arranged like a piano keyboard. The keys d are thirty-three in number, and the sectors d<1> are provided with a successively decreasing number of teeth, there being thirty-two teeth on the extreme left-hand key and no teeth on the extreme right-hand key. The ends of the keys d engage an oblique rod c<1> secured to a shaft c, which is provided with a pinion f<4> engaging a sliding rack f<3>. The arrangement is such that, when one of the keys d is operated, the drum f is set with the selected step opposite the rack f<3>, further depression of the key causing the shaft c to rotate until it is arrested by the engagement of the rack f<3> with the drum. The shaft c is connected to the paper-carriage in the known manner by means of pinions a<4>, which engage racks a<2> on the carriage-support, the depression of any of the keys d thus serving to elevate the carriage to the required position. The steps are made 1 mm. in depth to correspond with the interval of 2 mm. between the lines of the normal stave. The " divider " may consist of a plate formed with a stepped series of holes, which co-operate with stop-pins on the keys d.