Improvements in or relating to Musical Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
COMPLETE DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Musical Boxes.
I, PAUL LOCHMANN Engineer, care of Fabrik Lochmann'scher, Musiwerke
Actien-Gesellschaft in Leipzig-Gohlis, in the Kingdom of Saxony, in the German
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Musical boxes in which revolving plates or discs provided with pins directly or
indirectly operate metal tongues or reeds and thereby produce various tones have
been well-known for a long time.
By means of a central opening these tune-plates are mounted upon a shaft or
spindle and generally receive rotary motion either from a suitable tappet or by
means of a pinion gearing with a toothed disc. In these tune plates the pins repre-
senting all the notes of a given piece of music or tune must be arranged on the
surface of the plate so that during one revolution of the latter the whole piece is
played. This necessarily involves a considerable limitation in the choice of the
tunes since the space is limited the more so as it is necessary that the pins should
be arranged at unequal distances apart according as the tune is timed.
The rotary motion of the tune-plate is generally obtained by clockwork and as
the length of the piece of music contained on cach plate is not always the same it
was necessary to alter the "time" accordingly and the shorter pieces had to be
played slower than the longer ones the pins being wider part.
'
The object of this invention is to provide an instrument in which tune-plates of
unequal size may be employed so that larger or smaller plates may be used
according as the number and arrangement of the pins representing the tunes vary.
And in order still more effectively to remove any restriction in the choice of tunes
as regards their length, this mechanism admits of the employment not only of
revolving tune-plates but also of plates capable of rectilinear motion so that the
length of the pieces of music that can be played by this instrument is practically
unlimited.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the
improved musical box, the case in Fig. 1 being shown in section.
The metal tongues or reeds a are actuated by small spur-wheels in the usual
way; these wheels being turned by the pins of the tune-plate c.
The tune-plate c is secured to the bar d so that when said bar descends upon the
upper plate f of the instrument the pins of the plate c take up their operative
position namely that in which they will act upon the spur-wheels b. The plate c
receives rotary motion from the gear wheel g which is itself rotated either by
hand, clockwork or any other suitable motor. The wheel g gears with a toothed
crown gl provided on the tune-plate and thus causes this plate c to turn on its
spindle h. The bar d is provided with a number of openings arranged in
succession and at a gradually increasing distance from the gear-wheel g..
In the example shown the tune-plate is secured to the bar d by a set-screw h
fitting the screw threaded opening i. The next size of plate is similarly secured
by means of a screw fitting the opening and for the third size the screw will be
inserted into the opening. Whatever the size of the plate it will be seen that
the toothed crown g¹ remains at the same distance from the plate so that the cir-
cumferential speed of the tune-plates of different dimensions remains equal in all
cases and therefore the speed with which the plate travels over the wheels bis
the same.
Therefore whatever the size of the tune-plate the piece of music thereon
will always be properly timed.

page_text: The tune-plates employed in this instrument may be adapted to move in a
straight line. For this purpose the plates c' Fig. 2 on one side are provided with
teeth or equivalent gearing with the wheel g. When this wheel g turns the
plate c is drawn along rectilinearly over the wheels . To guide these plates c
suitable guides are provided on the top plate f of the casing between which the
plate is caused to travel so that it cannot be displaced laterally. One guide rail k
is permanently secured to the top plate f while the other is connected with the
bard by means of a hinge so that it may be turned down when required for use.
When the bar d is pressed down, the guide-rail takes up its position upon the
top plate and guides that side of the tune-plate on which are situated the teeth g².
This movable arrangement of the guide-rail is necessary to allow of said guide-rail
being removed when rotary tune-plates are used, with the motion of which it
would otherwise interfere. The method of securing the tune-plate to the bar d
is very convenient; the bar d is first simply turned up, the plate of a suitable
size is secured thereto by the insertion of the screw into the corresponding
opening; and by then turning down the bar d upon the plate ƒ the tune-plate is
at once brought to the proper position for playing.
It will be understood that instead of securing the screw spindle h of the tune
plate to a bar such as d it may be secured directly to the top plate f, as shown
in Fig. 3 in which case the openings and for the reception of the screw h
are formed at the desired distances apart in the said top plate f. It will also be
understood that instead of securing the guide-rail to the bar d said guide-rail
may be fixed to the under side of the top plate f of the instrument and may be
raised or lowered through a slot provided in that plate; or the guide-rail 7 may
be secured to the top plate f in any other suitable manner. As regards the other
guide-plate kit is not essential that it should be secured to the plate ƒ per-
manently as it may also be removable if preferred.
If desired the rotary tune-plates may be operated through their edges' in which
case these edges are suitably toothed and thrown into gear with another toothed
wheel. The plates adapted for rectilinear motion may similarly be toothed along
their longitudinal edges and operated by suitable gearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A mechanical musical box permitting of the employment of circular rotary
tune-plates of different sizes, characterized by the arrangement of a hinged bar
such as d to which the tune-plates are secured by means of a screw inserted in
one of a number of openings such as i provided in the bar according to the
size of the plates so that when the bar is pressed down together with the plate
attached to it this plate is thereby brought into the proper operative position sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a musical box such as described the employment of tune-plates capable of
rectilinear motion and the arrangement for this purpose of a guide-rail such as
attached to a bar such as d and adapted to guide the tune-plates longitudinally by
its contact with one side thereof while it is to be moved out of the way or entirely
withdrawn when a rotary plate is to be used substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a musical box such as described inserting the screw / serving for the attach-
ment of the tune-plates into openings provided in the top plate f of the case of the
instrument instead of in the bar d substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In a musical box the arrangement of a guide-rail such as apon the top-
plate of the case of the instrument instead of on the lever'd substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a musical box such as described imparting motion to the tune-plates

page_text: whether rotary or longitudinally movable by means of teeth provided in the edges
thereof and engaging with suitable gearing substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.