Combined Automatic Musical Instrument and Dynamometer for Testing the Grip of the Hand or Indicating the Tension of a Motor-spring.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Combined Automatic Musical Instrument and Dynamometer for
Testing the Grip of the Hand or Indicating the Tension of a
Motor-spring.
I, KRAFT BEHRENS, Manufacturer, of Katharinenstrasse 10, Leipzig, in the
Kingdom of Saxony, 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:—
This invention relates to a dynamometer, adapted to be connected with the sound
producing mechanism of a mechanical musical instrument in such a manner, that
the said mechanism is not set in operation, until a predetermined amount of power
or energy has been generated or stored, and that the power or work thus
accumulated constitutes the source whence the musical mechanism derives its
motion.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the six figures in the
accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1, being a side elevation of the complete apparatus.
Fig. 2, an inside elevation of the rearward plate, with the flyer and gearing
fitted thereto.
Fig. 3, a similar inside elevation of the front-plate, illustrating the operation of
the charging or winding lever and the locking or stop device.
Fig. 4, a front view of the complete apparatus, after removal of the tune-disc.
Fig. 5, a complete side elevation of a modified arrangement, and
Fig. 6, an inside view of the front-plate shown in Fig. 5.
The improved mechanism is constructed as follows:-
In the frame a b, there is pivoted, at c, an operating or winding lever d, provided
with a toothed segment, and acting against a motor spring e (Fig. 3). The toothed
segment is in gear with the wheelf, which is rigidly connected with another gear
wheel and with the ratchet wheel. This combination of the two gear wheels
and one ratchet wheel is arranged to revolve loosely upon the spindle g, and when
in a certain position, is connected with the coupling disc f³ fixed to the spindle g,
by the pawl. To the spindle g are rigidly connected the gear wheel g), on one
side, and the disc or flange g², on the other side; the gear-wheel g¹ engaging with
the flyer-gearing 9', while the disc or flange g², together with the spindle-end, is
adapted to carry the tune disc g*.
The gear-wheel engages with the gear-wheel secured to the spindle /³,
which also carries an index-hand 2 adapted to notify the amount of power or
energy developed by pointing to a corresponding figure on a scale provided for the
purpose. Upon the front-plate b are arranged the parts appertaining to the musical
mechanism proper, and also the handle i, which affords the necessary support to the
palm of the hand, when power is applied to the mechanism.
In the modification represented by Figs. 5 and 6, the winding-lever d is pivotted
at k and rigidly connected with a toothed segment or segmental rack k¹ and two
arms. The toothed segment k¹ engages with a pinion l, which, in its turn, is
rigidly connected with the ratchet wheel m and spindle n. Upon this spindle n is
revolubly mounted a gear-wheel o, combined with a pawl, and engaging with the
gear-wheel p secured to the spindle g. The said spindle n also carries an index or
pointer working over the dial and is connected with a clock-work mainspring r
secured to the stay-rod S of the frame. The remaining parts of this modification
are exactly the same as in the form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4.
The structural distinction between the two forms described (Figs. 1 to 4, and
Figs. 5 and 6) is, that in the first, the operating lever has a direct influence upon

page_text: the main spindle g, while in the second arrangement, the power produced is
transmitted to the main spindle through the agency of intermediate gearing.
Another feature to be described in connection with this mechanism, in both
forms, is the S-shaped flyer or fan, the wings of which are adapted to regulate the
operation of the mechanism, as, whenever the normal number of revolutions
per unit of time is exceeded, the said wings open or spread out in the radial
direction, under the impulse of centrifugal force, and thereby increase the resistance
of the air.
The operation of the improved apparatus is as follows;-
By pressing the operating lever d against the stationary handle i, a suitable
tension is produced in the spring e and the gear wheels f, f, and ratchet wheel f
are so operated that the hand or pointer moves a certain distance upon the dial
or scale.
When sufficient power has been applied, the pawl / engages with the
ratchet wheel, and the musical box immediately begins to play. It will thus be
understood that by selecting a ratchet wheel and tension spring, suitably pro-
portioned both in size and power, and regulating the whole arrangement accordingly,
the amount of power requisite for setting the musical instrument in operation may
be varied at pleasure.
During the time occupied by the musical box in completing the performance of a
melody, the operating lever returns to its initial position. Should the power
applied to it be insufficient to set the musical mechanism playing, the lever, on
being released, will also go back to its original position, but without-producing any
effect whatsoever upon the sound producing parts.
In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the displacement of the operating
lever serves to wind up the main spring "; and when sufficient power has been
applied to it, the pawl drops into engagement with the ratchet wheel m, where-
upon the musical box directly commences to play, as in the first mentioned
arrangement.
The power-index h³ in all cases participates in the movements of the operating
lever, and indicates the amount of energy expended or power produced, upon the
scale or dial against which it moves. Unless sufficient power is applied, the said
lever, when released, will simply recede without starting the musical box. The
construction of the sound-producing or musical mechanism proper is optional, and
instead of causing the lever d to act on a spring, which subsequently yields the
motive power for the musical instrument, it may be arranged to draw up a weight
or in other known ways store up motive power.
As the power exerted on the operating lever serves in the first instance to wind
up the motor spring and is balanced by the tension of the latter, the graduated
scale will not only indicate the grip of the hand, but also the tension of the motor
spring.
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. In a mechanical musical instrument, a dynamometric going-work or winding
and indicating device so arranged, that when a predetermined amount of power has
been stored up or exceeded, the sound-producing mechanism of the musical box or
instrument is automatically set in operation by or connected with the power thus
stored up; so that by once applying or storing sufficient power, a double effect is
produced, viz. the amount of power exerted or expended is measured, and the
musical box is set playing.
2. In a dynamometric going work or winding and indicating device of the type
specified in the first claim, a dynamometer comprising in its construction a combined
operating lever (d) and toothed segment subjected to the action of a motor spring,
a ratchet wheel and suitable toothed gearing (h, f), jointly mounted upon the
main spindle or arbor of the mechanism, in such a manner, that the power

page_text: generated by the compression of the motor spring is directly transmitted to the said
main spindle.
3. In the dynamometer or going work as specified by the second claim, the
arrangement of the operating lever and accessories in such a manner that, through
the medium of suitable gearing, and the compression of a spring wound on the same
spindle which carries the said gearing, the power applied to the said operating lever
is indirectly transmitted to the main spindle of the mechanism.
4. In the dynamometer or going work referred to in the first claim, a flyer, the
S shaped resilient wings of which are adapted to expand radially, when the normal
speed, or number of revolutions per unit of time, is exceeded.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1894.
KRAFT BEHRENS,
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.