Iм- PROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED (DETACHED OR FIXED) TO PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS, AND OPERATIVE FOR PERFORMANCE UPON SUCH WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF A SKILLED PERFORMER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Echlin Molyneux, jun., of 3, Loretta Terrace,
Bray, in the County of Wicklow, Ireland, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED (DETACHED OR FIXED) TO PIANOS, ORGANS,
AND SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS, AND OPERATIVE FOR PERFORMANCE UPON
SUCH WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF A SKILLED PERFORMER."
Sealed the 30th January 1872, and dated the 20th September 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Echlin Molyneux
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th September 1871.
I, ECHLIN MOLYNEUX, jun'., of 3, Loretta Terrace, Bray, in the
County of Wicklow, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED (DETACHED OR FIXED) TO'
PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS, AND OPERATIVE FOR PERFORM-
ANCE UPON SUCH WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF A SKILLED PERFORMER," to be as
follows:-
A cylinder, capable of rotating on its axis, and which for convenience I
shall call the main cylinder, carries in lines parallel to its axis projecting
arms of indian-rubber, or other suitable flexible material. On each side of
this cylinder is, a line of hinged rods, so arranged that when any one of

page_text: the rods be pressed forward it comes within the path of the rotating arms.
It follows that the motion of the rods on one side of the cylinder will be
the reverse of that of those on the other. These rods give motion to a
hinged lever, which I shall call the finger lever, because it is designed to
take the place of the human finger in playing. There must be one finger
lever with its two rods for each key, one rod being designed to sound the
musical note, and the other to return the finger lever to its original
position. The first rod I shall call the striking rod, and the second the
returning rod. The finger lever has a friction spring attached to cause
it to remain down when the note is struck until it be raised by the
returning rod. Each of these rods has a small magnet so connected with
it that when the armature is attracted the rod is forced forward into the
path of the flexible arms of the main cylinder.
The music sheet is stretched between two travelling endless leather
bands, which pass over pullies fastened on parallel axles. These pullies"
have pins on the periphery working into perforations in the leather bands
to prevent slipping. The bands through appropriate mechanism receive
a per saltem movement from the flexible arms of the main cylinder, each
leap being equal to the distance between the transverse lines of perforation
on the music shect. The sheet is punched so that a puncture shall come
on the line of metallic contact formed by the points of junction of the
ends of the opposite wires of the electro-magnetic coils whenever a note
is to sound or to cease sounding.
Piano or forte expression is produced by varying the leverage with
which the stroke rod acts on the flexible arms. A more delicate
modulation may be effected by an extension of this principle. An arm
of thin flat steel capable of adjustment to any required leverage is
interposed between the stroke rod and the finger lever, and is so arranged
that the finger lever may receive a differential motion varying with the
deflection of the steel arm.
The Electro-magnets. Since the force of electro-magnetic attraction
is proportional to the square of the distance of the armature from the
faces of the core, it is a desideratum in hinged electro-magnets that
the face of the lever armature shall work as closely as possible to those of
the core; this I accomplish by dispensing with the ordinary transverse
spindle, and allowing the face of the lever armature to rest on those of
the core. Vertical guide pins prevent the armature from moving out of
the required plane of motion. A piece of thin kid is interposed between.

page_text: the armature and core to prevent actual contact, and to render the
working noiseless. This form of magnet, besides being much more
powerful than the ordinary hinged kind, is also less costly to construct
and less liable to get out of order.
Advantages of the specified apparatus :-
(1.) A very small battery power only is required, electricity being
merely employed to select the keys to be struck.
(2.) The modulation of the note in instruments such as the piano
where the loudness of the sound depends upon the touch is independent
of that of the electric current.
(3.) The current required to work the magnets being trifling a
correspondingly small metallic contact is all that is required to transmit
it.
'
(4.) The flexible arms of the main cylinder permitting the stroke to
adapt itself in length to that which is required, so as to be self-regulating,
admit of the instrument being set to play without any troublesome
adjustment. The same combination may be extended to work the pedals
of a piano as well as the keys, the stops and pedals of an organ as well as
the manuals; and in fact to do everything which can be accomplished by
a skilled performer.
The features of novelty in the specified apparatus are,-
(1.) The flexible arms of the main cylinder whereby the stroke is
made self-regulating, and the mechanism whereby clectricity is made to
select the keys to be struck.
(2.) The travelling endless leather bands for securing the parallelism of
the tranverse lines of perforation with the line of metallic contact formed
by the points of junction of the ends of the opposite wires of the electro-
magnetic coils.
(3.) The mechanism for securing piano and forte expression.
(4.) The improved construction of hinged electro-magnets.
I do not claim as part of my Invention the method of making and
breaking metallic contact between the opposite wires of electro-magnetic
coils by a moving perforated surface of paper or other suitable non-
conducting material.
I claim the privelege of using these Inventions seperately and
collectively, and to vary their general construction according to circum-

page_text: stances, leaving out parts where decrease in cost of construction is a
greater object than perfection in the instrument, and otherwise modifying
them to suit the requirements of different keyed instruments, and of a
demand for portability or economy in space, but without any substantial
deviation from this Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Echlin Molyneux in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ECHLIN
MOLYNEUX, junior, of Seaview, Enniskerry, in the County of Wicklow,
Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Echlin Molyneux, Her special licence that
I, the said Echlin Molyneux, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Echlin Molyneux, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED
(DETACHED OR FIXED) TO PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMIlar Keyed Instruments, and
OPERATIVE FOR PERFORMANCE UPON SUCH WITHOUT THE INTERVENTION OF A SKILLED
PERFORMER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Echlin
Molyneux, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calender months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Echlin Molyneux, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
This Invention consists in improved apparatus by aid of which musical
compositions may be executed on pianos, organs, and similar keyed
instruments, without the intervention of a skilled performer.
If a line be drawn upon a band of paper, or other non-conducting
material, and small apertures made at various points along the said line,
and the said line then caused to travel between the polar ends of a pair
of electro-magnetic coils in connection with a galvanic battery, then
the electro-magnet will be thrown into action whenever an aperture
permits the polar ends of the coils to make metallic contact.
.
If now we suppose the electro-magnet to be so connected with a note
of a keyed musical instrument that when the magnet is thrown into
action the key will be forced down and the note sounded, if further we
suppose the velocity of the perforated band to be uniform, and that on
the line traced out by the terminals of the opposed poles there be six
apertures, the third double the distance of the first from the second, the
fourth double that of the second from the third, and so on in geometric
progression, then the first aperture will represent a demisemiquaver,
the second a semiquaver, the third a quaver, the fourth a crotchet, the
fifth a minim, and the sixth a semibreve.
If now we suppose there to be an electro-magnet for each key of the
musical instrument, that the terminals of the coils of these magnets,
each pair in metallic contact, be arranged in a line, and a band of paper
or other non-conducting material be introduced between the terminals,
so as to keep the opposite poles of each pair of coils from touching, it is
obvious we have an arrangement by aid of which musical compositions.
may. be executed without the aid of a skilled performer. Let the band
of paper move with a uniform velocity, and on the lines traced out by
each pair of terminals, which we shall call lines of notation, punch holes
representing the desired notes at distances apart equal to the time value
or duration of those notes.
For the convenience of measuring the time distances the music band
may be ruled with a series of equidistant lines crossing the lines of
notation at right angles. These may be called time unit times, as they
represent the shortest note in the piece of music to be played, that is to
say, the intervals between these unit lines mark equal portions of time;
each section is of the same duration.

page_text: If the music band moves in a series of leaps, each leap being equal to
a time unit, that is to say, if it moves with a uniform per saltem velocity,
it is obvious that the effect will be the same as if it moved with a simple
uniform velocity, and this per saltem mode of progression is that adopted
in the apparatus about to be described.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figures A and B are elevations of the
apparatus, and Figure C is a plan. The numbers introduced in the
annexed description of these Figures refer to the details.
A revolving cylinder 2 carries in lines parallel to its axis projecting
arms 3 of india-rubber or other suitable flexible material;
on each
side of this cylinder lies a line of hinged rods 5 and 6, so arranged
that when any rod be pressed forward it comes within the path of the
arms 3. It follows that the motion of the rods 5 will be the reverse
of 6. These rods 5 and 6 are connected with a hinged lever 4, so that
every impulse given to 5 or 6 is transmitted to 4, which is called the
finger lever, because it is designed to take the place of the human
finger in playing. There must be one finger lever 4, with its two
rods 5 and 6, for each key of the musical instrument to be performed
on; 5 being designed to force down 4 on the key 13 when a note is to
sound, and 6 to return 4 to its original position; 5 may be named the
striking rod, and 6 the returning rod. The finger lever has a friction
spring 41 attached to it to cause it to remain down when the note is
sounding until it be raised by the returning rod. The striking rod 5
has a small electro-magnet 7 so. connected with it that when the
armature 8 is attracted 5 is forced forward into the path of the flexible
arms 3. The returning rod 6 has a similar arrangement; 10 is the
magnet; 11, the armature. The electro-magnet 7, actuating the striking
rod 5, is thrown into action when a note is to sound by metallic
contact being made between the terminals of its coils by a band of
perforated paper 43, or other suitable non-conducting material, which
is made to travel with a uniform per saltem motion over the line 15, on
which meet in pairs the terminals of all the electro-magnets represent-
ing the various musical notes. The electro-magnet 10 is thrown into
action when a note is to cease sounding by the perforated music
band 43 in a precisely similiar manner to the above, the apertures
punched in the music band 43, corresponding with the stroke or return
of the key lever 4, that is to say, the music band 43 must be perforated
at such places and in such order for each air to be played that,
whenever a note is to sound, or to cease sounding a puncture shall

page_text: come on the line of contact 15 at that point in which meet the poles of
the electro-magnet designed to discharge that particular duty.
To secure perfect accuracy in time and modulation it is necessary that
when the electro-magnet 7 is thrown into action the event shall occur
immediately after one of the flexible arms (3) has passed, so that there
may be time for the striking rod (5) to take its correct position in the
path of the succeeding arm. The proper relative position of the flexible
arms 3 and the time unit lines in the music band 43 can be secured
in the following manner :-The music band 43 is stretched between two
endless leather bands 18 and 19, which pass over four pulleys keyed on
parallel axles 21 and 22. These pullies have pins on the periphery
working into perforations in the leather bands to prevent slipping, as
shewn at 17. The endless leather bands 18 and 19 are made to travel
with a per saltem motion by a succession of impulses received from the
flexible arms 3, as follows:-23 is a lever in the path of the flexible
arms 3, which successively strike it as they rotate; 24 is a stop for
limiting the travel of 23; and 25 is a lever for transmitting the motion
of 23 to 26, which is a jointed rod having a tooth falling into the ratchet
wheel 27. When 23 receives an impulse from one of the flexible arms 3.
the jointed rod 26 forces the ratchet wheel 27 through a space equal to
one tooth, and upon being released from the impelling force gravitates
back to its original position. Thus the ratchet wheel 27 is driven tooth.
by tooth, and through the mechanism described gives a per saltem
motion to the music band 43.
Figure D represents the modulation apparatus, or mechanism for
varying the velocity with which the key of the musical instrument
being performed upon is compelled to descend by the finger lever.
In instruments such as the piano, where the modulation of the
musical note depends upon the velocity with which the key descends,
it is desirable to have some means of varying this velocity ;
this may be-
effected by a travelling stop 28, whereby can be adjusted the distance
which the striking rod 5 is permitted to move into the path of the
flexible arms 3, the resistance to flexure of any point of 3 of course
increasing as that point approaches the surface of 2. If the stop 28 bc
caused to travel in the direction of the arrow the modulation will be
diminuendo.
A more perfect modulation may be effected by interposing between
the stroke rod 5 and the finger lever 4 an clastic arm 29, formed of two

page_text: pieces of thin flat steel, fastened at one end to a connecting piece
furnished with a boss 30, and at the other to a travelling transverso
bar 31. When the striking rod 5, the boss 30, and the finger 32 are in a
line the finger 32 receives the whole motion of the striking rod 5, and a
forte note is produced, but when by means of the bar 31 the boss 30
is made to travel in the direction of the arrow the modulation is
diminuendo.
-
Figure E represents the details of the electro-magnets:-Since the
force of electro-magnetic attraction is proportional to the square of
the distance of the armature from the face of the cores, it is a
desideratum in hinged electro-magnets that the distance of every point
on the face of the cores from the corresponding point on the face of the
armature shall be reduced to a minimum, that is to say, that the face
of the lever armature shall work as closely as possible to that of the
poles of the electro-magnet. This may be effected by dispensing with
the ordinary transverse spindle, and allowing the face of the armature to
rest on that of the electro-magnet, so that a point on the external edge
of the face of one core becomes the fulcrum of the lever. Vertical
guide pins prevent the armature from moving out of the required plane
of motion. This form of magnet besides being much more powerful
than the ordinary hinged kind is also less costly to construct and less
liable to get out of order.
In the Drawing, 33 is a side clevation of the electro-magnetic coils;
34, soft iron base of the cores; 35, soft iron. armature; 37, lever frame of
the armature; 38, guide rods working into V mortise in lever frame, so as
to prevent the armature from slipping on the core; 39, guide rod working
in rectangular slot in lever frame to prevent the armature from
deviating laterally from the cores; 40, plan of lever frame, shewing
V mortise and rectangular slot; 41, plan of other side of same; 42, plan of
electro-magnet.
Advantages of the specified apparatus:-
Firstly. A very small battery power only is required, electricity being
merely employed to select the keys to be struck.
Secondly. The modulation of the musical note, -in instruments such as
the piano where the loudness of the note depends upon the touch, is
independent of that of the electric current.
Thirdly. The current required to work the magnets being trifling, a cor-
respondingly small metallic contact is all that is required to transmit it.

page_text: '
Fourthly. The flexible arms 3 of the main cylinder 2 permitting the
stroke of the rods 5 and 6 to adapt itself in length to that which is
required, so as to be self-regulating, admit of the apparatus being set to
play any keyed instrument, such as the piano, organ, harmonium,
ctcetera, without any troublesome adjustment.
A similar combination may be extended to work the pedals of a piano
as well as the keys, the stops and pedals of an organ as well as the
manuals, and in fact to do everything which can be accomplished by a
skilled performer.
Features of novelty in the specified apparatus:-
Firstly. The flexible arms 3 of the main cylinder 2 whereby the stroke
is made self-regulating.
Secondly. The mechanism whereby electricity is made to select the
keys to be struck.
Thirdly. The mechanism whereby the music band is made to travel
with a correct register, the parallelism of the time unit lines with the
line of metallic contact being preserved throughout their course, so that
each point of metallic contact representing an electro-magnet shall
accurately trace out on the revolving music band the line of notation on
which are situate the apertures designed to throw that particular
electro-magnet into action.
Fourthly. The arrangement of hinged electro-magnet in which a
transverse spindle is dispensed with and the armature allowed to rest
directly on the core, as represented in the Drawings.
I do not claim as part of the Invention the use of a music band of
insulating material in which the musical notes are represented by
conducting apertures therein.
Of course, the form, dimensions, and arrangement of the several parts,
and the general construction of the apparatus, may be varied according
to circumstances, parts being omitted and more simple although less
effective substitutes added where economy of construction is of para-
mount importance, and other alterations made where efficiency is of
secondary importance to portability and compactness, or where sim-
plicity of construction is preferred to a minimum battery power.
Thus, for instance, the returning rod may be dispensed with by sub-
stituting for the friction spring 43 an armature sliding on a fixed clectro-
magnet. By magnetic attraction the finger lever is retained at any

page_text: point to which it may be forced down by the striking rod so long as the
electric current circulates, but when contact is broken it is returned by
a spring or a weight to its initial position.
This, and various other modifications too obvious to require special
description, will be suggested by the nature of the requirements which
the apparatus is designed to meet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner of carrying it into effect, I claim and
desire to secure by Letters Patent the apparatus substantially as above
described and shewn in the Drawing, by aid of which musical composi-
tions may be executed on pianos, organs, and similar keyed instruments,
without the intervention of a skilled performer.
In witness whereof, I, the said Echlin Molyneux, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.