Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
We FRIEDRICH ERNST MALKE and FRIEDRICH HERMANN OBERLÄNDER, both
residents of Leipzig-Gohlis, in the Kingdom of Saxony and Empire of Germany,
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner
the same is performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The present invention relates to that class of musical instruments which are
operated by means of rotary note discs and consists in the details of construction as
hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
And in order to render the present Specification more easily intelligible
reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference
denote similar parts throughout the several views:
Fig. 1 is a sectional plan showing a general arrangement of a musical instrument
constructed according to the present invention,
Fig. 2 is a detail view of a pin for adjusting the note disc to begin the piece to
be played properly,
Fig. 3 a part plan and section of the note disc,
Fig. 4 a detail of the centre pin for the note disc,
Fig. 5 an end elevation of the standard of the note disc pressure roll,
Fig. 6 a sectional view of a coupling for the main spring drum,
Fig. 7 an elevation of the governor fan mechanism,
Fig. 7 is a section on line x-x Fig. 7
Fig. 8 a detail view of mechanism for stopping the works and
Figs. 9 and 10 detail elevations of the damper mechanism.
Hitherto the note discs in musical instruments of the kind herein referred to were
mounted on a rotary plate the centre pin of which passed through the centre of the
note sheet whilst the coupling of the note sheet to the said plate was accomplished
by means of a pin eccentrically mounted on the plate which engaged in a corre-
sponding bole in the disc. According to the present invention the note disc is
centred on the pin 6 (Fig. 1) and is provided around its periphery with a series of
slanting slots c (Fig. 3) in which the correspondingly slanting teeth of a gear d
engage, said gear being driven by suitable clockwork from the shaft e in the known
manner. This arrangement has many advantages over the one previously
mentioned, in the first place the leverage on the note disc is much greater and the
strain on the same consequently less, whilst the danger of tearing the note sheet at
the coupling orifice is avoided. Then again by making the slots c of the disc
slanting and the teeth of the gear to correspond, each succeeding tooth engages in
the corresponding slot before the preceding tooth has left its slot, thus resulting in
very quiet and even working.
The note disc may be placed in the instrument in any way, but as it is preferable
to have the piece played begin at the beginning the device shown at Fig. 2 has
been provided, which consists of a plate B having lugs E E said plate being fixed
to the wheel d. In the lugs a sliding pin C is mounted having a spring D which
presses at one end against one of the ears E and at the opposite end against a pin
passed through the pin C and tends to press the said pin Coutwardly. In starting
the works before placing the note disc in the same, the wheel d should be brought
into the position shown at Figure 2 (upper view) and the note disc turned round on
its centre until the said pin springs into a hole (Fig. 3) formed in the same at the
beginning. When this has taken place the instrument may be started the pin
passing out of its orifice as the wheel d rotates and not interfering further with
he sheet.

page_text: The note disc itself is also made in a novel manner. Instead of cutting orifices
in the same to form the valve operating or comb teeth actuating notches, these
latter are produced by depressions in the form of triangular teeth having their
points towards the front or direction of rotation. The form of these teeth may be
clearly seen from Figure 3 (lower section) and from this view it will be seen that
no metal is removed from the sheet, but that the metal is only displaced without
being detached or partially detached. This forms a much stronger and more
durable note sheet.
In order to allow of the adjustment of the rod and roll used for retaining the note
sheet radially, as is well known, the end of the retaining rod is provided with a
spring pressed lever w which engages a slot in the centre pin 6 when the rod is
down in position. The hinge of this rod at the opposite end is formed by a pin g
mounted in a plate e vertically adjustable by means of screws and slots or
equivalent arrangement on the standard f (Fig. 5). The position of the slot M of
the centre pin is also vertically adjustable to correspond, the said pin b being
mounted as shown at Figure 4 vertically adjustable by means of a set screw N
in its standard. Thus the pressure exerted on the note disc can be varied
at will.
According to the present construction the damper springs 2 for the comb teeth, are
also arranged adjustably (Figs. 1, 9 and 10) the same beiug all mounted in a common
block or bar mounted on the fast bar k so as to be adjustable with regard to the
same. Springs & Inounted on suitable pins act to press the movable damper bar/
away from the fast bar k and the position of the same as also that of all the
dampers 2 may be varied as regards the teeth of the comb by adjusting the said
moveable bar to or from the fast bar k by means of the adjusting screws i i. As
will be seen from Figures 9 and 10 the damper springs pass under the comb teeth
actuating pin wheels and rest against the comb teeth.
In onder to prevent vibrations of the clockwork being transmitted to the works
of the instrument a wood partition is fixed between the clock and said works, which
also improves the appearance of the instrument.
Instead of providing the spring drum m with a spur gear as is usually the case,
teeth g' are formed around the cylindrical surface of the same by being pressed
out of the metal and the motion of the drum is transmitted to a spur gear g having
corresponding teeth. In this case also the teeth are made slanting to effect a
smooth and noiseless running, when the clock work is being wound up. In order
to prevent overwinding the clockwork the device shown at Figure 6 has been
provided. On the spindle r the wheel q engaging the drum is mounted said wheel
being mounted on an intermediate sleeve a loosely. To the end of this sleeve is
fast a disc p having projections o adapted to engage depressions y on the face of
the gear g. This disc p is normally held with its projections o in engagement with
the gear by means of a circular or other spring z which is retained against the
dise by means of the block and cotter pin o. Thus on turning the crank a the
spring of the clockwork will be wound up until it is properly tight and then
should the lever continue to be turned the notches o will disengage from the lever q
and the disc revolve without forcing the drum round so that there is no danger of
breaking the spring.
The speed of the clockwork is regulated by a fan governor of the following
construction:-The yoke e is mounted on the governor spindle a and carries
pivotally mounted therein the fans ff, said fans being mounted in arms d' of the
said yoke piece, and each provided with inwardly turned tooth segments e 2 which
both engage corresponding teeth of a sleeve gl mounted on the governor spindle.
Within this sleeve a spring is mounted adapted to exert pressure against the
upper end of the sleeve the said spring being supported at its other end on an
inner projection of the spindle a'. Thus when the clockwork runs at too high a
speed, the wings of the fan will be forced apart by the centrifugal force and the
sleeve will consequently be depressed, compressing the spring and causing
friction, which will tend to lower the speed of the said clockwork. The ends b

page_text: of the spindle a are mounted in suitable bearings and at the top end a plate c2 is
provided adapted to press on the sleeve g'. This plate carries upwardly extending
arins m which pass through the top bar of the frame and carry a wedge k' at the
top. A sliding bar n' carrying a hook m¹ Fig. 7 engages over the wedge and can
be operated from outside the works to slide along and consequently depress the
wedge which is carried by the top ends of the pins m" and so cause the plate
to press on the spring and sleeve g' and apply thus a brake to the governors,
which will cause the works to run more slowly. Thus the speed of the works may
be varied for different pieces. The governor spindle a¹ is driven by suitable
gearing from the corkscrew like thread formed at the lower end of the spindle in
the usual manner. At the lower end of the spindle are mounted a couple of
arms vv (Fig. 7) which may also be seen at Figure 1, and the drum is provided
with a groove (Fig. 8) having a notch sand in this groove a vertically
extending pin s of a lever pivoted at e* to the frame of the works. This lever
is provided with a spring c3 which keeps the pin s' in the groove of the drum and
its further end is bent round at o' to engage one of the arms of the governor
spindle. The opposite end of the said lever may be actuated from outside the
works by a slide u having wedge shaped end. When this slide is pushed in the
lever is turned on its pivot and releases the pin s' from the notch" and the arm v
from the hook o'. On drawing out the lever u¹ the spring e 3 draws the pin si into
the slot or groove of the drum and when the notch s comes round the said pin will.
engage the same whilst the hook will also engage the arm and the works will be
stopped.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we-
claim is :-
In a mechanical musical instrument:
1. Driving the note disc by means of a series of slanting slots arranged around
the periphery of the same and a correspondingly formed gear to engage said slots
as specified.
2. Adjusting the note sheet to begin at the proper place by means of a spring
pin on the driving gear to engage a hole on the note sheet as specified.
3. A note sheet formed without perforations by pressing the material of the same
into triangular projections having their points towards the front.
4. Making the supporting point and the bearing of the note disc holder or
retainer vertically adjustable.
5. Adjustable damper springs rendered adjustable by means of springs and set
screws as specified.
6. A. bent spring damper of steel wire adapted not to contact with the comb.
teeth when at rest but to contact with the same when struck and damp it
substantially as specified.
7. Means for preventing the overwinding of the spring by connecting the winding
crank with the drum by means of a friction coupling as specified.
8. Connecting the gear for winding up the drum directly with the latter by
stamping teeth in the latter as specified.
9. A fan governor having wings with tooth segments to engage a sliding spring
pressed sleeve as specified.
10. Means for running the works at a slow speed, by moving a wedge adapted
to exert pressure on the governor spring and brake the speed of the governor.
11. Means for stopping the works consisting of a lever having pin to engage a
notch of the spring drum and a hook to engage arresting arms on the governor
spindle and a suitable slide to actuate said lever substantially as described.
Dad: 19th I
SML. 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants..