Improvements in and connected with the Striking Mechanism of Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Striking Mechanism of
Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I, FRIEDRICH ADOLF RICHTER, of Rudolstadt in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention refers to devices for operating the steel notes in mechanical
musical instruments wherein a contact wheel has hitherto been employed to strike
the notes. According to my invention I employ a pivotted hammer loosely mounted
on a fixed spindle and provided with an upper projection adapted to engage with
the slots of the note sheet or disc, a projection arranged thereunder to strike the steel
tongue producing the sound and a muffler arranged under the said tongue, all the
said parts being situated at one and the same side of the hammer pivot. The
hammer is loosely arranged on its pivot and capable of lateral movement thereon,
and is retained by a spring or springs as hereinafter more particularly described,
and located in such a manner that when the upper arm or cam of the hammer is
engaged with one of the slots of the note sheet or disc, the said hammer will be
caused to move first forward, then downward, striking the note, then the tongue
which has struck the note is by the action of the said spring or springs in
combination with the note sheet or disc, moved horizontally, or nearly so,
backwards on its pivot and may rise, when the next slot of the note sheet comes
over it, the said tongue rising clear of the steel note.
And in order that my invention may be more readily understood reference is
made to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote like
parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in section of my device with the hammer in
position previous to striking the steel tongue,
Fig. 2 shows the hammer in the act of striking the tongue,
Fig. 3 shows the position of the hammer after having struck the tongue,
Fig. 4 the position of the same when rising into a slot in the note sheet or disc,
Figure 5 a modified form of damper or muffler, and
Figure 6 a detail view of the hammer.
As shown in Fig. 6 the hammer is provided with an upper arm or cam b, a
projection or striker c below the same, and a muffler or damper d below the latter,
all these parts being arranged on one side of the pivot. The striker c may either
be rounded or pointed. Owing to this arrangement of the parts the centre of
gravity of the hammer will be displaced to one side of the pivot, and a spring e is
advantageously employed, Fig. 1, to press against the damper d and balance the
said hammer: In this position, the damper d which is advantageously or preferably
covered with leather or soft material of some kind, will be held against the under
surface of the steel tongue f as shown at Figure 1, and consequently muffles or
stifles the vibrations of the same. The pivot bole of the bammer is made larger
than the diameter of the spindle g upon which it turns and the said hammer is
pressed upwards against its pivot spindle g by means of a spring h in conjunction
with the spring e, so that the hammer will rest eccentrically on its pivot
BDindle 0.

page_text: The hammer is in a position of equilibrium when the cam b of the same is in a
slot of the note sheet or disc, which moves over the hammers in the direction of
the arrow as shown in Fig. 1. If now the rear end of one of the slots of the note
sheet in which the cam b lies strikes the latter, the whole hammer will first be
pushed forward on its pivot owing to the boring of the same being larger than the
diameter of the spindle g; the spring e attached to the base plate of the mechanism
and having its free end supporting the hammer will keep the latter up during its
forward movement, on the further advance of the note sheet a, the hammer will be
depressed in its forward position striking or pinching the steel tongue with its
projection or striker c (Figs. 2 and 3). By this movement the hammer will be
turued round on its pivot sufficiently to allow the steel tongue to vibrate freely
without coming into contact with the striker c or damper d. At the next slot in
the note sheet the cam b will be pushed into the same by the spring e its curved or
cam surface coming in contact with the front end of the slot and thus simultaneously
with the upward movement retaining the same in its backward position on the
pivot and keeping the projection c clear of the steel tongue f.
h
The spring presses against the pivot boss of the hammer which spring presses
the hammer against the pivot 9 and thus effects a steady and even movement of
the same.
The said spring h may however be omitted if the hammer is provided
with a horizontal slot instead of the enlarged pivot hole.
The device above described may be modified by arranging a damper e¹ on the
upwardly bent end of the spring e instead of on the hammer.
With this arrange-
ment the height of the damper can be more conveniently adjusted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim as my improvements in and connected with the striking mechanism of
mechanical inusical instruments, is :
1. The combination of a hammer having formed thereon on one and the same
side of its pivot, an upper cam 6 to engage in the slots of the note sheet or disc, a
projection or striker c below said cam to strike or pinch the steel tongues, and a
spring e to actuate said hanımer, an enlarged pivot boring to said hammer to allow
of lateral movement of the same, a pivot spindle g and means for muffling the steel
tongue substantially as described.
2. The combination of a hammer having arranged at one and the same side of
its pivot, an upper cam 6 and a projection or striker c, an arm or projection below
the latter, a spring e bearing with its free end against said lowest projection, an
enlarged pivot hole to said hammer and a pivot g to support same, and means for
muffling the steel tongue substantially as described.
3. The combination of a hammer having arranged at one and the same side of
its pivot, a cam-b, a projection or striker c, and a damper d, a spring e mounted on
the base plate to bear against the under surface of said damper, and enlarged pivot
hole, and a pivot g substantially as described.
4. The combination of a hammer having at one and the same side of its pivot,
a cam b, a projection or striker c, and damper d, a spring e attached to the base
plate to bear against the under surface of said damper, an enlarged pivot hole and
a pivot spindle g therein, a second spring to bear against the under surface of the
pivot boss of the hammer, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a hammer having arranged at one and the same side of
its pivot, a cam b, a projection or striker c and a lower arm, a spring e resting
against said. lower arm, and having an upwardly turned end projecting under the
steel tongues and having a damper thereon, an enlarged pivot hole to said hammer,
and, pivot g, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a hammer having arranged at one and the same side of
its pivot, a camn b, a projection or striker c and lower arm, a spring e to act against
said lower arm, a damper e¹ on said spring end, an enlarged pivot hole to the 5

page_text: hammer and pivot spindle therein, and a spring h to push the boss of said hammer
upwards substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of September 1894.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.