Improvements in Mechanically Operated Musical Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Mechanically Operated Musical Instruments.
I, JULIUS WELLNER, of 800, Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey, United States
of America, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
My invention relates to mechanically operated musical instruments, the
object being to simplify and cheapen the manufacture of the tune sheet, which,
in combination with the star wheels, causes the dents in the comb to vibrate;
and generally to render the said instruments more efficient. The improvements
refer to the methods or devices for conveying the tune sheet into position in
front of or adjacent to the star wheels; to the feeder of the tune sheet which
brings the latter within reach of the means for elevating it; the elevator which
catches up the tune sheet and raises it to a position tangential to the star wheels;
and to the means for temporarily retaining or locking the tune sheet in its
operative position while rotating upon its axis. The invention and the claims
refer only to the specific improvements hereinafter specified, and do not extend
to any broad principle adopted in this well known class of instruments.
In the further description of this invention reference is made to the accom-
panying drawings in which Fig. 1, is a front view, showing the single-screw tune
feeder, the elevator and locking means, Fig. 2 is a plan of parts shown in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a side view of the parts as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a plan similar to
Fig. 2, to illustrate the method embodied in two screws conveying the tune
sheets instead of one screw; Fig. 5 is a front view showing the modification on
my screw conveying means of a stationary swivelled tune-sheet feeder, Fig. 6
is a side view of the said feeder as shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged
detail view of one side of the elevating means as they are seen in Fig. 1, show-
ing additionally the device that operates the locking means from one of the
elevating screws.
In Fig. 1, A' indicates one of a series of tune sheets, in this instance twelve in
number, lettered from A¹ to A13, it being of course understood, that any number
of sheets can be introduced, such addition depending on how many threads
the screws are furnished with and how long or deep the frame work is con-
structed. B1, B2 and 133 indicate three screws, of which B' is shown as secured
I will first describe the
in the frame C in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; 12 and B³ in Fig. 4.
movement of the tune-sheets as performed by the single screw B¹.
C as previously stated indicates the frame work supporting my improvements
and has standards C1, C2, and C, these standards support between them guides D)
for keeping the tune sheets in a true perpendicular position. The said guides
are constructed as follows:-Two rods, D1 and D2, secured firmly between the
standards, D¹ between C¹ and C³, I between C2 and C+, have each a tube lying
around them, the tube E' lying around rod D', and the tube E3 around rod D³,

page_text: screw
"
each of which tubes has a series of bushes F firmly attached to them, so that
each tune disc lies between a pair of guide bushes F to F2, taking A¹ as an
example it will be found to lie between 3 and F25 on the right side of the frame,
and between F and 124 on the left side of the frame, as looking at them in
Fig. 1. The screw B¹ is secured rotatively in lugs and
said lugs forming part of
the bottom 07 of the frame C. The
B is manipulated by a handwheel C8 having a handle C, and
is furnished with twice as many screw threads as there are discs required,
so that observing Fig. 3, the whole series of tune sheets from A¹ to A12 can pass
by the elevating means as indicated by the position of the elevating screw G²;
consequently when the screw handle C is manipulated, the whole series of
sheets is moved, guided on either side by the bushes F mounted on the tubes E¹
and E sliding on their respective rods D1 and D2. It will be apparent that
the screw motion as a principle embodying the conveyance of a tune sheet, can
equally as well be applied if two screws were used, and such screws were attached
between the standards C₁, C3 and C², C+ occupying in other words the same
position as the guide rods D1 and D2, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To
illustrate this modification Fig. 4 is attached, which shows a top view of the
frame, similar to the view of such frame in Fig. 2. The disc A¹ here rests
between the screws B2 and B3, as it before rested between the guide bushes F
to F, and the guide system is in this case transferred to the bottom periphery
of the tune sheet, by means of a guide rack B dovetailed into the bottom C
of the frame C; said rack having teeth, between a pair of which teeth a disc is
placed. As the rack has a smooth loose fit in the bottom of the frame, it will
be evident that any motion given to the tune sheets will carry the guide rack
along, the rack being instrumental in steadying the discs and keeping them in
a perpendicular position. The screw B³ is furnished with a handwheel C12,
which when manipulated by the handle C", will rotate the said screw, and
when the two screws are connected at their other ends by any simple mechanical
connecting means, such as a connecting rod and crank discs, or a connecting rod
or mitre gears, the rotary motion will be transferred to the screw B2 and the
tune sheets and the guide rack will be carried along in whatever direction the
screws may be turned. It will be obvious, that as a conveying means, more
screws than two could be used, which, when arranged in any intelligent
mechanical manner would convey a series of discs; the idea of applying the
screw movement as a conveying means naturally remaining the underlying
principle of this part of my invention.
Proceeding now to the description of the elevating means, it will be seen that
in the general plan view in Fig. 1, they consist of two perpendicular screw-cut
rods G and G2, whose screw-threads are cut at a very acute angle, the shape of
the thread being as seen in the detail view Fig. 7, semicircular, for the sake
of conforming to the anti-friction ball G³, inserted in the bush G. Mounted on
each of these screws is a bush respectively G on G² and G5 on G¹. From each
of these bushes protrudes an arm, Go from G and G7 from G⁹. Forming a part
of these arms, indicated respectively as G8 and G9 is a grooved tongue, in which
grooves the disc that is to be elevated will rest. From each grooved tongue
there further protrudes a downward inclining arm G10 from G8, and G¹¹ from G
Fig. 1. To the said arms G6, G7, G10 and G₁ there are pivoted grooved wheels,
which wheels tend to give a frictionless guiding motion to the supports as they
move each on a guiding bar, one of said guiding bars being indicated by H2
Fig. 7, these bars being secured to a part of the framework H3 by means of
arms H, H³, H and H7 Fig. 7. Observing the detail view now for a more
complete understanding of the operation of this elevating device, it will be
seen that in the case of the bush G4, lying as before stated, around the screw G²,
said bush is furnished with a screw G13, this screw being hollowed out at the
inner end so as to furnish support for the anti-friction ball G³. The bush itself

page_text: The guiding
is a smooth bore so that it slides readily up and down the rod G².
wheels attached to this disc support are G14 on the arm G and G5 on the
arm Go The two screws G¹ and G2, referring back to Fig. 1, are suitably
secured in the framework, and are connected operatively by two pairs of mitre
gears, of which I and I are mounted respectively on the top end of G and G2,
and I on the connecting rod I, the latter being secured to the upper part of
the framework by bearings 16 and 17. If now any kind of motive power be
applied to the pulley 18, secured to the bottom end of screw G2, a rotary motion
will be given to the said screw G2, and transmitted by the above described mitre
gear system to G¹. As the screws G¹ and G2 respectively are cut as right and left
screws, it will be apparent that the bushes G and G³ will be carried upward, and
in so doing will catch up the disc that happens to lie in alignment with the disc
supports G8 and G³, thereby conveying the said disc to the position in which it
will be locked, by the means I shall now proceed to describe, while actuating the
star wheels and comb teeth.
As will have been observed in Figs. 1 and 3, the tune sheet A¹ is furnished
with a hole, A, which hole is destined to be occupied by a pin. This pin was in
some of the old mechanical musical instruments a horizontally fixed pin, on which,
by some spring action or other, the disc was affixed. In my improved locking
device the pin is made moveable so that it enters the hole, instead of the hole being
A bar J has a
adjusted to the pin. This is accomplished in the following manner;
pin Jattached; said bar is pivoted in brackets J and J3 secured to the plate J
attached to the standards C7 and CS, which standards form part of the frame C.
Secured opposite to the pin J¹, on the said plate J+, is a seat J having a hole J.
The bar has also an arm L protruding rearwards as seen in Fig. 3 and by
reason of the bar J being pivoted in the bearings J and J, it can easily be
seen that if an upward movement in the direction of the arrow X be given to said
arm L by some power or other, the bar J will perform a rotary motion in the
direction of the arrow X', and the pin J will pass into the hole J. The means
for giving this motion to the arm L are the following. Observing Fig. 7 it
will be seen that a cylinder M suitably secured to the frame C has a rod Mi
passing through it. To this rod M there is attached a part M², to which is
affixed an arm M³, said arm pivoted at M to the part M². The arm M³ is fur-
nished with a tooth rack meshing with a screw-cut bush N, which bush N
is firmly affixed to the screw G². Attached to the upper edge of the part M² is
an arm which co-operates with the arm L of the bar J, as best seen in Fig. 3.
When now the rotary motion is given to the screws, the screw G2, having the
screw-cut bush N affixed to it, meshing with the bush rack M³, forming part of
the arm M³ and pressed against the bush N by a spring M, will elevate the
part M2, and with it the arm which, pivoting the bar J around its journals in
the bearings J and J will introduce the pin T, having the hole A° lying opposite
to it, into the hole J6 of the seat J5, thus temporarily locking the tune-sheet in
its operative position. As soon as the tune sheet has made one revolution it
is caused to stop when the part M2 will descend, and in so doing withdraws the
receding, thus removing
pressure from the arm L, which will result in the bar
the pin J from the hole Je leaving the tune sheet free to descend. There remains
yet to be described the modification on the tune-sheet feeding means. This is
illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. A swivelling rod K is journalled in bearings K¹
and K2, forming part of a framework P. To this rod K is firmly attached two
bushes, Q and Q, having inserted in them in any suitable mechanical manner,
a series of curved rods R, said rods R forming aligned pairs lying opposite each
other, as for instance, in Fig. 5 R¹ and R2. Between each successive pair of
rods, the discs A are inserted as seen in Fig. 6, the even number of rods of
course not being seen, as lying immediately behind the uneven numbers. The
means for manipulating this fan-shaped rod mechanism, is by turning the
handle S attached to the arm $¹ to the right or left, to which effect numbers are

page_text: inscribed on an arelike part S extending from the arm S¹, so as to indicate the
different tune sheets, which when brought in alignment with the arrow head Y
affixed to the side frame 1" will operate the desired tune sheet into its elevating
position. In order to control the movement of the feeder a ratchet wheel T is
secured on the swivel rod K with which wheel a pawl T operates. This pawl
is pivoted on a bearing T2 and is pressed down over the ratchet wheel by a-
spring T. The conformity of the head of the pawl to the ratchet wheel teeth,
and the position of the pawl head adjacent to the upper periphery of said wheel
is so that it enables a swivelling of the feeder in both directions.
elements and
accessory
state that it
Having thus described my invention consisting of my improved feeding
mechanism utilizing therein the action of screw-threads as conveying means for
tune-sheets, and the modification thereof, the stationary swivelled tune-sheet
feeder, the improved elevating means for conveying the tune-sheet into its
operative position embracing the two perpendicular screw-cut rods and
I would
the adjustable pin locking device,
that minor mechanical de-
readily be understood
can
connection with these
tails could be suggested as improvements in
devices, which, however, would in no way affect the invention. As an example,
a single elevating screw could with a few changes be constructed to elevate the
tune-sheets, as well as the two shown in the drawings, on the same principle that
one horizontal conveying screw can take the place of the two horizontal con-
veying screws.
I am aware that it has already been proposed to provide mechanically operated
musical instruments with mechanism for automatically changing the tune-
sheets and I make no general claim to such mechanism, but having now particu-
larly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, and one or more screws for conveying said sheets to operative position
in said instrument.
2. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, and one or more screws for conveying said sheets to and from operative
position in the said instrument.
3. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, one or more screws for conveying said sheets to and from operative
position in said instrument and means for elevating said tune sheets.
4. In a mechanical musical instrument having tune sheets operating the same,
the combination of mechanical elements conveying and elevating said tune
sheets substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. The combination in a mechanical musical instrument of a series of tune
sheets with the screw threads of one or more screws substantially as and for the
purposes described.
6. The combination in a mechanical musical instrument of a series of tune
sheets with screw threads moving and guiding the said sheets and with means for
elevating the sheets for the purposes specified substantially as described.
7. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, one or more screws moving said tune sheets and guides supporting the
tune sheets substantially as and for the purposes described.
8. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, one or more screws moving said tune sheets, and means for elevating
and attaching said tune sheets, as and for the purposes described.
9. The combination in a mechanical musical instrument with tune sheets
operating same, a screw moving said tune sheets, lateral guides furnished as
and for the purposes described.
10. The combination in a mechanical musical instrument of the comb, the

page_text: star wheels and the tune sheets, means furnished with screw threads, and elevat-
ing means co-operating with the screw means, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
11. The combination in a mechanical musical instrument of the comb, the
star wheels and the tune sheets, one or more screws moving and guiding said
tune sheets, means for steadying the circumference of the tune sheets, and
means for elevating the said sheets, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
12. In a mechanical musical instrument having tune sheets, the combination
of parallel screws supported in a frame, means connecting said screws rotatively,
two perpendicular elevating screws, mitres connecting said elevating screws,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
13. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a swivelled pivot having means supporting the tune sheets substantially
as and for the purposes described.
14. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, means separating and supporting the tune sheets attached to a pivot
for the purposes set forth substantially as described.
15. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a stationary swivelling pivot, means secured to such pivot separating
and supporting the tune sheets for the purposes set forth substantially as
described.
16. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a stationary swivelling pivot having means conveying the tune sheets
substantially as and for the purposes described.
17. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a swivelling pivot supported in a frame, means secured to said pivo
separating and supporting the tune sheets, means for regulating the feeding of
each sheet in turn, a manipulating and indicating lever attached to the pivot
substantially and for the purposes described.
18. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a swivelled pivot secured in a frame, means secured on said pivot having
rods arranged in aligned pairs forming a fan on each side, means for regulating
the feeding of each individual sheet and a manipulating arm secured on the
pivot externally to the frame of the instrument for the purposes set forth sub-
stantially as described.
19. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a swivelled pivot secured to the frame of the instrument having means
for supporting tune sheet, a ratchet wheel, an indicating and manipulating lever
attached to the pivot substantially as and for the purposes described.
20. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, means for conveying the tune sheets to their elevating position sub-
stantially as described, one or more perpendicular elevating screws, anti-friction
bearings, for supporting the tune sheets, attached to said screws, a locking pin
attached to a pivoted bar, a seat having an aperture receiving said locking pin,
and means attached to one of the elevating screws operating the locking means
substantially as described.
21. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, one or more horizontal screws conveying said tune sheets to their
elevating position, one or more perpendicular screws, having means attached for
elevating the tune sheets, a locking pin adjusted into a corresponding seat by
means operated from one of the elevating screws as and for the purposes described.
22. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, a moveable and adjustable pin, co-operating with means for supporting
the tune sheets, substantially as described.
23. In a mechanical musical instrument, separate tune sheets for operating
the same, locking means comprising a pivoted bar having a pin, a seat furnished

page_text: with an aperture to receive said pin, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1899.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
37 & 39, Essex Street, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.