IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: improve
песцапісал шusicал ЦЗИГИщецив.
I, FRIEDRICH ERNST PAUL EHRLICH, residing at Gohlis near Leipsic, Saxony,
German Empire, Managing Director of Fabrik Leipziger Musikwer formerly Paul
Ehrlich and Co of same place do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to mechanical musical instruments in which the notes are
produced, by reeds having valves that are operated by the medium of a circular
music-sheet, the said sheet being provided with alternating perforations and solid
parts, or projections and spaces, corresponding with the notes to be produced, and
it consists in the combination of a rotating reed-box, a circular music sheet which
is stationary, and means for supplying to the reeds the air required to sound them,
and for holding down the music-sheet on the valve-levers of the reed-box.
The reed-box is firmly attached to a sleeve fitted loosely on a fixed axle, and
provided with mechanism for rotating it. Below the path of the reed-box there is
a stationary air-chamber into which air is forced by a bellows actuated by the
mechanism rotating the reed-box. The bottom of the reed-box, which is extended
around the aforesaid sleeve, carries on its underside two annular projections.
concentric with the sleeve. By means of these projections the reed-box is in
contact with the top of the air-chamber, while it slides thereon during its rotation.
A circular channel is thus formed, between which and the reed-box on one hand
and the air-chamber on the other, cominunication is established by one or more
apertures in the reed-box and in the air-chamber, so that the former is permanently
supplied with air from the latter. For the purpose of ensuring complete tightness
against an escape of air between the surfaces of the said projections and the top of
the air-chamber, either of these parts may be faced with leather or other like
material. Moreover, the cover of the air-chamber may be made movable and
pressed against the said projections by means of a spring.
The music-sheet is carried by a disk secured to the aforesaid fixed axle near its
top, and having pins corresponding with holes in the sheet, so that when the latter
is slipped on the pins, it will be prevented from turning. The sheet is kept down
on the valve-levers by means of a bar rotating with the reed-box, and arranged to
be turned up, or to be removed, when the music-sheet is to be exchanged.
Dated this 27th day of December 1884
CARL
PIEPER,
Agent for the said Friedrich Erust Paul Ehrlich.

page_text: I, FRIEDRICH ERNST PAUL EHRLICH, residing at Gohlis near Leipsic, Saxony,
German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention relates to mechanical musical instruments in which the notes are
'produced by reeds having valves that are operated by the medium of a circular
music sheet, the said sheet being provided with alternating perforations and solid
parts, or projections and spaces, corresponding with the notes to be produced, and
it consists in the combination of a rotating reed-box, a circular music-sheet which
is stationary, and means for supplying to the reeds the air required to sound them,
and for holding down the music-sheet on the valve-levers of the reed-box.
An instrument involving my invention is represented on the annexed sheet of
drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on line 1, 1 of Fig. 2, which is partly
a top-view and partly a section on line 3, 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section through
the reed-box on line 2, 2 Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 shows a part in detail, and Fig. 5
a modification of a portion of the reed-box.
The reed-box g is firmly attached to a hollow cylinder or sleeve adapted to
rotate on a vertical axle c fixed at its base to the bottom of the box m, enclosing
the operating parts of the instrument. To the sleeve is moreover secured å
worm-wheel i, gearing with a worm j, which is mounted on an axle q projecting
with one end through the wall of the box m, and provided at this end with a
crank n, by means of which the said axle and consequently the reed-box may be
.rotated. Below the path of the reed-box there is a stationary air-chamber o, into
which air is forced by the bellows k, actuated by a crank and a connecting-rod on
the axle q. is a regulating bellows operating by means of the spring . The
bottom of the reed-box is extended around the sleeve h, or a disk u is fixed thereto,
forming such extension, and the said extended bottom carries on its underside two
annular projections & concentric with the sleeve h, and having such height as to be
in contact with the like projections formed on the top or cover p of the air-
chamber, a closed circular channel y being thus produced. This channel is in
communication with the reed-box by an aperture t, and with the air-chamber by
one or more apertures 2, so that the said box is permanently supplied with air
from the chamber, in whichsoever position it may be during its rotation. For the
purpose of ensuring complete tightness against an escape of air between the
surfaces of the projections 8 and r, while these parts slide upon each other, either
the movable or the stationary parts are faced with leather or other like material.
Besides, india-rubber rings s¹, Fig. 5, or an other elastic substance, may be placed
under the leather facing. If preferred, either the projections 8 or r may be omitted,
provided the remaining projections be made high enough to come in contact with
the opposite surface of the reed-box or of the air-chamber, as the case may be.
For reducing the friction between the parts s and r during the operation of the
instrument, the projections or ways opposite to those faced with leather, are made

page_text: very smooth.
In order to obtain additional security against an escape of air
from the channel y, the cover p of the air-chamber may be made movable and
pressed upward by a spring g', while the joints between the said cover and the
sides of the chamber are tightened by strips of leather w.
The music-sheet a is carried by a disk b fixed to the axle c near its top, and
having pins b' corresponding with holes in the sheet, so that when the latter is
slipped on the pins, it will be prevented from turning. The sheet is kept down on
the valve levers d by means of a bar f arranged to rotate with the reed-box. As
shown by the drawing, the said barf is jointed at y³ to a ring y¹ rotatively
connected to the end of the axle c, and at its outer end it is locked to the reed-box
by a hook or clasp f' adapted to catch over a pin at the end of the bar f, after the
said pin has been laid into a notch in the plate f¹. This arrangement allows the
bar to be turned up on its joint y' when the music-sheet is to be exchanged. In
order to give further support to the sheet a, and to close the instrument at the top,
the upper wall of the reed-box g is extended so as to form a round disk v, which
is with advantage connected to the disk u by ribs x. When a perforated music-
sheet is employed, the bar f is provided with notches opposite to the circles in
which these perforations lie, so as to allow the valve-levers to rise whenever they
meet a perforation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination, in a mechanical musical instrument, of a reed-box g,
rotating on a fixed axle c, a music-sheet secured to the said axle so as to be
stationary, and means for supplying to the reeds the air required to sound them,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the stationary music-sheet a, and the rotating reed-
box g, of the air-chamber o and bellows k, the reed-box permanently communicating
with the air-chamber by the apertures t and and the channel y, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the stationary music-sheet a, rotating reed-box g and
air-chamber o communicating with the reed-box by the apertures t and z and the
channel y, of the movable air-chamber-cover p and spring q¹, substantially as
herein before set forth.
4. The combination with the rotating reed-box g, stationary music-sheet a, and
means for supplying air to the reeds, of the bar f rotatively connected at one end
to the axle c, and a clasp for securing its other end to the reed-box, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
Date
1007