Improvements in or connected with the Striking and Damping Devices of Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
Improvements in or connected with the Striking and Damping
Devices 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:-
In the striking and damping devices as usually heretofore constructed for the
steel reeds of mechanical musical instruments with perforated music sheets, the
damping action is faulty, either because it is exerted or applied to an insufficient
extent and is noisy, or because it is applied too soon.
These very serious drawbacks are obviated according to the present invention
by fixing the damper in the form of double springs to the striker itself so that the
damper begins to act only at the moment when the striker (which is formed with
an elongated hole by means of which it is mounted on a fixed shaft) is drawn
forwards by the music sheet, and thereby presses the damping springs against the
forward edge of the reed.
By means of this arrangement there is produced a thoroughly certain and rapid
damping action immediately before the reed is struck again; this is of especial
importance in the case of the long vibrating bass reeds.
Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, the striker is formed with
a catch a, a striking point b, a damper c, an arm & for limiting the extent of the
upward movement, and with an elongated hole e.
The striker, as above described, and referring to Fig. 2 is mounted so as to be
capable of movement on a fixed shaft f. The upward movement and the rearward
movement of the striker is effected by means of a spring g which presses from
below against the arm d of the striker. The movement of the striker is limited
by means of a fixed angle piece h.
The music sheet A which moves over the striking apparatus is formed with
perforated notes or musical characters, and when one of these perforations comes
exactly over the striker, the latter is raised by the spring g and is at the same time
also pushed back on the shaft, until its striking point b is enabled to slip freely
past the reed i, and the arm d bears against the angle piece as is clearly shown
in Figure 2. By the further forward movement of the music sheet, the striker
(which is situated with its catch a in the perforation in the music sheet) is at first
drawn forward until the rear of the elongated hole formed comes against the shaft
and the striker then moved downwards with a rotary motion, whereby the reed is
struck and caused to emit its note. Whilst the striker is being drawn forward by
the music sheet, the damping springs c which are affixed laterally to the striker,
place themselves against the forward edge of the reed i and act to damp the latter
just before the striker point comes in contact with the reed. The damping action
is thus applied immediately before the reed is struck, so that the said reed is
allowed to vibrate up to the very last moment which is of great value for the
music.
Figure 3 illustrates the striker at the moment of striking the reed, and Figure 4
shows the striker in its position after striking the reed.
The damping springs may in some cases be fixed to the lower part of the arm d
at as shown in Figure 5, instead of being fixed at the upper part of the striker

page_text: at c¹ as shown in Figure 1. Also in the case of weak reeds, the damping device
may consist merely of only one spring mounted laterally on the striker.
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 is :-
A device for striking and damping the steel or other metal reeds of mechanical
musical instruments, consisting of a striker mounted by means of an elongated
hole on the stationary shaft, said striker being provided, in addition to a catch a,
a striking point b, and an arm d serving as a stop, with a damping device,
consisting of one or two metal springs arranged laterally on the striker, which
said springs come in contact with the forward edge of the reed and damp the
reed when the striker is drawn forward and substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of September 1895.