Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAI, SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments.
I, HENRY EDWARD GREEN, of 143, Fortess Road, Kentish Town, in the County
of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in and connected with musical keyboard
instruments, such as organs, pianos, harmoniums and the like in which a key-
board or a roll or sheet of perforated paper operates to produce indirectly musical
sounds, and the invention may naturally, if desired, be equally well applied to
instruments of a similar nature to those before referred to, but which are not
provided with keyboards.
Further I so construct the automatic playing apparatus that under certain
circumstances, the whole of it may be removed without in any way interfering
with the action for playing by means of the keyboard.
As applied to an automatic wind instrument with or without a keyboard the
automatic apparatus is preferably mounted on the sound board and may easily
be attached thereto by screws or the like but as applied for instance to a piano
it is mounted in close proximity to the piano action. The air for the primary
pneumatics is forced or drawn through a bridge or tracker which is provided with
a number of holes. to meet corresponding holes formed by grooves in a primary
grooved board which holes or grooves radiate out to a removable socket board
for a number of primary puffs or pneumatics. When using pressure wind the
paper is preferably kept in air-tight contact with the bridge by a supplementary
bridge. This latter is either pivotted to the sides of the chamber containing
the perforated paper or to some other convenient part so as to permit of its
being swung out of the way when attaching the paper to the take up roller and
I make a suitable connection from the re-roll stop so that when the re-roll is
drawn into operation it at the same time moves the supplementary bridge clear
of the paper either mechanically or pneumatically. It is not essential that the
supplementary bridge should be pivotted for it may also be made to rise parallel
from the paper by means of guides or in any other convenient manner.
The grooved board is made of two or more grooved pieces, preferably two,
grooved on each side with the grooves radiating in straight lines thus facilitating
the manufacture, ensuring great freedom for the wind in travelling between two
points and enabling the grooves to be made smaller than has hitherto been
the case and leaving more substance or material between the grooves.
grooves are closed to form holes or ducts by glueing or otherwise attaching there-
over veneers or thin pieces of wood.
The
The primary socket board merely consists of a board with a number of holes
hored right through and these holes are in open communication with the primary
grooved boards. The socket hoard is enclosed in and forms one part of a wind
chest of which another side is suitably formed by a secondary rooved board.
There are two other walls which contain vents for the primary puffs which vents

page_text: are regulated by screws having their heads outside so as to be easily got at.
The vents themselves are in open communication with the wind chest and the
socket holes of the primary puffs. All the walls of the wind chest are easily
detachable for the purpose of accessibility.
One end of the wind chest is formed by a trunk leading from the wind supply
bellows and the other end is closed by a board or in any other convenient manner.
The secondary grooved board is formed with holes leading from the wind chest
to the outside and these holes are also in communication with the grooves
which lead to the secondary pneumatics.
Each primary puff is connected to a double valve or two valves capable of
being regulated. These valves govern the admission of the air from the wind
chest to and exhaust from the secondary pneumatics to the outer air by way
of the secondary grooves. The secondary pneumatics are preferably made of
bellows-like form and are suitably mounted in two or more rows alternately.
One row is mounted on the secondary grooved board and the other row is con-
veniently mounted on a bank below the grooved board and each of the pneumatics
is in connection with one of the grooves of the grooved board. The movable
side of each of the secondary pneumatics is connected by means of a hooked
regulatable wire or the like to a lever pivotted at one end and carrying a pallet
for the sound producing device. The sound producing pallets are all capable
of being operated from the keyboard independently of the automatic apparatus
either by means of a direct connection if the keys be balanced or if there be a
key lever one end of the latter is in connection with the key whilst the other
end is in connection with the pallet lever by means of a regulatable hook or the
like.
The motion for effecting the movement of the perforated paper on the like
consists of a box or frame on which are mounted three or more but preferably
four bellows. These bellows or motive appliances are each connected to a crank
on a crank axle by means of a link or connecting rod outside of the box the
latter is enclosed and forms the chamber for the air inlet valves. There is a
passage in or outside of the box leading from each inlet valve to each bellows
and from each bellows there is also similarly a passage leading to the outer air
and these outlets are further covered or governed by corresponding outlet valves.
The crank shaft is provided at the end inside the valve chamber with a crank
disc and crank pin or with an ordinary crank and this crank pin operates con-
necting rods or a number of straight links one for each two bellows each of
which links is on both sides provided with a tapped wire (assuming that I am
describing a motion with an even number of bellows) and each tapped wire is
in indirect or direct connection with the inlet valve and the outlet valve of each
bellows.
The inlet. valves are each suitably mounted on a double armed lever and are
governed by a regulatable button which causes the valve to be opened at the
proper moment and the valve is further provided with a spring to make positive
the return to its seat. There is also an outlet valve mounted directly or in-
directly on each wire aforesaid and a spring is provided for making positive the
return of the outlet valve to its seat. The opening of the outlet valve at the right
moment is governed by a head at the end of the wire and by the other end of
the wire being screwed into the link or otherwise as found most convenient.
Each valve is preferably free of the straight link and the wire attached thereto
except when the valves are to be operated so that at one portion of the stroke
of each wire the inlet valve is opened and as soon as it closes or thereabouts
the outlet valve is opened permitting of the expansion and, contraction of the
particular motive bellows which in turn as aforesaid operate the crank axle.
Dated this 20th day of December 1907.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments.
I, HENRY EDWARD GREEN, formerly of 143, Fortess Road, Kentish Town, in
the County of Middlesex, but now of 12, Cathcart Hill, Highgate, in the County
of Middlesex aforesaid, Musical Instrument Manuafcturer, 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 relates to improvements in and connected with musical keyboard
instruments, such as organs pianos harmoniums and the like in which a key-
board or a roll or sheet of perforated paper operates to produce indirectly musical
sounds, and the invention may naturally, if desired, be equally well applied to
instruments of a similar nature to those before referred to, but which are not
provided with keyboards.
Further I so construct the automatic playing apparatus that under certain
circumstances, the whole of it may be removed without in any way interfering
with the action for playing by means of the keyboard.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in transverse sectional
elevation the keyboard, the automatic pneumatic action and the sound producing
devices.
Figure 2 is a plan section of the upper part of a grooved board.
Figure 3 is an elevation thereof and
Figure 4 is an inverted plan section of the grooved board.
Figure 5 is an inverted plan of a primary pneumatic socket board and the
grooved board.
Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of a board and two other walls of a wind
chest.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of a motor constructed according to my inven-
tion for giving motion to the perforated paper.
Figure 8 is a right hand sectional end elevation thereof on the line Y Y
Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a left hand side elevation thereof and
Figure 10 is a detail view in sectional elevation of a modified construction of
motor.
As applied for instance to an automatic wind instrument without a keyboard
or as shown in Figure 1 with a keyboard the automatic apparatus is preferably
mounted over the sound-board A which in this case is shown provided with two
rows of reeds B B and the whole of the automatic apparatus may easily be attached
to the said sound board by means of screws C of which there may be four, say
two at each end to blocks A or instead of using screws any other suitable retain-
ing device may be used, and it follows that the said apparatus may be as easily
detached. The air for the primary pneumatics is forced through a bridge or
tracker which is provided with number of holes D' to meet corresponding
holes or ducts E in a board E¹ which holes E communicate with the ducts grooves
or holes F F F and F7 in a primary grooved board F which holes or grooves
radiate out to a removable socket board G for a number of primary puffs or
pneumatics G. When, as in this case, using pressure wind, the paper is prefer-
ably kept in airtight contact with the bridge D by means of a supplementary
bridge or tracker D². This latter is either pivotted at D³ by means of an exten-
sion D6 to the sides of the chamber Dª for containing the perforated paper H
or to some other convenient part so as to permit of its being swung out of the
way when attaching the paper to the take-up roller I and I make a suitable
connection such as a trace I' and a bell crank lever I from the re-roll stop K,
so that when the re-roll stop is drawn into operation it at the same time moves

page_text: the supplementary bridge D³ clear of the paper mechanically. or if desired the
same effect may be obtained pneumatically. It is not essential that the supple-
mentary bridge D³ should be pivotted for it may also be made to rise parallel
from the paper by means of guides or in any other convenient manner. The
perforated paper chamber D is mounted on the board D5 which also conveniently
carries the paper rolling apparatus and the motor therefor.
The grooved board FI see more particularly Figures 2, 3 and 4 is made of two
or more grooved pieces (in this case of two pieces F2 and F3) grooved on each side
with the grooves F and F and F5 and F6 respectively which grooves radiate in
straight lines thus facilitating the manufacture, ensuring great freedom for
the wind in travelling between two points and enabling the grooves to be made
smaller, if need be, than has hitherto been the case and leaving more substance
or material between the grooves. The grooves F7 are closed to form holes or ducts
by glueing or otherwise attaching thereover a veneer F8 or instead of using
a veneer or a thin piece of wood other suitable material may be employed.
Similarly the grooves F5 are closed by a veneer F. The inner grooves F and F
may each be closed by a veneer or the like or as shown a single veneer F10 may
serve to close both sets of grooves F4 and F6.
The primary socket board G Figure 1 but best seen in the enlarged detail
view Figure 5, merely consists of a number of holes bored right through in
open communication with the primary grooved board F. There are two rows
of holes parallel to each other the total number of which corresponds to the
total number of grooves or ducts in the primary grooved board. These holes are
so arranged that for example the groove F7 communicates with the hole G¹, the
groove F with the hole G the groove F6 with the hole G3 and the groove F³
with the hole G4 and so on. The socket board G sec Figure 1 is enclosed in and
forms one part of a wind chest L of which another side is suitably formed by
a secondary grooved board L'. There are two other walls L2 L³ (see Figure 6)
which contain vents consisting of ducts or holes L and L for the primary puffs G*
which vents are regulated by screws L5 having their heads outside so as to be
easily got at. Or as shown in Figure 1 the socket board G extends altogether
across the side walls L2 L3 and the vents L L are made in the socket board G
itself and the vents are provided with screws L5. The vents themselves are in
open communication with the wind chest L and the socket holes of the primary
puffs G. All the walls of the wind chest are easily detachable for the purpose
of accessibility.
One end of the wind chest is formed or is connected say at M by a trunk
leading from the wind supply bellows and the other end is closed airtight by
a board or in any other convenient manner.
The secondary grooved board I is formed with holes leading from the wind
chest to the outside and these holes are also in communication with the series
of grooves N and N¹ which lead to the secondary pneumatics N2 and N³.
Each primary puff G³ is connected by, for instance, a tapped wire G5 to two
valves G and G7 capable of being regulated on the said tapped wire. These
valves govern the admission of the air from the windchest L to and exhaust
from the secondary pneumatics N2 and N³ to the outer air by way of the secondary
grooves N and N¹. The secondary pneumatics are preferably made as shewn
of bellows-like form and are suitably mounted in two or more rows alternately.
One row is mounted on the grooved board L' and the other row is conveniently
mounted on a bank L below the grooved board and each of the pneumatics N
and N is in connection with one of the grooves N and N¹ respectively. The
movable side of each of the secondary pneumatics is connected by means of a
hooked regulatable wire N4 or the like to a lever 0 pivotted at one end at 0¹
and carrying a pallet 02 for the sound producing device designated in this case
by the reeds B and B¹. The sound producing pallets 08 are all capable of being
operated from the keyboard independently of the automatic apparatus either
by means of a direct connection if the keys be balanced or if there be a key

page_text: lever P as shewn one end of the latter is in connection or contact with the key P¹
by means of a plunger Pa whilst the other end of the lever P is in connection
with the pallet lever O by means of a regulatable hook P³ tapped wire or the
like. Or the pallet lever may merely be in contact with the key lever P.
The motor for effecting the movement of the perforated paper or the like
consists as shewn in Figures 7, 8 and 9 of a box or frame Q, on which are mounted
three or more, but preferably four bellows Q' Q Q³ and Q. These bellows or
motive power appliances are each connected to a crank Q on a crank axle Q
by means of a link or connecting rod outside of the box, all four of which are
marked Q. The box Q is enclosed and forms the chamber for the valves. There
is a passage called Q8 in each case inside of the box Q leading from each inlet
valve Q to each bellows and from each bellows there is also similarly a passage Q10
leading to the outer air and these outlets are further covered or governed by
corresponding outlet valves Q having seatings in valve chests Q2. The crank-
shaft is provided at the end inside the valve chamber or box Q with a crank
disc Q and a crank pin Q3 (or with an ordinary crank) and this crank pin
operates four connecting rods one for the valves of each bellows or (as shewn)
two straight links Q1 and Q1, one for the valves of each two bellows. The
link Q is on both sides provided with a tapped wire Q16 and the link Q15 is
similarly provided with two tapped wires Q. Each tapped wire in the modifica-
tion here referred to is in indirect connection with an inlet valve and in direct
connection with an outlet valve for each bellows, that is to say the inlet valves Q
are each suitably mounted on a double armed lever Q18 and are governed by a
spring Q (Figure 8) and a regulatable button Q20 which latter causes the valve
to be opened at the proper moment and the valve is provided with the said
spring Q to make positive the return to its seat. There is also an outlet valve Qu
mounted in this example directly on each of the wires Q16 and Q and a
spring Q is provided for making positive the return of each outlet valve to its
The opening of the outlet valves at the right moment is governed by a head
or button Q at the end of each wire by the other end of the wire being
screwed into the link or otherwise as found most convenient. In this example
each inlet valve and each outlet valve is free of its straight link Q or Q5 and
its wire Q¹ or Q17 except when the valve is to be operated so that at one portion
of the stroke of each wire the inlet valve is opened and as soon as it closes or
thereabouts the outlet valve is opened permitting of the expansion and contraction
of the particular motive bellows which in turn as aforesaid operate the crank
axle Qº.
seat.
and
or
The modification shewn in Figure 10 only differs slightly from the construction
described with reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9. The inlet valves Q are as before
mounted on double-armed levers Q18 and are governed by regulatable buttons Q20
on the wires Q17 which cause the valve to be opened at the proper moment and
the valves are further provided with a spring in any convenient manner, but not
shewn, to make positive the return to their seats. The outlet valves Quare
mounted on double armed levers Q4 outside of the valve casing Q to cover the
outlet ports Q10 and a spring (not shewn) is provided in each case to make positive
the return of the valves to their seats. The valves Qu are governed by the
buttons Q on the wires Q17 as before. By this construction it will be seen
that the valve chests Q are dispensed with and the valves Q" are altogether
outside.
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―
and
1. The application to a musical instrument operated by a key-board or

page_text: capable of being bodily removed without interfering with the sound producing
devices or with the manual operation of the instrument.
2. A musical instrument adapted to be played by a roll or sheet of perforated
paper provided with a bridge and a supplementary bridge between which the
perforated paper passes the latter being moved by means of a motor, connections
from the bridge by ducts channels or a grooved board or boards to a socket board
provided with a number of primary pneumatics, a wind chest of which one of
the sides is formed by the socket board valves operated by said primary pneu-
matics and secondary pneumatics operated indirectly by means of the said valves
for the purpose of operating the sound producing devices substantially as set forth.
3. In a musical instrument adapted to be played by a roll or sheet of perforated
paper, provided with a bridge and a supplementary bridge between which the
perforated paper passes, means for lifting the supplementary bridge in connection
with the re-roll stop, substantially as set forth.
4. In a musical instrument adapted to be played by a roll or sheet of perforated
paper provided with a bridge and a pivotted supplementary bridge between
which the perforated paper passes, means for lifting the supplementary bridge
in connection with the re-roll stop consisting of a bell crank lever 12 and a trace I
substantially as described and shown in Figure 1.
5. In a inusical instrument the employment of a grooved board consisting
of two or more boards with grooves therein such grooves being made radiating
in straight lines and being covered to form ducts by veneers or thin pieces of
wood or of other material substantially as set forth.
6. In a musical instrument adapted to be played by a roll or sheet of per-
forated paper the employment of a primary pneumatic socket board G forming
one side of the wind chest and vents L L capable of regulation from the outside
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 6.
7. In a musical instrument, the employment of a motor for effecting the move-
ment of the perforated paper consisting of a valve casing, bellows or motive
devices mounted on said casing, a crank shaft, connections between the motive
devices and the crank, ports for the inlet and the outlet of the air, valves for
the inlet and the outlet of the air said valves being operated by another crank
on the crank shaft substantially as set forth.
8. In a musical instrument the employment of a motor for effecting the move-
ment of the perforated paper, consisting of a valve casing Q, bellows or motive
devices Q1 Q2 Q3 and Q mounted on said casing, a crank shaft Q6, connecting
rods between the bellows and the crank Q5, ports Q8 leading to the bellows and
ports Q leading outside and in connection with the ports Q8, inlet valves Q,
and outlet valves Q in valve chests Q23, all said valves being connected to
slotted links Q14 and Q5 which links are operated by another crank Q3 on the
crank shaft substantially as described and shown with reference to Figures 7,
8 and 9.
9. In a musical instrument the employment of a motor for effecting the move-
ment of the perforated paper consisting of a valve casing Q, bellows or motive
devices Q1 Q3 Q³ and Q mounted on said casing, a crank shaft Q, connecting
rods between the bellows and the crank Q, ports Qs leading to the bellows and
ports Q leading outside and in connection with the ports Qs, inlet valves Q³,
the outlet valves Q all said valves being connected to slotted links Q and Q15
which links are operated by another crank Q on the crank shaft substantially
as described and shown with reference to Figure 10.
10. The constructions described and shown on the drawings.
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.