IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY-PLAYING WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Hunt, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATICALLY-PLAYING WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication
from abroad by Mason Johnston Matthews, residing at Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America
Sealed the 23rd September 1879, and dated the 19th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Hunt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1879.
EDMUND HUNT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY-PLAYING WIND MUSICAL INSTRU-
MENTS." A communication from abroad by Mason Johnston Matthews, residing
at Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
This Invention relates to wind musical instruments in which tunes are played
automatically by means of tune bands of perforated paper or other suitable
material, and comprises various improvements which are to some extent develop-
ments or modifications of those formerly communicated to me by the said Mason
Johnston Matthews and described in two Specifications, namely, the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to me and dated 24 June 1878 (No. 2509), and the
Provisional Specification lodged by me with an application for Letters Patent on
13 January 1879 (No. 139).
In one improved arrangement comprised in the present Invention the operating
air is under pressure, produced by bellows or other blowing apparatus, and the tune
band is entirely inside of the wind chest or a case communicating therewith. The
tune band is held and moved by means of two or more rollers, the spindles of
which pass through sufficiently tight holes in the side of the chest or case to
external handles, and it passes over a series of air holes which communicate by
passages with the reeds or other sound yielders on which the air is to operate. The
unperforated parts of the tune band close the air holes, but the perforations as they
come in succession over the air holes allow the compressed air to pass and sound
the respective notes.
In a second arrangement the air under pressure passes from the bellows or main
windchest by a flexible, or jointed, or sliding pipe to a secondary or movable wind

page_text: case formed with air holes on one side. The tune band passes between the per-
forated side of the movable wind case and a surface, having in it boles leading to
the reeds or other sound yielders. When the instrument is being used the movable
wind case is pressed by springs or otherwise, but not too tightly, on the tune band,
and is made movable to allow of the tune band being changed.
The pressure of the wind case on the tune band may be advantageously regulated
by that of the air itself, a bellows-like structure or a cylinder and piston being
interposed between the top of the wind case and a fixed part of the frame, or being
otherwise connected to the wind case, so that the pressure of the air in the case by
expanding the bellows or moving the cylinder or piston will cause the wind case to
be pressed downwards. This air pressing device, which may have springs or
weights combined with it, is also advantageously applicable to various other modi-
fications of the musical instruments operating with perforated time bands. Thus
when the reed chest is movable the device may be applied to it to keep it upon
the tune band and to keep them both on the surface of the wind case or chest
through perforations in which the air under pressure has access to the tune band.
In a third arrangement the air is drawn into the instrument by bellows or other
apparatus, and the parts are made so as by the action of single perforations of the
tune band to sound pairs of reeds in order to give increased sound. A row of air
holes, the closing or opening of which is controlled by the tune band, is made in the
top of a narrow box constructed with a separate internal compartment for each air
hole. Each air-hole compartment has in it a kind of piston arranged to act on the
middle of a valve bar, the ends of which are made to close the holes by which the
two reed passages communicate with the interior of the wind chest, the valve bar
being held in the closing position by one or more light springs. Whenever a per-
foration in the tune band uncovers an air hole the atmospheric pressure acting
against the internal partially exhausted air presses down the piston and with it
the valve bar, thereby opening the reed passages and causing the reeds to sound.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edmund Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
October 1879.
EDMUND HUNT, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Patent
Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATICALLY-PLAYING WIND MUSICAL INSTRU-
MENTS." A communication from abroad by Mason Johnston Matthews, residing
at Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
The said Invention relates to wind musical instruments in which tunes aro
played automatically by means of tune bands of perforated paper or other suitable
material, and comprises various improvements, which are to some extent develop-
ments or modifications of those formerly communicated to me by the said Mason
Johnston Matthews, and described in two Specifications, namely, in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 24 June 1878 (No. 2509), and in tho
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me, and dated 13 January 1879
(No. 139).
In one improved arrangement comprised in the present Invention the operating
air is under pressure produced by bellows or other blowing apparatus, and the tune
band is entirely inside of the wind chest or a case communicating therewith. Tho
tune band is held and moved by means of two or more rollers, the spindles of which
pass through sufficiently tight holes in the side of the chest or case to external
handles, and it passes over a series of air holes, which communicate by passages
with the reeds or other sound yielders on which the air is to operate. The un-
perforated parts of the tune band close the air holes, but the perforations as they
come in succession over the air holes allow the compressed air to pass and sound the
respective notes.
In a second arrangement the air under pressure passes from the bellows or main
wind chest by one or more flexible or jointed or sliding pipes to a secondary or
movable wind case formed with air holes on one side. The tune band passes
between the perforated side of the movable wind case and a surface having in it air
holes leading to the reeds or other sound yielders.
The pressure of the wind case on the tune band may be advantageously regulated
by that of the air itself, a bellows-like structure or a cylinder and piston being
interposed between the top of the wind case and a fixed part of the frame, or being
otherwise connected to the wind case, so that the pressure of the air in the case by
expanding the bellows or moving the cylinder or piston will cause the wind case to
be pressed downwards. This air pressing device, which may have springs or
weights combined with it, is also advantageously applicable to various other modi-
fications of the musical instruments operating with perforated tune bands. Thus
when the reed chest is movable the device may be applied to it to keep it upon the
tune band, and to keep them both on the surface of the wind case or chest through
perforations, in which the air under pressure has access to the tune band.
In a third arrangement the air is drawn into the instrument by bellows or other
apparatus, and the parts are made so as by the action of single perforations of the
tune band to sound pairs of reeds in order to give increased sound. A row of air
holes, the closing or opening of which is controlled by the tune band, is made in
the top of a narrow box constructed with a separate internal compartment for each
air hole. Each air-hole compartment has in it a kind of piston arranged to act on
the middle of a valve bar, the ends of which are made to close the holes by which
the two reed passages communicate with the interior of the wind chest, the valve
bar being held in the closing position by one or more light springs. Whenever a
perforation in the tune band uncovers an air hole the atinospheric pressure acting
against the internal partially exhausted air, presses down the piston, and with it
the valve bar, thereby opening the reed passages and causing the reeds to sound.
.

page_text: And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the samo
may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings
to be hereinafter referred to, and representing parts of automatically-playing wind
musical instruments as made with the improvements.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a plan showing one of the
improved arrangements; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section corresponding
to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a vertical section as at right angles to Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a vertical section of part of a pipe organ constructed with the improved
arrangements. The wind-chest A of the improved instrument is supplied with air
under pressure from a weighted air receiver or regulator B which is supplied with
air by the bellows B¹. The air under pressure passes from the receiver B by a
duct 6 through one or more apertures c into the wind-chest A outside of an nction
board or block C, which has passages & corresponding in number with the reeds or
other sound yielders of the instrument, and which may contain the reeds f, as
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, or may communicate with organ pipes g, as
shown in Figure 4. The passages d in the board or block C, which is enclosed in
the wind-chest A, lead the air under pressure to the reeds, pipes, or other sound
yielders whenever the perforations e in the tune band D pass over corresponding
passages in the board C. The tune band D is carried within the wind-chest A
upon two rollers E, F, the spindles of which project through sufficiently tight holes
in the sides of the wind-chest A, and are provided with handles outside for turning
them by. When ready for playing the tune band D is wound upon one roller E,
its other end having been passed over the board or block C and attached to the
other roller F. By turning the roller F the tune band is unwound from the roller E
and wound on to the roller F, and in its passage from one roller to the other the
perforations are brought successively over corresponding holes d in the board C.
The tune band D is pressed close upon the board C by the pressure of the air in
the wind-chest, and by this means a proper valvular action is obtained. To allow
of the insertion or changing of the tune band D the wind chest A is formed with a
glazed top A¹, which is kept closed by a spring catch h. Rubber being applied
round the edges of the cover for preventing leakage of air.
In a second improved arrangement, shown in sectional side and front elevation
in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings, the air under pressure passes
from the bellows A and main windchest A' carried at the lower part of the
framing B of the instrument through rubber or other flexible or jointed pipes C at
the sides of the instrument to a secondary or movable wind case D. This secondary
or movable wind case D is formed with air holes a on its lower side, and the
perforated tunc band E passes between this perforated side of the movable wind
case D and the top of a vertical board or block F having in it air holes b leading
to the pipes g or to reeds or other sound yielders. When the instrument is being
used the movable wind case D is held by the elastic pipes C, or it might be by
springs or otherwise, but not too tightly on the tune band E, and is made movable
to allow of the tune band being changed. The tune band E is carried upon handled
rollers G, H, at each side of the board or block F. The handled roller G is provided
with a grooved pulley for a driving cord which passes round a grooved pulley fixed
to the end of a cranked shaft I. This cranked shaft I is formed with three
cranks c, c¹, c², which work in slots in pieces d fixed to the bellows A. When the
tune band E is carried over the vertical board F by turning the handle of the
roller H the bellows A are simultaneously operated through the action of the crank
shaft I.
The pressure of the wind case D on the tune band E may be advantageously
regulated by that of the air itself as hereinbefore described. When the reed chest
is movable the air pressing device may be applied to it, as shown in Figure 7 of
the accompanying Drawings, which is a vertical section. In this arrangement a
bellows-like structure A is arranged to communicate by passages with the wind
chest a and bellows B, and it is connected by wires or cords 6 with the ends of
spring arms, c. These spring arms c are fixed so as to bear down upon the reed

page_text: chest C, and hold it upon the tune band D with a pressure which will vary with
the air pressure in the bellows B and wind chest a.
A third improved arrangement is shown in vertical section in Figure 8 of the
accompanying Drawings. Air is drawn into the instrument by bellows A arranged
to exhaust the air from a chamber B above them, and the parts are made so as by
the action of single perforations of the tune band D to sound pairs of reeds in
order to give increased sound. A row of air holes a, the closing or opening of
which is controlled by the tune band D, is made in the top of a narrow box C,
fitted on the top of the chamber B, and constructed with a separate internal
compartment b for each air hole a communicating with the interior of the
chamber B. Each air-hole compartment 6 has in it a kind of piston c, which when
depressed rests on the seat ; at the lower part of the compartment b, and the piston c
is arranged to act on the middle of a valve bar d. The ends of the valve-bar d
work in guide pins h, and are made to close the holes e at each side of the box C,
by which the two reed passages f communicate with the interior of the wind
chest B. The valve bar à is held in the closing position by one or more light
springs g attached to a longitudinal bar i, upon which the valve bar d rests whon
open. Whenever a perforation in the tune band D uncovers an air hole a, the atmo-
spheric pressure acting against the internal partially exhausted air presses down
the piston c, and with it the valve bar d, hereby opening the reed passages e, f, and
causing the reeds to sound. In this Figure the valve bar d is shown as closed, and
in Figure 9, which is also a vertical section, it is shown open or in the sounding
position. Each piston c fits loosely in its air-hole compartment b to allow some air
to pass it whilst it is being depressed or raised, but when the piston is fully
depressed and resting on its seat j, further passage of air is prevented as long as
the perforation in the tune band uncovers the hole a. When an unperforated part
of the tune band closes the air hole a the piston is easily raised by the springs g.
Figure 10 is a vertical section showing a modified arrangement of the piston c,
in which it is constructed of a hinged and close diaphragm form relatively to its
seat, and made with an air vent through it, covered by an elastic valve l. As
the vented piston c commences to move down in consequence of a perforation of
the tune band D coming over the aperture a, the valve will nearly shut down
over the air vent k and restrict ingress of external air through it, and will cause to
be utilised nearly the whole of the air passing through the aperture a in lowering
the valve bar d. When however an unperforated portion of the tune band D
comes over the air hole a and closes it, the air contained in the outer portion of
the compartment b will pass through the vent k, until such pressures are established
on opposite sides of the piston as will admit of the valve bar d closing.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention and the manner of
performing the same as communicated to me by the said Mason Johnston
Matthews, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein
described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original, and
claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The placing of a perforated tune band (D) inside a wind chest (A) havingair
under pressure supplied to it, the said tune band (D) closing or uncovering
openings by which the air passes out to reeds or other sound yielders, substantially
as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying
Drawings.
2. The combination and arrangement of bellows (A, A¹), flexible tubes (C),
movable wind case (D) with perforated tune band carried on rollers (G, H), the
said tune band closing or uncovering openings in a board or block (F), which has
passages to lead the air to the pipes or other sound yielders, all substantially as
described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. The application of devices, substantially such as are herein before described for
holding down the wind case (D, Figures 5, 6,) or reed chest (C, Figure 7), with a
pressure depending on that of the air in the wind chest.

page_text: 4. The combination with a chamber (B) of a narrow box (C) formed with
internal compartments (b) having air passages (a), over or outside of which the
perforated tune band (D) passes, and containing pistons (c) attached to a valve
bar (d), all arranged as and for the purposes herein before described with reference
to Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
5. The combination of a chamber (B), valve bar (d), the internal compart-
ments (b) of the narrow box (C) having air inlets (a) adapted to be opened and
closed by a perforated tune band (D), and the vented piston (c), all arranged as
and for the purposes herein before described with reference to Figure 10 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Hunt, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.