Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I, PAUL RIESSNER, Director of the Polyphon Musikwerke, Actiengesellschalft,
of Wahren, near Leipsic, Saxony, Germany, do hereby declare the nature of my
said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention relates to improvements in mechanical musical instru-
ments and consists in constructing such instruments to produce a sound or tone
similar to that produced by a violin, the strings of the instrument being caused to
contact at the desired moment and for the desired period of time with a moving
band which takes the place of the bow of a violin, by means of note sheets, discs
or pin roll. The invention further comprises means for producing a crescendo
and diminuendo effect when playing certain notes as also means for producing a
tremulo effect. The invention further comprises means for shortening the string
simultaneously with the operating or sound producing movement of the same so
that one string may serve for more than one note as hereinafter more particularly
set forth.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible refer-
ence 18 had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters denote similar
parts throughout the several views:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the instrument,
Fig. 2 a plan,
Fig. 3 a detail sectional elevation, showing the string operating mechanism,
Fig. 3 a plan of the operating lever,
Fig. 3 a part plan of a note sheet or disc,
Fig. 4 a detail side elevation showing the string depressed,
Fig. 4 perspective elevation of the note sheet, disc or roll,
Fig. 4b similar elevation of a modified form,
Fig. 5 sectional elevation showing the employment of an intermediate string
lever operating tooth gear or star wheel.
Fig. 5 similar view with the lever depressed,
Fig. 6 similar view of a lever arrangement in connection with a perforated note
sheet disc or the like,
Fig. 7 similar view showing the arrangement of tone producing pipes or bars,
Fig. 8 similar view of a modified form of the arrangement of Fig. 7,
Fig. 9 detail elevation of means for adjusting the operating lever,
Fig. 10 plan of Fig. 9.
Figs. 11 & 12 cross section & plan of the bow supporting bridge or comb,
Figs 13 & 14 similar views of a modified form of bridge,
Figs. 15 & 16 elevation and plan of a note producing or defining mechanism,
Figs. 17 & 18 similar views of a modified form of the device,
Figs. 19 & 20 similar elevation and sectional plan of a further modification,
Fig. 21 detail cross sectional elevation of a crescendo lever mechanism,
Fig. 22 cross sectional elevation of Fig. 21,
Figs. 23 & 24 details in section of a damper mechanism showing the parts in
their opposite extreme positions.

page_text: Figs. 25 & 26 are sectional elevations of a modified lever arrangement for
operating the strings, the latter showing the mechanism in operative position,
Figs. 27 & 28 are similar views of a further modification and
Figs. 29 & 30 similar views of a slide bolt string operating device.
On the sounding board B of the instrument are supported the strings C by
means of pins a and pegs b the latter serving to tune the strings. The strings C
are supported on the bridges A and A, an intermediate bridge H being adjust-
ably supported below the strings, said bridge serving to produce the required note
when the string C is depressed on to the moving band or bow E, which for the
purposes of this specification will be called the "bow," and is of suitable material
to produce a musical sound when the strings are brought into contact therewith.
The bow E runs over the fixed table D and is an endless band supported on suit-
able rolls 3 & 4 and driven from any suitable source by means of a cord or the
like 5 which may be guided on pulleys 1 & 2. F indicates the note sheet or
dise supported to move in a horizontal plane above the strings and having down-
wardly extending teeth adapted to depress a lever G pivotally mounted at d.
The tooth or teeth of the note sheet, disc or roll (as will be readily understood a
roll could be substituted as indicated at Fi Fig. 3), contact with an upwardly
extending nose g of the lever G depressing the latter and causing its down-
wardly extending arm f, to depress the corresponding string C on to the bridge H
and the moving bow E thus forming and producing the required note.
The
mechanism for moving the note disc, sheet or roll is not shown, as any suitable
means may be employed. M, M indicate supporting beams for the note sheet,
and Ja guiding clamp for the note sheet or disc holder, which reaches to disc
centre, this mechanism is, however, not shown as the same formis no part of the
present invention.
In order to keep the how tight a spring lever is pivotally mounted at h on
the beam M and has a roll which is spring pressed against the bow E by means
of the spring i. His a ledge which serves to limit the upward movement of the
levers C, which are returned to their initial position after having operated the
string, by means of the elasticity of the latter. As indicated at Fig. 3 instead
of the sheet Fa roll may be employed. The stop ledge H¹ is so adjusted that
the string after having been vibrated will be damped by the arm f of lever G
still resting on it.
As will be seen from Figs. 3" & 3b, the nose g of lever G is broad enough to be
operated by tongues or teeth of the disc or sheet lying along side each other. In
Fig. 3 K denotes the width of the nose g and the distance on the note disc
during which the said lever G will remain depressed by the teeth embraced in the
area K K. The said teeth overlap so that the lever will not be raised between
the teeth. The teeth may be formed of a series of adjacent teeth c¹ c² 3 + stamped
out of the sheet in the known manner or as shown at Fig. 4b by roof-like ridges
formed by stamping out the teeth c-ct at two points and bending the same back
to form a ridge.
According to Figs. 5 & 5° a pair of intermediate gears nm are employed which
operate the nose g of lever G. The latter is pressed against the teeth of the
gear m by means of the spring o whilst the gear or star wheel is fast on the
spindle and is rotated one tooth each time a tooth of the note sheet passes over
it.
Thus when the parts are in the position shown at Fig. 5. the lever G is raised,
on rotating n one tooth by means of the tooth c of the note disc the- wheel m
will be turned so as to, allow the end of lever G to enter between the teeth
of m, whereupon the spring o will act to depress the end f of said lever and press
the string on to the bow E. Thus the string will be vibrated until another
tooth c moves n round one tooth further and with it m which letter raises the
lever G.
In Fig. 6 the lever G is provided with an upwardly turned end p behind its
pivot which engages the orifices of a perforated note sheet disc or roll F", thu
said lever being held against the sheet by means of a spring o.

page_text: In Fig. 7 tubes or rods L are employed instead of strings to produce the sounds,
said rods being fitted in sleeves M¹ pivotally mounted at q and being depressed
by means of a lever G in the manner previously described being normally
retained out of contact with the bow by means of a spring o. Fig. 8
shows the nose g affixed directly to the sleeve M¹ which is pivotally mounted at y
and operated by the tooth c of the note sheet or disc.
In Fig. 9 a lever G₁ is shown which may be adjusted as regards the distance
of the nose g and the arm f from the teeth c and the strings. For this purpose
the lever G is provided with a longitudinal slot between the points g and f said
arms, thus formed, being adjustable to and from each other, by means of set
screws sls as will be evident from the figure.
an
.
In order to produce a more elastic stroke of the bow on the strings or the like
the bridge D is formed to a comb t (Figs. 9, 11, 12). In order to accurately
determine the length of the string, a bar o is provided having upwardly extend-
ing pins u against which the strings are stretched (Figs. 10, 15, 16). The pins
may also be provided with upper bar o (Figs. 17, 18) to keep
them in proper position. These pins serve to sharply define the length q the
string which is vibrated by the bow. As shown at Figs. 13 & 14 the bow may be
supported on a U-shaped bar D having rolls N instead of a bridge and instead
of the pins the bar o may be provided with orifices P for the strings (Figs. 19
& 20).
Figs. 21 & 22 show the crescendo and diminuendo device. In this case the
bridge D is vertically moveable and may be pressed together with the bow E
more sharply against the strings by means of levers VIV One of these levers Vi
is provided with a roll V4 at its upper end adapted to be acted on by the teeth W
of the disc, sheet or roll and the other is provided with a head V having a
conical top and adapted to pass more or less into orifices W of the note sheet, disc
or roll (Figs. 21, 24). These levers are fast on a bar V which carries the cam
arms V adapted to bear against the under side of the bridge D (Fig. 24). The
roll V of lever V₁ in its highest position does not quite touch the under surface
of the sheet disc or roll, in order to allow the lever the proper amount of play
when the head VIII enters one of the orifices of the sheet. Thus when the roll V*
is depressed by a tooth VV₁ of the sheet the bridge D will be more sharply
pressed against the string and produce a crescendo effect, whilst the entrance of
the head into an orifice of the sheet will relieve the pressure of the bridge
and bow on the strings and produce a diminuendo effect. The length of the
crescendo or diminuendo periods will depend on the form of the tooth or orifices
of the sheet, disc or roll.
Figs. 25 & 26 show means for relatively increasing the stroke of the string
depressing lever with respect to that of the lever operated by the teeth of the
disc. In this modification a series of scissor-like levers Q are pivotally suspended
at and the lever arms of said levers are pivoted to the bolt. which is verti-
cally guided and adapted to depress the strings. The nose g is replaced by a
roll S against which the tooth c of the disc operates, said roll being mounted at
the upper end of a vertically guided lever R normally held in its upper position
by a spring and having a laterally projecting nose Ro which presses against one
of the arms Q when the lever is depressed and operates the bolt a¹.
T is the stop bar for the lever R, Fig. 26 shows the parts in their depressed
position. As shown at Fig. 25 the bar D supporting the bow E is spring mounted
to produce a more elastic effect of the stroke of the bow. In Figs. 27 and 28 the
scissor-like levers Q are operated by means of a lever U pivotally supported at S*
and having roll So to contact with the teeth of the disc, sheet or roll, the free
end of said lever being connected by means of of a link y to one of the arms Q.
In Figs. 29 and 30 another modification is shown, in which the strings are
operated by a bolt W* guided at one end by means of a slot and pin ¹ and at
the lower end in a guide X said lever being depressed by means of a bell crank
lever V pivotally mounted at 7 and having a roll So at one of its free ends, the

page_text: other being linked to W by means of a link Z. Y is the stop bar for the
lever V. The operation of the parts will be evident from the drawings and
needs no further description.
It should be clearly understood in connection with the foregoing specification
that either a note disc-sheet or roll may be employed and that in connection with
certain of the devices herein after claimed, either strings, tubes or rods may be
employed to produce the note required, when acted on by the moving band or
bow.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1: A mechanical string instrument, having an endless moving tone producing
band and means for moving the tone producing bodies against the band or vice
versa, characterised by means for effecting the contact of the moving band and
tone producing bodies, strings or the like, consisting of a lever system (Figs. 1
to 9) or a scissor-like arrangement of levers (Figs. 25 to 30) which are operated
by interchangeable note sheets (F) or a pin roll (FI) substantially as described.
2: One form of the device covered by Claim 1 according to which the part
of the lever which contacts with the note sheet or roll is formed to a nose (g)
and the part operating the string to a point (f) substantially as described.
3: In the lever device covered by Claims 1 and 2 the combination of a slot
and set screws as specified for the purpose of adjusting the distance between the
operative points of the said lever as described.
4: A modification of the lever system consisting of the scissor-like lever
arrangement (Q) which may be operated either by the pusher lever R or the
swinging lever (U), so as to rapidly push the pin a¹ on to the string and also
to allow the latter to be rapidly released, substantially as described.
5: In the string instrument of the class specified, the combination of the
table (1) for supporting the band, said table having cross bars (t) or rolls (N)
for the purpose of imparting to the band a certain amount of elasticity sub-
stantially as described."
6: In the device covered by Claims 1 to 5 the arrangement of cross bars (0)
having vertical pins (u) or orifices (P) (Figs. 9 10 and 15 to 20) for the purpose
of defining the length of the string which is brought into effect.
7: In combination with the instrument covered by Claims 1 to 6 the
mechanism for periodically raising and lowering the band supporting table which
consists of a lever V V having pressure arm and upwardly extending nead and
roll (Figs. 21 to 24) and means in connection with the note sheet band or disc
or roll to operate said lever substantially as described.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.