Improvements in Appliances for use in Marking Notes in Copying Music.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Feb., 1992-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for use in Marking Notes in Copying
Music.
I, EMMANUEL BALL, of 48 Westbourne Street, Walsall in the County of
Stafford, Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to appliances for use in marking notes in copying music, of
the character of the appliances which will be found to be described in my Patent
Specification No. 12,305 of 1890, that is to say, appliances which are simply pressed
down upon the paper or cardboard to make the notes; and has for its object to
make such appliances self-inking or colouring, or capable of taking up from the
inking or colouring pad or slab such a quantity of ink or colour as will suffice for
marking several notes in succession.
According to this invention, an appliance for the purpose described is provided
with an open-ended tube tapered to a small diameter at its outer end, into which is
inserted a piece of sponge, or other soft absorbent material such as felt. This tube
is screwed or otherwise fixed upon a stem or holder tube which is formed with a
tapering end to press into the sponge or other soft absorbent material so as to
force it constantly into the tapered mouth of the tube, such tapered end being
pushed as may be required from time to time to press the sponge properly into
the mouth of the tube. The sponge projects slightly through the open end of the
tube, and is faced with a piece of silk or the like to give, when pressed upon the
paper or cardboard, a note having a sharp and clear outline, and avoid the ragged
outline which would be formed if such a substance as sponge were pressed direct
thereon to form a note.
The tube containing the sponge may be supplied with ink or colouring material,
or the holder tube (if such is employed in lieu of a solid stem) may be so supplied
and have an opening formed through its tapered end to allow the ink or colouring
matter to flow into the sponge; and, in either of these cases, the appliance is self-
inking or colouring. If, however, the protruding portion of the silk and sponge is
simply pressed upon the inking or colouring pad or slab, sufficient ink or colour
will be taken up thereby to enable a considerable number of notes to be marked
in succession by the appliance without requiring re-pressing upon the pad or
slab.
A modification of the invention consists in fitting the tapered-ended tube, which
contains the sponge, into an outer tube fitted with a disc or pad of indiarubber or
other suitable material at its inner end, against which the inner end of the inner
tube bears when fitted within the outer tube, whereby the inner end of the inner
tube is sealed. In this case, a wire may be inserted down the inner tube so
as to act as a distance-piece between the disc aforesaid and the back of the
sponge.
By the above described improved appliance a larger or smaller note may be
made at will, because the size of the note produced will depend on the degree of
force exerted in pressing the appliance on the paper or cardboard.
The tube may be carried by any form of holder, to suit the convenience of the
user.
If it is not desired that the appliance be self-inking or colouring, the silk-faced
sponge may be caused to protrude through a round opening formed in the end of
any suitable appliance, without the necessity of providing a reservoir or cavity for
the supply of ink or colour for feeding the sponge; but the construction of apparatus

page_text: above described is very simple, and may therefore conveniently be employed in
cases in which the appliance is not required to be self-feeding.
Dated this 1st day of May 1801
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for use in Marking Notes in Copying
Music.
1, EMMANUEL BALL, of 26 (previously numbered 48) Westbourne Street,
Walsall in the County of Stafford, Professor of Music, 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 :-
This invention relates to appliances for use in marking black notes in copying
music, of the character of the appliances described in my Patent Specification
No. 12,305 of 1890, that is to say, appliances which are simply pressed down upon
the paper or cardboard to mark the notes; and has for its object to make such
appliances self-inking or colouring, or capable of taking up from an inking or
colouring pad or slab on or into which they are pressed for such purpose, or from other
source of supply into which they are dipped therefor, such a quantity of ink or
colour as will suffice for marking several notes in succession.
This invention consists, in its main features, of a holder within the end of which
is inserted a piece of sponge or other soft absorbent material, such as felt, which
projects slightly therefrom. The sponge, or other absorbent material, is saturated
with the ink or material in which the notes are to be marked, and the marking is
effected by simply pressing down the end of the holder upon the paper or card-
board, the actual marking of the notes being effected by the pressure of the saturated
sponge, or other absorbent material, upon the surface thereof.
This invention is capable of considerable modification in detail, and I will now
proceed to describe practical applications thereof with reference to the drawings
herewith.
Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, are each vertical sections of different modifications of
the invention, and are drawn, for convenience of illustration, to about twice the size
which they would ordinarily be used; and in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the appliance
which forms the subject-matter of this invention is shewn placed in position within
the disc A described in my said former Patent Specification.
j
In Figure 1, is an open-ended tube tapered to a smaller diameter at its outer
end, into which is inserted a piece of sponge k. This tube is screwed upon a stem/
which is formed with a tapering end, as shewn, to press into the sponge and force
it constantly into the tapered mouth of the tube j. If it is at any time desired to
press the end of the stem more tightly into the sponge, this may be effected by
screwing up the tubej upon such stem. The sponge k projects slightly through the
open end of the tube, and is pressed upon the paper or cardboard to form the
desired note. In the appliance shewn by this figure the sponge is simply saturated
with the marking material, which may be readily accomplished by pressing it
a saturated pad or into a thin film or layer of marking material. The protruding
portion of the sponge spreads out underneath the edge of the tube j, and is trimmed
neatly round flush with the outside of such edge.
upon
In Figure 2, the appliance is the same as shewn by Figure 1, except that the
stem is hollowed in at the portion thereof which is within the tube j, so as to
leave capacity within such tube for a reserve of ink which will maintain the sponge
saturated for a considerable time. In this case, the ink may be poured in on the
top of the sponge before the tube is screwed up on to the stem l.
Figure 3 shews another modification of a reservoir or fountain appliance. In this
case the tube is screwed on to a hollow stem which forms the reservoir for the

page_text: marking material. The upper end of the stem is closed in with a caps; and a
hole is formed through the bottom of it, for the passage of marking material to
the sponge. The marking material is supplied through the top of the tubular
stem after the tube has been screwed onto the lower end thereof. The bottom
end of the hollow stem presses upon the sponge k.
Figure 4 shews a further modification of a reservoir or fountain appliance. In
this case the tube j is screwed up inside an outer tube or case t. A disc or pad of
rubber u is placed within the closed upper end of the outer tube t, and the upper
open end of the tube j is tightened up, to make a fluid-tight joint against the
rubber u, when the tube j is screwed within the outer tube t. In this case the
marking material is fed into the tube j before it is placed within the tube t. In
order to keep the sponge down in place, so as to project slightly from the lower
end of the tube j, a wire or other stem extends from the rubber u to the
sponge k.
Any of the above described appliances may, of course, be used alone, or be
carried in any suitable holder besides merely the disc A as shewn.
Figure 5 illustrates the simplest form of this invention, and that which I have
found by experience to be the most convenient in use. It consists of a plain solid
cylindrical stem w, screwed if desired at its upper end for connection with the
disc A or other suitable holder, and formed with a cavity in its lower end within
which is inserted a piece of sponge k which projects somewhat through the open
mouth of the cavity. The cavity in this modification which holds the sponge is, as
will be seen, cylindrical, which is a more convenient shape than conical when, as in
this case, the sponge must be inserted therein through the lower end or open
mouth of the cavity. The cylindrical formation of the cavity conveniently permits
of the exterior of the stem being cylindrical throughout its entire length, and thus
the protruding edge of the sponge may be conveniently trimmed off square, which is
an advantage as causing the sponge to produce a note sharper in outline than when
the edge of the sponge is trimmed off somewhat slanting or bevelled. This form
of the invention is specially suitable for use in the appliance, for marking both open
and full or black notes, described in my said former Specification as suitable for
the pocket, and in which the portion to mark the full or black notes is carried by
a sliding holder, such as is used in pencil cases, and the part to form the open notes
is at the outer end of the sheath within which the sliding holder is moved. The
stem w is, of course, when used with such appliance, formed with or fixed to the
sliding holder and is used for marking the black notes.
The appliances illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 inclusive may have the tubes which
carry the sponge formed parallel in shape at the bottom also, if desired, in which
case the sponge may be conveniently trimmed off square as in the case of the
appliance illustrated by Figure 5.
The appliances described with reference to Figures 1 and 5 are charged with
marking material by simply pressing the protruding portion of the sponge upon or
into an inking or colouring pad or slab, or dipping it in a thin layer of ink or
colour, sufficient ink or colour being thereby taken up to enable a considerable
number of notes to be marked in succession without re-charging; and the other
appliances described may be so charged, if desired, instead of charging the
reservoirs.
A convenient form of appliance for use in charging a marking appliance which is
not self-feeding, or which is not at the time used as a self-feeding appliance, is
illustrated in plan by Figure 6, and in sectional elevation (taken on line x x of
Figure 6) by Figure 7. These views may be considered as full size, or half the
scale of the views of the marking appliances. a represents felt or other highly
absorbent material within a box b. care holes formed down into the felt. d is a
flat annular dish held down upon the top of the felt by a couple of tangs e forced
down into the substance thereof. The central hole of the annulus formed by the
dish is concentric with one of the holes c in the felt. The felt is saturated with
the ink or colour to be used. The annular dish is ordinarily charged with the ink

page_text: or colour, such being prevented from running out therefrom by an outer and inner
rim, and the ink or colour is taken up by pressing the sponge of the marking
appliance into the ink or colour in the dish. If, however, the dish has dried up,
the sponge may be pushed down into one of the holes c. If the surface of the felt
is thoroughly saturated, the sponge will usually be sufficiently charged by pressing
it down upon the surface of the saturated felt, but a fuller saturation of the sponge
is effected by dipping into the dish or pushing the end of the marking appliance
into one of the holes c.
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 :-
1. An appliance for use in marking notes in copying music, having sponge or
other soft absorbent material inserted within an open end thereof and protruding
slightly therefrom, substantially as described.
2. An appliance for use in marking notes in copying music, having sponge or
other soft absorbent material inserted within an open end thereof and protruding
slightly therefrom, and a reservoir by means of which the appliance is self-feeding,
substantially as described.
3. Appliances for use in marking notes in copying music, substantially as
described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings herewith.
Dated this 29th day of January 1892.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.