Improvements in Spring Driving Mechanism for Musical Boxes and other Spring-driven Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Driving Mechanism for Musical Boxes and
other Spring-driven Machines.
I, THOMAS PHILIP BACHE, of the Firm of George Salter and Company, of
High Street, West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the spring driving mechanism of musical boxes,
and other analogous machines which are driven or actuated by the power exerted
by a wound-up spring in running down.
According to one form of my invention, as applied to mechanism for driving
the cylinder and other parts of a musical box, I propose to provide two driving
springs, each located within a separate casing or drum and so arranged that the
one shall be wound up in advance of the other. Thus, I mount within a suitably
arranged framing a rotating spindle, having at one end, a toothed wheel, inter-
meshing with a pinion driven by the winding shaft, (which is provided with a
handle, key or equivalent turn) and at the other end with a ratchet wheel,
engaged by a pawl device carried on the face of a toothed wheel acting as the
driving wheel of the cylinder and other mechanism of the musical box and
being loosely mounted upon the said spindle, which is encircled by a casing
or drum, capable of an independent movement relative to it and within which
a volute spring is contained, one end of the same being connected with the
spindle whilst the other end is attached, directly or otherwise to the casing,
which is connected with, or carries, or has cut around its periphery, a toothed
wheel or annulus, or a series of teeth engaging like teeth formed or provided
around the circumference of a second casing or drum, mounted upon a preferably
square or like sectioned and stationary spindle, carried by the framing of the
machine. To the inside of this casing is attached one end of a second and
auxiliary volute coiled spring, whose other end is connected to the stationary
spindle, so that when the said casing is caused to rotate the spring is wound up.
By turning the winding shaft in one direction, motion is communicated
through the pinion and wheel to the spindle, which rotates and winds up the
primary spring, the drum meantime remaining stationary until the said spring
is fully wound up or nearly so, but then the continued rotation of the spindle
carries the spring with it and draws round the drum whose motion is communi-
cated by the gear wheels to the second drum and the auxiliary spring located
therein is wound up around the stationary spindle.
The running down of the primary and auxiliary springs turns the rotating
spindle in the reverse direction to that in which it was turned for winding and
its movement is communicated through the ratchet wheel and pawl to the
driving wheel and toothed gear of the mechanism.
The application of my invention to the driving mechanism of other spring-

page_text: driven machines and instruments differs in no essential respect from its applica-
tion to a musical box as herein described.
Improvements in Spring-driving Mechanism for Musical Boxes and
other Spring-driven Machines.
I. THOMAS PHILip Bache, of the Firm of George Salter and Company, of
High Street, West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to the spring driving mechanism of musical boxes,
and other analogous machines which are driven or actuated by the power exerted
by a wound-up spring in running down, and has for its object to increase the
available spring power of such mechanism so that the same shall be longer
and continuous in running down and so exert driving power for a greater period
than heretofore.
According to my invention, as applied to mechanism for driving the cylinder
and other parts of a musical box, I propose to provide two driving springs, each
located within a separate casing or drum and so arranged that the one shall be
wound up in advance of the other.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of one
form of double spring-driving mechanism constructed and arranged according
to my invention.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the mechanism looking from the other side, with
a portion of the framing broken away.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1, looking from the topside.
Figure 4 represents a longitudinal vertical section of Figure 3 upon the
dotted line a.
Figure 5 is a transverse oblique section of Figure 4 upon the dotted line r¹.
Figure 6 is a section of Fig. 5 upon the dotted line.
Figure 7 represents a similar section to that shown in Figure 5, but upon an
enlarged scale, whilst
Figure 8 represents a similar sectional view to that represented in Figure 4,
but upon the same scale as Figure 7.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
a is a part of the framing of the mechanism of a musical box or similar spring-
driven apparatus, within which is mounted a rotating spindle b, having at one
end, a toothed winder wheel b₁, intermeshing with a pinion 6, driven by the
winding shaft 63, which turns in a bearing a¹, in the side of the framing and is
provided with a handle, or key (not shown) by which it is turned for winding
up the spring. The other end of the spindle b, which is arranged transversely
across the frame, carries a ratchet wheel c, engaged by two or more spring
pawls d, carried on the face of a toothed wheel, which acts as the driving
wheel of the cylinder and other mechanism of the musical box and is loosely

page_text: mounted upon the said spindle. e is a spring casing or drum, which encircles,
and is capable of an independent movement relative to, the said rotating spindle
and within the said casing is a volute spring f, with one end f¹, of the same
being connected with the spindle b, whilst the other end f2 is attached, directly
or otherwise, to the inside walls of the casing e, which is connected with, or
carried, or has cut around its periphery, a toothed wheel or annulus g, or a series
of teeth engaging a like annular series of teeth h, formed or provided around
the circumference of a second spring casing or drum i, mounted upon a square
or angular ended and non-rotating spindle, j, whose squared ends, take
within corresponding holes a³, in the extensions or branches at, of the framing,
so that the said framing and spindle are relatively stationary. To the inside
of this casing is attached one end ¹, of a second and auxiliary volute coiled
spring, k, whose other end 2, is connected to the stationary spindle, so that
when the said casing caused to rotate the spring is wound up.
By turning the winding shaft in one direction, motion is communicated through
the pinion and wheel to the spindle, which rotates and winds up the primary
spring, the drum meantime remaining stationary either until the said spring
is fully wound up or until the winding of the spring has established such a
tension as to connect the spindle b and the casing of the primary spring, after
which the continued rotation of the spindle carries the spring with it and draws
round the drum whose motion is communicated by the intergearing wheels or
toothed rings g, h, to the second drum and the auxiliary spring located therein
is wound up around the stationary spindle. When the auxiliary spring casing
can be rotated no further, the primary spring case also becomes blocked and
the winding up of its spring is then completed.
The running down of the primary and auxiliary springs turns the rotating
spindle in the reverse direction to that in which it was turned for winding and
its movement is communicated through the ratchet wheel and pawl to the driving
wheel and toothed gear of the mechanism, it being understood that in this
running down the operation is entirely reversed to that of winding up, as the
primary spring first runs down to such an extent as to leave its casing e, free
to rotate, whereupon the secondary or auxiliary spring k, is allowed to come
into play and communicate rotary motion to its casing or drum i, which latter,
through the toothed rings g and h, drives round the casing e, which moves
together with the primary spring f, and driven spindle b. When the auxiliary
spring has wholly or nearly run down, the rotation of the geared-up casings e
and, ceases but the primary spring f, continues to act directly upon the
spindle b, until the whole of its driving energy is expended.
It is further understood that although in winding, the spindle b, is rotated,
no movement is imparted to the loose toothed driving wheel d¹, as the teeth of
the ratchet wheel c, (which rotates with the said spindle) wipe under the coupling
pawls d, pivoted to the face of the said wheel, without communicating any move-
ment to the latter.
Instead of employing a single auxiliary spring as described, I may employ
two or a series of such springs, with the teeth of the casing of the primary
spring directly intergearing with the teeth of the casings of the series of auxiliary
springs.
The application of my invention to the driving mechanism of other spring-
driven machines and instruments differs in no essential respect from its applica-
tion to a musical box as herein described.
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:-
First In spring driving mechanism, the employment of primary and
auxiliary springs respectively encircling rotatory and fixed spindles and enclosed

page_text: within drums or casings which are geared together in such a manner that in
winding up, the primary spring is first wound to an extent that will, through
the tension, connect the rotating spindle to the primary spring casing, which
rotates, and turns the casing of the auxiliary spring for winding or
closing it
around the fixed spindle, and on the rotation of the geared-together casings
being blocked by the full closing of the auxiliary spring, the winding of the
primary spring is then completed, whilst in running down the action is reversed,
substantially as described and set forth.
:
Secondly In spring driving mechanism, the combination with primary and
auxiliary driving springs, respectively encircling a rotating spindle and a fixed
spindle and enclosed within geared-together drums or casings, of a ratchet wheel
on the rotating spindle, connected by pawls to a loose driving wheel on the
said spindle, and a winding shaft and bevel wheels made fast respectively to
the said shaft and the rotating spindle of the primary spring, substantially as
herein described and set forth."
THOMAS PHILIP BACHE,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.