IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
رو
& C° Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS communicated
to him from abroad by James Morgan of Brooklyn, New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th September 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London " IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS [A communication to him from abroad by James Morgan of
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America]
"
The said invention consists partly in the combination, in a mechanical musical
instrument, of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby the latter
is taken up during playing, and means for supporting this roller in such manner
that the pressure with which it bears against the driving shaft or appurtenances
thereof may be varied.
It also partly consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument,
of a driving shaft, a music roller, a music-sheet, a take-up roller whereby the
latter is taken up during playing, and means for supporting the take-up roller in
such manner that it may be held with variable pressure in contact with the driving
shaft or appurtenances thereof, and that it will be held by gravity in contact with
the driving-shaft so as to produce a tension on the music sheet while the same is
being rewound upon the music roller.
It also partly consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument,
of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up
in playing, and a frame pivotally connected to a fixed portion of the instrument
and having the take-up roller journalled in it.
It also partly consists in the combination in a mechanical musical instrument
of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up

page_text: in playing, means whereby the take-up roller is supported in such a manner that
it may be caused to impinge with variable pressure on the driving shaft or
appurtenances thereof, and a case comprising a hinged cover that may be
manipulated to vary the pressure of the take-up roller on the driving shaft or its
appurtenances.
It also partly consists in the combination in a mechanical musical instrument
of a driving shaft, a music sheet a take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up in
playing and a frame in which the said roller is journalled and which is pivoted in
place so that it, and the roller, may be swung up beyond the reed-board.
It also partly consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument,
of a driving shaft, a reed-board, a music-sheet, a take-up roller whereby the latter
is taken up in playing, and a frame in which the said roller is journalled and
which is pivoted to the ends of the reed-board:
It also partly consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument,
of a driving shaft, a music-sheet, a take up roller whereby the latter is taken up
in playing a frame in which the roller is journalled and which may be adjusted to
vary the pressure with which the said roller impinges on the driving-shaft or
appurtenances thereof, and a spring for acting on the said frame.
It also partly consists in the combination in a mechanical musical instrument,
of a music roller, a driving shaft a music sheet, a take-up roller means for supporting
the take-up roller in such manner that the pressure with which it impinges against
the driving shaft or appurtenances thereof will be varied, and a case comprising a
hinged cover which may be manipulated to vary such pressure and which when
raised will adapt the music sheet to be wound on the music roller.
It also partly consists in the combination in a mechanical musical instrument
of a driving shaft, wheels arranged on the driving shaft, and a take-up roller for
a music sheet having heads or flanges engaging with the wheels.
It also partly consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument
having an equalizer, of a relief valve consisting of a stiff piece of wood or like
material fastened near one end to the movable board of the equalizer, and a pin
fastened to the stationary board of the said equalizer and adapted to arrest the
valve when the movable board of the equalizer is moved into a certain position
relatively to the said movable board.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Patent Office on the 14th March
1884.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS." A communication to me from abroad by James Morgan, of
Brooklyn, New York, United States of America.
This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments and consists partly in
the combination of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby
the latter is taken up during playing, and means for supporting this roller in
such manner that the pressure with which it bears against the driving shaft or
appurtenances thereof may be varied.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving shaft, a music roller, a
music sheet, a take up roller whereby the latter is taken up during playing,
adjustable gravitating bearings for the take-up roller, a shaft whereby motion may
be imparted to the take-up roller all arranged so that the take-up roller may be
made to impinge with a variable force upon the said shaft or appurtenances thereof
to vary the speed of the take-up roller and alter the time and expression of the
playing, and so that the take up roller will by gravity be held in contact with the
driving-shaft in order to produce a tension on the music sheet while the music
sheet is being rewound upon the music roller.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a
take up roller, whereby the latter is taken up in playing, and a frame comprising
bearings for the take-up roller and pivotally connected to a fixed portion of the
instrument, so that by adjusting the said frame the pressure with which the take-up
roller is caused to impinge upon the driving shaft or appurtenances thereof may
be varied for the purpose of altering the time and expression.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving shaft, a music-sheet, a
take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up in playing and a frame in which the
said roller is journalled and which is pivotted in place so that it and the roller may
be swung up beyond the reed-board.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving shaft, a reed-board, a
music sheet, a take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up in playing and a
frame in which the said roller is journalled and which is pivotted to the ends of
the reed-board.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving shaft, a music-sheet, a
take-up roller whereby the latter is taken up in playing, a frame in which the
roller is journalled and which may be adjusted to vary the pressure with which
the said roller impinges on the driving-shaft or appurtenances thereof, and a spring
for acting on the said frame.
It also partly consists in the combination of a music roller, a driving shaft, a
music sheet, a take-up roller, means for supporting the take-up roller in such
manner that the pressure with which it impinges against the driving-shaft or
appurtenances thereof will be varied, and a case comprising a hinged cover which
may be manipulated to vary such pressure and which when raised will adapt the
music sheet to be moved on the music roller.
It also partly consists in the combination of a driving-shaft, wheels arranged on
the driving shaft, and a take up roller for a music sheet having heads or flanges
engaging with the said wheels
It also partly consists in the combination of an equalizer, a relief valve consisting
of a resilient piece of wood or like material fastened rigidly near 'one end to the

page_text: movable board of the equalizer and a pin fastened to the stationary board of the
equalizer and adapted to arrest the valve when the movable board of the equalizer
is moved into a certain position relatively to the fixed board and bend the valve so
that it will uncover the aperture which it controls
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a mechanical muscial instrument
constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the cover of the case and the music-sheet
removed
Figure 3. is a horizontal section taken below the board that forms the base of
the wind-chest;
Figure 4 is a side view of the lower part of the instrument with one side of the
case removed.
Figure 5 is a side view of a combined crank and reed hook.
Figure 6 is a plan of a portion of a bellows, a valve chamber and a valve; and
Figure 7 is a transverse section of these parts.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A indicates the case of the instrument, which as shown is of rectangular form
The said case may be made of wood, and may be ornamented in any desired
manner. Preferably the case comprises a cover a hinged to the body b at the back
and fastened by a spring-catch or other device at the front. It may however, be
unconnected with the instrument and need not have any catch, as it can be
maintained in place merely by gravity if desirable. The cover has in the top an
aperture a¹ furnished with a hinged lid a². This lid may be manipulated to serve
as a swell
B indicates a board which rests upon and is secured by screws or other suitable
means to rails that are fastened to the inner surfaces of the sides of the case.
This board B forms the base of a wind-chest O and has bellows D arranged beneath
it. The stationary boards of the bellows are affixed by screws or otherwise to the
underside of the board B. I have shown two bellows D thus arranged. Between
them is a block of wood E which is secured at the upper end to the board B and
has secured to the lower end, at an angle to the board B, a board F. On the top
of the board F are arranged two bellows D¹. These bellows D¹ are on opposite
sides of the block E and immediately opposite the bellows D. Their stationary
boards are affixed by screws or other appropriate means to the board F. The
movable boards of the bellows D are connected to the movable boards of the
opposite bellows D¹ by links D. The bellows D and the opposite bellows D¹ work.
in unison as a pair of bellows and the pairs of bellows work alternately. The
bellows as here shown are of the type known as exhaust or suction bellows.
The bellows severally have arranged on the outside of the movable board a
chamber S containing a valve S'. The chamber may consist of a disc of wood
bored out on one side to form a circular cavity and affixed to the movable board of
the bellows with the cavity towards said board. In the centre of the outer portion
of the chamber is an opening through which air may pass. The valve S¹ consists
of an annular piece of leather, india-rubber, india rubber-cloth or like material, of
a size externally to fit snugly within the cavity of the chamber S, and of about
the same size internally as the opening through the outer part of the chamber.
The movable board of the bellows has through it a circular row of perforations
which are enclosed by the chamber S and controlled by the valve S¹.
The
On the under side of the board F is an equalizer G, constructed as usual like a
bellows. The board F constitutes a stationary board of the equalizer.
movable board F is hinged to the board F. The equalizer extends almost entirely
across the case. The bellows D communicate with the wind-chest C and the
bellows D' communicate with the equalizer. The block E has through it passages p,
whereby communication is established between the wind chest and equalizer.
The movable board of the equalizer has a relief aperture a³ furnished with a
valve 6. This valve b³ may be made of a strip of wood faced with leather at or

page_text: near one end and fastened rigidly near the other end to the outer side of the
movable board of the equalizer. A pin c attached to the stationary board of the
equalizer and extending through the aperture a³ is adapted to come in contact with
the valve b and arrest the further movement of the valve, hence if the movable
board is moved farther towards the stationary board after the valve is arrested the
valve will be bent so as to open or uncover the aperture a³ and relieve the
equalizer. The overstraining of the equalizer will thus be prevented.
H indicates the driving shaft of the instrument. It is journalled in bearing
blocks that are mounted on the board B and one end extends through the case A
so that it may have applied to it a hand crank whereby rotary motion may be.
imparted to it. This shaft is provided with two cranks f, f set at about right
angles to each other and connected by rods or pitmen D³ to the movable boards of
the bellows D. Motion is thus transmitted from the driving shaft to the movable
boards of the bellows D and thence through the links D' to the bellows D'
I indicates a reed board which is mounted upon the wind-chest C. It has cells g
which receive reeds h and communicate with the wind chest.
J indicates a perforated travelling music-sheet which may be made of paper or
other suitable material and passes over the apex of the reed-board to control the
speaking. At one end this music-sheet is permanently attached to a roller K
termed a music roller because ordinarily the music-sheet is kept wound upon it,
and at the other end the music sheet is detachably secured to a roller L termed a
"take up
roller because it takes up or winds up the music sheet during the
playing of the instrument.
"
The music roller K is supported in bearing pieces M attached to the sides of the
wind-chest. These bearing pieces have in their front edges cavities in which the
journals of the music roller fit and the journals of the roller are held in the cavities
by resilient pieces of wood or other material ; secured near one end to the bearing
pieces and pressing near the other end upon the journals of the roller.
The take-up roller L is journalled in a frame N pivotted at the ends to the ends
of the reed board. The frame N may be made of wood. Its end pieces are made
stiff but the cross pieces are preferably made thin and resilient. The heads of the
take-up roller have peripherical grooves in which are fitted bands of india-rubber
or analogous material. When the take up roller is in position for use the bands k
are in contact with wheels on the driving shaft and thus motion is transmitted
from the driving shaft to the take up roller.
The music sheet may be connected to the take up roller by any suitable means
as for instance a hook on the roller and an eye or ring on the music sheet
The music sheet passes from the under side of the music roller to the apex of
the reed board and thence to the under side of the take-up roller.
By supporting the take up roller in a frame pivotted to the reed board this roller
may be swung over into a position above the music roller so as to afford access to
the reed-board. Provision is also afforded for varying the pressure with which the
heads of the take-up roller impinge against the wheels of the driving-shaft. To
vary this pressure the hand of the operator is placed on the cross-piece of the
frame N and moved downwards with more or less force. If the pressure is
relaxed to such a degree that the wheels of the driving shaft will fail to impart
motion to the take-up roller then the music-sheet will dwell or stop and prolong a
note or chord. By varying the pressure the expression of a tune being played may
be varied considerably.
The cover a of the case A of the instrument is provided with a spring O, which,
when the cover is shut down, presses upon the cross piece of the frame N and
holds the beads of the take-up roller L with a yielding pressure against the wheels
of the driving shaft. By raising and lowering the cover the pressure with which
the heads of the take-up roller impinge against the wheels of the driving-shaft
may be varied in the same way that such pressure may be varied by direct pressure
of the hand of the operator upon the cross piece of the frame N.

page_text: When the cover a is raised entirely away from the frame N the music sheet may
be rewound on the music roller as the take-up roller will then impinge on the
wheels of the driving shaft with a pressure due only to its gravity. When the
take-up roller is held down on the wheels of the driving shaft merely by gravity
the driving shaft will offer such resistance to the turning of the roller that the
music sheet may be wound up tightly on the music roller.
If desirable a push piece may be arranged in the cover a of the case of the
instrument in such manner that it may be shifted when the cover is closed so as to
vary the pressure on the cross-piece of the frame N.
The end of the driving shaft that protrudes through the case of the instrument
is screw-threaded and the hand-crank (see Figure 5) which is fitted thereto has an
internally screw threaded socket that may be engaged with the screw threaded end
of the driving shaft
One of the journals of the music roller is provided with a cross-pin n, with
which a hand crank having a socket notched across the end may engage for the
purpose of rewinding the music-sheet upon the music roller
The end of the driving shaft that receives the hand-crank and the journal of the
music roller that receives the other hand crank may be made alike so that a single
crank may be used to operate either.
The handle of one of the cranks has formed in it near the outer end a notch m
which adapts it to be used as a hook whereby the reeds may be drawn out of
their cells when desirable. I have shown this feature in the crank whereby the
music roller is driven.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim in a mechanical musical instrument.
First. The combination of a driving-shaft, a music-sheet, a take up roller
whereby the latter is taken up during playing, and means for supporting this roller
in such manner that the pressure with which it bears against the driving shaft or
appurtenances thereof may be varied, substantially as specified.
Second, The combination of a driving shaft, a music roller, a music-sheet, a take
up roller whereby the latter is taken up during playing, adjustable gravitating
bearings for the take-up roller, and a shaft whereby motion may be imparted to the
take-up roller, all arranged substantially as described so that the take-up roller
may be made to impinge with a variable force upon the said shaft or appurtenances
thereof to vary the speed of the take-up roller, and alter the time and expression
of the playing and so that the take-up roller will by gravity be held in contact
with the driving shaft in order to produce a tension on the music sheet while the
music sheet is being rewound upon the music roller.
Third The combination of a driving shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby
the latter is taken up in playing, and a frame comprising bearings for the take up
roller and pivotally connected to a fixed portion of the instrument, so that by
adjusting the said frame the pressure with which the take up roller is caused to
impinge upon the driving shaft or appurtenances thereof may be varied for the
purpose of altering the time and expression, substantially as specified.
Fourth. The combination of a driving-shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller
whereby the latter is taken up in playing, and a frame in which the said roller is
journalled and which is pivotted in place so that it and the roller may be swung up
beyond the reed board, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The combination of a driving-shaft, a reed board, a music sheet, a take-up
roller whereby the latter is taken up in playing, and a frame in which the said
roller is journalled and which is pivotted to the ends of the reed board, substantially
as specified
Sixth. The combination of a driving-shaft, a music sheet, a take-up roller whereby
the latter is taken up in playing, a frame in which the roller is journalled and
which may be adjusted to vary the pressure with which the said roller impinges on

page_text: the driving shaft or appurtenances thereof, and a spring for acting on said frame,
substantially as specified.
Seventh, The combination of a music-roller, a driving-shaft, a music-sheet, a
take-up roller, means for supporting the take-up roller in such manner that the
pressure with which it impinges against the driving-shaft or appurtenances thereof
will be varied, and a case comprising a hinged cover which may be manipulated to
vary such pressure, and which when raised will adapt the music-sheet to be wound
on the music roller, substantially as specified.
Eighth. The combination of a driving-shaft, wheels arranged on the driving
shaft, and a take-up roller for a music sheet having heads or flanges engaging with
the said wheels, substantially as specified
Ninth. The combination with an equalizer, of a relief valve consisting of a
resilient piece of wood or like material fastened rigidly near one end to tho
movable board of the equalizer, and a pin fastened to the stationary board of
the equalizer and adapted to arrest the valve when the movable board of the
equalizer is moved into a certain position relatively to the fixed board and bend
the valve so that it will uncover the aperture which it controls, substantially as
specified
Tenth. The valve and valve-chamber for a bellows made, substantially as
specified
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fourteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
W ROB LAKE (LS.)