Year: 1888

page_text: 1 JAMES MITCHELL, 21 Church Street, Coatbridge in the County of Lanark,
Teacher of Music, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in metronomes and it has for object the
provision of means whereby students of music may obtain the division of time not
only into "beats as with the ordinary metronome but also into all the rhythms or
subdivisions of beats ordinarily employed in music.
33
The improved compound metronome or time meter consists of a barrel or drum
which is rotated by clockwork or by other means and which is fitted with a number of
rows of projecting pins so that it resembles the barrel of a musical box each row
representing a particular subdivision of beat. On a shaft placed parallel with the axis
of the pin barrel is or are fitted one or more fingers or haminers which may be adjusted
to lie in the path of any one of the rows of pins on the barrel so as to be struck or
pressed aside by said pins in the rotation of the barrel and emit a click or other sound
when so struck. The pins of one row are so spaced around the circumference of the
barrel as to produce in striking the hammer during the rotation of the barrel, sounds
at intervals corresponding to beats, two or more of which may be indicated by one
revolution of the barrel. Other rows of pins may be so spaced as to correspond to
half beats quarter beats or thirds of beats and others of the series to indicate other
regular or irregular subdivisions of beats corresponding to the various rhythms of
music.
In using the instrument to measure the time of musical sounds the hammer or
hammers acted on by the pins on the barrel is or are moved and adjusted by screws
or other like means to bring it or them into the path or paths of the row or rows of
pins corresponding to the subdivision or subdivisions of beats desired and the clock-
work or other operating mechanism put in action to rotate the barrel, and as the
barrel rotates a succession of clicks or raps or other sounds corresponding to the
particular subdivision or subdivisions are heard, what formerly rested wholly on
the feeling of the performer being thus reduced to mechanical demonstration.

page_text: In lieu of the rotating barrel above described a rotating or reciprocating plate fitted
with pins or like means may be employed to act on a sound emitting hammer at such
intervals as will correspond to the beats and various subdivisions of beats; or in lieu
of fitting pins on the barrel or plate, holes or perforations similarly spaced may be
used to act on the hammers or other sound emitting devices or to emit sounds on the
passage through them of compressed air or the like, an essential feature of the invention
being the adaptation of a metronome or like instrument to effect the subdivision of
beats for measuring time in music.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of April 1888
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metronomes.
I, JAMES MITCHELL, 21 Church Street, Coatbridge, in the County of Lanark,
Teacher of Music, do hereoy 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:―
My Invention relates to improvements in metronomes and it has for object, the
provision of means whereby students of music may obtain the division of time not.
only into " beats
as with the ordinary metronome but also into all the rhythms, or
subdivisions of beats ordinarily employed in music.
As represented in the accompanying drawings, in elevation at figure 1, in plan at
figure 2, in end elevation with the end board of the casing removed at figure 3,
in sectional side elevation at figure 4, and in plan with the top board or cover of the
casing removed at higure 5, the improved compound metronome or time meter consists
of a barrel or drum A which is rotated by clockwork mechanism B, or by other means,
through gearing Cand which is fitted with a number of rows of projecting pins a so
that it resembles the barrel of a musical box each row representing a particular sub-
division of beat. On a screw shaft or shafts D, D', placed parallel with the axis of
the pin barrel A, is or are fitted one or more fingers or hammers E, E', which may be
adjusted to lie into the path of any of the rows of pins on the barrel so as to be struck
or pressed aside by said pins in the rotation of the barrel and by striking a sounding
board or boards FF, emit a click or clicks or other sounds when so acted on. The
pins of one row are so spaced around the circumference of the barrel as to produce in
striking the hammer during the, rotation of the barrel, sounds at intervals, corre-
sponding to beats two or more of which may be indicated by one revolution of the
barrel. Other rows of pins may be so spaced as to correspond to half beats, quarter
beats or thirds of beats and others of the series to indicate other regular or irregular
subdivisions of beats corresponding to the various rhythms of music. Figure 6 is a
diagram representing the spacing of the pins on the barrel in a manner adapted for
general use and figure 7 is a graphic representation in the tonic sol-fa and old notation
of the subdivision of beats corresponding to the arrangement of the pins shown in
figure 6. For the purpose of indicating the position of the hammers relatively to the
rows of pins a pointers e, e¹, are attached to the hammers E, E', and carried up through
slots in the top of the casing of the instrument on which a copy of the representation
figure 7 is affixed.
In using the instrument to measure the time of musical sounds the hammer or
hammers acted on by the pins on the barrel is or are moved and adjusted by
screws D, D¹, acting on nuts on which the hammers are fixed, or other like means
may be employed to bring it or them into the path or paths of the row or rows of
pins corresponding to the subdivision or subdivisions of beats desired and the clock-
work or other operating mechanism put in action to rotate the barrel; and as the
barrel rotates a succession of clicks or raps or other sounds corresponding to the

page_text: particular subdivision or subdivisions is heard, what formerly rested wholly on
the feeling of the performer being thus reduced to mechanical demonstration. In
practice and as indicated in the apparatus shown in the drawings two hammers and
sounding boards are preferably used one being set and serving to indicate beats and
the other to indicate subdivisions of beats.
..
In lieu of the rotating barrel above described a rotating or reciprocating plate fitted
with pins or like means may be employed to act on a sound emitting hammer at such
intervals as will correspond to the beats and various subdivisions of beats; or in lieu of
fitting pius on the barrel or plate, holes or perforations similarly spaced may be used
to act on the hammers or other sound emitting devices, or to emit sounds on the
passage through them of compressed air or the like, the essential feature of the
invention being the adaptation of a metronome or like instrument to effect the sub-
division of beats for measuring time in music.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. A compound metronome constructed and arranged to operate substantially as
herein before described.
2. A metronome provided with means for emitting sounds at intervals corresponding
to subdivisions of beats substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of January 1880
13
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
.Agents.