Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 3rd May, 188".
I, EDMOND FORNACHON, Musical Box Maker, of La Mothe, in the Republic of
Switzerland, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements introduced into the construction and
arrangement of certain parts of musical boxes, with a view to simplifying the same,
and reducing their cost of manufacture.
Referring to the accompanying drawing which represents in detail the parts of the
movement of a musical box to which my improvements are applied, the bed plate A.
is cast in one piece with six supports a¹ a¹ a³ a² a³ a².
The pivots B of the cylinder spindle B. revolve in bearings C. which are secured
to the supports a² by a screw or pin, thus allowing any number of cylinders to be
interchanged in an ordinary musical box.
The pinion D. which gears with the barrel is made of brass, with round instead of
square setting, adjustable on the spindle and fixed thereto by a pin.
The part E. of the barrel is pierced throughout its length, and forms at one end
the check piece F., the ratchet H. being mounted without square on the other. This
part E. revolves freely on the spindle J., the ends of which have their bearings in the
supports a¹, where they are secured by a screw or pin. The ratchet mechanism of
the barrel is composed of a spring K. set under the bed plate, and of a pawl M., the
tang of which passes freely through the hole N. of the bed plate and the slot Ĺ. of
said spring K.
The ratchet mechanism of the winder O. is composed of a spring P. secured by a
screw, and of a pawl Q., one branch of which forming pivot plays through a hole
pierced in the side of the winder, and is maintained therein by rivetting. The other
branch R. gears with the ratchet H. against which it is pressed by the spring P.-
S. is the air changing mechanism secured in the support a³ by a pin on which
it moves

page_text: The body of the frame T. is made of a single piece of brass, and the pinions U. (one
or more as the case may be) are mounted therein by opening and reclosing on them
its horizontal wings, in which the bearings are pierced.
This frame is secured to its support at by the screws h. h. The bracket V. is fixed
by a screw to one of the wings, and in the entry Z. of the bridge is inserted and
secured by a pin the steel plate Y. which replaces the counter-pivot hitherto used.
The tag a. a. may be suppressed, if so desired. The fly is made of a single piece. The
check trigger b. b. is fitted with a spring c. c. which acts by direct pressure on
the plate.
For chime and similar movements, the rods e. e. under the bed plate are not pivoted,
their extremities pass through the supports f. f, and are secured by the plates g. g.
screwed to the latter, which may, if so required, be cast in one piece with the plate.
The metallic receptors are in this case replaced by blocks of cork d. d. glued on the
angle of the base plate, as shown in the drawing.
a
The boxes may be of any known description but, as a means of reducing their cost, I
prefer to line and cover them with morocco or other similar paper, and to mount the
glass which encloses the movement by means of a strip of woven fabric forming.
hinge. This novel arrangement obviates the necessity of inner and outer polishing,
and also renders possible the suppression of the wooden framing of the covering glasses
and of the metal hinges hitherto employed.
All parts of the movement, other than those above described and shown, remain
unchanged.
Dated this 24th day of May 1886.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: I, EDMOND FORNACHON, Musical Box Maker, of La Mothe, in the Republic of
Switzerland, 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 :-
My Invention relates to improvements introduced into the construction and
arrangement of certain parts of musical boxes, with a view to simplifying the same,
and reducing their cost of manufacture.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which represent in detail the parts of the
movement of a musical box to which my improvements are applied, the bed plate A,
fig. 1., is cast in one piece with six supports a' a¹ a² a² a³ a. The pivots B' of the
cylinder spindle B., fig. 2., revolve in bearings C, which are secured to the supports a²
by a screw or pin (see fig. 3.), thus allowing any number of cylinders to be inter-
changed in an ordinary musical box.
The pinion D. which gears with the barrel is made of brass, with round instead of
square setting, adjustable on the spindle and fixed thereto by a pin. "The part E.,
fig. 4., of the barrel is pierced throughout its length, and forms at one end the check
piece F., the ratchet H., fig. 5., being mounted without square on the other. . This
part E. revolves freely on the spindle I, fig. 6., the ends of which have their bearings"
in the supports a', where they are secured by a screw or pin. The ratchet mechanism
of the barrel is composed of a spring K., fig. 7., set under the bed plate, and of a
pawl M., fig. 8., the tang of which passes freely through the hole N. of the bed plate
and the slot L. of said spring K.
The ratchet mechanism of the winder O., fig. 9., is composed of a spring P. secured
by a screw, and of a pawl Q., fig. 10., one branch of which, forming the pivot plays
through a hole pierced in the side of the winder, and is maintained therein by rivetting.
The other branch R. gears with the ratchet H. against which it is pressed by the
spring P.-S., fig. 11., is the air changing mechanism secured in the support a³ by
a pin on which it moves.
The body of the frame T., fig. 12., is made of a single piece of brass, and the
pinions U. (one or more as the case may be) are mounted therein by opening and
reclosing on them its horizontal wings, in which the bearings are pierced.
This frame is secured to its support a' by the screws h. h. The bracket V., fig. 13.,,
is fixed by a screw to one of the wings, and in the entry Z., fig. 14., of the bridge is
inserted and secured by a pin the steel plate Y. which replaces the counter pivot
hitherto used. The tag a.a., fig. 15., may be suppressed, if so desired. The Hy is
made of a single piece. The check trigger b. b., fig. 16., is fitted with a spring c. c.
which acts by direct pressure on the plate.

page_text: For chime and similar movements, the rods e. e., fig. 17., under the bed plate are
not pivoted, their extremities pass through the supports f.f., and are secured by the
plates g. g. screwed to the latter, which may, if so required, be cast in one piece with
the plate. The metallic receptors are in this case replaced by blocks of cork d. d.,
figs. 1. & 18., glued on the angle of the base plate, as shown in the drawing.
Fig. 19. represents in elevation & plan one of the regulating plates.
Fig. 20. is a plan view of the musical Box comprising my improvements.
Fig. 21. a front elevation thereof.
Fig. 22. a side elevation, and,
Fig. 23. a section taken through the lines I. II. of figs. 20. & 21.
A. is the bed plate cast in one piece with the lugs or supports a¹ a² a² a² a³ a¹
and ff. The axis B. of the cylinder shown in fig. 20., is fitted with its pivots in
bushes or bearings C., fig. 22., let into the lugs a² a² and secured therein by a
screw or otherwise. Behind a shoulder of one of the bushes C. fits a spring plate C
secured to the bed plate A., the said spring plate C acts by means of a set screw C² to
set the axis B. so that the pins of the cylinder present themselves in proper position
opposite the tongue ends. Formerly, the screws fitted into the bushes had to be
slackened for that purpose. An exchange of cylinders is effected by simply loosening
the cylinder entirely removing that one of the bushes C. which is not provided with.
the adjusting device and raising the axis B. with its cylinder, out of their bearings, as
will be easily understood.
On the axis B. is fastened a tooth wheel D. gearing into a similar wheel fastened
on the sleeve E. The sleeve E. has imparted to it a rotary motion by means of an
ordinary clock spring.
A spiral spring D presses a projection S2 on the cylinder constantly against the
step wheel S, fig. 20., the varying depth of the steps thereon giving the slight lateral
The step
displacement necessary for cylinders capable of playing several tunes.
wheel S¹ is moved by an elbow lever S. gearing into the teeth of it as soon as it
assumes the position illustrated in figs. 20. & 22. The elbow lever S. is pivoted on a
pin secured into the lug a³ and can therefore be thrown up clear of the changing
wheel S¹; the musical box will then only play the same piece continually. The
action of the apparatus is regulated as usual by flics, which are set in rotary motion
by means of a pinion U. and a train of wheels. The pinion U. is fitted, preferably,
between a framing T., figs. 20., 21., 22. made of sheet metal bent into U shape, and
carrying a bent arm X. for receiving the top end of the axis of the fly. Hitherto, the
end of the said axis was made to bear against jewels; I however prefer, instead of
these jewels, to employ a steel plate Y., figs. 21. & 22., which is inserted and held in
a slot Z. fig. 22., of the arm X. In order to simplify the construction, the two flies
are made in one piece of sheet metal through which is passed the axis, as shown in
fig. 22. The spring stopping device b. is guided, as usual, in a groove of the pinion U.,
fig. 22. a hook on the said device is brought into contact with the flies and checks
them as soon as the pin of the stopping device b. catches into a notch of the said
groove. According to my improvements, a spring c. of the stopping device b. presses
directly upon the bed plate A.; this arrangement is not, however, of great importance.
But it is important that, in order to fit the sleeve E. for the spring barrel between the
lugs a a of the bed plate, an axis I. be mounted between the said lugs and secured
by screws or pins, for receiving the sleeve E., and the winding device O. The
ratchets R. figs. 20. & 21., and M., fig. 23., gearing into the ratchet wheel H. of the
winding device are, for the sake of simplicity, arranged in the manner shown in
the drawing; likewise, the rods e., figs. 21. 22. & 23., which are intended to carry
various devices for producing chimes and such like, are not fitted in bearings, but bear,
with their whole diameter in holes of the lugs f. and are prevented from falling out by
means of small plates g. The said device can thus be easily exchanged, whereas this
would not be possible with an ordinary pivot bearing.
The boxes may be of any known description but, as a means of reducing their cost,
I prefer to line and cover them with morocco or other similar paper, and to mount

page_text: the glass which encloses the movement by means of a strip of woven fabric forming a
hinge. This novel arrangement obviates the necessity of inner and outer polishing,
and also renders possible the suppression of the wooden framing of the covering
glasses and of the metal hinges hitherto employed.
All parts of the movement other than those above described and shown, remain
unchanged.
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:
1. In musical boxes, the arrangement of the supports a¹ a² a² a² a³ a² and f. f.
cast in one piece with the bed plate A., substantially as described.
2. The bushes or bearings for the spindle of the cylinder, the said bushes being
capable of lateral displacement by means of a set screw C and plate C₁, and being
let into the lugs a² a rigidly connected with the bed plate A., all for the purpose
of adjusting and exchanging the cylinder axis, substantially as described and
shewn.
3.-The barrel, spring carrier or sleeve E. provided with shoulder F. and ratchet
wheel H., and fitted loosely on a fixed. round spindle I between the lugs a' a' sub-
stantially as described and shown.
4. The elbow lever S. acting upon a step wheel S₁ and a pin S2, fig. 20. on the
cylinder to change the air by a displacement of the cylinder, substantially as described
and shown.
5. The frame T. and bridge X. having a steel plate Y. combined with the check
trigger b. b. bearing directly against the bed plate A., substantially as described.
6. The rods e. e. having a uniform diameter throughout and maintained in position
by means of plates g. g., substantially as described.
7. The spring P. pressing against pawl Q., also the pawl M. maintained by the
spring K. and guided in a holo pierced through the bed plate A. substantially as
described.
8. The cork block d. d., substantially as described and shewn.
9. The outer and inner coverings of the boxes in morocco paper, substantially as
and for the purpose described.
10. The substitution for metal hinges of a strip of woven fabric by means of which
the covering glass is connected to the box, substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
Dated this 14th day of February 1887.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.