An Improved Mechanism for Mechanically Played Musical Instruments.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1892-Accepted; 11th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mechanism for Mechanically Played Musical
Instruments.
I, PHILIPP VON HERTLING, of Rolls Chambers, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 a mechanism for actuating the steel tongues of musical
instruments operated by a travelling perforated note sheet and renders practicable
the direct driving of the striking wheels actuating the sounding tongues by the note
sheet provided with one simple form of perforation.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, of the drawing the mechanism of the invention is shewn in
different positions in side elevation.
Fig. 4 is a similar view shewing a somewhat modified arrangement of the
mechanism.
a is one of a series of striking wheels mounted to turn on spindle or rod a². b, a
spring normally pressing against wheel a. c one of a series of steel sounding tongues
forming a comb.
e the note sheet.
The mechanism works as follows:-
In Fig. 1 the position of striking wheel a is such that it bears by its teeth 1, 2,
against an unperforated part of the note sheet e, which in its forward travel glides
over said teeth, the spring 6 pressing against tooth 3 and tending to turn wheel a
round on its bearing in the direction shewn by the arrow, so that tooth 1 is
pressed against the note sheet. This latter moving forward, tooth 1 springs into a
note perforation so soon as one passes over it and is carried along by the same and
wheel a also turned round on its bearing, tooth 5 consequently coming underneath
sounding tongue c and striking it (Fig. 2). Upon the further forward travel of the
note sheet the striking wheel a so long as tooth 1 is engaged in the perforation is
turned further round on its bearing, tooth 2 then forcing back spring b (Fig. 3) so
that this, as soon as tooth 1 is slid out of the note sheet, may press against tooth 2
and so turn wheel a that tooth 5 is pressed against the note sheet. In the further
travel of the note sheet when a note perforation passes over tooth 5 taking this
with it, tooth 4 strikes the sounding tongue c.
In Fig. 4 the wheel a is mounted to turn and be displaceable up and down in a
bearing slot el of bracket d, and spring 6 fixed underneath the latter so that it
tends to press the wheel a against the note sheet which, the wheel being stationary,
glides over the teeth. When in the further travel of the note sheet a tooth-tooth 1
for example, lies underneath a perforation, it will be sprung into the same by the
pressure of spring b, the wheel a then being moved upwards in slot e¹. Tooth 1 is
now carried along by the note sheet and wheel a at the same time turned round on
its axis so that tooth 5 strikes sounding tongue c. The note sheet in its travel then
presses tooth 1 out of the perforation and wheel a down in its slot el against the
resistance of spring 6 the wheel once more being pressed against the note sheet, and
so on.
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. In musical instruments of the kind referred to a striking mechanism in which
a spring tends to turn round the striking wheel by pressing against one of its teeth
so that another tooth is pressed against the note sheet sliding over the teeth of said
wheel, and when a note perforation comes over it is sprung into the same, carried

page_text: along in the further travel of the note sheet, the striking wheel at the same time
being turned on its axis, the tooth then removed from, and the next following tooth
of the striking wheel pressed against the note sheet, substantially as described and
shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3 of the drawing.
2. In a striking mechanism of the kind referred to a striking wheel turning on its
axis and displaceable up and down in a bearing slot in combination with a spring
for pressing the striking wheel against the note sheet, substantially as described
with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawing..
Dated this 28th day of December 1892.
CAPITAINE & VON HERTLING,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.