Improved Means for Supporting and Fixing the Cylinders of Musical Boxes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 9th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Supporting and Fixing the Cylinders of
Musical Boxes.
I PAUL CALAME-JACCARD, of Saint Croix, Canton de Vaud, Switzerland,
Manufacturer, 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 for improved means for supporting and fixing the cylinders
of musical boxes has for its object an arrangement enabling the interchangeable
cylinders to be fixed in a simple and practical manner in musical boxes of any
dimensions.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder fixed in the supporting
brackets:
Fig. 2 is a view of the bracket on the right side:
Fig. 3 shows part of the cylinder ready to be removed; and
Fig. 4 shows a view and section of the central cam for changing the tune
adapted for the new arrangement.
The cylinder A is provided with two heads b and c having conical edges and
which rest in brackets d and having correspondingly conical edges. The
bracket d is fixed to the driving shaft g by the screw h. The bracket is placed
with friction loosely upon the fixed shaft i and it can be displaced axially. The
two brackets are provided with sleeves and land also corresponding recesses m
and n to receive the pins o and p on the cylinder.
In order to insert a cylinder the bracket f is withdrawn by means of the lever q
(Fig. 3). The cylinder is then inserted and the lever q released; the spring >
then pushes the bracket to its normal position and the couical edges of the
cylinder corresponding exactly to the conical edges of the two brackets, the
cylinder will be firmly fixed in the latter.
In order to remove a cylinder it is only necessary to withdraw the bracket f by
means of the lever g. The movement of the driving shaft g is transmitted to the
bracket d and communicated by the latter to the cylinder which in its turn will
operate the bracket f.
In musical boxes provided with this arrangement use is advantageously made
of a central cam for changing the tune. The central cams (Figs. 4 and 1) is
placed with friction loose upon the driving shaft y whilst the pin t is fixed to the
bracket d.
The construction of the cylinder and of the brackets is susceptible of modifications
not affecting the principle of the invention. Thus for example the conical edges

page_text: of the brackets might be placed at the heads of the cylinder, whilst the brackets
might take the conical form of the heads. Or the brackets, instead of being solid,
might be formed of claws having conical edges.
By this arrangement the interchangeable cylinder is rendered independent of all
the other parts of the musical box; the cylinder may be removed alone without
removing either the central cam or any other part of the box. The shaft of
the cylinder is dispensed with, thereby considerably reducing the cost of the
latter.
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:
A musical box having an interchangeable cylinder without a shaft, characterized
by the conical form of the heads of the cylinder and by brackets of corresponding
form serving to maintain the cylinder, one of them being fixed to the driving shaft
and communicating to the cylinder the movement of this shaft, whilst the other,
participating in the rotary movement of the cylinder may be displaced axially for
permitting the changing of the cylinder.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.