Improvements in Musical Boxes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 5th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 6th Aug., 1898
Improvements in Musical Boxes.
I, GUSTAVE BOURQUIN, of Merchantville, Camden County, New Jersey, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a simple and convenient musical
box, in which the teeth of the comb are operated by star-wheels, so that an
elongated travelling tune-sheet may be employed in place of the rotary flat tune
sheet most commonly used.
The apparatus may be enclosed in any suitable box or case, this forming no
part of the invention. The base piece is preferably of hollow form and is adapted
to carry the comb or combs to the operated by the same set of star-wheels. These
star wheels are mounted on an axis and are severally combined with springs, which
when pressing against the teeth tend to turn the wheels.
The elongated tune sheet is constructed to be wound up on and unrolled from
a drum or roll and wound up onto another roll. The extended ends of the shaft
of the delivery roll are adapted to be received into bearings at the upper ends of
uprights these bearings being open at the top to permit of the ready insertion
and removal of the rolls with their different tune sheets. One end of this shaft
may be squared for the reception of a crank handle to rewind the tune sheet.
The shaft of the winding-up roll is mounted in bearings at the upper ends of
supporting posts. This winding-up roll is provided with a longitudinal groove
and pins clips or other suitable means are to be provided for attaching thereto
the outer end of each tune sheet. To one end of the shaft of this winding up
drum will be applied the spring or other driving power to cause the desired
travel of the tune sheet.
In order to get the necessary tension of the tune-sheet in its travel from one
drum to the other, and to maintain the operative part of the sheet always in a
fixed relation to the star-wheels notwithstanding the variations in diameter of
the delivery roll and the winding-up roll as the tune sheet has to pass from one
to the other, I combine with the drums a tension device consisting of a swinging
frame mounted upon the shaft of the winding up drum by means of its flanges.
This tension frame has two or more bearing edges, but I prefer three, that is,
upper and lower bearing edges and centrally between them a bearing edge con-
sisting of a roller. When the end of the tune sheet is to be connected to the
pins or clips in the grooves of the winding up drum this tension frame is thrown
into the required position. Then the bar of the frame is turned so that the tune
sheet is stretched over the top and bottom bearing edges and the roller. That
part of the tune sheet between the roller and the lower bearing edge is then in
proper relation to the star wheels to have the perforations of the tune sheet act
upon the star wheels. Rollers may be provided also as guides. The winding up
of the tune sheet into the drum tends to keep the tension frame in position.
I prefer to provide one of the flanges of the tension frame with a pawl acted

page_text: on by a spring to engage with a notch in the end of the winding up roll when-
ever the tension frame is moved away from the position indicated so that as the
tension frame is moved from one position to the other the pawl coming into
engagement with the notch will turn the cylinder with it and so draw on and ten-
sion the tune-sheet. The pawl is thrown out of engagement again by coming
into contact with a fixed stop as the tension frame reaches the desired position by
which time the power to turn the winding up drum will have been applied.
Adjustable set screws on ears on the standards bear against tail pieces on the
flanges of the tension bar and so determine, with nice adjustment, the proper
relation of the star wheels to that part of the tune sheet between the bearing
roller and the bearing edge.
I prefer to provide in connection with the delivery roll a friction roller to
prevent the too quick delivery of the tune sheet. This friction roller is carried
by a forked arm mounted on some suitable part of the frame and acted on by a
spring to keep the roller pressed up to the drum notwithstanding variations in
diameter of the roll.
Dated this 2nd dox of Aumuat 1807
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, GUSTAVE BOURQUIN, of Merchantville, Camden County, New Jersey, United
States of America, 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:-
The object of my invention is to construct a simple and convenient musical
box, in which the teeth of the comb are operated by star-wheels, so that an
elongated travelling tune-sheet may be employed in place of the rotary flat tune-
sheet most commonly used.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of my improved construction of
musical box.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the perforations of the tune sheet not being
shown, and teeth of the upper comb being indicated only in part, in order to
avoid confusion.
The apparatus may be enclosed in any suitable box or case but that has not
been indicated in the drawings as it forms no part of the invention. A is a base
piece preferably of the hollow form indicated in the drawings and adapted to
carry the comb or combs BB, two such being shown in the drawings, to be
operated by the same set of star-wheels S. These star-wheels are mounted on an
axis s, and are severally combined with springs 's', which when pressing against
the teeth, as illustrated in Fig. 1 tend to turn the wheels in the direction of the
arrow in that figure.
The elongated tune sheet is constructed to be wound upon and unrolled from a
drum or roll C and wound on to another roll C. The extended ends of the shaft c
of the delivery roll C are adapted to be received into bearings at the upper ends
of uprights D, these bearings being open at the top to permit of the ready inser-
tion and removal of the rolls with their different tune sheets. One end of this
shaft may be squared as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for the reception of a crank
handle to rewind the tune sheet.

page_text: The shaft c¹ of the winding-up roll C¹ is mounted in bearings at the upper ends
of supporting posts D' D'.. This winding-up roll is provided with a longitudinal
groove and pins c³, clips or other suitable means are to be provided for attach-
ing thereto the outer end of each tune sheet. To one end of the shaft c¹ of this
winding-up-drum will be applied the spring or other driving power to cause the
desired travel of the tune-sheet.
In order to get the necessary tension of the tune-sheet in its travel from one
drum to the other and to maintain the operative part of the sheet always in a
fixed relation to the star-wheels, notwithstanding the variations in diameter of
the delivery roll and the winding-up roll as the tune sheet has to pass from one
to the other, I combine with the drums a tension device consisting of a swinging
frame E mounted upon the shaft c¹ of the winding-up drum by means of its
flanges. This tension frame has two or more bearing edges, but I prefer three,
as shown, that is upper and lower bearing edges e¹ and e², and centrally between
them a bearing edge consisting of a roller F. When the end of the tune-sheet
is to be connected to the pins or clips in the grooves of the winding-up
drum C¹, this tension frame is thrown into the required position indicated by
dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then the bar E of the frame is turned to the position
shown by full lines in Fig. 1, so that the tune sheet is stretched over the top
and bottom bearing edges e¹ e² and the roller F. That part of the tune sheet
between the roller F and the lower bearing edge e2 is then in proper relation to
the star-wheels S to have the perforations of the tune-sheet act upon the star-
wheels. Rollers may be provided also as guides. The winding-up of the tune-
sheet into the drum C tends to keep the tension frame E in position shown in
full lines in Fig. 1.
I prefer to provide one of the flanges e of the tension frame E with a pawl p
acted on by a spring p¹ Fig. 1, to engage with a notch g in the end of the
winding-up roll C, whenever the tension frame E is moved away from the posi-
tion indicated, so that as the tension frame is moved from one position to the
other, the pawl p coming into engagement with the notch q will turn the cylin-
der with it and so draw on and tension the tune-sheet. The pawl p is thrown
out of engagement again by coming into contact with a fixed stop g', as the tension
frame reaches the desired position by which time the power to turn the winding-
up drum will have been applied.
Adjustable set screws f on ears on the standards D¹ bear against tail pieces f¹,
on the flanges e of the tension bar and so determine, with nice adjustment, the
proper relation of the star-wheels to that part of the tune sheet between the
bearing roller F and the bearing edge e³.
I prefer to provide in connection with the delivery roll, friction roller K to
prevent the too quick delivery of the tune-sheet. This friction roller is carried
by a forked arm k, mounted at k¹ on some suitable part of the frame and acted
on by a spring to keep the roller pressed up to the drum notwithstanding
variations in diameter of the roll.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of the star-wheels of a music box with a travelling tune-
sheet delivery and winding rolls therefor, and a tension frame between the said
two rolls to tension the travelling tune sheet, said frame having two bearing edges
to maintain said sheet in proper relation to the star-wheels, notwithstanding the
variations in diameter of the winding and delivery rolls substantially as described.
2. The combination of the star-wheels of a music box with a travelling tune
sheet, delivery and winding rolls therefor and a swinging tension frame having
two bearing edges to maintain the travelling tune sheet in proper relation to the
star-wheels substantially as described.
3. The combination of the star-wheels of a music box with a travelling tune

page_text: sheet, delivery and winding rolls therefor and a swinging tension frame, having
two bearing edges and adapted to turn about the axis of the winding roll, as and
for the purpose described.
4. The combination of the star-wheels of a music-box with a travelling tune-
sheet delivery and winding rolls therefor and a swinging tension frame having
three bearing edges for the tune-sheet substantially as described.
5. The combination of the travelling tune-sheet, of a musical instrument with
delivery and winding rolls therefor a swinging tension frame and a connection
between said swinging frame and the winding roll to turn the latter as the frame
is being swung into operative position as and for the purpose described.
6. The combination of the travelling tune-sheet of a musical instrument with
delivery and winding-rolls therefor a swinging tension frame a pawl and ratchet
connection between the delivery roll and said frame and a stop to disengage the
pawl as the frame is turned into position substantially as described.
7. The combination of the star-wheels of a music box with a travelling tune-
sheet, delivery and winding rolls therefor a swinging tension frame for the tune-
sheet and means for accurately adjusting its operative position substantially as
described.
8. The combination of a tune sheet of a music box with star-wheels and springs
bearing on the star-wheels in a direction to tend to rotate them, whereby the
teeth thereof may be projected into the perforations of the tune-sheet as the
latter travels along substantially as described.
Total this 20th ay of Doomlum 1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.