Improved Folding Mirror and Musical Box.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of HANDSCHKE AND LADISCH, of Ober
Arnsdorf, near Haida, in the Kingdom of Bohemia and Austrian Empire,
Manufacturers.]
Improved Folding Mirror and Musical Box.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, G, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
Our invention relates to a three fold mirror combined with a musical box in
such manner that upon the opening of the wings of the said mirror by pressure
upon a spring button which causes the same to unfold, the musical box mechanism
is set in action and plays a piece.
The three fold mirror consists essentially of a frame surrounding the central
mirror and provided with hinges for the wings, which bear mirrors on their
inner sides, and fold flat against the back mirror when the apparatus is closed.
One of the folding wings is arranged to close over the other and thus hold it
fast. This wing is provided with a spring bolt holding it in the closed position,
which bolt can be drawn back by means of an angle lever the end of which pre-
jects to the outside of the apparatus, and can be moved to open the device where-
upon the wings being continually pressed outwards by means of a suitable spring,
preferably spiral, spring open and allow their mirror surfaces to be displayed.
The backs or outsides of the wings can be adorned by paintings or other decora-
tions, so that the mirror when closed has the appearance of a framed picture.
Close to the angle lever aforesaid, and in a suitable cavity formed in the frame
of the apparatus, there is placed a musical box of usual construction, the stopping
lever of which is connected with the actuating lever of the mirror aforesaid. The
connection is so effected that the lever of the musical box is released when the
first named lever has been pushed into the position for opening the mirror;
the box will then immediately commence to play and continues to play until the
stopping device again arrests the drum of the box. When the said wings of the
mirror are folded in, the catch moves inwards, and is therefore not pressed down
so deeply that any repeated actuation of the musical box can take place. When
the mirror is open the musical box can be caused to repeat at any time when it
has run down, by pressing upon the lever.

page_text: Improved Folding Mirror.and Musical Box.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and
Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, 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;-
Our invention relates to a three fold mirror combined with a musical box in
such manner that upon the opening of the wings of the said mirror by pressure
upon a spring button which causes the same to unfold, the musical box mechanism
is set in action and plays a piece.
The three fold mirror consists essentially of a frame surrounding the central
mirror and provided with hinges for the wings, which bear mirrors on their
inner sides, and fold flat against the back mirror when the apparatus is closed.
One of the folding wings is arranged to close over the other and thus hold it
fast. This wing is provided with a spring bolt holding it in the closed position,
which bolt can be drawn back by means of an angle lever 'the end of which pro-
jects to the outside of the apparatus, and can be moved to open the device where-
upon the wings being continually pressed outwards by means of a suitable spring,
preferably spiral, spring open and allow their mirror surfaces to be displayed.
The backs or outsides of the wings can be adorned by paintings or other decora-
tions, so that the mirror when closed has the appearance of a framed picture.
Close to the angle lever aforesaid, and in a suitable cavity formed in the frame
of the apparatus, there is placed a musical box of usual construction, the stopping
lever of which is connected with the actuating lever of the mirror aforesaid. The
connection is so effected that the lever of the musical box is released when the
first named lever has been pushed into the position for opening the mirror;
the box will then immediately commence to play and continues to play until the
stopping device again arrests the drum of the box. When the said wings of the
mirror are folded in, the catch moves inwards, and the actuating lever returns
to its first position, causing the second lever to lock the barrel of the musical
box so that no repeated actuation of the musical box can take place. When the
mirror is open the musical box can be caused to repeat at any time when it has
run down, by pressing upon the lever.
Referring to the accompanying drawing in which one modification of the
invention is illustrated by way of example.
Figure shews an elevation of the mirror in front view and partly in section.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same and
Figure 3a vertical section on the line of Figure 1.
The three fold mirror consists of the frame a which surrounds the principal
mirror (Figures 2 and 3) and holds the hinges of the wings e c; these wings bear
on their inner sides the side mirrors, and when in the closed position the said
mirrors fold against the principal mirror b. The wing c which as may be seen
from the drawing overlaps and holds fast the wing c¹, is held in the closed position
by the spring catch d, which catch can be drawn back by means of the angle
lever placed in the lower part of the frame a and having its end projecting
outwards, whereupon the wings cel being constantly pressed outwards by means
of the spiral springs gl wound round their hinges g, are caused to open and display
their mirror surfaces. The outer surfaces of the wings ce may be adorned with

page_text: pictures or other suitable devices so that the mirror in the closed position has the
appearance of an ordinary picture.
In the neighbourhood of the lever f is placed in a suitable extension of the
frame a musical box A of usual construction. The controlling lever h of this box
is actuated by a side projection f of the angle lever f, and releases the musical
box, as soon as the lever f is moved in the direction of the arrow, for the purpose
of opening the mirror (see Figure 1). The lever h releases the drum i and the
flyer of the box, so that this apparatus is actuated and plays until the bolt of
the lever h again falls into a hole in the driving wheel of the drum. The button j
serves as a retaining device for locking the lever f. The button i can engage
with its internally projecting stud in a cavity (not shewn) in the under part of f',
and hold the lever f thereby in contact with h, until the button j is drawn down,
and the projection f is released.
When the side wings ce are closed, the bolt d projects inwards somewhat in
the direction of the arrow, shewn in Figure 3, and is consequently not pressed
down so far, that a renewed release of the musical box can take place. When the
mirror is open the musical box can be caused to play after it has run down by
means of a renewed pressure upon the lever f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
-
1. In combination with a folding mirror, a musical box adapted to be actuated
automatically by the opening of the mirror, substantially as described.
2. The improved combined folding mirror and musical box constructed and
operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 29th day of October 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.