Improvements in Musical Boxes
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Boxes
I, ELLIS PARR, of Brazil House, Isleworth, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to musical boxes in which tune cylinders are used,
provided on their periphery with pins which strike, as the cylinder revolves, the
ends of vibrating musical tongues.
Such cylinders are ordinarily made of metal, and are expensive to make and
require careful adjustment, so that the change of tunes when required becomes very
expensive.
By my present invention I provide between the cylinder and the vibrating
tongues, a series of levers in the form of metal star-shaped wheels turning freely
upon a centre, one of the arms being struck and turned by the pins upon the
cylinder whilst another opposite arm simultaneously bends back the corresponding
vibrating tongue and then releases it, so as to produce the required musical note.
By this method of construction I am enabled to use cheaper cylinders than those
ordinarily employed, as they may be made of wood or other material instead of
metal, into which the pins are readily fixed, the character of the tone produced
not being affected by the material of which the cylinder is composed, as is the case
where the vibrating tongues are struck directly by the pins upon the cylinders, as
in the usual way.
By my improved method of construction and arrangement a large number of
cylinders provided with pins representing different tunes, can be produced at little
cost, whilst the musical tone of the instrument is improved.
Where times are to be played of greater length than can be readily compassed
by pins arranged round the circumference of the cylinder, I sometimes use flexible
sheets having pins or projections upon their face, which are caused to travel by
suitable means through the musical box, as described and illustrated in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated December 11th 1884, and
numbered 16,320.
I pass such flexible sheet round a suitable drum or barrel in front of the
vibrating musical tongues, interposing between them levers or star shaped wheels
of the kind above described, the pins or projections upon the sheet striking one end
of the levers or arms, whilst the other end operates the musical vibrating tongues in
the manner already described.
Or instead of flexible sheets flat rigid sheets may be used fed through the
musical box and provided with pins or projections suitably arranged, which cause
the vibrating tongues to sound by means of separate or star-shaped wheels of the
kind described.
Dated 04
1
1000
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Boxes.
I, ELLIS PARR, of Brazil House, Isleworth, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
. My present invention relates to improvements in ordinary musical boxes, in

page_text: which metal cylinders are used provided on their peripheries with pins which, as
the cylinder revolves, strike the ends of vibrating musical metal tongues.
Such metal cylinders are expensive, and are only. capable of playing pieces of
music of moderate length, the pins for producing which can be contained round the
periphery of the cylinder.
It has been proposed to use cylinders of wood instead of metal, and thus to con-
siderably reduce their cost, but it is found by such. use of wood that the tone of the
notes produced by the vibration of, the metal tongues, is so, deteriorated that the
musical box becomes of little or no value.
By my present invention I am enabled to use cylinders of wood or other material
cheaper than metal, and for this purpose I interpose between the pins upon the
cylinder and the metal tongues which are to be vibrated separate independent
levers in the form of metal star-shaped wheels turning freely upon centres, one such.
wheel being provided for each vibrating tongue. By the use of such independent
wheels, the tune pins may be fixed in cylinders of wood or other soft and cheap
.material, without any deterioration of the musical tones produced by the vibration
of the metal tongues. And when longer pieces of music are to be played than can
be contained round the periphery of the cylinder, I can use an endless band of
leather, gutta percha, or other sufficiently flexible material or of sheet metal upon
the surface of which the pins are fixed or formed instead of upon the cylinder, the
pins actuating the separate star wheels described which cause the musical tongues
to vibrate without the quality of the tone produced being injured.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention, the essential parts
of a musical box being shewn without the external box or case.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 an end view.
-
a is a strong metal base or foundation, to which a-set-of-vibrating tongues b is
attached in the usual way. c is the principal cylinder revolving in bearings d, d,
upon the base a into which it fits in such manner that the cylinder can be very
quickly and easily removed and replaced, or another substituted for it. e is another
parallel cylinder or roller also turning in bearings ff, from which it can readily be
removed and replaced. These bearings f, f, are carried by a plate g, which slides
in guides h, h, upon the base a, so that the cylinder or roller e can be brought
nearer to or further from the cylinder c its position being adjusted by the screw
and handle i, i.
e,
An endless band of flexible material is passed round both the cylinders c and
the cylinders being removed from their bearings for the purpose, and the band is
then tightened sufficiently by drawing back the roller e by means of the screw ?.
The outer surface of the endless band k is provided with pins properly arranged to
produce the required tune.
If when the band is made to travel forward, the pins were allowed to strike the
vibrating tongues directly, the musical tones produced would be so ineffective that
the instrument would have no value whatever, but by interposing the series of star
wheels or levers which turn freely upon a central spindle m, the musical tones
produced are perfectly good and equal in every way or superior to those given by
pins upon a metal cylinder striking the tongues directly, whilst by the use of
the adjustable flexible band k tunes of any desired length can be reproduced:
The cylinder c is set in revolution in the usual way by clockwork or by handle
actuating the wheel n upon its axis.
Where short tunes only are to be played, the endless band k may be omitted and
a cylinder c used, provided with pins upon its periphery which strike the star
wheels, and as wooden cylinders may by this method be employed, the cost is only
a fractional part of that of the metal cylinders ordinarily used, so that a much
greater number of tunes can be produced without additional cost.
More than one tune may be arranged upon the same band k or cylinder c, the
cylinders being moved endways in the usual way in order to change the tunes when
required.
Instead of the endless band k, a straight strip of flexible or rigid material

page_text: provided with properly arranged pins may be used, such strip being provided with
perforations at its edges or other means by which it may be fed forward
longitudinally against the star wheels or levers l.
I am aware that lever wheels have been already used in musical boxes in which
revolving metal discs are used having projections upon their surface which strike
the levers as the disc revolves, it being impossible to use such discs without the
intervention of the levers or wheels, but such discs are imperfect in their action on
account of the different speeds at which they move at different points of their
diameter and of the irregular manner in which from the angular movement of the
projections the latter actuate the wheels, and I do not claim generally the use of
separate star wheels and levers, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a musical box, the combination of the cylinder c, adjustable cylinder e,
endless band k, separate star wheels or levers 1, and vibrating tongues b, sub-
stantially as described and shewn.
2. The combination of the vibrating tongues b, removeable wooden pin
cylinders c, and separate star wheels or levers 1, substantially as described and
shewn.
Data L 1
1001
EDWARDS & Co.,
35; Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.