Improvements in Mechanical Planos or other Musical Instruments Worked by Electricity.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1893—Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Planos or other Musical Instruments
Worked by Electricity.
I, DAVID LIONEL SALOMONS of Broomhead, Tunbridge Wells, in the County
of Kent, Baronet, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention. relates to mechanically operated musical instruments, such as
mechanical pianos worked by an electrical motor, and consists of improvements in
electrical mechanism for stopping the action of the instrument at the end of the
piece, hand or automatic mechanism for working the pedals, and hand mechanism.
attached to the brush holder of the motor to vary the time of the music.
To carry my invention into effect as regards the stopping mechanism, 1 place
any suitably made spring contact inside the case or drawer which holds the music
sheet. These music sheets generally consist of thin card board punched with holes,
the holes being placed in such a manner as to suit the mechanism of the instrument
and play the required piece of music. This spring contact piece may consist of a
spring and a lever, one end of the lever resting upon the spring. When the lever
rests and presses upon the spring the electric circuit is closed, and when the lever
and spring are separated, the electric circuit is broken, the spring being insulated
from the lever.
-
that
One end of the lever rests upon the surface of the music sheet in such a way
the lever and spring are pressed together with sufficient tension to permit the
electric current to pass from the lover to the spring. The end of the lever which
rests upon the music sheet may have a roller to reduce the friction upon the sheet.
When the music sheet is in such a position that the piece is ended, a notch is cut in
the music sheet so as to allow the lever to drop, or to jump upwards, according to
the manner in which the mechanism is made, whereby the electric current is
stopped because the contact spring separates from the lever. The amount of
separation should be considerable in order that "arcing" may be avoided.
I prefer that the part of the lever resting upon the music sheet shall drop, this
method being the simpler.
The portion of the lever resting upon the music sheet may be made adjustable
as to width, so instead of one roller, two small rollers, capable of having their axes
shifted slightly apart or nearer together, and kept in any desired position by means
of a screw or other suitable means, may be affixed to the lever.
As a rule mechanical pianos have a drawer below the keyboard, in which music
sheets are placed, and consequently the two wires which conduct the electric energy
to the spring contact must be connected with the piano body by means of flexible
leads, or preferably the ends of the two wires from the spring contact piece, which
lead to the body of the piano, may be fixed to two small metal plates, which plates
when the drawer is closed press against two spring contacts affixed to the body of
the piano. These spring contacts have attached to them the wires which form
part of the circuit of the motor, which works the mechanical portion of the piano,
and the arrangement is such that when the drawer is closed and the lever of the
spring contact is so placed that the end of the lever rests upon the music sheet, the
inotor circuit is completed; but when the lever drops through the music sheet at
the end of the piece, the motor circuit is broken and the motor stops. The result
is that the tearing of the music, which would result if the motor was not stopped, is
avoided.
Another method might be used, viz. :-that of permitting a spring or roller to

page_text: press on the upper portion of the music sheet and another spring or roller to pross
on the under side of the music sheet. When the music sheet is removed, the springs
or rollers press against one another. It is clear, that if the music sheet (which is
virtually a non-conductor of electricity) at the end of the sheet were to have fixed
to it, in any suitable way, a small piece of metal, so that this piece of metal shall
pass between the said springs or rollers, the electric current would pass from one
spring or roller to the other spring or roller through this piece of metal, if a
suitable electric circuit were so arranged. The current passing at this time could
be made to actuate some suitable piece of apparatus which should stop the motor.
Secondly as regards the hand mechanism for working the pedals. This may be
arranged in a variety of manners. The method I prefer is to attach to each pedal
lever a card or wire, led by pulleys to any desired place, and finally passing over
to a roller which is carried upon an arbor, one end of which, i.e. the arbor, is a
lever handle. The cards or wires of the pedals are attached to the roller, one on
either side of the roller, in such a manner that when the lever handle is turned one
way, the card or wire of one pedal is wound round the roller, and when the lever
handle is turned in the opposite direction, the card or wire of the other pedal is
wound round the roller. As the lever-handle is turned in one direction or the
other, so is the action of one pedal or the other brought into play. This roller
with its arbor and the lever-hundle may be placed in any convenient part of the
.instrument.
Thirdly. In order to regulate the speed of the music, the motor has to run at
different speeds.
As a rule resistances are employed for this purpose, but if a suitable motor is
employed, the speed may be adjusted by shifting the position of the brushes upon
the commutators.
bo
Motors of good and recent construction perimit of this shifting of the brushes
without injury to the motor. In order to effect this end, the brush holder may have
attached to it a lever, which can be worked by any suitable intermediate mechanism,
such as levor rods, curde, or wires, at any suitable place on the piano which may
found most convenient; stop plates or pins being used to limit the motion, since
this will be found desirable. It might be found convenient in some cases to regulate
the position of the brushies, by means of a screw turned by hand.
The above methods or any one or more of them may be applied to other mechanical
musical instruments as well as pianos, and to mechanical devices intendod to actuate
musical instruments wherein music sheets with holes are used.
Dated this 30th day of January 1893.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victorin Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Planos or other Musical Instruments
Worked by Electricity.
I DAVID LIONEL SALOMONS, of Broomhead, Tunbridge Wells, in the County
of Kent, Baronet, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to bo porformed, to be particularly described & ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to mechanically operated musical instruments, such as
mechanical pianos, worked by an electrical motor, and consists of improvements in
electrical mechanism for stopping the action of the instrument at the end of the pieco,
hand or automatic roller mechanism for working the pedala, and band mechanism
attached to the brush-holder of tho motor to vary the time of the music. To carry
my invention into óffect, as regards the stopping mechanism, place any suitably

page_text: made spring contact inside the case or drawer, which holds the music sheet. These
music sheets generally consist of thin cardboard punched with holes, the holes buing
placed in such a manner as to suit the mechanism of the instrument, and play the
required piece of music. And in order that my invention may be the better under-
stood, I will now proceed to describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto
annexed, reference being bad to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like
letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawer containing a music sheet, & the
electric circuit closed.
Figure 2 is the same with the electric circuit broken.
Figure 3 is nu alternative device for the same purpose.
Figure 4 is a band lever for operating the pedals.
This apring contact piece may consist of a spring A and a lever, B, one end
of the lever resting upon the spring A.
When the lever rests and presses upon
the spring A, the electric circuit is closed, and when the lever & spring are
separated the electric circuit is broken, as in Fig. 2, the spring being insulated
from the lever B. One end of the lever rests upon the surface of the music
sheet C, in such a way that the lever and spring are pressed together with
sufficient tension to permit the electric current to pass from the lever B to the
spring A. The end of the lever which rests upon the music sheet may have a
rollor D to reduce the friction upon the sheet. When the music sheet is in such a
position that the piece is ended, a notch E is cut in the music sheet, so as to allow
the lever to drop, or to jump upwards, according to the manner in which the
inechanism is made, whereby the electric current is stopped because the contact
spring separates from the lever. The amount of separation should be considerable,
in order that "arcing "may be avoided.
I prefer that the part of the lever resting upon the music sheet shall drop, as
shown, this method being the simpler. The portion D of the lever resting upon
the music sheet may be made adjustable as to width; so instead of one roller, two
small rollers, capable of having their axes shifted slightly apart or nearer together,
and kept in any desired position by means of a screw, or any other suitable means,
may be affixed to the lever, As a rule mechanical pianos have a drawer below the
keyboard, in which music sheets are placed, and consequently the two wires F & G,
which conduct the electric energy to the spring contact, must be connected with
the piano body by means of flexible "leads;" or preferably the ends of the two
wires from the spring contact piece which lead to the body of the piano, may be
fixed to two small metal plates, which plates, when the drawer is closed, press
against two spring contacts affixed to the body of the piano. These spring contacts
have attached to then the wires which form part of the circuit of the motor,
which works the mechanical portion of the piano, and the arrangement is such,
that when the drawer is closed, and the lever of the spring contact is so placed
that the end of the lever rests upon the music sheet and the spring the motor
circuit is completed: but when the lever drops through the music sheet at the
end of the piece, the motor circuit is broken, and the motor stops. The result
is that the tearing of the music, which would result if the motor was not
stopped, is avoided.
Another method, such as shown in Fig. 3, might be used, viz. ;-that of
permitting a spring or roller H to press on the upper portion of the music
sheet C, and another spring or roller K to press on the under side of the
music sheet C. When the music sheet is removed, the springs or rollers H K
press against one another. It is clear that if the music sheet, which is virtually
a non-conductor of electricity, at the end of the piece were to have fixed to it,
in any suitable way, a small piece of metal, so that this piece of métal shall pass
between the said springs or rollers, the electric current would pass from one
spring or roller to the other spring or roller, through this piece of metal, if a
suitable electric circuit were so arranged. The current passing at this time
i.

page_text: -
could be made to actuate some suitable piece of apparatus which should stop the
motor: or equivalently, if throughout the music sheet, pieces of metal were
inserted at intervals, the electric circuit, so completed through the two levers or
rollers II and K, night be made to operate the pedals, and produce automatically
piano and forte effects.
Secondly, as regards for the hand mechanism working the pedals ;-this niay
be arranged in a variety of manners. The method I prefer is shown at Fig. 4,
and is to attach to each podal lever L a cord or wire M, led by pulleys
to any desired place, and finally passing to a roller N which is carried upon an
arbor provided with a lover handle P. The cords or wire M of the pedals L, are
attached to the roller N, one on either side of the ruller, in such a manner that
when the lever handle P is turned one way, the cord or wire of one pedal is wound
round the roller, and when the lever handlo P is turned in the opposite direction,
the cord or wire of the other pedal is wound round the roller. As the lever handle
is turned in one direction or the other, so is the action of one pedal or the other
brought into play. This roller with its arbor, and lever, and lever-handle, may be
placed in any convenient, part of the instrument.
Thirdly: In order to regulate the speed of the music the motor has to be run at
different speeds. As a rule resistances are employed for this purpose, but if a
suitable motor is employed, the speed may be adjusted by shifting the position of
the brushes upon the commutators. Motors of good and recent construction permit
of this shifting of the brushes without injury to the motor. In order to effect this
'end, the brush-holder may have attached to it a lover, which can be worked by any
suitable intermediato mechanism such as lever rods, cords, or wires, at any suitable
place on the piano, which may be found most convenient; stop plates or pius being
used to limit the motion, since this will bo found desirable. It might be found
convenient in some cases to regulate the position of the brushes by means of a screw
turned by hand.
.
The above methods, or any one or more of these, may be applied to other
mechanical musical instruments as well as to pianos, and to mechanical divices
intended to actuate musical instruments, wherein music sheets with holes are used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1st. In a mechanical musical instrument operated by electricity, the combination
of an automatic stopping mechanism, breaking the operating current to the
motor, or forming a subsidiary circuit stopping the motor, a hand or electric
automatic mechanism for operating the pedals, and a lever brush-holder to adjust
lead of brushes substantially as described.
2nd. In a mechanical musical instrument operated by electricity, an automatic
stopping mechanism consisting of a lover resting by rollers on the music sheet, and
adapted to rise or fall by means of a suitable orifice in the said music sheet, thereby
breaking the continuity of the motor circuit and stopping the instrument, substan-
tially as described.
3rd. In a mechanical musical instrument operated by electricity, a mechanisın
consisting of two spring-pressed levers or rollers, pressing upon either side of the
non-conducting music sheet, and adapted to close a subsidiary electric circuit, on
contact of the rollers through a space left in the music sheet, or through a metallic
strip introduced into the music sheet, thereby effecting the stoppage of the motor,
or the operation of the soft or loud pedals substantially as described.
4th. In a mechanical musical instrument operated by electricity, & hand
mechanism, consisting of a handle, arbor, and drum, operating an endless cord or
wire, attached to the soft and loud pedals, whereby they may be operated by hand,
substantially as described.
5th. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination therewith of au
electrical motor in which the brushes, commutator, and construction are adapted, in

page_text: a known manner, to permit of the alteration of the "lead" of the brushes, the said
brushes being carried on a brush-holder provided with a handle, by which the
"lead" "of the brushes can be adjusted, by wires, cords, or levor-rods, to regulate
the speed of the motor and instrument, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of February 1893.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.