Improvements in Musical Boxes and like Musical Instruments.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1886
Complete Left, 21st Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
-
Improvements in Musical Boxes and like Musical Instruments.
We, GEORGE FREDERICK BEUTNER of the firm of Beutner Kuhn and Company of
17 Addle Street, Aldermanbury in the City of London, Merchants and Albert Antoine
Latenlére of 75 Little Britain in the City of London, Mechanician do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide convenient economical and efficient means
for enabling the barrels of musical boxes and the like to be removable and replaceable
and interchanged as desired. According to this Invention the barrel is made with a
gap extending from its axis (through which the shaft or axle passes) out at the side or
periphery thereof so that it can he removed from the shaft or axle and replaced thereon
sideways. Fastenings are provided for securing the barrels to the shaft or axle which
fastenings preferably consists of screw or other pins which engage against a flattened
part of the shaft or axle at each end. The shaft or axle may be provided with a filling
piece to cover the side openings in the barrels.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for G. F. Beutner and A. A. Lateulére.

page_text: We GEORGE FREDERICK BEUTNER of the firm of Beutner Kühn and Company of
17 Addle Street Aldermanbury in the City of London Merchants and ALBERT ANTOINE
LATEULERE of 75 Little Britain in the City of London Mechanician 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 this Invention is to provide convenient economical and efficient means
for enabling the barrels of musical boxes and the like to be removeable and replacable
and interchanged as desired.
According to this Invention each barrel is made with a gap extending from its axis
(through which the shaft or axle passes) out at the side or periphery thereof so that it
can be removed from the shaft or axle and replaced thercon sidewise. Fastenings are
provided for securing the barrels to the shaft or axle which fastenings may be of any
suitable or convenient description such as spring catches or screws or the like which
may engage against a flattened part of the shaft or axle at each end in such wise as to
allow where desired of the end way shifting of the barrel to alter the tune. The shaft
or axle may be provided with a filling piece to cover or close the side opening in the
barrel when it is on the shaft or axle which filling piece serves also to protect the
points of the teeth of the comb when the barrel is being changed. Any number of
these barrels may be provided for each musical box and barrels with new tunes can be
readily placed on the shaft or axle when the old barrel is removed.
In order that the said Invention may be fully understood we will now proceed more
particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several figures
on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 represents in plan and Figure 2 in transverse section so much of a musical
box as is necessary to illustrate the invention. In figure 1 the barrel is shewn partly
in section to more clearly shew its construction.
Figure 2 shews the barrel in the act of being slid into its place on the shaft.
Figure 3 shews the barrel separately and figure 4 shews the shaft or axle separately.
Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating another arrangement for securing the
barrel upon the shaft or axle and for protecting the teeth or vibrating tongues of
the comb from injury when shifting the barrels. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the
barrel detached and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the spindle or axle upon which
the barrel is fixed.

page_text: Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, A is the barrel provided with points or other usual
or suitable means for actuating the sounding devices of the instrument. In the barrel,
is a gap a, extending from the central hole, through which the shaft or axle B passes
out at the periphery or side of the barrel. Upon the shaft or axlo B (Figures 1 and 4)
is fixed or formed a guide or filling piece b, which when the barrel is pushed sidewise
on to the shaft or axle, fills up so much of the gap a, as is not occupied by the shaft.
or axle B. The means illustrated for fixing the barrel to the shaft consists of screw
nuts c, on each end of the barrel A through which work screws d, which after the
barrel is put in place are screwed inward and bear against the flattened part of the
shaft or axle at 62 and thus confine the barrel in place, but allow of its moving
lengthwise to alter the tuno in cases where each barrel is made to play several tunes,
where this is not the case of course this lengthwise movement need not be provided
for. It will be evident that the fastenings may be of any convenient description, such
for example, as spring catches which will, (when the barrel is put in place on the shaft
or axle) spring into notches or slots in the barrel. When the fastenings are withdrawn
the barrel can be removed sidewise from the shaft and another barrel be placed sidewise
thereon without disturbing the ordinary parts and mechanism of the instrument. The
arrangement of the pins or the like will most conveniently be such that the air or tune
commences at one edge of the gap and finishes at the other edge of the gap.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 shew an arrangement wherein instead of providing a solid
portion on the axle B filling the gap a in the barrel A as shewn in the preceding
Figures the axle B may be cylindrical throughout with the exception of a portion
being slotted or cut away on opposite sides thereof as shewn at ee Figures 5 and 7
and having mounted thereon a frame the longitudinal bar b₁ of which is sufficiently
thick to fill the front portion of the gap a in the barrel when placed in position on the
axle. Fitted to slide in brackets on the interior of the bar is a rod g having fixed
on one end a notched piece b provided with a tail piece by means of which the rod g
may be moved longitudinally.
The rod i may be held in the position shown in Figure 5 by a pin thereon engaging
in a hole in the bar b¹.
At the ends of the gap a projections c are provided so as to reduce the width of the
gap at the ends of the barrel which projections when placing the barrels on the shaft
pass through the slotted portions ee of the axle.
To place the barrel upon the axle B the gap a is passed over the axle B and thence
over the bar the projections c passing through the notches or slots e the said
projections at one end of the barrel entering also the recess in the piece h on the
rod which rod is then moved longitudinally under the action of the spring / carrying
with it the barrel A and causing the circular portion of the gap a to slide onto
the cylindrical portion of the axle B thereby securely connecting the barrel to
the axle.
To remove the barrel from the axle the rod y is moved by means of the tail piece i
so as to bring the projections c opposite the notches e in the axle the barrel may then
be slid out and another placed in position and secured on the spindle as herein before
described. m is an adjustable stop which bears on the extension 63 which carries the
projection engaging with the snail * to regulate the longitudinal movement of the said
Darrel.
The parts of the instrument which I have not described are or may be of the
ordinary or any suitable constructions such as are well known to makers of these
instruments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what I claim is
First. In a musical box or like musical instrument a barrel provided with a longi-
tudinal gap in its side to allow of its removal from and replacement on its shaft or
axle substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination of the barrel A of a musical box or like instrument having

page_text: a gap a in its side with a shaft or axle having a guide or filling piece adapted to said
gap substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of the barrel A having a gap a with projections c in com-
bination with a shaft or axle B having slots or notches e a frame bb adapted to the
gap a and a 'sliding rod g with a notched piece h the whole being arranged to operate
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference
to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
.
Fourth. The combination of the barrel A having a gap a with a shaft or axle and
means for fastoning the barrel to the shaft or axle substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of March 1887.
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
Agent.