Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Jan., .1888
Complete Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for automatically recording in ink
upon paper tunes played upon the piano.
In apparatus of this kind heretofore constructed, a paper band is made to travel
continuously underneath a transverse beam having a number of styles each of which
is in connection with one of the keys of the piano so that cach time a key is depressed,
its style is actuated so as to mark the paper.
One of the principal difficulties connected with such apparatus consists in the
construction of styles so formed as to make a distinct mark on the paper, to be
sufficiently durable, and to be of such a 'sınall size that the printed music produced
thereby shall not be of too voluminous a nature. According to my present invention
1 construct and arrange such styles as follows. The styles consists of thin steel blades
arranged in a vertical position side by side beneath the travelling paper band, the
upper ends of the styles being almost in contact with the band. Immediately over
the upper surface of the paper band is a cylinder having as many annular ribs as there
are styles, so that when a style is moved upward it presses the paper against the
corresponding rib of the cylinder, and these ribs being continuously supplied with ink,
as will be presently described, a corresponding mark is produced upon the upper
surface of the paper, the length of such mark being in proportion to the duration of
the depression of the key. In order to produce a sharp outline at the sides of the
impression, the said ribs of the cylinder work between the teeth of a steel comb
beneath which the paper band passes, so that the inked surfaces of the ribs are all
separated from each other by these teeth and the styles have to press the paper slightly
upward in the spaces between these in order to bring it in contact with the inked rib,
and thus the raising of the contiguous portions of the paper sufficiently to become
inked by the adjacent ribs is prevented, unless the styles of these ribs are themselves
raised.
For effecting the inking of the circular ribs, the cylinder has a slow rotary motion.

page_text: imparted to it by the same mechanism that produces the travel of the paper band, and
above the cylinder is placed a roller of suitable absorbant material which from time
to time is supplied with suitable ink such as aniline pigment dissolved in alcohol, and
which is in contact with the ribs of the cylinder so as to supply them with ink, the
roller either simply resting with its own weight upon the cylinder, or being pressed
down upon the same by springs. A slight longitudinal to and fro motion is imparted
to the inking roller in the direction of its axis, by means of a revolving cam driven by
a pinion on the axis of the printing cylinder, so that the surface of the roller in contact
with the ribs of the cylinder is constantly changing.
The printing cylinder effects the forward motion of the paper band by means of
toothed wheels at each end of its axis, between which and corresponding toothed
wheels below the paper band is nipped by spring pressure so as to be carried
forward.
.
The impressions effected by the styles may be made such as to effect a permanent
bulge or a puncturing of the paper band so that the band may have the music in a
raised condition upon it, in order that it may be reproduced by mechanical means.
For this purpose the styles may be made to act against bevilled grooves in the cylinder
instead of against projecting ribs. The bands, having the music merely recorded in
ink as first described, may also be embossed by hand for the above purpose, by passing
the printed paper hand over a grooved plate and indenting it with a punch where
-marked with ink.
The above described apparatus is by preference actuated by means of electric
currents from the keys. For this purpose there is provided below each key a spring-
contact which when depressed closes the cireuit of a battery in which is included an
electro magnet the armature of which is arranged as a lever the one end of which
bears under a shoulder on the corresponding style, so that when the armature is
actuated by the closing of the circuit, it effects the raising of the style as
described.
10
1
P

page_text: 1, JULES CARPENTIER of 20 Rue Delambre, Paris, France, 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:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for automatically recording in ink
upon paper tunes played upon the keyboards of musical instruments.
In apparatus of this kind heretofore constructed a paper hand is made to travel
continuously underneath a transverse beam having a number of styles cach of which
is in connection with one of the keys of the piano, so that each time a key is depressed
its style is actuated so as to mark the paper.
One of the principal difficulties connected with such apparatus consists in the
construction of styles so formed as to make a distinct mark on the paper, to be
sufficiently durable, and to be of such a small size that the printed music produced
thereby shall not be of too voluminous a nature.
According to my present invention I construct and arrange the apparatus as I will
proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1
shews a transverse section and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the apparatus, while
Figs. 3 to 8 shew details. I construct the styles of thin steel blades a as shown niore
clearly to an exagerated scale at Figs. 3 and 4, arranged vertically underneath the
travelling paper band b, and having pointed ends that almost touch the latter.
Immediately over the paper band is a grooved cylinder A almost in contact with the
paper at points opposite the points of the styles, the surface of such cylinder being
supplied with ink as will be presently explained. Thus when a style is raised, it
presses the paper against the cylinder A, the ink from which is consequently deposited
upon the paper on a line which is of greater or less length according to the time
during which the style is kept in contact.
In order to produce sharply defined outlines to the marks, the cylinder is formed
with narrow circular ribs d corresponding in position to the styles, there being
consequently flutings e intervening between the ribs, within which are situated the
bars of a comb e, so that the periphery of the ribs d are situated within the spaces of..
the comb, and consequently the paper band, which passes along tho undersurface of
the comb, has to be bent sharply up into such spaces by the styles in order to come in
contact with the inked ribs as indicated at Fig. 3; by this means the outline of the mark-
on the paper is kept sharp and there is no risk of the contiguous parts of the paper
being raised so as to come in contact with the contiguous ribs, so as to produce marks
that are not intended.
For causing the rotation of the cylinder (whereby freshly inked surfaces are brought
over the styles) to effect at the same time the advance of the paper band as the

page_text: registration proceeds, the cylinder A has at each end a roller or disc e¹e of the same
diameter as the cylinder and having a serrated circumference and between these
rollers and other serrated rollers ff are nipped the edges of the paper band, the
rollers being pressed upward by springs gg for this purpose, so as, to effect the
necessary hold upon the paper
to draw this forward.
For inking the ribs of the cylinder a roller B having a cloth, felt or other
absorbent surface, is arranged above the cylinder in contact therewith, and has a
suitablo liquid ink, such as aniline dissolved in spirit, deposited thereon by means of
a brush.
The roller either merely rests upon the cylinder by its own weight or it may be
pressed down upon it by springs, and it is rotated by the frictional contact
therewith.
A slight longitudinal to and fro motion is imparted to the roller by means of a face
cam / on toothed wheel gearing with a pinion on the axis of the cylinder A.
By this means the whole surface of the roller is utilised for inking the cylinder A,
and is prevented from becoming grooved by continued contact of one and the same
part of its circumference with the ribs d. As in certain cases it may be desired to
reproduce the notation registered on the paper band by mechanical means, the notation
may be raised upon the surface of the paper either by subsequently impressing the
marks by means of a punch or style upon a grooved board, or, the said raised notation
may be produced at once by the above described apparatus. For this purpose the
styles or punches a are arranged opposite grooves q in the cylinder A, as shewn at
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the ends of the punches being made of any desired shape corre
sponding to that of the grooves q, but by preference of a wedge shape as at Fig. 7,
so that the paper band, when pressed by the punches into the grooves, will become
permanently bulged, the bulges being of a greater or shorter length according
to the duration of the pressure, while the paper is travelling as in the previous
arrangement.
The raised notation thus produced may either servo for reading off the music when
playing by hand, or it may serve for mechanical reproduction as before stated,
the projecting marks being made to actuate levers or other devices in any well known
manner.
The paper bands produced as above described whether with inked or raised notation,
may also serve for producing the notation on other bands dises or cylinders for use in
automatical musical instruments.
For imparting the requisite movement to the styles or punches of the above described
apparatus by the action of the fingers on the key board, either a purely mechanical
connection, such as suitable levers, may be used for conveying the motion of the
former to the latter, or a pneumatic or an electric system of transmission may be
employed. Thus in the construction shewn at Figs. 1, 2 and 8 an electrical
transmission is employed in which a spring contact is arranged under each
key as at Fig. 8, from which an electric current including a battery passes to an
electro magnet & in the registering apparatus, the armature of which is formed as a
lever having a beak that acts against a shoulder on the corresponding style a, so that
on the armature being attracted on the closing of the circuit by the depression of a
koy the style will be raised so as to mark the paper band. This arrangement has the
advantage of transmitting the movement in the simplest possible manner with the least
number of connections, and of being readily applicable to any existing piano with
comparatively trifling modification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In automatic apparatus for recording tunes played upon the keyboards of
musical instruments the use, for the recording styles, of steel rods having pointed
ends situated almost in contact with the paper band to be marked, substantially as

page_text: 2. In combination with the styles referred to in the preceding claim the use of a
cylinder situated above the paper and having circular ribs corresponding with the
styles, substantially as herein described.
3. In combination with the ribbed cylinders referred to in the preceding claim, the use
of a comb, the teeth of which enter the spaces between the ribs of the cylinder, for the
purpose herein described.
4. The use, in combination with the cylinder referred to in the preceding claims, of
an inking roller bearing upon its upper side either by its own weight or by springs so
as to supply the ribs continuously with ink for the purpose of marking a travelling
paper band when pressed against them by the styles.
5. In combination with the marking styles and ribbed cylinder referred to in the
preceding claims, the use of a paper band made to travel continuously between these
parts and receiving its motion direct from the revolving ribbed cylinder by means of
serrated gripping discs, substantially as herein described.
6. Actuating the styles referred to in the preceding claims by means of armature
levers of electromagnets in electrical circuits that are rendered active by the
closing of a contact situated under keys of the key board, substantially as herein
described.
7. The method herein described of embossing the notations on the recording paper,
such embossing being effected either by punches by hand, or directly by the recording
styles, substantially as herein described.
8. The general construction of automatic music recording apparatus arranged and
operating as herein described with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 20th day of January 1000.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: FIG. 6
(74.