Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I, LOUIS AUGUSTIN of Gohlis-Leipzig, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to adapt mechanical musical instruments to play
several pieces of music without changing the drum or barrel, or the music sheet.
This is effected as follows. The valve levers of the instrument are provided with
moveable pins which are controlled by a comb shaped rail, or rack, in such a manner
that by shifting the position of the rail, the points of the pins are alternately brought
into contact with any desired row of the fixed pins upon the surface of the drum or
barrel which produces the tune, or of the music sheet.
The drum or barrel carrying the pins or music sheet consists of many rows
representing various melodies. The comb shaped rail is arranged to move the pins
upon the valve levers; and when shifted, the moveable pins are acted upon to play the
corresponding melody.
Instead of note pins moved by the action of the comb shaped rail, I may make use
of double ended levers, pivoted in or about the centre, upon a moveable axle ; one end
of the lever being actuated by the pin barrel or music sheet, while the other acts upon
the inclined surface of the valve lever.
The latter is immoveable, while the levers can slide with the rail endways, so that
the pin levers are moved by it from one row of the music sheet to another.
1000

page_text: I, LOUIS AUGUSTIN of Gohlis-Leipzig, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Manufacturer,
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 adapt mechanical music instruments to play
several pieces of music without changing the drum or barrel, or the music sheet.
This is effected as follows:
The valve levers of the instrument are provided with movable pins which are
controlled by a comb-shaped rail or rack, in such a manner that by shifting the
position of the rail, the points of the pins are alternately brought into contact with
any desired row of the fixed pins or slots upon the surface of the drum or barrel,
which produces the tune, or of the music sheet.
The drum or barrel carrying the pins or music sheet, consists of many rows repre-
senting various melodies. The comb shaped rail is arranged to move the pins upon
the valve levers; and when shifted, the movable pins are acted upon to play the
corresponding melody.
Instead of note pins moved by the action of the comb shaped rail, I may make use
of double ended levers, pivoted in or about the centre, upon a movable axle; one end
of the lever being actuated by the pin barrel or music sheet, while the other acts upon
the inclined surface of the valve lever.
Or I may use any convenient intermediate mechanism of like nature having for
its purpose to operate the flaps without transverse shifting of the barrel, music sheet
or drum, or of the flaps or their equivalents.
b
Referring to the accompanying drawings showing my invention applied in various
modifications to a variety of mechanical musical instruments, the pins b, as shown in
Figs. 1 to 4, actuated by the drum or music sheet B are hinged to the flaps d and lie in
recesses between the teeth of the comb A; when therefore the comb A is displaced
transversely to the music sheet or drum, the points of the pins are carried under the
influence of the respective row of music signs on the drum or sheet B. In Figs. 5
and 6, the pins are not hinged to the flaps, but are carried on small prismatic guide
rails attached to each flap. They are therefore moved along the said guide rails by
the comb A and always retain a position vertical to the respective row of the music
sheet or drum B. The pins may also be pivoted at or near their centre on the shaft h,
with distance pieces k between them, the outer end 7 of the pins 6 is not in this case
connected to the flap, but slides on an inclined surface on the back of the latter as
shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The pins & may furthermore be attached by small springs f
to the flaps as shown in Figs. 9 and 10.
The arrangement employed for accordeons is constructed as follows: Figs. 14-17.
The rail carrying the valve-levers d, is guided in the wall of the box and
provided with the knob G¹, and set slots g'. The levers d are at their extremity d

page_text: provided with a recess engaging the flap carrier f¹ which remains continuously at the
same place, while the pin levers d with rail J are adapted to be displaced in the
longitudinal direction of the latter, so that the note pins can be brought from one row
of signs of the music sheet to another. To allow this to be done, it must be possible
to lift the said note pins previous to each displacement, out of the recessed signs of
the sheet, which is effected by turning the disengaging rail K into the position
indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 17.
If the accordeon is round, hexagonal or octagonal, the inner mechanism can be
correspondingly arranged.
To attain the purpose of changing the air or melody to another without changing
the music sheet and without necessitating the tone levers d being made recessed or
laterally movable, the tone box may, for mechanical musical instruments, be made
displaceable, as shown by Figs. 11 to 13, sheet I.
A special tone box is employed, which is situated on the inner side of the folding
cover of the instrument. The tone box is displaceably guided by the beads m and i
and the guide tongues e. The wall n of the tone-box is furnished with openings o for
the entrance of the wind, which is produced by means of bellows in the wind box D.
To attain a tight connection of the tone box with the wind box, the tone box is
provided at p correspondingly with packing material, which, however, does not
allow the tone box to be displaced, the change of the music pieces being possible only
when the cover of the instrument is open and the wind box separated from the tone-
box (Figs. 11 and 13). The tone box E carries the handle G and a small setting
rack H provided with teeth or recesses 7 for allowing the respective position of the
box E to be fixed by means of the spring pawl F.
The arrangement can be employed in instruments with any kind of music sheets,
except that in such cases little and unimportant modifications are required, for
instance the outward shape and arrangement of the flap-pins.
The music box T, Figs. 18 and 19 which at the same time forms the wind box and
therefore, in order that it may be unimpeded in its movement, is connected with the
bellows through an elastic hose t', is arranged so as to swing round the pivots U, by
which it is fixed in the casing, and is laterally displaceable for the purpose of changing
the tone pins with the change of the music sheet. The swinging movement serves
the purpose of letting down the music box T previous to the lateral displacement, in
order that the tuning pins may recede from the music sheet. This movement is
effected by the lever V by aid of the cam shaft v. At the same time with the lifting
of the box T, the end w of the lever V, which end is provided with handle, catches
into grooves on the pivot U, which correspond to the music rows on the music sheet
and thus give the box T the necessary security. Both movements of the box T may
be produced mechanically as well as by hand.
The lateral displaceability of the keys of mechanical music works may also be
applied to such in which a more complicated lever connection between the key lever
and flap or pipe is required, as is the case with organ works. Such an arrangement
as shown by Figs. 21 to 23, is as follows:
The device is introduced into a casing containing the pipes, which are influenced
by valves A operated by the note levers B. The levers B are movably connected
with the rod at and adapted to be turned round the point of the latter. The
levers B are besides revolvably fastened at d to the lever carrier and setting rail, D.
The levers B can therefore swing in vertical direction when operated by the note
signs; besides being adapted to be turned in horizontal direction round the rod a
when the rail D' is displaced.
The carrying rail D³ is not only displaceable along its longitudinal axis, but can
also be lifted up with all the note levers B*, so that the music sheet J* is completely
freed (see Fig. 26 dotted lines): To allow the rail D₁ to be sufficiently guided and
secured, the hinge pieces et are arranged, which do not impair the longitudinal dis-
placement of the rail D', but merely embrace the same and the pivot it for the hinge
pieces et lies in the same line with the pivot 6 of the levers B₁ and rods a*, which is
required for the unimpeded movement of the mechanism, which is held in normal

page_text: position by the revolvable brackets t. This arrangement affords a device for
producing the change of the music piece without displacing the music sheet, also for
such instruments, in which a complicated lever connection between the music sheet
and the reeds or pipes is unavoidable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim, is:
In mechanical musical instruments
1) The arrangement of note pins b or their equivalents, so that their points may be
movable in a direction across, that in which the note actuating signs move, as and for
the purpose set forth.
2) The combination of the movable pins b or their equivalents with a comb A
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3) The combination of the two-armed lever pins with the longitudinally
displaceable shaft h on which they are pivoted, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4) In accordeons the combination of the displaceable comb J with the pin levers d
connected at loosely with the flap carriers.
5) For the purpose of playing various music pieces without changing the music
sheet and without displacing the pin barrel, in mechanical music works the arrange-
ment of a hinged cover carrying the displaceable tone box E, the wall n of which
places itself, when the cover is closed, onto the wind chest D and forms air-tight
connection with the latter.
6) An organ work with elevated or perforated music sheet, the pipes being
influenced by valves A' which are so connected with note levers B', that the note levers
are allowed to swing in vertical direction and also, by means of the rail D', to be
horizontally displaceable, so that the note pins can be arranged over the respective
rows of the drum or equivalent J* substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1887.