IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICALLY PLAYED WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, G, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICALLY PLAYED WIND MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by Moses Harris, of the City,
County, and State of New York.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th December 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
C Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICALLY
PLAYED WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad from
Moses Harris of the City, County and State of New York.
This Invention relates to organs and other wind musical instruments which are
mechanically played or controlled by means of one or more strips or sheets of paper
or other suitable material perforated to represent the different notes or sounds it is
desired to produce and caused to pass automatically over air ducts or tubes which
accordingly as they are opened by the perforations in the strip-that has a valvular
action relatively to said ducts or tubes causes the reeds or other sounding devices
to be played as desired.
The Invention consists in placing the pressure chamber over and above the tube
or action board in which the reeds are placed said pressure chamber being supplied
or exhausted as the case may be by pumps or feeders placed beneath the action
board, the connection between the pumps or feeders and the pressure chamber being
preferably made by means of a wind trunk placed in one or both ends of the action
board.
And it consists further of a rotating toggle shaft connected to the hand crank of
the instrument carrying toggles arranged so as to operate in alternation their
respective pumps or feeders whereby a continuous supply of air is furnished to the
pressure chamber.
And it embraces other novel mechanical devices in combination with said
musical instrument all of which will be hereinafter set forth.

page_text: The principal parts of the mechanism are as follows:-A pressure chamber
formed by a box or cover which is hinged on the top of the tube or action board
over the tubes so that it can be raised when it is desired to change the tune by
placing another strip or sheet of perforated paper on the instrument and, when
closed said box or cover is held down by hasps.
Elastic strips of leather or other suitable material are preferably fastened on the
inner edges of the cover and made to rest on the top of the action board or on the
perforated music sheet to prevent the escape of air from the said pressure chamber
excepting through its opening into the tubes.
The pressure chamber is fed or supplied with air by means of the feeders or
pumps that are located in the bottom of the instrument the air being forced
through the ports that are covered by the valves into the valve chamber and
thence up through the wind trunks that are located at each end of the instrument
as shown.
These feeders or pumps are operated by means of a rotating toggle-shaft
carrying toggles-one for each feeder or pump-radiating from said shaft in such
directions that they move said pumps alternately so that one or more of the latter
is always supplying air to the pressure chamber when the instrument is in
operation.
Said toggle-shaft extends the whole length, of the musical instrument beneath
the pumps and is journaled in the ends thereof and has a cranked end extending
beyond one end of said instrument and is thereby connected by a pitman with a
crank-shaft that extends longitudinally through the instrument and has on its
opposite end a handle for the convenience of the operator.
Air is admitted to the pumps through an opening in the bottom of the
-instrument into the pump chamber and thence through the pump valvės.
The tubes terminate over corresponding apertures in a reed chamber formed
. beneath them in the bottom of which are fixed the reeds over suitable openings
leading into an open chamber whence the air forced from the pressure chamber
through the tubes to vibrate the reeds escapes into the outer air.
The perforated sheet rests on the action board with its ends extended outside of
the cover and wound around the drums that are supported in brackets which are
hinged on the front and back of the instrument on vertical hinges so that they can
be closed together when the instrument is not in use.
A belt or cord passed over pulleys that are keyed on the drum shafts serves to
transmit the motion of the one to the other drum so that the rolling and unrolling
of the perforated strip shall be simultaneous when the one or the other of said
drums is revolved.
The music sheet is drawn from the one drum over the tubes to be wound about
the other drum by the rotation of the crank shaft which presses the said sheet
upward against a roller that is journaled longitudinally in the cover-the rolling
friction of said shaft and roller operating to this effect.
In a modification of this improved device the reed chamber containing the reeds
is placed within the cover directly beneath and communicating with the pressure-
chamber and over the perforated music sheet so that when the perforations in said
sheet coincide with the tubes the compressed air is forced from the pressure
chamber through the apertures into the reed chamber upon the reeds thereby
causing them to sound-out of the openings through the tubes and thence through
the perforations in the sheet.
In this modification the valvular action of the perforated music sheet is the same
as in the improvement first above described but the modification makes it possible
to construct the instrument more compactly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th June 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex; Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICALLY
PLAYED WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by Moses
Harris of the City, County and State of New York.
This Invention relates to organs and other wind musical instruments which are
mechanically played or controlled by means of one or more strips or sheets of
paper or other suitable material perforated to represent the different notes or
sounds it is desired to produce, and caused to pass automatically over air ducts or
tubes, which, accordingly as they are opened by the perforations in the strip-that
has a valvular action relatively to said ducts or tubes-causes the reeds or other
sounding devices to be played as desired.
The Invention consists in placing the pressure chamber over and above the
tube or action board in which the reeds are placed, said pressure chamber being
supplied or exhausted, as the case may be, by pumps or feeders placed beneath the
action board, the connection between the pumps or feeders and the pressure
chamber being, preferably, made by means of a wind trunk placed in one or both
ends of the action board.
And it consists further of a rotating toggle shaft, connected to the hand crank of
the instrument carrying toggles arranged so as to operate, in alternation, their
respective pumps or feeders, whereby a continuous supply of air is furnished to the
pressure chamber.
And it embraces other novel mechanical devices in combination with said
musical instrument, all of which will be hereinafter set forth.
Fig. 1, is a transverse, sectional end elevation of a musical instrument with the
improvements applied, on line y y, Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on line x x Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation showing a modification of a portion of the
improvement.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the Drawings, A represents the pressure chamber formed by a box or cover
B which is hinged as shown at a on the top of the tube or action board C over
the tubes D so that it can be raised, when it is desired to change the tune by
placing another strip or sheet of perforated paper E on the instrument, and, when
closed said box or cover B is held down by hasps a¹.
Elastic strips of leather or other suitable material are, preferably, fastened on
the inner edges of the cover B and made to rest on the top of the action board C,
or on the perforated music sheet E to prevent the escape of air from the said
pressure chamber A excepting through its opening c into the tubes D.
The pressure chamber A is fed or supplied with air by means of the feeders or
pumps G that are located in the bottom of the instrument, the air being forced
through the ports H₁ that are covered by the valves H, into the valve chamber
H2 and thence up through the wind trunks H³ that are located at each end of the
instrument, as shown.
These feeders or pumps G are operated by means of a rotating toggle shaft I
carrying toggles I'-one for each feeder or pump G-radiating from said shaft I in
such directions that they move said pumps G alternately, so that one or more of

page_text: the latter is always supplying air to the pressure chamber A when the instrument
is in operation.
Said toggle-shaft I extends the whole length of the musical instrument beneath
the pumps G, and is journaled in the ends thereof, and has a cranked end
extending beyond one end of said instrument, and is thereby connected by a
pitman K with a crank shaft L, that extends longitudinally through the instrument
and has on its opposite end a handle L' for the convenience of the operator.
Air is admitted to the pumps G, through an opening M, in the bottom of
the instrument, into the pump chamber M' and thence through the pump
valves d.
The tubes D terminate over corresponding apertures m m, in a reed chamber N
formed beneath them in the bottom of which are fixed the reeds O over suitable
openings, leading into an open chamber P, whence the air forced from the pressure-
chamber A through the tubes D, to vibrate the reeds O, escapes into the outer air.
The perforated sheet E rests on the action board C with its ends extended outside
of the cover B, and wound around the drums R that are supported in brackets S,
which are hinged on the front and back of the instrument on vertical hinges g so
that they can be closed together when the instrument is not in uso.
A belt or cord T, passed over pullies U that are keyed on the drum shafts V,
serves to transmit the motion of the one to the druin R, so that the rolling and
unrolling of the perforated strip E shall be simultaneous when the one or the other
of said drums R is revolved.
The music sheet E is drawn from the one drum R over the tubes D to be wound
about the other drum R by the rotation of the crank shaft L which presses the
said sheet E upward against a roller W that is journaled longitudinally in the
cover B, the rolling friction of said shaft L and roller W operating to this
effect.
In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of this improved device in which the reed
chamber N containing the reeds O is placed within the cover B, directly beneath and
communicating with the pressure-chamber A and over the perforated music
sheet E, so that when the perforations in said sheet E coincide with the tubes D,
the compressed air is forced from the pressure chamber A, through the apertures
m, m into the reed chamber N upon the reeds 0-thereby causing them to sound-
out of the openings f, through the tubes D and thence through the perforations in
the sheet E.
In this modification the valvular action of the perforated music sheet E is the
same as in the improvement first aboved described, but the modification makes it
possible to construct the instrument more compactly.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me I claim as new and
desire to secure by Letters Patent.
.
1st. In a mechanical musical instrument in which the operation of the sound
producing devices is controlled by one or more travelling perforated sheets and in
which air under pressure is used to produce the necessary notes or sounds, the
pressure chamber which receives and discharges the wind to the reeds or other
sounding devices of the instrument, arranged within or formed by a box or cover
over the tubes, said cover being hinged on the top of the action board substantially
as herein shown and described.
2nd. In a mechanical musical instrument in which the operation of the sound
producing devices is controlled by one or more travelling perforated sheets, the
combination with the feeders or pumps G of the rotating toggle-shaft I provided
with toggles I', substantially as herein shown and described, whereby said pumps
are alternately moved to give a continuous supply of air to the pressure chamber
as set forth.
3rd. In a mechanical musical instrument in which the operation of the sound
producing devices is controlled by one or more travelling perforated sheets, the
combination with the shafts carrying the sheet-holding drums of hinged, shaft-

page_text: supporting brackets, substantially as herein shown and described, said brackets
being designed to close against the sides of the instrument when not in use.
4th. In a mechanical musical instrument, a hinged box or cover enclosing or
forming the pressure chamber or air reservoir which fits over the tu bes D. and is
adapted to be raised when it is desired to change the tune by substituting one
perforated music sheet for another, substantially as set forth.
5th. In a mechanical musical instrument in which the operation of the sound
producing devices is controlled by one or more travelling perforated sheets or
strips, the reed chamber N, containing reeds 0, constructed within the cover B,
directly beneath and communicating with the pressure chamber A and over the
perforated music sheet E and tubes D, substantially as herein shown and
described.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)