Improvements in and relating to Carillon Mechanism.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1899-Accepted, 28th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Carillon Mechanism.
I, HERMANN KRUSCHWITZ, of Gera-Untermhaus, in the Empire of Germany,
Railway Telegraph Clerk, 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 carillon mechanism.
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In the
The carillon mechanism forming the subject of this invention, which is chiefly
designed to be used for music in the home, has the external form of a piano
or of an harmonium, and is operated by means of the electric current.
upper compartment are arranged the bells and striking devices, and in the
lower compartment the cells.
The bells, whose number may be varied, are arranged upon a board covered
with veneer.
For protection against dirt or the like a glass wall is provided.
In the key board there are two double rows of holes with keys located therein,
the front double row of keys being designed for striking the bells by means of
the electric current, and the back double row for a direct-acting striking device.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 represent a diagram of such a carillon mechanism.
Figures 3, 4 and 7 show bells in combination with a damping device to an
enlarged scale.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the outer form of my electro-mechanical carillon
mechanism.
Figures 8 and 9 show two bells with the damping device removed, and
Figures 10 and 11 represent to an enlarged scale the striking device for the
bells.
Of the rows of keys I and II the one in front, II, serves for closing the elec-
tric circuits, thereby causing the bells to be struck in rapid succession, the
time of such operation depending upon the time the circuit is closed. By de-
pressing a key of the back row I the corresponding bell will be struck only once.
The tuned bells are arranged upon a board A. All the conducting wires
situated on the left of the bells terminate in a metal bar b, Fig. 1, and are elec-
trically connected therewith. The wires on the right of the bells are insulated
and led over the bar b, and they are connected with the contact-springs of the
keys. The counter contacts are fastened upon a metal bar & underneath the
row of keys II. This metal bar is in electrical connection with the bar b
so that on the depression of a key the circuit for the corresponding bell will be
closed.
For the sake of clearness I have omitted from Figures 3, 4, 8 and 9 the
electrical connection with the keys.
The keys for the row of bells I are arranged similarly to those of the well-
known accordion keys, with this difference that the key possesses an angular
rod d connected with the spring hammer e by a nut c. The lower end e¹ of the
hammer e is S-shaped and is pivoted at f in order that the striking action of
the hammer itself may be effective, Figures S to 10. By depressing the keys

page_text: of the row I the rods d, Fig. 9, are moved upwards; the S-shaped end e¹¹ turns
about its axis f and the hammer strikes the bell.
By depressing the row of keys II, Figure 1, the hammer f on the right of
the bells is set in operation electrically, Figures 3, 8, 10. The striking device
serving for this purpose is formed similarly to that of the well known electric
bells and will therefore not be further explained. It may only be observed
that this device possesses only one electromagnet, and that the armature con-
sisting of a single piece is bent so as to present two elastic points g g¹.
For the purpose of damping to any desired extent such tones of the bell as
may sound too long, I provide a frame i adapted to be displaced vertically. To
the frame are secured horizontal rods ¹ carrying spring dampers k. Under-
neath the frame i are two spring pedal-rods, Figures 4 and 5, by the downward
movement of which all the bells are damped, as the horizontal rods furnished
with dampers k pass over all the bells.
But in order to enable the bells when struck to be damped singly through the
intervention of the back row of keys, each rod d is provided with an extension m
fixed by a nut e¹, and which, on the depression of the key that causes the striking
of the corresponding bell, lifts off the damper k appertaining thereto, as
indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 7. In the return movement of the key
the damper, owing to its spring, returns to its original position and damps
the bell, Fig. 7.
Thus when playing upon the back keys of the instrument the damping device
may be continuously forced upon the bells by means of the pedal rods 7. The
damper of the bell to be sounded is then lifted off or depressed by the rod m
according as the tone is to be long or short.
Of course the electro-mechanical carillon mechanism herein before described
may be arranged for any desired number of bells.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
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First. A carillon mechanism in which for each of the bells a arranged upon
a common board there are two striking devices, one of which is set in operation
by means of electricity, and the other by means of a push rod connection, and
in which for each striking device there is provided a special set of keys or key-
board so that when playing upon one set or keyboard the striking of the bells
may be of any desired duration, whilst when playing upon the other keyboard
the striking takes place once, substantially as herein before set forth.
Second. A carillon mechanism wherein there is a damper for each bell, which
dampers are arranged in a common frame and adapted to be all applied simul-
taneously to the bells by displacing the said frame through the medium of a
pedal, but which, when playing upon the set of keys or keyboard for striking
the bells once, are lifted off by rods connected with the striking device, substan-
tially as herein before set forth.
J. LINCOLN & Co.,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.