Improvements in or connected with Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Mechanical Musical
Instruments.
1, Dr. ADOLF RICHTER, of Rudolstadt, in the Empire of Germany,
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 :-
In mechanical musical instruments with reeds as ordinarily employed heretofore,
only music sheets of one particular size can be employed with each instrument,
because the circular music sheets have only one diameter for definite sizes of the instru-
ments, and therefore also only one particular time or measure, such as for instance
waltz times, but many musical compositions have a greater or smaller number of
beats, and then in order to fill the sheet, the music composition must either be
artificially lengthened, or in the case of small discs, it must be shortened.
Now the present invention has for its object to enable the sheets to be suited to
the length of the music piece, so that for instance for musical compositions with a
smaller number of beats, smaller and therefore cheaper music sheets can be
employed.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe same with
reference to the accompanying drawings whereon
Fig. 1 shows a diagram view illustrating the relative positions of reeds, plucking
wheels and guide pins.
Fig. 2 shows a guide pin screwed at its lower end to facilitate its removal and
replacement.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a jointed guide pin.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of a guide pin having an inclined lower end,
Fig. 5 being an elevation of a lever with an inclined head to co-act with the
guide pin, Fig. 4, and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 5.
Fig. 6 is a diagram view showing another arrangement of movable guide piu in
connection with a playing plate, and
Fig. 7 shows a lever mechanism for adjusting the guide pins.
According to my invention I provide the instruments (instead of with one fixed
guide pin for the centre of the music sheets), with one, two or more guide pins
which are adjustable. The smaller the music sheet is to be, the nearer the guide
pin is shifted towards the plucking wheels b and the reeds c (Fig. 1). But if the
sheet is to comprise a greater number of beats, the guide pin (Figs. 2, 3, or 4) is
shifted further away from the reeds (de f, Fig. 1) according to the length of the
music piece.
The shifting or adjustment of the guide pin may be effected in a very simple
manner by forming the playing plate with a number of holes d e f Fig. 1, (which
may be tapped with screw thread if necessary), and then inserting or screwing the
guide pin (Fig. 2) into the hole d e f &c., according to the diameter of the music
sheet.
The shifting of the guide pin may also be effected by fastening a number of
folding guide pins (as shown in Fig. 3) on the playing plate, the arrangement being
such that the pin suitable for the particular music sheet is then simply turned up.
In some cases and with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 5B, the guide pin may be
controlled by a lever, which latter is formed at one end with an oblique or inclined

page_text: surface such as shown in end view at g, Fig. 4, for the purpose of facilitating the
raising or mounting of the guide pin on to the same; the guide pin is similarly
provided with an inclined surface h (Fig. 4) at its lower end. According as the
lever is moved into either of the positions 1, 2 or 3 of Fig. 5B, the guide pin which
is situated in the hole d, e, or f, is raised in the playing plate and is thereby made
ready to receive the music sheet thereon.
The guide pin may also be shifted by arranging a guide pin so as to be capable
of movement in a slot k in the playing plate a, Fig. 6, the arrangement being such
that it can be moved by means of a lever into the position suitable for the
diameter of the music sheet.
Finally, the guide pins may also be shifted by means of a lever m, Fig. 7, the
arrangement being such that one of the two guide pius d f is always ready to
receive the music sheet, whilst the other guide pin is depressed to such an extent as
to enable the music sheet to pass freely over it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In mechanical musical instruments with reeds, the arrangement of one, two or
more guide pins for the centre of the music sheets, said guide pins being capable
of being shifted or adjusted to suit the diameter of the music sheet used for the
time being, so that music sheets of different sizes can be employed in one and the
same instrument substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of August 1896.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.