Improvements in or relating to Melodions, Accordions, Concertinas, and other similar Free Reed Instruments
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Melodions, Accordions, Concertinas,
and other similar Free Reed Instruments.
I, CHARLES SUCKER, of 30 Holywell Lane, Great Eastern Street, and 27 Downs
Park Road, Hackney, in the County of London, Importer of Musical Instruments,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements applicable to melodions, accordions,
concertinas, and other similar free reed instruments, the object of the invention
being to provide improved means for locking the instrument in its closed position
and so that the act of pressing the air valve unlocks the instrument.
In carrying out the invention I employ within the instrument a spring bolt or
lever suitably fulcrummed and having a catch at one end so arranged that when the
instrument is closed the said catch engages with a rod, pin or locking plate thereby
locking the instrument in its closed position. The other end of the said spring bolt
or lever bears against the air valve in such a manner that when it is required to
use the instrument the act of operating the air valve disengages the catch leaving
the instrument free to be played upon.
Dated the 90th lofantomboy 1901
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Melodions, Accordions, Concertinas,
and other similar Free Reed Instruments.
I, CHARLES SUCKER, of 30, Holywell Lane, Great Eastern Street, and 27, Downs
Park Road, Hackney, in the County of London, Importer of Musical Instrumente
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is tc
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements applicable to melodions, accordions,
concertinas and other similar free reed instruments, the object of the invention being
to provide improved means for locking the instrument in its closed position and so
that the act of pressing the air-valve unlocks the instrument.
In carrying out the invention I employ within the instrument a spring-bolt or
lever suitably fulcrummed and having a catch at one end so arranged that, when the
instrument is closed, the said catch engages with a rod, pin or locking plate thereby
locking the instrument in its closed position. The other end of the said spring-bolt
or lever bears against the air-valve in such a manner that, when it is required to use
the instrument, the act of operating the air-valve disengages the catch leaving the
instrument free to be played upon.
=
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it
can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation shewing my invention applied to a
melodion:
Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the same :
Figure 3 is a view of some of the parts shewn in Figure 2 but in another
position:

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and a plan shewing a modified form
of my locking arrangement.
Similar letters in all the figures indicate similar or corresponding parts.
I will first describe the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 to 4.
a represents the spring-bolt or lever fulcrumined at 6 in a slot c in a plate d
fixed in the interior of the instrument, e is the catch at one end of the bolt or lever a,
the other end of the lever bearing against the air-valve f of the instrument; g is a
rod onto which the catch e engages (when the instrument is in its closed position)
under the action of the spring which normally tends to keep the bolt or lever a in
the position shewn in full lines in Figure 2, thereby keeping the air-valve closed
and dispensing with the ordinary spring.
From this arrangement it will be obvious that when the instrument is in its
closed position, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, the catch e being engaged with the
rod 9, will lock the instrument. When it is required to use the instrument the act
of operating the air-valve f will move the lever a on its fulcrum b disengaging the
catch e from the rod g, as shewn in Figure 3, leaving the instrument free to be
played upon, on closing the instrument the catch will automatically engage with the
rod g and lock the instrument.
In the modification shewn in Figures 5 and 6, the bolt or lever a is fixed to a
spring-plate which also forms the fulcrum of the lever. The operation is the
same as that herein before described and therefore needs no further description.
It will be obvious that instead of the rod g herein before described a locking plate
or its equivalent can be employed.
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 :-
1. A melodion, accordion, concertina or like free reed instrument having a spring-
bolt or lever for automatically locking the instrument when closed, the said lever
being adapted to be operated by the air-valve of the instrument for unlocking the
same.
2. A melodion, accordion, concertina or like free reed instrument having in
combination a spring-bolt or lever such as a, a catch e, a rod y and a spring h
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 7th day of March 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.