ZITHER ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL BOXES
Year: 1886

page_text: I ARTHUR PAILLARD of N° 62 Holborn Viaduct in the City of London Musical
Box Manufacturer trading as A. Paillard & Co do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for ZITHER ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL BOXES, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The zither attachments for Musical boxes have usually been applied above the
Combs, but this is objectional as the said attachments cover part of the Combs, mar
the appearance of the instrument and are rather clumsy and bulky.
The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved zither attachment
which is concealed and does not cover the comb or any part of the same.
The invention consists in the combination with a musical box, of à zither
attachment placed below the comb and provided with a device for adjusting it,
as will be fully described and set forth hereinafter and then pointed out in the
claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the comb of a musical box provided with my improved
zither attachment.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the underside of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional view through the mechanism of the musical box.
The comb A and the pin cylinder B, and the mechanism for operating the same,
are of the usual construction. The zither attachment consists of the roll C of
paper or like flexible material, having a certain elasticity, which roll is secured on
a strip.D of wood or metal placed below the teeth of the comb A, in such a manner
that the said paper roll can be brought into contact with the undersides of the teeth
of the comb.
:
The strip D is secured on the free end of the flat spring strip E, having its
opposite ends secured to the underside of the metal piece F, on which the comb is
fastened in the usual, manner, the said spring pressing the roll C against the
undersides of the teeth.
The spring strip E rests on the edge of the .cam G, mounted on the shaft H,
mounted to turn in the lugs J on the underside of the metal piece F, and
extending to the end of the same and provided on its outer end with the handle
Price G

page_text: button K by means of which the said shaft and the cam on the same can be
turned.
The roll C may be parallel with the inner ends of the teeth, as shewn, or may
be placed at an angle to the line of the inner ends of the teeth so that it will be
different distances from the inner ends of the several teeth and will deaden the
sounds of some teeth more than others.
When the zither attachment is applied, that is when the roll C rests against the
teeth, it deadens the sounds and produces the zither effect.
The Spring strip E keeps the roll pressed against the teeth and when the zither
attachment is to be thrown out of gear, the shaft H is turned in such a manner as
to cause the cam G to press the spring E downward whereby the roll C is moved
from the teeth and in no way interferes with the vibrations of the same.
The zither attachment is not exposed to view and does not cover any parts of
the comb.
When the attachment is applied an observer can not see what produces the
musical effect, which makes the box more interesting.
My improved attachment is much simpler than the attachments on the top of the
comb and costs less.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the samė is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
1. A musical box having a zither attachment below the teeth of the comb,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A musical box provided with a zither attachment below the teeth of the comb,
and a shaft below the comb for adjusting said attachment, substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. A musical box provided with a zither attachment below the teeth of the comb
and with a device below the comb for adjusting the said attachment, substantially
as herein shown and described.
4. A musical box having a zither attachment below the teeth of the comb, and
a spring for pressing said attachment against the teeth of the comb, substantially
as herein shown and described.
.
5. A musical box provided with a zither attachment below the teeth of the comb,
a spring for pressing said attachment against the teeth, and a cam for pressing the
spring in the direction from the underside of the comb, substantially as herein shown
and described. .
6. The combination with the pin cylinder and comb of a musical box, of a zither
attachment below the teeth of the comb, a spring secured to said attachment and
to the support of the comb and pressing the attachment against the undersides of
the teeth, a shaft on the underside of the support of the comb, and a cam on said
shaft and resting on the spring, substantially as herein shown and described.
7. The combination with the pin cylinder and the comb of a musical box, of a
zither attachment below the teeth of the comh, a spring secured to said attachment
and to the support of the comb, and pressing the attachment against the teeth, a
shaft on the underside of the support of the comb extending to the end of the
support and provided on its outer end with a handle button, and of a cam on said
shaft resting against the spring, substantially-as-herein-shown-and-described...
Dated this First dor of June 1986