Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
ALFRED MAXFIELD, 326, Liverpool Road, London, N., Mechanical Musical
Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to that class of automatic musical instruments wherein
the bellows power used in suction or exhaust, and which are operated by passing
a sheet of perforated paper over a music rest provided with air passages or ducts,
the said air ducts are contracted so as to have a narrow music sheet operating a
large scale of notes. These ducts lead to pneumatic levers or diaphragms, and
each lever or diaphragm is provided with a small vent hole. The perforations in
the sheet of paper allows the air to enter the said ducts and so operate the said
levers or diaphragms, which in turn actuate the valves or pallets, and allows the
outer air to vibrate the reed tongues.
The object in having small vent holes in the pneumatic levers or diaphragms
is to make the action quick, but the holes have to be made small or the whole
power of the pneumatic lever or diaphragm is lost. It has been found in practice,
that these small holes and sometimes the air passages or ducts get choked up with
small particles of dust, dirt and hair, and when so choked the action is very
sluggish and causes the notes to be unduly prolonged, or not to play at all. When
this defect occurs in existing organs it is a most troublesome matter to rectify,
and only a skilled mechanician, who understands these instruments, is able to
clear the obstruction away.
In carrying out my invention, in the case of an instrument having a music
rest with converging air ducts, I divide the music rest horizontally into two
pieces about 1" from the inlet where the perforated sheet passes over, and as will
be readily understood, the air ducts are wider apart the farther you get from the
diminishing line or inlet. On the lower half of the said music rest I enlarge the
exposed air passages or ducts alternately to left and right and arrange the top
half to correspond, I then provide a strip of gauze or other suitable and pervious
material, and affix same across the enlarged holes in lower half of music rest, and
on the top half I provide a piece of leather or other suitably soft and impervious
material, and after cutting out boles in same to correspond with the air ducts,
I screw the top half of music rest on to the lower half, I having provided suitable
frames of wood to both halves, that they may come together perfectly true and
level, and not allow of any passage of air into the air ducts, only through the
inlet where the perforated sheet passes over. It therefore necessarily follows that
in the event of any dirt or fluff or such like obstruction passing into the air ducts,
the same cannot pass into the lower half of the music rest, or choke up the vent
holes in the pneumatic levers or diaphragms, but is caught on the gauze fixed
across the duct holes. All that is required when removing the obstruction, is to
unscrew and detach the top half of music rest and brush away the dirt from off
the gauze, afterwards returning the top half of music rest to its place,

page_text: I may insert the gauze in the manner as described above, without enlarging
the exposed air passages, but the result is not so good. I may also provide
channels, grooves or countersunk holes in the wooden frames of the pneumatic
levers or diaphragms in such a manner that all dirt or fluff is caught and pre-
vented from choking up the vent holes. By this means the pneumatic levers or
diaphragms preserve a quick action for a much longer time than ordinary ones,
but the insertion of the gauze in the music rest is preferable, as the air ducts as
well as the vent holes are protected against any obstruction. whatsoever, and
the unscrewing of music rest and removal of dirt or fluff from the gauze can be
done by any ordinary person.
Deted this 7th day of Vocambus 1900
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
ALFRED MAXFIELD, 326, Liverpool Road, London, N., Musical Instrument
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:-
The accompanying drawings shew in detail the nature of my improvements as
described in my Provisional Specification.
Fig. 1, shews a music rest, with converging ducts, removed from the cavity
board of an organ, this music rest is divided at D and a piece of
gauze or other
pervious material inserted to prevent particles of fluff or hair being drawn through
the duct to the pneumatic levers or diaphragms in the body of the organ.
Fig. 2, shews a plan of the music rest with the top removed shewing how the
gauze is placed.
Fig. 3, is a plan of the top of music rest over which the perforated music paper
passes.
The reason for using a converging duct music rest, in these mechanical organs
controlled by perforated music paper, is to reduce the width of music paper to
a minimum and in consequence pneumatic levers or diaphragms have to be pro-
vided to obtain the power for operating the pallets in connection with the reeds,
these pneumatic levers are provided with small vent holes to make the action
rapid, but in practice it has been found that after a time these small vents become
choked up by particles of dust, hair, &c., which destroys the action of the
pneumatic levers and thereby renders the organ useless until it has been taken
all to pieces and cleaned.
In my improvements I divide the music rest at D Fig. 1, and to each part
where separated is secured a flat piece of wood B & C, these pieces are pro-
vided with enlarged holes as shewn in Fig. 2, the said holes corresponding with
the converging channels, a piece of gauze is glued over the holes as shewn, Fig. 2,
and the top cap is screwed on as Fig. 1.
It will be readily seen by the foregoing, that if any fluff or hair passes down the
air duct it is caught by the gauze, and if any considerable amount of fluff passes
down the air duct the top cap can be removed and the particles brushed away,
the cap can then he rescrewed in its place without much difficulty and without.
having to take the body of the instrument all to pieces, which is necessary in the
present organs.
Fig. 4 shews a small pneumatic lever and Fig. 5. shews the method of placing
the gauze over a long recess inside the pneumatic lever.

page_text: These pneumatic levers are formed of two pieces of wood with leather glued on
their edges forming a small bellows Fig. 4. The lower part of the lever Fig. 5
is provided with a small vent hole and in communication with this vent is a long
recess or channel on the inner side, over this channel I secure a piece of gauze as
shewn Fig. 5, this being done before the lever is made up.
In the case of the levers, though the same cannot easily be removed, the large
additional surface of pervious material exposed for preventing the hair or dust
from entering and stopping up the vent, ensures the perfect acting of the levers
for a considerable period.
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:-
The insertion of a piece of gauze or other pervious material between the apex
of a converging duct music rest and the vent of a pucumatic lever, or diaphragm,
as described and for the purpose specified.
D-1 FL ALL
1000
ALFRED MAXFIELD.