IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR ATTACHING AND DETACHING THE TRAVELLING PAPER OR OTHER SHEETS OR STRIPS IN MECHANICAL OR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR ATTACHING AND DETACHING THE
TRAVELLING PAPER OR OTHER SHEETS OR STRIPS IN MECHANICAL OR
AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by
the Automatic Music Paper Company, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1881.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR ATTACHING
AND DETACHING THE TRAVELLING PAPER OR OTHER SHEETS OR STRIPS IN
MECHANICAL OR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." [A communication from
abroad by the Automatic Music Paper Company of Boston Massachusetts, United
States of America.]
2
In the operation of mechanical musical instruments in which perforated paper is
used, the perforated paper strip is unwound froin one roll'called the "music roll "
and wound upon another roll, called the take-up roll" passing from the one to
the other over and across the reed-chambers, and if another paper strip is to be
used, the one in the instrument is first wound backward upon the first or "music
roll," and together, with such roll, is removed from the apparatus, after which the
paper strip to be then used upon a separate and distinct roll of its own, is then
placed in position when the operation of the instrument proceeds as before.
Under this method, a roll is required for each separate paper strip in order that
the instrument may be used with the greatest convenience and with the least
possible annoyance, trouble, and delay, and, as is obvious, at a considerable outlay
and expense for rolls.
To obviate this is the object of the present Invention, and it consists in a cou-
struction of the roll (and of the paper strip at its end which is to be secured

page_text: thereto) in such a manner that when the strip is wound, if upon the roll, it can be
easily and readily removed therefrom, and if off the roll, it can be easily placed
upon the roll without in either case disturbing its so wound condition, all sub-
stantially as hereinafter described.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, the paper strip is provided at its.
end which is to be attached to the roll body, with a piece of tubular shape, and in
such a manner as to surround and fit the whole periphery of the body of the roll,
and to cover the same from end to end. This tubular piece interiorly, and the roll
body exteriorly, are constructed, the one with a rib, and the other with a groove,
each of such relative shape that the rib will fit within the groove and extend along
the whole length of the roll and tube in a line parallel with the axis of the roll.
By this construction of the roll-body, and of the tubular end to the paper strip, the
two are interlocked and thus the strip and roll are made to turn together as one,
in the winding, upon and the unwinding, of the strip from the roll.
One head-piece of the roll is permanently attached, and the other is arranged so
as to be attached or removed at pleasure by simply screwing it on and off a screw-
threaded projection on the roll body.
The paper strip provided with the tubular piece and interlocked with the roll
body when wound upon the roll, obviously can be removed by simply sliding it off
at the end of the body having the detachable head which however has first to be
detached; and another wound paper strip is then placed thereon by simply placing
it at the then free and exposed end of the roll-body and sliding it over the same,
taking care that the rib of the tube-piece to the paper, enters the groove-of-the-
roll-body.
-lt-is-preferable to have the tube-piece made to surround the whole periphery of
the roll-body, but if only surrounding it for a part of such periphery either in its
length or in its periphery, or in both, the same result as to the attachment and
detachment of the paper strip in its wound condition, will be obtained.
The tube piece may be made of paper, sheet, metal or other material, and if made
of paper may be a part, and a continuation, of the paper strip, and in any case, of
whatever material it is made, it may be either in one piece with the strip or in a
separate piece, and if the latter, may be attached to the paper strip in any suitable
manner, as for instance by slitting the tube in parallel lines and passing the strip
through such slits.
The construction of the tube and roll-body may be modified, for instance it may
be made to consist of a pin or pins in and at the end of the tube and a hole or
holes or depressions, in, and at, the corresponding end of the roll, or vice versa.
The head pieces to the rolls are essential and desirable to secure protection to
the ends of the wound paper roll against injury, and also serve as guides in the
winding of the paper strip upon the roll.
A pin at the end of the tube may be provided to interlock with a hole in the
permanent head-piece.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1882..
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London; "IMPROVEMENTS IN DEVICES FOR ATTACHING
AND DETACHING THE TRAVELLING PAPER OR OTHER SHEETS OR STRIPS IN
MECHANICAL OR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from
abroad by the Automatic Music Paper Company, of Boston, Massachusetts, United
States of America.
In the operation of mechanical musical instruments in which perforated paper
is used, the perforated paper strip is unwound from one roll called the "music
roll" and wound upon another roll, called the “ take-up roll," passing from the one
to the other over and across the reed-chambers, and if another paper strip is to
be used, the one in the instrument is first wound backward upon the first or
"music roll" and, together with such roll, is removed from the apparatus, after
which the paper strip, to be then used upon a separate and distinct roll of its own,
is then placed in position, when the operation of the instrument proceeds as
before.
Under this method, a roll is required for each separate paper strip in order that
the instrument may be used with the greatest convenience and with the least
possible annoyance, trouble, and delay, and, as is obvious, at a considerable outlay
and expense for rolls.
To obviate these defects is the object of the present Invention which consists
essentially in constructing the roll and the paper strip at the end which is to be
secured thereto, in such a manner that when the strip is wound, if upon the roll it
can be easily and readily removed therefrom, and if off the roll it can be easily
placed upon the roll without, in either case, disturbing its wound condition, all
substantially as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section.
Figure 2 a cross section on the line 2-, 2, Figure 1.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 views in detail to be hereinafter referred to, Figure 4 being
a cross section on the line 4-, 4 Figure 3, and
Figures 6 and 7 are detail views of modifications.
A represents a perforated paper strip wound upon the cylindrical body B, of a
roll, having a head-piece at each end and designated as a whole, as the "music
roll," to distinguish it from the "take-up roll" which is not shown and which is
used in conjunction with it in a mechanical musical instrument as before stated.
In carrying the said Invention into practice the paper strip A is provided at its
end which is to be attached to the roll-body B, with a piece C, made, as shewn in
all of the Figures of the Drawing, of tubular shape and in such a manner as to
surround and fit the whole periphery of the body B of the roll and to cover the
same from end to end. This tubular piece C interiorly, and the roll-body exteriorly
are constructed, the one with a rib a, and the other with a groove beach of such
relative shape that the rib will fit within the groove and extend along the whole
length of the roll and tube in a line parallel with the axis of the roll. By this
construction of the roll-body B, and of the tubular piece C of the paper strip, the
two are interlocked, and thus the strip and roll are made to turn together as one in
the winding and unwinding of the strip upon or from the roll.
One head-piece D, of the roll is permanently attached, and the other E is

page_text: arranged as shown at d so as to be attached or removed at pleasure, by simply
screwing it on and off the screw threaded projection on the roll-body B.
The paper strip provided with the tubular piece C, and interlocked with the roll
body B, when wound upon the roll obviously can be removed by simply sliding it
off at the end of the body having the detachable head which however has first to
be detached; and another wound paper strip is then fitted thereon by simply
placing it at the then free and exposed end of the roll-body and sliding it over the
same, taking care that the rib a, of the tube-piece C of the paper, enters the
groove b of the roll-body.
It is preferable to have the tube piece C made to surround the whole periphery
of the roll-body B, but if only surrounding it for a part of such periphery either in
its length or in its periphery, or in both, the same result, as to the attachmont and
detachment of the paper strip in its wound condition, will be obtained.
The tube-piece C may be made of paper, sheet metal or other material, and if
made of paper may be a part and a continuation of the paper strip, and in any case,
of whatever material it is made it may be either in one piece with the strip or, in
a separate piece and if the latter it may be attached to the paper strip in any
suitable manner, as for instance as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, by slitting the tube
in parallel lines as at g and passing the strip through such slits.
The construction of the tube C. and roll-body B may be modified, for instance it
may be made to consist of a pin or pins in the end of the tube and a hole or
holes or depressions in the corresponding end of the roll, see Figure 7, or vice versa.
The head pieces of the rolls are essential and desirable to secure protection for
the ends of the wound paper roll against injury_and_also-to-serve-as-guides in the
_winding-of-the-paper-strip upon the roll.
. In Figure 6 a pin at the end of the tube interlocks with a hole in the
permanently fixed head-piece.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim-
First. A music roll, for mechanical musical instruments, composed of a paper or
other perforated strip having at one end a tube-piece, in combination with a roll-
body, the said roll-body and tube-piece being so constructed as to interlock one
with the other, all substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Second. A music roll, for mechanical musical instruments, composed of a paper
or other perforated strip having at one end a tube-piece, in combination with a
roll-body, the said tube-piece and roll-body, being provided, one with a rib and the
other with a groove, all substantially as described for the purpose specified.
Third. A music roll, for mechanical musical instruments, composed of a paper or
other perforated strip having at one end a tube-piece, in combination with a roll-
body, which roll-body and tube-piece are so constructed as to interlock one with
the other, the said roll-body having head-pieces, one permanently attached thereto,
and the other arranged to be attached and detached all substantially as, and for
the purpose, specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty-seventh day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.