Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments in which Reeds are Vibrated by Mechanical Means.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar., 1892--Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments in which
Reeds are Vibrated by Mechanical Means.
We, GUSTAV ADOLF BRACHHAUSEN and PAUL RIESSNER, both of 2 Garten-
strasse Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire, Manufacturers of
Musical Instruments, 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:―
This invention relates to those musical instruments in which reeds are struck and
vibrated by mechanical means, and its object is to utilise the toothed wheel or
cylinder which actuates the reeds or teeth of the comb, to likewise actuate the
damper or check so that this can act with reguiarity and certainty.
We will describe our said improvements with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which—
Figure 1 illustrates the toothed wheel or cylinder when one of its teeth after
actuating a reed is commencing to operate the damper.
Figure 2 illustrates the act of damping a reed, and
Figure 3 shews one of the teeth of the wheel or cylinder actuating one of the
reeds.
It will of course be understood that though only one reed and its damper is shewn
in the drawings that each reed in the comb may be so fitted if desired.
The comb containing the reeds A is as usual, mounted upon a support or frame
and is operated by the toothed wheel or cylinder b. The points of the reeds are
furnished with pieces of fine metal wire a. Damping levers c are mounted so as to
be capable of rotation around their piyots e and to be moved in one direction by
means of springs d. Each lever at its point c' is suitably curved as at so that the
teeth of the wheel or cylinder coming upon it overcome the resistance of the spring d
and force the lever e in the direction of the reeds.
The action of the apparatus is as follows-
After a tooth of the wheel has depressed and liberated the reed A thus causing
it to sound, it comes in contact during the further revolution of the wheel with the
curved end of the damping lever c and forces its end c¹ forward until it comes in
contact with the small damping wire a upon the end of the reed, when the vibrations
of the reed are immediately stopped and the sound ceases. The damping is thus
effected in an extremely quick and simple manner. The further revolution of the
wheel releases the damping lever and it is returned by the spring d to its normal
position against the stop g.
The material of which the levere and the wire a are constructed has considerable
influence upon the acoustic effect obtained and may be varied to suit different
requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,-
In musical boxes and other instruments in which reeds or combs are vibrated by
toothed wheels or cylinders, a damping lever which after the toothed wheel or
cylinder has actuated a reed, is brought into contact by the further revolution of
the wheel with a wire fixed on the point of the reed, the damping lever being

page_text: returned to its inoperative position by means of a spring substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March A.D. 1892.
Per pro WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Geo. Heys,
Agent for the Applicants.