IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL BOXES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL BOXES."-A communica-
tion from abroad by Charles Paillard of St
Sealed the 2nd April 1875, and dated the 26th October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th October 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL BOXES," a
communication, to be as follows:-
Prior to this Invention, so far as I know, musical boxes have been
constructed with but one series of prongs, forming a comb with each
cylinder. The effect of this was a comparatively feeble and metallic
sound. If more sound was desired larger, and more numerous prongs
were used; but this system presented many imperfections with regard

page_text: to the clearness of the melody, and in loudness of tone, richness of
harmony, and beauty of expression, it will not bear comparison with my
Invention.
The said Invention consists in combining with a revolving cylinder or
revolving cylinders two or more separate combs, or two or more series of
prongs in one comb plate, and it has for its object to enable me to use
shorter prongs, consequently producing vibrations of less duration with-
out that confusion and indistinctness in the melody and in the harmonic
accompaniments which are always observed in musical boxes hitherto
manufactured, and especially those where numerous prongs are used.
I provide the box with a frame or bed plate to which the other parts
of the instrument are secured. Each of the aforesaid combs is a com-
plete and independent scale. If I simply wish to obtain a more powerful
and harmonious tone than that of other musical boxes, I have only
to let the same air be played completely by two or more combs, but if I
wish to produce the different shades of musical expression, such as the
pianos, the crescendos, the fortes, the decrescendos, I let one or more
combs play together, according to the effect I wish to introduce.
The musical theory of this Invention is as follows:-I introduce a
very slight dissonnance in the tuning of the prongs of the various combs
belonging to the same tone, and the said prongs of the same sound being
separated, and having a slight dissonnance, produce an infinitely more
powerful and more harmonious sound than the old style of musical
boxes, where prongs of the same tone are placed side by side and tuned
at unison, so that the vibrations of the two or more prongs sounding
together have a tendency to destroy one another instead of augmenting
in volume as is the case with my new system.
This Invention must not be confounded with musical boxes known
under the name of "forte-piano," which have two combs, one large and
one small. In these boxes the prongs of the latter comb are weakened
very much in order to play the soft parts, but only two shades of
expression can be introduced, the "fortes" and the "pianos," and in a
very different manner from those produced by my Invention, where
none of the combs are weakened, and where the expression is obtained
by the use of the same. sound in the different combs.

page_text: in and, by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
Prior to this Invention musical boxes have commonly been constructed
with only one series of prongs or teeth, forming a comb in combination
with each cylinder. The effect of this construction has been a com-
paratively feeble and metallic sound. If more sound was desired, larger
and more numerous prongs or teeth were used; but this system pro-
sented many imperfections with regard to the clearness of the melody,
while in power of tone, richness of harmony, and beauty of expression,
it will not bear comparison with my Invention.
The said Invention consists in combining with the rotating cylinder or
cylinders two or more separate combs, or two or more series of prongs
or teeth on one comb plate; and its object is to obtain by the use of
shorter prongs than heretofore, producing vibrations of comparatively
short duration, which will not produce that confusion and indistinctness
in the melody and in the harmonie accompaniments which are always
obscrved in musical boxes hitherto manufactured, and especially those
wherein numerous prongs or teeth are used.
The Drawing represents a plan of my improvements in musical boxes.
A is the frame or bed plate to which the other parts of the instrument:
are secured; B is the cylinder having its bearings at a, a; C is the box
enclosing the spring; b, c, are the gear wheels for rotating the cylinder;
and d, e, f, g, indicate the mechanism for regulating the motion of the
said cylinder.
In this Drawing I have shewn three combs D, D, D, each forming a
complete and independent scale. If I simply wish to obtain a more
powerful and harmonious tone than that of other musical boxes, I
have only to let the same air be played completely by two or more of
these combs, but if I wish to produce the different shades of musical
expression, such as the pianos, the crescendos, the fortes, the decres-
cendos, I let one comb play, or two or more combs play together,
according to the effect I wish to introduce.
The combs are secured to the bed plate A by screws h, h, as usual.
The arrangement of the other parts of the instrument is the same as that
in gencral use, and will therefore require no description aside from its
illustration by the Drawing.

page_text: In many large musical boxes the comb is made of two pieces, con-
stituting but onc series or succession of prongs, as the bass notes are all
in one piece and the higher notes in the other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 22nd April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltiuc, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL BOXES," a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Paillard, of St. Croix, Switzerland, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or onc
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to bo
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: The musical theory of this Invention is as follows:-I introduce a very
slight dissonnance in the tuning of the prongs of the various combs
belonging to the same tone, and the said prongs of the same sound being
separated and having a slight dissonnance, produce an infinitely more
powerful and more harmonious sound than the old style of musical
boxes, where prongs of the same tone are placed side by side and tuned
in unison, so that the vibrations of the two or more prongs sounding
together have a tendency to destroy one another instead of augmenting
in volume as is the case with my Invention.
This Invention is distinct from those musical boxes known under the
name of "forte-piano," which have two combs, one large and one
small.
In those boxes the prongs of the latter comb are weakened
very much in order to play the soft parts, but only two shades of
oxpression can be introduced, the "fortes" and the "pianos," and in a
manner very different from those produced by my Invention, where none
of the combs are weakened, and where the expression is obtained by the
use of prongs of the samo sound in the different combs.
In many large musical boxes the comb is made of two picces, con-
stituting but one series or succession of prongs, as the bass notes are all
in one piece and the higher notes in the other.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, in a musical box, two or more
combs, or series of prongs or teeth, constructed, arranged, and operating
in combination with each other and with the cylinder as herein set forth
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
fixo
Witness,
HENRY JAS. NOONE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)