Reed Chamber for Music Sheets of Different Forms.
Year: 1885

page_text: Reed Chamber for Music Sheets of Different Forms.
"
I, FRIEDRICH ERNST PAUL EHRLICH at Gohlis near Leipsic, Saxony, German
Empire, director of the company "Fabrik Leipziger Musikwerke vormals Paul
Ehrlich und Co" do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "A MECHANICAL
OR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MOVEABLE REED CHAMBER FOR MUSIC
SHEETS OF DIFFERENT FORMS 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 mechanical or automatic musical instruments which are
caused to play pieces of music by alternately operating a system of keys or levers
in connection with a reed chamber by means of a music sheet provided either with
holes or with elevations and depressions corresponding with the order and duration
of the notes and it consists in providing means as hereinafter described whereby it
is rendered possible to employ music sheets any desired form. In order to obtain
this result the reed chamber or part carrying the keys or levers operating the
valves is so arranged as to be capable of moving and is connected with a device
whereby the requisite motion is obtained. An essential part of this device consists
of a guide or cam-shaped plate which corresponds with the form of the music sheet
in use and displaces the reed chamber in such a manner as to cause the ends of the
levers to coincide with the holes or elevations and depressions on the music sheet.
The term "form" or "shape of the music sheet" applies in this instance not so
much to the external configuration of the sheet as to the path or direction of the
rows of holes or of the rows of elevations and depressions which are sometimes
employed in place of holes.
In the example illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing
which represent respectively a horizontal and a vertical section of a mechanical
musical instrument constructed according to this invention the lines or rows of
holes in the music-sheet a describe a peculiar curve resembling a square with
rounded corners and inwardly bent or curved sides. In this case the reed chest is
operated by a species of cam or guide b resembling a cross with arms of equal
length.
In the case of music-sheets with the lines of holes in the form illustrated in
figure 3 it is necessary in order to shift the reed chamber in such a manner that
the holes may pass with precision over the noses of the levers to use a cam in the
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page_text: form of a square with slightly rounded corners as indicated in dotted lines at b¹,
figure 3. In like manner a music-sheet in which the lines of holes form a triangle
as in figure 4, or an octagon as in fig. 5, requires a cam or guide provided with
arms or projections as indicated by the dotted lines at 62, fig. 4 and at b³, fig. 5, and
a music-sheet in which the holes describe an irregular figure as in fig. 6 requires &
similar irregularly formed cam as indicated at 6 The guide is constituted either
by the outer edge or periphery of a plate as indicated in figs. 1 and 2 against
which an antifriction roller c on the reed chamber is constantly pressed by a
spring d or as indicated in fig. 7 the said guide, may consist of a groove in which
travels an antifriction roller c attached to the reed chamber or again it may
consist of a ring or a continuous rail f. fig. 8, carried by radial arms g and
working between two antifriction rollers c¹ c². According to another arrangement
illustrated in fig. 9 a blunt edge or point c³ may be substituted for the roller c.
The form of the guide or cam being selected according to that of a given music-
sheet, or conversely the form of the music-sheet being selected according to the
form of the guide, in such a manner, that all the individual points on a given
music sheet measured radially are equidistant or nearly so from the cam, the
position of the noses h¹ h² h³ of all the levers will invariably coincide with the
curves ¹³ ³ and will be operated by meeting with the holes or the elevations and
depressions as they present themselves in accordance with the tune to be played.
The movement of the levers thus produced by the music-sheet alternately opens
and closes the valves k¹, k², k³.
The reed-chamber is arranged in the usual manner the various compartments
thereof being supplied with wind by a bellows delivering the wind into a
reservoir or accumulator m whence it proceeds through a sufficiently wide
opening n fig. 2 into the reed-chamber T which travels in guides o forming an air
tight joint therewith upon a board or platform p. As the reed-chamber, not
being rigidly attached to the sides of the wind chest or casing, changes its position
relatively to the sides of the wind-chest, the arm q which supports the music-
sheet a by counteracting the upward springy pressure of the levers h¹ h³ is
provided with a longitudinal groove.
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
A mechanical or automatic musical instrument in which the reed chamber (T) is
made moveable and is caused to change its position relatively to the casing of the
instrument in accordance with the form of the music-sheet (a) by means of a cam
shaped device (6 61 6) the latter being arranged to correspond with the form of
the music-sheet, substantially as set forth.
n
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