Mechanism for Changing the Note Discs in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1899-Accepted, 22nd July, 1899
CONTULIE DEPOTICATION.
Mechanism for Changing the Note Discs in Mechanical Musical
Instruments.
I, ERNST PAUL RIESSNER, of Wahren, Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire,
Works Manager, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
The present invention comprises mechanism by means of which the note discs
of mechanical musical instruments, may be changed either automatically or by
hand according to a predetermined programme and the invention consists
essentially in mounting the said dises loosely on a shaft, adapted to be rotated
by the mechanism, and in rotating the said disc immediately it is brought into
operative relationship with the comb of notes, either from the periphery of the
said disc (in which case the supporting shaft may be stationary) or by coupling
it to the rotary supporting shaft as herein after particularly set forth.
In order to render the present specification easily intelligible reference is had
to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference denote similar
parts throughout the several views:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevation of a mechanical musical instrument having
n stationary disc supporting shaft, Fig. 2 a side elevation of Figure 1, Fig. 3 a
detail plan of the supporting fork for the driving gear for the disc, Fig. 4 a
detail front elevation of the tune indicating disc, Fig. 5 a plan of the said disc
showing its operating mechanism, and Fig. 5 a front elevation of the end of the
supporting shaft for the note discs.
Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation of a modified form of the device and Fig. 7
a sectional side elevation corresponding to Figure 6.
The note discs N N N N N are loosely mounted on the shaft or spindle A,
which is not rotary but is mounted to slide longitudinally in its bearings and is
provided at its outer end, at the outside of the instrument casing, with a plate B,
adapted to slide in a slot of the casing (Fig. 5^) and on which the names of the
various tunes which are played by the discs, are inscribed. The various discs
are separated by distance rings F F and are retained together on the shaft A
by means of a coiled spring (Fig. 1). The discs are supported by a frame having
members ss and s¹¹, said frame being adapted to slide on the spindle with the
discs. The frame, as also all the discs are provided with orifices D (Fig. 2) which
are large enough to allow the comb of sound producing tongues as indicated by E
to pass conveniently through the same. These tongues as also the mechanism for
striking the same by means of the note disc projections are of the known con-
struction and will not be further described here.
I will now describe the mechanism for automatically consecutively playing the
tunes marked on the programme, i.e. the mechanism for shifting the shaft A after
each tune as represented by each disc has been played. G represents the main
spring drum gear which drives the instrument. This gear meshes with a pinion <<<
on a shaft mounted in the upper part of the casing. The shaft e also carries a

page_text: pinion 6 meshing with a gear f mounted on a stub shaft and carrying on its face
a projecting segment d, which will be best seen from Figure 2. At each revolution
of the gear f, this segment will mesh with a gear g, mounted on the hollow
spindle of the disc C. Thus at each complete revolution of the wheelf the
fisc 1, which is mounted at the exterior of the casing, will be turned a part of
a revolution corresponding to the arc of the said segment d. The disc C is divided
into five segments or more or less as the case may be and in each segment the
name of the tune played by the corresponding disc N N N etc. is inscribed, so
that the stationary pointer m, affixed to the housing or casing and overhanging
the disc will indicate the tune being played at the time. Fast to the wheel g
is a cam cylinder h, having a number of consecutively arranged cams formed
thereon, corresponding to the number of note discs on the shaft A and one of the
said cams is caused to act on the upwardly bent end of the lever H each time
the note disc has completed its tune, and to pull or push the said lever H to the
left in Figure 1. The lever arm H is linked to the upper shorter end of a
pivoted lever J, the lower end of which is bifurcated and engages over or embraces
the shaft A, resting against the end of the disc sleeve on the said shaft. It should
be mentioned here that the said discs N N N etc. will be kept in their proper
Fosition on the shaft A by gravity, owing to the size of the orifices D), which are
above the point of suspension, viz. the shaft A of the said discs, as will be evident.
The presser arm L having the row of pressure discs of the known construction,
which serve to hold the operative radial surface of the disc in proper position as
regards the tongues of the comb, is held back out of the path of movement of
the discs, when the latter are being shifted by the mechanism herein after
described. As soon as the tune represented by one disc has been played, the
segment comes into engagement with the gear g and turns the same a corres-
ponding part of a revolution (in the present case one fifth), thus bringing the
next cam surface of the cylinder h into co-operation with the end of the lever H
and shifting the set of dishes N N N etc. on, so that the disc just played is
passed over the set of tongues E and the next disc brought into position under
the presser lever L, which has been thrown back during the movement into the
position shown at Figure 2. As soon as the said second disc has been pushed up
against the rolls of the comb mechanism, the arm L returns to its normal position
and keeps the radial part of the said disc in proper position as regards the tongue
operating mechanism. The names of the tunes on the plate B will also be moved
so that the name next the wall of the casing will be that of the disc at the time
in operation. The lever L is normally held in proper position under its guide and
pressure rolls by means of a cam ¹ made in one piece with, or fast on the drum
gear (, said cam having a dip as shown at Figure 2, which allows the short
arm Q of the pivotally supported lever L to fall and the spring r (Fig. 2) to act
after each tune has been played, so that at such moment the said lever W will be
withdrawn from the dise and will occupy the position shown at Figure 2. In the
device shown at Figures 1 and 2 the note disc is rotated by means of a peripheral
crown gear M the studs of which engage with corresponding teeth in the
periphery of the note disc (Fig. 2). This gear is mounted in a fork P P (Figs. 24
and 3) said fork being pivoted to the supporting plate at n and carrying a gear o
meshing with a gear o of the crown gear M.
spindle or pivot n which also carries a pinion (Fig. 3) meshing with the drum
The gear o is mounted on the
gear G, and thus the gear M is rotated and rotates the note disc. The arm P
of the crown gear supporting fork P P¹ is provided with a laterally extending 5
pin, which moves in a cam groove (Fig. 1) on the face of the gear G, the
cam groove being formed to raise the crown gear M out of contact with the note
dise when the tune has been completed, as shown at Figure 2. This movement
is also assisted by a spring r
If it is required to change the tune by hand instead of allowing the same to 5
change automatically, the spindle is pulled out by means of the button i, and
the dise (turned by means of a key fitting into the square orifice at the end of

page_text: the hollow spindle 7, until the cam surface of the cylinder h, corresponding to
the tune required has acted on the lever J, which will be shown by the movement
of the tune programme B owing to the action of the said cam.
The tune may
also be changed by simply pushing the shaft A inwardly or pulling the same out,
in which case the name on the plate B which lies next the wall of the casing will
indicate the tune which will be played. A snap spring of any known construction
may be employed to hold the shaft in the proper position to play the tune in
spite of the pressure spring acting on the sleeve carrying the discs.
In Figures 6 and the note discs are contained in a box running on rolls y y
on rails at the inside of the instrument casing. In this case the shaft A is rotary
being driven from the drum by means of gears W W and V and mounted in
bearings T. In this case the note discs are loose on the shaft A and the latter
is provided with coupling arms X in proper position before the tongues, the
discs having corresponding slots (Fig. 7) so that as each disc is pushed into
position before the comb, the said slots will engage over the arms X and become
coupled to the shaft for the time being. In order to shift the box by hand the
same is provided with a laterally extending handle u, projecting through a slot t
in the side of the casing so that it may be pushed backwards and forwards. The
tune programme 131 is affixed to the side of the box, and the tune being played
will be visible through an orifice at the side of the casing. The rear end of
the casing as at U may be turned down in order to take out the discs and rearrange
the same or substitute other discs therefor.
In this case the movement or rotation of the discs may either take place from
the rotary shaft or in the same manner as described with reference to Figures 1
and 2, and the longitudinal movement of the box may be effected by hand or by
means of a lever J as at Figure 1.
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
1: A mechanical musical instrument having interchangeable note discs, in
connection with which a number of note discs having orifices (D) are arranged
on a shaft (A), so as to form, in connection with the latter a note disc magazine,
the interchanging of the said note discs being effected by a sliding movement,
carried out either by hand or automatically by the co-operation of the driving
mechanism of the instrument, in that each disc is pushed up against the actuating
mechanism in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.
2: A modification of the device covered by Claim 1 according to which the
note discs are arranged in a box, and simultaneously loosely hung on a rotary
shaft (A), the said note discs being coupled to the said rotary shaft as they are
brought into position relatively to the sound producing tongues, the said box
being moveable by hand or automatically as described.
Datod + khh dow
1000
Datod #IN ORL
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.