IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO AUTOMATIC HARMONICA
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and
323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer for an Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO AUTOMATIC HARMONICA
A communication from abroad by Moses Harris, of the City, County, and
State of New York.
Jp
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd December 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors
6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn
in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO AUTOMATIC HARMONICA" A communication from abroad from Moses Harris
of the City County and State of New York.
This Invention relates to mechanical musical instruments or toys in which a
perforated sheet of paper is employed to regulate the admission of air to the reeds
and the Invention consists with combination of a perforated strip or sheet of
paper or music sheet and a flexible wind-chest or air-compression pump with an
ordinary harmonica or similar instrument whereby the latter is made to execute
tunes automatically.
My Invention consists. First in an ordinary harmonica or musical instrument
having a reed plate fixed in a suitable air chamber and carrying reeds riveted
thereto over air ports, said instruments being permanently fixed in supporting
standards which latter also support drums on opposite sides of the instrument
which are provided with crank handles and carry the perforated music sheet.
On the top of the instrument an open rectangular frame is secured by dowels
from the inner edges of which preferably strips of leather or other flexible material
project inward to near the edges of the air ducts and are designed to rest on the
instrument or on the music sheet to prevent the escape of air from the bellows
excepting through said air ducts.

page_text: On the top of the open rectangular frame is firmly secured a double bellows or
air pump for operating the instrument.
The central board or diaphragm is provided with air ports controlled by a
valve hinged on the under side of said diaphragm and flexible ribs connect the
sides and opposite end of the diaphragm with the opposite end and sides of the
frame.
To the free or unhinged end of the diaphragm is hinged the bellows or pump
top of the same dimensions with the said diaphragm and with its free end
extending over plumb with the hinged end of the latter Said top is provided
with air ports that are controlled by a valve hinged on the under side and is
connected with the diaphragm by flexible ribs..
Fastened on top of the pump or bellows top is a handle wherewith the operator
may, when the instrument is in operation make the tones of the reeds louder by
pressing down on said handle or may make the tones softer by retarding the
collapsing of said bellows, thus producing a crescendo diminuendo or tremolo
effect at will. This air pump may be enclosed in a cover or casing secured on the
top of the frame in which case the handle may be dispensed with and a push-pin
or key may be entered centrally and vertically through the top of the cover and
be securely attached to the movable board of the said pump or bellows, whereby
the action of said pump or bellows may be controlled at will.
When the said pump or bellows is drawn upward the valves open and said
pump is filled with air through the ports then by rocking said pump laterally,
first depressing the free end of the diaphragm and then elevating it and at the
same time depressing the free end of the bellows top and then elevating the latter
and simultaneously depressing the former again, a constant supply of air is
admitted into the pump and forced through the perforations in the music sheet
and through the air ducts to operate the reeds and cause them to give out musical
tones.
While working the bellows or pump with one hand, the operator turns with the
other hand a handle to draw the music sheet over the air ducts whereby the
admission of air to the reeds is regulated.
Each drum being provided with a handle the music sheet can be drawn back
and forth so that the tune can be played from the beginning, to the end and the
reverse.
These drums are removable so that one music sheet can be readily replaced by
another.
A removable air reservoir or chest can be used which is adapted to be set over
a perforated music sheet upon the action board of air instruments and which is
provided with interior flexible strips to prevent the escape of air from its sides,
and the combination of parts by which such a construction or its equivalent is
adapted to be used upon an ordinary harmonica or similar instrument is a very
useful part of this Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuanco of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd June 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING
TO AUTOMATIC HARMONICA." A communication from abroad by Moses Harris,
of the City, County, and State of New York.
This Invention relates to mechanical musical instruments or toys in which a
perforated sheet of paper is employed to regulate the admission of air to the reeds,
and the Invention consists in the combination of a perforated strip or sheet of
paper or music sheet and a flexible wind chest or air-compression pump with an
ordinary harmonica or similar instrument, whereby the latter is made to executo
tunes automatically.
Fig. 1. is a sectional front elevation of the improved instrument on line y Y,
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. is a sectional end elevation of the same on line x x Fig. 1.-Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.-In the Drawings A represents an
ordinary harmonica or musical instrument having a reed plate A¹ fixed in a suitable
air chamber c and carrying reeds b, b, riveted thereto over air ports d. d, said
instrument A being permanently fixed in supporting standards B which latter also
support the drums C-on opposite sides of the instrument A, which are provided
with crank handles D, and carry the perforated music sheet E.
On the top of the instrument A an open rectangular frame F is secured by
dowels ff as shown in Fig. 1-from the inner edges of which, preferably strips g
of leather or other flexible material project inward to near the edges of the air
ducts a, and are designed to rest on the instrument A or on the music sheet E to
prevent the escape of air from the bellows H excepting through said air
ducts a, a.
On the top of this frame F is firmly secured the double bellows or air pump H
for operating the instrument-The central board or diaphragm h, is provided with
air ports i. i controlled by a valve hinged on the under side of said diaphragm h,
and flexible ribs / connect the sides and opposite end of the diaphragm h with the
opposite end and sides of the frame F.
To the free or unhinged end of the diaphragm h is hinged the bellows or pump
top m of the same dimensions with the said diaphragm and with its free end
extending over, plumb, with the binged end of the latter. Said top m is provided
with air ports n, n, that are controlled by a valve o, hinged on the under side; and
is connected with the diaphragm h, by flexible ribs p.
Fastened on top of the pump or bellows top m is a handle I wherewith the
operator may, when the instrument is in operation, make the tones of the reeds
louder by pressing down on said handle, or may make the tones softer by retarding
the collapsing of said bellows, thus producing a crescendo, dimimuendo or tremolo
effect at will. This air pump H, may be enclosed in a cover or casing secured on
the top of the frame F, in which case the handle I may be dispensed with and a
push pin or key may be entered centrally and vertically through the top of the
cover and be securely attached to the movable board of the said pump or bellows
whereby the action of said pump or bellows may be controlled at will.
When the said pump or bellows H is drawn upward the valves k, o, open, and
said pump H is filled with air through the ports i, u; then by rocking said pump H,

page_text: laterally first depressing the free end of the diaphragm and then elevating it
and at the same time depressing the free end of the top m and then elevating the
latter and simultaneously depressing the former again, a constant supply of air is
admitted into the pump H and forced through the perforations (not shown) in the
music sheet E and through the air ducts a to operate the reeds b b and cause them
to give out musical tones.
While working the bellows or pump H with one hand, the operator turns' with
the other hand, a handle D, to draw the music sheet E over the air ducts a, a,
whereby the admission of air to the reeds bb is regulated.
Each drum C being provided with a handle D, the music sheet E can be drawn
back and forth so that the tune can be played from the beginning to the end and
the reverse.
These drums C are removable so that one music sheet E can be readily replaced
by another.
In another application I have described a removable air reservoir or chest which
is adapted to be set over a perforated music sheet upon the action board of an
instrument, and which is provided with interior flexible strips to prevent the
escape of air from its sides and I therefore do not wish to cover broadly such a
construction in the present application, but what I particularly insist_upon_is
"the combination of parts by which such a construction or its equivalent is adapted
to be used upon an ordinary harmonica or similar instrument.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me I claim as new
and desire to secure by Letters Patent:-
1st. As an improved article of manufacture an automatic harmonica constructed
substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of an air pump or bellows
secured over the air ducts of an ordinary harmonica which is supported on a
suitable frame carrying a perforated music sheet placed between the pump or
bellows over the said air ducts, as set forth.
2nd. The combination with the harmonica A, of the perforated music sheet E,
and air pump or bellows H substantially as herein shown and described whereby
said instrument is automatically operated, as set forth.
3rd. The combination with the harmonica A of the fixed standards B, carrying
drums C, provided with cranks D, perforated music sheet E, frame F, and
removable air pump or bellows H, substantially as herein shown and described.
4th. The method as herein described of operating a harmonica, consisting in
forcing air from an air pump or bellows through the perforations in a perforated
music sheet into the air ducts of the said harmonica as set forth.
5th. The combination with a reed plate fixed in a suitable air chamber and
carrying reeds riveted thereto -said chamber and plate being permanently fixed in
supporting standards, which latter also support drums carrying a perforated music
sheet; of a removable bellows and pump set on or over said reed plate, substan-
tially as shown and described.
6th. The combination with the harmonica A of the open frame F secured thereto
by dowels ff and having strips g and the double bellows or pump H firmly secured
to the top of said frame, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty second day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.