Year: 1887

page_text: I, AUGUST SCHMIDT, of Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In mechanical musical instruments operated by music sheets it is advantageous to
render the working of the valve mechanism and of the machine as noiseless and casy
as possible. The mechanism for operating the valves should also be so arranged, that
as many music signs as possible can be placed on the note course and furthermore if
music sheets of different breadths are to be employed suitable guides are required
for the music sheet.
The present improvements are adapted for these purposes consisting in the
arrangement of the valve mechanism and guiding of the music sheet.
The arrangement of the valve mechanism has the following essential peculiarities:
1. The valve flap is not forcibly moved by the note pin.
2. Two separately acting springs are employed, one of which influences the note
pin, while the other acts freely on the valve flap.
3. The point of the note pin is very small and the pressure of the same against the
music sheet is very slight.
The special arrangement of the mechanism is as follows:
Against the music sheet is pressed, by means of a special spring, the note pin which
is fastened with its other extremity to a horizontal lever revolvable round a fixed
pivot. This lever is provided with a projecting hook which catches on to the end of
a second lever. This latter is revolvable round a fixed pivot and at its outer end is
suspended the flap. The flap is freely movable as soon as the lever is in its lowest
position, a spring is arranged to press lightly on the flap and afford a tight closing of
the same.
The Hap is moved by the action of the levers and of the note pin when the
latter arrives in a slit in the music sheet. For the note pin a very slight point is
required, as the two springs act independently of each other and in opposite
directions, the pressure of the note pins on the music sheet is therefore very slight so
that the working of the instrument is considerably easier.
In place of the above described lever arrangement for the flaps an opening spring

page_text: may be arranged on the flap, which spring tends to open the flap, which can however
only be done, when the respective note pin enters into a recess or slot in the music
sheet, this spring serves at the same time for the elastic fastening of the flap to the
casing to which it is secured by a bead. The secure closing of the flap is produced
by pressing down the note pin by the music sheet, the said note pin operating a
pivoted lever to the outer end of which the spring controlling the flap is attached.
Owing to the small size of the points of the note pins, the music signs or slots
may be considerably smaller and shorter and a very long music piece can be arranged
on a proportionately small sheet.
The essential object of the mechanism is that the valve flap is closed by a spring
acting independently of the note pin, so that a secure closing of the single flaps is
always ensured, whereas hitherto on account of a few less tightly closing flaps, the
note pins had to be provided with particularly strong pressing springs.
To allow disc or ring-shaped music sheets of different sizes to be played on an
instrument with non-displaceable mechanism and displaceable music-sheet-impulsion
mechanism, the following moving and guiding mechanism is employed for the music
sheets. This mechanism consists of a horizontal impulsion axle carrying a wheel,
which catches into a curved row of holes in the music sheet. Besides this axle a
guide pin is used, against which the outer circular moving rim of the music sheet
abuts.
By turning the axle the wheel is moved and the music sheet, which may have any
suitable diameter and be disc or ring-shaped, moves likewise, the music signs sliding
in proper succession over the key pins. The centre of the respective revolving music
sheet does not fall into the extension of the axial line of the axle but lies on a line,
which is perpendicular to a line connecting the two outer circle-points of the music
sheet, viz the contact point of the guiding pin and the point in the outer periphery
of the music sheet, at which the axial line of the impulsion shaft cuts the same.
Since
the key-pin-row coincides with the impulsion shaft and the centre of the music sheet
does not lie in this line, the music signs must not be arranged radially but the
sychronous notes must be arranged on lines forming tangents to a circle, the radius
of which is equal to the distance of the centre of the music sheet from the axial line of
the impulsion axle, or from the centre line of pin rows lying parallel to the said axle.
In place of this arrangement however, the pin-row need not coincide with the
driving axle, but be arranged on the line on which is situated the centres of all the
music sheets so that the pin row is always a radius of the respective music sheet, in
consequence of which the ordinary radial arrangement of the music signs is sufficient.
It is essential for the improved mechanism for moving music sheets, that the music
sheet be moved by aid of an impulsion wheel and guided by a guide pin the centre
of the music sheet not falling into the extension of the axis of the impulsion axle.
The guide-pin may be displaceable if required.
HERBERT & Co.,
67, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.

page_text: I, AUGUST SCHMIDT of Leipzig in the Empire of Germany Manufacturer 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 mechanical musical instruments in which the tone flaps
are operated by note pins through intervening mechanism, and the improvements
relate, in part, to such intervening mechanism.
A further improvement relates to such instruments as are operated by a circular
music sheet and its purpose is to adapt the instrument to be operated by, and to
receive and move, music sheets of different diameters, so that melodies or music pieces
of different length may be properly played through.
The valve actuating mechanism is peculiar in that the valve flap is not moved by
force exerted by the note pin, two separately acting springs are employed, one of
which influences the note pin, while the other acts upon the valve or flap, and the
distance through which the point of the note pin moves is very small, its pressure
against the music sheet being slight.
Referring to the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections and
Fig. 3 a part of a horizontal section of a mechanical musical instrument showing the
arrangement of the valves and other parts.
Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a mode of connecting the note pins and flap levers.
Figs. 6 to 9 illustrate a modification of said connections.
Figs. 10 to 18 illustrate the means for holding and operating the music sheet.
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 the note pins B are connected to the levers D the latter
being pivoted at the end to a post or rail b and carrying at the other end an eye d
through which passes the spring i. The spring i is curved in the manner shown and
firmly fixed at its inner end by a bead J. The valve or flap F is connected to this
spring as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and the spring tends to open the valve when the
pressure is released from the lever D through ascent of the note pin into a perforation
or recess in the music sheet. The upward movement of the pin B is limited by the
abutment of the spring i against the forwardly extending edge of the bead J.
In Figs 6 to 10. the note pin B is raised by the spring a and it is connected to the
end of the lever D the latter being fulcrumed between said connection and the other
end which is connected to the lever E by a sleeve d sliding on the end of said lever.
The lever E is pivoted at e and connected in the manner shown to the flap F, the
latter, being pressed upon the orifice by the spring f.
-
In both these constructions the vertical movement necessary for the note pin B is
very short, and the perforations or slots of the music sheet may be made smaller and
shorter so that a longer piece of music may be comprised in any length of music
sheet than was heretofore the case.
The essential improvement lies in the fact that the valve flaps are normally closed
by springs acting independently of the note pins, and are therefore always properly
closed when not operated by said pins.
Figs. 10 to 18 show the device for holding music sheets, discs or rings, of varying

page_text: diameter, as applied to such musical instruments in which neither the pins nor music
sheet feed is displaceable. The music sheet feed consists of a toothed wheel K fixed
upon a shaft H alligned parallel to the row of note pin points. The teeth of the
wheel K engage into perforations arranged in a curved or circular row in the music
sheet.
A guide pin or pulley is likewise arranged for the outer edge of the
music shect to abut against. On turning the shaft H, the wheel K revolves and the
music sheet revolves therewith the note slots passing in due succession over the note
pins. The centre of the revolving music slicet does not fall in the line of the axle H
or of the note pins, but in a line L perpendicular to and bisecting the line m joining
the two peripheral points klk being the contact of the guide pin, and 7 that point in
the outer periphery of the music sheet at which the axial line of the shaft H cuts the
same. Since the line of note pin points corresponds with that of the shaft H, the
signs must not be arranged radially on the music sheet but the synchronous tones
must be arranged upon lines tangential to the circle, the radius of which is the distance
between the centre of the music sheet and the line of the axis of the shaft H. (Fig. 13)
or of the pins. In place of this arrangement the driving axle may be arranged at a
distance from the note pins, the latter being placed upon the line L-since the centres
of all the music sheets irrespective of their radius lie in this line, the synchronous
music slots may be arranged radially in the usual manner.
The guide k may also be made displaceable as indicated in Fig. 16 so that the centre
of the music sheet may be brought into greater or less proximity to the line of the
shaft H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
In mechanical musical instruments,
1) The combination of note pin B lever D pivoted at b and connected to spring i-
valve flap F on said spring, and bead J fixing said spring substantially as set forth.
2) The combination with note pin B, spring a adapted to lift said pin, levers D
and E connected as set forth, and flap F of spring operating to close said flap
substantially as set forth.
3) As a music sheet feed mechanism the combination of shaft H having toothed
wheel K with guide pink substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4) The combination with shaft H having toothed wheel K, and guide pin or
equivalent k, fixed or adjustable, of music note pins arranged in a row parallel to said
shaft as set forth.
5) The combination with shaft H having toothed wheel K, and guide pin or
equivalent of note pins arranged upon a line L described in the manner set forth.
6) In a music sheet of annular, circular or curvilinear form, a row of perforations
or equivalent engagement for the feed mechanism, and note slots or equivalents
arranged for synchronous operation in lines tangential to the circle the centre of
which is the rotary centre of the music sheet and the radius of which is the distance
between said centre and the line of the note pin points or the extension or production
of said line.
Date L 1
AUGUST SCHMIDT.
By Herbert & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.