Apparatus for Preparing Perforated Sheets for Automatic. Musical Instruments.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1887
Complete Left, 16th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Apparatus for Preparing Perforated Sheets for Automatic. Musical
Instruments.
I, JULES CARPENTIER of 20 Rue Delambre, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for preparing perforated sheets such as are
employed for automatic musical instruments, these sheets being so perforated that
the position of each hole determines the note to be sounded and the length of the
hole determines its duration. My apparatus consists of two separate machines, the
one for preparing a ternplate or pattern sheet by punching in it holes in the proper
places, and the other in which this pattern sheet or ternplate is used to govern the
action of punches for perforating any number of sheets successively to the same
pattern. In the first machine, the ternplate sheet of card or other suitable material
to be perforated is caused to advance step by step between guides, which can be set
so as to bring a number of parallel lines of the sheet successively within the range
of a punch. This punch is engaged by a pin in a notched slot of a vertical slide
caused to reciprocate by a crank above; when the slide is in one position it moves
up and down without acting on the punch, the pin of which is then free in the slot.
But when the slide is moved by hand transversely the pin of the punch is engaged
in the notch of the slot and then the punch is caused to make a stroke perforating
the sheet below it. Thus, as the sheet is moved step by step onwards, while the
punching slide reciprocates, such holes as are required are punched in a row along
the sheet. When one row is done, the sheet guides are moved one step laterally and
another row is punched in like manner. The ternplate sheet thus prepared is taken
to the second machine where it is wound partly round a grooved roller. There is a
groove corresponding to each row of holes, and against the sheet bear a number of
spring feelers one for each row of holes. Each of those feelers is connected to a
reciprocating rod below which is a punch. The roller is caused to turn step by step
while the sheet to be punched advances step by step under the punches. Whenever
a hole presents itself in the ternplate, the corresponding feeler advances into it, thus
bringing the reciprocating rod immediately over one of the punches, and then by the
descent of the rod, the punch is depressed making a hole in the sheet corresponding

page_text: to that in the ternplate. When a hole in the ternplate is of such length that the
roller moves several steps while the feeler remains advanced into the hole, the
corresponding punch makes successive descents through the sheet below, forming a
continuous hole through it corresponding in length with the hole in the ternplate.
The apparatus described are such as are suited for rectangular sheets intended to
travel longitudinally in the automatic musical instruments to which they are applied.
In some such instruments, revolving perforated discs are employed instead of longi-
tudinally travelling sheets. For preparing discs of this kind, mechanism is employed
acting in way similar to that described, the movement of the sheets being arranged to
take place in a rotary instead of a rectilineal motion.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. .
Apparatus for Preparing Perforated Sheets for Automatic Musical
Instruments.
I, JULES CARPENTIER of 20 Rue Delambre, Paris, France, Engineer 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 apparatus for preparing perforated sheets such as are
employed for automatic musical instruments these sheets being so perforated that the
position of each hole determines the note to be sounded and the length of the hole
determines its duration. My apparatus consists of two separate machines, the one for
preparing a ternplate or pattern sheet by punching in it holes in the proper places, and
the other in which this pattern sheet or ternplate is used to govern the action of punches
for perforating any number of sheets successively to the same pattern. In the first
machine the ternplate sheet of card or other suitable material to be perforated is caused to
advance step by step between guides, which can be set so as to bring a number of parallel
lines of the sheet successively within the range of a punch. This punch is engaged by a
pin in a notched slot of a vertical slide caused to reciprocate by a crank above, when
the slide is in one position it moves up and down without acting on the punch the
pin of which is then free in the slot. But when the slide is moved by hand trans-
versely the pin of the punch is engaged in the notch of the slot and then the punch is
caused to make a stroke perforating the sheet below it. Thus, as the sheet is moved
step by step onwards while the punching slide reciprocates, such holes as required are

page_text: punched in a row along the sheet. When one row is done, the sheet guides are
moved one step laterally and another row is punched in like manner. The ternplate
sheet thus prepared is taken to the second machine where it is wound partly round a
grooved roller. There is a groove corresponding to each row of holes, and against
the sheet bear a number of spring feelers, one for each row of holes. Each of those
feelers is connected to a reciprocating rod below which is a punch. The roller is
caused to turn step by step while the sheet to be punched advances step by step under
the punches. Whenever a hole presents itself in the ternplate, the corresponding
feeler advances into it, thus bringing the reciprocating rod immediately over one of
the punches, and then by the descent of the rod, the punch is depressed making a
hole in the sheet corresponding to that in the ternplate. When a hole in the ternplate
is of such length that the roller moves several steps while the feeler remains advanced
into the hole, the corresponding punch makes successive descents through the sheet
below forming a continuous hole through it corresponding in length with the hole in
the ternplate.
The apparatus described are such as are suited for rectangular sheets intended to
travel longitudinally in the automatic musical instrument to which they are applied.
In some such instruments revolving perforated discs are employed instead of longi-
tudinally travelling sheets. For preparing discs of this kind mechanism is employed
acting in a way similar to that described, the movement of the sheets being arranged
to take place as a rotary instead of a rectilineal motion.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 is
a front view, all partly sectional of the machine for preparing the ternplate or pattern.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew on an enlarged scale in front view and vertical section the
arrangement for engaging the punch A is the frame carrying a revolving spindle B
with fly wheel D and driving pulley at its one end and at the other end a crank or
eccentric which by means of a link F is connected to the pin that works the vertically
guided slide G. This slide carries the punch H, and beside the punch is a foot I to
hold down the punched sheet when the punch rises. The pin at the lower end of the
rod F works freely in a slot a without moving the punch, but when it is pushed to one
side so as to enter the notch b the slide G and punch H are caused to reciprocate.
This lateral movement is effected by the bolt K which has a slot e in which the pin
can work. The ternplate sheet to be punched is guided to move transversely in a
frame L which is set for the successive rows of holes by inserting a pin d into the
'successive holes e in the table of the machine. Fig. 6 is a side view, Fig. 7 a front
view and Fig. 8 is a plan of the machine in which the punched ternplate sheet is
employed to determine the punching of copies. Fig. 9 is a part section on an
enlarged scale shewing the feeler mechanism for actuating one of the punches.
A pulley M drives a spindle N at the opposite end of which is a disc O with a crank
pin P engaging the teeth of a wheel which is thus turned one tooth for each
revolution of the spindle N, and is brought to its exact position by the pressure of a
roller between two teeth, this pressure being given by a spring pressing upwards
the army which carries the roller. The shaft Q' of the wheel O drives a roller R
covered with caoutchouc and above this is a grooved roller S. Between these rollers R
and S pass together the ternplate sheet and also the sheet to be punched. In front
of each of the grooves of S is mounted one of the feelers T which is pivotted at i and
bears against one end of a rod V fitted to slide with moderate friction in a hole of the
frame X.
The other end of V bears against an arm U pivotted at K and pushed
inwards by a spring Y whereby the nose of the feeler T is pressed against the
ternplate sheet that is on the face of the roller S. Whenever the nose of T enters a
hole of the sheet, taking the position indicated by the dotted lines the arm U moves
inwards so as to come immediately over the head n of the punch o. At this moment the
slide Z which carries the arms U is drawn down by two rods m m³ worked by cranks
on the spindle N. If the feeler T has entered a hole the descent of U forces down
the punch o punching a hole in the sheet which travels under it. The slide Z rising
again by means of a lip p projecting under the head n of the punch raises the punch.
If the feeler T does not find a hole in the ternplate to enter Z makes its stroke without
9,

page_text: acting on the punch o. While the slide Z is up the wheel Q is turned advancing
both sheets one division. When the hole in the ternplate is short the edge of it
acting on the oblique index face of I pushes T back, but if the hole in the ternplate is
long, the feeler T remains for a time advanced and consequently the punch o makes
several successive contiguous perforations forming in the sheet a hole of length
corresponding to that in the ternplate. When the ternplate is of thin or weak
material the strain on the edge of a hole in pushing back the nose 7 of the feeler may
be avoided by using the modified arrangement shewn in Fig. 10. The feeler T is
extended upwards and terminates in a nose r which bears against a revolving cam ("
timed to the movement of the slide Z, the cam C" withdrawing the feeler.
Several sheets may be perforated at one time as determined by one ternplate. And
by arranging the rods V in a divergent manner so that the punches are farther apart
than the grooves of S, sheets wider than the ternplate can be perforated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The machine for perforating the ternplate or pattern sheet, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
2. The machine for perforating sheets as determined by ternplate, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive of the drawings.
3. As a subordinate combination in the machine referred to in claim 2 the grooved
roller S the feelers T rods V spring arms U and punches o arranged and operating
together substantially as described with reference to Fig. 9.
4. As a subordinate combination in the machine referred to claim 2 the modi-
fication substantially as described with reference to Fig. 10, wherein the feeler is
moved back by a revolving cam.
Dated this 16th day of February 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.