Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Sept.. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1895-Accepted. 29th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I, JOHANN EMIL MUCKER, Watch Maker of No. 7 Petersteinweg, Leipzig,
Germany do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to the operation of the valves in mechanical
musical wind instruments. In instruments of this class, the longer or shorter
duration of the tones, to correspond to the duration of the notes has been effected
by varying the size or formation of the pins of the rotary pin cylinder, or the pins
or studs or perforations of the note sheet, endless band, disc, or the like, so that
the valve might be retained open the required length of time by the operation of
the said pins, studs or perforations on the valves direct or on the valve levers.
This involves complications in the manufacture of the note sheets, and also impedes
the movement of the note sheet disc or endless band, rendering it uneven owing to
the varying strains put upon the individual pins studs or the like. The object
of the present invention is to make the duration of the tone, dependent, not upon
the various sizes of the pins studs or perforation, but upon the distance apart of
two pins studs or perforations.
The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, for instance the
valve may be mounted on a pivoted lever having its opposite end arranged to
contact with the note sheet pins, studs or perforations, moving above it; thus when
the said lever has been depressed by the note sheet, a spring lever may grip over
it and retain it in such position, thus keeping the valve open until a second stud,
or pin pushes back the retaining lever and allows the valve to close. The second
stud or pin may advantageously have a position laterally with regard to the first
so that the first will operate the valve lever and the second the retaining lever, in
their passage over the same. Or the second stud or pin may be bifurcated so as
to pass over the valve lever and only operate the retaining lever in its passage.
Or the valve lever may have a second lever arranged alongside of it and one
stud or pin of the note sheet or disc may operate the valve lever which will then
be retained in its open position, whilst the next stud or pin may operate. the
secondary lever in such manner that the saine may serve to push back the
retaining lever and release the valve lever. Or instead of arranging the valve
on the valve lever the same may be arranged or an extra lever and the latter
operated by either of the above mentioned devices. The construction may be
modified in many and various ways without departing from the spirit. of my
invention which consists in having separate studs, pins or perforations for opening
and closing the valves.
1004

page_text: I, JOHANN EMIL MUCKER, Watch Maker of No. 7 Petersteinweg, Leipzig,
Germany do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to the operation of the valves in mechanical
musical wind instruments. In instruments of this class, the longer or shorter
duration of the tones, to correspond to the duration of the notes has been effected
by varying the size or formation of the pins on the rotary pin cylinder, or the pins
or studs or perforations of the note sheet, endless band disc or the like, so that the
valve might be retained open the required length of time by the operation of the
said pins, studs or perforations on the valves direct, or on the valve levers. This
involves complications in the manufacture of the note sheets, and also impedes the
movement of the note sheet disc or endless band, rendering it uneven owing to
the varying strains put upon individual pins, studs etc. The object of the present
invention is to make the duration of the tone, dependent not upon the various
sizes of the pins, studs or perforations, but upon the distance apart of two pins
studs or perforations.
And in order to make the present Specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views :-
Fig. 1 being a sectional elevation showing the parts in position with the valve
closed,
Fig. 2 an end elevation of Figure 1,
Fig. 3 a plan of Figure 1,
Fig. 4 a sectional side elevation showing the valve open and the valve lever
depressed by a pin or stud of the note band or disc.
Fig. 5 a plan of Figure 4,
Fig. 6 shows the release of the valve lever by the next following pin or stud,
Fig. 7 shows in sectional side elevation, a modified form of the device the valve
being opened and closed by means of two levers arranged side by side,
Fig. 8 an end elevation of Figure 7,
Fig. 9 a plan of Figure 7,
Fig. 10 shows a sectional side elevation of a further modification, the valve
being closed,
Fig. 11 an end elevation of Figure 10,
Fig. 12 a similar sectional elevation to Figure 10, but with the valve open,
Fig. 13 a plan of the note band or sheet as employed in connection with the
device shown in Figures 1 to 6 and
Fig. 14 a similar view of the note sheet, used in connection with the modifications
of Figures 7 to 12.
Referring to Figures, 1 to 6 and 13:-The valve is supported at the end of a
pivoted lever D and normally held closed by means of a spring .
The opposite
end of said lever is provided with an upwardly extending projection y adapted to
contact with the pins, studs or projections of the note sheet or band, as the latter
moves in the direction indicated by an arrow in each figure. A retaining spring f
contacts with the end of the lever D and is adapted to catch over the said
projection y and retain the lever, when depressed, in a depressed position as may
be seen at Fig. 4. When the pin or stud c of the note sheet comes into contact

page_text: with the lever end y the latter will be depressed and the spring will catch over
the end of the same and retain it in a depressed position until the next pin or
stud d comes along. This latter then pushes back the retaining spring fand
releases the lever D allowing the valve to close. In order that the first stud or
piuc may not push back the retaining spring the latter is advantageously made
with a bifurcated upper end as may be seen at Figure 2 and the pin c is narrower
than the following pin d, thus the former will pass through the bifurcation of the
spring and not touch the same, allowing said spring to grip, over the end of the
lever D, whilst the latter being broader (Fig. 13) will push the spring f back and
release the lever D. From the foregoing description it will be evident that the
length of time, during which the valve remains open will depend on the distance of
the first pin c from the second or releasing pin d of the note sheet. Figure 4
shows the lever detained and Figure 6 shows the second pin d releasing the
same.
In the modification shown in Figures 7 8 and 9 the lever D is freed by means
of a second lever D' operated by the pin d, which is in this case of similar form
to the pin c and arranged laterally of the same on the note sheet. In this modifi-
cation the spring grips over a toe y' of the end y of the lever D said spring
having an upwardly extending end which contacts with a second lever D' arranged
alongside the lever D when the hook of said spring is in engagement with the
toe y of the lever D. The end of the secondary lever D' is so formed that when
it is depressed by the pin d of the note band it will bear against the upper end of
the spring and push the same back disengaging it from the toe y'. The valve is
returned to its seat in this case by means of a spring arranged at the further
end of the lever D. The pin d (Fig. 14) being arranged on the note sheet
laterally of the pin c will only contact with the lever D₁ whilst the pin c will
contact with the lever D.
In the modification shown in Figures 10 to 12 the lever D does not operate the
valve direct but by means of an intermediate lever D' the spring f being adapted
in this case to engage under a nose y² of the lever D and being pushed back out
of engagement with the same by the lever D' having a foot g. The valve lever D*
is closed by a spring.
It is obvious that the construction may be modified in many and various ways.
without departing from the nature of my invention.
The advantage of this improvement is that the note sheet runs as evenly and
lightly as the pin roller of the ordinary musical works, that the note band may be
moved very slowly and consequently more notes compressed into less space, excess
of pressure is avoided and a less complicated lever arrangement afforded.
The note sheets can be pressed or stamped out since the pins or studs are all of
the same form, or at any rate not more than two different kinds of pin are
employed.
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 valve operating device for mechanical musical instruments consisting of
a spring pressed lever attached to the valve, a pin, stud or projection on the note
sheet or disc to depress said lever, means for retaining said lever in a depressed
condition and a second pin, stud or projection on the note sheet to release said
lever, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the valve operating device covered by Claim 1, varying
the form of the opening and closing pins, studs or projections, so that the former
shall only contact with the valve lever, and the latter shall act to release said lever
from its retaining spring.
3. In a valve operating device according to Claim 1, the arrangement of the
valve opening pins, studs or projections, on the note sheet, laterally of the releasing
or closing pins, studs or projections, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. In a valve operating device the arrangement of two levers to actuate said
valve, one operating to open the valve and the other to close same, said levers
being arranged side by side or one behind the other substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.