IMPROVE- MENTS IN ORGANS AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND IN APPARATUS POR PREPARING OR PRODUCING CERTAIN ARTICLES TO BE USED THEREIN
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Michael Henry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th July
1864. A communication from abroad by Joseph Antoine Testé, of
33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ORGANS AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND IN APPARATUS POR
PREPARING OR PRODUCING CERTAIN ARTICLES TO BE USED THEREIN,” communicated
to me from abroad by Joseph Antoine Testé, 33, Boulevart Saint Martin,
Paris, France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus which, to avoid repetition, I call the
cartonium, and which is intended for putting portions of musical instruments
in action; it is especially applicable to organs, harmoniums, and the like.
One or more perforated cards or similar material, somewhat resembling
the cards of a jacquard, are introduced into the instrument and caused to
move, and as they move they act on pipes, reeds, strings, toothed plates,
harmonica plates, and other sounding or sonorous parts of the instruments,
thus constituting what may be called mechanical musical instruments. The
perforations are longer or shorter according to the value of the note. The
portions of the cartonium which work the cards may be in connection with
the keys in keyed instruments, or with other appliances, on which the per-
former acts. Various modes may be adopted for working the cards.

page_text: In order that the Invention may be understood I first describe one
arrangement for combining it with an organ. Here the conductors, stickers,
trackers, transmitting trundle bars, or connections of the sound board are
square, and work in guides; two independent pressures are exerted on
them, the keyboard levers pressing on them at top, and the cartonium levers
bearing on them at bottom. The bellows are connected and worked by a
beam or lever, one pump being depressed by a weight, while the other rises.
The cartonium has a hinged set of keys carrying nozzles, which pass into a
comb, and are actuated by the cards; from these keys motion is trans-
mitted to a fan-shaped or diverging arrangement of arms or levers, which
communicate motion from the cartonium to the sound board. This arrange-
ment is suspended on a saddle piece, and pressed against the sound board,
conductors, transmitters, or connections by springs. The driving and pressing
barrels are clothed with caoutchouc, the latter and a fluted or toothed
cylinder rest on sliding bearings, and exert pressure by springs. The cards
work on a platform, and are introduced under the cylinders by a double-action
lever, consisting of a shaft carrying a tooth or pin and a cam, the former
engaging and depressing the conductors, trackers, stickers, transmitting
trundle bars or levers, and the latter raises a T-piece, which lifts the barrels.
The instrument is worked by a treadle through gearing, for example, by a
ratchet wheel, which works a stud on the shaft; when the treadle is moved in
the right direction the keyboard is raised and depressed, and when depressed
the keys engage the levers; when raised they release them. A blank card
is first inserted, and when brought forward by the treadle a perforated card
is introduced, which passes over the combs, and the conductors, trackers,
levers, stickers, transmitting trundle bars, or connections pass through the
perforations, the levers descend, and the pipes speak. In this arrangement
'one treadle works the bellows, and a separate one drives the instrument, so
that the tone and rhythm can be modulated.
The cartonium may be applied in like manner to harmoniums, the reeds
being in the air chamber. In one arrangement the sound-board valves are
sustained by a spring, and the same set of conductors, transmitters, trundle,
or connections serve for both keyboard and cartonium. Levers actuated by
the keys work the conductors, transmitters, trundle, or connections. The
'comb consists of two nippers or plates, in which is the axis of a set of rollers.
A metallic band keeps the cards in a line. As the conductors, stickers,
trackers, levers, transmitting trundle bars, or connections sink they bear
against the rollers, and as they rise they impinge against the comb. They
are worked down by a double lever, which raises the T-piece and barrels; it

page_text: is moved by cross bars actuated by a rod passing through the cartonium guides.
The ends of the fan levers are forked.
The cartonium may be applied in like manner to organs, with free reeds
and no keyboard. In one arrangement the keys work on a hinge or axis;
each key has a nozzle, which passes into the comb, and a valve corresponding
to one of the mouths, which it closes; when the card presses or comes against
the nozzle of the key the springs raise the keys when the perforations in the
cards permit. A double lever works the T-piece and depresses the keys.
For perforating the cards a machine may be employed consisting of two
lattice or cross-barred frames, between which the card is inserted. Punches
are arranged in the openings or spaces of the upper frame, and are driven
through the interposed cardboard, which they cut at the edges of the openings
in the lower frame, and so punch the required holes. The frames may be
supported on a grid and hinged. The upper frame may be worked by a
lever, and the punches pressed down by a roller. The punches are arranged
to correspond with the required notes.