IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSIC SHEETS FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Pieper, Civil-Engineer and Patent Agent resident
at 109-110 Gneisenaustrasse Berlin S.W. Prussia for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSIC SHEETS FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF a communication to me from Paul
Ehrlich, resident at Gohlis, near Leipsic, Saxony, German Empire,
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Pieper at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th December 1883.
CARL PIEPER, Civil-Engineer and Patent-Agent resident at 109-110 Gneisenau-
strasse Berlin S W., Prussia "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSIC SHEETS FOR MECHANICAL
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF," a communication to
me from Paul Ehrlich, residing in [resident at] Gohlis, [near] Leipsic, kingdom of
Saxony German Empire.
This invention relates to music-sheets by means of which melodies are produced in
mechanical musical instruments, and more especially it has reference, in the first
place, to the rotating disks employed in the instrument which is described in the
specification of the British letters patent N° 3360 A.D. 1882.
According to this specification, disks are used having perforations in them which
correspond to the notes of the melody to be performed, and which allow the beaks
of the valve-levers to rise in the order and for the time the notes are to be
sounded. In carrying out the invention it has, however, been found that it is
preferable to so arrange the disk and the levers that the beaks of the latter will
be depressed according as the reeds are to sound.
For this purpose the disk is made sufficiently strong and provided with pins and
cams corresponding to the order and length of the notes and adapted to act on
the ends of the valve-levers. Or, into the face of the disk grooves are turned
within which the pins and cams are fixed, and which, besides, serve to guide the
lever ends. When grooves are employed, the lever-operating parts may also be
formed by wires or strips of metal fixed across the grooves at the required points.
Another method of carrying out the disks consists in pressing or stamping the
required grooves and intervening projections into sheets or plates of suitable

page_text: material, such as soft paste board or a number of sheets of paper pasted together
as in making matrices for stereotyping. When the material used is adapted
therefor, the disks may subsequently be hardened by being impregnated with an
appropriate substance. In order to facilitate the making of the stamps for disks of
this kind, the inventor composes them of types similar to printing types, but
consisting of plain-ended bars of two different lengths, the longer ones for the
grooves, the shorter ones for the intervening parts corresponding to the notes.
These types may be set in grooves turned into a metal plate and having a depth
equal to the length of the shorter types, or they are set between rings in a suitable
frame.
This method of making music sheets may also be employed for sheets of other
than circular form; and, provided the material to receive the impression is
sufficiently flexible, the method may be applied to bands running over rollers, or to
sleeves to be slipped upon rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Carl Pieper in the Patent Office on the 26th May 1884.
CARL PIEPER, Civil-Engineer and Patent-Agent, resident at 109/110 Gneisenau-
Strasse Berlin, S W., Prussia "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSIC SHEETS FOR MECHANICAL
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF" a communication to
me from Paul Ehrlich, resident at Gohlis, near Leipsic, Saxony, German Empire
This invention relates to music-sheets by means of which melodies are produced
in mechanical musical instruments, and more especially it has reference to the
rotating disks employed in the instrument described in the specification of the
British letters patent No. 3360 A.D. 1882, but it may also be applied to music sheets
of other form. The object of the invention is, firstly, to so construct these disks
or sheets that they will operate by means of projections or other equivalent parts
on the beaks of the valve-levers so as to depress them, while its second object
consists in a special mode of manufacturing the said disks or sheets.
The invention is represented on the annexed sheet of drawings. Fig. 1 represents
in elevation a part of an instrument in which a disk with projections is employed.
Fig. 2 is a plan of a part of this disk seen from below. Figs. 3 and 4 show
respectively in radial section and in a view from below, a part of a disk of modified
construction. Figs. 5 to 8 are like views of two other modifications. Figs. 9
and 10 show in similar views a portion of a disk made by the process forming a
part of my invention. Fig. 11 is a radial section, Fig. 12 a circular section and
Fig. 13 a plan of a part of a stamp to be used in making the disks.
According to the aforesaid specification disks are used having perforations in them
which correspond to the notes of the melody to be performed, and which allow
the beaks of the valve-levers to rise in the order and for the time the notes are to
be sounded. In carrying out the invention, it has, however, been found that it is
preferable to so arrange the disk and the levers that the beaks of the latter will be
depressed according as the reeds are to sound.
As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the disk a is, for this purpose, provided with pins
and cams 6 corresponding to the order and length of the notes and adapted to act
on the ends of the valve-levers c. The disks may be made of wood or other
suitable material presenting sufficient strength, and upon which the pins and cams
may be fastened with facility.
In the modified construction represented by Figs. 3 and 4 the disk is provided
on its face with circular grooves d, within which the pins and cams b¹ are fixed,
and which besides, serve to guide the lever ends. The said cams may consist in
staples made of wire. When grooves are employed, the lever operating parts may
also be formed by wires and strips of metal 63, or staples of the required width
fixed across the grooves, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6; or, instead of the strips of
metal, staples such as are shown at b³ may be used. Moreover, the lever-operating
parts may be formed, as represented in Figs. 7 and 8, by bars be left between
perforations made in sheets k of hard card-board, metal or the like, fit to be
attached to the disks, the perforations being arranged to register with the grooves d
thereof.
Another method of carrying out the disks consists in pressing or stamping the
required grooves and notches, with intervening breaks, or lever-depressing parts,
into sheets or plates of suitable material adapted to receive impressions and to
retain them. A part of a disk of this kind is shown by Figs, 9 and 10;_d being
again the said grooves and notches, and 65 the breaks. By preference I employ
for these disks a number of sheets of paper pasted together, as in making matrices

page_text: for stereotyping, and which after having received the impression while being moist,
are dried in a stove. When the material used is adapted therefor, the disks may
subsequently be hardned by being impregnated with an appropriate substance, for
instance with a solution of shellac in alcohol.
In order to facilitate the making of the stamps for disks of this kind, I compose
them of types similar to printing types, but consisting in plain-ended bars 8 and t,
Figs. 11, 12 and 13, of two different lengths, the longer ones s for the grooves d,
the shorter ones t for the intervening parts 65 corresponding to the notes. These
types may be set in grooves turned into a plate or block of metal m, and having
a depth equal to the length of the shorter types t, or they are set within an outer
rim or ring serving as frame, while the spaces between the different rows of types
are produced by separate rings or segments of such.
The described method of making the disks by stamping, may also be employed
for sheets of semicircular or other than circular form; and provided the material
which is to receive the impression, is sufficiently flexible, the method may be
applied to sheets running over rollers, or to sleeves to be slipped on a roller.
Having thus described the naturs, and object of this invention and the manner
in which it is to be carried out in practice as communicated to me by my
correspondent, I hereby claim as new and important features of the same:
1., In combination with the valve-levers c of a mechanical musical instrument, a
circular rotating disk a provided with parts adapted to depress the beaks of the
levers in conformity with the notes to be produced, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2., The combination with the valve-levers c of a rotating disk a having grooves d
and parts placed in the lines of these grooves, which when meeting with the beaks
of the levers, will depress them, so as to cause the corresponding notes to sound,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3., The method of making a music disk or sheet by impressing into the material
to be used therefor, series of grooves and notches with intervening lever-depressing
breaks by means of stamps composed of types t and s; substantially as herein before
set forth.
:
In Witness whereof I the said Carl Pieper have hereunto set my hand and scal
this twenty fourth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.