Improvements in Mechanically or Partially Mechanically Acting Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanically or Partially Mechanically Acting
Musical Instruments.
I, FRIEDRICH ADOLF RICHTER, of Rudolstadt, 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 mechanically or partially mechanically acting musical
instruments such as accordions, fitted with perforated music sheets and adapted to
be played by mechanical means, the onward movement of the music sheets being
effected by means of a spring-actuated clock mechanism, the spring of which may
he wound either before playing by means of a key, or during playing by means of
ratchet mechanism.
An accordion constructed according to my invention is illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings, where Fig. 1 is a general elevation of the side presented to the
performer, and Figs. 2 to 5 illustrate details. Figs. 6 to 11 illustrate a modification
hereafter described.
The movement of the perforated music sheet over the points of the levers under
the bridge piece a, Fig. 1, is effected by means of the toothed wheel b, Fig. 5,
which engages in suitable holes in the music sheet. The toothed wheel b is actuated
by the toothed wheel e fixed on the shaft d; and the shaft d is operated by
rotation of the spring box e, Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The speed is regulated by the
fly f, Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The spring box is wound either before playing, by means
of a key g¹, Fig. 3, or is kept constantly wound during playing by pressing down
the lever g (Figs. 1 and 3) at suitably frequent intervals, whereby the spring box
shaft i, Figs. 1 and 2 (provided with the ratchet wheel h, Fig. 3) is caused to
rotate slowly. In this manner a performance of any desired duration may be
obtained.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 6 to 11, the perforated music sheet is
caused to move onward in the required manner, by the employment of the bevel
pinion, Fig. 6, and a spring box m, the spring being in this case kept constantly
wound during the performance by the movements of the bellows through the
medium of a tongs o, Figs. 6 and 10, situated in the interior of the bellows k,
Fig. 1. the arrangement being such that the ratchet wheel q fixed on the spring-
box shaft p is rotated slowly by the engagement of the pawls r at each movement
of the tongs 0.
One end of the multiple tongs is of course fixed to the cover of the
bellows k, Fig. 1, for the purpose of causing it to be actuated by the bellows. In
this arrangement therefore, the spring in the spring box remains under constant
strain, whereby the instrument is enabled to continue playing for any desired
length of time.
In order to prevent the spring from being overwound and from breaking, there
is provided on the spring-box shaft p Figs. 6 and 7, a disengaging device with two
bevelled discs s and t, in such a manner that the discs, connected by the supports u
with each other, are constantly pressed by the spiral spring against the spring
box, as shewn in Fig. 6 When the spring has been wound up during playing to
such an extent that the pin w of the regulating wheel comes into the position
shewn in Figs. 7 and 9, then the discs s, t, are pushed away from the spring box.
As soon as this takes place, the springs y of the pawls r move onto the disc t and
prevent, as shewn in Fig. 11, further engagement of the pawls, and consequently
further straining of the spring in the spring box. When the spring has run down
again to such an extent that the pin w of the regulating wheel x presses no longer
upon the discs (see Figs. 6 and 8), then the pawls engage at once again into the

page_text: teeth of the wheel q, Fig. 10, and thereby effect a renewed winding of the spring
of the spring box. It will be readily understood that such pawl releasing devices
may be applied to the ratchet-lever pawl shewn at Fig. 3.
In the accordion described, the reeds or stops are arranged preferably on two
sides of the reed or stop box, Fig. 4, and the lever rods are correspondingly led on
two sides over the driving apparatus to the elastic reed or stop valves, see also
Fig. 1. This arrangement has the advantage of imparting to the reed or stop box
dimensions such that the whole accordion remains of nice handy size.
The music sheet has the shape of a band or strip, and in order to guide the same
properly, the reed box with the driving apparatus for the music sheet is arranged
in such a manner that the music band slides over the casing (made round or with
rounded corners) of the reed box, or in the case of an endless music band, travels
round said casing; but in both cases leaves the cover and the handle of the reed
box free.
The use of a spring box for moving perforated music sheets in accordions adapted
to be played in a mechanical manner, is quite novel and has not yet been employed
by any other persons.
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 :
1. A musical instrument such as an accordion, with perforated music or notation
sheets moved by a barrel spring, and in which the winding of the spring is effected
during the playing of the instrument.
(a) By a ratchet lever (g Figs. 1 and 3) (to be worked by the hand of the
operator) arranged near to one handle of the bellows, which ratchet lever is
capable of free rotation round the spring drum-shaft i and engaging by
means of a pawl attached to it, with a ratchet wheel fixed on to the shaft .
(b) By a jointed winding device movable with the bellows which by means of
one or two pawls connected therewith ( Figs. 10 and 11) causes the ratchet
wheel fixed upon the spring drum shaft to rotate.
2. A musical instrument such as an accordion or other similar instrument
specified in Claim 1, in which the overwinding of the spring of the clockwork by
prolonged continuous movement of the ratchet lever or of the jointed mechanism is
prevented by an arrangement by which the adjusting wheel a mounted on the
spring box m (Fig. 6 and 7) carries a pin w which moves at the proper time a
disc t bevelled at its edge, in such a manner that the pawl or pawls of the ratchet
lever or jointed winding mechanism are moved away from the ratchet wheel of the
spring box shalt and are kept in this position until the spring has sufficiently run
down.
3. In a musical instrument such as an accordion, as specified in Claim 1, the
arrangement of the reeds or stops on two sides of the reed box in the manner shewn
in Fig. 4 and the carrying of the lever rods on two sides necessitated by this
arrangement over the driving apparatus to the spring reed stops or spring valves
(Figs. 1 and 4).
4. With the accordion or like instrument specified in Claim 1 the arrangement
of the reed box with the driving apparatus for the continuous movement of the
musical notation sheets in such a manner that the music sheet slides over the casing
of the reed box (which is of rounded form or made with rounded corners) or in the
case of an endless music sheet is so conducted round the casing that the cover and
handle of the reed box are left free.
حيم
1
1
2000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.