Improvements in Mechanically Played Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1893-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanically Played Musical Instruments.
I, PHILIPP VON HERTLING of Rolls Chambers Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil 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 the striking mechanism of mechanically played musical
instruments of the kind that are constructed with steel sounding tongues or teeth and
are provided with perforated note sheets the note perforations being of one simple
shape and actuating the striking wheels direct. These latter have, for this purpose,
hitherto been mounted upon a spindle in such a way that owing to their central
eyes being of larger diameter than the spindle they could in addition to a rotary
motion round the spindle also perform a lateral or radial motion on the same, but for
the intended object, namely the engagement of the striking wheels in the perforations
of the note sheets, it was only necessary that the striking wheels should perform a
vertical movement to the note sheet and back again, therefore the arrangement of
striking wheels so that they performed a lateral movement on their spindle in
different directions was found to be unsuitable as there was a disturbing effect in
the playing of the instrument which evil it is the object of this invention to suppress.
This object is attained by so mounting the striking wheels upon their spindle that
they can only have a rotary motion and a vertical displacement towards the note
sheet and back again.
The mechanism of the invention is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing in
different positions.
a is one of a number of striking wheels mounted on a rod or axis d which, instead
of being circular in cross section, as hitherto, is made oblong, the flat sides being a
little narrower than the diameter of the bore a' of the striking wheels. By this
means these may perform a sufficient vertical travel to and from the note sheet but
only a travel of almost imperceptible length parallel to the same.
Upon the
passage of the note sheet over the striking wheel this is pressed by spring bagainst
it, the note sheet sliding over the wheel as shewn in Fig. 1. until a note perforation
arrives over a tooth which then enters the perforation (Fig. 2) it having been raised
vertically on its axis by the force of spring b. This travel can only take place
vertically as a lateral travel of the wheel is prevented by rod or axis d. Upon the
further travel of the note sheet it carries the tooth with it so as to turn the striking
wheel round on its axis and bring another tooth to strike a sounding tongue c.
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
In the striking mechanism of mechanically played musical instruments having
sounding teeth and perforated note sheets into which springs press the teeth of
striking wheels, the rod or axis d-on which the striking wheels a are mounted →
of a horizontally thin oblong cross sectional form so that the striking wheels in
addition to a rotary motion can only perform a vertical movement relatively to the
note sheet, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 13th day of June 1893
CAPITAINE & VON HERTLING,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.