A Novel Construction of Column Toy for Producing Musical Notes by the Dropping in of Balls or Marbles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1889-Accepted, 29th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Novel Construction of Column Toy for Producing Musical Notes
by the Dropping in of Balls or Marbles.
1°
I, FELIX ALEXANDER SOMMER of 39 Chancellor's Road, Hammersmith Middlesex,
Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to a novel construction of musical toy in column form and
containing musical reeds or plates at different elevation from opposite sides and set at
an incline looking towards each other, so that balls or marbles inserted through an
aperture or mouth at the upper part of the column, may fall from reed to reed and
produce musical notes by striking thereon in succession, the balls or marbles being
led out at the bottom of the column into a tray or receiver to be replaced into the
mouth of the column for a continuation of the musical sounds or notes.
The reeds or plates may be arranged in single or in double order.
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said Felix Alexander Sommer.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Novel Construction of Column Toy for Producing Musical Notes
by the Dropping in of Balls or Marbles.
I FELIX ALEXANDER SOMMER of 39 Chancellor's Road, Hammersmith Middlesex,
Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 a novel construction of musical toy in column form A
such as I show in the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 a sectional elevation and Figure 2 a perspective elevation, and containing
musical plates, tubes or bars B, B, made of metal, glass or other suitable material at
different elevations and arranged alternately from opposite sides and set at an
incline.
The musical plates, tubes or bars are supported by cords C, C, which are strung
from side to side of the column A along the length of the slots H, H and have vertical
cords D, D, passed through them to hold them in place so that they are suspended for
free vibration for producing notes or sounds when struck upon.
Balls of wood or other suitable material or marbles E are inserted through an
aperture or mouth F at the upper part of the colunin A and by falling from one
plate B to another they produce a series of musical notes by striking thereon in
succession, the balls or marbles being led out at the bottom of the column through
the aperture L by an incline G shown in Figure 1, to be replaced into the mouth F
for a continuation of the musical effects.
The slots H, H, are made in two opposite sides of the column A and in the other
two sides are openings I, I, for the freer escape of the sound wave.
According to Figures 1 and 2 the column A is of tapered form and the balls can
only be inserted at the top end, the bottom being fixed to the base J, but according
to Figure 3 the base J and column A are separable so that the column can be reversed
when desired for a repeat of the musical notes in the reverse order to that previously
given.
In Figure 3 both ends of the column are preferably alike and either end can be
fitted into the base J there being a step piece K on the base for fitting into the
opening corresponding to the mouth F, the inner surface of which with that of the

page_text: ;
step piece K is at an incline for causing the balls to leave the column at the bottom
outlet L.
In Figure 3 the slots H, H, are preferably V shaped and the supporting cords C, C,
are double and conform to the V shape of the slots so that the plates B shift them-
selves and rest upon the cords CC when the column is reversed.
Leather seatings may be substituted under the musical plates tubes or bars instead
of the sustaining cords C and C¹ the seatings being attached to the inside of the
slots H. H.
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. Suspending musical plates, tubes or bars in a superposed alternate condition
within a column of square or rectangular shape and within which musical sounds can
be produced by a ball or marble falling in succession from one plate to the other as
described.
2. The arrangement of suspension cords C, C, and distancing cords D, D, for
sustaining and keeping in position respectively musical plates tubes or bars within a
column, whether for single action as indicated by Figure 1 of the annexed drawings
or for reversible action as in Figure 3 thereof.
3. The aforesaid arrangement with leather seatings substituted for the sustaining
cords C and C³.
The 15th low of 1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said F. A. Sommer.