Improvements in Musical Tops.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Musical Tops.
I, GEORG FISCHER of Nuremberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire,
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 :-
My improvements relate to a tune playing top, which operates automatically a
musical work, arranged inside the top by the difference of the rotation between the
case of the top and the wings or sails.
My improved construction perfectly avoids the defects of the musical tops used
hitherto, in which the musical work was very much exposed to damages, in con-
sequence of the arrangement of the wings above the spinning ring and therefor a
very difficult operating and starting of the top took place.
I overcome these difficulties by securing the wings or sails f to the driving shaft a
and making the point 6 loose and also by making the top part, or cover removable.
In order to make my invention more. clear I take reference to the accompanying
drawing sheet I.
Figs. 1 & 2 are both vertical sections of the above described construction...
Fig. 3 is a top view of Fig. 1, the upper case being removed.
The top consists of the bottom case U in which the musical work S of any convenient
construction is secured to a plate c which is fastened in the bottom U.
The musical work consists of a drum d provided with pins or tongues e, driving
wheel and ground plate g. To the axle a is fastened a worm h which gears in the
driving wheel r of the musical work. The shaft a runs loose in the case of the top
and carries wings or sails f.
The running axle b is separated from the driving_shaft a and is prevented from
alling out by the head 6' being secured in the bottom U.
The bottom part U (fig. II) carries by means of ribs ss the spool w, arranged above
the wings or sails ff.
On starting the top, the handle k is put into the spool w and drawn away with the
cord.
In Fig. 1 the top is provided with a removable cover O, bearing the spool w and
handle k. After pulling away the string, the cover O with the spool w, and handle k
[Pain Q.11

page_text: is removed from the top during its rotation and the musical work begins to play in
consequence of the action of the air on the wings or sails ff.
If the cover O is not removed from the bottom part u, when the top is spun the
resistance of the air has no effect on the wings or sails ff, and the musical work does
not act.
In the modification, shown in fig. 2 the music work begins to play as soon as
the top is revolved, on account of the wings f being free from any covering
arrangement.
The starting of the described musical top is effected in the usual manner.
The axle b of the bottom-part u is placed on a table or plate and the cord & wound
on the spool w and violently pulled away.
Sheet II of the drawings shows a modification of my improved musical top, which
relates to a combination, by means of which the reeds of a reed plate are acted on
alternately by air through the revolution of the top.
Hitherto it has been impossible to play slowly and harmonically a tune or accord,
as the covering plate was moved too quickly over the reed plate, but by the following
construction I make the covering plate move so slowly over the reed plate that the
reeds produce notes ; I attain this object by causing them to sound in certain
intervals.
The reed plate is fastened to the top and revolves with it; on the driving shaft of
the covering plate of the reed plate are wings or sails fastened and situated within the
top itself. These wings revolve or turn round the rotating axle of the top and the
top being spun or rotated, they do not revolve so fast as the top itself on account of
the resistance of the air, and they actuate as "a fly."
This has the same effect as if the covering plate, which has an opening corre-
sponding to the size of one reed, was held stationary and the reed plate revolved, by
which the reeds are alternately brought under the opening in the covering plate, and
as the top revolves a current of air is forced up through the reed plate and emitting
musical sounds.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawing
sheet II, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the different
figures.
Fig. IV shows a vertical cross-section of my improved musical top.
Fig. V shows a vertical cross-section of a modification of the same.
Fig. VI shows a top view of the mechanism for working the covering plate.
Fig. VII shows a section through the line a ẞ fig. 6.
Fig. VIII shows a view of the reed plate from the under side.
Fig. IX shows a modification of the inner parts of the top.
The improved tops, shown in figs. IV, V, IX, are made out of the bottom U, to
which the musical work and driving gear is fitted, and the top O, which is removable,
the bottom half U is fitted with a heavy ring w to facilitate the spinning.
Fig. 9 shows a modified form of revolving the covering plate, insted of an
internally cogged wheel r there are a number of pins fitted into the plate z which
act on the wheel t.
In the bottom half is fastened the reed plate q, having reeds zz on its under side,
on the top side of the reed plate is a covering plate p with a hole s. The plate pis
fitted with a cog wheel n, which gears in the pinion m on the shaft a and also in the
cogged ring r. The covering plate p is held against the reed plate q by the action of a
spring y.
On the vertical shaft a are the wings ff, which catching on the air, offer a large
resistance to the revolution of the shaft a.
On the bottom of the top is a loose point b, which is held from falling out by the
head b¹.
x is a guide for the axle a.
In the modified form as shown in fig. V, instead of the closed top O there are the
ribs ii, which connect the bottom plate U to the head w, in which the handle w¹ fits
when drawing the cord off.

page_text: The working of the top is as follows:
A piece of string being wound round the part w in the well known manner and the
top head in a vertical position with the point b resting on a table or on the ground,
and then the string pulled violently away, as in the usual manner of spinning tops.
The top is thus made to revolve rapidly and the wings ff with it, but to prevent
wings ff, revolving so rapidly as the top itself, the cover O is lifted off and the
resistance of the air on the wings retards their motion.
The reed plate q is carried round with the top, being fastened to it and the plate p
does not revolve so quickly on account of the resistance of the air on wings ff and
consequently the reed 2 z pass the hole s in the covering plate p.
I use the gearing m nr in order to give the covering plate p a still slower motion.
The rapid revolution of the top causes a current of air through the holes o which
rising partly the reeds zz and through the hole s emits a musical sound.
As seen in figs. IV & V, I use a loose point b for the top; the loose point b is
guided in the lower part of the lower half U; this arrangement allows of the top
spinning longer as the friction is not so great and the top retains its balance longer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1) In tune playing tops the combination of the body U, having the holes o o reed
plate q, covering plate p, wings ff, axle a with the removable cover O for the
purpose as described.
2) In tune playing tops the combination of the body U, having the holes o o, reed
plate q, loose point b, wings ff, axle a, removable cover O with covering plate p,
having the holes for the purpose as described.
3) In tune playing tops the combination of the body U, having the holes o o, reed
plate q, covering plate p, loose point b and removable cover O with the wings ff, axle a,
having the pinion m, cog wheel n and cogged ring r for the purpose as described.
4) In tune playing tops the combination of the lower body U, having the holes o o,
reed plate q, covering plate p, removable top O wings ff, axle a with loose point 6 for
the purpose as described.
5) In tune playing tops the combination of the lower body U having the holes o o,
reed plate 9, covering plate p having the hole s, point b, wings ff, axle a with the
head w and wires ii for the purpose as described.
6) In tune playing tops the combination of the under body U, head w, wires i i,
point b, reed plate q, covering plate p with the wings ff, axle a having the pinion m,
cog wheel n, cogged ring r and guide a for the purpose as described.
7) In tune playing tops the arrangement of the wings or sails ff, fastened to the
axle a between the musical work S and the removable cover O with spinning cord
whirl w
in combination with the shaft b separated from the driving axle a for the
purpose as described.
8) In tune playing tops the arrangement of the wings or sails ff, fastened to the
axle a between the musical work S and the spinning cord whirl w attached by wires s
to the bottom U in combination with the shaft 6 separated from the driving axle a for
the purpose as described.
9) In tune playing tops the removable cover O, provided with the cord whirl w for
the purpose as described.