Improvements in the Cases or Enclosure Parts of Musical Boxes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 9th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Cases or Enclosure Parts of Musical Boxes.
We, HENRY RILEY and WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY, trading as Joseph Riley
and Sons, of Constitution Hill in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers of
Musical Instruments, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the cases or enclosure parts of musical boxes, that is,
the confine or domain wherein the movements of the instrument are enclosed.
Our invention has for one of its objects, the intensifying of the sound, or
otherwise, the augmentation of the sound. A further object is to enrich the tone
of the instrument, and a still further object is to so construct the case that the
movements enclosed within its confines are visible.
The covers or enclosures of ordinary musical boxes are made of an elongated
and rectangular figure, made accessible at top by a hinged lid, or rather by two
lids, one forming a closure to the open top or mouth of the box, and the other
forming as it were, a movable upper part.
Now by thus boxing-in, as it were, the instrument within the closure of the case,
the sound propagated within the same is, to a considerable extent, lost, by the
interfering walls of the outer casing, and by the sound only being allowed to
escape through the walls of the enclosure unless the top be thrown open.
By our invention, the instrument proper or the movements is or are supported
upon an inclined back, which forms a sounding board by means of which the sound
waves emanating from the said instrument are condensed and a louder and sweeter
tone discharged, whilst the front of the instrument is semi-circularly curved and
glazed, so that the movements are exposed or can be seen during their playing and
at all times.
One form of our invention consists of an elongated and upright frame, with
bottom or base, back and ends, and with the front part, or that part directed from
or near the top of the back wall to near the front of the bottom or base formed
into a semi-circularly curved frame and glazed, wherethrough the instrument in
action is viewed.
Now this curved and glazed front part is jointed at top to an overhanging
extension of the back, whilst the lower part of the said turn-up front rests upon
the top edge of a low front part or a slight upward extension of the front of the
base, thus forming practically a long three-sided box with a flat bottom and curved
glazed front.
The case is fitted with a false and sloping back constituting a sounding board,
and disposed at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the base, and upon which
said board, the instrument is placed or disposed, whilst the lower part of the back
of the enclosure is pierced with holes, or fitted with a pierced and removable panel,
to allow of the free emission of the sound waves transmitted through, and created
by the vibration of, the said sounding board, consequent upon the wave undulations
of the instrument striking the same.
The curved and glazed front serves on the underside to reflect and propel back
the sound waves rearwards to the sounding board, and thus to the sound holes in
the back. The surface of the glazed front also serves to radiate the sound waves
on its curved front.
Now the sounding board, which may be supported if necessary upon sounding
posts, forms a vibratory and sound condensing surface, so that as the sound waves
are projected from the focus of it, a series of undulating projected and oblique

page_text: waves are transmitted in directions at right angles to the plane of the board and
then made to fall upon the waves projected in horizontal and vertical directions
through the walls of the casing, hence the enhancing of the sound and the
improving of the tone.
Instead of the sounding board or oblique back being composed of wood, the
same may be made of metal, or it may be composed of a stretched membrane.
The piercings for the releasing of the sound vibrations may be at the bottom as
well as at the back, and instead of extending only half way up the back, it may
extend to the top of the same, or may be disposed only at the upper part also
the ends.
The instrument case may rest upon feet, and instead of the front being a turn-up
one it may turn down, and instead of the said front being curved, it may be directed
obliquely.
As an addition to the sounding board, the back or that part of the back rear of
the sounding board and chamber may have a membrane stretched as the outer or
part outer back walls.
'Instead of the oblique sounding board being made to form the back of the
casing, it may be made to constitute the bottom of the case, whatever the form
may be. Thus, we may make the case in the ordinary rectangular box form, and
direct the bottom obliquely, or with the same sloping downwards from back to
front. The case under the bottom is open or perforated.
Or the top of the case may be sloped like unto a desk having front back and
end walls.
Dated this 7th day of October 1893.
HENRY RILEY,
WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Cases or Enclosure Parts of Musical Boxes.
We, HENRY RILEY and WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY trading as Joseph Riley
and Sons, of Constitution Hill, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturers of
Musical Instruments, 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 cases of musical boxes or to the interior rest parts
for the movements of them, and has for one of its objects, the intensifying of the
sound of the said instruments, and for another of its objects, the enriching of the
tone of the same, and for a further object, displaying the movements, and rendering
the same more visible when playing.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in front elevation a musical
box case constructed and provided with improvements made according to our
invention, and which said case consists primarily of a box-shaped enclosure having
a turned-down and curved glazed front, and with the interior back of the same
having an obliquely directed sounding board, open to the outside by a pierced
back.
Figure 2 represents a cross section of the same upon the dotted lines *--*
Figure 1, showing the relative dispositions of the parts.
Figure 3 shows a horizontal section of the said case upon the dotted lines A B
Figure 2, whilst Figure 4 represents a like cross section as Figure 2, but with the
glazed front or lid shown slightly opened.
In Figures 1 to 4, a is the body of the case, with a curved and glazed front at a',
wherethrough the movement of the instrument in action is viewed and which

page_text: front is hinged at a², to a top part a³, supported from the back wall a', whose
lower panel part a', is pierced or left open, whilst the lower part of the curved
glazed front a, rests upon a shallow front a', supported by a bottom a', with
ends a°.
Located within the interior of the said body part, and directed from the back
to the bottom of the same, and over the pierced panel a°, is an obliquely directed
sounding-board or false back b, upon which the movements of the instrument rest,
and between it and the open panel back a', is a sounding chamber c. The said
movement rest or sounding board, which is a slanting oblique panel which may be
set at an angle of about 45 degrees and fitted to the back of the case, preferably
extends from end to end of the said case, and is arranged for the purpose of
augmenting or increasing the sound of the said instrument, and at the same time'
enriching its tone.
Now this sounding board forms a vibratory and sound-condensing medium or
surface, and the sound waves emanating from the movements are projected from
the focii of it, and returned at right angles to the plane of the board and then
made to fall upon other waves projected in horizontal and vertical directions
through the walls of the casing.
We prefer that the said sounding board b, should be made of wood, but this may
be varied, and sheet metal employed in its stead.
The curved and glazed front, besides being a means of viewing without
obstruction the movements of the instrument, also serves as a means for radiating
or deflecting the sound waves rearwards. Although the pierced panel a', which
is removable, is shown placed at the back of the case, yet the same may obviously
be made to constitute the bottom of the case.
Figure 5 represents a modification of the said first arrangement. There is no
enclosed sounding chamber, but the whole of the casing rear of the Bounding
board is left open.
Thus, a is the body of the instrument, a¹ the glazed and turn-down front,
a the back and a' the open space at the back of the sounding board b, which is
directed from the back a, to the bottom a³.
Figure 6 represents a further modification of our invention. The sounding
board in this form is made to comprehend the whole of the bottom of the case
and also the whole or nearly so of the back of the same.
a is the body of the instrument, a' the curved and glazed front, a the back,
and 6 the combined sounding board and bottom, with an open space at the back of
it a, enclosed at its ends by sides or panels a³.
Figure 7 represents a still further modified form of our invention in which the
sounding board is made either of metal or of stretched vellum, membrane or skin.
a is the casing, a' the curved and glazed front, at the back, a' the pierced panel,
a' the front and a is the bottom. 6 is the obliquely directed sounding board,
diaphragm or sloping back with chamber c, at the rear thereof.
The sounding board may be insulated or isolated from the back and bottom by
interposed posts b¹.
Although we have shown our case with a turn-up and turn-down curved and
glazed front, yet the shape of the said casing may be changed, so as to make a
case with rectangular sides, a glazed top and a sloping back within the interior for
the carrying of the movements.
Instead of the turn-down front of the case being made curved as in the previous
figures it may be inclined and made flat (instead of curved) as in Figure 8.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. In a musical box case, fitting or providing the interior back of the same
with an obliquely-directed sounding board or movement rest, substantially as and
for the purpose described and set forth in Figures 1 to 8.

page_text: Secondly. In a musical box case, fitting or providing the same with an inclined
or obliquely directed sounding-board back or movement rest b, and with perforated
rear walls a, and an interlocated sounding chamber with or without ends,
substantially as and for the purpose as described and set forth in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4
and 7.
Thirdly. In a musical box case, fitting or providing the same with an inclined
or obliquely directed combined bottom and part back marked b, substantially as
and for the purpose as described and set forth in Figures 5, 6 and 8.
Fourthly. The combination with a musical box case having obliquely-directed
sounding board fittings, backs, or combined bottoms and backs, of a hinged or
turn-down curved and glazed front, substantially as and for the purpose as described
and set forth.
Dated this 26th day of April 1894
HENRY RILEY,
WILLIAM JOSEPH RILEY,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.