Improvements in Musical Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CUENDET-DEVELAY FILS & CIE., of Str. Croix,
Switzerland, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Musical Boxes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to musical boxes.
My improved musical box is provided with interchangeable cylinders and may if
desired be provided with one or more main-spring-barrels.
My said invention comprises a system of independent dampers which may be
combined with all, or with only a part of the sounding-blades or teeth of the
comb.
My invention also comprises means for transmitting the rotation of the spring-
barrel and to the interchangeable cylinders, and means for fixing and removing the
said interchangeable cylinders.
My said invention moreover comprises an improved form of flange for the pin-
cylinder and an improved form of winding up lever.
The improved musical box constructed according to my said invention comprises
a bed-plate upon which is fixed the comb. To the said bed-plate below the comb
is fixed, by means of brackets a board to which are secured dampers.
The said dampers are formed of a flexible rod provided with a fork-shaped
end one prong of which is provided with an enlargement and which is situated,
when at rest, in front but below the corresponding blade of the comb. The other
prong of the fork is straight and extends vertically between the blade. of the comb
which it is intended to act upon and the next one. When the damper is at rest,
both prongs of the fork are out of engagement with the corresponding blade of
the comb.
The pins of the pin cylinder in acting upon the blades of the comb to vibrate
the same, pass first between the prongs of the damper and in so doing bear against
the enlargement of the outer prong and causes the same to be displaced laterally.
This causes a lateral displacement of the second prong which is pressed against the
blade of the comb at the same moment that the pin on the cylinder comes in
contact with said blade, the enlarged prong of the damper escapes from the said
pin and the other prong 'leaves the blade free to be vibrated.
These dampers may also be used in combination with other means for vibrating
the blades of the comb; for instance with perforated cardboard discs or ribbons
acting upon the said blades. In such cases the enlargement of the prong of the
damper will be replaced by a suitable hook engaging at the proper time in a hole in
the said perforated cardboard discs or ribbons.
The bed plate is further provided with a bracket to which is firmly screwed a
stud in the head of which is formed conical recess or centre into which the
conical point of one of the pivots of the pin-cylinder engages. The stud acts as a
pivot for a disc to which is fixed a toothed wheel which is acted upon, in any
suitable manner by the main-spring. The disc is provided with a recess with which
engages a projection on the interchangeable cylinder the latter being thus 'always
rotated together with the disc when the latter is rotated by the mainspring barrel.
The speed regulating device which may be of any suitable construction is connected
by gearing with the toothed wheel in the aforesaid disc.
The bed-plate also carries two bearings in which is arranged a sliding-rod the
inner end of which is provided' with a conical recess or centre into which engages

page_text: the conical point of the second pivot of the interchangeable cylinder. The rod is
maintained in position in which it presses the cylinder toward the bearing at the
other end thereof by means of a spring. When it is desired to withdraw the
interchangeable cylinder a lever fixed to the outer end of the rod is turned. The
lower arm of the said lever bears against an inclined plate fixed to the bed plate so
that when the said lever is turned it will slide along the said inclined plate and
thereby cause the rod to be disengaged from the pivot of the pin cylinder, the
cylinder being then free to be withdrawn.
For the purpose of preventing the cylinder falling down when released, two pro-
jections or supports are provided which are fixed to the bed plate and upon which
the flanges of the interchangeable cylinder rests when the latter is released. When
the cylinder has been removed and a new one put in place the lever is turned back
into its original position so as to support the said cylinder on its pivots.
The flanges of the cylinder are formed of a metallic cap forced upon the end of
the cylinder and having its central portion cut away to show a ticket enclosed
between the said cap and the end of the cylinder which ticket is intended to
indicate the airs to be played by each interchangeable cylinder.
Instead of the usual winding-up lever for the musical box, which is generally
moved to and fro use is made of a wheel formed with projections on its periphery
which allows of the winding up of the mainspring by means of a continuous rotation
thereof.
Dated thin shed
J
T1 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Boxes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 musical boxes. The musical box constructed according
to the present invention is provided with interchangeable cylinders and comprises a
system of independent dampers which may be combined with all or with only a part
of the sounding blades or teeth of the comb.
My invention also comprises means for transmitting the driving-action of the
mainspring to the interchangeable cylinders, and means for fixing and removing
the said interchangeable cylinders combined with means for stopping and starting
the playing
My said invention moreover comprises an improved form of flange for the pin-
cylinder and an improved form of winding up lever.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan view of the whole of a musical box provided with the above
mentioned improvements, the pin-cylinder being arranged in its place, ready to
work.
Figure 2 is a perspective view drawn to an enlarged scale, of my new system of
damper, shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a front elevation partly in vertical section of the means for
transmitting the driving action of the mainspring to the interchangeable cylinder.
Figure 4 is a plan similar to Figure 1 but with the cylinder E and the comb B.
removed.
Figures 5 and 6 show the new construction of the flanges for the cylinder.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the winding-up-lever or wheel.

page_text: Figure 8 is a section taken on the line ay in Figure 4 showing the speed regu-
lating device, the stopping-device and the cap A*.
Figure 9 is an end-view of Figure 1 looking from left to right.
Similar letters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views.
The improved musical box constructed according to my said invention comprises
a bed-plate A upon which is fixed the comb B. To the said bed-plate below the
comb is fixed by means of brackets a board C to which are secured dampers D.
In Figure 2 only one such damper is shown but it is to be understood that, in
practice, there are preferably fixed to the board C one damper D for each blade
of the comb B, or nearly for each of them.
The said dampers D are formed of a flexible rod provided with a fork-shaped end
one prong of which is provided with an enlargement as shown in Figure 2 and
which is situated when at rest, in front but below the corresponding blade of the
comb (Figure 1). The other prong d of the fork is straight and extends vertically
between the blade of the comb, which it is intended to act upon and the next one.
When the damper is at rest both prongs of the fork are out of engagement with
the corresponding blade of the comb.
The pins e of the pin cylinder E in acting upon the blades of the comb to
vibrate the same, passes first between the prongs of the damper and in so doing
bears against the enlargement of the outer prong d' and causes the same to be dis-
placed laterally. This causes a lateral displacement of the prong d which is
thereby pressed against the blade of the comb at the same moment that the
pin e on the cylinder E comes in contact with said blade, the prong of the
damper escapes from said pin and the other prong leaves the blade free to be
vibrated.
The dampers may also be used in combination with other means for vibrating
the blades of the comb; for instance with perforated cardboard discs or ribbons
acting upon said blades. In such cases the enlargement of the prong of the
damper will be replaced by a suitable hook engaging at the proper time in a
hole in the said perforated cardboard discs or ribbons.
The bed-plate A is further provided with a bracket a into which is screwed a
pin or stud F having a recess in its end in which one of the pivots of the pin
cylinder E engages (see Figure 3). The stud acts as a pivot for a disc G to
which is fixed a toothed wheel G which is acted upon by the mainspring shown
in Figures 8 and 9 of the drawing, the same being placed beneath the plate A.
The disc G is provided with a recess with which engages a projection el on the
interchangeable cylinder E, the latter being thus always rotated together with
the disc G when the said disc is rotated by the mainspring H which has one of
its ends fixed to the edge of plate A at the point a' and the inner end of which
is fixed to the nave g of the wheel G", playing like a mainspring barrel,
and gearing into the teeth of the above mentioned wheel G. A bowed piece H",
both ends of which are fixed to the bed plate A, is provided in view of limiting
the extension of the mainspring H. The speed regulating-device J which
may be of any suitable construction is connected by gearing with the toothed
wheel G on the aforesaid disc G. A metallic cap Ax, fixed to the bed plate A
(Figures 8 and 9) covers the disc G. Said cap A is provided with an entrance
or outcut a through which the projection e must pass before entering the
recess g of the disc G. Thus the said projection e' cannot be removed out of
said recess g, that is to say the cylinder E cannot be removed out of its left
bearing before the disc G has made a full revolution so as to present its recess g
in front of the outcut a* of the cap A*.
The bed-plate A also carries two bearings and 2 in which is arranged a
sliding rod K, the inner end of which is provided with a conical recess or
centre into which engages the conical point of the second pivot of the inter-
changeable cylinder E. The rod K is maintained in the position in which it
presses the cylinder towards the bearing a at the other end thereof by means
of a spring K (Figures 1 & 3). When it is desired to withdraw the inter- .

page_text: changeable cylinder, a lever I fixed to the outer end of the rod K is turned
from the position shown in Figure 1 into the position shown in Figure 4.
The lower arm of the said lever bears against an inclined plate M fixed to the
bed plate A so that when the said lever L is turned it will slide along the
said inclined plate M and thereby cause the rod K to be disengaged from
the pivot of the pin-cylinder E. The cylinder being then free to be withdrawn.
For the purpose of preventing the cylinder falling down when released, two pro-
jections or supports A and A (Figures 4 and 8) are provided which are fixed to
the bed plate A and upon which the flanges E' of the interchangeable cylinder E
rest, when the latter is released. When the cylinder has been removed and a.new
one put in place the lever L is turned back into its original position so as to support
the said cylinder on its pivots.
Qis the stopping lever having its fulcrum in the point of the bearing of the
speed-regulating device J (Figures 1 and 8). Said lever Qis pressed upward by
means of a spring Q and tends therefore to stop the regulator by catching its
projection with its own projection Q". Now there is provided a rod R the
arm R of which may be lifted as shown in Figure 8 or lowered so as to bear upon
the pin S by a second arm R" of said rod R. The arm R" is caused to engage
in one of the two notches provided in the bearing S by the action of a spring s.
If the said arm R" is engaged in one of said notches s the other arm R'.is lifted
as in Figure 8; and if it is engaged in the other notch s², the arm, R¹ bears upon
the pin S of lever Q and the projection Q is held out of the path of the
projection j
There is moreover provided a rod T, parallel to the rod R, having an arm T¹
engaging in a suitable eye of the hand-lever L and an arm T". The latter is
situated out of the path of the projections of the regulator when the lever L
is in the position shown in Figure 1. But when said lever L is removed into
the position of Figure 4, it presses the arm T¹ to the right and the arm T, com-
pressing the spring, moves into the path of said projections and the regulator J
is immediately stopped.
From this it appears that the musical box cannot be put into action without
first reversing the lever L into that position in which it holds the cylinder E in
place.
The flanges E' of the cylinder E are formed of a metallic cap forced upon
the end of the cylinder (Figures 5 and 6) and having its central portion cut.
away to show a ticket N enclosed between the said cap and the end of the
cylinder E, which ticket is intended to indicate the airs to be played by cach inter-
changeable cylinder.
Instead of the usual winding-up lever for the musical box, which is generally
moved to and fro, use is made of a wheel P (Figure 7) formed with projections
on its periphery which allows the winding-up of the mainspring by means of a
continuous rotation thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In musical boxes an independent damper laterally displaced by the
means provided for vibrating the blades of a comb, and pressed laterally against
the said blades, somewhat before the said means cause the said blade. to be
vibrated.
Second. In musical boxes, the means for rotating the interchangeable cylinders,
composed of the combination of a fixed stud and of a disc G provided with, a
gear wheel G affixed to said disc G, the latter being provided with the usual
recess, and of a cap .A having a recess a* substantially as above described
and shown in the drawing for the purpose specified.
Third. The means for supporting and withdrawing the interchangeable
cylinders E, composed of the fixed stud in combination with the shifting

page_text: rod K, provided with a spring K and lever L the latter bearing against an
inclined plate M and with the arm T¹ of the shifting rod T having a stopping
arm T substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. In musical boxes the combination of an interchangeable pin cylinder E
with caps E forming the flanges of said cylinder and enclosing a ticket N
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In musical boxes the use of a winding-up wheel formed substantially
as shown in Figure 7 of the drawing.
Sixth. In musical boxes the arrangement of the main-spring H¹ and bowed
piece H substantially as shown in the Figures 8 and 9 of the drawing.
Seventh. In musical boxes the stopping rod R with arms R¹ and R¹ sub-
stantially as shown and described.
Dated this 2nd day of April 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.