Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1893
'
Fig. 6 shews the highest and lowest positions of the finger levers f.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew the opposite end views of the bridge piece b.
In employing this apparatus, the hand is placed upon the support a and is secured
by means of the hinged bridge piece b.
The fingers are inserted into the moveable cups d on the ends of the finger
levers, while the thumbs of each hand are placed in the cups d' of the suitably
formed thumb levers provided on each side.
All six finger levers are rendered adjustable for any length of finger by the
hinge jointed parts g provided at their ends, and the tie rods h which secure the
parts g in position. The fly-wheels being rotated by any suitable motor, its
motion is transmitted by the belt r and pulley to the excentrics e and e¹ whence it
is transmitted by rods ce¹ to the sockets i and i¹ secured in an adjustable manner
upon the lower ends of the levers K K' which are by this means made to oscillate
in contrary directions.
The periodical connection between the above described finger levers f and the
oscillating levers K K' is effected in the following manner:
These levers are
each connected to a separate half sleeve mounted loose on a fixed transverse
spindle, of which half sleeves the one carries a series of tappet levers k, k, &c.
one below each finger lever, while the other carries the same number of tappet
levers also arranged below each finger lever f, by the side of the tappet
levers k, so that by the motion of the excentrics a rapid up and down motion is
imparted in contrary directions to each pair of tappet levers kk. To each of the
finger levers fare pivotted, at a point just beyond the lever's pivot f', two bars m
the lower ends of which are adapted to engage with the tappet levers k k¹ but
which are held withdrawn from such engagement by helical springs q. The bars m
carry blade springs n which are acted upon by studs u upon a revolving roller w so
as to push the bars forward into the path of the tappet levers, whereupon the
bars m and with them the levers f will be rapidly raised by such tappet levers, and
it will be seen that if the studs u are so arranged as first to push the one bar of
a finger lever so as to engage with the tappet lever k as it rises, and then to push
the other bar so as to engage with the tappet lever k¹ as it rises, the finger lever
can be made to perform two up and down movements during each revolution of the
driving shaft. The roller w carrying the studs u receives a step by step rotary

page_text: motion by means of an excentric on the driving shaft, connected by a rod Z to a
double ended lever p, the upper end of which carries a pawl r, gearing with the
ratchet wheel y on the axis of roller w so that, according to the positions of the
studs u on the rollers, the studs may be made to act in any required order upon
the bars m and thus any desired order of up and down motion can be imparted to
the finger levers fand consequently to the fingers.
The downward motion of the finger levers is effected by gravity, assisted by the
pressure of the fingers thereon.
The roller w is rendered easily removeable by screwing back the pivot point v
which supports it, so that by having a number of such rollers with the studs u
differently arranged thereon, it will be seen that a great variety of movements can
be imparted to the fingers by the said apparatus.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew a vertical section and plan of the apparatus for stretching
the span of the fingers. In this apparatus the fingers and thumb are introduced
into rings carried adjustably upon the looped arms A1 A2 A3 &c. pivotted
at a a² &c. the hand being allowed to rest upon the support C; by the movement
of the lever D the arms A are moved apart in a radial direction, the lever being
for this purpose geared with the arms A5 A6 by pins taking into slots on the tails of
the arms, A being geared to A by a link, A' to A³ by a toothed connection,
while A and A' are geared to A³ by linked connections.
The arms A and A6 serve respectively for the thumb of the right and the left
hand.
By thus moving the said arms apart, the fingers attached thereto are stretched
apart in a corresponding manner, such stretching being gradually increased.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 shew respectively a sectional side view, a back view,
and a plan of the apparatus for exercising the wrist joint for rendering it flexible.
This apparatus is shewn coupled by a clutch to the same driving shaft as that
of the finger exerciser, Figs. 1 to 8, so that by moving the clutch to the left hand
by the knob k the finger exerciser is thrown out of gear and the wrist joint
exerciser is thrown in gear.
The hand is secured on the pivotted support by the hinged bridge piece m, and
the excentric q on the driving shaft being connected to a tail pieces of the
support by means of the rod p and adjustable connecting piece o, an up and down
motion is imparted to the hand so as to bend the wrist joint backwards and forwards,
by means of the rotation of the eccentric q. By gradually adjusting the connection o
nearer to the pivot axis of the support, the angular motion of the latter can be
gradually increased.
The support is connected to the tail piece s by an adjustable connection o which
allows of the position of the support being varied through an angle of 90°, whereby
the position of the hand can be varied to a corresponding extent while exercising
the wrist.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for improving manual dexterity in musical performance, consisting
of a rest a on which the hand is secured by a bridge piece b and of adjustable finger
levers with cups d d¹ for the reception of the fingers, such levers having a rapid
up and down motion imparted to them in any desired order by means of bars m,
levers K K¹, k k¹, actuated by excentrics or cranks on a driving shaft, and by a
revolving roller w with studs u substantially as described, so that by varying the
arrangement of the studs u upon the roller, a great variety of movements may be
imparted to the fingers, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 of
the drawings.
2. Apparatus for improving manual dexterity in musical performance, consisting
of the support C on which the hand rests, in combination with arms A' A' &c.
carrying rings B through which the fingers are passed, which arms are moved

page_text: apart in a radial direction by means of a hand lever D, in order to stretch
the span of the fingers, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10
of the drawings.
3. Apparatus for improving manual dexterity in musical performances, consisting
of an adjustable pivotted support r on which the hand is secured by a bridge
piece m, and which is made to receive an up and down motion upon its axis by
means of an excentric 9 rod p adjustable connection o and tail pieces whereby the
wrist joint is bent up and down to increase its flexibility, the extent of such motion
being increased or decreased by adjusting the connection o, substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings.
Dated this 29th day of November 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.