A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marshall Arthur Wier of Gracechurch Street in the
City of London. for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marshall Arthur Wier at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1883.
MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of Gracechurch Street in the City of London
"A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
"1
The invention relates to a new or improved musical instrument in which reeds
or other sound producing devices are employed in connection with bellows for the
production of tunes, harmonies, and so forth automatically by the mere act of
working the bellows.
For this purpose I employ the following arrangements. I construct a bellows of
square, octagonal, or other suitable shape, somewhat like the bellows of a
concertina, but for the sake of cheapness I sometimes form the said bellows of a
piece of strong paper or other suitable material folded in a peculiar manner as
hereafter described. To the ends of the bellows are attached caps of wood, metal
or other suitable material similar to those of a concertina. Inside each of these
caps is placed, on a fixed stud so as to be free to revolve thereon, a grooved pulley
to the circumference of which is attached one end of a cord which passes through
the inside of the bellows and is attached to the cap on the opposite side thereof.
A spring is connected to each of the aforesaid grooved pulleys in such manner as
to return them to their original positions when the cords which have turned them
round are slackened. Circular music or tune plates that is to say discs with the
reeds or other sound producing devices mounted therein, in the proper order, are
placed on bosses formed on the grooved pulleys and are adapted to rotate with
the said pulleys. One of the caps of the bellows has a cardboard or other suitable
disc adapted thereto which is furnished with a slot or slots corresponding with the
tune plate on the pulley, and these slots are covered with a piece of soft leather
acting as a hinged valve below them so as to prevent the passage of the air in one
direction. The cap on the other end of the bellows has a cover with a slot or slots
therein corresponding with the tune plate at that end, the slot or slots being
covered with a hinged piece of leather as before and for the same purpose.
.

page_text: It will now be understood that when the bellows is expanded the grooved
pulleys are caused to revolve by the action of the cords fixed to the caps and to
the circumferences of the pulleys, and that when the bellows is collapsed the
springs connected to the pulleys cause the latter to revolve in the opposite
direction towards their normal positions. As the pulleys revolve they cause the
tune plates to revolve also, and during their revolutions the reeds or other sound
producing devices in them pass successively below or above the slot or slots in the
cardboard disc or in the cover. The consequence is that the air which rushes into
the bellows at one end; when the bellows is expanded, has to pass through the
reeds or other sound producing devices in the tune plate at that end as they
successively pass in front of the slot or slots whereby one half of the tune or
harmony is produced and that the air forced out at the other end when the
bellows is collapsed has to pass through the reeds or other sound producing devices
in the tune plate at that other end as they successively pass in front of their
corresponding slot or slots whereby the other half of the tune or harmony is
played so that each time the bellows of the instrument is expanded and collapsed
the entire tune or harmony is played. It is obvious however that if preferred
only one tune plate may be placed at one end and the whole tune or harmony
being arranged in the one plate, one expansion or one collapsing only of the
bellows will produce the complete, tune or harmony. In some cases both tune
plates may be placed at one end, one being arranged to act when the bellows is
expanded and the other when it is collapsed.
U
When two tune plates are employed. one is placed with the reeds or other sound
producing devices facing inside the bellows and the other with them facing
outwards, by this means only one tune plate is brought into action at a time.
The tune plates can be easily changed on the grooved pulleys when it is desired
to change the tune or harmony to be played.
Instead of the tune plates being made circular and adapted to revolve they may
be rectangular and made so as to remain stationary while the bellows is expanded
and collapsed, but in that case I employ strips of paper or other flexible material
having holes punched in them through which air is admitted to the reeds as the
strips of paper are passed over them somewhat in the manner well known in
connection with the automatic musical instrument known as the organette. Each
of these strips of paper is attached by a clip to a spring roller contained inside the
bellows and being wound on such roller, the other end is carried up, and passed
across the reeds, then back through the bellows, and is secured by a hook and eye
or otherwise to the inside of the cap. By this means when the bellows is
expanded and collapsed the strip of paper is drawn over the tune plate and the
air passes through the slots in the paper and through the reeds or other sounding
devices. The springs in the rollers being wound up when the bellows is expanded,
winds back the paper on to the roller when the bellows is collapsed. Some of the
holes in the paper are so arranged that the air is admitted to those reeds which
are intended to sound by the in-rush of air in expanding, the bellows and other.
holes in the paper are so arranged that the air is admitted to those reeds which are
intended to sound by the out-rush of air in collapsing the bellows
One end of the bellows may be hinged so as to be readily opened to allow the
strips of paper to be changed when it is desired to alter the tune or harmony to be
played.
I form the bellows from a single sheet of the paper or other material either by
folding it on itself by hand as many times as there are to be sides in the bellows
plus a margin for glueing together at the edges; and I then crimp or fold it
backwards and forwards at right angles to the original folds, so that when it is
opened out and the edges glued together it will assume the pleated or bellows
form. Or instead of folding by hand the material may be pressed into the desired
form by a core and dies or fluted rollers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Marshall Arthur Wier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th September 1883.
1
1
MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of Gracechurch Street, in the City of London
'A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT"
The invention relates to a new or improved musical instrument in which reeds
or other similar sound producing devices are employed in connection with air
bellows for the production of tunes, harmonies and so forth automatically by the
mere act of working the bellows.
For this purpose I employ the various arrangements shown in the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
Figure 1 represents the section of an instrument constructed in accordance with
this invention. The left hand half of Figure 2 is a half plan of same complete
as seen from above, the right hand half of the same Figure is a half plan with
the cover removed. The left hand half of Figure 3 is a half complete plan of
Figure 1 as seen from below, and the right hand half of same Figure is a half
plan of same figure as seen from below but with the cover and certain other parts
removed.
I construct a bellows A of square, octagonal or other suitable shape somewhat
like the bellows of a Concertina; but for the sake of cheapness I sometimes form
the said bellows of a piece of strong paper or other suitable material folded in a
peculiar manner as will be hereafter described. To the ends of the bellows A are
attached caps B B¹ of wood metal or other suitable material somewhat similar to
those of a Concertina. Inside each of these caps is placed on fixed studs CC, 80
as to be free to revolve thereon, grooved pulleys D D. To a point in the
circumference of the pulley D is attached one end of a cord E which after passing
round the pulley D is led through a hole F in the cap B and thence through the .
bellows to the opposite cap B' to which the other end is fastened as at E. To a
point in the circumference of the pulley D' is attached one end of a cord E¹ which
after passing round the pulley D' is led through the hole F¹ in the cap B¹, and
thence through the bellows to the opposite cap B, to which the other end is
fastened as at El*. A strip of india rubber G is secured at each end to the cap B;
it passes through a slot in the boss J of the pulley D, and is strained tightly before
being fastened to the cap B whereby it acts as a spring to return the pulley D to
its normal position whenever it is rotated from such position. A similar strip of
india rubber G is applied to the cap B¹ and pulley. D₁ for a similar purpose. Any
other arrangement of spring suitable for returning the pulleys D D¹ to their normal
positions may be employed if preferred. Circular music or tune plates HH', that
is to say discs with the reeds II mounted therein in the proper order, are fitted
somewhat tightly with a key or feather on bosses J J₁ formed on the grooved
pulleys D and D¹ respectively, and are adapted to rotate with the said pulleys.
The cap B' of the bellows has a cardboard or other suitable disc or plate K fixed
thereto, such plate K being furnished with a slot L corresponding to the position
radially of the reeds in the tune plate H' on the pulley D¹ and this slot L is
covered on one side with a piece of soft leather M acting as a hinged valve to
prevent the passage of the air through the slot outwards from the bellows but
adapted to allow the passage of air inwards. A piece of soft leather M¹ surrounds
the slot L on the other side of the plate K and bears closely against the face of
the tune plate H¹ so as to prevent escape of air between the two plates. --The
cap B on the other end of the bellows has a cover N, with a slot O therein

page_text: corresponding to the position radially of the reeds in the tune plate H on the
pulley D. This slot O is also covered with a hinged piece of leather P forming a
valve similar to M and is surrounded below with a piece of soft leather P' for a
Bimilar purpose to M¹
It will now be understood that when the bellows is expanded by drawing the
caps B B¹ asunder the grooved pulleys DD¹ are caused to revolve by the action of
the cords E E¹ fixed to the caps B B' and to the grooved circumferences of the said
pulleys, and that when the bellows is collapsed, the springs G G¹ connected with
the pulleys cause the latter to revolve in the opposite direction towards their normal
positions. As these pulleys revolve they cause the tune plates H H¹ to revolve
also, and during their revolutions the reeds in the plate H pass successively under
the slot L in the plate K and the reeds in the plate H pass below the slot O in the
cover N. The consequence is that the air which rushes into the bellows A through
the holes Qin the bottom cover R when the bellows is expanded, has to pass
through the reeds in the tune plate H' sounding them as they successively pass
under the slot L in the plate K whereby one half of the tune or harmony is
produced and that the air forced out of the bellows A, when it is collapsed by
pushing the caps B B¹ towards each other, has to pass through the reeds or other
Bound producing devices in the tune plate H-sounding them as they successively
pass under the slot O in the top cover N, whereby the other half of the tune or
harmony is played; so that each time the bellows of the instrument is expanded
and collapsed the entire tune or harmony is played. Holes are formed through
the caps B B' and the pulleys D D¹ to facilitate the passage of the air into and out
of the body of the bellows.
It is obvious however that if preferred one tune plate placed at one end of the
bellows may be employed instead of one at each end, the whole tune or
harmony being arranged in the one plate, one expansion or one collapsing as the
case may be of the bellows being in that case sufficient to produce the completo
tune or harmony.
In some cases both tune plates may be placed at one end of the bellows one
being arranged to act when the bellows is expanded and the other when it is
collapsed.
Figure 4 illustrates this latter arrangement, similar letters of reference
indicating the parts in this figure which correspond to like parts in Figures 1, 2
and 3. In this case valves over the slots L and O in the plate K and cover N
respectively are dispensed with, the air entering the bellows, when the latter is
expanded, through the slot O and reeds in the tune plate H without sounding
such reeds, and then through those in the tune plate H' sounding the same, and
escaping into the bellows through the slot L. When the bellows is collapsed
the air passes out through the slot L and the reeds in the tune plate H'
without sounding such reeds, and then through the reeds in the tune plate H
sounding these latter, and finally escapes through the slot O. Both tune plates H
and H are carried and rotated by the same pulley D.
It will be seen from the above description that when two tune plates are
employed one. is placed with the reeds facing towards the inside of the
bellows, and the other with them facing outwards or away from the inside of
the bellows; by this arrangement only one tune plate is brought into action at a
time.
The tune plates can be easily changed on the grooved pulleys when it is desired
to change the tune or harmony to be played, by removing the covers N and R which
are adapted for that purpose.
In large sized instruments more than one circle of reeds may be employed, each
circle having its corresponding slot in the cover N and in the plate K; by this
means two or more notes may be sounded at once so as to form a chord or chords.
In the arrangements shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 the distance the bellows can
be expanded, and consequently the amount of air that can be drawn in, is limited
by the length of the circumference of the pulley D or D¹; but in cases where it is

page_text: desired to employ more air than can be obtained by these means without making
the bellows wider, the arrangement illustrated in Figure 5 may be employed. In
this arrangement the pulley D is carried on a spindle S which revolves, in holes
in the cross bars T and T', the tune plate H fits on to and turns with the
spindle S.
A small pulley U and a larger one V are fixed on a spindle W turning in the
cross bars X X¹. A tape or cord is fixed at one end to the circumference of the
pulley D, and after passing quite round the same, is fastened at its other end to the
periphery of the small pulley U. The cord E is fixed at one end to the periphery
of the pulley V and, after passing round the latter a sufficient number of times, is
carried through a guide to the cap at the opposite end of the bellows to which it
is fastened as in Figure 1. It will now be understood that in order to effect one
revolution of the pulley D several revolutions of the small pulley U, and conse-
quently of the larger pulley V, will be required; that the length of the cord Ę to
effect those revolutions will be much greater than in the case of Figure 1, and
consequently the distance to which the bellows can be expanded in order to
produce the one revolution of the pulley D and tune plate H will be corre-
spondingly increased. Therefore the quantity of air will be increased and the
time required to play the tune or harmony will be proportionately increased also.
Instead of the circular revolving tune plates stationary rectangular scale plates
may be used, but in that case I employ a strip of paper or other flexible material
having series of holes or slots punched in it corresponding to the tune to be played,
through which holes or slots air is admitted to the reeds as the strip of paper is
passed over them, somewhat in the manner well known in connection with the
automatic musical instrument known as the organette. Figure 6 is a cross section
of an instrument arranged to act in this way, Figure 7 a longitudinal section of
the same on line 1-1 of Figure 6; and Figure 8 a section through the tune or
scale plates on lines 2-2 of Figures 6 and 7.
The perforated strip of paper H³, which may be called the tune paper, is attached
at one end by a clip or otherwise to a spring roller a contained inside the bellows,
and being wound on such roller the other end is carried up over a guide roller b,
across the ends of the air ducts c c¹ leading to and from the reeds d d¹ in the scale
plates e e¹, over the guide roller f; it is then carried back through the bellows and
is secured by a hook and eye g or otherwise to the inside of the cap B¹. The
spring roller a turns on the spindle h which is held in the fixings i, so as not to
turn therein, by means of the hinged clip pieces j. A thin cord k is fixed at one
end to the reduced part 1 of the spindle h, the other end is then passed through
a guide m secured to the inside of the roller a, and is secured to an india rubber or
other suitable spring n also fixed to the roller a. If preferred, a helical spring
secured at one end to the spindle and at the other to the roller a may be
employed instead of the straight spring n and cord k shown in the drawing.
By these means when the bellows is expanded and collapsed the strip of
paper H is drawn across the ends of the air ducts c and the air passes through the
slots in the paper and through the reeds d d'; the expanding of the bellows causing
the air to enter at o and to pass through and to sound those reeds in the scale
plate e the air ducts c of which are uncovered by the slots in the paper H' and the
collapsing of the bellows causing the air to pass out through those air ducts c¹
which are uncovered by the slots in the paper H* whereby the corresponding reeds
in the scale plate e¹ are sounded. The entrance of air through the reeds in the
scale plate e when the bellows is expanded, is prevented by the flap valve p.
When the bellows is expanded the unwinding of the paper strip from the roller a
winds the cord k on to the part 1 of the spindle h, elongating the spring n When
the bellows is collapsed the spring n and cord k turn the roller a in the reverse
direction, winding the paper back on to the roller a. One set of the holes or slots
in the paper strip H is so arranged that the air is admitted through them to those
reeds which sound by the inrush of air in expanding the bellows, and another set
of holes in the paper is so arranged that the air is admitted through them to those

page_text: reeds which sound by the outrush of air in collapsing the bellows. If preferred
a single tune or scale plate may be employed instead of two, but in that case the
paper strip is provided with one set of slots only and the whole tune is played by
the one expansion or collapsing of the bellows. Instead of the spring roller a
being attached to the bottom cap B¹ of the bellows it may be mounted on the
hinged cover N in the position occupied by the guide roller b.
One of the covers N of the bellows A is hinged as at q so as to be readily opened
to allow the strip of paper to be changed when it is desired to alter the tune or
harmony to be played.
I by preference form the bellows from a single sheet of paper or other suitable
material by folding it on itself by hand or otherwise as many times as there are to
be sides in the bellows, leaving a margin for glueing together at the edges.
Figure 9 shows diagrammatically this folding for a square bellows. I then crimp
or fold the paper folded as above backwards and forwards at right angles to the
original folds so that when the paper is opened out and the edges glued together it
will assume the pleated or bellows form shown in Figure 10. Figure 11 shows the
sheet of paper opened out after having been folded; the lines on it representing the
foldings assumed by the paper to form the bellows shown in Figure 10.
Instead of folding by hand the material may be pressed into the desired pleated
form by a core and dies or fluted rollers.
+
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner in
which the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is :-
Firstly. In Automatic musical instruments, in which reeds or other similar sound
producing devices are employed in connection with air bellows, the combina-
tion of the air bellows A, and caps B B₁, with the pulleys D D¹, cords E E¹,
tune plate H H¹, slotted plate K, and slotted cover N; so arranged that the
act of working the air bellow's not only supplies the air, but rotates the
tune plates H H³, so as to cause the reeds in them to pass successively
below the slots L and O in the plate K and cover N, whereby one half the
tune or harmony is played by expanding the bellows, and the other half by
collapsing the same, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated
in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. In automatic musical instruments, in which reeds or other similar sound
producing devices are employed in connection with air bellows, the combina-
tion of the air bellows A, and caps B B', with the pulley D, cord E, tune
plates H H both mounted on the one pulley D, the slotted plate K, and the
slotted cover N.; so arranged that the act of working the bellows not only
supplies the air, but rotates the tune plates H H', so as to cause the reeds
in them to pass successively below the slots L and O in the plate K and
cover N, whereby one half the tune or harmony is played by expanding the
bellows, and the other half by collapsing the same, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings hereto
annexed.
Thirdly. In automatic musical instruments, in which reeds or other similar sound
producing devices are employed in connection with air bellows, the combina-
tion of the said air bellows with a single pulley and cord, and one tune
plate with its slotted plate or cover, whereby the whole tune or harmony is
played by the one expansion or one collapsing, as the case may be, of the
air bellows, substantially as herein before described.
Fourthly. In automatic musical instruments, in which reeds or other similar
sound producing devices are employed in connection with air bellows,
the combination of the tune plate H, with the pulley D, and the reducing
pulleys U and V, operated by the bellows, subtantially as herein before
described, and illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings, and for the purpose
_ set forth._

page_text: ly. In automatic musical instruments, in which reeds or other similar
sound producing devices are employed in connection with air bellows, the
combination of the bellows A, the caps B B', the scale plates e e', the air
ducts c c¹, the perforated paper strip H³, the spring roller-a, and the guide
rollers b and f, (or in the alternative f only) so arranged that the act of
working the bellows not only supplies the air, but actuates the tune paper
so as to allow the air to pass to the reeds in the scale plates in the order
required to produce the desired tune, as herein before described, and
illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marshall Arthur Wier, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand, eight hundred, and eighty-three.
MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER (LS.)