IMPROVE- MENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ROBERT KIRK BOYLE of 15. Mulgrave Street Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS" to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to electro-magnetic musical instruments.
My said invention is based upon the fact that, when an electric current is passed'
through an electrical conductor extending directly through a magnetic field; the
said conductor will be caused to move in one direction or another according to its
position and according to the direction of the said current. And my said invention'
comprises an improved method of producing. musical sounds by this mutual action
of an electric current and a magnetic field. For this purpose I prefer to arrange
one or more conductors in such a manner that they extend between the poles or
polar extensions of a magnet and will, on tlie passage of electricity through them,
be caused to move in one direction, and in so doing will break the circuit, and then,
being no longer held by the mutual action of the current and the magnetic field,
will be moved by their elasticity, and in some cases also by their gravity, in- the
opposite direction; they will thus again complete the circuit and the direction of
their movement will be again reversed, and so on. The result is a constant'
vibration of the said conductor or conductors which produces a musical note of
higher or lower pitch according. to the size, length and condition of the said
conductor or conductors. This vibration will continue until the circuit is broken'
by some extraneous or independent' means.
By arranging a number of conductors to be vibrated in this manner, and providing'
suitable means for causing an electric current to pass through them in any desired
succession; I constitute a musical instrument or apparatus which can be operated'
mechanically, or by means of keys like a pianoforte, or otherwise!.
One form or modification of my musical instrument or apparatus is constructed
as follows, that is to say:-I provide a frame of cast or wrought iron or other'
suitable material which is secured to a sounding board or box by screws or other'
suitable means. This frame is made with one end inclined (or if desired both ends,
are inclined) so that wires of various lengths may be strung thereon, and each wire
will produce a, different, tone or sound. Steel pins or studs are screwed into the
D
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page_text: said frame, and upon these pins or studs are placed sleeves of ebonite or other
suitable material, to which the wires are secured. Other pins or studs are fixed in
the said sounding board or box, but are not in contact with the frame; these pins
or studs act as bridges for the wires and increase the sound by reason of their being
fixed to the sounding board or box; the said bridges extend slightly higher than
the first named pin or studs. The said wires are attached at their other ends to
devices for regulating the tension of the said wires so as to give the proper pitch
to the sounds which they produce. Each of these devices consist of a pin or stud
having a fixed collar and a screw-threaded extension which passes through the
said frame and is secured by means of a nut. The said pin or stud is perforated
to receive the end of the wire, and is provided with a head which is perforated to
receive the end of a rod for adjusting the said pin or stud to regulate the tension
of the wire. For this purpose the nut is temporarily slackened, and the said nut
is again tightened to hold the wire..
Springs of brass wire or other material which is a conductor of electricity, are
each secured at one end to a block or support fixed to the sounding board or box;
and an adjusting screw is provided for the purpose of preventing the said spring
from participating in the upward movement of the wire caused by the passage of
an electric current as hereinafter described and at the same time permitting the
said spring to make contact with the wire, when the latter is in its normal
position.
I provide an electro-magnet for the purpose of producing the magnetic field and
the action of this magnet upon the wires is similar to that of the magnet described
in the provisional specification accompanying my application for Letters Patent
dated 7th May A.D. 1884, N° 7375.
"In some cases I employ a cylinder or drum of brass or other metal which is a
good conductor of electricity, arranged in a support or frame and capable of being
rotated by any suitable mechanism, or by hand. Upon this drum is placed a strip.
or band of perforated paper which is made with one or more holes or with a slot of
greater or less length for each note to be produced, the holes or slots being suitably
arranged according the tune which it is desired should be played by the said
instrument or apparatus And I provide springs, preferably made of brass wire,
which rest upon the said paper and have one end fixed in a block of hard india-
rubber or other insulating material, arranged parallel to the said cylinder or drum.
The end of each of these springs is connected by a wire with one of the springs
carried by the aforesaid frame, which spring corresponds with the note represented
by the line of perforations in the paper opposite the spring bearing thereon.
The apparatus is operated or played upon as follows, that is to say :-the said
cylinder or drum with the strip or band of perforated paper placed thereon, is
rotated at the proper speed for the tune which is to be played. The perforations
being in line with the springs, the ends of the latter will fall into the said
perforations as they pass and will make metallic contact with the said cylinder or
drum, and will thus complete the circuit in which are included the corresponding
spring on; the said frame and a battery. The current will then pass through one'
of the musical wires which will be caused to vibrate and produce the desired
musical note.
. II
In other cases I emply a key-board similar to that of an ordinary pianoforte,
each of the keys of which is provided with a small piece of brass or other suitable
metal let into the end, thereof and connected by a wire with one of the springs and
wires on the aforesaid frame; the said wire being arranged to produce the sound
which the said key represents. A plate of brass or other suitable metal extends
beneath all the keys of the key-board; from this plate project small springs each
of which is in contact with the end of one of the said.keys, so that, when the key
is depressed, the said spring will come in, contact with the said metal piece, but,
when the key is released, the said spring will rest on the wooden body of the said
key. The said plate and springs are connected by a wire to one pole of the
battery, the other, pole of the battery, being connected with the frame by another
'1

page_text: wire. The instrument or apparatus is, in this case, operated or played upon by
depressing one or more of the said keys so that the quality of the music which is
produced depends greatly upon the skill of the performer.. If one of these keys is
depressed, the corresponding spring on the plate will make contact with the metal
piece on the end of the said key, and the corresponding circuit will be completed.
When the key is held down and the electric current passes through the
corresponding musical wire, the latter is set in motion by the action of the magnet
in the following manner, that is to say, the current passes through the said musical
wire and through the magnetic field of the magnet thereby causing the said wire
to move upward and break contact with the corresponding spring; the current
then ceases to pass and the wire, being no longer acted upon or influenced by the
magnet, falls by its elasticity and gravity and again makes contact with the said
spring, then it flies up again, then down, and so on. The rapidity and number of
its oscillations or vibrations will depend upon the length of the wire from the pin
or stud on the sounding board or box to the winder or device on the frame.
The upper half or portion of the vibrations is entirely independent of the said spring
which is only carried down by the lower half or portion of the vibrations, the
aforesaid adjusting screw preventing its upward movement beyond a certain point.
. Instead of making and breaking the circuit as above described, I sometimes
arrange for vibrating the wires by varying the intensity of the current or the
resistance in circuit.
CUMILEIE DI LULEICATION.
I, ROBERT KIRK BOYLE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Electrician,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to electro-magnetic musical instruments, and is based upon
the fact that, when an electric current is produced in a wire or conductor extending
directly through or across a magnetic field, the said wire or conductor will be
moved in one direction or another according to its position and according to the
direction of the current.
My said invention comprises an instrument or apparatus for producing musical
sounds by this mutual action of an electric current and a magnetic field. For this,

page_text: purpose, I employ one or more wires or conductors extending directly through or
across a magnetic field in such a manner that, on the passage of electricity through
either of the said conductors, it will be moved in one direction, and thus break the
circuit, and then, being no longer held by the mutual action of the current, and the
magnetic field, will be moved by its elasticity, and in some cases also by gravity,
in the opposite direction, and will. thus compléte the circuit, so that the direction
of its movement will again be reversed, and so on.
The said wire or conductor is
thus caused to vibrate continuously until the circuit is broken by some extraneous
or independent means, and to produce a musical note of higher or lower pitch
'according to its size, length and condition.
$
By arranging a series of wires or conductors of different size and length to be
vibrated in this manner, and providing suitable means for producing an electric
current in one or more of the said wires or conductors in any desired succession,
I constitute a musical instrument or apparatus which can be operated either.
mechanically, or by means of keys like a pianoforte, or otherwise.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn a musical instrument or apparatus
'constructed in accordance with my said invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said instrument or apparatus, shewing also
a device for operating the same, and electrical connections between the said device
and the instrument or apparatus.
Figure 2 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of a key-board for operating the said
instrument or apparatus.
Figure 4 is a plan of a tension regulating device hereinafter described, and,
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a contact spring and adjusting screw hereinafter
described.
Figures 3 to 5 inclusive are drawn to an enlarged scale.
A is a sounding board.or box. B is a frame of metal or other suitable material
secured to the said sounding board or box by screws a. This frame is made with
one end inclined as shewn, and wires C of various lengths are stretched upon the
said frame, so that each wire will produce a different musical note or sound,
If desired, hoth ends of the frame may be inclined. D, D, are steel pins or studs
fixed in the frame B. Upon these pins or studs are placed short tubes or sleeves d,
of ebonite or other insulating material, to which the wires C are secured at one
end. The other ends of the said wires are attached to devices E for regulating the
tension of the said wires so as to give the proper pitch to the sounds which they
produce. Each of these devices consists of a pin or stud e (Figure 4) having
a fixed collar e¹ and a screw-threaded extension e which passes through the
frame B and is secured by means of a nut e³ as shown. A hole is formed in the
pin or stude to receive the end of the wire, and the said pin or stud is provided
with a head e' through which a hole is bored to receive the end of a rod for
adjusting the said pin or stud to regulate the tension of the wire. For this
purpose the nut e³ must be slackened and the pin or stud e turned in the desired
direction, the said nut must then be tightened to firmly hold the wire and maintain
its tension. F, F, are pins or studs fixed in the sounding board or box A, but not
in contact with the frame B; these pins or studs act as bridges for the wires C
and increase the sound by reason of their being fixed in the sounding board
or box; the said bridges extend slightly higher than the pins or studs D.
H, H are contact springs of brass wire or other suitable electrial conducting
material; each of these springs is secured at one end to a block or support h
attached to the sounding board or box A. h is a screw for adjusting the spring H
so that it will normally be in contact with the corresponding wire C, and for
preventing the rising of the said spring when the said wire is moved upward by
the passage, through the same, of an electric current, as hereinafter described.
The spring H and its support and adjusting screw are clearly shown in Figure 5.
K is an electro-magnet, through or across the field whereof extend the wires C,
and the construction of which is similar to that of the magnet 'described in the

page_text: Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and dated, 7th May, A.D. 1884,
No 7375. If desired, a permanent magnet may be employed instead of an electro-
magnet.
1
+
M is a cylinder or drum of brass or other metal which is a good conductor of:
electricity. This drum is mounted in a suitable support or frame and. is arranged
to be rotated by any suitable mechanism or by hand. N is a music sheet or
perforated strip or band of paper or similar material having a longitudinal row, or
a series of round holes, or of slots of greater or less length, for each note to be
produced by the instrument. The said holes or slots are suitably arranged to >
correspond with any tune. which it is desired should be played by the instrument..
0,0, are springs, which are preferably made of brass wire, and which rest at one
end upon the music sheet N above the longitudinal rows of perforations, and are.
fixed at the other end in a block O¹, of hard india-rubber or other insulating
material, arranged parallel to the axis of the cylinder or drum M. The end of each
of these springs is connected by a wire with the corresponding contact spring H.
The instrument or apparatus thus constructed and arranged operates as follows,
that is to say: When the cylinder or drum M is rotated at the proper speed for
the tune which is to be played, the ends of the springs will fall into the per-
forations in the music sheet as they pass under the said springs, and will make
electrical contact with the said cylinder or drum, thus completing the circuit in
which are included the corresponding spring H and the generator P.
With the
parts in the position shown, when the circuit is thus completed, the current will
flow from one pole of the said generator through the wire 1 and the axis or
shaft M¹ to the drum M, thence by the spring 2 and wire 3 to the corresponding
spring H and musical wire C thence through the frame B and wire 6 to the other
pole of the generator P.
The current in the said musical wire flowing through the field of the magnet /,
the mutual action of the said current and the magnetic field causes the said wire to
move upward and break contact with the spring H, the wire, being then no longer
acted upon by the current and magnetic field, falls by its elasticity and gravity, t
and again makes contact with the said spring, then it again moves upward on the
passage of the current through it.
'
The said musical wire is thus continuously vibrated and will produce the
note "A" or "la," for example, until the circuit is broken by the continued
rotation of the drum M.
The rapidity and extent of the vibrations of the said wire will depend upon its
length between the pin or stud F on the sounding board or box A and the windler
or device E on the frame B.
When either of the springs O makes contact with the drum M through one of
the perforations in the music sheet, the corresponding musical wire will be caused
to vibrate as above described and thus produce the desired note.
Instead of the drum M and music sheet N, I sometimes employ a key-board
similar to that of a pianoforte as indicated in Figure 3, in which R, R1, R² represent
three keys of the said key-board. A small plate or piece of brass or other
suitable metal is let into the end of each key and connected by a wire with one of
the springs H and wires C on the frame B; the said wire Ċ being arranged to
produce the sound represented by the said key. S is a plate of brass or other
suitable metal extending beneath the keys of the key-board; from this plate
project small springs 8, each of which is in contact with the end of one of the
said keys, so that, when the key is depressed, its metal piece will make contact
with the said spring, but, when the key is in its normal position, the said spring
will rest on the wooden body thereof. The connections are shown by dotted lines
extending between Figures 1 and 2. The plate S and springs & are connected by a
wire 9 with one pole of the generator, the other pole thereof being connected, as
above stated, with the frame B by the wire 6. The instrument or apparatus is, in
this case, operated or played upon by depressing one or more of the keys R, R¹, R²,

page_text: Therefore the quality of the music which is produced will depend greatly upon the
skill of the performer.
Instead of making and breaking the circuit as above described, I sometimes.
arrange for vibrating the wires by varying the intensity of the current, or the
resistance in circuit, and thus producing an undulatory instead of an intermittent
current.
Although I have shown single wires or conductors passing once through the
magnetic field, it is obvious that two or more wires may be substituted for each
single wire, or, if desired, each single wire may be arranged to pass two or more
times through the magnetic field.
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
First An instrument or apparatus wherein musical sounds are produced as
above specified by intermittent or undulatory electric currents in one or more wires
or conductors, extending directly through or across a magnetic.field.
Second-The combination, with the said wires or conductors, of means whereby
the vibration of either of them will alternately make and break the electric circuit.
in which it is included, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third: The combination of the sounding board or box, the frame carrying the
wires or conductors and means for regulating their tension, the contact springs, the
magnet, and the metal drum and perforated music sheet, or the key-board provided
with the metal plate, or other suitable means for completing the circuit from
an electric generator through any or either of the said wires or conductors,
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth-The combination, with each of the wires or conductors C,. of a device
consisting of the contact spring H attached to the block or support hand arranged
to be adjusted by means of the screw h¹, substantially as, and for the purpose, set
forth..