AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC ON PIANOS, ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS OF LIKE DESCRIPTION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the Firm of
. Mennons and Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of 8, South-
ampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, and 27, Rue Laffitte,
Paris, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC ON PIANOS,
ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS OF LIKE DESCRIPTION."-A com-
munication from Juan Amann, residing at Bilbao, in the Kingdom of
.Spain.
Scaled the 24th April 1867, and dated the 3rd December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd December 1866.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons and
Telescheff, Home and Foreign Patent Agents, of 8, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, and 27, Rue Laffitte, Paris, in the Empire of
France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATICAL PERFORMANCE OF. MUSIC ON PIANOS, ORGANS,
AND OTHER KEYED. INSTRUMENTS OF LIKE DESCRIPTION" (a communication),
to be as follows:→
This Invention consists.in an improved combination of apparatus by aid of
which musical compositions may be executed on pianos, organs, and other.
analogous keyed instruments without the intervention of a skilled performer.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is an elevation of this apparatus
applied to an ordinary harmonium; Figure 2 is a side view of the induction
coils forming part of the combination; Figure 3 is a sheet of the music used
in connection with this apparatus, and in which the notes are represented by
perforated spaces.
A, A, A', A¹, are pairs of induction coils mounted in double ranges on
wooden supports in such a manner that each pair (forming one electro-magnet)
corresponds with one of the keys b, b, of the keyboard N, N; B, B, are
metallic rods, each screwed by its lower extremity into a wooden rod B', B¹;
the upper extremities of the metallic rods B are each connected with the
hinged bar or keeper e of the corresponding electro-magnet, as more clearly
shewn in Fig. 2, while the lower extremities of the wooden rods B',
tipped with leather, felt, or cloth, depress the keys"b, b, b, during the working
of the apparatus, and are repelled by them on the interruption of the circuit;
C is a metallic standard communicating by a conductor in the back of the
frame with the wires of the inner coils of each range; D is a second standard
communicating by a conductor under the frame with the cross bar F; G, G, G,
are small springs, each of which corresponds with the wire of one of the outer
coils of both ranges; E, E, are the conductors of the battery communicating
with the standards C, D.
The apparatus should be provided with three batteries to enable the current
to be modified according to the requirements of the music. One of these
batteries remains in permanent communication with the standard C, D, while
the other two, corresponding with the points H, I, are only brought into
action when the circuit is completed by the apparatus in the brilliant or
"forte" passages of the music; F is a metallic bar hinged to the wooden
plate O, and provided with a retaining spring; G, G, G, are metallic springs
lodged in the cavity of the table O, indicated by the dotted lines, and each
communicating with the wire of one of the external coils, as above noted;
H, I, are ivory arches fitted with metallic ends to which are secured by screws
the conductors of the auxiliary batteries. These arches are connected by the
keepers e with the two first magnets of both ranges, under the action of which
their metallic ends are brought into contact with the brackets d, d, of the
standards C, D; and transmit to the apparatus at given moments the power
of the auxiliary batteries; J, J', are caoutchouc cylinders, between which
passes the perforated sheet of music P proceeding from the roller S. These
cylinders may be operated by the handle K acting on suitable gear, or by any
other convenient motor; M, M, are the stops of the harmonium, which in
ordinary organs are generally situated at the back of the keyboard, but which

page_text: in organs provided with the present apparatus should be set in front to avoid
interference with the latter, when in position..
Figure 3 represents a sheet of music to be used in connection with the ap
paratus above described, the notes being cut out in the form of slots in paper
or other suitable material in such a manner as to allow the contact at the required
points between the springs G, G, G, and the cross piece F; Q, Q, represent
the lines reserved for the current of the auxiliary batteries, which, as above
noted, only comes into play in the "forte" or brilliant passages; R, R, are
thin strips of sheet metal or foil applied to certain perforations, the excessive
length of which might effect the parallelism of the sheet in its passage through
the cylinders J, J. At the end of each sheet of music is reserved a blank
space P¹ of sufficient length to reach the cylinders J, J', before the perforated
notes come within range of the springs G, G, G.
The apparatus above described being set in position on the organ or piano
is operated as follows:-The cross bar F is thrown back on its hinges to admit
the sheet of music, which is then drawn forward till its blank extremity is
caught between the cylinders J, J; the bar is then brought down over the
music and secured by its retaining. spring; the cylinders are set in motion,
drawing forward the perforated sheet between the bar F and the springs G, G, G,
and the circuit being thus alternately completed and interrupted, according to
the position of the slots, the keepers e of the magnets A are attracted or
released, thus depressing or freeing the rods B₁ on the keys b, b, b, of the
instrument.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Marc Antoine François' Mennons in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the Firm of Mennons and Telescheff, Home
and Foreign Patent Agents, of 8, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, and 27, Rue Laffitte, Paris, in the Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licence that I,

page_text: the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time, and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATICAL
PERFORMANCE OF MUSIC ON PIANOS, ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS OF
LIKE DESCRIPTION," (a communication from Juan Amann, a person resident at
Bilbao, in the Kingdom of Spain, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
'months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Figures of the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to
Say:
This Invention consists in an improved combination of apparatus by aid of
which musical compositions may be executed on pianos, organs, and other
analogous keyed instruments without the intervention of a skilled performer.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is an elevation of this apparatus
applied to an ordinary harmonium; Figure 2 is a side view of the induction
coils forming part of the combination; Figure 3 is a sheet of the music used
in connection with this apparatus, and in which the notes are represented by
perforated spaces.
A, A, A, A', are pairs of induction coils mounted in double ranges on
wooden supports in such a manner that each pair (forming one electro-magnet)
corresponds with one of the keys b, b, of the keyboard 'N, N; B, B, are
metallic rods, each screwed by its lower extremity into a wooden rod B', B'.
The upper extremities of the metallic rods B are each connected with the
hinged bar or keeper e of the corresponding electro-magnet, as more clearly
shewn in Fig. 2, while the lower extremities of the wooden rods B¹, tipped
with leather, felt, or cloth, depress the keys b, b, b, during the working of
the apparatus, and are repelled by them on the interruption of the circuit;

page_text: C is a metallic standard communicating by a conductor in the back of the
frame with the wires of the inner coils of each range; D is a second standard
communicating by a conductor under the frame with the cross bar F;
G, G, G, are small springs, each of which corresponds with the wire of one of
the outer coils of both ranges; E, E, are the conductors of the battery com-
municating with the standards C, D.
The apparatus should be provided with three batteries to enable the current
to be modified according to the requirements of the music. One of these
batteries remains in permanent communication with the standards C, D, while
the other two, corresponding with the points H, I, are only brought into action
when the circuit is completed by the apparatus in the brilliant or "forte"
passages of the music; F is a metallic bar hinged to the wooden plate O, and
provided with a retaining spring; G, G, G, are metallic springs lodged in the
cavity of the table O, indicated by the dotted lines, and each communicating
with the wire of one of the external coils, as above noted; H, I, are ivory
arches fitted with metallic ends to which are secured by screws the conductors
of the auxiliary batteries; these. arches are connected by the keepers e with
the two first magnets of both ranges, under the action of which their metallic
ends are brought into contact with the brackets d, d, of the standards C, D,
and transmit to the apparatus at given moments the power of the auxiliary
batteries; J, J, are caoutchouc cylinders, between which passes the perforated
sheet of music P proceeding from the roller S; these cylinders may be
operated by the handle K acting on suitable gear, or by any other convenient
motor; M, M, are the stops of the harmonium, which in ordinary organs are
generally situated at the back of the keyboard, but which in organs, provided
with the present apparatus should be set in front to avoid interference with
the latter when in position.
Figure 3 represents a sheet of music to be used in connection with the
apparatus above described, the notes being cut out in the form of slots, in paper
or other suitable material, in such a manner as to allow the contact at the
required points between the springs G, G, G, and the cross piece F; Q, Q,
represent the lines reserved for the current of the auxiliary batteries, which,
as above noted, only comes into play in the "forte" or brilliant passages;
R, R, are thin strips of sheet metal or foil applied to certain perforations
the excessive length of which might affect the parallelism of the sheet in its
passage through the cylinders J, J. At the end of each sheet of music is
reserved a blank space P¹ of sufficient length to reach the cylinders J, J',
before the perforated notes come within range of the springs G, G, G.
The apparatus above described being set in position on the organ or piano

page_text: is operated as follows:-The cross bar F is thrown back on its hinges to
admit the sheet of music, which is-then drawn forward till its blank extremity
is caught between the cylinders J, J'; the bar is then brought down over the
music and secured by its-retaining spring; the cylinders are set in motion,
drawing forward the perforated sheet. between the bar F and the springs
G, G, G, and the circuit being thus alternately completed and interrupted,
according to the position of the slots, the keepers of the magnets A are
attracted or released, thus depressing or freeing the rods B¹ on the keys b, b, b,
of the instrument.
.
It will be understood that the form, dimensions, and general construction
of the apparatus, as also the arrangement of its component parts and their
mode of action on the keys of the musical instrument, may be varied according
to circumstances; thus, for instance, the electro-magnets may be distributed
beneath the keyboard instead of above, and so arranged as to act by direct
attraction of the keys provided with keepers on their under surfaces; or,
again they may be lodged in the body of the piano or organ in such a manner
as to act on the internal mechanism thereof instead of on the keys at the
outside. These and various other modifications, too obvious to require special
description, will suggest themselves to the constructor according to the form
or nature of the instrument to which the auxiliary apparatus is to be applied.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner of carrying it into effect, I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent the improved combination of electro-magnetic apparatus, substantially
as above described and shewn in the Drawing, by aid of which musical com-
positions, represented by perforated or other conducting spaces in continuous
bands of suitable insulating material, may be executed on pianos, organs, and
other analogous keyed instruments without the intervention of a skilled
performer.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.B.)