Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Holding the Music Dises in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Holding the Music Dises in
Mechanical Musical Instruments.
...
I, Dr. FRIEDRICH ADOLF RICHTER, of 65, Schwarzburger Strasse, Rudolstadt,
Thuringen, in the Empire of Germany, 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 mechanical musical instruments of the class in which
the reeds are operated by levers, star-wheels or the like actuated by slots or
tongues provided in or on the face of a circular, preferably metallic disc more
generally known under the term of note-sheet or "note-disc," said note-disc
being adapted to be placed on the horizontal plate of usual and well known
construction carried by a spring actuated vertical or main shaft of the instru-
ment so as to rotate therewith, thereby actuating the playing levers or wheels
or the like, and to allow of the note disc being removed therefrom at any time.
The object of this invention is to provide means for enabling the disc to be
readily placed on and removed from the instrument especially for efficiently
maintaining at any position, vertical or inclined, the arm or holder for securing
the note-disc to said plate and further to provide special means operated by said
holder for stretching, holding and guiding the note-disc in proper position, when
the tune is being played, said means being simple in construction and at the
same time adapted to operate satisfactorily, in that the disc may be placed on
the parts of the instrument provided therefor without thereby becoming deformed
or uneven and so that the said disc can be easily removed therefrom and replaced
when desired. .:)
To this end my invention consists in the arrangement and construction of
parts as hereinafter more fully described, said parts comprising essentially an
arm or holder with one end hinged or pivotally connected to the frame in the
usual manner, said holder being provided with a friction device at its hinged
end for maintaining the holder in any desired position when turned upwards,
and further comprising a rotary disc provided in the holder and a series of
pairs of rolls operated by the holder for evenly holding, stretching and guiding
the note-disc in the manner required for efficiently actuating the playing mechan-
ism without thereby producing the noise caused in the instruments heretofore
known by the undulatory movement of the disc.
The friction-device at the hinged end of the holder consists of one or two
pulleys attached to the elongated pins or pivots of the holder and provided with
a brake strap or with two such straps, respectively, with one end connected to a
spring fixed to the frame and the other end attached to the frame itself. The.
means for holding, stretching and guiding the disc in accordance with and in
dependency on the movement of the holder consist, respectively, of a rotary
disc arranged in the middle of the arm or holder (provided the holder is made
of such a length as to extend over the note-disc from end to end), so as to press
upon and hold the central portion of the note-disc as the holder is turned down-
wards into its locking position, thereby co-operating with said rotary disc to

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holder.
Totaly 4240 Το μονταρι
In the accompanying drawings
CHU UL
Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a plan and an elevation of the arm or
holder in its closed position on the frame.
Figure 3 is a plan of the holder provided with the rotary disc in the middle
thereof.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the middle portion of the latter with the lateral
parts broken away, and
Figure 5 is an elevation of the holder shown in Figure 3 partly in section and
with some of the parts broken away.
Figure 6 is an elevation of the guiding or holding and stretching device
operated by and co-operating with the holder shown in its open or raised position,
the fore-part of the latter being broken away.
Figure 7 is a similar view with the parts in their closed position, and
Figure 8 is a plan according to Figure 7 with certain parts broken away.
The arm or holder c, see Figures 1 and 2, is hinged or pivotally connected
to the posts b on the bottom plate a forming the frame, by means of the pins
or pivots d extending from the holder through holes provided in the posts for the
purpose. On the projecting ends of the pins and in proximity to the posts,
pulleys and e¹ are mounted, separate straps f and fl attached at one end to
the posts, and at the other to the free ends of strong springs being passed around
the pulleys so that the said straps will exert under the influence of the springs
a braking strain or a frictional stopping effect on the pulleys and consequently
on the holder as the latter is turned on its pivot. By these means the holder
is enabled to maintain or keep any inclined or erect position into which it may
be moved, without requiring a special abutment or any device affording a stop
to the holder when thus removed from its horizontal or locking position. It is
obvious that in lieu of the two pulleys I may use a single pulley without thereby
departing from the nature of my invention, and the said single pulley may be
mounted on either of the two pivots of the holder or, arranged in the middle of
the pin or axle forming the pivots of the holder. In this case the end of the
latter must be properly recessed so as to form two branches between which the
pulley is arranged on the pin with the ends of the latter held by the said
branches.
In order to avoid any undulatory movements of the note disc which would
cause disturbing noises during its rotation, I provide in the holder a disc m
with a central bowl fitting snugly the prominent central part of the base plate o
covering the top of the vertical shaft n, see Figures 4 and 5, and serving as a
support for the central portion of the note-disc. From said disc m an arm
projects upwards connecting the disc by means of a ball and socket joint k to
the circular casing i forming the middle portion of the holder, a spring 7 being
provided in the socket operating to press the disc m downwards towards the
base plate o. Supposing the note-disc p to have been placed on the plate o and
the holder b then turned downwards and locked at its free end, it will be seen
that the disc m under the pressure of the spring will continuously bear against
the central portion of the note-disc thereby causing the latter to lie flat and
even on the base plate o and to remain in the stretched state during the time
the instrument is playing notwithstanding the tendency to undulatory movements
arising in the note-disc from the rotary movements imparted thereto while being
carried around together with the plate o and the disc m.
The lever and stretching rolls arrangement operated by the holder consist of

page_text: a pair of bent levers or bars u and u¹, see Figures 6, 7 and 8, guided 'so that
when the holder is being turned upwards, the pins t provided on the outer faces
of the pulleys e and e¹ co-operate with the slots in the vertical arm of said
levers so that the latter will be pushed forward and be retracted again when the
holder is removed to its horizontal or locking position. At the ends of the
bottom plate a there are two pairs of arms suitably hinged to the plate, each of
said arms carrying a roll at its free end. Owing to their gravity or to
springs provided for this purpose, said arms assume a low or inclined position,
see Figure 6, when the holder is turned upwards, but will be moved upward
and brought to a more or less vertical position, see Figure 7, by the pins w
and w¹ respectively provided on the levers u and u¹ and pressing towards said
arms, when the holder is turned downwards again, so that said rolls co-operate
with the rolls s¹ and s² provided on either end of the holder to stretch, hold and
guide the note-disc placed between them.
During the time the rolls 1 and 4 arranged at the ends of the bottom plate
are actuated so as to change their position in accordance with and in dependence
upon the position of the holder, the levers u and u¹ also act upon a set of
suitable arranged levers preferably four in number and carried by four branches
of the bottom-plate a, so that four sets of guiding rolls suitably provided at
the ends of said branches will co-operate with the rolls to hold, stretch
and guide the note-disc when a tune is being played. The mechanism operating
said four sets of rolls shown in Figures 6 to 8, consists of the levers a supported
by the branches 2 of the bottom-plate and having noses at one end extending.
towards and embracing the bars and carrying at their other ends short arms 3 and 4
each provided with a roll 2 and 3, respectively, at its upper end and with a
sliding lever pivotally connected to the arms 3 and 4 extending through holes
in the ends of the branches, said sliding levers also carrying rolls s at their
upper ends.
When the holder c is given an upright or inclined position, the noses of the
levers embrace the horizontal arms of the bent levers u u¹ at a point where'
the latter are recessed, see Figure 6, so as to allow the outer arms of the levers
and hence the rolls 2 and 3 to assume a low position owing to the pressure of
springs attached to the branches and acting with their free ends upon the
levers. At the same time the sliding levers carried by the arms 3 and 4 descend
and are forced to slide with their tapered lower ends on the upper surface of
the branches 2 so that the rolls s carried by said levers move outside in a radial
direction and away from the rolls 23, thus allowing the note-disc to be
removed from the instrument and to be replaced by another.
When the holder is turned back again to the horizontal or locking position
the aforesaid bars u u¹ take the position shown in Figure 7, thereby allowing
the levers a to return to the horizontal position under the action of their springs
and further allowing the sliding levers to slide back to their vertical position.
under the action of their springs i so that the rolls s come again in contact with
the rolls or with the note-disc placed upon the latter, thereby assisting to
hold, stretch and guide the disc so as to prevent it from undulatory movements
when rotating while the instrument is playing.
It is obvious that in doing this the said four sets of rolls co-operate with the
sets of rolls provided at either end of the holder and of the bottom-plate, and
further from the described mode of operation of the said co-operating sets of rolls
it will be seen that a holding stretching and guiding device of this kind is by
far more efficient in use than the devices heretofore known for the purpose and
consisting essentially of sets of rolls, the lower of which are fixed rolls, that is to
say rolls unchangeable in their vertical positions. Rolls of this kind evidently
are most inconvenient as regards the difficulties existing in placing a note-disc
of a large size between the guiding rolls and, further, as regards the incon-
veniences consisting in that a large disc tends to become uneven when being
placed on and guided by said fixed rolls.

page_text: I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details
of construction or arrangement described and shown, as these admit of various
modifications and variations within the scope of this invention.
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:-
'
1. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, and a device for holding the note-disc in
proper position on the parts supporting the same, said device consisting of an
arm or holder having a frictional brake at its hinged end for maintaining the holder
when in open position and a rotary disc at the part thereof corresponding to the
centre of the note-disc for holding and guiding the central part of said note-
disc and of a series of pairs of rolls operated by the holder so as to change their
position in the vertical direction and co-operating therewith to hold and guide
the note-disc, substantially as described.
2. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, the combination of an arm or holder having
at its hinged end one or more pulleys with a spring-controlled brake-strap thereon
for maintaining the holder in any upright or inclined position given to the
holder on disengaging it from the note-disc, substantially as described.
3. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, the combination of an arm or holder with
one end hinged to the bottom plate, a rotary disc connected to the holder by a
ball and socket joint, a spring provided in said joint between said ball and the
socket and a base plate provided on the vertical or main shaft of the instrument
to support the note-disc so as to allow the spring-controlled rotary disc to press
the central portion of the note-disc gently and evenly towards the said base
plate, substantially as described.
4. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, the combination of an arm or holder having
at its hinged end one or more pulleys with a brake-strap thereon, and having
a rotary disc connected to the holder by a ball and socket joint to hold flat the
central part of the note-disc, during the play of the instrument, substantially
as described.
5. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, the combination with an arm
or holder
with one end hinged to the bottom plate, of a series of pairs of rolls arranged
at different points of the frame corresponding to the circumferential line. of
the note-disc and a lever arrangement for operating the rollers by means of the
holder in order to displace them in vertical and in radial directions, respectively,
in accordance with and in dependence upon the movement of the holder, sub-
stantially as described.
6. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc, the combination with an arm or holder with
one end hinged to the bottom plate, of a rotary disc connected to the holder by
a ball and socket joint, a series of pairs of rollers arranged at different points
of the frame corresponding to the circumferential line of the note-dise and a
lever arrangement for operating the rollers by means of the holder in order to
displace them in vertical and in radial directions, respectively, in accordance
with and in dependence upon the movement of the holder, substantially. as
described.
7. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing the
tunes from a circular note disc, the combination of an arm or holder having at its
hinged end one or more pulleys as described with a spring-controlled brake-
strap thereon for maintaining the holder in any upright or inclined position given
to the holder on disengaging it from the note-disc, a series of pairs of rollers

page_text: arranged at different points of the frame corresponding to the circumferential
line of the note-disc and a lever arrangement for operating the rollers by means
of the holder in order to displace them in vertical and in radial directions,
respectively, in accordance with and in dependence upon the movement of the
holder, substantially as described.
8. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder
having at its hinged end one or more pulleys as described with a brake-strap
thereon, and having a rotary disc connected to the holder by a spring-controlled
ball and socket joint to hold and guide the central part of the note-dise of a
series of pairs of rolls operated by said holder and co-operating therewith to hold
and guide the marginal part of the note-disc, substantially as described.
In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder having
at its hinged end one or more pulleys as described with a brake-strap thereon.
and having a rotary disc connected to the holder by a spring-controlled ball and
socket joint to hold and guide the central part of the note-disc of a series of
pairs of rolls arranged at different points of the frame corresponding to the
circumferential line of the note-disc and a lever arrangement for operating the
rollers by means of the holder in order to displace them in vertical and in
radial directions, respectively, in accordance with and in dependence upon the
movement of the holder, substantially as described.
10. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder with
one end hinged to the bottom plate, of a series of pairs of rolls arranged at each
end of the bottom plate and of the holder and at the free ends of branches
projecting from the bottom plate, and a lever arrangement for operating the
rolls by means of the holder in order to displace them in vertical and in radial
directions, respectively, in accordance with and in dependence on the movement
of the holder, substantially as described.
11. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder having
at its hinged end one or more pulleys as described with a spring-controlled
brake-strap thereon for maintaining the holder in any desired upright or inclined
position given to the holder on disengaging it from the note-disc, of a series
of pairs of rolls arranged at each end of the bottom plate and of the holder and
at the free ends of branches projecting from the bottom plate, and a lever
arrangement for operating the rolls by means of the holder in order to displace
them in vertical and in radial directions. respectively, in accordance with and
in dependence on the movement of the holder, substantially as described.
12. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
the tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder with
one end hinged to the bottom plate, of a rotary disc connected to the holder by a
ball and socket joint, a spring provided in said joint between the ball and the
socket, a base plate provided on the vertical or main shaft of the instrument to
support the note-dise so as to allow the rotary disc to press the central portion
of the note-disc towards the base plate, and a series of pairs of rolls arranged
at each end of the bottom plate and of the holder and at the free ends of
branches projecting from the bottom plate, and a lever arrangement for operat-
ng the rolls by means of the holder in order to displace them in vertical and in
radial directions, respectively, in accordance with and in dependence on the
movement of the holder, substantially as described.
13. In a mechanical musical instrument having a mechanism for reproducing
he tunes from a circular note-disc the combination with an arm or holder hav-
ng at its hinged end one or more pulleys as described with a spring-controlled
rake-strap thereon, of a rotary disc connected to the holder by a ball and
ocket joint, a spring provided in said joint between the ball and the socket, a

page_text: base plate provided on the vertical or main shaft of the instrument, to support
the note-disc so as to allow the rotary disc to press the central portion of the
note-disc towards the base plate, and a series, of pairs of rolls arranged at each
end of the bottom plate and of the holder and at the free ends of branches pro-.
jecting from the bottom plate, and a lever arrangement for operating the rolls
by means of the holder in order to displace them in vertical and in radial
directions, respectively, in accordance with and in dependence on the movement
of the holder, substantially as described.
d