Improvements relating to Hand-organs and similar Instruments.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Loft 11th Dat 4000
ALL
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Hand-organs and similar Instruments.
We, PASQUALE ROSSI, CLEMENTE ROSSI, and LORETO SPINELLI, of 49, Warner
Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of London, Piano Organ Manufacturers, do
bereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to hand-organs and similar instruments and comprises
improvements which are chiefly designed to be applied to instruments known
as piano-organs.
According to one part of our said invention we provide mechanism for driving
the organ or the like by the power given out during the unwinding of a coiled
spring or by any equivalent power-storing device. And our said invention also
comprises novel mechanism whereby drums, bells, gongs or the like will be
sounded at varying predetermined intervals as an accompaniment to the air
performed upon the instrument proper, without the aid of pneumatic actuating
devices.
Morcover, since our improved mechanism occupies only a small amount of
space, it can be applied to existing piano-organs without necessitating structural
alterations of the same, and, being independent of the remainder of the operating
and sound-producing mechanism, can be removed without interference therewith.
In carrying our said invention into practice we provide, at a convenient part
within the case of the instrument, suitable bearings for supporting a rotatable
spindle controlled by a pawl and we mount upon the said rotatable spindle a
spring barrel enclosing a sufficiently powerful spring. The said spring is
provided with suitable winding gearing and is also provided with means for
limiting the amount of its winding and unwinding. The rate of unwinding of
the spring is preferably controlled by a centrifugal governor adapted to bring a
disc or plate secured upon its spindle into contact with a brake-block, when the
speed becomes sufficiently high, to control the said speed and to prevent it
becoming excessive. In order to permit the unwinding of the spring at different
rates of speed the governor may be adjusted by means of a set-screw which allows
the position of the brake block to be varied.
The spring-barrel is connected to the governor and also to the pin-barrel by
suitable trains of gear-wheels, and the gear-wheels communicating the motion
of the spring-barrel to the pin barrel may be held out of engagement so that the
organ can be played by turning the handle in the ordinary manner.
In applying to a piano-organ that part of our invention which relates to the
sounding of drums, bells, gongs and the like as an accompaniment to the air
performed we find it advantageous to provide a cross-bar or bridge, which is
attached to any convenient part within the case of the instrument and upon which
is supported one or more spring-controlled pivoted levers. Each of these levers
carries at one end thereof a drum-stick or a hammer for striking a drum, bell
or the like held in a suitable position in the path of motion of the head of such
drum-stick or hammer. Each of the said levers is normally held by means of

page_text: its spring with its drum-stick or hammer a suitable distance away from the drum,
bell or the like, and is connected by a rod, link or cord to one arm of a bell-
crank-lever, the other arm whereof is connected by a rod, link or cord with one
end of a swinging lever mounted on an oscillating frame the motion of which is
limited between fixed stops. This oscillating frame is normally held at one
extremity of its travel by means of a spring and is adapted to be moved to the
other end thereof by means of a rod attached to a key mounted and operated by
a pin on the pin-barrel in the same manner as the ordinary keys of the instrument.
In this latter position one arm of the swinging lever mounted on the said oscil-
lating frame is held in the path of the teeth on a lantern-pinion, toothed-wheel
or the like keyed upon the driving spindle or other convenient rotating part of
the piano-organ so as to act in conjunction with the mechanism above described,
to cause the drum, bell or the like to be struck once each time a tooth of the said
toothed wheel or its equivalent deflects the said swinging lever. The said
lantern-pinion, toothed-wheel or the like may be constructed to operate any
convenient number of swinging levers which may be mounted in one oscillating
frame common to all.
In the case of drum-beating mechanism we prefer to employ two drum-sticks
respectively connected as herein before described with two swinging levers
mounted on an oscillating frame common to both. The said swinging levers are
alternately struck by pins projecting from a disc of special construction keyed
on the driving spindle of the piano-organ. The said disc is constructed with
projecting pins arranged alternately on either side thereof.
The striking pins on the pin-barrel may be made of varying length measured
circumferentially around the said barrel so that the swinging levers may be
held in the path of the projecting pins on the pin-disc for longer or shorter
periods, as desired. We are thus enabled to sound upon the drum single beats
such as would occur in a march tune, or a roll sustained for any suitable interval
of time.
In a modified form of our invention a convenient number of the keys, which
usually carry the hammers for striking the notes, are reserved and upon these
keys we mount drums-sticks or hammers for striking the drum. These drum-
keys can be operated in the ordinary manner, that is, by means of pins projecting
from the surface of the pin-barrel and spaced so that the drum is sounded as,
and at the times, desired by the composer or arranger of the music.
In an instrument constructed as above described, to provide means for perform-
ing the air without the drum accompaniment, we employ a cam or lever, prefer-
ably operated by a handle conveniently situated at the outside of the instrument
case, adapted to be brought into the path of the drum-sticks or hammers, to hold
them away from the drum against the action of their springs and to prevent them
striking the drum.
According to another part of our invention, we employ, alone or in combination
with drum-sounding mechanism such as is above described, a modified form there-
of for sounding bells, gongs or the like in which each bell or gong is tuned to
correspond in pitch with a particular note of the piano-organ and is arranged to
be struck synchronously therewith by a device actuated from the key corre
sponding to the said note.
In this arrangement a spring-controlled pivoted lever is articulated to a second
pivoted lever the free end of which is held in the path of a projection on the key
so as to be rocked therewith when the key is drawn back before striking the
wires. The hammer is thus carried away from the bell or gong and then released,
so that it will, under the action of a spring or its equivalent, strike the said bell
or gong simultaneously with the sounding of the note on the piano.
By this arrangement such bells would ring continuously throughout the play-
ing of a tune whenever the note to which they correspond is struck. As, however
this is not desirable, means are provided for throwing the bell-striking mechanism
out of action, during predetermined intervals. To this end we prefer to employ

page_text: a hinged board or bar arranged so as to be pressed on to the levers supporting the
hammers and to hold the same away from the bells or gongs against the action
of their springs. This hinged board is preferably operated by one arm of a
lever, the other arm of which is adapted to be oscillated by an ordinary key
actuated by the pins on the pin barrel in a manner similar to that above men-
tioned with reference to the drum-striking mechanism.
We sometimes mount the bells, gongs or the like upon a board or bar secured
by hinges to the key frame. Each of the hammers for striking the said bells or
gongs is mounted upon a bell-crank-lever, which is pivotally supported by the
said hinged board or bar and one arm of the said bell-crank-lever is provided
with an extension adapted to engage a projection on the rod supporting the
corresponding ordinary hammer when the latter moves towards the wires to
strike a note.
The hinged board or bar may be rotated to carry the extensions of the bell-
crank-levers into and out of the paths of the projections on the hammer rods for
predetermined intervals during the performance of an air by means of an arrange-
ment of springs and pins on the pin-barrel similar to that above described.
When it is desired to dispense with the bell or gong accompaniment altogether
the hinged board or bar may be rotated by means such as are hereinbefore
described with reference to that form of drum sounding mechanism in which
the drum-sticks are mounted upon the ordinary hammer rods.
Dated this 7th day of September 1899.
We, l'ASQUALE ROSSI, CLEMENTE ROSSI, and LORETO SPINELLI, of 49, Warner
Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of London, Piano Organ Manufacturers, 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 hand-organs and similar instruments and comprises
improvements which are chiefly designed to be applied to instruments known
as piano-organs.
According to one part of our said invention we provide mechanism for driving
the organ or the like by the power given out during the unwinding of a coiled
spring or by any equivalent power-storing device. By another part of our said
invention we provide the instrument with drums, bells, gongs or the like and
novel mechanism for sounding the same at varying predetermined intervals, as
an accompaniment to the tune performed upon the instrument proper. The said
mechanism occupies only a small amount of space, and can therefore be applied
to existing piano-organs without necessitating structural alterations of the same,
and, being independent of the remainder of the operating and sound-producing
mechanism, it can be removed without interference therewith.
In the accompanying drawings, we have shown how our said invention can be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice:―

page_text: Figure 1 illustrates our improved spring actuated driving mechanism in side
elevation.
Figure 2 is a section taken on the line a, a, Figure 1, and showing the connec-
tion with the pin-barrel of the instrument.
Figure 3 is a front view of the key-board showing the relation of the drum
and bell mechanism thereto, and
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are detail side views, drawn to a larger scale, illustrating
the method of mounting and operating the drum and bell key-levers.
Like letters and numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several
figures.
。
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a, a are suitable bearings supporting a rotatable
spindle having, loosely mounted thereon, a spring barrel c, which encloses a
sufficiently powerful spring. The said spring is provided with suitable winding
gearing comprising, for example, the handle d, spindle e, pinion g, and spur-
wheel h, the latter being keyed upon the rotatable spindle b. This group of
gearing can revolve in one direction only by reason of the engagement of a
pawl with a ratchet wheel f fixed on the spindle e. Pivotally mounted on the
spring barrel c, and gearing with a projection or tooth k on the spindle b, is a
stop wheel provided as means for limiting the amount of winding and unwinding
of the said spring. The wheel jis turned through a distance corresponding to
one tooth at each revolution of the spindle b and the uncut tooth in the wheel
acts as a lock to prevent over winding. The rate of unwinding of the spring is
preferably controlled by a centrifugal governor adapted to bring a dise or
plate m, mounted with a capability of sliding but not turning on its spindle, into
contact with a brake-block n, when the speed becomes sufficiently high, to thereby
control the rate of unwinding of the spring and to prevent this rate becoming
excessive. In order to permit the unwinding of the spring at different rates of
speed, the position of the brake-block n may be adjusted by means of a set-
screw o to permit variations in the height to which the disc m can be lifted before
coming into contact with the brake-block n and, consequently, to permit of
corresponding variations of the speed of the governor.
The governor is driven from a toothed wheel 1, fast upon the spring barrel c,
through gear wheels q, r, s, worm wheel t and worm u, the latter being keyed
upon the governor spindle. The said toothed wheel also
P
gears
toothed
with a
wheel which is mounted, as is usual in instruments of this class as heretofore
constructed, on the pin-barrel shaft w.
We prefer to construct the spring or other motor with a frame independent
of the case of the instrument so that, by loosening its attachment to the case,
the motor can be displaced a short distance to disengage the toothed wheels u, v,
or the motor can be removed entirely, the instrument being then driven by hand
in the usual manner.
In applying to a piano-organ that part of our invention which relates to the
sounding of drums, bells, gongs, and the like as an accompaniment to the tune
performed, we provide a convenient number of key-levers with drum-sticks or
hammers for striking the drum, bells or the like.
In part of Figure 3 and in Figure 4 we have shown our improvements as
applied to beat or sound a drum but the same are applicable to the beating or
sounding of bells, gongs or the like. The key-levers 2 for operating the drums
or bells are pivotally mounted in the frame 3 in the same manner as the key-levers
for striking the wires, and are operated in the same manner, that is to say, by
means of pins 5 projecting from the surface of the pin-barrel 6. These pins
are arranged so that the drum or bell is sounded as, and at the times, desired by
the composer of the music.
Each drum-stick or hammer 4, in the position of rest, is out of contact with
the drum head 10, or bell, as the case may be, but when the key-lever 2 is
returned by the recoil of the spring 7, after displacement by a pin 5, the impetus
of the head 8 of the drum-stick or hammer bends the stick 4 (which to that end

page_text: is made sufficiently flexible) so that the head 8 strikes the drum head and then
immediately springs back. This allows the drum head to vibrate freely and does
not damp it or muffle the sound as would occur if the stick or hammer remained
in contact therewith. When this device is employed for beating or sounding a
drum, we prefer to employ not less than three drum-sticks as we are thus enabled
to sound upon the drum, single beats such as would occur in a march tune, or a
roll sustained for any suitable interval of time.
In an instrument constructed as above described, to provide means for perform-
ing the tune without the drum or bell accompaniment, we employ a cam or
lever 9, preferably operated by a handle 11 conveniently situated at the outside
of the instrument case, and connected to the said lever by means of a rod 12,
adapted to be brought into the path of the drum-sticks or hammers to hold
these latter away from the bell or drum, against the action of their springs, and
to prevent them striking thereon.
In a modified form of our invention more particularly intended for striking
bells or gongs, see Figure 5 and 6, we employ an arrangement in which each bell
or gong is tuned to correspond in pitch with a particular note of the piano-organ
and is arranged to be struck synchronously therewith by a device actuated from
the key corresponding to the said note.
According to this part of our invention we mount the bells or gongs 13 in a
frame 14 secured to the frame 3 or other convenient part of the instrument.
Each of the hammer-levers 4 is pivotally mounted on a bar 23 carried by the
frame 14 and is provided with an extension 15 adapted to engage a projection 16
on the key-lever 2 supporting the corresponding ordinary hammer 17, when the
latter moves towards the wire to strike a note. The force of the blow delivered
to the extension 15 by the projection 16 throws the hammer head 8 against the
bell and the blows upon the bell and the wire respectively are made simultaneously.
By this arrangement such bells would ring continuously throughout the playing
of a tune whenever the note to which they correspond is struck. As, however,
this is not always desirable, means are provided for throwing the bell-striking
mechanism out of action, during predetermined intervals. To this end we prefer
to employ a hinged board or bar 18 arranged so as to be pressed on to the
hammer-levers 4 and to hold the same with the extensions 15 thereof out of the
path of the projections 16 on the key-levers. This hinged board 18 is preferably
operated by a lever 19 oscillated by a special key-lever 24, as shown at the right
hand side of Figure 3 and in Figure 6, actuated by the pins or staples 20 on the
pin barrel 6, which pins can be made of varying length measured circumferen-
tially around the said barrel, so that the hinged board 18 may be pressed against
the hammers to keep them inoperative for longer or shorter periods, as desired.
As a further modification, we sometimes mount the hammer head upon a spring
controlled bell-crank-lever the free end of which is held in the path of the
projection on the key-lever so as to be rocked therewith when the key-lever is
drawn back before striking the wires. The hammer is thus carried away from
the bell or gong and then released so that it will, under the action of the spring,
strike the said bell or gong simultaneously with the sounding of the note on
the piano. The mounting of the board or bar 18 is, in this case, modified so
that it can move the hammers away from the bells against the action of their
springs.
When it is desired to dispense with the bell or gong accompaniment altogether,
the hinged board or bar 18 may be turned to throw the bell striking mechanism
out of action, by an arm 25, acting on the back of the lever 24 and actuated by
a handle 21 and rod 22.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is;--
1 The combination with a mechanically operated stringed instrument, of

page_text: motor mechanism for driving the same constructed and arranged as described,
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2. The combination, with the herein described motor mechanism, of a centri-
fugal governor controlled by an adjustable brake operating on a disc mounted on
the spindle of the said governor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A piano-organ or like stringed instrument provided with supplementary
means for sounding a drum, bell, gong or the like, said means comprising a
hammer or drum-stick attached to an ordinary key-lever of the instrument,
substantially as described.
4. The combination, with the means claimed in the preceding claiming clause,
of the cam or lever 9, rod 12 and handle 11, for the purpose specified.
5. The modification of the bell or gong sounding device comprising a pivoted
hammer extending into the path of a projection from the ordinary key-lever,
substantially as described.
6. The means for disconnecting the bell mechanism, said means comprising
a pin or staple for actuating a key to raise a lever and thus carry a rod or bar
into the path of the sticks or hammers to prevent the said sticks or hammers
from moving, substantially as described.
7. A piano-organ or like instrument actuated by a spring motor constructed
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings and having drum, bell or gong sounding mechanism applied thereto
as described.
S. The means for sounding a drum, bell, gong or the like, constructed sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to either of the forms or
modifications hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 11th day of October 1900.
LORETO SPINELLI.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.