Improvements in or relating to Mechanically Worked Musical Instruments.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 7th May,
1898
[[Communicated from abroad by BAUER and Co., of Angerstrasse, 52, Leipzig-
Lindenau, Germany.]
Improvements in or relating to Mechanically Worked Musical
Instruments.
I, VICTOR FALLON FEENY, of 60, Queen Victoria Street, in the City and County
of London, Patent Agent, 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:
1
Hitherto in mechanical musical instruments, the arrangement was such that the
small wheel which is worked by the perforated plate acts also as the striking wheel
of the vibrating comb or tongues.
Not only will this wear the teeth of the striking wheel and affect the tone of the
instrument, but the perforated plates are badly damaged by the sharp teeth of the
wheels.
The object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages. A special
wheel, actuated by the indentations of the perforated plate works in combination
with one or more striking wheels.
Figures 1 and 2 shew, in plan view and side elevation respectively, the arrange-
ment of a driving wheel T of a mechanical musical instrument which wheel
is connected with two striking wheels R, the vibrating tongues 7 and 72, and Z³
and 74, being located on each side of the shaft 1) around which the perforated plate
revolves. Wheel T has blunt teeth and wheels R have sharp or sharper ones.
These three wheels are connected together in such a manner that the driver is in
the centre between the two other wheels. The vibrating tongues Z' and 72 are so
arranged that each one of the striking wheels strikes two tongues which are on
both sides of the wheel spindle A. Now as each driver is connected with two
striking wheels, each indentation of the perforated plate will cause four vibrating
tongues to be struck at the same time.
The use of these combined wheels has also the advantage that it is possible to
have a fine division of the comb in connection with a wider one on the perforated
plate. This division is according to the arrangement shewn in the figure half
as big again in the latter as with the former. It also has the advantage that the
perforations can be made wider than hitherto even when the vibrating tongues are
arranged on both sides of the shaft around which the perforated plate revolves so
that the paths of the drivers are on one side. The arrangement permits of a larger
number of vibrating tongues than was hitherto possible. For instance it is
possible to use a disc 85 centimetres (almost 34 inches) in diameter with nearly 700
vibrating tongues, whereas with the present systems in which a disc of the
same size is used, only half of the vibrating tongues can be actuated.

page_text: 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. The arrangement of driving and striking wheels for mechanical musical
instruments, which is characterised by the connection of a driving wheel with one
or more striking wheels for the purpose of reducing the wear of both striking
wheel and perforated plate.
2. In mechanically operated musical instruments the combination with a driving
wheel T having blunt teeth and operated by a rotating perforated disc, of one or
more striking wheels R having sharper teeth, both or all these wheels T R being
secured upon a shaft A, for the purposes and substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of February 1898.
For the Applicant,
Dated this 25th day of February 1898.
For the Applicant,
:
GEDGE & FEENY,
60%, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.