Year: 1885

page_text: I, ELLIS PARR, of Long Lane, Aldersgate Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
My present invention relates to spinning tops in which when set in sufficiently
rapid revolution musical notes or tunes are automatically produced.
It relates more especially to the improved form of such musical top for which
Letters Patent were applied for by George Hodges Bishop and Ellis Parr dated
13th day of December 1884 and numbered 16423, in which changeable perforated
discs are used by which the number of tunes played can be infinitely varied.
It has for its object improved methods of making and arranging musical tops in
which vibrating musical tongues are used which are struck by pins properly
arranged and made to move by suitable mechanism as in ordinary musical boxes,
by which improved methods the tunes played in such tops so operating can be
infinitely varied and changed as desired.
For this purpose I take a spinning top of any of the ordinary well known kinds,
consisting preferably of a metal case made in two halves united together by a
horizontal joint, and spun when desired by a string, spring, or other ordinary
means, and inside this top I arrange and fix a series of springs or tongues, similar
to those used in ordinary musical boxes, the whole series forming a scale of one
octave, or of more or less than an octave.
I arrange and fix this series of tongues preferably radially or diametrically across
the top, their extremities pointing upward or downward as may be preferred, and
in close proximity to these extremities I arrange a disc of wood, metal, or other
sufficiently strong and light material, which is fitted upon a central vertical axis
and is made to revolve slowly by means of clockwork atuated by a spring which
is wound up when required by a key introduced through a suitable aperture in the
top, or fitted upon a square at the end of the spindle point upon which the top
spins (as in the arrangement described and shewn in the specification of the said
Bishop and Parr already referred to).
I do not permanently fix the disc described upon the spindle which drives it, but
I provide it with a square or other suitable hole by which it can be readily fitted
upon and removed from the driving spindle, and I fit it in such a position that by
separating the top half of the top from the bottom one, easy access is obtained to
the disc for the purpose of removing, replacing, or changing it,

page_text: '
Upon the face of the moveable disc adjoining the extremities of the moveable
tongues, I arrange and fix a number of projecting pins or pegs so arranged that as
the disc revolves they strike the tongues so as to sound them in a way somewhat
similar to the action of the pins upon the barrel of a musical box, the pins being
properly arranged and fixed in concentric circles upon the face of the disc, each.
such circle corresponding with one of the tongues which is to be sounded. If the
series of tongues extends completely across the top, I prefer that each successive
note should be arranged upon one or other side of the centre, the pins or pegs
being correspondingly arranged. Or the series of tongues may occupy one half
only of the diameter of the top.
It will be seen that by my invention the tunes played upon the musical tongues
contained in the top may be varied and changed to any extent that may be desired,
by the simple substitution of different discs having pins or projections properly
arranged upon their face. These discs can be cheaply and easily made, and are
very readily changed and inserted in their place in the top.
Changeable discs of the kind described may be used not only for sounding
musical tongues in tops as above described, but they may also be used instead of
cylinders in ordinary musical boxes suitably arranged, in which by their use the
number of tunes played may be infinitely varied, whilst the changeable discs are
very cheaply, easily, and quickly made.

page_text: Improvements in Musical Spinning Tops and Boxes.
I, ELLIS PARR, of Long Lane, Aldersgate Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, 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 and accompanying drawing (that is to say):-
My present invention relates to spinning tops in which, whilst they are spinning,
musical notes or tunes are automatically produced, and also to musical boxes of the
well known kind in which tunes are produced by metal vibrating tongues set in
vibration by means of moving pins, or projections, or their equivalents, set in
motion by a handle or by clockwork.
It has for its object improved methods of making and arranging such musical
spinning tops or musical boxes so that the tunes produced by the vibration of the
tongues may be infinitely changed as desired.
Supposing that my invention is to be applied to a spinning top, I prefer to use a
spinning top of a kind such as is described and shewn in the specification and
drawings of Letters Patent granted to Robert Hodges Bishop and Ellis Parr dated
December 13th A.D. 1884, and numbered 16423, in which changeable perforated
discs are used made to revolve by clockwork, and admitting air to musical reeds or
pipes properly arranged, the tune played being dependent upon the character and
position of the perforations in the disc, which disc is so arranged that it can be
very easily and quickly removed and another disc differently perforated substituted
for it when desired.
In my present invention I use one or more sets of vibrating tongues properly
tuned and fixed, and I make the revolving disc with concentric circles of pins,
projections, or equivalent devices, each circle being appropriated to one of the
vibrating tongues, so that the tune produced by the particular arrangement of the
pins upon the disc will continue to be played so long as the disc continues to
revolve.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of my invention, figure 1
is a vertical section through a spinning top. a is the lower part of the top and
6 the upper part, the latter being removeable and hinged or otherwise attached
to the former so that it can be readily opened or closed for the purpose hereinafter
described. c is a set or comb of musical vibrating tongues, of the kind ordinarily
used in musical boxes, firmly fixed in a radial position in the upper part 6 of the
top. d is a vertical central spindle, set in revolution at the desired speed by means
of a spring e and train of wheels and fly f. The spring e may be wound up when
requisite by means of a suitable key fitted upon the lower pivot g, upon which the
top also spins, or introduced through a suitable key hole in any convenient part of
the top. The upper end of the spindle d is squared or otherwise fitted to receive and
carry round with it a moveable disc h, the upper surface of which is provided with
pins, projections, or their equivalents suitably arranged so as to produce any desired.
tune by striking the vibrating tongues c at the proper times and in the proper
order. The disc is held in its place and guided and steadied so as to prevent it
from bending or yielding when 'striking the tongues c, by means of' guides suitably.

page_text: arranged, as indicated at i, i, and it may be also held down by a central nut k.
A stop or detent is shewn at 7, by which the clockwork can be stopped or set in
motion as desired.
The action of the top is as follows:-The spring being wound up, whilst the
spindle d is prevented from revolving by the stop 1, a disc provided with pins,
projections, or their equivalents, arranged so as to play any tune which it may be
desired to reproduce, is fitted upon the upper end of the spindle d and the upper
part b of the top, which has been opened, is then closed down upon the lower
part a. The top is then spun in the usual way, and the stop / being released the
tune will continue to be played upon the musical vibrating tongues c so long as
the spring e continues to exert its force. When desired the tune can be changed
by removing the disc h and substituting another suitably arranged. Where my
invention is to be applied to a musical box instead of to a musical spinning top,
I use the same method of arrangement somewhat modified as shewn in figures 2, 3,
and 4, which represent a musical box actuated by a handle turned by hand.
Figure 2 is a plan, and figures 3 and 4 vertical sections. m is the box or case,
shewn square but which may be circular, hexagonal, or of any other shape, and
of wood, metal, or other material. dis a vertical spindle turning in bearings and
provided with a tangent toothed wheel n driven at the proper speed by the screw o
and handle p. The upper end of the spindle d is fitted to receive and drive the
changeable disc h, which is similar to that shewn in figure 1, but is shewn with
pins, projections, or their equivalents, upon its lower instead of upon its upper
surface, the comb or set of musical vibrating tongues c being shewn firmly fixed
to the bottom plate r. Guides are shewn at i, i to keep the disc h steady whilst
operating, the lower one being shewn fixed to the box, and the upper one to the
lid 8, but they may be arranged in any other convenient manner.
Figure 5 shews a plan, and figure 6 a section of the disc and the mode of fitting
and attaching it to the spindle, applicable either to the spinning top or to the
musical box.
In both forms in addition to the comb or set of vibrating tongues c shewn,
another set may be arranged upon the other side of the spindle or axis d, or three
or more such sets may be used, the concentric pins, projections, or their equivalents
upon the disc h being suitably adjusted to operate at the right times and at the
right speed upon the several vibrating tongues.
In the case of the spinning top shewn in figure 1, if only one set of vibrating
tongues c is used, the opposite side of the top at c should be balanced, and the
clockwork in the lower part of the top should also be balanced in order that the
latter may spin steadily. The arrangement of the parts may be varied more or
less; for instance the set of vibrating tongues c may be arranged in the lower
part a of the top and the spring and clockwork together with the spindle d, in the
upper part b.
Sometimes, in order that two or more tunes may be played by the same disc h,
I arrange one or more corresponding additional sets of concentric pins, projections,
or their equivalents, between those first described; each such additional set being
marked out and adjusted to play a particular tune, and I arrange one or more sets
of vibrating musical tongues c so that they can be moved as desired for a short
distance radially, so as to bring the points of the tongues opposite to either of the
sets of pins, projections, or their equivalents as may be desired. In the case of the
musical box, instead of the arrangement just described the set of vibrating musical
tongues c (if only one or two sets are used) may be fixed, and the spindle d and
disc h may be made to move for a sufficient distance opposite to the points of the
vibrating tongues.
It will be seen that my invention consists essentially in the use of moveable and
readily changeable discs in musical spinning tops or musical boxes, in which tunes
are produced by the vibration of musical tongues properly arranged and sounded by
means of pins, projections, or their equivalents, properly arranged upon the surface
of the disc.

page_text: The changeable discs themselves, and the devices upon them by which the
tongues are sounded, may be varied in the materials used and in the method of
construction.
For instance the disc may be made of wood, paper, or cardboard, leather, or other
material having pins or projections screwed, driven, or otherwise fitted in the
proper positions; or it may consist of a metal plate having pins suitably fixed into
it, or of a thin metal plate having tongues punched out in the proper places, these
tongues being left adhering at one end and turned up so as to form projections
which act upon the vibrating tongues or instead of being punched out and turned
up as described the thin metal may be punched up from the back so as to form
protuberances or projections which act upon the vibrating musical tongues, both
these last methods being substantially the same as those described and claimed in
Letters Patent granted to me on December 11th A.D. 1884 and numbered 16,320.
Or, in some cases, instead of pins or projections, I make openings through the
metal, wood, cardboard, or other disc, the edges of these openings acting upon the
points of the vibrating musical tongues, not directly but by the intervention of
Joose levers or toothed wheels turning freely upon centres and arranged so that one
tooth or end of the lever is driven forward by the edge of the opening at the
proper time for the opposite tooth or end of the lever to bend the vibrating
musical tongue sufficiently and then release it.
It is obvious, that instead of the vibrating musical tongues being fixed and the
disc provided with pins, projections or their equivalents being made to revolve, the
latter may be stationary and the former made to revolve.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In musical spinning tops and musical boxes, the use of a changeable revolving
disc provided with pins, projections, or their equivalents for the purpose of
sounding vibrating musical tongues, substantially as described.
2. In musical tops or musical boxes, in which vibrating tongues are sounded by
pins, projections, or their equivalents, upon revolving discs, the method of moving
radially the set or sets of vibrating musical tongues, or the revolving disc, for
the purpose of playing two or more tunes with the same disc, substantially as
described.