Improvements in Music-recording Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 5th Feb., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Music-recording Apparatus.
I, ARTHUR RIVOIRE, residing at 94, Rue Bannier, Orleans, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, 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 music-recording apparatus which is adaptable to all kinds of pianos, serves
for instantaneously producing a graphical record of any piece of music played.
The tune performed upon the piano is immediately and automatically transcribed
upon an endless band of paper which is unwound at a given speed; with slight
practice its reading is almost as easy as the reading of ordinary music, and when
using a small movable key board the reading is greatly facilitated. In short this
music recorder records the musical thought played, as short hand writing records
the spoken thought.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 shows the whole constructional arrangement of my apparatus in elevation.
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line - of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 represents the music recorder adapted to a grand piano.
Fig. 5 shows a piece of the paper band, as it issues from the recorder, with a
movable key board applied thereto.
By exerting pressure upon the key A of the piano this key is caused to oscillate
at the point a; a depression at A causing an ascending movement at all whereby
the oscillating lever which bears with its bent portion 61, against the key A is lifted.
The lever B is set in swinging motion at the point b and descends at the
point 6111
As this point 611 descends it carries along with it the silk cord or
string c fastened at one end to the lever B, at the point b, through the medium
of a screw nut, which serves as a set screw, and at the other end to the square 1).
The square D actuated by the string or cord c oscillates about its shaft E and
presses backwards the bar or lever F, to which it is attached by a pin.
This bar or lever F is connected to the hollow transmission shaft M. by means
of a small connecting rod m', rivetted to the shaft and pivotally connected to
the said bar or lever. The shaft M is movable and pivots about its axis z in the
direction indicated by the arrow. The second connecting rod ml, fixed to the
shaft M, receives in a notch or recess provided at its free extremity, a penholder or
penning device R terminating in a small inking wheel n¹. This wheel bears,
when writing, against the band of paper surrounding the roller 4.
Return-springs T T counteract the traction exerted by the string or cord c and
serve to return the penning device into its neutral position.
The roller 1 is the magazine or feed roller and is adapted to hold sixty metres of
paper. The roller 8 receives the record paper. The paper band P starts from the
roller 1, passes around the stretching roller 3, and the inking roller 4; subse-
quently re-ascending and passing between the flattening rollers 6 and 7, one of
which is provided with teeth, and both of which are set in motion by a drum O or
clock work capable of going for twenty five minutes after each winding operation.

page_text: The drum O, Fig. 2, or other clock work acts upon the receiving roller so as to
regulate its motion. The band of paper P is unwound at a fixed and constant
speed of one metre and eighty centimetres per minute.
The small inking wheels n' are brought into frictional contact with the ink-
trough 9 before bearing against the band. Twentythree toothed wheels 5 rule tne
band of paper with black and red strokes and print thereon the ordinary staff of
music after being inked by means of a buffer-brush 10. An engaging and dis-
engaging lever acting directly upon one of the flattening rollers allows of the
apparatus being instantly thrown into and out of gear.
Each of the rollers 1, 3, 4, 67 and S are twentyfour centimetres in width and
the band of paper from twentyone to twentythree centimetres.
The system of levers hereinbefore described is repeated eighty times, that is to
say, is applied for each key of the key board of the piano.
The fortes" and pianos" are indicated by the aid of the pedals p, p,
Figures 3 and 4, which bear against the hollow indiarubber bulbs o, ol, which com-
municate with the pockets s, s¹, through the medium of indiarubber tubes rr.
These pockets folded upon themselves when at rest, expand when the bulbs 0,
are compressed by the pedals, and bear against the buffers tt of the rods uu',
connected to the outermost penholders or penning devices v, r¹.
The fixed shafts or axes L, E are common to the levers B and to the squares D,
throughout the eighty systems. The train of rollers 1 to 8 is of course single.
The recording mechanism when applied to upright pianos, is similar to the one
described except that the silk string or cord c is made longer; its length varying
according to the height of the piano. Thus, after having acted upon the engaging
and disengaging lever, the "voluntary" is transcribed upon the paper band P
as produced by the composer, while the paper is wound upon the cylinder 8 at a
constant speed. The notes are marked upon the paper by the aid of a special and
very simple short-hand writing, which indicates the height, the duration and force
of each note, the silences being likewise indicated simultaneously.
This short hand writing solely composed of horizontal strokes, the greater or
smaller extension of which indicates the duration of the notes, whilst the place
they occupy upon the whole width indicates the height or degree of elevation,
recording at the same time the fortes and the pianos.
The band of paper P which is ruled like ordinary music paper and upon which
the eighty notes of the key board may be represented, is of a sufficient length, say
sixty metres. It is previously divided into small sections properly spaced to suit
the width of the paper as it is unwound from the roller during a given time, so
as to allow of its being read in proportion as it is unwound.
Owing to the arrangement of a small movable key board C, Fig. 5, which the
musician passes over his drawing or record band, the reading of the written notes
is rendered easy and rapid, as each of the keys indicated upon this small movable
key board covers the respective note originally struck and recorded by the key
board of the instrument.
The small key board is to slide along in proportion as the piece of music is
deciphered the flats and the sharps occupying the intermediate places upon each
side of the corresponding lines and very close to said lines. The red lines XIII
passing centrally separates the treble-clef from the bass-clef. The two right hand
lines VI, VII are C and la"; one returns to the treble-clef with the last five
black right hand lines, the notes above the staff.
46
The two red left hand lines XIX, XX are E and C" with the three black left
lines VI., VII. are "C and la"; one returns to the treble-clef with the last five
hand lines; one returns to the bass-clef, below the staff.
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:
In a universal music recorder, the mechanism, consisting of so many systems of
levers as the piano has keys, and each of which systems comprises an oscillating

page_text: lever B pivoted at L, and actuated by the key A; said lever having attached
thereto one end of a string or cord c whose other end is fastened to the square D,
which oscillates around its axis E and forces backwards the beam or bar F, which
by the aid of connecting rods m³, ml pivotally connected at M, reacts upon the
penholder or penning device R, terminating in an inking wheel n', which bears
against the roller 4, after having come into contact with the ink trough 9; return
or counteracting springs TT, returning the pen holder to its neutral position;
the feed roller 1, the receiving roller 8, upon which the paper band P is wound,
after having passed between the stretching rollers 3, 4, and the flattening
rollers 6, 7 and after having been previously marked with twentythree lines, five of
which present a different colour to that of the others, by the 23 toothed wheels 5,
which rub against the buffer brush 10; and the combination of pedals p, p², of
indiarubber bulbs o, o¹, tubes r, r¹, pockets s, s¹, buffers t, t¹, rods u, u¹ and outer-
most penholders r, ¹; for the purpose specified.
2. In a music recorder the small movable key board C in combination with the
band P, which key board by being slid over the printed band P, facilitates the
reading of the music recorded.
3. The improvements in music-recording apparatus substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Dated this 7th dow of Sentember 1897
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.