An Improved Form of Metronome.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Form of Metronome.
I, JOHN TREADWAY HANSON Architect of 54 Gloucester Crescent Regents
Park London N.W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The improved metronome is enclosed in a case similar to those at present in use,
Towards the top of the front of the case a small circular disk projects about two
inches and works in a ball and socket joint in all directions. To the centre of this
disk a removable full sized bâton is fixed when in use. To eight points at the back
of this disk, arranged in a circle, wires or pulls are attached and go through corre-
sponding holes in the front of the case on the other side of which they are each
attached to one arm of a series of levers similar to the roller levers of an organ.
The second arm of each of these levers is so placed that vertical pulls attached to
each, fall at an even distance of about three quarters of an inch from centre to centre.
These pulls are attached to the upper surface of a row of eight keys hinged to the
inner face of the case.
Each key terminates in a spike. A roller similar to that of a barrel organ
works in front of these spikes. It is movable, in the direction of its length, to four
fixed positions, all included in a space somewhat less than three quarters of an inch.
On the surface of this barrel are projections, either spikes or more or less continuous,
round it. There are four sets of these. The projections of each set are so placed
as to press, at regulated intervals of time, on such a series of the keys as shall move
the disk to which the baton is attached in the same sequence of movements that
a musical conductor uses with his bâton. Each series of these projections is arranged
similarly to those of the different "tunes on the barrel of a barrel-organ. The
position of the barrel requisite to give the several "times" of music is regulated by
an index on which they are marked. The variations in quickness or slowness are
produced by two rollers each tapering evenly towards one end. These are placed
one over the other with a small even distance between them but reversed so that
the larger end of one is over the smaller end of the other. Between them, in
the direction of their length, moves a small wheel on a movable axis touching
each.
"
The position of this wheel, which is regulated by an index outside the case,
regulates the speed of the upper tapering roller, which, in turn, gives movement to
the roller, described above, with the spikes. The whole is moved by ordinary
clockwork contained in the case.
Dated this Fifth day of April 1892.
JOHN TREADWAY HANSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Form of Metronome.
I, JOHN TREADWAY HANSON, of 54, Gloucester Crescent, Regent's Park, in
the County of London, Architect, 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 an improved metronome in which a conductor's bâton
for marking and beating time is employed, the operation of the said bâton being
effected by mechanical meanɛ.

page_text: In carrying out the invention I employ a socket for holding the baton and sup-
ported on a ball and socket or other universal joint to enable it to be moved in any
required direction.
advantageously effect this by constructing the socket with a disc connected at
certain points by rods or chains and suitable bell-crank levers and rods to a series
of key-levers adapted to be operated by teeth on a rotating cylinder or drum. The
said teeth are arranged in groups corresponding with the time to be marked or
beaten and the drum is adapted to be moved longitudinally so as to bring any group
of teeth into correspondence with the key-levers.
The toothed cylinder or drum is advantageously driven by clock-work mechanism,
and in order to vary the speed at which the bâton moves or beats time I advan
tageously employ conical drums or rollers with parallel axes but arranged so that
the large end of each drum is adjacent to the small end of the other drum. One of
the said drums is operated by the clock-work mechanism and imparts its movement
to the other drum (which drives the toothed cylinder or drum hereinbefore described)
by means of a friction wheel or roller adapted to be moved along the drums so as to
engage different portions of their adjacent surfaces.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation with a part of the case removed of a metronome con-
structed according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same looking from the rear:
Figure 3 is a view of a detail:
Figure 4 is a development of the surface of the toothed cylinder or drum; and,
Figures 5 to 8 are diagrams indicating approximately the movement of the bâton
in beating different kinds of time.
a is the bâton and 6 the disc having the socket c carrying the bâton, the said disc
being weighted so as to maintain the baton normally in the position indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 1. d is the ball and socket joint supporting the disc b
and allowing it to be moved in any required direction, the ball of the joint being
carried by an arm e attached to a part of the frame f of the instrument.
9, 9 are the rods or chains (four of which are preferably used) attached to the
disc b at points equidistant from the centre of the disc and from one another, as
clearly shewn in Figure 3 which is a rear view of the said disc. h, h are the bell-
cranks connected to the rods or chains g, g, which latter pass through holes in the
frame and i, 1, 2, are the key-levers connected to the bell-cranks by
rods j, j
kis the toothed cylinder or drum the teeth k' on which, when the cylinder is
rotated, are adapted to depress the key-levers and operate the baton. In Figure 2
the teeth are omitted for the sake of clearness. The cylinder k is provided with
four series of teeth corresponding with four different kinds of time to be beaten by
the bâton as hereinafter described, and in order that each of these series may be
placed to correspond and engage with the key-levers as required, the cylinder k is
adapted to be moved by hand longitudinally in its bearings ³, k³ by a knob 7 on an
extension of its axis. m, m, m, in are four grooves in the extension l', with each
of which grooves a spring-stop m¹ is adapted to engage so as to keep the cylinder k
from longitudinal movement when any one of the series of teeth k¹ is opposite or
adjacent to the key-levers.
n, n' are the conical drums or rollers, the former of which is provided with a
spur-wheel o which gears with a similar wheel p on the cylinder k while the roller n¹
is provided with a spur-wheel q driven by a spur-wheel of a suitable clock-work
mechanism contained in a case s or by other suitable means.
t is the friction roller advantageously formed with an india-rubber periphery
and mounted loosely on a rod t¹ provided with a knob t so that it can be moved by
hand longitudinally in its bearings to enable the said roller t to engage or bear
against different adjacent portions of the surfaces of the rollers n, n to alter the
speed of the cylinder k and consequently of the bâton a, the rollers n, n', the axes
j

page_text: of which are parallel, being for this purpose arranged so that the large end of the
one is adjacent to the small end of the other. In order that the roller t may be
moved out of contact with the surfaces of the rollers n, n' when it is required to
move it longitudinally as just described, I advantageously mount its rod t' in
eccentric discs u, u carried in plates u', u', which plates are provided with slots u³
by which they are supported on pins on brackets v, v, the said slots enabling
the plates u, u to move relatively to the brackets v, v to accommodate themselves
to the different positions of the roller t. The rod t is advantageously of a square
section to rotate the eccentric discs u, u with it in whatever position it may be in
longitudinally. w, wo are springs attached at one end to adjusting screws w¹, w1
held by nuts w³, w³ to the frame and at the other end to the plates u', u¹ so as to
impart a spring-pressure to the roller t.
The rods and t¹ are graduated to enable the operator to adjust them in any
required position.
To demonstrate clearly the operation of the apparatus I have shewn in Figure 4
a development of the surface of the toothed cylinder or drum with the four series
of teeth thereon and numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4, and in Figures 5 to 8 four diagrams
representing approximately the movements of the bâton corresponding respectively
to the said four series of teeth, the said series of teeth and movements also
corresponding respectively to what are known as
or common time
6
2
and
3 4
4 4
ما
and to
time. The four series of teeth are each composed of four rows, one for
each key-lever.
I will now describe how the bâton is operated to beat the various kinds of time
enumerated above, assuming in each instance the initial position of the baton to be
its normal or central position.
4
To operate the bâton to beat time the cylinder k must be moved longitudinally
to place the series of teeth marked 1 in such a position that when the said cylinder
is rotated the key-levers will be operated by them. By now allowing the cylinder
to rotate it will be seen that the two teeth marked 5, 6 will simultaneously operate
the key-levers i, 3 and raise the bâton vertically from its normal position to its
highest central position. The continued rotation of the cylinder will then cause
the teeth marked 7, 8 to operate the key-levers i, and lower the baton vertically
to its lowest position, the succeeding teeth in the series 1 (which teeth are
arranged similarly to the teeth 5, 6, 7 and 8) continuing this up and down movement
of the bâton.
3
+
To cause the bâton to beat time the series of teeth marked 2 must be placed
to operate the key-levers, in which case it will be seen that the teeth marked 9, 10
operating on the key-levers, will lower the baton, the tooth 11 acting on the
key-lever i in conjunction with the continuation of the tooth 9 still acting on the
key-lever will move the bâton to the left hand of the apparatus and the tooth 12
acting on the key-lever in conjunction with the continuation of the tooth 11 still
acting on the key-lever i will raise the bâton to its highest central position
and so on.
4
In beating or common time it will be seen by reference to the series of teeth
4
marked 3 that the two first movements just described with reference to time, that
s to say, the down and left hand movements are effected by a similar arrangement
of teeth to those described but for moving the bâton to the right hand side the
eeth 13 and 14 will operate the key-levers, and for finally raising the baton
tooth 15 will act on the key-lever i in conjunction with the continuation of the
ooth 14 still acting on the key-lever ³.

page_text: In beating time the teeth marked 16 and 17 of the series 4 will act upon the
key-levers, to lower the baton, the tooth 17 being made of a relatively greater
height than the tooth 16 in order that the bâton may as it is lowered be moved to
a position slightly to the right. The teeth 18 and 19 which are of the same height
operate the said key-levers i¹, to move the bâton into its lowest central position
and the teeth 20 and 21 also operating on the said key-levers (the tooth 20 being of
greater relative height than the tooth 21) to move the bâton slightly to the left.
A series of teeth 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 will now operate upon the key-levers i, i³
to raise the bâton and impart a similar series of movements to those imparted by
the teeth 16 to 21 when in its lowest position but towards the right hand side,
the teeth marked 22 and 27 being of relatively greater height than the teeth 23
and 26 respectively while the teeth 24 and 25 are equal iu height.
Although I have described the disc b as being connected at four points to the
key-levers I may in some cases connect it at a greater number of points, such as
eight, to a similar number of key-levers operated by suitable teeth on the
cylinder k.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A metronome having a bâton for beating or marking time, the said bâton being
carried by a universal joint so that it can readily partake of the required movements,
substantially as described.
2. A metronome comprising a bâton supported on a universal or equivalent joint
and connected to a series of key-levers adapted to be operated by teeth on a cylinder
or drum rotated by clock-work or otherwise, substantially as described.
•
3. In a metronome of the kind described in the preceding claiming clause the
arrangement of conical rollers and friction roller, the latter being adapted to be
moved so as to engage different portions of the adjacent surfaces of the former
in order to vary the speed of the toothed cylinder, substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved metronome hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of February 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.