Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1892-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I CARL KRETSCHMAR of Blumenstrasse No. 2 Leipzig Eutritzsch in the
Empire of Germany Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments in which a perforated
music sheet is caused to pass over a row of key levers so that the points of such key
levers are adapted to move into the holes in such music sheet and thus open valves
causing the respective notes to sound.
In all instruments of this class it is necessary to press the levers against the music
sheet so that the latter is subjected to friction against the points of such levers, and
more than this the pressure against the music sheet must be greater than that due
solely to the springs required to move the levers into the holes of the music sheet
by reason of the necessity of keeping all the valves very tightly closed when they
are to be silent that is to say when the solid parts of the music sheet are moving
over the respective keys.
This overpressure, as it is termed, is very detrimental to the music sheet causing
the latter to be quickly worn out.
The object of this invention is to reduce this unavoidable over pressure as far as
possible.
Usually this pressure has to be very strong to allow for wear of the parts since
the counter pressure of the music sheet acts at all times against the springs which
move the levers to open the valves and in tightly closing the valves acts with a
direct force without intervention of any spring pressure other than obtained from
such natural elasticity as the felt of the valve, the lever or the sheet itself may
" shall act
possess. According to this invention I provide that the "over pressure
through springs, namely the same springs that cause the valves to be opened when
the music sheet allows.
.
The pivotal point of the lever is unfixed being movable within limits to and from
the music sheet in the general plane of movement of the lever and the spring
which operates to lift the lever, or rotate the same about its pivotal centre so as to
open the valve or valves which are controlled by the lever at or near its outer end
is brought to bear upon the lever at a point between its pivotal centre and the nose
of the lever which presses against the music sheet. By this construction the said
nose becomes a secondary fulcrum the fulcrum being in the pivotal connection of
the lever when the nose rises into a hole in the music sheet and the pressure of the
spring being then applied on the valve side of the fulcrum opening the valve, and
the fulcrum becoming changed to the nose of the lever when the said nose bears
against a solid part of the music sheet the spring then being on the side of the
fulcrum opposite to the end of the lever controlling the valve or valves and thus
acting to close the valves. An elastic " over pressure "due to this position of the
spring is thus obtained.
10th Joh 1001
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I CARL KRETSCHMAR of Blumenstrasse 2, Leipzig Eutritzsch in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer 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 mechanical musical instruments in which a perforated
music sheet is caused to pass over a row of key levers, so that the points of such
key levers are adapted to move into the holes in such music sheet and thus open
valves causing the respective notes to sound.
In all instruments of this class it is necessary to press the levers against the music
sheet so that the latter is subjected to friction against the points of such levers, and
more than this, the pressure against the music sheet must be greater than that due
solely to the springs required to move the levers into the holes of the music sheet
by reason of the necessity of keeping all the valves very tightly closed when they
are to be silent, that is to say when the solid parts of the music sheet are moving
over the respective keys.
This overpressure as it is termed is very detrimental to the music sheet, causing
the latter to be quickly worn out. The object of this invention is to reduce this
unavoidable overpressure as far as possible.
Usually this pressure has to be very strong to allow for wear of the parts, since
the counter pressure of the music sheet acts at all times against the springs which
move the levers to open the valves and in tightly closing the valves, acts with a direct
force without intervention of any spring pressure other than obtained from such
natural elasticity as the felt of the valve, the lever or the sheet itself may possess.
According to this invention, I provide that the "overpressure" shall act through
springs, namely the same springs that cause the valves to be opened when the
music sheet allows.
The pivotal point of the lever is unfixed being movable within limits to and from
the music sheet in the general plane of movement of the lever and the spring which
operates to lift the lever or rotate the same about its pivotal centre so as to open
the valve or valves which are controlled by the lever at or near its outer end is
brought to bear upon the lever at a point between its pivotal centre and the nose of
the lever which presses against the music sheet. By this construction, the said
nose becomes a secondary fulcrum, the fulcrum being in the pivotal connection of
the lever when the nose rises into a hole in the music sheet, and the pressure of the
spring being then applied on the valve side of the fulcrum opening the valves and
the fulcrum becoming changed to the nose of the lever when the said nose bears
against a solid part of the music sheet, the spring then being on the side of the
fulcrum opposite to the end of the lever controlling the valve or valves and thus
acting to close the valves. An elastic "overpressure" due to this position of the
spring is thus obtained.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as applied to different
arrangements of mechanical musical instruments of this class.
Fig. 1 is a section of an instrument with two series of reeds and one of pipes.
Fig. 2 is a section of an instrument with one set of reeds and one of pipes.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the latter.
Fig. 4 is a section of an instrument with one set of reeds only.
Fig. 5 is a section of an instrument with two wind chests with reeds and one set
of pipes.
Fig. 6 is a modification of the instrument shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 shows another construction of instrument with one set of valves and one
of pipes.
Fig. 8 is another form without sham kaina
L
AN

page_text: It will be understood that so far as the parts of the instrument are concerned to
which this invention does not relate, they are of the ordinary construction.
The pivotal point of the lever a is unfixed being movable within limits to and
from the music sheet in the general plane of movement of the lever, and the spring r
which operates to lift the fever or rotate the same about its pivotal centre so as to
open the valve or valves which are controlled by the lever at or near its outer end,
is brought to bear upon the lever at a point between its pivotal centre and the nose
of the lever which presses against the music sheet. By this construction the said
nose becameя a secondary fulcrum, the fulcrum being in the pivotal connection of
the lever when the nose rises into a hole in the music sheet, and the pressure of the
spring being then applied on the valve side of the fulcrum opening the valve, and
the fulcrum becoming changed to the nose of the lever when the said nose bears
against a solid part of the music sheet, the spring then being on the side of the
fulcrum opposite to the end of the lever controlling the valve or valves and thus acting
to close the valves. An elastic overpressure due to this position of the spring is
thus obtained.
In the construction shown, the lever a is connected by pin and slot to a short
pivoted bar c the pivot of which is stationary, in the cross bar b. On the side of the
line of bars or levers nearest the music sheet, is a cross rail i of any suitable kind
acting as a stop to limit the upward movement of the end of the levers a or of the
bars c which consequently limits the upward movement of the levers.
When the solid part of the music sheet moves over the nose of the lever a the
lever is bodily depressed, the valve end pressing the valves into their closed position
first, and afterwards the other end of the lever being pressed down away from the
resting rail i against which it had been pressed, this allowing of the necessary
overplus of movement to ensure absolute sufficiency of movement to entirely close
the valves without any straining of the mechanism and simply against compression
of the spring r, which bending to rock the lever on its nose as a pivot presses the
valves firmly in place.
When the nose of the lever a rises into a slot in the music sheet, the spring
moves up the back end of the lever a against the rail i, taking up the aforesaid
overplus of movement and thus making the rail ia back fulcrum so that the further
rise of the lever a lifts only the outer end to which the valve mechanism is
connected.
In the drawings ooo are wind passages and k the valves which close them, d are
pipes. The end of the lever a may be directly connected to the valve k as in
Fig. 4, m being a cloth covered stop rail to limit the rise of the lever a. Or the
lever may be connected to two sets of valves by a beam g Fig. 1 and may open
another set of valves by pressing down a lever n upon a pin z, such lever being
pivoted at vand connected to the main lever a by a small link. (Figs. 1 and 2.)
Or the lever a may rock a pair of pivoted levers n' n¹ upon fixed point. (as in
Figs. 5 and 6), controlling also other valves by the rod 9 carrying the pins = and
acting direct on such valves or through a lever w (Fig. 6). Where the lever n or
rod q is used, these may limit the rise of the lever a in place of the stop m. Or the
levers a may be connected to the valves k by the rods a' (Figs. 7 and 8). The
nose of each lever a may be guided and supported by the sides of slits in a metal
plate s.
2
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
In a mechanical musical instrument.
1. A pivoted lever having a limited movement loosely with regard to its pivot,
valve operating mechanism connected to said lever, a nose on said lever adapted to
engage in slots in a music sheet, and a spring bearing on said lever between its loose
pivot and the nose thereon and adapted to rock said lever on its pivot as a fulcrum
when the nose rises into a slot in the music sheet, and on its nose as a fulcrum when

page_text: said nose is in contact with a solid part of the music sheet, the whole in combination
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the lever a a nose on said lever, a link e connecting said
lever to a fixed pivot, a spring bearing on said lever, between the nose and the
link and valve operating mechanism connected to the lever, whereby the spring r
operates to close the valve when the fulcrum of the lever is in the nose, and to open
the valve when the fulcrum of the lever is in the link c substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. The combination of a lever a, valve operating mechanism connected to one end
of said lever, a pivoted link c connected to the other end of said lever, a nose above
said lever midway between its ends, a spring bearing on the side of said lever
opposite to the nose and at a point between said nose and the link c and a cross
bearing i above the link c, the whole substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 4th day of July 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.