Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
I, MAX LOCHMANN, of Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments with automatically
interchangeable music discs.
in use.
The hitherto known mechanical musical instruments in which the interchang-
ing of the individual music discs is either automatically effected from a supply
or store one after the other, in order to enable a long piece of music to be played,
which is spread over several music discs, or in which any desired one of a number
of available music discs can be brought into use by the mere working of an
indicator, render necessary a complete reconstruction of the contrivance hitherto
The object of the present invention is to alter the ordinary musical in-
strument to one with automatically interchangeable music discs. For this pur-
pose the music discs, which are furnished with perforations or slots large enough
to allow the wheel holder to pass through, should be so moveably arranged in
relation to the sound producing mechanism, that the perforations or slots of all
the music discs lie over one another and over the wheel holder. By this arrange-
ment every one of the music discs can be carried over the music disc holder and
brought to engage with the star-wheel and, after being brought into play, pushed
over the wheel holder, so as to come out of engagement. Therefore the higher
the wheel holder is, the more music discs can be brought into use in this way,
one behind the other.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a front view
of an ordinary mechanical musical instrument, but with the arrangement of a
number of music discs, the perforations of which all stand over the wheel
holder. Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the disc holder. Figure
is a sectional elevation, Figure 6 is a plan and Figure 7 is a view of a mechanical
musical instrument of this kind in which the discs are arranged to be driven
from the rim, the music discs being set in a curved position in a special frame,
under tension.
Figures 8 and 9 represent a modification of the frame the music discs being
kept equal distances apart by means of pins or rollers.
In Figures 10, 11 and 12 as well as in Figure 16 special forms of the star-
wheel holder are illustrated.
Figure 13 is a sectional elevation, Figure 14 a plan, and Figure 15 a front
view illustrating a further modification the music discs being driven from the
centre by means of a spur wheel and pinion.
Figures 17 and 18 illustrate one form of carrier for the music disc.
Upon the accompanying sheet of drawings Figures 1 to 3 represent an ordinary
musical instrument, in which the intermediate gear for the music discs is
actuated by the driving mechanism D. In front of this musical instrument are
moveably arranged a number of music discs N within a frame R, which slides
on guiding supports S. Each of these music discs is provided with a perforation

page_text: or slot large enough to allow the wheel holder H to pass through, so that the
frame R with all the music discs can be pushed forward and over the wheel
holder towards the musical instrument. In this way these music discs can be
brought within the range of the driving apparatus and when rotation is set up,
guided through between the retaining bar M and the star wheel. Thus every
single one of the music discs N can be brought into play in any desired order
one after the other, or in case a long piece of music, which is spread over all the
music discs, is to be played, by merely pushing the frame R one music disc after
another can be brought into operation. The music discs which have been
played off move forward over the wheel holder H, whilst the following or subse-
quent music discs come within the sphere of the driving apparatus.
Figure 4 shews the arrangement of the music discs in the frame R on a larger
scale. The music discs N can equally well be arranged singly and moveably
in front of the musical instrument without a frame, or they can be fastened
sideways to the musical instrument in the manner of a flexible joint, so that they
would be moved towards the musical instrument like a fan.
The mechanical musical instrument shewn in Figures 5 to 7 is only distin-
guished from those in ordinary use hitherto by the application of a peculiar star-
wheel holder H, as specially illustrated in Figures 10 to 12. In the case of a
smaller stock or number of music discs being used a simple wheel holder could
equally well be applied, as in the form shewn in Figures 13 to 15. The driving
mechanism D is seated outside and its shaft provided with a driving wheel T.
The whole supply of music discs is placed in the frame R which by way of
example lies moveably on the supports S as in Figure 2, so that it can be brought
nearer to or be removed farther from the musical instrument. The frame R
carries the whole supply of music discs in a state of tension that is to say that
it is inside the frame itself that the music discs undergo the bending which they
must have during the playing of the piece of music. It is well known that only
dished i.e. concave discs work well; flat discs will slip and wabble while the
dished ones, being in a state of tension will work smoothly and properly. All
the music discs are provided as shewn in Figure 7 with carrying teeth on their
circumferences and on their surfaces with a rather extensive or lengthy hole or
slot O which is large enough to allow the wheel holder H to pass through. It
is obvious that these perforations or slots in the music discs must come one over
the other and that in the first position (that is, at starting) they stand exactly
over the wheel holder. It is only in this starting position that the frame R with
the music discs N can be pushed over the wheel holder and held in any desired
position, so that the perforations corresponding to the notes of any desired music
disc N can be brought into engagement with the teeth of the star-wheel, whilst
the music disc is simultaneously brought into engagement with the driving
wheel T.
In order that the music dises may not alter their mutual positions, pins I (as
shewn on an enlarged scale in Figures 8 and 9) are provided on both sides of the
frame at equal distances apart. These pins can be fitted with small rollers or
balls K as in Figure 9, in order to facilitate the rotary motion of the music discs.
Figures 10 to 13 represent two forms of a wheel holder, with several wheels
arranged one over the other. In the form shewn in Figure 10 there are three
wheels 777 of which is intended for the picking or actuation of the reeds
or stops, whilst 73 is rotated by the music disc N the perforations of which come
into engagement with its teeth, and this rotary motion is transmitted by means
of the wheels 7 and 7. In the arrangement shewn in Figure 12 the trans-
mission of the motion from wheels 73 and Z is effected by means of the trans-
mission wheels U1, U2, U³.
Figures 13 to 15 shew a mechanical musical instrument of this kind with
ordinary wheel holder H and intermediate gear for the music discs. The driv-
ing mechanism D imparts its motion by means of the driving wheel T to the
driving pulley V, the shaft of which carries or is provided with the driving

page_text: pulley L with carrier projection. The music discs must be so perforated in the
middle that the carrier disc L can enter and carry with it any desired music
disc N. Corresponding with or in consequence of the unimportant height of
the ordinary wheel holder only a small supply of music discs can be brought
into use.
In view of the intermediate gear the music discs require a special
tooth arrangement on the circumference and are furnished with the long holes
or slots O in order to allow the wheel holder to pass through. The carrier disc
can be specially formed with conical arrangements as in Figures 17 and 18
in order to render possible the sure or certain introduction of the music discs.
If a very large supply of music discs be available, a wheel holder can be
applied in which the transmission of the motion of the tooth wheel Z³, see
Figure 16, to the tooth wheel Z¹ is effected by means of any other desirable
mechanism, for example by means of a suitable guided slide Z whose two
teeth Y Y are brought into action.
In order to place the frame R with the music discs as desired opposite to the
musical instrument, an apparatus can be employed, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6
by way of example. The lever P, which can be adjusted as desired, by its move-
ment and, through the arm F and tension rod G, which is moveably jointed to
the frame R, carries with it the shaft E. If now the programme of the pieces
which can be played by the musical instrument is brought under the lever P, it
will be possible to bring any desired piece into play .e. to perform any selected
piece, without it being necessary to open the musical instrument, because when
the lever is moved the frame R is also moved opposite to the musical instrument
and the corresponding music disc is brought within the range of the driving
apparatus.
In order that, when long pieces are played, which are spread over a number
of music discs, these latter may be brought one behind the other into engage-
ment with the driving apparatus, a releasing apparatus can be applied, which,
after one sheet of music is played off, allows the frame to move forward automa-
tically, so that the following music disc comes into engagement with the driving
apparatus.
This apparatus for the automatic interchanging of music discs for mechanical
musical instruments can be equally well applied to musical instruments with
reeds or pipes actuated by wind, or to mechanical stringed instruments.
Instead of the star-wheel any other taking-on contrivance can also be used.
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. A mechanical musical instrument with interchangeable music discs, the
distinguishing feature of which is that a number of music discs with perforations
or slots are so arranged one behind the other and in front of the wheel holder,
that they are pushed over the last named which then enters the perforation or
slot, for the purpose of enabling any desired one of the music discs to be brought
within the range of the driving apparatus.
2. Mechanical musical instruments with interchangeable music discs, as
claimed under Claim 1, distinguished by a frame R which carries in a state of
tension several music discs N furnished each with a slot or perforation O and,
in relation to the music note holders or wheel holder H, is arranged moveably
so that whilst the last named enters the slots 0 of the music discs N, each of the
music discs can be brought within the range of the driving apparatus, by means
of which they are actuated.
3. Mechanical musical instrument with interchangeable music discs, in accord-
ance with Claim 1, in which the music discs N are furnished with a long hole or
perforation (), large enough to allow the wheel holder to pass through.
4. Mechanical musical instruments in accordance with Claim 1 characterised
by a wheel holder H with several rows of star wheels arranged over one another,

page_text: which act on each other by direct engagement, for the purpose of enabling a
frame with a larger number of music discs to be used, by heightening or raising
the wheel holder H.
5. Mechanical musical instruments according to Claim 1 characterised by a
wheel holder H with two rows of wheels arranged over one another, the trans-
mission of the motion of which is effected by means of intermediate pieces of
some known kind, for the purpose of enabling a frame with a larger number of
music discs to be used, by heightening the wheel holder H.
6. Mechanical musical instruments, in accordance with Claims 1 and 2, dis-
tinguished and characterised by a carrier disc L with conical arrangements on
both sides, for the purpose of ensuring the introduction of the music discs.
7. Mechanical musical instruments, in accordance with Claims 1 and 2, dis-
tinguished or characterised by a music disc frame 1 which carries pins or pegs
on both sides for the purpose of holding the music discs at equal distances from
one another.
8. Mechanical musical instruments, in accordance with Claims 1 and 2, dis-
tinguished by a music disc frame R, which carries on both sides pins or pegs
with rotary appendages (rollers or balls) for the purpose of keeping the music
discs at equal distances from one another.
Dated this 16th day of March 1898.