A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, MARSHALL Arthur Wier 3 Palace Grove, Upper Norwood Surrey, Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT to be as follows:-
This invention relates to Musical Instruments where notes & harmonies aro
produced by blowing with the mouth.
It has for its object the production of tunes, harmonies etc. automatically & con-
sists of a Trumpet or similar shaped instrument in connection with reeds or other
sound producing devices arranged either in the form of a scale or circular music or
tune plate, having the tune or harmony placed or mounted thercon in proper order.
The Instrument is constructed as follows: At the bell end of the Trumpet a cylin-
drical shaped piece of wood or other material is fixed, inside of which is placed a
scalo plate with reeds arranged thereon. The reeds or notes have recesses dividing
them from each other and each has a hole communicating with the external air.
The cylindrical piece is hollow and has, passing through its centre, a rod, to which
a tube leading to the mouth piece is attached. This tube projects at the mouth
end of the trumpet and is free to be revolved by the thumb & finger. That part of
the tube which is inside the trumpet may be constructed of a piece of perforated
metal or gause or a wooden tube may be used.
The rod at the bell end of the Trumpet passing through the cylinder or scale-
piece, has attached to it å small circular plate, the same size as the cylinder in
circumference. The music or tune-drum consists of a cylindrical piece of paper,
one end of which is open and the other end closed by a piece of cardboard. Upon
the periphery of the paper or drum, holds are punched through, corresponding with
the notes of the scale plate and adapted in number and proper order to the notes
in the tune to be played.
The tunc drum is made of the proper size so as to pass easily over the scale-
piece; it is then fixed to the plate by a screw or other suitablo device. Instead of
the paper drum, an endless band of paper may be used. In this case two small
rollers are arranged alongside of the scale piece or eylinder. These rollers are
turned by the tube and rod above described, by means of a suitable pair of grared
wheels. The endless piece of paper is drawn across the scale holes by means of the
two rollers which draw and pass the paper between them. The air in this case
instead of entering the interior of the scale piece and then out by the holes, passes

page_text: vice-versa and out of a holo in the top of the scale-piece. The rest of the parts
surrounding the scale-piece being air-tight.
Or the instrument may be arranged with the mouth piece, tube and scale-piece
in one, so that, by turning the tube, the scale and mouth pieces are also turned.
A paper drum having the tune perforated in it is fixed, while the scale-piece, tube
and mouth-piece revolve. When circular music or tune-plates are employed, the
music plate or plates are placed inside the bell end of the trumpet with the notes
facing inwarard, toward the mouth-piece. A tube of wood, metal or other material
passes through the centro of the instrument and tune plate. A disc of cardboard
or other material is attached to it at the bell-end, in which a slot or slots is or are
perforated corresponding to the reed-slots in the tune plate. The bell end of the
tube is closed, and holes are made laterally in the sides of it, inside the body of
the trumpet, through which the air passes from the mouth piece when blown into
by the performer: the air then impinges against the reeds on the tune-plate and,
which ever note or notes happen to be open or opposite the slot or slots in the
cardboard disc, the air passes through and sounds them. The mouth piece and
tube together with the slotted disc are turned by the thumb & finger, by means of
a boss conveniently placed on the tube.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER of No 3 Palace Grove Upper Norwood in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
A NEW OR IMPROVED AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 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 Musical Instruments where notes and harmonies are
produced by blowing with the mouth. It has for its object the production of tunes
harmonies &c. semi automatically and consists of a Trumpet or similar shaped
instrument in connection with reeds or other sound producing devices arranged
either in the form of a scale or circular music or tune plate having the tuno or
harmony placed or mounted thereon in proper order.
This instrument is constructed as follows At the bell end of the Trumpet A
Fig 1 a cylindrical shaped piece of wood B or other material is fixed, inside of
which is placed a scale plate, C, with reeds arranged thereon. The notes or reeds
have recesses dividing them from each other and each has a hole communicating
with the external air.
The cylindrical piece is hollow and has passing through its center a rod D, to
which a tube E leading to the mouth piece F is attached. This tube projects at the
mouth end of the trumpet and is free to be revolved by the thumb and finger.
That part of the tube which is inside the trumpet may be constructed of a piece of
perforated metal or gauze or a wooden tube may be used. The rod at the bell end
of the trumpet passing through the cylinder or scale pieco, has attached to it, a
small circular plate G, the same size as the cylinder in circumference. The music
or tune drum H, consists of a cylindrical piece of paper one end of which is open
and the other closed by a piece of card board. Upon the periphery of the drum,
holes are punched through corresponding with the notes of the scale plate and
adapted in number and in proper order to the notes in the tune to be played. The
tunc drum is made of the proper size, so as to pass easily over the scale piece, it is
then fixed to the plate by a screw I, or other suitable devise. Instead of the paper
drum an endless band of paper may be used as in Fig 2. In this case two small
rollers J K are arranged along side of the scale piece or cylinder B.
These rollers are turned by a tube and rod above described by means of a suit-
able pair of geared wheels M, N. The endless pieco of paper is drawn across the
scalo holes, or air ducts O¹ by means of the two rollers M N, which draw and pass
the paper between them. The air in this case instead of entering the interior of
the scale piece and then out by the holes, passes vice versa and out of a hole on the
Lop of the scale piece-as shewn by arrows in the drawings-the rest of the parts
surrounding the scale piece being air tight, or the instrument may be arranged
with the mouth piece, tubes and scale piece in one, as in Fig 3. so that by turning
the tube the scale O and mouth piece P, are also turned.
A paper drum Q, having the tune perforated in it, is fixed while the scale piece
tube and mouth piece revolve. When circular music or tune plates are employed
(Fig 4 and 5) the music plate R or plates are placed inside the bell end of the

page_text: trumpet with the notes facing inward towards the mouth piece. A tube S. of
wood, metal or other material passes through the center of the instrument and tuno
plate R. A disc T, of card board or other material is attached to it at the bell end
in which a slot U, or slots is or are perforated corresponding to the reed slots in
the tune plate. The bell end of the tube is closed and holes V; are made laterally
in the sides of it. Inside the body of the trumpet through which the air passes from
the mouth pieco when blown into by the performer, the air then impinges against
the reeds in the tune plate and whichever note or notes happen to be open or
opposite the slot or slots in the card board disc the air passes through and sounds
them.
The mouth piece and tube together with the slotted disc are turned by the thumb
and finger by means of a boss W. conveniently placed on the tube. Fig 5. is
identical with Fig 4 with the exception that the tune plate R and perforated disc T.
are placed in a suitable recess near the mouth piece.
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
The methods of playing tunes and harmonies &c. automatically in Trumpets
or similar shaped instruments, substantially as described, and illustrated in tho
drawings.
1
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