Improvements in Musical Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: of Application, 25th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Instruments.
I, WALTER BRIERLEY, of Central Chambers, Halifax, in the County of York
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, communicated to me
from abroad by Oswald Rauner of 11 Paradiesstrasse, Nürnberg, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, 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 improvements in miniature musical or reed instruments
similar to trumpets, the sounds in which are caused by air blown through the said
instruments by the performer, and the tunes or airs are caused by reeds placed inside
such instruments, the tunes or air being played or varied by means of a perforated
tune plate caused to pass over the reeds when the performer turns a handle, and thus
the tunes or airs are produced mechanically, and without the performer having any
knowledge of music.
Such being the nature and object of this my said invention the following is a
complete description of same reference being had to the accompanying drawings in
which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of my improved musical instrument. in
which a tape, or band like tune plate is employed.
Fig. 2 is a view of Fig. 1 looking in from the wide end or mouth of the musical
instrument or trumpet.
Fig. 3 is a side elovation partly in section of my improved musical instrument in
which is employed a circular metal plate for producing or changing the tunes.
Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section of my improved musical instrument in
which two concentric tubes are employed the inner tube carrying the reeds and the
outer one being perforated.
Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a detail of Fig. 5 drawn to enlarged scale.
Figs. 8. 9 and 10 are details of modification of my invention.
At a are the
According to this my said invention and referring to Figs. 1 and 2.
reeds which are carried in a trumpet or wind instrument, at one end is an ordinary
mouth piece through which the performer blows the air passing through the instrument
and vibrating the reeds a; the tune is produced or varied by the perforated bandlike
tune plate or tape b which is caused to traverse or pass over the reeds a by the friction
roller d operated by handle by the performer or by clockwork. The perforated cover
plate e ensures the air tight fitting of the tune-plate or tape b on the reeds a.
tune-plate or tape b is perforated in such a manner that the holes in passing over
the reeds a produce a tune, and can be of such length as to contain several tunes
or airs.
The
In Figs. 3 and 4 the reeds a are set in a trumpet or wind instrument and the tune
produced by a circular metal tune plate b. The tune-plate b in this case is shaped like
a disc and the holes therein from concentric circles. This disc or tune plate b is turned
round on the pivot o and is set in motion by the friction roller d; the cover plate e
ensuring the air-tight fitting on the reeds a. The axle of the roller d is carried by the
cover-plate e and the latter turns round on a joint so that a change of disc or tune.
plate
can readily be made, the cover-plate e with the friction roller and handle d
being brought into the position shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 3.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the following arrangement: The reeds a are carried in slots in
a tube f g sunk into the trumpet or wind instrument. The tube is open at one end f
and closed at the other y so that the currents of air are radiated against the reeds a
and the tune-plate b, in this instance is a tube concentric to the tube f g and can be

page_text: made to turn around the inside tube f. g. This rotation of the tube-shaped tune-plate b
is caused by a scrow gear d (see Fig. 6).
Instead of the reeds a an ordinary pipe or flute may also be used for this arrange-
ment, an air or tune being played by the rotation of the tube-shaped tune-plate (see
Fig. 7).
C
In Figs. 8. 9 and 10 are shewn arrangements whorein the tune plate, tape, or disc b
does not directly cover or close tlie reeds a but the reeds a are preventing vibrating by
the leather valves d. These leather valves d'are fastened, by blocks which carry also
the springs. The pressure of the springs tends to press and close the leather valve d
.permanently over the reed slots and prevent the reed a vibrating. The springs has
a finger piece which is so pressed by the inne plate that the reeds a are prevented
vibrating or sounding. If however, a hole g of the tune-plate passes over the finger
piece (see Fig. 10) the leather valve d is allowed to spring open for a short time and
the reed a is set vibrating. It is of course obvious that the leather valves & shewn in
the several figures 8, 9 and 10 may be used in combination with any of the above
described instruments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of my
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
-
1. In musical instruments the arrangement shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 where the band
shaped tune plate or tape b is by means of the friction roller d passed over the reeds a
by which the tune or air is produced or varied, as herein above described and
illustrated.
2. In musical instruments the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the
disc-shaped tune-plate b is turned round on the pivot o by the friction-roller_d and
where for changing the tune plate the handle and roller d in connection with the
cover-plate e can be turned back on the joint fas herein described and illustrated.
3. In musical instruments the arrangement shewn in figs. 5 and 6, where the tube-
shaped tune-plate is turned by the screw-gearing d round the inside concentric tubef.g
which carries the reeds a and wherein (see fig. 7) an ordinary flute can be operated by
the tube-shaped tune-plate & the flute. being in the place of the reeds a as herein above
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. In musical instruments as herein above described the use of the leather valves as
shown in Figs. 8. 9 and 10 which are operated by the spring and holes g in the
tune-plate when the latter passes the finger piece h of the said spring as herein above
*described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1889.