Improvements in Means for Displacing Music Sheets in Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Displacing Music Sheets in Mechanical
Musical Instruments.
I, TRAUGOTT ALWIN PLESSING, Engineer, of Constantinstrasse 18, Leipzig-Reud-
nitz, in the Empire of Germany, 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 a device for mechanical musical instruments by means
of which it is possible to operate a music sheet or disc which is provided with the
notes for two tunes in such manner so that either tune of the sheet can be repeated
as often as desired without it being necessary to hear the second piece and without
stopping the driving mechanism.
The new arrangement hence differs essentially from arrangements of this kind
hitherto used as will be described by the following description.
In the annexed drawing:-Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ordinary playing
mechanism and shows the device applied thereto. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections
showing the operating plate in different positions. Fig. 4 is a plan of part of the.
device. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the journal arrangement of the same.
The essential feature of the invention lies in the arrangement of the parts so as
to allow the displacement of the music sheet or disc so that the notes of the
different tunes which are usually arranged in a circular manner on the disc can be
brought into operation as required.
A disk serves for supporting the music sheet at its centre as shown in Figs. 1, 3
and 5, and is provided with the small driving pin 8 which engages with a hole in
the music sheet. This disc is seated loosely on the central pin z and can be
displaced laterally together with the central pin z and its pin & so that the centre of
the disk can be brought into one of two different positions and consequently the
different note circles of the tunes on the music sheet N can be brought respectively
into position.
The displacement of the disk S and of the central pin z is effected by the
following arrangement.
The central pin z of the disk S is lengthened downwards at i in such a manner
so that its lower end is fixedly connected with a bevelled piece p movable
horizontally in a guide or groove provided in the part M.
The part i of the central pin lying between the disk S and the sliding piece p is
provided with an easily turnable socket p¹ which passes through a slot n situated
obliquely in a sliding plate m. This socket facilitates the movement of the
plate m.
By means of a movement of the slide m the disk S and the music sheet N are
moved in the following manner and quite independently of the playing mechanism
proper.
This
The sliding plate m forms with the rod A the operating device A, m.
device shown in Fig. 5 is guided laterally at one end in one of the sides of the box
containing the mechanism and at the other end on the part M. The operating
device can be moved out or in by means of the button A¹ so that the oblique slot n
during its displacement effects a pressure on the socket.¹ and consequently on the

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part of the central pin of the disk S so that the disk S must undergo a displace-
ment and is guided in this movement by the sliding piece P which follows the
direction of the groove in the part M so that the position of the music sheet N is
changed with relation to the playing mechanism and other note circles come into
effect.
It is thus possible by means of this invention to operate the tunes of a note sheet
in any desired succession a special securing arrangement is provided, by means of
which the displacement of the note sheet is only rendered possible, when a tune
has been completely finished.
For this purpose the disk S is provided with a border, which is turned vertically
downwards.
This border is cut away at a certain place in the form of a slot e so that a pin r
fixed on the plate m can pass through it.
This slot is in such a position in the disk border that the complete movement of
the operating device can only be effected when the tune is completely finished and
the note sheet is in the right position for commencing to play again.
The pin r and the slot n of the slide m are placed in such relation to one another,
that the pin stands either at the outsido or the inside of the border of the disk S,
accordingly as the prolongation i of the pin z is moved to the one or the other side
by the movement of the slot n.
By this combination of the parts the music sheet is secured in place as the pin "
during the playing must bear either against the outside or the inside of the border
of the disk S.
The herein described arrangement thus allows the changing at pleasure and in a
secured manner of tunes on a single music sheet and the same can be played
alternately or in any desired succession.
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 :-
1. An improved device for mechanical musical boxes for displacing a music
sheet or disc provided with two tunes in which the central pin z of the music sheet
is fixedly connected with a sliding piece p and is displaced by means of a slot
provided in the sliding plate m operated by hand by the button A³, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2. A device as described in Claim 1 in which a revolving disc s carrying the
music sheet is provided with a vertically turned down edge having a slot e such
slot being in such position as to allow the passage of a pin only when the music
sheet has arrived at the proper position substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. A device, as in Claim 1 in which a pin r and a slot n are so placed in such
relation to one another that the pin must bear either against the outside or the
inside of the turned down edge of the disc m substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.