AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR OTHER MATERIAL, TO BE USED AS MUSIC SHEETS OR TUNE BANDS IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Maxfield at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1883.
JOHN MAXFIELD, of Upper Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex,
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING PAPER OR OTHER
MATERIAL, TO BE USED AS MUSIC SHEETS OR TUNE BANDS IN MECHANICAL
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS"
My invention relates to an improved method of perforating the music paper
or tune bands used in automatic or mechanical musical instruments, and to
apparatus therefor.
In perforating the said music bands it is sometimes advisable to make the
perforations tapering, round, or of other suitable form, in order to produce
variations of tone such as those known to musicians as "Crescendo" and
"Diminuendo." Heretofore this result has seldom been obtained and then only at
a considerable cost.
The chief object of my said invention is to provide means whereby music bands
may easily and at a low cost be provided with perforations which enable the
expression or intensity of a musical tone to be varied.
My said invention consists essentially in the employment in combination with
a plate of metal provided with perforations, and having close to it the band paper
or other material which it is desired to perforate, of means for burning away the
portions of paper which are left exposed through the openings in the said metal
plate.
In carrying my, said invention into practice I provide a metal plate, hereinafter
termed a stencil-plate, the perforations of which have the same shape and position
as those which it is desired to make in the paper or band.
I also provide a suitable frame having guides in which the stencil plate with
the paper or other material beneath it is adapted to travel, by means of a pair of
rollers covered with india rubber or by other suitable means. One or both of the
said rollers may be provided with springs in order to ensure their proper contact
with the stencil-plate.

page_text: Above the stencil-plate is arranged a tube having in its lower side holes directly
over the lines of perforations in the stencil-plates, I arrange within the said tube
or in any other suitable manner a second tube also having perforations which are
arranged in proximity to those of the gas tube, so that as the gas issues from its
pipe in jets, which are ignited, a blast of air will come into contact with the
Hame and drive it forcibly against the stencil plate in a similar manner to a blow
pipe.
Between the guides in which the stencil-plate travels and below the gas pipe
is a metal bed plate, having an opening formed at the point where the flame would
strike it, Bearing upon the upper side of the said bed plate are flat springs
A stencil plate and the paper to be perforated are passed between the said plate
and the springs, the latter serving to hold the stencil plate and paper close to each
other in order that the paper should not burn under the edges of the perforations
in the stencil plate
As the paper passes over the solid part of the bed plate the flame is extinguished
whereby a clean hole is formed in the paper,
In order to remove the pieces of charred paper from the edges of the
perforations suitable brushes or other means may be used above or below the
paper, or both.
.
Although I have described my invention as being used with gas, yet I may
employ any other suitable means for burning the holes in the paper; I may also
vary the construction of the apparatus without departing from the nature of my
invention.
An advantage resulting from the use of my invention is that the edges of the
perforations in the music sheet, by being burned, are hardened and are therefore
more durable than those of music bands as heretofore manufactured.