AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR PLAYING UPON PIANOS, ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bristow Hunt, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's
Inn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR PLAYING UPON PIANOS,
ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS.'
."-A communication from
abroad by Juan Amann, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 14th May 1872, and dated the 22nd November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bristow Hunt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd November 1871.
I, BRISTOW HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR PLAYING UPON
PIANOS, ORGANS, AND OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS," (a communication to me
from abroad by Juan Amann, of Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in applying to organs, harmoniums, pianos,
and other instruments provided with key boards, a mechanical apparatus

page_text: by means of which any kind of music can be executed upon such instru-
ments by the aid of continuous bands of perforated paper.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawings represents the apparatus
with the perforated music paper applied to an organ. A is the crank;
B, cylinders of wood covered with thread, between which the music
paper passes; C, a cylinder of metal or ivory, which keeps the paper in
the desired position; D, the perforated music paper; E, E, pieces of
wood which act upon the keys of the instrument.
Figure 2 is a piece (full size) of the perforated music paper, of which
each hole represents one note of the music.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, (full size) front view, side elevation, and plan
views of the interior of the apparatus; F, F, are axles of steel which
actuate the pieces E, E, by the aid of levers; G, G, strips or rods of
steel acting on the axles F; H, H, are steel racks connected to the ends
of the strips G; I, ratchet or inclined toothed cylinder, which draws
forwards the racks H at the desired time%3B J, toothed wheel which
drives the cylinder I by means of a pinion 2 keyed on the axle of the
latter; K, K, detents which take into notches beneath the racks H;
L, L, springs which press the detents K upwards; M, M, pieces for
holding the detents K; these pieces rise into the grooves of the
cylinder C whenever an opening or perforation occurs in the musical
paper which passes between the two parts of the apparatus; N, n, hook
and excentric axle acting on all the detents K and holding them down
at the required moment; O, support for the racks K.
To put the apparatus in action the cylinder C must be first raised
on its hinge, and having placed beneath it the music paper and passed
the end thereof between the cylinders B, B, the cylinder Ơ must then
be replaced. Having done this and secured the cylinder by the hook N,
the crank A is to be turned. So long as the musical paper D passes
between the cylinder C and the pieces M without presenting any holes
or perforations, the detent K is held down (as seen at Figure 6) and
does not permit the rack H to approach the toothed cylinder I, and it
consequently produces no sound; but as soon as the paper between the
cylinder C and the piece M presents an opening, the latter, relieved
from the pressure of the paper rises instantly owing to the pressure of
the detent K. The rack H then comes in contact with the cylinder I
(see Figure 7), which draws it forward until the moment when arriving

page_text: at the point 3 where the notches end it disengages itself and runs back
until stopped by the detent K coming against the side of the notch 4.
In this position (see Figure 8) the rack H acts on the strip G, which
transmits the movement to the axles F, and pressing down the cor-
responding key the sound is produced and prolonged according to the
length of the opening or perforation in the music paper D. As soon as
the perforation has passed, the paper interposes itself between the
cylinder C and the picce M and presses down the detent K. As this
detent is pressed down, the rack H not being able to follow its descent,
owing to its resting on the support O, becomes freed from the detent K
and runs back instantly, being moved by the rising of the key of the
instrument, and the sound ceases.
At the moment of terminating any air and before the music paper
becomes disengaged from under the cylinder C it is indispensable that
the latter should be unhooked, so that its excentric axle n shall hold all
the detents down, and that the cylinders B, B, may act without obstacle
till the total disengagement of the paper. Without this precaution, at
the moment of terminating the passage of the paper beneath the
cylinder C, all the pieces M would rise simultaneously and sound all the
notes of the instrument.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bristow Hunt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BRISTOW
HUNT, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middle-
sex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Bristow Hunt, Her special
licence that I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Bristow Hunt, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: in the desired position; D, the perforated music paper; E, E, pieces of
wood which act upon the keys of the instrument.
Figure 2 is a piece (full size) of the perforated music paper, of which
each hole represents one note of the music.
Figures 3, 4, and 5, (full size) represent front view, side elevation, and
plan views of the interior of the apparatus; F, F, are axles of steel
which actuate the pieces E, E, by the aid of levers 1, 1; G, G, strips or
rods of steel acting on the axles F; H, H, are steel racks connected to
the ends of the strips G; I, ratchet or inclined toothed cylinder which
draws forwards the racks H at the desired time; J, toothed wheel which
drives the cylinder I by means of a pinion 2 keyed on the axle of the
latter; K, K, detents which take into notches beneath the racks H;
L, L, springs which press the detents K upwards; M, M, pieces for
holding the detents K; these pieces rise into the grooves of the
cylinder C whenever an opening or perforation occurs in the musical
paper which passes between the two parts of the apparatus; N, n, hook
and eccentric axle acting on all the detents K and holding them down
at the required moment; O, support for the racks H.
To put the apparatus in action the cylinder C must be first raised on
its hinge, and having placed beneath it the music paper and passed the
end thereof between the cylinders B, B, the cylinder C must then be
replaced. Having done this and secured the cylinder by the hook N,
the crank A is to be turned. So long as the musical paper D passes
between the cylinder C and the pieces M without presenting any holes
or perforations, the detent K is held down (as seen at Figure 6) and
does not permit the rack H to approach the toothed cylinder I, and it
consequently produces no sound; but as soon as the paper between the
cylinder C and the piece M presents an opening, the latter, relieved
from the pressure of the paper rises instantly owing to the pressure of
the detent K. The rack H then comes in contact with the cylinder I
(see Figure 7), which draws it forward until the moment when arriving
at the point 3 where the notches end it disengages itself and runs back
until stopped by the detent K coming against the side of the notch 4.
In this position (see Figure 8) the rack H acts on the strip G, which
transmits the movement to the axles F, and pressing down the cor-
responding key the sound is produced and prolonged according to the
length of the opening or perforation in the music paper D. As soon as
the perforation has passed, the paper interposes itself between the

page_text: cylinder C and the piece M and presses down the detent K. As this
detent is pressed down, the rack H not being able to follow its descent,
owing to its resting on the support O, becomes freed from the detent K,
and runs back instantly, being moved by the rising of the key of the
instrument, and the sound ceases.
At the moment of terminating any air and before the music paper
becomes disengaged from under the cylinder C, it is indispensable that
the latter should be unhooked so that its eccentric axle n shall hold all
the detents down and that the cylinders B, B, may act without obstacle
till the total disengagement of the paper.
Without this precaution, at
the moment of terminating the passage of the paper beneath the
cylinder C, all the pieces M would rise simultaneously and sound all the
notes of the instrument.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"An Improved Automatic Apparatus for Playing upon Pianos, Organs,
and other Keyed Instruments," together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as the Invention communicated
to me by the said Juan Amann, the general construction, application,
and use of the improved automatic apparatus for the purpose set forth,
of playing upon pianos, organs, and other keyed musical instruments,
substantially as herein-before described, and as illustrated on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bristow Hunt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
BRISTOW HUNT. (L.S.)