Improvements in or Applicable to Organs, Harmoniums, and similar Musical Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to Organs, Harmoniums, and similar
Musical Instruments.
I, JOHAN PETTER NYSTRÖM, of Karlstad, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Musical
Instrument Maker, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to enable persons having no musical knowledge to
play on ordinary organs or harmoniums, or, in other words, to perform mechanically
any desired piece of music without in any way impairing the fitness of such musical
instruments to be played by the fingers of a musical artist. To this end my invention
involves the use of the well known perforated discs or endless strips or bands the
perforations in which are formed and arranged according to the tunes to be played
and are described in the trade under various names.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of the key board and a portion of the case
of an organ or harmonium with my invention applied thereto, a perforated disc being
used for the purpose.
Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a cross section of the same.
Figure 3, Sheet 1, is a plan, and
Figure 4, Sheet 1, is an elevation of a portion of the mechanism drawn to an
enlarged scale.
Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 2, are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 but illustrate the
use of perforated, endless strips or bands.
I will first describe my invention by reference to Sheet 1.
a is the perforated tune-disc mounted upon a spindle 6 so as to occupy practically
the same position in respect of the key board as that in which a sheet of music
would be placed for a player to perform from. This disc is set in rotary motion by
means of a handle c, the shaft of which extends along one of the sides of the case of
the instrument.
Motion is transmitted from the handle c to the tune-disc a by means of bevil
pinions e, a spindle provided with a worm g, and a worm wheel h, as shewn in
Figure 1 of the drawing; the said motion can however be transmitted in any other
suitable manner. From a pulley fixed on the shaft da belt passes onto another
pulley fixed on another shaft provided with two cranks k and l, whereby two
bellows m and n are set in operation in the manner shown. These bellows m and n
draw in air from the same wind-chest as the ordinary bellows (not shewn in the
drawing) which are operated by the pedals and used when the instrument is played
in the usual way by means of the key-board.
To cause the instrument to mechanically sound the required notes by means of the
above mentioned perforated tune-disc a I have devised the following arrangement:
Through a row of openings o provided in a front plate situated under the shaft b, a
series of bevelled or pointed pegs p is made to project at intervals precisely in the
same way as in other instruments in which similar perforated discs are made use of.
Each of these pegs is attached to or is formed integral with a bent lever q (as clearly
shown in the detail views Figures 3 and 4). To the opposite end of the lever q is
jointed a horizontal rod r attached to a bent levers to which a vertical rod t is jointed;
the rod t is connected to a lever u jointed to a bar o extending along the key-board
and presses upon a screw y provided in the corresponding key a.
This mechanism is
repeated as many times as there are keys so that a series of bent levers q placed
one above the other, horizontal bars r, vertical bent levers s, rods t and levers u is
employed. Each of the levers u is acted upon by a spring z which is stronger than
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the spring usually employed to raise the key after it has been pressed down by the
finger of a player.
In order to place a tune-dise in position upon the instrument when commencing
or changing a tune all the keys must first be pressed down whereupon all the pegs p
will protrude through the openings o. A tune-disc a is then fitted onto the shaft or
spindle and a comb-shaped bar y' jointed to the front plate of the mechanism is
moved in front of the pegs p and keeps the disc a in close contact with the surface
behind; all the pegs are thereby forced back. The mechanism is now ready for
playing the tune and when for this purpose the handle is revolved, the pegs p, as the
holes in the tune-disc come opposite them, will move forward and produce the desired
melody.
When it is desired to play with the fingers upon the key-board of the instrument
in the usual manner a suitable bar is placed across the whole of the pegs so as to
keep them pressed back when, as will readily be understood, the keys will bo free to
be raised by their respective springs and to be played as usual.
Revolving tune-discs do not, however, admit of the whole compass or key-board of
an organ being used mechanically, inasmuch as that would entail the employment of
discs of so large a diameter that the disc at or near the periphery or edge would
soon be torn and the holes be put out of shape. Now this objection can be entirely
obviated by the adoption of endless bands which allow of playing by mechanical
action the whole or any part of the range of notes included in the key-board of an
organ, the bands in question being in either case perfectly safe from any damage.
A further advantage arising from the use of such bands is, that, no matter whether
they are long or short, they set the instrument in operation with equal facility and
effect. And lastly they enable the lever mechanism that connects the keys with the
tone producing pegs to be materially simplified.
Sheet 2 of the accompanying drawings shews the arrangement I adopt when an
endless band is to be used. To facilitate comprehension one key only, with the corre-
sponding combination of levers, is shewn.
It
An endless perforated tune band a¹ is here substituted for the revolving disc a.
is placed around a barrel b arranged in the upper part of the instrument and around
a roller d situated above such barrel, so that, when the latter is set in rotary motion
by means of the handle, the band gradually passes from the barrel bonto the roller d.
The pegs p enter the holes of the band as it passes, each peg being attached to or
formed integral with a lever e, the opposite end of which works on a pivot or pin, as
shown. To the centre of the lever e the upper end of a vertical rod f is jointed and
the lower end of the rod fis fastened to one arm of an oscillating or double lever g
fulcrummed on a bar h extending throughout the whole length of the instrument.
The other arm of the said lever g is jointed to the upper end of a vertical rod t the
lower extremity of which is connected to the lever u. A similar mechanism is pro-
vided for each key of the instrument and as one or more of the pegs p enter the
openings of the perforated band, one or more of the keys are correspondingly pressed
down thus sounding the required notes. This lever arrangement offers material
advantages over the one before described inasmuch as it necessitates the employment
of much less transmitting gear requiring to be covered with felt &c. and enables the
operation of the mechanism to be more readily rendered noiseless which, in organs,
is well known to be an important desideratum.
The upper roller d, bearing the tune-band, rests in grooves i provided in pieces k
attached to the inner sides of a frame . This enables long or short bands a to be
used as required. A screw m working through the cross piece n, to which pieces k
are attached, serves to adjust the band to the desired degree of tension or tightness.
When the instrument is to be used for an artistic performance, a plate is inserted
between the barrel b and the pegs p so that the latter are forced and kept back.
Motion is imparted from the handle c to the barrel b and the tune-band placed
thereon by means of a worm wheel o attached to the said barrel band working into a
worm provided at the top end of a vertical spindle q, the lower end of which spindle
carries a gun-metal wheel's with oblique or inclined teeth into which gears a wooden

page_text: helical gear wheel mounted on the main shaft. By means of these wheels s and v
a practically noiseless operation of the mechanism is obtained, the oblique teeth of
the wheels and the quadruple screw throad of the wheel being constantly and
uniformly thrown into gear by the revolution of the handle c. It has, in fact, been
ascertained by experiment that, owing to the oscillations to which the barrel b is liable
whenever a peg enters a hole in the tune-band, no transmission by means of
ordinary toothed wheels or worm wheels, whether the same he made of wood or
metal, can be applied between the handle shaft and the vertical spindle q, as no
steady gear can thereby be obtained. Whereas, through the medium of wheels s
and v, such as have just been described, a constant and perfectly noiseless gear is
produced. The top gear o, r can without inconvenience be made of metal, its opera-
tion being comparatively slow.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) An organ, barmonium or like musical instrument adapted both for artistic and
for mechanical playing by the combination therewith of perforated tune-discs, into the
holes of which enter suitable pegs or pins operated by a lever arrangement which is
also connected with the keys whereby the notes of a tune or melody are produced,
the main feature of such combination being that, to the ordinary key-board of the
instrument and to the mechanism operating the same, a handle is added actuating at
the same time two bellows such as m, n and a spindle 6 whereon the tune-disc is set,
the instrument being also provided with a lever arrangement connected with the said
tune-dise and fitted, for mechanical playing, with levers u and with springs, pressing
against the ends of such levers, each of these levers and springs being connected with
one of the keys of the key-board, while for artistic playing, the levers are prevented
from acting by means of a bar placed in front of the row of pegs, whereby the latter
are pressed back and the pressure of the springs z is counteracted, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) In an organ, harmonium or like musical instrument of the kind referred to in
the preceding claim, the following mechanism enabling perforated tune-bands to be
used instead of revolving tune-discs.
(a) A lever arrangement whereby each key is connected with a bevelled peg p
which serves to produce a tone, the said arrangement consisting of an oscillating
or double lever g fulcrummed on a bar h extending throughout the length of
the instrument and connecting the vertical rod t attached to the arın u referred
to in Claim 1 with another vertical rod f, the opposite end of which rod fis
pivoted to the lever e which carries the bevelled peg P, and
(6) Mechanism whereby motion is transmitted from the handle c to the spindle q
and the barrel carrying the tune-band is caused to revolve, the said mechanism
consisting of a comparatively large wooden helical gear wheel v mounted upon
the main or bandle shaft, which wheel works into a smaller metal wheel s
having oblique teeth mounted upon the spindle g the said wheels and s being
by such means continually kept in gear, and the working of the whole mecha-
nism being rendered noiseless, substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 29th day of August 1889
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.