US211636A - Improvement in mechanical musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet, l.

M. J. MATTHEWS. Mechanical Musical-Instrument.

No. 211,636. Patented Jan. 28, 1879.

INVENTORI ATTORNEY,

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M. J. MATTHEWS, Mechanical Musical-Instrument.

" No. 211,636. Patented Jan. 28, 1879.

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J g/ J 1/// I A Y Z J) m VYITNESSES: I NVEN TOR QM QM/M 7/ BY MAI/w ATTORNEY.

NPETERB PdOTO-LTTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. |Jv C- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MASON J. MATTHEYVS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL ENSTRUMENTS.

Specification (binning part of Letters Patent No. 211,636, dated January 28, 1879; application filed August 19, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MASON J. hIATTHEWS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Musical Instruments or Toys, of which the following, taken in connection with the aecompanyin g drawings, is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a musical instrument which I term a phuniphone and it consists, first, in the method of operating musical instruments by holding the driving-shaft firmly in the hand, and causing the body of the instrument to revolve about said shaft, as will be described.

My invention further consists in the combination of suitable wind-moving bellows; a vacuum or reservoir chamber provided with a series of wind-passages an endless band of perforated paper resting upon and covering said wind-passages, and passing around, carryin g rolls or drums at either end of the instrument 5 a reed-ehamberprovided with wind-passages corresponding to those in the vacuum or reservoir chamber, and with suitable reeds, and placed upon the opposite side of said paper band, all mounted within a suitable frame or casing; and ashaft or rod passing through said casing at or near one end, in position to press upon the paper band where it passes around one of the carrying rolls or drums, and provided with an enlarged prolongation thereof beyond the exterior of the frame, in the form of a handle, to be grasped by the hand of the operator and held from revolving about its axis, while the body of the instrument is made to revolve about said shaft, and thereby cause the endless band of paper to be moved along between the reed and vacuum chambers, and cause musicaltones to be produced as the perforations in the paper are successively brought to coincide with the wind-passages in the vacuum and reed chambers.

My invention further consists in a casing or frame made intwo parts, hinged together at one end and detachably secured together at the other end, in combination with a driving or operating shaft provided with an enlarged prolongation beyond the frame in the form of a handle 5 suitable wind-moving bellows, connecting with aseries of wind-passagcs, and

mechanism for operating said bellows, all mounted in one portion of the easin g or frame, and a reed-chamber provided with a series of reeds and wind-passages; a pair of rolls or drums, and an endless band of perforated paper stretched around said rolls or drums, all detachably mounted in the other portion of the casin g or frame, in such a manner that when the frame is closed and secured together the paper shall rest upon and cover the wind-passages leading from the bellows, and pass between such passages and the reed-chamber, and when the casing or frame is opened the endless band of paper may be readily removed and another put in its place when it is desired to change the tune.

My invention further consists in a novel method of operating the wind-bellows of a musical instrument by eausin g said bellows to be revolved about a stationary pulley, as will be further described.

Hy invention further consists in so mounting one of the removable paper-carrying rolls or drums in one portion of the divided frame or casin g that when said casing is opened said roll or drum is free to be moved toward the other paper-carrying roll to loosen the endless band of paper, in combination with a pair of springs secured to the other portion of the casing, and adapted to engage with the shaft of said roll or drum when the easin g is closed, and force said roll away from the other papercarrying roll and into the bi ght of the endless band of perforated paper.

It further consists in so mounting the reedchamber in the casing or frame that it may be readily removed therefrom when the casing is open, and be movable therein in a direction at right angles to the line of movement of the paper band when the casing is closed, in com bination with springs adapted to force said reed-chamber onto the endless paper band, as will be further described.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of my musical instrument, illustrating the manner of holding and operating it. Fi 2 is a plan; Fi 3, a transverse section on line 00 .00 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line z 2 on Fig. 3; and Figs. and 6 are, respectively, a plan and sectional elevation of aportion of the reed-chamber and the casing.

A and A are the two parts of the casing or frame of the instrument, hinged together at a, and 'securedtogether at the opposite end by tliehook b and pin 1;. B is the operating or driving shaft, mounted in bearings in the portion A of the frame, and having firmly secured upon one end, outside of the casing, the pulley O, and upon the other end the handle D, to be grasped in the hand of the operator, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus held in a fixed position or prevented from revolving about its axis, while the body of the instrument is made to revolve about said shaft. E is the vacuumehamber or reservoir, attached permanently to the portion A of the frame or casing, and provided upon" one side with a series of windpassages, c, and having secured to its opposite side two or more wind-moving bellows, F F, each provided with a suitable valve,"d, and a forked arm, 0, as shown-in Figs. land 4.

er is a shaft, having formed therein two cranks, f f, set opposite to each other, and each fitted to and working in the fork of one of the arms 0 to impart motion tothe bellows.

Theshaft G has its bearings in the frame A, andhas secured to its upper end the pulley H, connected by the endless belt I with the pulley (Jon the upper end of the shaft B.

The reservoir or vacuum -chamber E is kept expanded by the spring g.

J is an endless band of paper, having formed therein a series of perforations, so arranged as to produce a tune in passing over the wind-' passages between the reservoir and the reedchamber, said band being mounted upon the carrying rolls or drums K and L, removably mounted in bearings in the portion A of the casing or frame, one near each end thereof, in such position that the inner portion of said band of paper, when the two parts of the casing are secured together, shall rest upon and move incontact with the wall of the reservoir E, throngh which the wind-passages c are made.

The roll K has its periphery covered with rubber, and its journals rest in slots cut in theinner faces of the sides of casing A,"in' such'apositionas to press the paper band'between it and the shaft B, around which it revolves when the instrument-is in operation, and by frictional contact therewith cause said paper band to be moved continuously around the carrying-rolls and the several perforations therein to be brought successively over the wind-passages c 0. The roll L is also provided with journals 2', which fit into the angular slots h h, (shown mostly in dotted lines ilrFig. 4,) and is forced toward the end of the casing or frame A, and into the bight of the endless band of paper J, by the tension of the springs z" 2', attached to the portion A of the frame, and adapted to engage with the journals when the two portions A and A of the frame are closed together.

M' is the reed chest or chamber," provided with a series of reeds, j, and windpassages 41?, corresponding in number-with and directly over the wind passages c, and also provided ateach end with a projecting pin or lug, l, i

side bar, said spring being adapted to force the reed-chest toward the reservoir and press the paper band thereon when the two parts of the casing are secured together in position for operation.

The reeds shown are adapted to be operated by suction, and the bellows, F F, shown in the drawings are suctionbellows; but it is obvious that a blast-bellows and reeds adaptd'to be operated thereby may be used without in the least affecting the principles of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, -1. V A musical instrument prov'i ed series of reeds,fa' wind r'noving b qwspana an operating-shaft having its bear ngs extendin g beyond the case ofthe instrument; in the form of 'a handle, all 'arrang d tu; adapted to be operated to produoechords tunes by causing the body oftheinfstiiiment to revolve about said operating s'h'aft',while;

said shaft iskept from revolving, sdhstgtjfiwny' as'des'cribed."

2. In combinationw'ith theshaft provided with the axial handle D, adapted to be grasped,

by the hand of the operator, one or more wind" moving bellows,'fF, a vacuum: or reservoir chamber, E, provided with V a series'bffwindi passages, c,a reed-chamber; M,"prov1 de d Wltll a series 'of'reeds and wind-passages,

endless band of perforated paper, J, stretched around the two carrying rollsKand#L,;-and

passing between said reservoiralld reed-*ch'a if bers, all arranged within-a"frame, AA,'and: adapted to'be revolved therewith aroundthe'j shaft B, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Aframe or casing madeintwoparts,

and A,'hinged together and secured asset.

forth, in combination wit-l1"'t1ie shaft Bj'p'ro-fi vided with the axial handle D, suitable wh ch moving bellows F, conneetingiwitliafseriesiof wind 'pa'ssages, c, and meehanism'for operat ing said bellows, all mounted in the portion of said frame,and an endlessband of perfoa rated paper stretched around two; carrying rolls or drums, and a reed-chamber provided with 'a" series of reeds and wind-p,assages de-I tachably mounted in the portion A "of the frame, substantially as and for 'the'purposes described.

4. The combination of the non-rotating shaft 1 B, provided with the axial handle D and pulley 0, one or more wind-moving bellows, F, each provided with a forked arm,e, theshatt f, the pulley H, and an endless belt; I, all'ar G, having formed thereinone or more ranks, j

ranged'as set forth,'and adapted to ope ate substantially as and for the purposes describedg 5. The combination of the paper-earryi roll L, mountedin the angular lots end with a lug or pin, 1, in eombination with slots on and springs or in the side bars of frame A, substantially as described.

MASON J. MATTHEWVS.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, E. A. HEMMENWAY.

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