US245113A

US245113A - Mechanical musical instrument

Info

Publication number: US245113A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1881-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1898-08-02

Description

; (No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' 0. H. ARNO.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. No. 245,113. Patented Aug. 2,1881.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. H. ARNO.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 245,113. Patented Aug.v2,1881.

vof perforated paper through the instrument,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo OLIVER H. ARNO, OF VILMINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN AUTO- MATIC ORGAN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,113, dated August 2, 1881.

Application filed May 6, 1381.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIvEE' H. ARNO, of Wilmington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, ot` which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of mechanical musical instruments in which the playing is controlled by the passage of a sheet and particularly to such instruments as employ a series of reeds and bellows as the sound-producing mechanism.

The invention consists of the combination of a sound-producing mechanism composed of a series ot' reeds, each arranged in a separate chamber, which several chambers are arranged in a common line or row, and of an arrangement of bellows for forcing air through such reeds, of a chambered block, and of an air passage or passages from the bellows, located between such chambered block and the bellows, and all in such manner that the air in passing from the bellows to the reed-chambers shall first pass through such air-passages to the chamber of the chambered block, and from thence to the reed-chambers, all substantially as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying plates of drawings the present invention is illustrated, in Plate l Figurel being a vertical section in the direction of the line of travel of the strip of perforated paper 5 Fig. 2, a plan view with the ehambered block which is above the perforated strip broken out in its central portion. In Plate 2 Fig. 3 is an elevation at one side of the upper portion only, and with the casing or box at each end in vertical section. Fig. 4 is a view in detail, as will hereinafter appear. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line x a', Fig. 1. Fig. G is avertical section on liney y, Figs.

.l and 5; Fig. 7, a view in detail ot' the said chambered block.

In the drawings, A A and B B represent four feed-bellows, arranged in pairs horizontally side by side, and those of each pair one above theother. These several bellows are constructed to take in air and each to force it (No model.)

cal openings or chambers, d, arranged side by side and at equal distances apart, separated from each other by a wall, f. Each vertical chamber cl contains an organ-reed, g, arranged vertically and opposite to a side opening, h, all so that the reed will be sounded by the passage of air into and through its vertical chamber d, and thence out at its side opening, h.

The several parts above speci tied are arranged and secured in a suitable box or casing, J,and when so secured the block E, having' the vertical opening Z1 and reed-chambers d, has its face Z uppermost and in a horizontal plane, and it makes a rest for the travel of the strip F ot' perforated paper over it and through 'feed-roll: ers G, arranged as ordinarily for such travel of the paper strip to be from the upward liaring end ot' the vertical opening b toward the upper open end ofthe reedehambers d.

The feed-bellows A B and 'force-bellows D are arranged to be worked from the turning ot' the feed-rollers G, as usual, and all for the forcing oi' air from the forcebellows upward through the vertical opening or slot b, conneeting with the force-bellows, as has been described.

H is a block chambered out, as at m, between its two ends, a, and located over and at rest at both ends a and sides o of its chamber, upon the. strip of perforated paper, all so that said chamber m will cover and include in width between its two sides and its ends the opening b leading to the force-bellows D and the series of reed-chambers d, and thus allow the air which is forced by the force-bellows through the opening b into the chamber m to pass int-o the series of reed-chambers d. In this passage ot' the air from the force-bellows it enters the chamber m above the perforated strip through such ot' its perforations as are from time to time in the travel of the perforated strip over the communicating passage or opening b for the force-bellows, and it passes from such chamber through such perforations of the perforated strip as are from time to time in the travel of the perforated strip over the reed-chamber or openings d, and thus the reeds' corresponding to the perforations so passing are sounded, and as a consequence the tune is played.

p is a pin projecting from each end, and q a bent spring located at each end of the chambcred block H. These bent springs q are at one end each fixed to side pieces, U, attached to block E, and at the other end, 0', each made of a hook shape, suitable to engage with the pin p of the chambcred block at each end, and in a manner that when so engaged to press downwardlyT upon such pins, and thus upon the chambcred block H, and for such pins p to be disengaged from the springs q and placed on a rest, fw, upon fixed blocks K. on side pieces, U, located at each end of the chambcred block H, in suitable position therefor, and thus lifted and held out of contact with the strip of perforated paper-as, for instance, as shown in Fig. el.

The arrangement of springs q and pins above described, in combination with the chambcred block H, obviously secures an elastic and yielding pressure of such block upon the strip of perforated paper when it is placed at rest thereon.

The chambcred block H within its chamber carries'a rod, s, which may be either fixed or arranged to revolve in position to bear upon the strip of perforated paper, and through it upon the reed-block E, at and along and between the reed-chambers d and the force-bellows passage b thereof.

,L is a lid of the casing. This lid is hinged at and along one edge, t, and at its other edge, u, it is arranged to close against a shoulder, QJ, of block E, or to be opened therefrom for the free passage or escape of the sounds of the reeds from the casing.

lll is a bent spring, fixed at one end to the casing J, and at its other end making a rest for the lid L, which,by its action, is thus kept closed.

O is a vertical pusher-rod, playing through suitable guides of the casing, and at its lower end resting upon a lever, l), which turns upon a fulcrum at Q, and at R engages with a notch of a block, S, upon the under side of the lid. Pressing thepusherrod downwardly works the lever P, so that it swings the lid downward against its spring, and thus the lid is opened. This lid, with its arrangement for opening and closing the same, is what might be termed the swell-board of this instrument, and it is plain that the degree of loudness of the sounds of the reeds is in accordance with the extent the lid is opened or closed.

The air-passage from each feed-bellows to the forcebellows is in a series of separate and distinct passages, as shown in Figs. 5 and more particularly, which enables a flap-valve, T, of leather, to be used in common for such several passages for each feed-bellows, as it secures intermediate rests, as at c2, between the passage a, for the valve to hold it against being drawn or forced inwardly, all as is obvious without further explanation.

The chambcred block may be made stationary or otherwise-rigid instead of yielding, as

has been described. Again, it may be con` structed to rest at cach end upon the rests beyond the edges of the paper, instead of on the paper itself.

The paper-strip may be provided with a line or lines ot' perforations for the passage of air into the chamber H of the block, and independent and separate from the lines of perforaticns which run in the lines coincident with the position of the reed-chambers, and the passage of air from the force-bellows to the chamber may be limited to such independent and separate line or lines of perforations by a simple construction of the air-passage in divisions corresponding thereto. Again, the pas sage of air from the force-bellows to the chamber H may be also secured by passages leadin g from the force-bellows at and beyond either one or both edges of the paper strip.

Wvith the eha1nbered-block H placed upon its rests w at each end, the instrument is free for the ready insertion or removal of the per forated strip.

The rod within the chambcred block H, and which bears upon the perforated strip between the air-passage b and reed-chambers d, contnes the paper closely to its rest l, and prevents air passing between it and the rest from the air-passage of the bellows to the reedchambers.

As herein shown and described, the paper strip is held to its rest through the pressure of the chambcred block H thereon; but obviously,for the operation ofthe chambcred block herein described as to the passage of air, this is not necessary, and could be accomplished by other and outside and independent means, if so desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A series of reeds arranged in separate chambers and bellows for forcing air through such reeds, in combination with a chamber, m, passa-ge or passages b, leading from the bellows, and a perforated music-sheet, all constructed and arranged to operate as described, for the passage of the air to the reeds through the chamber m, substantially as specified.

2. A series of reeds arranged in separate chambers and bellows for forcing air through such reeds, in combination with a perforated music-sheet, air-passage l), leading from the bellows to chamber m, in which is a rod, s, resting upon the blocl; between said reedchambers and said air-passages, all construct IOO IIO

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ed and arranged together for the 'passage of lche air to the reeds through the chamber m, substantially as described.

3. The feed-bellows A B, having a divid- 5 ing-board, C, provided with a series of airpassages, in combination with the force-bellows D, arranged at the end of the passages a in the feed-bellows, and nap-valve T, controlling the communication between the force-bellows and the said passages, substantially as de- 1o scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set vmy hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

OLIVER H. ARNO. Witnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, WM. S. BELLoWs.