US258955A

US258955A - Mechanical musical instrument

Info

Publication number: US258955A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1882-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1899-06-06

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. S. TAYLOR.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented June 6, 1882.

' (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. S. TAYLOR. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented June 6, 1882.

Wvbwmas (No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 3.

H. S. TAYLOR.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patentefi June 6, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY S. TAYLOR, OF NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE H.

OHINNOOK, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,955, dated June 6, 1882.

Application filed July 12, 1880. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. TAYLOR, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of mechanical musical instruments in which the operation of sound-producin g devices is produced by a traveling perforated music-sheet.

The invention consists in the combination, in amechanical musical instrument ofthe kind above described, of a wind-chest and a vertically-movable sound-board arranged above the same, and between which the music-sheet passes, springs for pressing said sound-board down, and cam-levers for raising said soundboard to permit of the introduction of the muzo sic-sheet under it.

It also consists in the combination, in such an instrument, with the wind-chest and soundboard, of a top plate channeled upon its upper surface to form guides for the music-sheet,

2 5 and recessed to form guides for the soundboard in its vertical movements.

It also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of two feed-rollers,

3o between which the music-sheet passes,and one of which is movable transversely, springs for exerting a pressure upon said movable roller, and devices acting directly upon said springs for raising them and holding them in an ele- 3 5 vated position to permit raising the said roller and allow of the music-sheet being inserted under it.

It also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musical instrument to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of feed-rollers, between which said sheet passes, a take-up roller, upon which the music-sheet is wound after playing, a bellows for inducing air for the operation of said instrument, and a novel means for actu- 5 ating the feed-rollers, the take-up roller, and

the bellows.

It also consists in the combination, in a mechanical musicalinstrument adapted to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of a sta- 5o tionary tube or hollow cylinder having a 1ongitudinal slot in its periphery, and a pair of feed-rollers arranged parallel with said tube or cylinder, between which the music-sheet passes, and by which it is fed through said slot into said tube or cylinder and coiled therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through a musical instrument constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan thereof. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of a portion of the wind-chest and of the soundboard, between which the music-sheet passes. Fig. 4represents a longitudinal section through an instrument in which the pipes are removed and the tubes or hollow cylinders substituted for the music-roller and take-up rollers.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates the wind-chest of the instru- 7o ment, which is exhausted of air, or, as in the present instance, supplied with air by a bellows composed, in the present example of my invention, of two chambers, B B, and an interposed center-board, B. The bellows commu- 7; nicates with the wind'chest by a passage or duct, 0. (Shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1.)

D designates a sound-board, arranged above the windchest A, and between it and said wind-chest passes the perforated music-sheet .80 E, by means of which the instrument is operated. The sound-board D is constructed with a series of air ducts or passages, which by the perforations in the music-sheet are brought into communication with the wind-chest A, to permit air to pass outward from or inward to said wind-chest, according to whether the bellows Bis apressure or exhaust bellows. These ducts or passages a (clearly shown in Fig. 3) either contain sound-producing devices-such 0 as reeds-or communicate with other soundproducing devices, which are here represented as consisting of pipes F, mounted upon the sound-board D and communicating with the air ducts or passages a therein. The pipes F 5 are represented as inclosedin a casing, F, and 1 preferably construct said casing with swells F which may be readily opened or closed.

In order to enable the perforated music-sheet to be introduced between the wind-chest and I00 the sound-board, I support the latter so that it may be raised vertically upward from the windchest. In the present example of my invention the sound-board is held in place by screws or pins I), inserted through it and into the windchest, and having coiled upon them springs c, for producing a proper downward pressure upon the sound-board. This form of springs, however, might be substituted by those of other form.

In order to afford convenient provision for raising the sound-board, I may employ levers G at each end of the sound-board, and having cam-faces adapted to bear upon the wind-chest when the levers are turned upward to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. These levers are connected by a rod, Gr, so that both of them may be operated in unison.

H designates the top board of the instrument, channeled or recessed at H, to form a guide for the music-sheet E in its movement through the instrument, and provided with notches or recesses d, which receive the ends of the sound-board D, and forms a guide or way in which the sound-board is free to move vertically when it is desired to introduce a perforated music-sheet between the said soundboard and the wind-chest. The music'sheet E, preparatory to being played, is wound upon the music-roller I, which is supported in bearings in the frame of the instrument, and is provided with a crank, I, by means of which the music-sheet may be readily rewound upon the roller after playing.

Motion is imparted to the music-sheet by means of two feed-rollers arranged in a pair, one above the other, and supported in bearings in the frame of the instrument. The lower roller, J, is mounted in fixed bearings, and has motion imparted to it by means of a worm-wheel, J, mounted upon the axis of the roller J, and receiving motion from a screw, J operated by a crank, J and supported in proper bearings, c. The upper roller, K, is adapted to move vertically in its bearings; but

during the ordinary operation of the instrument it is kept pressed down upon the paper by means of springs K acting upon its journals, as shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to raise the upper roller to introduce a music-sheet, I employ a shaft, K arranged parallel with the roller,-as shown in Fig. 2, and which is provided at each end with a cam bearing upon the under side of the springsK, and by turningthe shaft the springs may be raised and the roller relieved of pressare.

L designates a take-up roller, upon which the music-sheetis wound after passing through the instrument. Any suitable mechanism may be employed to impart motion to said roller. That here shown consists of a friction-wheel, K upon the shaft of the lower feed-roller, J, and an idler friction-pulley, L, supported in a springbearing, f, and through which and a pulley, L on the take-up roller the proper motion is imparted to said roller. The arrangement of the idler-pulley L and its spring-bearingf is very advantageous, as the pulley is free to slip as the roll of music on the take-up roller L increases in size, and thus prevent undue strain upon the music-sheet and consequent liability of tearing it.

In order to conveniently operate the bellows B, I have represented a crank, J upon the screw-shaft J opposite the hand-crank Jfland a connecting-rod, S, between said crank and the center-board B of the bellows. It will thus be seen that by the turning of the crank J, I actuate the bellows, operate the feed-rollers, and also operate the take-up roller.

In lieu ofthe take-up roller L, before described, I may employ a tube or hollow cylinder, M, (shown in Fig.4,) into which the musicsheet is fed by the feed-rollers J K through a longitudinal slot or slit, g, in its periphery. The tube or hollow cylinder is held stationary, and is open at one or both ends. As the musicsheet E is fed forward it enters the slot 9 and coils itself within the cylinder, the inner portion being gradually decreased and rolled tighter as the sheet is continuouslyfed into the cylinder and around the outside of the roll therein. In one edge of the tube or cylinder is a notch, h, to permit the roll of music-sheet to be reached by the fingers to withdraw it from the stationary cylinder. It may then be introduced into a second stationary cylinder, 0, like in all respects to the cylinder just described, and substituted for the roller 1.

By my invention I produce a simple and cheap instrument adapted for use with either pipes or reeds, and which is very easily operated.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the wind-chest A, the movable sound-board'D, constructed with ducts or passages a, the springs c, and the cam-levers Gr, all substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the wind-chest A, the vertically-movable sound-board D, constructed with air ducts or passages to, springs for keeping said sound-board down, the pipes F, the inclosing-case F, and the swells F at opposite sides of said case, substantially as specified.

3. The combination,in a mechanical musical instrument adapted to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of a wind-chest and a vertically-movable sound-board arranged above said wind-chest, between which the music-sheet passes, and the latter of which is constructed with a series of air ducts or passages, and a top plate, channeled or recessed at d, so as to form guides for the music-sheet and for the vertically-movable sound-board, substantially as specified.

4. The combination,in a mechanical musical instrument adapted to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of feed-rollers, between which-the music-sheet passes, one of which is IIO IIS

movable transversely, springs for holding said movable roller in contact with said sheet, and devices acting directly upon said springs for raising them and holding them in an elevated position to permit of the roller being; freely raised to allow of the insertion of the music sheet under it, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of feed-rollers J K, a take-up roller, L, wheels K L L connecting said take-up roller with the feed-roller J, the worm-Wheel J and worm or screw J the bellows B B, and the crank J and rod S, for operating said bellows from the worm or screw J all substantially as specified.

6. The combination,in a mechanical musical instrument adapted to be operated by a perforated music-sheet, of a stationary tube or hollow cylinder having a longitudinal slot or slit in its periphery, and a pair of feed-rollers arranged parallel with said tube or cylinder, 20

7. In a mechanical musical instrument,the 25 tube or hollow cylinder M, open at one or both ends, and constructed with the longitudinal slot or slit 9, and the notch h in its end, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses: HENRY S. TAYLOR.

GEo. H. OHINNOOK, HENRY WIDMAYER.