US827123A - Music sheet or paper for mechanically-operated musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

llhl STATES l "IHQll/iAS W. SMILLIE, 9F W ASHlNGTUN, DlSTlitlUi CQLUMBlA. MUSIQ SHEET 0R PAPER FOR illECHANICALLYGPERATEO lslUSlC/ll. lNSTRUlilENTS.

no sense,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented July 81, 1908.

Application filed Januar \2'7, 1904. Serial No. 190,882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THoMAs W. SMILLIE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Wash- 'tion with self-pla ing musical instruments respond more or ess freely to atmospheric changes and expand and contract in width under the influences of moisture and heat or extreme dryness, which expansion and contraction is sometimes fatal to a proper rendition of the musical composition represented by the note-perforations in the. sheet. In use these musicsheets are wound upon removable wooden spools having fixed end flanges, the distance between the flanges being about equal to the width of the musicsheets, and the sheets are wound from these spools onto another spool or roll known as the take-up, the latter forming a part of the musical instrument, and in passing from one spool to the other the music-sheet passes over a tracker or other note-selecting device which cooperates with the perfora tions to actuate the sound-producing mechanism. It will be obvious, therefore, if the music-sheet expands in width to anyconsiderable extent, the opposite longitudinal edges thereof will be brought to bear too much upon the end flanges of the spool, which will. tend to bend, crumple, and tear said edges, and as it is absolutely necessary that the music-sheets shall be accurately and evenlyguided over the tracker or other note-selecting device in order to secure a proper register of the note-perforations vnth the tracker-ducts or equivalent elements this crumpling or tearing of the edges of the sheets will render such guiding and register uncertain and unreliable, and will interfere with the proper rendition of the musical composition. This is due to the fact that the sheets are thus made considerably narrower in width than the spools on which they are wound and rewound, and hence they will not wind evenly.

Heretofore and prior to my'invention it has been proposed to overcome the above objections by making the spool-flan es laterally adjustable, and also by ma ring 'the spools themselves of paper, so that they would expand and contract alike with the music-sheets; but these devices are not entirely satisfactory and have never gone into general use, and, besides, they are not directed to the seat of difliculty or trouble.

it is the purpose of my present invention to overcome the before-mentioned objections by treating the music sheet or paper itself, either before or after the same has been perforated, with a composition that will render the paper impervious to atmospheric influences, so that when the sheet is once correctly perforated and fitted to the spools it will remain so permanently, resisting all atmospheric changes. This composition consists of the following ingredients combined in or about the proportions mentioned: gasolene, naphtha," benzin, or other similar sol vents, about one quart; paraffin, wax, or other substance of the same nature, one ounce; raw linseed oil or other suitable bland non-drying oleaginous agent, threefourth ounce.

The proportions of the above constituents may, of course, be varied to suit the varying weight or sizing of the paper, but it must be understood that they are not to be varied to such an extent as to destroy the softness and flexibility of the paper, which is a necessary element in perforated music-sheets.

The composition, which is in liquid form, is placed in a suitable pan or tray and the music-sheet passed or drawn therethrough, so that both sides thereof will be treated, and the sheet is then dried either naturally or artificially. 'lhe gasolene, benzin, or like solvent is employed'as a vehicle to carry the other ingredients into the paper. The paraffin or other wax acts as the moisture-repelling medium and prevents the sheet from being afiected b T atmospheric changes, and the raw linsee or other bland ncn-dr 'ng oleaginous agent keeps the sheet soft and pliable. lt is recognized here that raw linseed oil is not of itself, strictly speaking, a nondrying oil, but when combined with parafiin or like waxy substance and not mixedwith any of the oxids of lead it becomes for all the practical purposes of this invention a non-drying oil. 4

Music-sheets treated in the above manner Will not only be impervious to atmospheric influences, but the eomposrtlon will prevent the wesring of the sheet by friction and not tracker.

7 present method of treating the same.

somewhat as e lubricant, thus allowing the same to glide smoothly and freely over the the sheets when out are sometimes ragged at the edges and around the perforations, and

these ragged edges gradually weer sway during the passage of the sheet over the tracker, allowing the loosened fibers to be drawn into the trecker-ducts, as" above set forth. By treating e perforated sheet with the composition herein set forth these rag ed edges Jill he so strengthened that the fibers will not readily weer sway.

The music-sheets may be treated iiinprove'd composition either before or after the perforstin operation; but I prefer to treetthe comp eted sheet, for in this manner the ragged ed es will be strengthened, as before mentionel.

I heve found from ex eriment that erforated music-paper sires yused in the library and expendedby moisture When treated ec- With my semes cording to my inventionwiil subside to its ori 'inal size and roll perfectly.

v lsving thus described my'invention, what 1 I. claim, and desire to secure by Letters Petters Petent, is-

, 1. As a new erticie of menufecture, e sheet of music-paper for. use in eutometicelljwopereted pleyers, consisting of s strip of thin flexible paper treated with a non-drying composition embodying peretfin ore like sub.- stance and a blend oil, the ingredients named being incorporeted in the sheet in such pro portions as to render the same soft endpliable and non-responsive 'to atmospheric changes. v

2. As s new article fiffllaflufififiiuflfl, spew, foreted music-sheet for use. in entorpetiesily operated playing devises, consisting of a, strip of thin flexible. panes composition comprising. e, vole.til e vehicle having incorporated .t erein'net wszzy sub.- stence end it non-dryingolesgifl9llfl agent, the ingredients, named being incol'pqlfeted in the sheet in eboutthe' pronortionststeted so as to render the, sheet soft endp, hleend non-responsive as to expansion and hemmetion to etmospheric'chen 'es.

In testimony whereof i have, heteunto, set

J. GRANVILLE M YERS, J11, GEETRUDE M. SE-UOKER.

I treated with s my hand in presence of two snbsGrihing Wis