US1565439A - Musical i - Google Patents

Description

H. HAAS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Mach 29, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 1 oc 000mg A xsi .4 UUR/V578 H. HAAs MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Dec. 15 1925. l1.565.439A

Filed March 29. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :NVE/won j? WM@- A TTU/MHS Patented Een. l5, 1925.

FATE? HERMAN HAAS, F MARENGO, ILINOES MUSICAL NSTRUMENT.

Application tiled March 29, 1923.

To all 10710727, it may' concern.'

Be it known that l, Hem-.IAN HAAs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot' Marengo, in the county ot McHenry and State ot' lllinois, have invented a new and useful improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the 'following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrange" ments herein described and claimed.

An object orp my invention is to provide a musical instrument. which is adapted to be used as a .toy, and which has novel means for readily changing the mechanism which actuates the key hammers, whereby the dcvice 'adapted to play any song desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which single notes may be sounded independently ot each other, or a plurality of notes may be sounded in unison.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which has a disc having a plurality of prearranged openings therein, and a plurality 'of 'pins which are adapted to be disposed in 'any of the openings desired, whereby the pins on the disc may be adjusted so as to play any piece desired.

A further object ot my invention is to provide a device of the character described which has novel means for de-adeniug the sound ot the moving parts.

L further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which is simple in construction, durable and 'eliicient for the purpose intended, and which is not likely to easily get out of order.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features ot the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompa-nying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure l is a plan view of the device,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a section along the line' 8 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4 4 of Figure l.

ln carrying ont my invention, I provide a base l which has an upright 2, the upright being centrally disposed with respectto the Serial No. 628,562.

base. A disc 3 is rotatably carried by the upright 2 and is secured in place by means of a screw il. lt willibe noted from Figure 1 that the disc 3 is perforated in a certain predetermined inanner for a purpose hereinafter described.

rlhe mechanism for producing the sound is shown in Figures 3 and 4. It will be noted from F ignre 3 that a plate 5 is carried by uprights 6 which'are in turn secured to the base 1. The plate has a plurality of slots 7, in which the upwardly extending ends'ot' levers 8 are slidably disposed. The levers 8 in reality are key hammers which are adapted to strike tone producing plates 9. The levers are pivotally carried by a rod l0 which is disposed between the uprights 6. Collars Yl1 are disposed between the levers 8 and space the levers the desired distance apart. The tone plates 9 are constructed in the same manner as the plates of a Xylophone or other like instrument. It will be noted trom Figure t that the plates 9 are supported by felt ribs 12 which in turn are disposed upon strips 13 that are secured to the base 1. A spring le has one of its ends secured to the upper end of each lever 8 and has its other end secured to an upwardly bent portion 15 of the plate 5. From this construction it will be noted that the levers 8 `will be quickly swung into normal position when released, thereby causing the tone plates to vibrate to produce the desired notes. A stop bar 16 extends between the uprights 6 and acts as a stop for the upper portions of the levers 8. The sound ordinarily resulting from the levers striking the bars 16 is deadened by means of a felt pad 17 which is carried by .the bars 16.

The means for actuating the levers 8 consists of small pins 18 which are disposed in any of the openings 19 in the disc 3 which the operator desires. The openings 1f) are disposed .ein rings which are concentric with the axis of the disc 3. The space between each opening in one radially extending row oi openings is the same as the space between the levers 8. It will therefore be apparent that the pins 18 will engage with the levers 8 when the disc 3 is rotated.

The disc 3 is rota-ted by means of a sprocket 2() which is rigidly mounted on a crank 21, the crank in turn being rotatably carried by a support 22 which is secured to the base 1. The teeth of the sprocket all@ adapted to enter openings 23 in thcdiso lli) 3, whereby the disc is rotated when the crank Q1 is actuated. An idler roller 24 is rotatably carried by a bolt 25 which is secured to the support 22. The. roller 24 engages with the upper surface of the disc 3 and holds the disc in engagement with the sprocket 20. The sprocket 2O and the roller 24 prevent vertical play of the disc 3 with respect to the sprocket 20.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The pins 18 are adapted to be disposed in any of the openings 19 desired. The levers 8 each strike a different plate 9, whereby a different tone is produced by each lever. Then al certain song is desired to be played by the operator, he arranges the pins in the openings 19 so as to cause the pins to engage with the levers in a predetermined manner when the disc 3 is rotated. In this way any song desiredinay be played by the instrument. It is obvious that more than one lever may be actuated at the saine time. It is a very simple matter to change from one. tune to another tune, since the disc 3 and the pins 18 are fully exposed to view.

The device is especially adapted for use as an instructive toy, since the child has to figure out where to place the pins 18 so as t0 cause the device to play the right tune when actuated. The device is very simple in construction and not likely to get out of order easily.

I claim:

A musical instrument comprising` a frame, a perforated disc rotatably carried by said frame, the openings in said disc being arranged in concentric circles, keys carried by said frame, tone plates carried by said frame and adapted to be set into vibration by said keys, means for yieldingly holding said keys in contact with said tone plates, deadening means for stopping the movement of said keys after said keys have struck the tone plates, and pins removably disposed in said openings, said pins having enlarged portions disposed intermediate between the ends thereof whereby either end of said pins may be inserted in the openings, said pins being adapted vto move said keys'when said disc is rotated whereby the device is adapted to play various tunes.

HERMAN HAAS.

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