Untitled record

Application filed April 23,1889, Serial No, 308,244, (No model,) Patented in England August 21,1888, No, 12,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Felix Alexander • Sommer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 39 Chancellor’s Road, Ham5 mersmith, county of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Musical Toys by the Dropping in of Balls or Marbles, (patented in Great Britain, No. 12,077, bearing date August 21, 1888,) of which the io following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel musical toy of the type wherein marbles are caused to roll over a series of metal plates to produce different sounds.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which—·

2o Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved musical toy. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a modification of my invention.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, where the letter A indicates a tapering hollow column having two opposite 30 side walls each provided with a series of slots

H, which alternately incline in reverse directions. The other two side Avails each have a series of slots I, arranged one above the other. In the highest part of each inclined slot is ar35 ranged one end of a musical plate or bar B, of metal, glass, or other suitable material, the arrangement being such that the plates or ' Lars are alternately located at opposite sides of the . column from the top portion to the 40 base portion thereof, while each plate is inclined downwardly from one side wall toward the opposite side wall. The sidewise inclination of the musical plates or bars is-transverse to their length, and at their ends these plates 45 or bars are supported by cords C C, which are strung from side to side of the column A along the length of the slots IIII and have vertical cords D D passed through them to hold them in place, so that they are suspended 50 for free vibration for producing notes or sounds when struck upon.

Balls of wood or other suitable material or marbles E are inserted through an aperture or mouth F at the upper part of the column A, and by falling from one plate B to another 55 they produce a series of musical notes by striking thereon in succession, the balls or marbles being led out at the bottom of the column through the aperture L by an incline G (shown in Fig. 1) to be replaced into 6c the mouth F for a continuation of the musical effects.

, The slots II II are made in two opposite sides of the column A, and in the other tivo sides are openings I I for the freer escape of 65 sound-waves.

According to Figs. 1 and 2 the column A is of tapered form and the balls can only be inserted at the top, the bottom being fixed to the base J; but according to Fig. 3 the base J 70 and column A. are separable, so that the column can be reversed Avhen desired to repeat the musical notes in the reverse order to that previously given.

In Fig. 3 both ends of the column are pref- 75 erably alike and either end can be fitted into the base J, there being a step-piece K on the base for fitting into the opening corresponding to the mouth F, the inner surface of which, with that of the step-piece K, is at an incline 80 for causing the balls to leave the column at the bottom outlet L.

In Fig. 3 the slots II II are preferably Vshaped, and the supporting-cords C C are double and conform to the V shape of the 85 slots, so that the plates B shift themselves and rest upon the cords (’' C' when the column is reversed.

I do not confine myself to cords of textile material, as other material, such as leather, 90 may be employed so long as the inclined musical plates are freely suspended out of contact with rigid parts of the column, so as to vibrate for producing effective musical notes or sounds, as before described. 95