Wind powered music machine
OwnerBrian L. Niedgeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wind driven music machine for the reproduction of a variety of musical compositions including a vertically positioned frame supported for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. The frame includes a plurality of tuned chime tubes vertically suspended top and bottom therein. A propeller is rotatably mounted on the frame and drives a hollow cylindrical drum about a horizontal axis. As the cylindrical drum rotates, a plurality of interchangeable pegs mounted thereon, engage, depress and release a plurality of corresponding pivotal hammers for striking the correct chime tubes in the correct sequence to produce a desired song. A wind vane is mounted on the frame to direct the propeller continuously into the prevailing wind.
Claims13
A wind powered music machine comprising a vertically positioned framework consisting of a longer vertical member, a shorter vertical member, an upper horizontal cross-piece and a lower diagonal cross-piece, a plurality of chime tubes, being tuned to the musical scale, vertically suspended top and bottom in said frame, a hollow rotatable cylindrical body, the axis of which is horizontally disposed, mounted by means of a spoke-work and small hub at each end, held fast to an axial shaft, which rotates in two bearings fixed atop said framework, a propeller of adequate size to power said machine, being driven by the wind, fixed to a rotary shaft which rotates in a bearing mounted to said framework, the axis of said rotary shaft being parallel with the axis of said cylindrical body, a small pinion gear on said shaft, engaging and counter-rotating a large ring gear fixed to one end of said cylindrical body, thus, slowly rotating said cylindrical body in the correct direction, a plurality of small pegs mounted on said body in a predetermined pattern and held in a plurality of small peg location holes equally spaced around the periphery of said cylindrical body, a plurality of lever hammers mounted on said frame for engagement by said pegs to depress and release the upper ends of said hammers, thereby causing the lower ends of said lever hammers, to lift and fall because of gravity, striking the correct chime tube in the correct sequence, thus, producing the desired musical tones, said lever hammers being equally spaced upon a common rod mounted parallel with the axis of said cylindrical body, to said framework, said common rod being convenient to the lower periphery of said cylindrical body and the upper portion of said chime tubes with continual accurate alignment of said peg location holes, pegs, lever hammers and chime tubes, respectively, being essential for correct operation of the machine.
A wind powered sound producing machine comprising a frame, means supporting said frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, a wind driven propeller mounted on said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis, vane means on said frame for pivoting the frame about its vertical axis to orient said propeller in facing relation to wind direction for driving said propeller, a driven shaft rotatably supported on said frame, said propeller being drivingly connected to said shaft, a plurality of chime members vertically mounted on said frame, a corresponding number of hammers movably mounted on said frame in alignment with said chime members for movement between a position spaced from said chime members and a position in striking engagement with said chime members to produce sounds, and means drivingly connected to said driven shaft for moving said hammers into spaced relation to the chime members and releasing said hammers for movement into striking engagement with said chime members, said chime members being arranged in two parallel, spaced rows with the chime members in each row being spaced from each other and the chime members in one row being staggered in relation to the chime members in the other row thereby providing access to both rows of said chime members, each of said chime members having a hammer aligned therewith for striking engagement with the alternate hammers passing between the chime members in the row proximal the hammers to engage the chime members in the row distal from the hammers thereby enabling a larger number of hammers and chime members to be arranged in minimum space requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.