ELECTRA ROLL PATENTS
Electra music rolls have a stamped listing of patents numbers. The patents
contain many pages of diagrams and you will appreciate that the perforating and
recording machinery are so complex that they would merit being the subject of
their own long article Set out below are summaries of the listed patents with a
representative picture of the same. As a whole this gives a useful insight into
the Electra manufacturing processes - if you like, a never-before seen tour of
the Standard Music Roll, Orange, New Jersey factory.
But what of the man behind all this? Their patentee and inventor was one G Howlett Davis. His all-pervasive reliance upon electricity is historically significant as in the early years of the player industry the main problem was the lack of suitable leather and toshes to build effective pneumatic players. From the outset, in the mid 1890's when he must have commenced his works, he expounds the benefits of electricity over pneumatic systems. In the patent texts "electric player pianos" are always mentioned first.
In 1906 the hearings of the Copyright Bill were held at the Library of Congress in Washington. Victor Herbert was leading the composers' movement to implement extended royalties legislation in the face of royalty losses on rolls and records which were not included in existing legislation. Much debate, for and against, was heard from all sides; composers, publishers and manufacturers all contributing and arguing their points.
G Howlett Davis attended to express opinions which, today, may seem far-fetched but one should remember their original context. At that time his comments were a valid view and he certainly had a point. (The following extract is from "Victor Herbert- A Life in Music" by E N Water pub.1955)
A ¼. presentation was offered by G Howlett Davis, an inventor who had obtained many patents on mechanical music devices. He was unalterably opposed to the proposed legislation because it would give composers control over records which were solely the result of inventive genius. Such a law would discourage invention and give the composers a monopoly to the detriment of inventors and the public. Asked if he thought he was entitled to record a Sousa piece, he replied emphatically: "Yes, sir, I do; because outside of a possible minor and remote ethical or equity right, he possesses not a vestige of a statutory or legal right to stop me."
Davis ¼. reasoned that the composer created music but never produced the means of conveying that music to the ear. This great benefit was reserved to the inventor, and the inventor alone. "The farmer or the workingman in all the small towns of this country, who are possessed of an electrical piano player or an automatic piano player, or a graphophone or a phonograph, which serves to relax the tension of their daily labor and fill their souls with music, it is not because of the composer, for he rarely reached them, but it is the direct result of the inventor of the mechanical contrivance with which the music is conveyed. Yet this law attempts to reach out and take away from the inventor the product of his brain and to deliver it over to the composer. "
At the time a confusing side-issue was the Aeolian Company's policy of signing up publishers exclusively. G Howlett Davis expressed concern that the proposed legislation would give Aeolian an unbreakable monopoly as publishers, once signed to Aeolian, would decline permission for others to make rolls of their works. This would certainly have put the Standard Music Roll business in a very hard position. More confusing still, Aeolian was already making such exclusive signings, no doubt as fast as possible! Victor Herbert protested that Howlett-Davis' concerns against an Aeolian monopoly were baseless as he, Herbert, was not tied to any publisher and was free to write what he liked also retaining full control over his works. Herbert, supremely successful by 1906 could easily such a statement though - lesser composers might have found things different if facing a monopoly-tied publishing industry.
Howlett-Davis aside, manufacturers' arguments were that records or rolls were not readable notation and therefore exempt. Aeolian later defended an action against this contention. Interestingly, Sousa himself stated that whilst record grooves could not be read (like printed musical notation) that didn't mean they wouldn't be and it was, in his words "-simply that no method has been found to read them up to the present, but there will be. Just as the man who wanted to scan the heavens discovered a telescope to do it. No doubt there will be found a way to read these records."
In concluding, now you have seen some of the hard work G Howlett Davis had put into inventions, and had a mini-tour of his factory, you may consider that his views in 1906 were not quite so far-fetched after all. Victor Herbert got his legislation eventually, the composer gained royalties for records and rolls and Aeolian never quite succeeded in their various monopolizing efforts despite constant attempts. G Howlett Davis' company would have had to pay royalties upon their rolls in due course but at least it remained open for business.
659053 (02/10/1900 filed 02/09/1896) Composite perforating and recording device . It can record a hand played master roll via an electric circuit operated recording system and solenoids operating at 2,300 punch cycles per minute (i.e. 38 1/3 per second). The roll perforator use solenoids to select the punches and operates at 1,000 punch cycles per minute perforating up to 30 sheets. The sprocket driven master roll (mounted on the side) is programmed with individual rows of control perforations separated by one step-worth of blank space between each row with the reading part operating each cycle.. The first step punches the pattern, the second reads blank and raises all punches while the production copy paper is advanced automatically and so on. The patent also describes the paper advancing and clamping mechanism for the multiple copies being punched.
692989 (11/02/02 filed 17/04/01) Iron particle burner. To remove the particles of iron with which music roll papers were impregnated during the paper manufacturing process. These otherwise innocuous iron particles caused false notes to sound in electrically operated players. The patent describes an apparatus to charge the sheet passing under it sufficiently to burn out these particles. The company appears to have used electrically operated player pianos in all its processes. You may have seen old very early 65-note rolls with a few small pinholes which look like tiny rusty burns. The holes are so small they wouldn't trigger a playing note. The roll probably went through one of these.
703388 (01/07/02 filed 17/04/01) Stencil printing machine. A simple stencil printing device to print expression markings onto rolls and to allow the ink to dry before the roll is rewound.
703389 (01/07/02 filed 17/04/01) Stencil making machine. The stencil is fed over a wooden punching block. There are four fixed positions for marking dotted lines up rolls and a rack for holding punch tools at the back of the apparatus.
832849 (9/10/06 filed 22/04/01) Electric perforating machine. Depicts an improved practical variation of the original perforator described in patent 659053. You can see that the iron particle burner (692989) has been fitted to the top of the mechanism.
692834 (11/02/02 filed 09/08/01) Iron Particle burner. Generally an improved description of the earlier model
732279 (30/06/03 filed 14/10/01) Electrically controlled perforating machine. An improvement upon the perforating machine described in patent 659053. Theoretically these punches can operate 16 times faster and 8 times more powerfully than before. Solenoids select the "dogs" which operate the punches. "Dogs" in the non-selected position depress but exert no force on the punches when the punch ram operates.
709296 (16/9/02 filed 16/10/01) End fastener for music sheets. The tag is fixed by a thin strip of the usual material. The tab which has a tongue to wrap through the tag's eye also is then stuck over this The label is pasted over the portion where the tab joins the music sheet so at to provide additional strength. Where the tab joins is otherwise the point where a fold easily occurs on the sheet and is prone to tearing - don't we all know that now.
739911 - wrong number listed on all rolls. Patent refers to a train chassis!
747858 (22/12/03 filed 20/03/02) Music sheet marking machine. Doesn't the ink marker look remarkably like a ball-point pen! The attachment is for addition to an electric player piano and is connected to the instrument's mechanism. The operator performs the roll. Speed and volume are manipulated by turning the cranks either side of the spoolframe and these mark the roll accordingly whilst operating the piano mechanism likewise so the operator can hear his results. This can then be used to create a print stencil.
745424 (01/12/03 filed 03/01/03) Tracing machine for rolls. Double spool mechanism over a light box. It has a sliding rule to allow straight lines to be drawn. The use is for marking rolls manually instead of stencilling them.
747859 (22/12/03 filed 27/02/03) Compensating music spool. The core is made from card made from a tightly wound sheet of card with similar expansion properties to the roll paper. Thus the core will expand and contract as much as the paper music sheet will under various conditions.
808274 (26/12/05 filed 27/02/03) Correcting Machine. For correcting master rolls etc with single punches and editing rolls etc.
747687 (22/12/03 filed 26/03/03) Music sheet line duplicator. A pantograph-type machine for multiple marking of lines on music sheets.
811621 (06/02/06 filed 09/05/03) Automatic perforating machine. An improvement upon patent 659053. This machine uses weaker solenoids to select the dogs which operate the punches. These are locked in mechanically instead of with solenoids and hence require substantially less operating current than the previous machinery.
801932 (17/10/05 filed 10/12/04) Contact device for electric perforator. Shows the electrical contact master roll reader for the perforator. The sprung contacts are one half of the circuit and contact with the other half under the master roll where a perforation opens on the master roll.
860965 (23/07/07 filed 19/01/07) Music roll spool. This has a threaded rod/screw within the core to expand or contract the spool width as required.
But what of the man behind all this? Their patentee and inventor was one G Howlett Davis. His all-pervasive reliance upon electricity is historically significant as in the early years of the player industry the main problem was the lack of suitable leather and toshes to build effective pneumatic players. From the outset, in the mid 1890's when he must have commenced his works, he expounds the benefits of electricity over pneumatic systems. In the patent texts "electric player pianos" are always mentioned first.
In 1906 the hearings of the Copyright Bill were held at the Library of Congress in Washington. Victor Herbert was leading the composers' movement to implement extended royalties legislation in the face of royalty losses on rolls and records which were not included in existing legislation. Much debate, for and against, was heard from all sides; composers, publishers and manufacturers all contributing and arguing their points.
G Howlett Davis attended to express opinions which, today, may seem far-fetched but one should remember their original context. At that time his comments were a valid view and he certainly had a point. (The following extract is from "Victor Herbert- A Life in Music" by E N Water pub.1955)
A ¼. presentation was offered by G Howlett Davis, an inventor who had obtained many patents on mechanical music devices. He was unalterably opposed to the proposed legislation because it would give composers control over records which were solely the result of inventive genius. Such a law would discourage invention and give the composers a monopoly to the detriment of inventors and the public. Asked if he thought he was entitled to record a Sousa piece, he replied emphatically: "Yes, sir, I do; because outside of a possible minor and remote ethical or equity right, he possesses not a vestige of a statutory or legal right to stop me."
Davis ¼. reasoned that the composer created music but never produced the means of conveying that music to the ear. This great benefit was reserved to the inventor, and the inventor alone. "The farmer or the workingman in all the small towns of this country, who are possessed of an electrical piano player or an automatic piano player, or a graphophone or a phonograph, which serves to relax the tension of their daily labor and fill their souls with music, it is not because of the composer, for he rarely reached them, but it is the direct result of the inventor of the mechanical contrivance with which the music is conveyed. Yet this law attempts to reach out and take away from the inventor the product of his brain and to deliver it over to the composer. "
At the time a confusing side-issue was the Aeolian Company's policy of signing up publishers exclusively. G Howlett Davis expressed concern that the proposed legislation would give Aeolian an unbreakable monopoly as publishers, once signed to Aeolian, would decline permission for others to make rolls of their works. This would certainly have put the Standard Music Roll business in a very hard position. More confusing still, Aeolian was already making such exclusive signings, no doubt as fast as possible! Victor Herbert protested that Howlett-Davis' concerns against an Aeolian monopoly were baseless as he, Herbert, was not tied to any publisher and was free to write what he liked also retaining full control over his works. Herbert, supremely successful by 1906 could easily such a statement though - lesser composers might have found things different if facing a monopoly-tied publishing industry.
Howlett-Davis aside, manufacturers' arguments were that records or rolls were not readable notation and therefore exempt. Aeolian later defended an action against this contention. Interestingly, Sousa himself stated that whilst record grooves could not be read (like printed musical notation) that didn't mean they wouldn't be and it was, in his words "-simply that no method has been found to read them up to the present, but there will be. Just as the man who wanted to scan the heavens discovered a telescope to do it. No doubt there will be found a way to read these records."
In concluding, now you have seen some of the hard work G Howlett Davis had put into inventions, and had a mini-tour of his factory, you may consider that his views in 1906 were not quite so far-fetched after all. Victor Herbert got his legislation eventually, the composer gained royalties for records and rolls and Aeolian never quite succeeded in their various monopolizing efforts despite constant attempts. G Howlett Davis' company would have had to pay royalties upon their rolls in due course but at least it remained open for business.
659053 (02/10/1900 filed 02/09/1896) Composite perforating and recording device . It can record a hand played master roll via an electric circuit operated recording system and solenoids operating at 2,300 punch cycles per minute (i.e. 38 1/3 per second). The roll perforator use solenoids to select the punches and operates at 1,000 punch cycles per minute perforating up to 30 sheets. The sprocket driven master roll (mounted on the side) is programmed with individual rows of control perforations separated by one step-worth of blank space between each row with the reading part operating each cycle.. The first step punches the pattern, the second reads blank and raises all punches while the production copy paper is advanced automatically and so on. The patent also describes the paper advancing and clamping mechanism for the multiple copies being punched.
692989 (11/02/02 filed 17/04/01) Iron particle burner. To remove the particles of iron with which music roll papers were impregnated during the paper manufacturing process. These otherwise innocuous iron particles caused false notes to sound in electrically operated players. The patent describes an apparatus to charge the sheet passing under it sufficiently to burn out these particles. The company appears to have used electrically operated player pianos in all its processes. You may have seen old very early 65-note rolls with a few small pinholes which look like tiny rusty burns. The holes are so small they wouldn't trigger a playing note. The roll probably went through one of these.
703388 (01/07/02 filed 17/04/01) Stencil printing machine. A simple stencil printing device to print expression markings onto rolls and to allow the ink to dry before the roll is rewound.
703389 (01/07/02 filed 17/04/01) Stencil making machine. The stencil is fed over a wooden punching block. There are four fixed positions for marking dotted lines up rolls and a rack for holding punch tools at the back of the apparatus.
832849 (9/10/06 filed 22/04/01) Electric perforating machine. Depicts an improved practical variation of the original perforator described in patent 659053. You can see that the iron particle burner (692989) has been fitted to the top of the mechanism.
692834 (11/02/02 filed 09/08/01) Iron Particle burner. Generally an improved description of the earlier model
732279 (30/06/03 filed 14/10/01) Electrically controlled perforating machine. An improvement upon the perforating machine described in patent 659053. Theoretically these punches can operate 16 times faster and 8 times more powerfully than before. Solenoids select the "dogs" which operate the punches. "Dogs" in the non-selected position depress but exert no force on the punches when the punch ram operates.
709296 (16/9/02 filed 16/10/01) End fastener for music sheets. The tag is fixed by a thin strip of the usual material. The tab which has a tongue to wrap through the tag's eye also is then stuck over this The label is pasted over the portion where the tab joins the music sheet so at to provide additional strength. Where the tab joins is otherwise the point where a fold easily occurs on the sheet and is prone to tearing - don't we all know that now.
739911 - wrong number listed on all rolls. Patent refers to a train chassis!
747858 (22/12/03 filed 20/03/02) Music sheet marking machine. Doesn't the ink marker look remarkably like a ball-point pen! The attachment is for addition to an electric player piano and is connected to the instrument's mechanism. The operator performs the roll. Speed and volume are manipulated by turning the cranks either side of the spoolframe and these mark the roll accordingly whilst operating the piano mechanism likewise so the operator can hear his results. This can then be used to create a print stencil.
745424 (01/12/03 filed 03/01/03) Tracing machine for rolls. Double spool mechanism over a light box. It has a sliding rule to allow straight lines to be drawn. The use is for marking rolls manually instead of stencilling them.
747859 (22/12/03 filed 27/02/03) Compensating music spool. The core is made from card made from a tightly wound sheet of card with similar expansion properties to the roll paper. Thus the core will expand and contract as much as the paper music sheet will under various conditions.
808274 (26/12/05 filed 27/02/03) Correcting Machine. For correcting master rolls etc with single punches and editing rolls etc.
747687 (22/12/03 filed 26/03/03) Music sheet line duplicator. A pantograph-type machine for multiple marking of lines on music sheets.
811621 (06/02/06 filed 09/05/03) Automatic perforating machine. An improvement upon patent 659053. This machine uses weaker solenoids to select the dogs which operate the punches. These are locked in mechanically instead of with solenoids and hence require substantially less operating current than the previous machinery.
801932 (17/10/05 filed 10/12/04) Contact device for electric perforator. Shows the electrical contact master roll reader for the perforator. The sprung contacts are one half of the circuit and contact with the other half under the master roll where a perforation opens on the master roll.
860965 (23/07/07 filed 19/01/07) Music roll spool. This has a threaded rod/screw within the core to expand or contract the spool width as required.