US1033129A - Tone-regulator for piano-playing attachments. - Google Patents

Description

E. T. TURNEY.

TONE REGULATOR FOR PIANO PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED FEB. 28, 1908.

1,033,129. Patented July 23, 1912.

sensitive UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE T. TURNEY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ARTISTA PIANO PLAYER COMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TONE-REGULATOR- EOB PIANO-PLAYING ATTACHMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE T. TURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone Regulators for Piano-Playin Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in tone regulators for piano playing attachments, in which'is employed a plurality of pneumatic actions having communication with air ducts or channels, which latter are adapted to be exhausted to operate the pneumatics, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character in which the air ducts or channels have communication with the out side air whereby they may be supplied with air to control the action of the pneumatics.

A further object is to provide an improved flexible valve for controlling the supply of outside air, which olfers no mechanical resistance or friction, whereby a very valve is obtained, which will quickly respond to the touch of the operator, and improved means for operating the valve.

A further object is to provide improved means located within the casing of the instrument for operating the valve including a detachable key located on the outside of the casing, and an improved indicator for the operating mechanism.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and us'efulobjects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter -more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating an exemplification of the invention and in which Figure 1 is a detail, perspectiveview of an improved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invent-ion. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the air duct or channel showing this improved valve attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the operating mechanism andthe detachable key. I

Referrlng more particularly to the drawing and 1n the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1908.

Patented July 23,1912.

Serial No. 418,364.

suitable airducts or channels which have communication with each other through a chamber 11 and these channels may be ex hausted through the chamber 11 by means of a tubular member 12 which is connected with a suitable exhaust chamber or chest and supported by these air ducts or channels 10 and communicating therewith are pneumatic actions 13, which have communication with the tracker board of the instrument (not shown) by means of flexible tubular connections 14 so that when an opening in the record passes over the apertures in the tracker board in the usual manner, the respective pneumatics will be operated by the suction created in the air ducts or channels 10 in the manner as set forth in my application for patent Serial No. 331,740 filed in the United States Patent Office August 28, 1906, and of which application the above mentioned parts form the subject matter.

()ne of the air ducts or channels 10 is provided'with an aperture 15 which opens to the outside air by means of which the outside air may be sucked into the channel 10 by means of the exhaust mechanism to supply a sufficient amount of air to the channel to prevent the suction from operating the pneumatics to their full extent, thereby regulating the force of the respective piano action which is controlled by the pneumatics 13.

Any suitable means may be provided for controlling the aperture 15 so that when the aperture is entirely closed, the entire force of the suction within the air ducts or channels 10 will act upon the pneumatics and thereby cause the respective piano actions to sound the notes with a full volume and this volume may be regulated by means of the actions of the pneumatics 13, which is accomplished by means of the closure for the aperture 15. iVhen it is desired to regulate the tone, the aperture 15 may be partially opened to permit a small volume of the outside air to enter the air duct or channel 1.0 and thereby prevent the full action of the pneumatics under the influence of the suction, and the actions of these pneumatics may-be further regulated by varying the size of the opening 15.

The valve for controlling the aperture 15 comprises a suitable flexible member 16, such as leather or the like, one extremity 17 of which is secured to the air duct or channel 10 and the other extremity 18 of which is free. The valve is of a width somewhat greater than the width of the opening 15 and is of a length considerably greater than the length of the opening 15 so that when the extremity 17 is secured in position as shown clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the body portion 16 of the valve will extend across and cover the aperture 15 and the free extremity 18 thereof may be bent back upon itself, as shown, so that when the free extremity 1.8 is moved toward or away from the extremity 17, the body portion of the valve 16 will be rolled upon itself to cover or uncover the aperture 15 according to the direction of movement of the free extremity 18 with respect to the extremity 17.

Any suitable means may be provided for imparting this movement; to the valve. A suitable and ellicient means for accomplishing this purpose comprises an arm or lever 19 which is pivotally connected between its ends, as at 20, to any suitable support, such for instance as the chamber 11, and secured to one extremity of the lever below the pivot point thereof is an arm or member 21 which extends across and in close proximity to the valve 16 and is held in position by means of a suitable support or guide 22. This arm or member 21 stands in close proximity to the face of the air duct or channel 10 and the valve 16 and the free extremity 18 of the valve is secured to the arm or member in any desired or suitable manner, such as by means of a screw or fastening device 23 in such a manner that when the valve 16 is extended to entirely close the aperture 15, the extremity 18 will be bent back with rela tion to the body of the valve, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. of the drawing.

hen the arm or lever 19 is rocked about its point of pivotal support, the arm or lever 21 will be moved in the guide 22 and will adjust the free end of the valve 16 to uncover or cover the aperture 15 according to the direct-ion of movement of the arm 19 about its pivot, and when the valve 16 is adjusted to entirely close the aperture 15, the suction in the air duct or channel 10 will hold the valve seated and the valve being imperforate will prevent the entrance of the outside air. If desired, the aperture 15 may be covered with a suitable reticulated material 24, such as wire gauze or the like, to prevent the entrance of any foreign matter, such as dust and the like, into the air duct or channel when the valve is unseated.

Any suitable means may be provided for adjusting the valve to regulate the opening 15, which will be under the control of the operator. A suitable and efficient means for accomplishing this purpose comprises a rock shaft 25 which is pivotally connected at one extremity to the arm or lever 19 on one side of its pivot and pivotally connected to the other extremity of the rock shaft is a member 26 which is slidingly mounted upon a suitable support within the casing 27 of the instrument, and connected to the free extremity thereof is a crank arm 28 which is provided with a suitable trunnion 29 pivoted to a suitable member 30 within the piano casing and about which pivot the crank arm 28 is adapted to be rocked, and when so rocked, the member 26 will be adjusted to rock the shaft 25 and operate the valve 16 through the medium of the lever 19 and the arm 21 in the manner as already set forth.

Any suitable means may be provided for rocking the crank arm 28 but the preferred means comprises a key 31 which is adapted to extend through a suitable socket in the face of the casing 27 and enter a suitable recess or socket 33 in the crank arm 28. The extremity of the key 31 may be provided with suitable lateral projections 31, which also enter the recess 33 in the crank arm, so that when the key 31 is rocked about its point of pivotal support, which is formed by the portion thereof extending through the socket 32 in the casing, the crank arm 28 will be rocked in either direction according to the direction of movement of the key 31. The key 31 is detachable and, when the attachment is not in use, is adapted to be removed so that there will be no parts projecting beyond the face of the instrument, but when it is desired to use the attachment the key may be readily inserted. Furthermore, by providing a detachable key for this mechanism all unauthorized manipulation of the attachment may be avoided and the danger of breaking the mechanism will also be avoided.

Supported by the instrument and within the casing thereof is a suitable gage 35 which arranged in sight of the operator and preferably supported by the record supporting frame 36 and connected to the free extremity of the arm or lever 19 is an arm 37, which extends through a suitable aperture 38 in the record supporting frame 36 where by the arm may be properly guided and ter minates in the rear of the gage 35. Sup-- ported by the free extremity of this arm 37 is an index or pointer 39 which is adapted to extend over the top of the gage 35 and terminate adjacent the front face thereof in full view of the operator, so that when the key 31 is operated to vary the size of the aperture 15 in the air duct or channel, the index or pointer 39 will be correspondingly moved with relation to the 35 for indicating to the operator the exact position of the valve 16 and the size of the aperture 15 and by adjusting the key 31 the operator may be enabled to regulate the size of the opening 15 by means of the index 39 and the gage 35.

With this improved construction there is produced an improved flexible valve for controlling the supply of the outside air, and one which will be very sensitive to the touch of the operator whereby the valve may be quickly adjusted at the will of the operator to vary the tone of the instrument.

In order that the invention might be fully understood by those skilled in the art, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A tone regulator including in combination a suction duct having an opening to the outside air, a valve constructed of elastic material extending across the opening to close the same, one end of the valve being secured adjacent the opening, the free end being bent back upon'the body of the valve and toward the stationary end thereof, a movable member having an extended fiat face supported adjacent the valve and projecting beyond both ends of the valve, a guide for the member adjacent the stationary end of the valve, means for securing the free end of the valve to the member intermediate the ends of the latter, and means for moving the member in its guide to move the free end of the valve toward and away from the stationary end to fold and unfold the valve to vary the size of the opening, the body of said valve having an extended and continuous engagement with and resting flat against the face of the said member as the valve is folded and unfolded during the movement of the said member, the distance between the said movable member and the valve seat being so small that the movable member exerts pressure on the valve seat through the bent portion of the valve.

2. A tone regulator including in combination a suction duct having an opening to the outside air, a screen covering said opening, a valve constructed of elastic material extending across the opening to close the same and resting against the screen, one end of the valve being secured adjacent the opening, the free end being bent upon the body of the valve and toward the stationary end thereof, a movable member having an extended flat face supported adjacent the valve and projecting beyondiboth ends of the valve, a guide for the member adjacent the stationary end of the valve, means for securing the free end of the valve to the member intermediate the ends of the latter, and means for moving the member in its guide to move the free end of the valve toward and away from the stationary end to fold and unfold the valve to vary the size of the said opening, said valve having an extended continuous engagement with and resting flat against the face of said member as it is folded and unfolded during the movement of the said member, the distance between the movable member and the valve seat being so small that the movable member ex erts pressure on the valve seat through the bent portion of the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 30th day of December A. D. 1907.

EUGENE 'r. TURNEY.

Witnesses:

J. H. JocHUM, Jr., M. W. CANTWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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