US1036830A - Piano-player and like instrument. - Google Patents

Description

WE GRIMSDALE.

, PIANO PLAYER AND LIKE lNSTRUMENT.

APELIGATION FILED AUG. 26, 1910. 1,036,830. Patented Aug. 2v, 1912.

W. H. GRIM'SDALE.- PIANO PLAYER AND LIKE INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION F-ILED AUG. 26, 1910.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

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it known 'liat l., JVXLMAM auf valves requin l, ing llrelarger aper Sirumeut Wim a aiualler lay, lle qui such au in p m the reihe smallest inrust mall aper- 6 O open 011e after the their increase of area. e valve chamber and 1f ue vacuum Chamber? zV creases. llt will be y i vtu which the Several lie-ys a l pressure iu the relay 70 firmo or lielilre are struck Correspocs wil langer luervals between the f respectively of *die air pass opening recessive valves than with a i Que music sheetinio the ir Cirie.: larger pr, :ire ii'- the relay. and that it is ,res through which the keys are passible i0 so proportion the area 0f the valves ilia willi a small preesure in -the re- 75 folowm" desem, )l10n The word lav enla lie milanesi valve will be 0 )eratel F7 1 1 l 1 j le used to ludleate a nummer or in Ure uue raken fo strike a note and a soit `saire ru eemuuuueatwu with meuiuatica more 'will rf uli` mul mili a larwe )res-sure a. l led re' n: crate valves lwiiweeu ille Slrlli'.- u1 the relay ih" the intervals between the lug ,uumaie and tha mam vacuum @baur openings; u1 lle successn'e valve are so 80 v n 7') 'Wards relay rumor ur maior small tlia all le valves will be mrierated at clay are used to indicate the pneu sueh Short intervals. and the strikif Aq pneuc5 which :ri-,tuale the calves liet-Ween ille matie emliauaerl Se quiekly'tlla a loud 'rmt-e striking pueuiual-lcs aud the main vacuum will result;

u, rllie iuveuliiuu Consists in providing two uierflumieal piane players and like iuug' more wives @oni'rolliug seuaraie passages tried by the miur between the Striking pueuiuaiic 0r pueluuai- .ya ilhrouggli aperlures @lf Naryiug ics correspmuliugg tu each key and the area. i m'esssure iu the remi; leervacuum Chamber. and a rela f karine one or l L ei iii mined by he opposing actions ai air being nuwe mutare for operating Said Valves, the 90 lll :ulmi'ed i' :Hugh the tracker board and all' 'aires and motors being, so arranged that Tuer@ drawn out rlirouefh ille Small lehaue; ille mier mls bewecu the 0 emrwr or the suc-- f n h aiurure winch 1s continually open. massive valves is Simmer or longer, causing e9 .llie wreslure 1u the relav aud the 'flumet the siriliiuw' uueumahc to sirllze a ke with l l t operated by a motor ou the repjrealer or force accrdiug as a larger 95 we varies with the area ai the au.' or smalley arr passage opened through the ,ugh v the music sheet luto an ruus'u; sheet mtu ilu: corresponding aperture an i'racker baard. in the irewlrer bonu nu uw perforation over a` traeker- The invention further consists iu provid rlure lae pressure in the correing 'for eaeii key a si @king pneumatic con- 100 spending relay will be' smal, and Willi ay llialleflfiy relay m which air admitiel broader p rforal'iou the pre;

ne will ne iiueugil ilu; lr board rire relay operatiuulner 0;?1 :experi of'diler oxupeun e eanslriing of a sticker ich are @llireaaied a number of valves Hiring dilfereut tluuss to of 105 valves having apertures of lie James being operated x .l 'lille ravel of the motor of roeaeao the relay by means of shoulders on the sticker.

The invention also consists in providing in connection with each striking pneumatic a relay provided with a number of separate motors connected to a single aperture in the tracker board, each motor controlling` a valve.

The invention further consist-s in the improved construction of mechanical piano player hereinafter described.v

Referring to the accompanying' drawings, Figure l is a section showing one torni of the invention, Fie'. l is a section showing;- the arrangement of the tracker 'board and pneumatics. Figs. il and lc are detail views 'of one of' the valves shown in Fig. l 'Fig'. Q a section of a modified form showing` a nethod, ot closingv the communication between the strikingpneumatics and atmosphere which is also applicable to other piano players. Fig. 3 is a section of another' modilication of 'the invention. y

ln carrying the invention into effect according,` to the form shown in Fig. l the piano player is provided with a striking' pneumatic a, for each key of the 'piano which incommunication with a valve chamber 25: in which there is rsituated a compound valve controlling a passage c leading' to the vacuum chamber d. The compound valve vcomprises a number of separa te co-aXial circular valves or disks e of different diameters threaded on a sticker carrying a valve, m, the sticker' being` actuated by a relay motor g to which air is admitted through the music sheet and track r board. The iirst valve m is lined to the sticherf and so arranged that on the irst movement of the sticker' a small aperture is opened between the valve chamber and the vacuum chamber al. rflic sticleris provided with a number of shoulders .72 so arranged that on the further movement ot the sticker' the second oli the disls'or valves is lifted away from the third by the first shoulder' on the sticker, and an aperture larger area is thus opened 'from the valve chamber to the vacuum chamber. @n a iu'thcr movement ot the sticker the second shoulder lifts the third 'alve or disk and opens a Jfurther passage by which air can pass from the valve chamber to the vacuum chamber. lo a similar manner any desired. number'ot valves or disks may be provided, so that during the movement of the sticker, the total area of the passage leading' from the valve chamber to the vacuum chamber is increased in steps.

The valves or disks e in the 'form above described are provided with apertures fllige. "lb and 1c through them leading to circular I*grooves j, the total cross lsection of the apertures increasingfrom the valve first opened down to that last opened. on the movement of the relay motor. By constructing the valves in this manner the area of opening may be accurately adjusted by regulating the area of the holes through the valves.

Any suitable torni of valve such as 7c, closing' automatically when the striking1 pneumatic is in communication with vacuum may be provided7 to shut oft the normal connection 01"' the striking` pneumatic to atmosphere; or, it desired, a separate motor may' be provi-led toractuating a valve adapted to open and close the communication ot the f'alve chamber` andy striking pneumatic to atmosphere. This may be done as shown in Fig'. 3 or it may conveniently be eli'ected as shown in Fig. Q, where the smallest valve Q is operated by a separate relay motor r on the top of a main relay motor c which operates the larger valves by means of the sticker f as above described. l 5nd that by using' in this way a separate motor and 'valve arranged to close the atmospheriz inlet betere the striking' pneumatic is opened effectively to the vacuum chamber the rapidity of operation is much increased. lt will also be seen that as the connection between the striking pnernnatic and atmosphere closed before the valves between the .nog pneumatic. and the vacuum chamber are operated the only air admitted to the vacuum chamber during' the operation of the striking' pneumatic is the air in the striking' lpneumatic and valve chamber and therefore the power required to operate the main bellows oi" the piano player is less than in the case of piano players in which the valves operating' the striking pneumatic let external air into the piano player in this passage from one seat to another.

According' to another modilication et the invention shown in Fig. 3, the valve chamber f in connection with each striking pneumatic a is provided with two or more passages c leading' to the vacuum chamber, these 'passager-1. being' of diierent areas. and

'each being' eontrolled by a valve c actuated by separate .relay motor g' te which air is admitted through a single passage in the tracker hoard. ln this modification also the smallest valve is made lo close the passage between the striking' lpneu.umtic and atmosphere, the sticker makina' a sliding lit with the partition through which it passes hetween the valve chamber and vacuum chamber but an aperture may be formed as shown in the illustration in which ease the valve will be used to control the smallest aperture as well as the passage between striking 'pneumatic and atmosphere.

ln piano players ot' the type above described in which the strength et stroke of the 'striking' pneumatic depends Ion the area of the air passage through the music sheet into the tracker board 7 l find that in order to enable me to use pei'i'orations in the music `sheet giving auinitorin increase oi A:trom atmospheric pressure',

area for uniform increase of intensity of stroke it is advisable to modify the apertures in the tracker board, and to form these so that there is a sudden increase in the area of the apertures from the mouth of the opening inward, and I find that in this manner I am in which the pressure in the relays is proportional to the area of the air passages through the music sheet into the tracker board.

Having thusv described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a mechanical piano player, means Yfor varying the strength of blow by varying the time at which a plurality of valves be-.

tween each striking pneumatic and the,

vacuum or pressure chamber are consecutively operated; said means including, a tracker-board having a single aperture for each key, a single chamber always maintained during playing at a pressure different a plurality of striking pneumatics one for each key, a plurality of passages directly between each striking pneumatic and said chamber, a plurality of valves one controlling each oi said passages, valve operating motor means in communication with each of said apertures adapted to operate said valves consecutively at each actuation ot' the rcorresponding key and means Jfor varying the air' admission area` into each' of said apertures in said tracker-board.

2. In a mechanical piano player, means vfor varying the strength of blow by varying the time at which aplurality of valves between each striking pneumatic and the vacuum or pressure chamber are consecutively operated, said means including a tracker-board having a single aperture for each key, a single chamber always maintained during playing at a pressure different from atmospheric pressure, a plurality ot striking pneumatics one for keach key, a plurality or" passages of different cross section directly between each strikingvpneumatic and said chamber, a plurality of enabled to obtain an apparatus y valves controlled only by air pressure one controlling each of said passages, valve operating motor means ot' equal power in communication with each of said apertures adapted to operate said valves consecutively at -each actua-tion of the corresponding key 7 and means for varying the air admission,

area into each of said apertures in the tracker-board.

3. In a mechanical piano player striking pneumatic means, an exhaust chamber, a plurality of passages between each of said striking pneumatic 4means and said exhaust chamber, a valve controlling each ot' said passages, a valve-engaging device having shoulders adapted to engage said valves consecutively upon movement of said de vice, a tracker-bar and motor relay means in communication lwith said tracker-bar actuating said valve-engaging device to open said valves consecutively at varying intervals of time according as the air pressure is varied in the said motor relay means. 4. In a mechanical piano player, striking pneumatic means, a chamber, a plurality of passages between said striking pneumatic means and said chamber, valves controlling said passages, a valve-engaging device hav ing shoulders adapted to' engage said valves consecutively, a tracker-bar and a motor relay in communication with said trackerbar actuating said valve-engaging device to open said valves consecutively` 5. In a mechanical piano player the combination of striking pneumatic means, a, chamber, a compound valve disposed between` said chamber and said striking pneumatic means, said compound valve compris ing a valve stem passing through a number of valves or dlsks having apertures of dif ferent area, relay motor means for operating said valve stem said relay motor means acting to operate said valves consecutively.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM H. GRIMSDALE Witnesses 'W'. GnYLnR ADAMs, Bnn'rimM H. MATrnnws.

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