US1038761A - Pneumatic piano-player and the like. - Google Patents

Description

M. M. KASTNER & G. KATZ.. YNEUMATIG PIANO PLAYER-AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1911.

1,038,761. Patented Sept. 17,1912.

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UNIT D STATES Pa rENT OFFICE.

MACABIUS KAXIMILIAN KASTNER AND CONEAD KATZ, LONDON, ENGLAND; SAID KATZ ASSIGNOB TO SAID 'KASTNEB.

PNEUMATIC rmNo-rLAYnaANn THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

Application filed June 21, 1911. Serial No. 634,528.

7 Margaret street, London, England, have in-- vented certain new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Piano-Players and the Like, of which the following is a specification, reference Being had to the accompany:

ing drawing. 7

This invention relates to an improvement in pneumatic piano players and the like and especially to the arrangement fully de-.

scribed and shown in the specification of the pending application for U. S. Letters Patent filed August 2, 1910 Ser. No. 575076.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the air ducts leading from the playing and accentuation holes of the tracker board are easily connected and disconnected respectively and the primary pneumatic of any well known form mostly in practice inserted between each playing hole in the tracker board and the corresponding striking pneumatic valve diaphragm may be omitted. Otherwise there would be two primary neumatics for each note, one situated between the playingv hole in the tracker board and the diaphragm actuating the striking pneumatic valve, and the other situated between the accentuation hole in the tracker board and the accentuation controlling diaphragm,

In the present invention one primary is employed to admit atmospheric pressure to the accentuation controlling diaphragm as well as to the diaphragm actuating the striking pneumatic valve, means being provided whereby the passage to the accentuation controlling. diaphragm shall be opened or closed according as'the corresponding accentuation hole is covered or uncovered.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates-in cross section a preferred form of our improved pneumatic action, each tone producing opening 1 of a tracker bar 2 is by tube 3' connected to a primary 3, from which a duct 4 leads to a diaphragm 5 tlat controls the'hammer actuating bellows 6. The air is withdrawn from the latter through openings a, b, aof which zopenings a and b are adapted to be closed by a disk d controlled bya diaphragm 10", while tpening 0 permanently open. Duct 4 communicates through branch 7 with a small junction chamben 8, while the latter is in turn, by.,a'

duct 9,-connected to the hollow space 10 formed behind the accentuation controlling diaphragm 10*, which is located within a vacuum chamber 14. Ducts 7 and 9 are adapted to be closed by a diaphragm 11, which divides the chamber into two parts, both the openings being in one part of the chamber. The part of the chamber on the other side of the diaphragm is connected by Y wayof a duct- 12 with the accent-nation hole 13 in the tracker board 2 and is normally exhausted so that when the playing holein the tracker board'is uncovered the atmospheric air pressure forces the diaphragm away from the openings 7 and 9 and air passes to the accentuation controlling diaphragm as well as to the striking pneumatic diaphragm so that the normal or soft blow is struck. This is if the accentuation hole in the tracker board is covered. Should it be open, then the air pressure admitted to closed. The latter therefore is deflated, and

the vacuum existing Within chamber 14 retracts disk d so as to open ports a. and b and effect a powerful collapse of the bellows,.

whereby the desired emphasis of the tone is obtained.

Having fully described the features of the invention what we claim is:

1; In an expression device for pneumatic pianos and similar musical. instruments, a tracker bar having a tone producing p'erforation and a tone accentuating perforation, a vacuum chamber,,hammcr actuating bellows, a diaphragm controlling communication between said chamber and bellows, a

first duct cooperating-with the tone producing perforation and controlling said diaphragm, a tone accentuating dia hragm,

means controlled thereby for esta lishing additional communication between the chamber and *bellows, a second duct controlling said last named diaphragm, and means controlled by the tone accentuating perforation for establishingf c'ommunication between both of said ducts.

2. .In an expression device for pneumaticpianos and similar musical instruments, a 110 tracker bar having a tone producing per foratiori, and a tone accentoatirig' per-fora tion, a vacuum chamber, a first duct cooperating with the tone producing perforaa vacuum chamber, hammer actuating tion, a first diaphragm ritermedia te said chamber and duct, hammer-actuating heilows, means coritroiied by said first diafor establishing communication between said chamber bellows, a tore-acceritriatiog second diaphragm, means cootroiied toy said second diaphragm ior establishing additioriai communication between the chamber and heilows, a second duct controlling said second diaphragm, anda third diaphragm 'controiled by the tone accentuating perforation for establishing communication between both of said ducts,

in testimony whereof we have afifixed our signatures in the presence cit two subscribing' witnesses this 8th day of June 1911.

MAG LBJLUQ LZAKZLKHATEI KASEHEE. UGNRAE W itnesses it. it ssracorr, H. D, JAMEEON.

flootes oi thlormteat he obtained tor five cent Washington, E, 6.

Gommssioaer of 5 each, addressing the

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