US1087115A - Recording attachment for pianos. - Google Patents

Description

G. N. GOODRICH.

RECORDING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT. 30, 191'2.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

INVENTOR ,1 ATTORNEY WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPK CO.,WASHXNGTON, D41

GEORGE N. GOODRICH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RECORDING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed September 30, 1912. Serial No. 723,008.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. Gooomon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Recording Attachments for Pianos, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing indications on paper, that is to be perforated and used as a pattern, musical compositions that are being played upon a piano or other instrument. It is a record ing attachment for pianos that mechanically and accurately transfers the selection being played upon the pattern from which the perforated rolls are cut.

It has for its object, mechanism that performs three important ofiices; first, with each stroke of the key, the printer is brought into contact with the sheet; second, provision is made to indicate the operation of the loud pedal in connection with the key struck; third, a device is provided for temporarily lifting the printer to indicate on the sheet that a given key is being struck two or more times while the loud pedal is on.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus in the position of rest. Fig. 2, is a diagrammatical View of the apparatus in operation. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the ribbon, show ing the extended note-marks and also the interruptions in the extended note-marks.

A, is a portion of a piano or organ key below which is located a plunger 1 that reciprocates vertically in the guides 2 and 3. A coil spring 4 ordinarily keeps the plunger in its uppermost position by reason of thrusting upward from the guide 3 against the collar 5 of the plunger 1. This plunger carries a contact 6 which is positioned with respect to the terminal 7 so as to rub that member at a given point in the descent of the plunger. This terminal 7 comprises a spring strip that is connected right-angularly with the bar 8 so as to form, in the whole, a bell-crank lever that is pivoted at 9. The bracket 10, which serves as a support for the pivoting 9, is metallic and is part of the circuit that is traced from the guide 3 through the plunger 1, the contact 6, the terminal 7, and pivoting 9. This circuit continues through the wire 11 to the interrupter bar 12, that is pivoted at 13, thence through the interrupter-bar terminal 14 to the stationary terminal 15, through the wire 16, the wire 17 to the contact 18. From the contact 18 the circuit continues through the loudpedal lever 19, that is pivoted at 20, through bracket 21, the wire 22,'the battery S, the wire 23 to the coil 24 about the core 25. From the coil 24, the circuit leads back by the wire 26 to the guide 3 and is complete. It is, therefore, observable that, when the key A is depressed, the contact 6 rubs with the terminal 7 after the key has been depressed some distance and completes the circuit already traced, thereby allowing a current to go through and energize the core 25. This attracts the armature 27 that is carried on the printerlever 28. This printer-lever is pivoted at 29 and ordinarily held out of contact with the master-strip P by the spring 30, but when the armature 27 is attracted to the core 25, the printer-roll 31 is forced down in contact with the masterstrip P that is passing across the printing block B. The master-strip P is pulled across this block at a uniform speed by the roll R which is driven by a belt X. Devices for assuring a uniform draft upon the strip P regardless of the amount wound upon the roll may be provided, but as such are known and this is no part of my invention I have not illustrated nor described one. As the strip is drawn across the block B and is contacted by the roll 31, a mark is left on the aper which may be later converted into a slot by cutting and the master strip used as a pattern by which to cut the perforated sheets to be used on a piano playing machine. The marks printed on the masterstrip will, when the same are transferred to the perforated sheets and run through a piano playing machine, cause exact reproductions of the musical notes first played on the piano, organ or other musical instru ment] 1 5 f 5 When the'loud pedal is on, the sound of the note is extended through a longer time, and it is desirable that this prolongation be also recorded upon the sheet P. It is one of the features of my invention that mecha nism to accurately secure such recording by extending the note-mark'is aiforded. The

extended note-marks are ShOWI1i&t ;60 in Fig. T

3. The mechanism to accomplish this comprises a shunt circuit 32 that leads from the wire 16 to the wire. 22, passing as a coil about the core 33. When this core 33 is energizedit attracts the armature34 on the bell-crank lever 7-8. Ordinarily this lever is held in the position shown in Fig. l by the spiral spring35. In this position-of Fig. 1, itwill be seenthat the contact 6 does not engage with. the terminal 7 until the plunger 1 has traveled some distance and disengages from this terminal 7 at an early stage in the return travel. However, when the armature 34: is attracted by the core 33, the bell-crank lever Z 8 assumes the position shown in Fig. 2. Theterminal 7 being a spring bar the contact 5' will have a rubbing engagement ,with this; terminal for the entire return stroke, thus..re sulting in .the extension of the, sound; of the ,note being reproduced .on the sheet,P by length: ening the note -ma kls until the. loud. pedal is released or. until samehey -,is.tapped again as .will, be ,explaine f P ra raph The shunt fcircui t 32.,is1brQught int0 op,- t n his h ul pme be. h l 'udi p d .is=h.i u h. uP e-Ji sBY endzb the connectionQbetween theloud pedallever 19 and. the contact Fig. 2.). The circuit can now. betracedthrough the terminal 7 ,pivoting 9, bracket l ),.wire 11, piv oting l3, interrupter; bar 12 terminal 14, terminal 15, wire 16,,shunt 32, wire 22, battery S, .wire 23, coil 24,.wire 26, guide 3, plunger land contact 6. Very often, however, while the loud pedal is on, it is desired to tap the same key two or more times. This could not be done and make a showing upon the paper were it not: that I havepro vided a special interrupter mechanism to cooperate with the apparatus described, so as to make possible the recording of two or more taps of the same key while the loud pedal is on. This recording is accomplished by dividing the notemarks, see 61, Fig. 3. The mechanism to accomplish this comprises a pawl 38 that is pivoted to the plunger 1 and which tends to thrust outward by reason of the coil spring 39. This thrust outward is counteracted by the pin 40 so that the pawl is guided in a given path and will release the bar 12 whenrthe shoulder 41 on the pawl has traveled a very short dislance. The descent of the pawl with the plunger temporarily raises the interrupter bar against the pull of the spring 12 (dotted lines of Fig. 2) and separates the terminals 14: and 15, temporarily breaking the circuit through the interrupter bar and the Wirekeep the loud pedal member in engagement with the contact 18 when the players foot is not upon the pedal 36.

I The apparatus which I have described is (except for a few :of the high keys) to be repeated for each key, except that, perhaps, some of it would not have to be repeated when the entire number of reproducers are assembled into a complete apparatus for all the keys, as for instance, the battery S and the loud pedal 36 and the contact 18: and lever 19 could be made part of a return line common to all the circuits. The reproducer could. be used, of course, with pianos, organs, and other musical instruments and. I do not wish to be understood aslimiting'myself to any specified type of musical instrument or anynamed vautomatic. 'player of musical compositions.

- what liclaimfisz 1, The combination with a musical instrument, provided with keys and loud pedal, of a recording attachment comprising means for producing marks on the sheet of the roll upon the depression of the key, the said means including a printing memher and means operated by the loud pedal for keeping the printing member in contact with the sheet after the key is released, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with keys and a loud pedal, of a recording attachment comprising means for producing marks on the sheet of the roll upon the depression of the key, said means including a printing member, means operated by the loud pedal for keeping the printing member in contact with the sheet after the key is released and meansfor temporarily lifting the printing member off the sheet of the roll when the key is tapped two or more times while the loud pedal is on, substantially as described.

3. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal arranged to make an electrical connection with the plunger when the same has traveled some distance, a circuit closed by said electrical connection, a marker brought into operation by the closing of said circuit, and means operated by the loud pedal by which the position of the terminal is changed so as to hold the terminal in electrical connection with the plunger upon the return stroke of the plunger until the loud pedal is released, substantially as described.

4. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination a plunger actuated by the key, a terminal arranged to form an electrical connection with the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, an armature connected .with said terminal, magnetic means for attracting said armature to change the position of the terminal with respect to the plunger so that an electrical connection is maintained during the entire return stroke of the plunger, a circuit closed by the electrical connection between the terminal and the plunger, a marker thrown into operation by the closure of said circuit, a shunt circuit for energizing the magnetic means, and means connected with the loud pedal for throwin the full current through the shunt circuit %or the purpose of changing position of the terminal, substantially as described.

5. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal located to be contacted by the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, a circuit completed by such contact, a marker put into operation by the completion of said circuit, a shunt circuit including magnetic means for changing the position of the terminal so that it remains in contact with the plunger during the entire return stroke and means connected with the loud pedal for throwing the full current through the shunt circuit, substantially as described.

6. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal adapted to be contacted by the plunger when it has traveled a given distance, a circuit closed by the contact of plunger and terminal, a marker put into operation by the closure of said circuit, means for changing the position of the terminal so that it remains in contact with the plunger during the entire return stroke and means for initially interrupting said circuit each time the key is depressed, but before the plunger contacts the terminal if the means for changing the position of the terminal is not in operation, substantially as described.

7. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal arranged to be contacted by the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, a circuit closed bysaid contact, a printer put into operation by such closure-niithe circuit, means for changing the position of the terminal so that the circuit remains closed during the entire return stroke of the plunger, the said circuit containing an interrupter device and a pawl or trip on the plunger for operating the interrupter device, substantially as described.

8. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, means for completing a circuit upon the travel of the key a given distance, the said circuit, a marker, means for throwing the marker into operation upon the completion of the circuit and means operated by the loud pedal for prolonging the closure of the circuit upon the return stroke of the said plunger, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with a loud pedal, of a recording attachment comprising a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a circuit completed by the travelof the plunger a given distance, a marker thrown into operation by the completion of said circuit, means for prolonging the closure of said circuit upon the return stroke of the lunger, and interrupter means operable w en the loud pedal is on for temporarily interrupting the said circuit to indicate separate taps on the same key, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with a. loud pedal, of a recording attachment comprising a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a circuit closed by the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, a marker thrown into operation by the closure of the circuit, and means for prolonging the closure of the circuit upon the return-stroke of the plunger, comprising a terminal, an armature connected therewith, a magnetic coil for attracting the armature and chang ing the position of the terminal with respect to the plunger, a shunt circuit including said coil and connected with said first mentioned circuit, and a make-and-break device, for breaking the said circuit when the loud pedal is depressed and thereby throwing the full current throu h the shunt circuit, substantially as described.

11. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plunger adapted to be actuated by the key, a circuit completed by the travel of the plunger a given distance, a marker thrown into operation by the closure of said circuit, means for prolonging the closure of the circuit upon the return stroke of the plunger, and interrupter mechanism for temporarily interrupting the circuit to show separate taps upon the down stroke of the plunger, substantially key when the means for prolonging the 010- as described. 0 sure of the circuit is on, said interrupter In testimony whereof, I sign this specifimechanism comprising a pair of terminals, cation in the presence of two witnesses.

an interrupter bar included in said first GEORGE N. GOODRICH. mentioned circuit, and a spring-operated \Vitnesses:

pawl on said plunger adapted. to tempo- STUART C. BARNES,

rarily trip the interrupterv bar upon the VIRGINIA C. SPROTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta, Washington, D. C."

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