US1111866A - Pulsation-producing device for electrical musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

M. L. SEVERY & G. B SINCLAIR. PULSATION PRODUCING DEVICE FOR ELECTRICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1907.

1,1 1 1 ,866, Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

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- musicalinstrument timed electric pulsations STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

MELVIN I... SEVERY, or AnLIirG'ron HEIGHTS, AND GEORGE B. SINCLAIR, or nos'ron, mAssAcIIUsEr'rs.

cushion-memoirs :oEvIcE FOR ELECTRICAL MUsIoAnIns'rnUMEN'rs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.-

Application filed July 25, 1907. Serial No. 385,456.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MELVIN L. SEVERY, of Arlington Heights, inthe county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and GEORGE B. S1NoLAIR,-of Boston,- in the county of Sufi'olk and said Commonwealth, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements' in Pulsa't ion-Producing Devices for Electrical 'Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This pulsation producing device is desighed for use in connection with electric musical instruments wherein tuned.- sonorous bodies are vibrated by means of properly delivered to electromagnets controlling said bodies; and our invent-Ion particularly relates to means for I ouping and running the toothed members constituting the major part the device, and to improved. means for supporting the brushes cooperating with said members.

The drawing formingpart of this specification, is ,a plan view of our pulsation producing device, with parts thereof broken awa in order to more clearly reveal others, and other essential features of the electric being shown in diagram; I

The reference numeral 1 designates the strin s or other sonorous bodies vibrated by the e 'ectromagnets 2; 4 is the source of current; 3, the keys by which the current is switched to any desired electromagnet, and 10', the toothed members, preferably metal rings, composing part of the pulsation producing device for rendering the current properly pu satory; operating with said members. As shown in the figure, said members are arranged in groups of twelve-in each group, and as many groups as there are octaves in the instrument,-preferably six. It is evident that to have six iu'll octaves it will be necessary for one of the terminal'groups to be supplied .with one extra ring or member. Otherwise, though, the groups may be exact duplicates; each group containing as many members as there are notes in an octave, and the numb'er of teeth on each member being adapted to the vibrations of some one note of the octave. These groups of mechanically united members are geared one to the next in a way to cause each group to rotate one half as fast as the one next 20 being the brushes cogearing also; each group each group,

I position permits pulsations ma above it. To do this, the groups are iprcfcrablystaggered sufiiciently to allow a pin,- ion 11 of one group to mesh with a gear '12 of the group next below, of twice its-pitch line.- Thus the groups will be alike in their having a small gear at one end and a large gear at the other end. Hence each group of rings or Incinbers 10 will produce electric pulsations numbers per unit of time just an octave be low those produced by the group next above It; and the strings I vibrated thereby will be similarly an octave below.

l/Ve prefer to have the fastest turning group of members the one to receive and transmit power, for the reason that such power it. in the slightest degree varied in speed, Wlll have such variations made constantly less noticeable by the repeatedly slower motions of the lower groups. The means by which power is thusimparted to the fastest group consists of the cone and fly- wheel 6, 51, geared thereto; said cone and fly-wheel forming part of any suitable .governing device which forms no part of the present Invention.

Each group of members can be readily removed from its support by. loosening the nuts 15 and raising the spindle irom.,its confining permits of repairs being quickly attended to should need arise.

Above the staggered groups of members is fixeda bar 21 having oblique, lateral faces,

for the support of the brushes contacting with the disks 10. These brushes are held by removable blocks 22 a separate block-for and the blocks are secured to said bar by the turn buttons -23pro'jecting through slots said buttons at right angles to their slots, the blocks are fixed in place, while a parallel I the blocks removal.

The circuits through which the electric de by" he niake-and-break members 1.0 are delivered to the electromagnets 2 for the vibration of the strings 1 or other sonorous bodies, comprise the following: From the current source 4:, the electricity traverses the wire 32, the framework of the machine to the make-andbreak dc vices, thence through spring. contacts 30' and wires 31 of the circuits which have been closed by the depression of keys 3; associated magnets 2, wires 33, contacts 34,

slots 16 in the standards 17. This 7 24' in the blocks. By turning which we brushes 35, and common wire 36 back to said source.

It'is evident that, in an instrument constructed with so many parts as is this, it is of the highest importance both mechanically and commercially that there shall be so far as possible a duplication of all similar elements, anda maximum simplification of de tails inasmuch as a slight complication multiplied a hundred fold will increase the expense and interfere with the renewal and durability of the instrument to a prohibitive extent. One of the most important of such simplifications and duplications is that which we have produced in connection with the above described grouping and staggering of the pulsation producin devices.

Not alone is grouping of members 10 highl important economically, but we find it to be the most Practical and efiicient Way of roducing per ectly tuned octaves; since sucli groups are duplicates of each other, and are all geared together.

' Althou h the disks 10 and ears 11, 12 all have t eir axes in substantially the same horizontal plane, we speak of those nearest the source of power, or cone 6, as above the others because. the higher in rank with respect. thereto. Hence in describin the gearing of the said dislxs or groups 0 pulsation producing members, we s eak in the claims of each being geared to t e onenext above it to rotate at one halfthe latters speed. 7

What we claim as our invention and for desire Letters Patent is as follows, to wit 1. The combination of tuned sonorous bodies, and electromagnetic means for their vibration embracing a plurality of substantially-duplicate oups of rotative pulsationproducing mem ers, and gears rotatively uniting said members, each of said groups having a rotative s ed which is either a multiple or submultiple of some one of the other associated groups.

. .772. The combination of tuned sonorous bodies, and electromagnetic means for their vibration embracing a plurality of substantially du licate grou s of rotative pulsation pro ucing mem rs, and gears rotatively uniting said members, the speed of '-bodies,

each of said groups, save the slowest, being amultiple of the speed of said slowest rotating group.

3. The combination of tuned sonorous bodies, and electromagnetic means for their actuation having a plurality of substantially duplicate groups of rotative pulsation producing members geared together to run at relative speeds which are powers of two.

4. The combination of tuned sonorous and electromagnetic means for their actuation having a lurality of substantially duplicate groups of rotative pulsation-producing members each geared to the one next above it to rotate at one-half the latters speed.

5. The combination with an electric circuit, of pulsation-producin means comprising brushes,.and a plura tially duplicate groups of rotative currentaffecting members, each group geared to the one next above it to rotate at one-half the latters speed, and each member of a. group being formed with a number of current-affecting elements.

6. The combination with an electric circuit, of pulsation-producing means comprising brushes, and a plurality of substantially duplicate groups of rotative currentafi'ecting members, each group geared to the one next above it to rotate at one-half the latters speed; the power for driving the same being applied to the fastest rotating group.

7. The combination of tuned sonorous bodies, and electromagnetic means for their actuation having a plurality of substantially duplicate groups 0 rotative toothed makeand-break members, each group geared to the one above it to rotate at one-half the latters speed; the power for driving the same being applied to the fastest rotating group.

In testimony that we claim the fore in invention, we have hereunto set our lil ing this 17th day of July, 1907. 7

MELVIN L. sEvERY. GEORGE B. SINCLAIR.

Witnesses:

A. B. UPHAM, CHAS. A. Cnasn.

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

' walhlngton, D. C."

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