US1114700A - Tracking device. - Google Patents

Description

F. G. LYNDE.

TRACKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION PILED NOV. 8, 1913.

1,1 14,700. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

WITNESSES I m/51v TOR g m. 3M4: v m. J5;

ATTORNEYS FRANK G. LYNDE, 0F NEWARK, NEW JER NEWARK, NEXV JERSEY, A FIRM.

SEY, ASSIGNOB, TO LAUTER COMPANY, OF

TRACKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 8, 1913.

Patented Oct. 20, 191-1. Serial No. 799,833.

f0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK G. LYNDE... a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tracking Devices, of which the following is a specifica tion.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in tracking devices for automatically effecting lateral adjustment of the perforated music sheet of a player piano to preserve the registry of its perforations with the due of the tracker bar.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to minimize valve leakage in the control for the sheet shifting mechanism and to provide a control which will instantly respond to any wandering however minute of the music sheet while on the direct wind.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control which may he tllljllriitni rela tive to the edge of the music sheet without effecting the valve piston or its vacuum chamber and in which all possible parts and connection are mounted in position inaccessible from the opening to the spool box.

A still further object is to provide a noiseless sensitive movement of the who piston, which can be delicately balanced in inoperative position by a part of the vacuum system of the piano.

Various other objects and advantages will be in part obvious and in part more fully set forth in the following dcscri 'ition oi a physical embodiment of my in vention. which consists broadly in mounting a shecthitting control valve piston casing on the out side of the spool box, the valve piston of which has one end in operative en mgeuicnl with the edge of the traveling music. sheet and the opposite end cushioned against a flexible wall resiliently held in position by the vacuum system of the piano.

The invention further consists in the new and novel features of construction and com bination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Referring to the accon'ipanving draw ings ln the drawings Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of the player piano at the spool box showing a 'n'cferred physical embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2

is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional V such as a binding screw 5?. one

outlining the end of the chamber 152.

view taken through the control shown attached to the spool 00K in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with parts in side elevation; and Fig. 4' is an elevation of the left hand side of the device shown in Figs. 73 and 3.

In the drawings is show a spool box 1 within which is mounted a supply roll 2 one end of which is mounted in the usual spring box 3 by means of which the ';ertorated music sheet 4 is normally pre sed in one direction. The sheet is drawn on to a take-up roll 5 driven by any suitable moel'l anism and is normally in operative engage ment with the ducts in the tracl-zer bar o to play the piano. The wanderings of ;he music sheet from its normal position on the tracker bar permits the u ination of a she! shitting mechanism control 7. which con:- prises a hollow casing: is slidably mounted on pins Q. which projcct laterallyfrom the out ide of th spool box 1 and normal to the :uljaccnt edge of the traveling music sheet and lot ed by an suitable means of which engaging one of the pins 9, is suiiicient to secure the casing 8. vrlve piston 10 relatively small in eross--; c('ional area extend from the casing; through the adja ent side of the spool box and terminznos in a sheet edge engaging head ll. The opposite erd of the prion is positioned in a \a uun': chamber 12 termed in the casing: and bears on a diapbragnu 13 forming a pi'ieumatic cushion f rclatiwlv great pressure area l llt vacuum chamber 1:2 is cminected bv means of the tubing IS with some part of the vacuum system in which the vacl in is low and in which the va -Mun destroyed by some suitable me hanism during the re- \vl tl. The ca ing has a pair of parallel conduits ll. extending ti I\'(l'-il\ of the piston. which condu ts have unis 15 open to th atmosphere.

The piston has a rcducwl poi-lira". ll", nor mall fitting between the conduit; but adapted to be shifted due to the uandt-rii ot' the shcct to opin on or the other ot the conduits to the atniwphcrc. The conduits lead to tubing" in whi h in turn communi rates with th sheet shitting pneumatic mechanism 17 of auv conventional or suitable conslructioi'i to actuate the reach rod 1 The conduits 14 are muflled by a cacious.

tively large and inclosed and as the small 18 in one or the other longitudinal directions, depending upon which of the conduits It is opened by the shifted piston 10. The rod 18 has one end attached to the movable end of a pneumatic 19 forming a part of the mechanism 17 and the other end attached. to the free end of a depending lever 20, which bears, adjacent its pivoted end, against the end of the roll driving shaft 21, which is capable of limited longitudinal movement in its bearing and may be moved in cooperation with the spring box 3. the required lateral movement of the music sheet to correct its aliuement with respect to the tracker bar 6. orous fabric 22, such as felt, which will 0 er but little resistance to the passage of air. A p ate 23 preferably of brass covers the fabric a2 to protect the same and provides a neat name plate.

In operation should the music sheet Wander to the left, the left conduit 14 will be opened to the atmosphere, the pressure of which will actuate the mechanism 17 to shift the lever 20 away from the end of the shaft 21, permitting the spring box 3 to shift the music sheet back to its operative position on the tracker bar. Should the sheet Wander to the right, the opening of the other conduit 14 Will cause the lever to bear on the shaft 21 to reset the music sheet.

By means of a structure of this character, the cushioned end of the valve piston is inclosed from the atmosphere thus minimizing leakage to the sheet shifting valve control, but at the same time utilizing the external aircpressure against the diaphragm to maintain the valve piston in cushioned conduit closing position. The pressure area of the diaphragm may be as large as desired, and the cross-section of the piston may be as small as desired to reduce sliding friction and a polished needle slidably mounted in a close fitting hearing has been found efli- As the vacuum chamber is relapiston closes the valve bearing, the possibility of air leakage to this chamber is practically eliminated.

Mounting the control on the outside of the spool box removes from sight the tubing and connected parts and the only element visible from the outside of the piano is the end of the piston engaging the music sheet. Further this mounting prevents tampering with the control as it is necessary to remove the breast board of the piano before access is afforded to the same, but by mounting the control on the pins a simplemeans of bodily adjustment is provided Without af footing the position of the piston therein or the volume of the vacuum chamber.

It is of advantage to make the cross-section of the conduits as small as possible which gives rise to whispering noises as the air is drawn through the same, but by plac ing the'i'clt covering over the conduits the air is multlcd and foreign noises eliminated and at the same time the infiltration of dust to the sheet shifting pneumatic is eliminated.

Although I have shown only one form of mechanism embodying my invention, it is obvious that various changes within the skill of the mechanic may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, provided the means set forth in the following claims are employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a tracking device for player pianos. a control having a hollow space inclosed from the atmosphere, a diaphragm Wall outlining one end of said space, means adapted to connect said space to the vacuum system of the piano whereby to maintain said wall in a. collapsed position, a piston bearing against said Wall and actuated by the wanderings of the music sheet from the normal position of the same on the tracker bar and means controlled by the actuation of the piston for re-setting the sheet in operative position relative to the tracker bar.

2. In a player piano having a tracker bar, the combination with a traveling music sheet, of mechanism actuated by the lateral wanderings of the sheet to maintain the same in operative position relative to the tracker bar, said mechanism including pneumatics for shifting the sheet relative to the tracker bar, a valve, a valve casing therefor, a sheet controlled piston having a portion Within said casing and controlling said pneumatics and means for maintaining said valve in inoperative position relative to said pneumatics, including a diaphragm controlled by a vacuum system.

3. In. a player piano having a music sheet shifting mechanism, the combination with a member having an inclosed space, a. portion of said space being defined by a flexible Wall, of means for insuring a tension within said space differing from the pressure on the outside of said flexible wall, and a music sheet controlled member bearing against said Wall and controlling the sheet shifting mechanism.

4. In a player piano, the combination with a spool box, of a pin projecting laterally from the outside of said box, a valve casing slidably mounted on said pin, a music sheet controlled piston pro}: cting from said casing through said spool box parallel to said pin and means for locking said casing in adjusted position.

5. In a tracking device for player pianos, a valve casing having an air conduit therethrough opened at one end to the atmosphere and connected to sheet shifting mechanism, a sheet actuated valve for controlling said conduit, and a muffler incompletely closing said open end of the conduit to minimize nolses caused by the air passing through said conduit.

(3.111 a player piano, the combinatioir with a conduit leading to a mechanism actumin; pneumatic and adapted to be opened to the atmosphere, of a porous member ini-oinplelely closing said conduit to prevent noise caused hy the air as it passes into said conduit.

7. in a player piano the combination with a conduit leading to a mechanism actuating pneumatic and adapted to be opened to the atmosphere, of a porous member incompletely closin'r said conduit tmprevent 5 whispering noises of the air as it passes into said conduit and a face plate covering said porous member to protect the same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses. 20

FRANK G. LYN DE. 'itnesscs:

M. H. OBRIEN, H. R. BAUER.

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