US1125047A - Adjusting device for musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

R. G. BENSON.

- ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLmATIbN FILED NOV.17, 1910.

llldliT li RALPH G. BENSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JQSSIGNOE T0 THE GABLE COMPANY, OF

GEATION OE ILLINOIS.

icense.

Eipecification of Letters Eatent.

Patented J an. 19, 1915.

Application filed November 1?, 1910. Serial KO. 5921,8 25.

T0 ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPK-I G. Bunsen, a citizen of the United States of America, residing Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful lmproi ement in Adjusting Devices for lilusical instruments, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instru ments which may be mechanically actuated and automatically or otherwise controlled in actuation and it especially concerns the provision of simple adjusting devices for use in connection with movable members of the musical instrument mechanism and the means for their actuation.

l have shown and will describe the invention as embodied in a preferred conruction and in connection with the noteunding action of a piano which is prorioed with a pneumatic player-action and arranged for automatic control by the wellknown traveling pe'foi'ated music-sheet, although, as will be indicated in the accompanying claims, I am well aware that it may be used for similar purposes in connection *ith other actions and instruments, and 1 do not wish to be limited to the particular construction or single combination which I have shown.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a piano, showing the note-sounding piano action, my improved adjusting devices and a pneumatic playeraction in connection therewith. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the piano-action-stickers, Sl10\ *ing an adjusting device in position thereupon.

A, B and C indicate removable parts of the piano case. D indicates the key-bed, E, the keys, F, the strings, G, the hammers, and l, the piano action-supporting frame. All of these parts are well-known and are not included in my invention.

Stickers 1 may be vertically arranged in the usual or any desired manner for reciprocal movement through manipulation. of keys E to cause operation of hammers G.

The pneumatic player-action is placed above keys E and immediately in front of the piano-action-stickers 1 and is supported and secured in a manner that will not interfere with manual playing of the instrument.

The action herein shown possesses certain common features, such as the horizontal arrangement of its principal divisions 5 in a stack or tier and the positioning of the power-pneumatics (3 for direct actuation of the piano-action. Power-pneumatics of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 are too well-known to need description. I have shown them l'iorizoutally si )orted with their hinged ends forwardly presented and the usual lugs 7 '7 arranged in horizontal rows immediately in front of stickers 1.

Each adjusting device is designed to be secured to an individual sticker 1 to provide a forwardly projecting foot or abutment thereupon, against which oneof the lugs 7 7 a during mechanical actuation of the "*umentand the adjustment of each device consists in a vertical movement of the irojecting abutment upon the sticker to pernit a reduction of the lost motion often eX- sting between the co-acting members of the c-iano and pneumatic actions.

Each abutment-member 8 presents three useful surfaces. The first surface 9 is held in sliding contact with the front of the sticker by a screw 10 which is passed through a vertical slot 11 in member 8. The second surface 12 is arranged at an approximate right-angle to the first surface and provides the hereinbefore-described foot or abutment against which a lug 7 may contact. The third surface 13 is obliquely arranged, slanting downwardly and forwardly from the face of the sticker, and member 8 is slotted at 1 1- to accommodate an adjusting screw 15 which is passed downwardly and rearwardly through the member at about right-angles to surface 13 into threaded connection with the sticker, the head or shoulder of the screw bearing upon surface 13. Since screw 15 enters the sticker obliquely and member 8 is movable upon the front of the sticker, the movements of the screw and member are divergent and the divergent movement of the member with relation to the screw is accommodated by slot 1a. Turn ing of screw 15 in one direction causes the head or shoulder of the screw to bear upon surface 13 and effect movement of member 8 in one direction along the front of the sticker, while turning of the screw in the other direction permits movement of member 8 along the front of the sticker in the other direction. vVashers may be arranged beneath the heads of screws 10 and 15.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action and a second movable member, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to one of said members for adjustable engagement with the other of said members and adjustable means also secured to the abutment-carrying member to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon that member.

2. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action and a second movable member, of an adjusting clevice comprising an abutment slidably secured to one of said members for adjustable engagement with the other of said members and adjustable means in threaded engagement with the abutment-carrying member to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon that member.

3. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member to present a slanting surface and adjustable means also secured to said member to act upon the slanting surface of the abutment and adjustably slide the abutment upon said member.

4. The combination, with a movable mem-' ber of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member to present a slanting surface and adjustable means in threaded engagement with said member to act upon the slanting surface of the abutment to ad ustably slide the abutment upon said member.

5. The combination, with a movable mem ber of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member to present a slanting surface and provided with a slot and adjustable means extending through the slot and secured to said member to act upon the slanting surface of the abutment and ad- Ijoustably slide the abutment upon said mem- 6. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member to present a slanting surface and provided with a slot and adjustable means extending through the slot into. threaded engagement with said member to act upon the slanting surface of the abutment and adjustably slide the abutmentupon said member.

7. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member for movement thereupon in a given direction and adjustable means for adjusting said abutment upon'said member, the adjusting movement of said means being in a direction oblique to the direction of movement of said abutment.

8. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action, of an adj usting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member for movement thereupon in a given direction and adjustable means also secured to said member and adjustable with relation thereto in a direction oblique to the direction of movement of the abutment to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon said member.

9. The combination, with a movable member of a musical instrument action, of an adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said member for move ment thereupon in a given direction and adjustable means in threaded engagement with said member and adjustable with relation thereto in a direction oblique to the direction of movement of the abutment to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon said member.

10. The combination, with a musical instrument action sticker, of an'adjusting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said sticker and adjustable means also secured to said sticker to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon said sticker.

11 The combination, with a musical instrument action sticker, of an adj usting device comprising an abutment slidably secured to said sticker and adjustable means in threaded engagement with said sticker to act upon and adjustably slide the abutment upon said sticker.

RALPH G. BENSON.

Witnesses:

C. N. CLnMnTsnN, PAUL B. KLUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I G.

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