US1127343A - Equalizing device for music-rolls of piano-players. - Google Patents

Description

A. YOUNG.

BQUALIZING DEVICE FOR MUSIC ROLLS 0F PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLICATION rum) 00117, 1913.

1,127,343; Patentexi Feb. 2, 1915.

AUGUST YOUNG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

EQUALIZING DEVICE FOR MUSIC-ROLLS OF PIANO-PLAYERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 191 5 Application filed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,747.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST YOUNG, a citizen of the German Empire, residing in New York. in the borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Equalizing Devices for Music Rolls of Piano- Players, of which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to equalizers or neutralizcrs for music rolls used in piano players and the like, and has for its object to provide means whereby the music roll is maintained in its normal and correct position in an efficient manner. It is well known hat due to variations of the temperature and umidity, as also due to variations in the ut of paper used for music rolls, such papers not being cut in all factories exactly the same width. that one music roll is not exactly like the other, and that on one day a music roll is not exactly like it was on another day, due to the expansion or contraction or warping of the material, and the inequalities of the cut. So that, in the use of such rolls, the spools on which the roll winds itself, and from which it is unwound, are not in absolute trueness, and cause, therefore, considerable annoyance in not winding, or unwinding with trueness. Several devices have been proposed hitherto to overcome the disadvair tage, but these have not proven satisfactory.

My invention has for its object to overcome the inherent disadvantages, and to pro vide means whereby the roll is accurately unwound and wound by permitting one spool to be shifted, depending upon the variations in the trueness. This invention will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front view of a music roll, supported on spools in a music roll casing, as is well known, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the music roll casing with my invention applied thereto, showing very clearly the single equalizing spring having ends connecting the ends of the shafts of the music roll. Fig. 3 is a detail end view showing parts of my invention, and Fig. 4 is a section of the operating bellows used to assist in the bringing about of the equalizing of the music roll spool.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, the casing has a top board 10 supported by side members 11 in turn supported by the base board 12, and these side members support bearings 13, in which shafts 14 of the lower spool 15 rest. Above the lower spool. 15, the upper roll 20 has its shafts 19 engage bearings 18 arranged in the side members 11. Intermediate the lower spool 15 and the upper roll 20, a tracker bar 23 is arranged, which is provided with ducts, and over this tracker bar 23 a music roll sheet 22 passes, which has the usual perforations. The parts thus shown are well known.

In order to maintain the roll 20 in alinement with the spool 15, the shaft 19 of the roll 20 is provided with extensions 21, which at the right hand of the structure. shown in Fig. 1, is provided with a suitable transmission device which is connected with gears as is well known, and not shown in the drawing, for the purpose of rotating the shaft 21. The ends of the shafts 21 or the extensions thereof, engage a lever 32 supported by eyelets or other suitable bearings 31 secured-,to.

the bracket 30. This lever 32 has a flattened end 33 against which the shafts 21 abut. One end of the lever 32 is provided with an eyelet 34 to which is secured a single spiral spring 35, which spiral spring extends from one side of the music roll casing to the other side thereof, and this spiral spring 35 connects the two like members 34, which abut against the ends of the shafts of the roll. By both of the shafts 21 being thus embraced by the levers 32, and these levers being connected by the transverse spring 35, whenever the roll 20 is moved longitudinally, the spring 35 serves to bring the roll 20 to its normal or true position, so as to be in alinement with the lower spool, and also to have the holes of the roll in proper position in respect to the holes of the tracker bar. Hence, this spring 35 acts as an equalizer or neutralizer to define the position of the upper roll 20 in respect to the lower spool 15, and always seeks to maintain the upper roll 20 in alinement.

The single spring is of equal elasticity throughout its length and therefore establishes a center at all times, this center being made coincident with the center of the tracker bar. With a music roll of normal size, its center will be coincident with the center of the spring and tracker bar. But

means are provided which consist of pneuinatics arranged on top of the music roll casing, which pneumatics havea fixed part 4-4 secured to the top-board 10 and movable parts 43 hinged thereto. These pneumatics are connected to the suction chamber by means of the channel 50 and are always under a tendency to collapse. The movable part 43 of 'these pneumatics has at one end thereof, a projecting member 42' which is secured at 41 to a rod 40, which rod extends downwardly and abuts againsttthe lever 32. The other end of the movable part 43 has an extension 45, which rests on an adjustable peg 47, movable in respect to a block '48. Beneath this plate 45, the movable portion 43 of the pneumatic is provided with a channel 49, whereby as soon as the plate 45 is removed from the movable member 43, which is possible by reason of the inherent spring action with which the movable member 45 is provided, that the atmospheric air may pass through this channel 49 and can neutralize the vacuum produced within the pneumatic. As soon as this is done, the pressure within the pneumatic will become changed, and one pneumatic will have a different pressure than the other, and in consequence of this, the equilibrium existing between the two pneumatics will be terminated.

Just as long as the pneumatics are under their normal stress, and the upper roll 20 is in alinement with the lower spool 15, the

parts all remain in their normal position.

But in the event that the upper roll 20 should be moved in either direction more than a certain allowable amount, which can be readily taken up by the compensating spring 35. then the lever 32 is caused to be moved a distance away from the rod 40, and by reason thereof, the rod will tend to follow the lever by virtue of the suction within the pneumatics. \Vhen this rod 40 thus follows the lever 42, partlythe suction, and partly the free movement of the rod 40, will cause the movable member 43 to become disengaged from the plate 45, and thus a r will enter throughtbe channel 49 into the pneu- -matic. The other pneumatic having normal pressure therein, will have a tendency to have its rod 40 ,press' against the lever 32, and thereby cause the shaft/21. toreturn to its pos tion, no opposition being offered by the left hand rod 40 until the lever 32 again comes in contact with this rod, the single spring being then in a position to exert its equalizing force. By this arrangement, as soon as the shaft of the upper roll 20 is moved too much in one or the other directlon, the pneumatics are set into operation, and serve to return the shaft to. its normal position, the spring establishing the roll in the center of the tracker bar. These pneumatics are not used for shifting as hitherto proposed, but the spring is used to take care of this shifting. On the other hand, however, the pneumatics, as are shown in the drawings, and form partof the inventlon, are used to take off the tension of the spring, and the spring does the shifting.

Sometimes where the operator uses too much force to pump out the air, it may happen that the pneumatics collapse, and in order to prevent this, a limiting screw 60 is provided in the movable member 43, which acts on a plate 61. By changing the position of the screw 60 in respect to the plate 61, the movable member may have its movement defined in respect to the fixed member 44;

I have shown an embodiment of my invention, but changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A music roll compensating device, comprising a lever contacting with either end of the shaft of the music roll, and a single spring having both of its ends connected with the lever at each end of said shaft, for returning the levers and the shaft to normal position.

2. A compensating device for music rolls,

comprising a casing, a spool supported therein, a shaft on said spool, a lever contacting with each endof the shaft, and a single spring connecting the levers for establishing a center of said spring arranged at each end of said shaft.

3. In a compensating device for music rolls, comprising a casing, a spool having a shaft supported by said casing, a lever contacting with each end of the shaft, a single spring connecting the said levers, pneumatics at either end of the shaft, a rod for each pneumatic, following the movement of the levers, and a pneumatic neutralizing device brought into action by the movement of the rods, said rods taking off the tension of the spring for enabling the spring to shift the spool.

4. A compensating device for music rolls, comprising a casing, a tracker bar therein, a spool below the tracker bar, a spool above the tracker bar, a shaft for the upper spool, means for rotating the shaft. brackets at either side of the casing and pioximity te the upper spam Edam} e U- Slia ped ei'er having one end tl'ieieef ahntting- 21; the upper ends cf the shafts 5 of the upper spool, a spring connec ing the free ends of said levers, pneun'i'iitics arranged at either end of the shaft of the upper roll, rods secured to the movable part of the pnein'natic, following the movement of the levers, a plate on the movable members of the neumatics, a valve plzite, said. valve plate epenin or closing the channel in the pnenn connecting the interier the pneinnetic with atmospheric air,

and means fer limiting the increment of the neumatics.

5. In a music roll device, s tracker bar and ducts, a music roll and shafts therefnr, levers contacting with the ends of the shafts and extending beyond the music roll and sheitgend a singie of he ends e1 the i em for maintaining the roll in the center 0 the tracker bar and ducts, for establishing a center for said roll and shafts.

6. In a music roll device, a vtracker bar end ducts, a music roll and shafts therefor, and a single spring connecting both the ends of the shafts for maintaining the roll in the center of the tracker bar and ducts, the said spring, music roll and tracker her being arranged so that the spring places the roll in correct position. and maintains it there.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing 5 connecting both as my invention, 1: have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST YOUNG. Vwitnesses F; Hose, G. Lowe.

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