US1159461A - Combined tempo and dynamics controller for pneumatic musical instrument players. - Google Patents

Description

F. L. YOUNG.

COMBINED TEMPO-AND DYNAMICS CONTROLLER FOR PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PLAYERS; APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. I912. RENEWED MAR. 12,1915.

1,159,461, Patented NOV- 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- F. L. YOUNG. COMBINED TEMPO AND DYNAMICS CONTROLLER FOR PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY II. I912- REIIEWED MAR. 12,1915. 1,159,461. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 3? WIN 5:6 39

es I nventor: E y I fla v W. WM 1 Atty I FRANCIS L. YOUNG, on NEW roan, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 AEOLIAN GOIs'IPANY, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED TEMPO AND DYNAMICS CONTROLLER FOE PNEUIJIATIC I1IUSICAL- INSTRUMENT PLAYERS.

Application filed. July 11, 1812, Serial No. 708,775. Renewed March 12, 1315.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. Yooxo, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Tempo and Dynamics Controllers for Pneumatic Musical-Instrument Players, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved combined tempo and dynamics controller for pneumatic mu sical instrument players, which is simple in construction, compact, strong, durable and reliable in action and easily manipulated.

In the accompanying drawin s in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the key bed of a player piano provided with one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view showing one embodiment of my invention, operating in conjunction with the parts shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away and others in section. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the controller bellows, parts being broken away.

At the front of the key bed 1, above which the keys 2 are pivoted there is provided the fixed key slip 2 and below the same the movable key slip 3 is pivoted to the key-bed 1, and this movable kej-slip is provided on its inner surface with the recess 4- all in the well known manner.

The tempo lever 5 which controls or shifts a tempo valve of any well known or approved construction is pivoted to the underside of the key-bed 1 at 6 and its front end projects through an inclined opening 7 in the key-bed and fixed key-slip 2. A shaft 8 is guided to turn axially in a collar 9 on the inclined part 10 of the lever 5, and on it a sleeve 11 is mounted to slide lengthwise which sleeve is mounted to turn in a collar 12 near the outer end of the inclined part 10. The sleeve 11 is slotted longitudinally as at 13 for receiving a guide pin 14 projecting from the shaft 3 so that the shaft 8 must participate in the axial rotations of the sleeve 11. For use, when the hinged key-slip 3 is swung down, the sleeve is pulled out- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 13,883.

ward and it, as well as the shaft 8, can be turned axially by means of the handle knob 15 on the outer end of the sleeve 11 and, when the hinged key-slip 3 is to be swung up the sleeve 11 can be pushed downward and inward on the shaft 8 so that when the keyslip 3 is swung up the knob 15 is within the recess 4-. By a universal joint 16 the lower inner end of the shaft 8 is pivotally connected with the front end of a shaft 17 mounted rotatively in collars 18 on the tempo lever 5 and the inner end f the shaft 17 is provided with an arm 19 connected with one end of a connecting rod 20.

As the coupled s iafts 8 and 17 are mounted on the tempo lever they can be swung laterally with the tempo lever without producing any substantial effect on the arm 19 at the inn r endof the shaft 17, as this inner end is at the pivot 6 of the tempo lever. At the same time and while moving the tempo lever laterally the shaft 17 can be turned axially by means of the handle knob 15 to bring the arm 19 into different positions and to move the connecting rod 20 and the parts operated thereby into different positions.

The connecting rod 20 has the end opposite the one pivoted to the arm 19 pivotally connected with a lever 21 pivoted at 22 to a part of the instrument and terminating at its swinging end in a laterally projecting pin 23 which is located between two levers and respectively, pressed by suitable springs 26 and 27 respectively against opposite sides of a stop 28 which is below the pin 23 on the lever 21. The lever 25 is pivoted at 29 and the lever 24: is secured on the projecting end of a rock shaft 30 carrying an arm 31 in a spring pressed controller bellows 32 of the type well known in pneumatic musical instrument playing attachm nts, and this arm 31 is pivotally connected with one end of the controlling knife valve 33 of the well known type, which valve has its opposite end operatively connected with the movable board 34 of the regulating bellows 32. The lever 25 is connected by a connecting rod 35 with a D valve resting against a slide valve 36 having two ports 37 and 38 which can communicate with two ports 39 and 40 respectively, of which the former 39 is connected with a wind conducting pipe 41 leading to the'main suction chamber (not shown) and the port 40 is connected with a tube l2 leading to a bellows 43, the movable board 4st of which has secured to it an arm a5, which bears on the underside of a block or stud 46 secured to a rod t'l which serves for shifting the hammer rail of the piano so that when the bellows as is collapsed the hammer rail is adjusted or moved to shittall the hammers of the piano (not shown) in such manner as to produce softer blows, by any well known contrivance. The movable board at of the bellows 43 is connected by a connecting rod 48'with one end of an angle lever-49 pivoted at. 50, the opposite end of which is connected by the connecting rod 51, with the slide valve 36. Vl hen softer playing is desired the sleeve 11 is turned in onedirection by its handle knob 15 and thereby the shaft 17 is rotated and the lever 25 is moved by the pin 23 on the lever 21 to the right, Fig. 2 and thereby the D valve 55 is moved to the right on the slide valve 36 to such an extent that the ports 37 and 38 are brought into communication and the air is exhausted from the bellows 43 whereby the hammer rail is moved into position for softer playing. By the collapsing of the bel lows 43 th slide valve 36 is moved to the right, without disturbing the communicaion of its port 38 with the port ill) and without disturbing the communication of the ports 37 and 38 by means of the D valve 55. When normal playing is again desired the handle 15 of the sleeve 11 is turned back to normal, whereby the pin 23 on the lever 21 is brought to normal position permitting the spring 27 to throw the lever 25 against the stop 28 and thereby the D-valve is moved to the left, whereby the communication be tween the tubes 4:1 and 4-2 is interrupted and the port 38 opened to atmosphere, as

the slidevalve 36 was moved to the right by the collapsing of the bellows 43; The bellows 4:3 can now expand under the action of the weight of the bar as air is being admitted thereto through the'port 38 and tube 4 2 and as the bellows 4L3 expands the slide valve 36 is moved to the left and brought into the position shown, where it remains until adiustment is again made for soft playing in the manner described above. When louder playing is desired the'handle knob 15 of the sleeve 11 is so turned as to move the lever. 24 to the left Fig. 2, by means of the pin 23 on the lever 21 and thereby the valve 33 is opened to a greater extent so as to produce louder playing in the well known manner and when the handle knob 15 is turned back to normal the spring 26. brings the lever 24 against the stop 28 and the valve 33 back to normal to operate in the well known manner.

I do not claim as my invention the means shown in Fig. 2, for controlling the exhausting of air from the bellows 4:3 or the admission of air into the same, these means consisting of the slide valve and the U- shaped valve or its equivalents in connection with the tube leading to the suction chamber and to said bellows 43.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an automatic player, the combination of a plurality of means for operating expression devices, a control handle extending in a direction from the back of the instrument to the front, mountedto be adjustable bodily from one position to another in the instrument, and also to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, connecting means between the handle and one of said means for operating expression devices to operate it from the bodily movement of the handle, and connecting means between the handle and another of said means for operating expression devices to operate it from the rotary movement of the'handle.

2. In combination with an automatic player, a control handle extending in a direction from' the back of the instrument.

to the front, said handle being mounted to swing about a rear pivot and belng connected to control the player in partby so doing, said handle in addition being romeans between said handle and the instrument for controlling it from the axial rotation of the handle in either direction independently. l. In an automatic player, the combination of a plurality of means for operating expression devices, a control handle mounted to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and connecting means between said handle and said means for operating expression devices operating one or the other of said devices independently depending on the direction of axial rotation of the handle.

5. In an automatic player, the combination of a plurality of means for operating expression devices, a control handle mounted to be rotatable about itslongitudinal axis, and connecting means between said handle and said means for operatingexpressiondevices operating one or the other of said means independently depending on the direction of axial rotation of the handle; and means causing the handle to seek a normal position of axial rotation.

6. In an automatic player, the combination of a plurality of means for operating expression devices, a control handle mounted to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and connecting means between said handle and said means for operating expression devices operating one or the other of said means independently depending on the direction of axial rotation of the handle; and means causing the handle to seek a normal position of axial rotation at which the playing is normal in dynamic effect, the means for operating expression device operated by rotating the handle in one direction giving a. less than normal dynamic effect; and that operated by the rotation of the handle in the opposite direction giving a greater than normal dynamic eifect.

7. In an automatic player, the combination of a plurality of means for operating expression devices, a control handle mounted to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and connecting means between said handle and said means for operating expression devices operating one or the other of said means independently depending on the direction of axial rotation of the handle; and means causing the handle to seek anormal position of axial rotation at which the playing is normal in dynamic effect, the expression device operated by rotating the handle in one direction giving decreasing below-normal dynamic eflects, and that operated by the rotation of the handle in opposite direction giving increasing abovenormal dynamic effects.

8. In an automatic player, the combination with a laterally movable handle for adjusting partof the player mechanism which at the same time is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, two independent mechanisms for respectively gradually increasing and gradually decreasing the playing force of the playing mechanism operated independently by the rotation of the handle in one direction or another whereby the player is enabled by the use of only one hand to gradually increase or decrease the playing force to any desired degree and at the same time to operate mechanism of said player other than those relating to the increase or decrease of the playing force.

9. In an automatic player, the combination with a laterally movable handle for controlling part of the player mechanism, two independent means for operating mechanisms for producing changes in the dynamics of the player, said handle also being rotatable about its longitudinal axis, connections between said independent means for operating dynamic mechanisms and said handle, one of said means being operated by rotating the handle in one direction and the other means being operated by rotating it in the opposite direction.

10. In an automatic player, the combination of a laterally movable handle for controlling part of the player mechanism, said handle also being rotatable about its longitudinal axis to control another part of the player mechanism, and an adjustable end piece on said handle to extend it conveniently to suit the operators hand.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 19th day of June, A. D. 1912.

FRANCIS L. YOUNG.

lVitnesses:

GEORGE B. KELLY, LOUISA AGKERMANN.

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

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