US1164265A - Combined piano-player and phonograph. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER M. DAVIS, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

COMBINED PIANO-PLAYER AND PHONOGRAPH.

Application filed November 18, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER M. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, temporarily residing at Paris, France, have invented a new and useful Combined Piano Player and Phonograph, of which. the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined piano player and phonograph, and particularly to devices for starting the player record in predetermined relation to the phonographic record.

In my prior Patent No. 958,730, dated May 21, 1910, I have shown means for producing a record of a vocal or other selection upon the disk or record-receiving element of a phonograph, and for simultaneously producing a record of the piano accompaniment thereof upon the record-sheet of a piano player. Having secured these simultaneous records it is evident that means must be provided for starting the record of the accompaniment upon the player in predetermined relation to the record of the selection upon the phonograph. In my prior Patents Nos. 958,731 and 1,013,589, dated May 24;, 1910, and Jan.'2, 1912, respectively, I have shown devices for starting the records in such predetermined relation, these devices comprising a separable connection in the driving mechanism of the piano player and electromagnetic means for closing this connection, said means being controlled by a contact piece inserted in the phonograph record. hen this contact piece came into relation with the metallic needle or stylus of the phonograph a circuit was closed which operated through the magnet to connect the drivin" mechanism to the piano player.

t is the object of my present invention to improve upon the devices shown in my prior patents, and to provide electrical means for controlling the operation of the driving mechanism of the piano player which shall still be controlled by the phonographic record, but which shall not involve the addition of special electrical contacts and connections thereto.

Accordingly my invention contemplates the provision of electro-magnetic connections controlled by the vibration of the stylus of the phonograph for starting the player sheet in predetermined relation to the vocal or other selection upon the phonograph.

My invention further comprises certain devices, arrangements and combinations of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Serial No. 801,742.

by which the electro-magnetic circuit is con-- trolled.

In the drawings the record box of a piano player is indicated at 1, within which the record sheet 2 is mounted upon the spools 3 and 4, and is thereby caused to travel over the tracker-bar The spool 4 is separably connected with a driving shaft 6 by I any suitable means, such as the clutch members 7'and 8. The movable clutch 8 is conven tionally controlled by the lever 9 pivoted at 10, and having secured thereto the armature 11.

An electro-magnet 12 is mounted in proximity to the armature 11 and is connected with any suitable source of electricity, such as the battery 13. In the circuit comprising the magnet 12 and the battery 13 is included a wire 14 which connects one terminal of the magnet coil to any convenient metallic portion of the sound box 15. The other terminal of the magnet coil is connected by a wire 14 to a contact piece 16 (Fig. 2,) which is mounted upon a bracket 17 secured to the sound box of the phonograph, the battery 13 being inserted at any convenient point in either of the conductors 14 or 14. The conductor 14* and the contact piece 16 are electrically insulated from the bracket 17 and the sound box 15.

Secured to the sound box is the usual diaphragm 18 which is acted upon by any suit-- the phonographic record and the player sheet will move at predetermined relative speeds. Any sultable driving means may be used, one form of such mechanism being shown in my prior Patent 958,281.

The normal or inoperative position of the parts is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position the record-sheet should be adjusted so that the perforations corresponding to the first notes of the accompaniment will be situated. just above the openings in the trackerbar, the clutch members 7 and b are separated, and the needle 19 is placed at the beg o" the phoi'iographic record.

it is customary in taking phunographic records to start the receiving element somewhat in advance of the beginning of the selection, and it is clear that the starting n echanisni the player device should be so actuated that movement shall be imparted to the recordsheet in tuned relation to the actual commo einent of the phonographic selection. birth the parts in the position shown, the needle 19 will not he vibrated until the shunt depressions or gularities in the co .istituting the rec rd if each the needle. d nen these dcpressi ns begin to vibrate the needle, the vibrations will be communicated to the arm 22 and will throw the upper end of the arm to the left, thereby closing the electromagnetic circuit and throwing the movable clutch member 8 into engagement with the clutch member 7 to the player mechanism.

It is sometimes desn .ble to start the pl 'ecord somewhat bci' re the beginning oi. the renographic sleetion, and this reanilt may we attained b providing special depressions or protuberances upon the record dish in advance of the record itself. Such irregulariin the dish are indicated. in exaggerated n at 9.6 in 2.

aving thus described my invention, it is ol nous that many changes and codifications tl erect can be made by one skilled 1n n'it the art Without departing from the s llopies of this patent may be obtained and scope of my invention, and I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but

W hat I claim is 1. The combination of a piano player and a phonograph, means for driving them at predetermined relative speeds, and electrically actuated means controlled by the phonograph record for starting the player, said latter means comprising a controlling magnet, and an operating circuit therefor, one terminal or said circuit being connected to a contact piece supported upon, but insulated from the phonograph sound box, and the other terminal being electrically connected to a conducting member forming a part of the operating circuit and pivotally supported upon the sound box, one end of said member being normally adjacent but out of ecartact with said contact piece, and the other e d extending into the path of a vibrating element of the phonograph, the Vibration thereof by the record moving the conducting member against the contact piece and closing the magnetic circuit to start the player.

'lhc combination of a piano player and a phonograph, means for dr ving them at predetermined relative speeds and electrically actuated means controlled by the phonograph record for starting the piano player,

llriLT CR M. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

Henson 0. Cone,

JACK l'l. BAKER.

for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Eaten'ts,

Washington, I C.

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