US1205727A - Pneumatic piano-player. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. FREBORG.

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1911.

I [6 l6 l7 B t C. FREBORG.

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

4 SHEETS SHEET 2.

C. FREBORG.

PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1911.

1,205,727. I Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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PNEUMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

4 SHEETS SHEET 4.

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@TATES PATENT @FFTCE.

CHARLES FREBORG, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOI3, ASSIGNOR, TO SOHAEFFER PIANO MFG. COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINGIS.

PNEUMATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

Application filed July 28, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHAnLEs FREBoRc, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic piano players and has particular reference to improved supports for the pneumatics which operate the stickers in the piano action. These supports are adapted to guide the pneumatics into their proper positions in assembling, in which positions they have the proper operative relation to said stickers. These supports are self-locking in said positions.

By means of my improvement above described the entire group of pneumatics in an instrument may be removed or replaced with the utmost facility. When thus removed the action is entirely accessible.

My invention also comprises an improved method of mounting the pneumatics themselves in said supports. The pneumatics are arranged in a plurality of horizontal rows immediately in front of the stickers, and each pneumatic is therefore very accessible from the front of the instrument. The said pneumatics are so arranged as to be adjustable in horizontal directions and also in vertical planes, thereby permitting accurate operative connections to be made with the stickers.

I have also made certain improvements in the valves and other connections in which the air which operates the pneumatics is controlled.

Other objects and advantages of my improvements will appear in the following specification, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the upper portion of an instrument with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a front Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 641,133.

vacuum chamber and related parts. Fig. is a perspective view of the base which serves as a guiding and locking device for the pneumatic supports. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the pneumatics. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through-one of the adjustable exhausting apertures. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of some of the movable parts. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a pair of supporting members 10 are employed for holding the series of pneumatics 12. These supporting members 10 rest upon base members 11 of a special form which will be referred to presently. The pneumatics 12 are arranged in three parallel horizontal rows directly in front of the stickers 13 of the piano action. Each row of pneumaties 12 is supported by a horizontal bar 14, which, in turn, is secured to the supporting members 10 at each of its ends. A suitable socket 14 in said supporting member receives the end of the bar, and a small screw 15 holds the said bar in said sockets. There are preferably three of these supporting bars 14 arranged in a vertical plane, and the pneumatics 12 are attached thereto and have positions below them. They are rigidly secured to said bars by means of the clips 25, through which holding screws or set screws 26 are threaded and which bear on said bars 14:. By means of this method of securing the pneumatics to the bars the said pneumatics are made rotatably adjustable in vertical planes and their operative relation to the stickers 13 may be thereby accurately adjusted. This means of attachment also permits a horizontal adjustment of the pneumatics along the bars for like purposes.

The supporting members 10 are provided with feet 16 and 17, which rest upon the sunken portions 18 of the base 11. One of these feet 17 is provided with a tapered end or toe 19, which is inserted beneath a lug 20. The other foot 16 is adapted to hear at its end upon a shoulder 21 in said base 11 elevation of the same with portions broken is when the support is in its normal position.

away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the mechanism shown a The base 11 is provided with an inclined plane or guide-way 22, which is adapted to in Fig. 1, showing more particularly the uide said feet 16 and 17 into the normal position above described. The purpose of this inclined guide-way 22 is to cause the supporting member 10 to assume an inclined position while it is sliding into its normal position. The small lifting arms 23 are thereby caused to move into position well below the little brackets 23 on the stickers 13. When the supporting members 10 finally reach the sunken portions 18, they then assume an upright position bringing the said arms 23 into operative contact with the little brackets 23. The shoulder 21 constitutes an abutment to lock the supporting member 10 in its normal operative position. The base members 11 are each provided with a flange 2% upon their inner sides or walls, thereby causing the supports to be properly positioned laterally.

Each of the pneumatics 12 is connected with a vacuum chamber 28 and valve mech anism associated therewith by means of the flexible tubes 27. The vacuum chamber 28 is supported by the supporting members 10 at 30 and 31. The vacuum chamber is constructed preferably of wood, as shown at 29, it being an elongated box-like receptacle resting at its ends upon the said supporting members 10. V

The supporting members 10 are provided with upwardly extending arms 34:, which are rigidly secured to the frame 35 of the instrument by means of the short connecting bars .The thumb screws 33 serve to make the connection between the said, arms 3&1 and bars 32. The rear ends of the bars 32 may be threaded into the frame member 35, or otherwise secured thereto. It will be seen that the connection at 33 may be made after the lower ends of the supports 10 have reached final or normal positions, at which time the said supports assume upright positions, as previously described. Thumb screws 36 may serve to hold the vacuum chamber 29 upon the said supports. A valve chamber 37- is provided'in the upper wall of said vacuum chamber. In this valve chamber are two circular or disk valves 40 and ll, which are secured to a stem tl and which are adapted tomove 1n opposlte d1- rections toward their respective seats. These valves control oppositely extending. air pasof saidibellows actuatesthe valve stem 41* when air is admitted tothe interior of said bellows through the channel 43. Air is admitted to the channel 43 through the small channel .4 1, which communicateswith a tube 415 leading, from= the tracker board 16. A

smallfchannel 47 leadslaterally from the ber.

channel ii and is opened to a channel 48 in a tube or bushing 48 which is tightly se-' cured in the upper wall of the vacuum cham- A small channel '51 leads from said chamber 49 into the vacuum chamber 28. A threaded stem or needle valve 52 is fitted into said bushing 48 and is provided with the conical end 53 which seats in the upper end of the channel 51. A small chamber 49 is thereby formed between the valve end and its seat. The threaded valve 52 is preferably tightly fitted in the bushing 18?. The escape of the air is thereby prevented. The conical end may be adjusted to a greater or less closeness to the seat, thereby controlling the extent of opening between the chamber 49 and said channel. The valve 52 may be adjusted by means of an; ordinary screw driver applied at 54L.v

The above described needle valves 52 serve as a very convenient adjustable meansfor controlling what may be termed exhausting apertures. These apertures lead from the tube as and channels 43 and 44 into the vacuum chamber, thereby allowing the air in said chamber to be released.

The small needle valves 52 are arranged in a horizontal, row adjacent the upper edge of the vacuumchamber, and are therefore in a very accessible position.. All of the valves 40,411 are also very accessible and may be removed by withdrawing the screw 55. V

The music box 56.conta1mng the music rolls and tracker board. may bemounted upon the upper. wall of the vacuum chamber 28 by means of standards 57 securedthereto. In like manner the motor 58 may be supported. These parts are therefore all carried by the same supports 10 and base 11.

andv are very conveniently removed. or re placed. Complete. access to all parts of the action ispermltted by removing all. of

the parts carried upon thebase 11.. It is,

necessary only to remove two screws 33 to permit removal of said parts. I

While I have described my invention more or lessminutely and as being embodied in certain'precise forms, yet it will be understood that I dolnot desire to limitmyself thereto unduly, or. any more than ispointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate changes in form, construction, and

arrangement, the omission of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances.

may. suggest or, necessity render. expedient.

I claimr Q r 1. In a deviceof the character described, a series of. piano stickers,.a series of pneu- -matics arranged to coact. with. and operate said stickers, supporting bars said pneumaticsbeing attached thereto, supporting means, said bars; being; carried thereby and said means being constructed andarranged to move the pneumaticsinto operativerelation with the stickers when assembling said device, said means being further constructed to lock the pneumatics in such relation.

2. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a series of adjustable pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, and supporting means for said pneumatics adapted to guide said pneumatics into said operative relation and to lock them in said position.

3. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a plurality of rows of pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, aseparate supporting bar for each row, a standard to which said bars are fixed, a base and means on said base adapted to guide said standard into its normal position and to automatically lock said standard in said position.

1. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a plurality of rows of adjustable pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, a separate supporting bar for each row, a standard to which said bars are fixed, a base, and means on said base adapted to guide said standard into its normal position and tolook said standard in said position.

5. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a plurality of rows of penumatics in operative relation to said stickers, a separate supporting bar for each row, a standard to which said bars are fixed, a base, and means on said base adapted to guide said standard into its normal position and to lock said standard in said position, and means for securing the upper portion of said standard to the frame of the instrument.

6. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a series of pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, supports for said pneumatics, means for guiding said supports into said relation and means integral with said guiding means for engaging said supports when they reach said relation, whereby said pneumatics are rendered self adjusting and self locking.

7. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a series of penumatics arranged to operate said stickers, supports for said pneumatics, means to guide said supports into assembled position when assembling said device whereby said penumatics will be simultaneously brought to operative relation with respect to said stickers, said guiding means being constructed to automatically lock said supports and thereby said pneumatics in assembled position.

8. In a device of the character described, a series of piano action stickers, actuating mechanism for said stickers, supporting means for said mechanism constructed to guide said mechanism into operative relation to said stickers when assembling said device, and to lock the same in such relation.

9. In a device of the character described, a series of piano action stickers, actuating mechanism for said stickers adjustable with relation thereto, supports for said mechanism adapted to guide said mechanism into operative relation to said stickers and to lock said mechanism in said position.

10. In a device of the character described, a piano action, driving means for said action, and means for guiding said driving means into operative relation to said action, said guiding means having an abutment adapted to lock said driving means in said operative relation.

11. In a device of the character described, a piano action, driving means for said action, movable supports for said driving means, and means for guiding said supports into operative relation to said piano action, said guiding means having an abutment adapted to lock said supports.

12. In a device of the character described, a piano action, driving means for said action, movable supports for said driving means, means for guiding said supports into operative relation to said piano action, said guiding means having an abutment adapted to lock said supports, and controlling mechanism for said driving means carried by said supports. 13. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a series of pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, means for separately adjusting each pneumatic with relation to its respective sticker, and supporting means for all said pneumatics adapted to guide all said pneumatics simultaneously into said operative relation.

14. In a device of the character described, a series of piano stickers, a plurality of series of pneumatics in operative relation to said stickers, a plurality of supporting bars for said pneumatics, one for each series, a standard to which said bars are fixed, and a base on which said standard rests having a guiding portion for causing said pneumatics to move into operative relation to said stickers and said base having a depressed portion into which said standard drops and by Which it is locked in said position.

15. In a device of the character described, a piano action, driving means for said action, and means for guiding said driving means into operative relation to said action, said guiding means having a depressed portion into which said driving means drops and by which it is locked in said position.

16. In a device of the class described, a plurality of parallel bars supported at their ends, respective series of penumatics arranged adjacent to each bar, the Pneumatics tached to said bars in such Wise as to per- 10 of the di fierent series-being staggered, rings mit lateral adjustment and adj ustinent in a 011 the bars to: which the respective pneuvertical plane relative thereto.

matics are attached, and means for adjust- In testimony whereof, I have subscribed 5 ing' the rings on said bars. my name. 7

1-7. In: a device of the class described, a CHARLES FREBORG. series of Pneumatics supporting means for Witnesses: V said Pneumatics comprising a plurality of HENRY A. PARKS, 7 parallel bars; said neumatics being at- EDYTHE M. ANDERSON.-

Gopies of this patent--malybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington D. G."

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