US1208755A - Automatic musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

J. C. DEHLS.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLlc/Ilo FILED DEc.12, 191s.

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J. C. DEHLS.

AUTOMAUC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-12,1913.

1 ,208,755. Patented De. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. A

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. DEHLS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL PNEUMATIC ACTION CO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed December 12, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN C. DEHLS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The invention pertains more particularly to accenting devices with the use of which a note or notes played on an automatic musical instrument having a traveling perforated music sheet may be accented during the travel of the sheet.

My invention contemplates the automatic accenting of the notes during the travel of the perforated sheet from one spool to another, and in carrying out my invention I provide in connection with the pneumatic mechanism a pivoted or hinged bar or frame made hollow in its end portions so as to communicate with the pneumatic features of the piano and extending transversely across the outer face of the music sheet and pressing the latter lightly against the tracker bar, said pivoted or hinged frame having in its hollow end portions perforations in line with the accenting perforations in the music sheet, and the tracker bar at its end portions having openings which become uncovered as the accenting perforations in the sheet pass by them and when so uncovered admit atmospheric air to the interior of said pivoted or hinged frame to travel through special mechanism to the main bellows chest for accenting the notes created at the same time by the perforations in the music sheet passing over the regular perforations in the trackerbar.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, of a piano player embodying the features of my invention, the parts being shown in the normal position they occupy during the playing of soft music; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1, through the music-box of the piano player; Fig. 3 is an end view of the same taken from the right hand end of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a detached front elevation of a portion of the tracker-bar, and Fig. 5 is a detached rear Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Serial No. 806,138.

view, partly broken away and partly in section, of the pivoted or hinged frame which during the employment of the invention engages the traveling sheet along the longitudinal center line of the tracker-bar, Fig. 5 being presented to show the openings in the rear side of the end portions of said frame and also the means by which communication between the end portions of said frame is prevented.

In the drawings, 10 designates a customary form of roll box adapted to support a tracker-bar 11, a music spool 12 and a takeup spool 13 to receive a music sheet 14 as unwound from the spool 12 and to permit the rewinding of said sheet on said spool 12 when the latter is to be removed from the frame or box 10. The means for rotating the spools 12, 13 are well known in the art and have not therefore been illustrated, my invention not pertaining to the shifting gears or other like parts of a piano player. The spool 12 has a socket at one end to receive the usual spring pressed spindle 15, and at its otherl end said spool is detachably keyed to the inner end of a spindle 16 mounted in a bearing 17 in the vertical side of the box or frame 10. The tracker-bar 11 is mounted between the sides of the box 10 and is of ordinary character, except, in this instance, I provide near each end thereof an opening 18 which constitutes a part of the accenting features of the invention, said openings 18 extending transversely through said bar and being permanently open at their inner ends and premanently closed at their outer ends by the music sheet 14, except when the special accenting perforations 19 along the edges of said sheet pass into register with said openings 18. There is an opening 18 near each end of the tracker bar 11 and a series of the accenting perforations 19 in the music sheet adjacent to each edge of the latter for passing into register with said openings 18 from time to time as occasion may require, the perforations 19 in the sheet being in horizontal alinement with the regular perforations in the sheet represent ing notes to be accented on reaching the tracker bar.

Between the sides of the roll box 10 and journaled in said sides so as to be capable of a hinged movement, I mount a frame (numbered as a whole 20) composed of two side members 21, 22 and a horizontal member 23 connected with said side members and carried thereby, said member 23 being adapted to engage the music sheet 14 in line with the openings in the tracker bar and lightly, but firmly, press said sheet against the face of said bar. The side members 21, 22 of the frame 2O are hollow and have rectangular portions at their lower ends extending through bearings inthe sides of the box 10 and respectively connected with conduits 2li, 25 to be hereinafter referred to, said conduits being1 flexible so that the frame may be conveniently turned upwardly against the traveling sheet let, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or downwardly therefrom, as may be desired. The frame 2O constitutes one of the importantfeatures of my invention, although the invention is not limited to the specific form of frame shown. rlhe horizontal member 23 of the frame 20 is provided on its rear face in close proximity to the edges of the travcling sheet 1i with small apertures or air inlet openings 2G, 27, which when said member 23 is in its upper position are in line with the openings 13 in the tracker bar 11 and in the vertical plane of the accenting openings 19 in the music sheet 14. rlhe openings 2G, 27 in the member 23 of the frame :20 are closed from communication with the openings 18 in the tracker bar 11 by the music sheet ist, except when the openings 19 in said sheet pass into register with said openings 2G, 27, and at that time there is a clear passage for atmospheric air through the openings 1S in the tracker bar, perforations 19 in the sheet and apertures "26, 27 in the aforesaid member 23, the air being thus permitted to enter said member and travel downwardly through the side members 21, 22 of the frame 2O and into the conduits 24, 25, whence the air passes to the other portions of the mechanism, as will be explained hereinafter. A perforation. 19 at each end of the sheet may at the same time pass into lregister with the openings 1S in the tracker bar and the apertures 26, 27 in the frame 20, and under such circumstances the bass and treble notes may both be accented, but since the member 23 of the frame 2O has its side members Q1, Q9 partitioned off from each other, either an accenting perforation 19 for the bass or an accenting perforation 19 for the treble may pass into register with one of the openings 13 in the tracker bar and one of the openings in the frame 20, and under such circumstances the atmospheric air would flow only through one side of the frame E20 and only the one note, either bass or treble, as the case might be, will be accented.

The turn-buckle or nut 29 connecting the two members of the frame 20 permits of the lateral adjustment of said members from or toward each other for the purpose of adj listing the same and the openings 2G, 27 therein with relation to the openings 18 in the tracker-oar and perforations 19 in the music sheet. The two side members or sections of the frame 20, while hollow, are separated from each other, so far as air communication is concerned, by means of internal plugs 2S (Fig. 5) as well as by the turn-luidde or nut 29, it being the intention that each end portion of said frame shall act independently of the other in eiecting the accenting. l provide the frame 20 with a spring 30 which may serve to press the upper portion or member 23 of said frame against the traveling sheet let at the horizontal center line of the tracker-bar 11, said spring 30 also, when the frame 2O is turned outwardly and downwardly from its operative position shown in Fig. 2, actingto held said frame in its then lower position. rifhe frame 2O will be held in its upper position during the travel of the music sheet le., and may be turned to its lower position when it is desired to rewind said sheet upon the spool 1Qv and place a further music sheet within the box 10.

rlhe frame 20 may be moved to its operative and inoperative positions by hand, but in the present instance l have providedV a pneumatic 31 by means of which said frame 20 may be moved automatically, said pneumatic 31 having at its hinged side an arm pivotally connected with a rack-bar in mesh with a gear wheel 34k secured on a horizontal member of the frame 20. ln Fig. 3 l illustrate the rack bar 33 and gear wheel 3i as having been operated rearwardly by the vacuum in the pneumatic 31 to turn the frame 20 to its operative position, and by the arrow shown in Fig. 3 I indicate the movement that the gear wheel 34E will have when atmospheric air is admitted to the pneumatic 31 and the latter opens to move the rack bar 33 forwardly for the purpose of turning the frame 20 forwardly and downwardly from the traveling sheet 11i. l may employ the pneumatic 31, arm 32, rackbar 33 and gear wheel 3-1: for effecting the automatic movement of the frame 20, and in such employment the spring 30 is also an advantage in that it assures a uniform engagemcnt of the teeth of the gear w ieel 3iwith the teeth of the rack bar 33 and an even uniform movement of the frame 2O without undue freedom of the moving parts which might cause a rattling noise or be otherwise objectionable. 1While I prefer to employ automatic means for moving' the frame 2O from one to the other of its two positions, it is perfectly obvious that said frame may be operated by the hand and that under such condition the spring 30 is useful in binding the frame 20 in each of said positions. rl`he hinged or movable side of the pneumatic 31 is connected with a spring 35 whose normal tendency is to move said side to its open position and cause the rack bar 33 to turn the frame 20 to its lower or inoperative position. A tube 36 communicates with the interior of the pneumatic 31.

In the construction of the instrument care should be taken to see that the horizontal member 23 of the frame 20 does not interfere, when in its operative position, with the entrance of air into the ordinary tracker bar ducts to operate the music Pneumatics. rrlhe member 23 being circular in cross-section has only a line contact with the traveling perforated sheet, and hence will not stop the passage of air into the ordinary tracker bar ducts unless said member is of undue diameter or said ducts of very small diameter. The entrances to the ducts and the diameter of the member 23 should be such that said member when in its operative position will not prevent the entrance of air into said ducts.

In the operation of a musical instrument employing my invention, vacuum is created in the player action to permit the player to work, as in playing, as usual; and this vacuum acts through the tube 36 to close or collapse the pneumatic 31 in opposition to the force of the spring 35 and effect, through the rack bar 33, the movement of the frame 20 to its operative position. On re-rolling the music sheet on the instrument, vacuum communication is cut off from the action, as customary in all usual players, and this will have the effect of cutting off the vacuum from the pneumatic 31 and permitting the spring 35 to, through the hinged side of the pneumatic, arm 32, rack bar 33, and gear Wheel 34, move the frame 2O to its lower or inoperative position.

In the drawings, 37 denotes the usual main bellows chest within which the requisite vacuum is created. 38 the usual pumps, and 39 the action chest, which is subdivided into chambers 40, 41 by means of a central partition 42. Upon the bellows chest 37 are, at each end thereof, an auxiliary chest 43 separated into two divisions by a partition 44, one division 45 being in communication through a port 46 With the said bellows chest and through a port 47 with a pneumatic or bellows 48, said port 47 being in one wall of the bellows and the other or hinged wall of the bellows having a pad 49 by which the port 47 may be partly or completely closed. The chamber 50 of the chest 43 is in communication with the pneumatic or bellows 48 by means of a port 51, and with ythe bellows chest, at the proper time, through a port 52. The upper or hinged side of the bellows 48 is connected with a regulating or control spring 53. A valve 54 controls the port 52 and said Valve has a stem connected with a flexible diaphragm 55,

which is secured at its edges upon the upper edges of a boX or chest 56 which has a vent or bleed communication with the interior of the bellows chest 37, the purpose of which is to secure the balancing of the diaphragm When the diaphragm is dished downwardly, the valve 54 will close the port 52 and when the diaphragm is dished upwardly, the valve 54 will uncover the port 52, Whichis of greater diameter than the port 46. A conduit 58 leads from the chamber 40 of the action chest 39 to the chamber 50 of one chest 43 and a corresponding conduit 59 leads to the chamber 45 of the other chest 43. Both chests 43 are alike and at each end of the main bellows chest 37 are the ports 46, 52, valve 54, diaphragm 55, box or chest 56 and vent or bleed 57. A conduit 60 leads within the chest 56 and below the diaphragm 55 at one end of the bellows chest 37 and a corresponding conduit 61 leads to the similar chest at the other end of the said bellows chest 37.

The conduits 24, 25 leading from the frame 20 and the conduits 60, 61 leading to the chests 56 inclosed within the bellows chest 37 are employed at their adjoining ends in connection with a stationary valve part 62 and a slidable valve part 63, the end portions of said valve parts having coperating ports so arranged that the conduits 24, 60 may be placed in communcation with each other and conduits 25, 61 may be placed in communciation with each other, as will be understood from the following'description.

The slidable valve part 63 may be moved to the left or right by means of a stem 64 and is held up against the stationary valve part 62 by means of springs 65 which are on screws 66 extending through slots in said movable part 63 and serving as guides and stops for the same. The stationary valve part 62 has ports 67 which are in direct communication with the conduits 60, 61, and also ports 68 which are in direct communication with the conduits 24, 25. The slidable valve part 63 has ports 69 and, on its upper side close against the stationary part 62, recesses or ports 70, and these ports 70 when the accenting mechanism is arranged for operation, connect the ports 68 and 67 so that communication is established from the conduits 24, 25 through the ports 68 and recesses 70 with the ports 67 which are in direct communication with the conduits 60, 61 leading into the boxes or chests 56 supporting the diaphragms 55, and it' is this condition of the aforesaid ports that I illustratey in Fig. 1. Vhen the accenting mechanism is not to be used, the slidable valve part 63 will, by means of the stem 64, be moved to the left, looking at Fig. 1, and this will have the effect of connecting the ports 67 with the ports 69 which are open to the atmosphere and cutting off communication through the recesses 7() between the ports G8 and pors 67. life may consider that the slidable valve part 63 is in the operative position shown for permitting the use of the accentin g mechanism, and the description ott the operation may be confined to say the bass side oi the player, since that side is shown in section and also because the two sides of the player, while operating independently so tar as the accenting is concerned, correspond exactly in construction and operation. During the soft playing or when notes are not to be accented, the parts will be in the relative positions in which they are represented in Fig. 1, but when one of the accenting perforations 19 in the music sheet passes into register with the opening 18 in the tracker-bar, and the opening 2G in the frame 20, atmospheric air passes through the said opening 26 and will pass through said iframe to the conduit 24 and then through the ports ($8, 70, 67 to the conduit 60, and thence to the lower side of the diaphragm 5.3 and result in the upward bulging of said diaphragm and the raising of the valve 541 from the port 52, at' which time the exhaust in the bellows chest 37 will act through said port 52, it being ot greater dimensions than the port 11G, and through the port 51 to close the valve 49 and through the conduit 5S on the action chest 39, with the result of the exhaust acting more strongly at that moment on the note being played and accenting said note. The moment the perforation 19 in the music sheet, employed in accenting, passes the opening 18 in the tracker-bar, said opening 18 becomes closed at its iront end, atmospheric air is cut off from the conduits 2:1-, GO, and the valve 5st reseats upon the port 52 and then the exhaust action trom the main bellows chest 87 is through the port 4G, chamber 41:5, port 117, bellows 48, port 51 and chamber on the conduit 5S and chamber' 40 of 4the action chest 39.

Vf hat l claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. ln a musical instrument of the class described comprising a traveling music sheet having accenting perforations, a trackerbar having an opening in position to register with said accenting perforations, an action chest, a main exhaust chest whose exhaust action on the action chest is modiiied to eiifect the accenting, and accenting mechanism for cooperative action with said music sheet and tracker bar and including controlling devices interposed between the tracker bar and said main exhaust chest and comprising a hollow iframe movable toward and from said sheet at the tracker-bar and having an opening in its rear face in position to register with the accenting perforations and to be opened thereby when said perforations, one after another, pass into register therewith and with the opening in the trackerbar, and a conduit for the passage of air at atmospheric pressure leading from said frame to the pneumatic mechanism.

2. ln a musical instrument of the class described comprising a traveling music sheet having accenting pertorations, a trackerbar having openings in position to register with said accenting perforations, an action chest, a main exhaust chest whose exhaust action on the action chest is modified to ef- :tect the accenting, and accenti-ng mechanism for cooperative action with said music sheet and tracker bar and including controlling devices interposed between the tracker-bar and said main exhaust chest and comprising a hollow frame movable toward and from said sheet at the tracker-bar and having independent air ducts in its opposite end portions and in the rear face of said portions openings in position to register with the accenting perforations and to be opened thereby when said perforations, one after another, pass into register therewith and with the openings in the tracker bar, and independent conduits for the passage of air at atmospheric pressure leading from the end portions of said frame to the pneumatic mechanism.

3. In a musical instrument of the class described comprising a traveling music sheet having accenting perforations, a trackerbar having openings in posit-ion to register with said accenting perforations, an action chest, a main exhaust chest whose exhaust action on the action chest is modified to eliect the accenting, and accenting mechanism for cooperative action with said music sheet and tracker-bar and including controlling devices interposed between the tracken bar and said main exhaust chest and comprising a hollow frame movable toward and from said sheet at the tracker-bar and having independent air chiots in its opposite end portions and in the rear face of said por tions openings in position to register with the accenting perforations and to be opened thereby when said perforations, one after another, pass into register therewith and with the openings in the tracker bar, and independent conduits iior the passage of air at atmospheric pressure leading from the end portions of said fra-me to the pneumatic mechanism, said frame having means for adjusting its length to meet the requirements of' the sheet and tracker bar.

el. In a musical instrument of the class described comprising a traveling music sheet having accenting perfor-ations, a trackerbar having openings in position to register with said accenting perforations, an action chest, a main exhaust chest whose exhaust action on the action chest is modified to eiiect the accenting, and accenting mechanism for cooperative action with said music sheet and tracker bar and including controlling devices interposed between the tracker bar and said main exhaust chest and comprising a hollow frame movable toward and from said sheet at the tracker-bar and having independent air ducts in its opposite end portions and in the rear face of said portions openings in position to register with the accenting perforations and to be opened thereby when said perforations, one after ana main exhaust chest Whose exhaust action on the action chest is modified to eHect the accenting, and accenting mechanism for cooperative action With said music sheet and tracker bar and including controlling devices interposed between'the tracker bar and said main exhaust chest and comprising a swiveled frame having side members and a connecting member extending When the frame is in operative position across said sheet along the tracker bar and said frame having openings in its rear face in position to register with the accenting perforations and to be opened thereby when said perforations, one after another, pass into register therewith and with the openings in the tracker bar, and independent conduits for the passage of air at atmospheric pressure leading from the end portions of said frame to the pneumatic mechanism.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York andState of New York, this 9th day of December, A. D. 1913.

JOHN C. DEHLS. fitnessesz ARTHUR MARION,

CHAs. C. GILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents,

' Washington, D. C.

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