US1223885A - Automatic regulator for pneumatic pianos. - Google Patents

Description

V. L. JONES.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR PNEUMATIC PIANOS.

APPLICATION men APR. 10. ms.

1,223,885. Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEETEE.

VERN LrJONES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE FABRAND COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR PNEUMATIC PIANOS.

Application filed April 10, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Venn L. J ONES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulators for Pneumatic Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg's.

The invention relates to automatic regulators for pneumatic pianos and more particularly to a tempo regulator of the type in which the regulator is automatically operated by perforations in the music sheet.

The invention resides in the provision of an improved construction of regulator that is simple in construction; that will quickly and readily respond to the various adjustments; that is highly efficient; and further in certain details of structure and arrangement and combination of parts as will more fully hereinafter appear and as pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

The figure is a front View of the device embodying my invention.

A designates the tracker board, B the music rolls and C the music sheet. D is a motor for driving the winding roll and E the tempo valve that controls the connection from the pumping bellows to the motor. At the edge of the tracker board are one or more apertures as G G G etc., normally covered by the music sheet and each adapted to be open whenever an aperture in the paper is brought into registration therewith. Leading from the apertures G'G G are a corresponding number of tubes H H H connected to pneumatics I for actuating valves J which control communication between valve chambers K and a vacuum chamber L. The latter is connected to the exhaust apparatus by means of a pipe M and the valve chambers are in communication with a shifting mechanism for the member E.

This shifting mechanism is of improved construction and is designed to be readily responsive to the controlling mechanism therefor. As shown, the stem E of the valve E has its outer end connected to a piston N arranged for reciprocation in a cylinder 0. P and Q are small bleeds in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24:, 1917.

Serial No. 760,253.

the ends of the cylinder and R R R designate a plurality of independent conduits each connected at one end of the cylinder intermediate the ends of the latter, and having its opposite end connected to one of the valve chambers.

In operation, assuming the parts are as illustrated in the drawing and the aperture G is opened by a perforation in the music sheet, air will enter a pneumatic T hrough the tube H and the pneumatic will be expanded. This will raise the valve J and establish communication between the chamber controlled by this valve and the vacuum chamber. Since the valve chamber is in communication with the cylinder by means of the conduit R, a vacuum will be produced at the left hand end of the cylinder which will move the piston until it practically closes the conduit E. This move ment of the piston correspondingly.shifts the valve E. if further movement of the valve E is desired the next opening as G will be connected with the atmosphere, which will establish communication between the vacuum chamber and the cylinder through the conduit R causing the piston to move until this latter conduit is practically closed by the piston. Likewise a similar adjustment of the piston to the left may be effected through the remaining conduits.

If the piston is moved, say to the conduit R and it is desired to shift the valve in the reverse direction as to the conduit R, upon the opening of the aperture G a vacuum will be produced at the right of the piston which will shift the latter until it closes the conduit R. In other words, the shifting of the piston in both directions is controlled by the vacuum in the vacuum chamber, and it will be noted that irrespective of whether the piston is to the right or to the left of the conduit leading to the valve chamber that has been placed in communication with the vacuum chamber, the piston will be moved to close this conduit. Therefore, the opening of one of the apertures G G G etc. insures a shifting of the valve E to a given position, irrespective of the position of the piston at the time the aperture is open. It is to be understood that the bleeds are restricted in size so as not to destroy the vacuum in the cylinder when the latter is in communication with the vacuum chamber, but are of suflicient size to prevent compression of the air in the cylinder during shifting of the piston.

When the piston is moved to any one of its diilerent positions of adjustment, it will be noted that the piston remains in its adjusted position even upon closing of the port in the tracker board.

lVhile I have described my improvement as specifically embodied in an automatic regulator, it is to be understood that while it is peculiarly adapted for such a device, the shifting mechanism might be employed to regulate other parts, and also that the ducts which are shown as leading to the tracker board and controlled by the music sheet, might be arranged at other points in relation to the piano and controlled by a suitable device or devices.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a pneumatically operated musical instrun'ient, the combination with a valve member for controlling the motor, a valve chest provided with a vacuum chamber and a tracker board, of means for controlling said valve member and valve chest, including a plurality of connections between the chest and the tracker board, a cylinder, a plurality of separate conduits between the valve chest and the cylinder, means for connecting said last mentioned connections to said vacuum chamber, a piston in the cylinder, and an operative connection intermediate the valve and piston.

2. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument, the combination of a member to be operated and a tracker board, of a piston member and a cylinder member, means for moving said member to be operated upon the movement of said piston member, a plurality of ducts opening into said cylinder member, a vacuum chamber, connections between said vacuum chamber and tracker board and means actuated through said connections for operatively connecting said duets with said vacuum chamber, tor adjusting said member to be operated upon the uncovering of the port in the tracker board, said member remaining in its adjusted position upon the closing of said port.-

3. In a pneumatically operated musical instrument, the combination with the member to be adjusted, means for controlling said member comprising a piston member and a cylinder member, said cylinder member having bleeds arranged in its ends, an operating connection between one of said members and the member to be adjusted, a valve chamber, an adjacent-vacuum chamber, connections between the valve chamber and said cylinder, pneumatics, means operated by said pneumatics for connecting said valve chamber and vacuum chamber, ducts leading to the pneumatics, and means for controlling said ducts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VERN L. JONES. lVitnesses:

M. J. BELKNAP, JAMES P. BARRY.

(iopiee'ot this patent may be obtained for Me cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l'atentl, Wnhington, D. G.

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