US1238864A - Expression-indicator for musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

L. B. WING.

EXPRESSION INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 19l6. 1,238,864.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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EXPRESSION INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. l1. I916- V Patented Sept. 4, 191?.

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LUMAN IB. WING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

EXPRESSION-INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed November 11, 1916. Serial No. 130,689.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUMAN B. WING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, in the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expression-Indicators for Musical Instruments, of which the followlng is a specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part' thereof.

My invention relates in its preferred embodiment to automatic musical instruments of that class in which a perforated musicsheet is employed as a controlling medium, and more particularly relates to means for regulating or governing the expression, whereby a very accurate degree of lntens ty of tone, ranging from pianissimo to fortissimo, may be produced with controlling mechanisms which shallindicate to the opera-tor with what expression the particular parts of the musical composition is being played.

The objects of my invention, among other things, are to provide a simplified expression-indicator, controlled by the exhaust bellows, so that an operator can, at wlll, by operating the pedals more or less forc bly produce greater air tension in the windchambers, and one which will not confuse the operator; to arrange the indicator at the point on the traveling music-sheet at which the playing is actually taking place, thereby dispensing with the need for accurate calculation and expertness of the operator; to locate the indicator in the direct line of vision as the music-sheet progresses over the tracker; and to secure a simple, yet accurate, construction which will enable the indicator to follow closely the expression line upon thetraveling perforated musicsheet, the movement of which shall be con trolled'by the varying amount of air tension in the exhaust bellows.

,In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a portion of an automatic musical instrument with which my improved expression-indicator may be equipped; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified form of expression-indicator; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, the section being taken on the line 33 shown in 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the indicator looking from the left in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, the section being taken on the line 55 shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a detail front View of a part of the indicator attachment; and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, the section being taken on the line 77 shown in Fig. 5. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, 8 indicates the body of the musical instrument within which is the box 9, which has the usual tracker 10, provided with the apertures 11. 12 and 13 are the two music rolls, rotatably mounted in the box 9, upon which the perforated music-sheet 14 travels, the said rolls being driven by any ordinary mechanism not shown. It will be understood that the music sheet 14 in its forward travel passes over the tracker 10, whereby the perforations of the sheet register with the apertures 11, as desired, so as to allow the air currents to operate the musical instrument, as is common. This mechanism is of well-known construction and does not, of itself, constitute any part of my invention.

Secured to the shelf 15 mounted in upper part of the box 9 is the bracket 16 upon which the indicator pointer 17 is pivoted at 18, the tip 19 of the pointer 17 being arranged to register with the expression line 20 on the sheet 14, as such line crosses the face of the tracker 10. The pointer 17 swings laterally across the face of the tracker 10 to follow the expression-line 20.

21 is the pumping bellows, connected in any well-known way to the pedals 22, to create an air tension in the main wind-chest 23, the operating pneumatics (not shown) for actuating the musical instrument being connected with the wind-chest 23 by the pipe 24.

Attached to the shelf 15, substantially at right angles, is the fixed channel board 25 on one side of which is secured the pneumatic 26, having its movable leaf 27 con nected to the pointer 17 by the link 28, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The pneumatic 26 is hinged at 29 and on the leaf 27 is mounted the block 30, adjacent the hinge 29; the block 30 carries the spring 31, the outer end of which is attached to the board 25 by the screw 32. The spring 31 tends to hold the pneumatic 26 expanded as shown in Fig. 3. To the opposite side of the board 25 is attached the pneumatic 33, having the movable leaf 34 hinged 2112.35; the leaf 34 carries the block 36 adjacent the hinge 35, and to the block 36 is secured the spring 37, the outer end of which is attached to the board 25 by the screw 38. The spring 37 is of lighter construction and of less tension than the spring 31, as shown in Fig. 3. The port 39 connects the two. pneumatics 26 and 33, and the passage 40 cut in the upper part of the board 25 connects the pneumatic with the wind-chest 23 by the tube 41, through the pipe 42 to which the tube 41 is attached, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pipe 42 is provided with the bleed-hole 43 of usual construction, as shown in 'Fig. 7. When the pumping bellows 21 is operated to exhaust the air from the wind-chest 23, air is drawn in from the pneumatics 26 and 33 through the tube 41 in the direction of the arrows shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In the modified form of my invention, shown in Fig. 2, the two pneumatics 26 and 33 are mounted on the channel board 25, which is inclined from the perpendicular to suit the requirements of the width of the tracker 10. The leaf 27 has directly attached thereto the pointer 17 and also carries the heavier coil-spring 44 secured to the post 45, mounted on the box 9. The leaf 34 of the pneumatic 33 carries the light coil-spring 46, secured to the post 47, mounted on the shelf 15. The remaining parts of this modified form are constructed and operate in the same manner as in the preferred embodiment and need not be again described.

The mode of operation of my improved device is substantially as follows: The operator, by means of the pedals 22 and bellows 21, induces a vacuum in the wind-chest 23, approximately suited to the general characteristics of the piece about to be played. WVhen the air is exhausted to greater or less tension within the wind-chest 23 the pneumatic 33 is caused to collapse in direct proportion to the air tension as against the lighter spring 35, through the tube 41 and the pipe 42, with its bleed-hole 43. Since the pneumatic 33 is connected by port 39 with the pneumatic 26, the operator will cause the indicator 17 to coincide with the expression line 20 on the music sheet by a greater degree of muscular force exerted upon the pedals 22, so as to produce a greater air tension in the wind-chest 23, the movable leaf 27 of the pneumatic 26 being caused to collapse as against the tension of the spring 31. In operation, I have found that it is neces sary to have two pneumatics, as I have shown, to produce the proper operation of the indicating device, since the pneumatic 33 tends to equalize the pressure caused by the increased tension given to the air in the wind-chest 23 by greater force expanded by the operator on the pedals. The indicator tip 19, pointing more-or less directly along the meet the tracker, willthen follow the expression line 20 as the piece is being played, and it will be noted that such indicator tip is arranged to swing laterally acrossthe face of the tracker so that the osition of the pointer will show exactly w at is being played at that instant, and not some thing which is to be played later.

In the modified form, the operation is substantially the same: The pointer 17, with its tip 19, being directly aflixed to the movable leaf 27, is swung laterally across the face of the tracker to follow the expression line in direct proportion to the intensity of tone required.

It will be understood that the operator, by means of my invention, has direct control of the expression by means of the force expended in pedaling, whereby the tip 19 of the indicator follows the expression line 20 as the traveling music sheet 14 passes over the tracker,'one of the principal features of my invention being the utilization of two pneumatics interiorly connected, the equalizing pneumatic being connected with the wind-chest, while the pneumatic connected with the pointer is only connected with the wind-chest through the medium of the equalizing pneumatic. In practice, the equalizing pneumatic 33 is very sensitive to variations in air pressure through pedaling, and flutters continually through the operation of the playing mechanism, whereas the operating pneumatic 26, through the greater terrsion of the spring attached thereto, stabil izes the movement of the indicator pointer so that the operator may follow the expression line on the music sheet with great exactness.

Obviously various changes in the detail construction of my indicator may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, suited to the requirements of different conditions or different types of musical instruments, in many ways that will obviously occur to those skilled in the art.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, and a plurality of coacting contractible means each under different spring tensions connected with said indicator and said bole lows whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet 2. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a. traveling music-sheet having an expression line thereon, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet to follow said expression line, and a plurality of coacting contractible means each I under different spring tensions connected with said indiwhat and said bellows whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

3. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, a resiliently contractible pneumatic c0nnected with said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic communicating with said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

at. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet having an expression line thereon, an indicator movable latorally with respect to the sheet to follow said expression line, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connected with said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic communicating with said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

5. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connected with said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic, of less spring tension than, and communicating with, said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

6. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet having an ex pression line thereon, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet to follow said expression line, a resiliently contractible pneumatic connected with said indicator, a second resiliently contractible pneumatic, of less spring tension than, and communicating with, said first pneumatic and said exhaust bellows, whereby varying air tension in said bellows moves the indicator across the sheet.

7. In an automatic musical instrument,

Copies the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, a spring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, an equalizing pneumatic communicating with said bellows,a spring normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

8. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, a spring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, an equalizing pneumatic communicating with said bellows, a spring of less tension normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

9. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling music-sheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, a spring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, an equalizing pneumatic communicating by a restricted passage with said bellows, a spring normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, the combination with the exhaust bellows, of a traveling musicsheet, an indicator movable laterally with respect to the sheet, an operating pneumatic for said indicator, a spring normally holding said pneumatic in expanded position, an equalizing pneumatic communicating by a restricted passage with said bellows, a spring of less tension normally holding said equalizing pneumatic in expanded position, and means connecting the two pneumatics with each other.

LUMAN B. ING. lVitnesses:

GHAs. I-I. TorrING, PHILIP C. PECK.

of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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