US1271934A - Pedal-controlled phrasing device for player-pianos. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. PARSONS. PEDAL CONTROLLED PHRASING DEViCE FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-21. 1917*. 1,271,934. Patented July 9,1918.

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G. H. PARSONS. PEDAL CONTROLLED PHRASING DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I, 191]. 1,271,934. Patented July Q 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. PARSONS, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 KROEGER PIANO COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PEDAL-CONTROLLED PHRASING DEVICE FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed August 21, 1917. Serial No. 187,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen H. Parsons, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal Controlled Phrasing Devices for Player- Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to pneumatically actuated mechanical musical instruments, with more particular reference to piano players and so-called player pianos, and still more particularly to pedal-controlled means therein for substantially instantly controlling the degree of force that shall be given to certain notes or chords in the rendition of a selection, known in musical parlance as phrasing.

In instruments of this character, the necessity for the provision of what is known as the equalizer, the object of which is to transform the intermittent and frequently unequal impulses imparted to the pedals into a substantially constant and uniform or gradually modified air-pressure variation, carries with it the necessity for the provision of a composite vacuumizing chamber of such capacity that the degree of rarefaction of the air therein can be but gradually and comparatively slowly varied by pedal operation to correspondingly gradual y nd comparatively slowly vary the intensity of the sound-producing forces. However, as ex plained by me in a prior patent, granted to me on October 9, 1917, No. 1,249 366, it is not infrequently essential to proper or desired expression to proceed abruptly 01' quickly from very loud to relatively soft tones, as from a crash to a pianissimo effect, or to abruptly accent a single note or chord, and while this has heretofore been rendered possible through the provision of levers or buttons on the key-slip, such instrumentalities are more or less objectionable in that as also set forth in my earlier patent. aforesaid the use thereof necessitates additional mental effortand manual operations.

In this earlier patent I have shown and described means adapted to be incorporated 1n the pneumatic fitment of a player piano, under substantially instantaneous control by the operator through the pedals, for varying the volume of air which is permitted to pass from the stack to the equalizer, and therefore the degree of air pressure to which the hammer actuating mechanisms are subjected, and experience has undoubtedly demonstrated the efiicacy of the device shown and described. However, the expression or accent controlling means of this earlier patent included a pneumatic, and it is well known that a pneumatic is a more or less delicate, complicated and therefore comparatively somewhat costly device. It includes a valve-actuating pouch, of material likely to be originally-or to become through usepunctured, and also includes a minute passage from the interior of the pouch to the atmosphere, likely to become cloggedin either case partially or wholly destroying the efiicacy of the device.

The principal object of the present inven tion is the simplification of the device of my prior patent, aforesaid, largely through the elimination of the pneumatic and the substitution therefor of a less complicated, less expensive, more dependable, longer lived and equally eflicacious instrumentality for the performance of the same function.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which I have illustrated what I consider the most practical and convenient embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the lower portion of a player piano, the front side of the casing having been removed;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section, taken substantially on the lin 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the expression or accent controlling device, one side of the casing thereof havin been removed to show the interior thereo Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, taken substantially'on the line 77- of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8.,is a vertical section, taken substantially on the line 88of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 9;i s. a, view of thetend, of the valvecontrolling bellows. opposite to, that shown in the lower part of Fig. 5.

Referringnow tothe drawings in detail, I have shown in Fig. 1 the hammer and rec- Quiz-r 1:wanting.mec a t Player piano, which includes the pedals 15 15'', the exhausters 16 16, operated by said pedals, the equalizers 17. 1f communicating with he xile-aster 6" through he. ue or ir-Passa e 8 em, which e d h P p 19 to the 'roll winding motor (not shown) and. p pe 20 to he ta k (110t he n), l of: hich? may be, of any known and approved construction and arrangement.

shown and'described inmy earlier patent, aforesaid; I interpose in the pipe 20 an air-tight boX or casing 21 provided with openings and suitable couplings or connectionsfor the divided' sections of the pipe 20, whereby thisbox forms a part of the passage from the duct 18 to the stack. The bQXZ'l is dividedjby the partition 22 into twocompartments 23 and2 il, the former beingrelatlvely wider than the latter for ma .01 s e aine in y. Pr r Pat f said; To permit thepassage of, air through this partition 22, under what may be termed r ary c di ions. and seq e y from the.sta ck to the equalizer or the composite vacuum; chamber, I aperture said'partition,

preferably through the provision of. a plu rality of alined ports 25 25 adapted to be opened and closed to a greater or lesser ext by h lidealv 2. te o the par iti j 2* Thi lide-" 6 s trolled; by means ofthe-bellows 2 7, the movable member 28 of, which is connected with aid: v v hrough he rod 2 an e terior of which is open to, the interior of the compartment 23 through the port or opening 30, through which, also, the rod 29 Pas esa w ll-spr n 31 er ng t y nely retainsaidhq lews 27. in a dilated condition. It will now be apparent that excessiye rarefaction of the air in the compartment 23, resulting from unduly strenuous manipulation Qfg the pedals 15 15, for instance, will promptly result in the contraction of the bellp s 7 and consequent p op ona e 010sing of the valve 26 thus to a greater or lesser extent choking the passage from stack to equalizer and inversely compensating for the excessive forces generated-orb reverse operat'ien cempensating for temporarily inadequate fOrizesP-to, maintain substantial uniformity O ntensity of the hammer actuating forces, under what'may be termed normal conditions, in a manner for which no patentable novelty is claimed in the present application. For convenience and brevity of description, and in view of its function, I shall hereinafter designate the valve 26 as the equalizing valve.

The equalizing valve 26having been provided in connectionwith thefports, or open ings 25 25 in order to insure substantial uniformity in the air-pressure variation which is utilized to actuate the soundproducing instrumentalities irrespective within certain limitsof the forces applied to the pedals, it will be apparent that abrupt accenting from the pedals is impossible in the, absence of additional or supplemental means for accomplishing this, result, and I therefore provide the partition 22 with another and relatively larger port or: opening 32, adapted to be opened and closed by means of a valve 33 mounted at the end of one arm of a. lever 34 pivoted at 35 and extending obliquely through the compartment 23, said valve 33 being yieldingly pressed to closed position by means of a spring 36. In order to enable the production of an accenting effect of-lesser degreethan a desiredinaximum, as explained in my earlier patent, aforesaid, I also prefer to provide the valve 33 with a port or opening 37, of considerably less area than that of the port or opening 32 in the partition 22, which smaller port or opening 37 is adapted to be openedandclosed'by means of a shpplemental valve. 38 at the end of one arm of the lever 39 contiguous tot-he lever 34. While the lever 39 is also pivoted at 35 and similarly extends obliquely through the compartment 23, the other end or arm thereof is disposed slightly in advance of the corresponding armof the lever 34, whereby it will be engaged by common actuating means prior to engagement betweenv said; meansand the arm of the lever 34, in, order that what may be termed a 'moderately augmented force applied to one applicationof what may be termed an ex- 7 cessively augmented force the larger valve 33 will be opened, resulting in the substantially immediate production of a tone or tones of maximumintensity. I have shown a spring 49 for yieldingly retaining the valve 38 in a seated condition.

It will be apparent that if the valve 33 considered alone for maximum effect, or the valve 38 considered alone for ail effect of lesser degreecan be made exceedingly sensitive to variations. in the forces applied to the pedals, to be instantly openedautomatically upon the sudden application of excess pressure to one or the other of the pedals, an independent and much more capacious channel may be established between the stack of the instrument and the composite exhausting chamber, through the pipe 20, thereby instantly causing intensification of the forces actuating the sound-producing instrumentalities. In the device of my prior patent, aforesaid, I employ a pneumatic, directly connected with the exhausters, as means for opening the valve 33 (or the valve 38 alone, if desired) upon the sudden application of an augmented force to one or the other of the pedals, and I now find that it is not necessary under all conditions to employ so complicated a device as a pneumatic, practically the same result being assured through the provision of a pair of bellows 40 and 41 mounted on the bottom of the box 21, the movable sides of these bellows being rigidly connected by means of a plate or member 42 which is provided with an arm or extension 43 adapted upon movement under collapse of said bellows to engage an arm ett of what may be termed a crank-lever, the other arm 45 of which is adapted to impinge against, first, the free arm of the lever 39 and then the free arm of the lever 34: to first open the valve 38 and then the valve 33.

The chamber within the bellows 40 is in direct and open communication with the interior of the exhauster 16 through the pipe 46, and the bellows 41 is in direct and open communication with the interior of the exhauster 16' through the pipe 47. Therefore, in addition to what may be termed a negligible effect upon the air in the composite equalizing chamber, will instantly and to a high degree rarefy the air in one or the other of the bellows 4:0 and 41, causing substantially instantaneous collapse thereof and operating through consequent movement of the plate or member 42 with its arm or extension 43 to open either the valve 38 alone or the valve 33 therewith, according to the magnitude of the augmented force applied, in either case to a lesser or greater extent permitting the passage of a greater volume of air from the stack to the equalizer and therefore to a correspondingly greater extent intensifying the forces which actuate the sound-producing instrumentalities.

The bellows 40 and 41 are yieldingly retained in or returned to an expanded or dilated condition by means of the tension spring 48, and I may state that I prefer to employ two separate bellows, instead of one, primarily to avoid the necessity for the provision of valves, which would be essential if passages from the exhausters led into the same bellows, for otherwise air would flow into the chamber from the idle eXhauster as rapidly as it was 'withdrawn from said chamber by the working exhauster. hen two bellows are employed, obviously, only one thereof is forcibly collapsed under the augmented pedal-applied force, the other collapsing idly.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have materially simplified the deviceof my earlier patent, aforesaid, without sac rifice of eiiiciency and undoubtedly with enhanced durability and dependability.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means including a valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows the interior of which has direct communication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and said valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows.

2. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means including a valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows the interiorof which is in constantly open communication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and said valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows.

3. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means including valves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows the interior of which has direct communication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and said valves to open the latter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

4. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrinnentalities of the instrument, of means including valves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows, the interior of which is in constantly open communication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable &

member of said; bellows and said valves to open thev latter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

5. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means including a valve for retarding and accelerating the flow. of air through said passage, said valve having an opening.therethrough yieldingly closed by a supplemental valve, a bellows the interior of which. has direct communication with, said exhausting means, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and said valves to open the latter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

6, In a musical: instrument of the character described, the combination, with exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said; equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means including a valve for retarding and acceleratingthe flow of air through said passage, said valve having'an opening therethrough yieldingly closed by a supplemental valve, a bellowsthe interior of which is in constantly open communication with said exhausting means, and connecting means between a. movable member of. said bellowsand said valves to open the latter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

7 In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, andthe air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including, a spring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows having direct communication with said exhausters, connecting means between theimovable member of said bellows and said valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows, and means for yieldingly retaining said bellows in a dilated condition.

8. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including a spring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a bellows having constantly open communication withv said .eXhausters, connecting means between said bellows and said valve toopen the latter uponcollapse. of said bellows, and means for yieldingly retaining s id ellows n d a ed n it n- 9. n a musi al nstrume o thehara r d s r b d the. combinati n t he pedals, the exhaust-ers, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including a spring-seated: valve for retarding; and acc lerating the flow of air through said passage, a pairof bellows the interior of each being independently in constantly open communication with one of the'exhausters, and connecting, means between said bellows and saidvalve and common to the movable sides of-both of said bellows to 01 ,6 1 said valve upon collapse of either of said bellows.

10, In a musical instrument ofthe character described, the combination, with the pedals, the e -ha-usters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means including a spring-seated valve for retarding and accelerating the flow of air through saidpassage, a pairlof; bellows the interior of each being independently in constantly open communication withone of said eXhausters, means for rigidly connecting the movable sides of said bellows, andmeans interposedibetween said connecting means and said valve to open the latter upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

11;. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and: the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, ofmeans including valves for variably retarding and accelerating the flow of air through said passage, a pair of bellows the interior of each being independently; in constantly open communication with one of the eXhausters,-and connecting means between said bellows and said valve and common to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valves successively upon collapse of either of said bellows.

12. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of: the-instrument, of means includingvalves for variably retarding and accelerating, the fiowof air through said passage, a pair of bellows theinterior ofeach being independently in constantly opencommunication with one of said exhausters, means for rigidly connecting the movable sides of said bellows, and means. interposed between said connectingmeans and said valves to open the latter successively upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

13. In a musical instrument of the characterdescribed, the combination, with" air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air; passage from said equalizing means to the sounchproducing instr-umentalities of the instrument, of means providing a chain: bet in aid passage,- a partition dividing said chamber into two, compartments, independently valved openings through said par- 1,271,93&

tition, a bellows the interior of Which has direct communication with said exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and another valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows.

ll. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings in said partition, a bellows the interior of which is in constantly open communication with exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and another valve to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows.

I5. I11 a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instriunentalities of the instrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partition, a bellows the interior of which has direct communication with said exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and other valves to open the latter successively upon collapse of said bellows.

16. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with air exhausting means, means for intermittently actuating the same, equalizing means, and an air passage from said equalizing means to the sound-producing instrumentalities of the instriunent, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partition, a bellows the interiorof which is in constantly open communication with said exhausting means, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between a movable member of said bellows and other valves to open the latter upon collapse of said bellows.

17 In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrun'ient, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partition, a pair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantly open communication with one of said exhausters, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of raretaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between said bellows and another valve and common to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valve upon collapse of said bellows.

18. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partion, a pair of bellows the interior of each being indepemlently in constantly open communication with one of said exhausters, means for rigidly connecting the movable sides of said bellows, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and means interposed between said connecting means and another valve to open the latter upon forced collapse of either of said bellows.

19. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partition, a pair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantly open communication with one of said exhausters, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree of rarefaction of the air in said chamber, and connecting means between said bellows and other valves and common to the movable sides of both of said bellows to open said valves successively upon collapse of either of said bellows.

20. In a musical instrument of the character described, the combination, with the pedals, the exhausters, the equalizer, and the air passage from the equalizer to the stack of the instrument, of means providing a chamber in said passage, a partition dividing said chamber into two compartments, independently valved openings through said partition, a pair of bellows the interior of each being independently in constantly open communication with one of said exhausters, means for rigidly connecting the movable sides of said bellows, one of the valves being automatically controlled by the degree unto set my hand inthe presence oftwo Witof rnreiactlon of the au 1n szud chamber, nesses. andmeans lnterposed between sa1d-connectingmeans and other valves -to-open the lat- GEORGE PARSONS 5 ter successively upon forced collapse of Vitnessesz,

either of said bellows. ANNA 'J.,:IINGSLEY,

Intestimony'of'theforegoing, Ihav'e here- ALBERT F. STEVENS.

Copies ofthfs patent may be obtained fdrfive cents each, byaddfes'sing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. G.

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