US1437322A - Automatic reverse for player pianos - Google Patents

Description

v M. LOWENT-HAL. AUTOMATIC REVERSE PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1920;. RENEWED APR. 3; 1922- Patented Nbv. 28, 1922..

INVENTOR I Ill .1111! 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Martin Lowenthat ATTORNEY I WITNESS:

M. LOWENTHAL. AUTOMATIC REVERSE FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1 920. RENEWED APR. 3. 1922.

Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Martin Lowenchal INVENTQR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

M. L OWEN THAL, AUTOMATIC REVERSE FDR PLAYER PIKNOS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, I920- HENEWED RH-3,1922- 1, 7, Pat ntednov; 28,1922.

INVENTOR' O WITNESS: MT RNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. p,

MARTIN LOWENTHAL, OF EDGEWOOD, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC REVERSE FOR PLAYER IE'IANOS.

Application filed May 14, 1920, Serial No. 381,379. Renewed April3, 1922. Serial No. 549,166.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN LOWENTHAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Reverses for Player Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to player pianos and has for its object the provision of means whereby upon the completion of the playing of a roll the reversing mechanism will be automatically actuated whereby to effect rewinding of the roll so that tearing'thereoi from the core will be prevented, it being well known that'frequently operators carelessly fail to stop when a roll is ended.

I An important object is the provision of a device of this character which does not in any way interfere with the manual control but which is auxiliary thereto.

An additional object is the provision of means'of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efiicient in use, positive in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of the mechanism of a player piano and showing my device in applied position,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the essential features, showing the parts in playing position,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the parts in reverse position,

Figure 4 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pneumatic,

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through. the tracker bar, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one end of the operating rod.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the letter A designates the spool box of the mechanism of a player piano and while the device is shown as applied to player mechanism of a well known type it will be understood in advance that it may be adapted for use in connection -with player mechanisms of other types The letter B designates the spool, C designates The sprocket J about which the chain E is trained is loose upon the shaft D and is locked with respect to the shaft by means of pins K projecting from the collar G and engagingsimilar pins on the sprocket when the shaft D is in such position that the gears H and I are out of mesh. The letter L designates a sprocket secured upon the shaft D and driven by a chain M which is driven by the motor mechanism illustrated generally at N. The shaft N carries a sprocket 0 about which the chain E-is trained and the shaft N supports and engages one end of the roll carrying the note sheet. Connected with the lever F is a link P with which is ordinarily pivotally connected a lever Q connected with a link R which is in turn connected with the hand lever S which is manually movable by the operator whereby to effect movement of the lever F. hen the lever S is at one limit of its moi'ement, that is in position so that the parts will be in playing position, the gears H and I are in mesh, the collar K is retracted from the sprocket J. the sprocket J is consequently idle and the shaft D and spool B are ro-. tated by achain 'M driving the sprocket L. When it is desired to rewind a roll the lever S is moved to the other limit of its movement whereby the lever F will be moved to rotate the shaft D so as to move the pinion. H outof engagement with the gear I. At the same time the pins K or the collar engage the pins on the sprocket J and cause rotation of the shaft N through the instrumentality of the chain E and sprocket O. This rotation of the shaft N results in rewinding of the roll.

Very frequently a player neglects to shift the lever S at the end of a roll and the consequence is that the roll is torn. In order to avoid this I provide an automatic control device which comprises a pneumatic 10 mounted at some convenient location with respect to the player mechanism and,

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from a hole in one end of the tracker oar C. The nipple 12 is connected by a flexible tube 16 with the suction bellows T of the mechanism, The pneumatic 10 carries an arm 17 which is forked to provide prongs i8 and the distance between these prongs sufficient to receive the arm V The operation. of my attachment is. as follows:

When the player mechanism is in the playing' position above desc 'ihech the pneumatic 10 is in expanded position and the arm Q, is inits extreme right hand position engaging between the prongs 18., Then the playing ofthe rollis completed and the hole 15 in the tracker her is uncovered by registration therewith ot' a corresponding hole in the note sheet air may pass through the hole 15 whereupon the pneumatic 10 Will collapse or contact which Will result in movement or the arm 17 to the left which will result ininoving the link P and consequently the lever F into the reverse position" It is of course obvious that this re verse position may be effected by moving the lever S manually Withoutin any Way interfer-lug with theautoniatic control.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that Lhaye thus provided a very simple and efficient device for automatically controlling 7 menses the reverse mechanism of a player piano so as to avoid tearing of the note sheets.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is of course to be understood that reserve the rignt to make such changes in the term, constructiom and arrangement of parts as Will not depart front the spirit, of the in 'r'ntion or the scope of the suhjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a player piano mechanism, the co1nbination'with the tracker bar and reverse control. lever and the noteeheet oi? a pneumatic connected with the i bellows of the n ClldIllf-ill'l and connected with a nippie e" A ling from a hole in the tracker oar, said pneumatic being normally e L the note sheet heingprovided at its 1th a hole adapted to register Witl a end r.

hole in the tracker 'har whereupon said pneumatic will contrach and means con nected with the pneumatic and the verse lever whereby upon said contraction the control lever will be shifted tocits reverse position, said means comprising an arm con- .itiected by a ling WlllllllllG reverse lever and a forked arm carried by the pneumatic and ging said arm. n testimony whereof: I afiix my signature.

MARTIN LGWENTHAL

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