US1559164A

US1559164A - Knob-positioning machine for musical instruments

Info

Publication number: US1559164A
Application number: US600238A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward J Gulick
Original assignee: Conn Ltd C G
Current assignee: CG Conn Ltd
Priority date: 1922-11-11
Filing date: 1922-11-11
Publication date: 1925-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1942-10-27

Description

Oct; 27, 1925'. 1,559,164

E. J. GULICK KNOB POSITIONING MACHINE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Original Filed Nov. 1. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 in 2/61? for 6M4 gag/1% itness Oct: 27, 1925,

W z'tn ess Yintr/zj 1,559,164 E. J. GULICK I KNOB POSITIONING MACHINE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Original Fil d No 11, 1922- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ven tbimazgmb yfiwwm A ttorn ey Patented Get. 27, 1925.

STATES PA E OF C EDWARD J. GULIGK, or stunner, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0, 0. G. comm, we, or ELK- HART, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA.

KNOB-POSITIONING MACHINE FOB;

Application filed November 11, 1922, Serial No. 600,238,. Renewed April 9, 1925.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. GULIQK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Elkhart, county of Elkhart, Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knob-Positioning l\ I-a chines for Musical Instruments, otwhich the following is a specificat on.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of musical instruments.

Brass instruments are frequently provided with knobs or other projections which serve for the support of fulcrum pins connected with valve levers controlled by the player.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine by means of which the knobs may properly positioned on the circumference of an instrument body so as to be soldered thereto or secured thereto pern'ianently in some other suitable way.

The invention also has the object of locating positioning devices at selectively predeter-mined points relatively to the instru ment body and of maintaining the knobs prior and during the operation in that position which they are finally to occupy.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of this character in which the instrun'ient body itself may be selectively placed into a plurality of predetermined positions for the application of knobs to certain points of the body.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a bearing for a stupor-t for an instrument body which is arranged in a manner so as to quickly effect a release or a hold of the instrument body. whereby these bodies may readily be inserted into the machine in operative position or may easily be removed therefrom.

The invention also has the object of providing an improved positioning device in which a. positioning plunger is automatically forced with uniform strength into engagement with a knob to be positioned or in which the positioning plunger is retained in inoperative position when so desired.

ll' itll these and numerous other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification -.vay of example and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig 21s a nd vie Y e Fig. 3 is a sectional view, partly in elevation on the 33 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. l shows the indexing wheel on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 illustrates partly in elevation and partly in section on theline 5-5 of Fig. l the end bearing for a mandrel;

Fig. 6 is a detail section through one of the knob positioning dew ices;

Fig. 7 is a. front view of one these clamping devices;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view, and I Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on the line 9-90f Fig. 6. i i v I A bed 1 of the machine is provided at both of its ends with brackets 2 and 3 which serve as bearings for an instrument support or mandrel 5, which forms a core for the end of the instrument body 10, which has circular cross-section. The bearing bracket near the left hand end includes a tubular casting at which flares at one end and which rotatably supports the mandrel 5. This mandrel, as may be seen from Fig. 3, comprises a cylindrical portion 6 located in the tubular part at, and a tapering or conical portion 7, which is rotatably supported in the flaring part of the bearing t. This mandrel furthern'iore is providedavith an ap proximately cylindrical extension 8 in alinement with the cylindrical and conical part and terminating in a tapering element 9 of a size which is fitted to the enlarged end of the instru1ne 1 1t body 10.

This body, shown as a saxophone body, is provided with one or more sockets having an upstanding circular flange. The tapering extension 9 of the nandrel'has a recess 12 ot' a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the socket, and a, plug 13 is inserted through the socket into the recess. This plug is held against removal in its axial direction by being equipped with a cylindrical extension 14, which enters a. bore 15 centrally located with respect to the recess 12. The lower part of the extension 1% is provided with athread 16 engaged by the end of a screw 17 which is threaded nto the mandrel portion 9, whereby aevithdrawal ot' the plug can be efi'ected solely by rotation of the same, the screw 17 acting as a locking element to prevent withdrawal in axial direction.

The other bearing bracket 3 also is provided With a tubular Sleevie 19 Which is ill slotted on one side and which serves as a bearing for a cylindrical pin 20 having a sliding fit within the sleeve 19. A tapering socket 21 in the pin receives a tapering shank 21 of a mandrel 22, which enters the reduced part of the saxophone body 10.

In this way the saxophone body is rotatably supported in two bearings it the pin 20 is in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 or 5. In order to permit the quick release of the saxophone body from the machine the pin 20 is forced in axial direction of the body by a spring 23 within bearing 19, one end engaging the rear of the pin and the other end resting against a screw cap 2a which closes the end of the tubular part 1.9. A handle 25 which is secured to the pin 20 is guided in a slot 26 in the bearing, this slot being provided at its rear end with one or more enlargements 27 whereby, after the withdrawal of the pin towards the rear, a turning movement may be imparted to the handle 25 and the pin may be held in inoperative position.

An indexing wheel 30 is secured to a tapering extension 31 of shank G by means of a pin or the like and is held by a nut 32 against collars 33 which are threaded on the bearing 4. This indexing wheel is provided on its circumference with gradating marks indicating the degree of a circle as shown at 34.

On that face of the wheel which is di rected towards the bearing l: the Wheel is provided with a plurality of sockets which are suitably spaced and which are arranged on two coi'icentric circles, as may be seen from Fig. 2. These sockets serve for receiving locking pins 37 which are slidably disposed in tubular casings 36 parallel to the bearing 4. The locking pins 37 are located at the ends of the plungers 38 controlled by springs 39. The stems 40 ot' the plungers carry knobs 4-1 which have cam surfaces, as indicated at 4L2 in Fig. 3. These cam surfaces cooperate with corresponding cam surfaces of nuts 4-3 which are screwed into the sleeves 36, whereby upon rotation ot the handles ll) in a predetermined direction, a withdrawal of these locking pins 37 may be ellected while upon rotation of the opposite direction the springs 39 will force the pluugers into a position in which their locking pins enter the sockets 35. Pointers 44.: which are secured to the casings 36 cooperate with the gradating marks 34. on the wheel 30 to facilitate the adjustment of this wheel. and the locking of the wheel in adjusted position.

The bearing brackets 2 and 3 which rise from the bed 1 of the machine also serve as supports for a bar on which the positioning elements for the instrument knobs K may be adjusted longitudinallv of the saxophone body 10. This bar is profs-ably Those parts of the top and bottom of the bar outwardly are provided with a plurality elf transverse notcnes 60 arranged in pairs, the notches' in the upper and in the lower part of the bar being in alinementwith each other.

The bar 50 serves as support for a plurality of positioning brackets 53 which are provided with recesses 53 in conformity with the cross-section of the supporting bar 50 so as to be slidable thereon. The attachment or removal of the brackets 53 from the supporting bar 50 is effected through the provision of a plate 5% which is united with the bracket 53 near its upper end 54: by screws 55 and through the provision of a portion 55 which is similarly secured to the bracket 53 near its lower end. Upon removal of this detachable plate 5% the bracket may be freed from the supporting bar 50. The sliding movement of the bracket 53 relatively to the bar 50 is furthermore facilitated through the insertion of a jib 56 near the upper portion of the bra ket, the lower surface of this jib being made in conformity with. the upper edge portion of the supporting bar 50. A screw 57 threaded into the upper portion of the bracket enters the jib 56, to hold the same against displacement relatively to the bracket, and to adjust the pressure exerted on the bar 50 by the bracket.

The adjustment of the bracket with respect to the supporting bar may be effected upon withdrawal of locking means which cooperate with the notches ($0 on the supporting bar 50. The levers or lingers 58 and 59 are disposed so as to enter the notches 60 and are by means of pins pivotally supported at 61 and 62 in the plate slot Q5. A. spring (33 secured at its ends to arms (A of the levers normally tends to force the lingers into locking engagement with the notches and to hold thereby the bracket against lateral CllSPlElCBll'lQili] upon the supporting bar.

Another holding element or latch again is provided lor maintaining the lingers in operative position and for this purpose a lever 65 is pivotally mounted at 6b near the lower point of the clamping head, this lever being provided on one side with a notch 57 adapted to seat portions of the arms or when the lingers 58. 59 have been moved to locking position. This lever, movable in a plane parallel. to the bar, is under the control ot a spring (58 which is secured to the lower side of the bracket, whereby the lever is normally drawn into the latching posi lilt tion indicated at Fig. 4, to hold the handles 6-1 in operative position.

A plunger 70 is slidable in vertical direction in a cylindrical bore 71 voit' the bracket 53. Thisiplunger is provided with a reduced extension 52, which is surrounded by a. hel'i cal .spring73 restingat one end against the shoulder voi" the plunger 70 and at the other end against the closing portion at the top of the .bore. The plunger terminates ,at the bottom end in an extension which has a V- shaped conical socket 7.5 to grip the head of a knob K and to hold thereby the knob in predetermined position on the outer surface of the saxophone body 10. Rotation of the plunger 70 about its axis is prevented through a locking screw 76 which ente s through the bracket into a keyway 77 in the upper part of the plunger. Excessive downward movement of the plunger 70 under the action of the spring 72 is prevented owing to :the provision of a head 80 screwed to the top of the plunger. A latch 90 is pivotally mounted atSlon .top vot the bracket and the rear portion 82 ot the latch is connected by a spring .83 to .an anchor screw 84 secured in the bracket. The plunger has near the top .a notch 78 into which the latch J enters when the plunger has been with drawn to inoperative position. By this means theplungeris held upward while its bracket is being adjusted.

In the operation of the i'iiachine the saxophone ;body is placed with the enlarged cnduin the mandrel '5 and .is securedagainst rotation relatively thereto by the plug 13,. The reduced end lot the saxophone body receives theshank 22 which is then pressed inward owing to the action of the spring 19. Axial or .c tcum't'ercntial movement of the body relatiiiely to the supports thereby prevented.

The knobs K are usually arranged in axial series having predetermined spacings. The

brackets 53 are shown adjusted in -Fig. 1 to spacing 1 t 6 10 16 23. This axial series may have a certain circumferthen enter the pertaining socket- 235 on the wheel. A 'ter the indexing has been ellected,

the brackets 53 are adjusted on the support ing1bar50 to move longitudinally of the body until they have reached the predetermined marking on the supporting liar.

These clamping heads may readily be shifted on the supporting bar upon withdrawal of the

fingers

58, 59 from the pertaining notches 60, the plungers being locked by latch 90 in raised position. lVhen a bracket has reached the pi'eclet'ermined position the levers '64: are released and the fingers Will .then enter automatically the notches .60 and hold the bracket against movement in either way.

The plungers are released from latch 90 anaa knob has been placed under the same. The knob is then held in predetermined position on the outer surface of the saxophone body .and after having a flux applied to the saxophone body, the operator may solder the base of the knob in exactly the desired position on-the body. It will be seen that in this way a relatively large number of knobs may be positioned properly and the permanent attachment of a large number of these knobs can readily be accomplished in very short time.

One of the brackets preferably as shown in Fig. 1 at the right hand end carries a plunger 7'0, "which terminates in a point engaginga valve box 92 so as to secure this valve box in position, whereby the soldering or permanent attachment of the valve box may also be accomplisl-ied. Any reference to knob positioning devices in the appended claims is therefore to be understood'to include positioning devices for other projections on the saxophone body.

1 claim: 7

1. In amachine of the character described, the combination with a support for a taperiug instrument body to be provided with projections, positioning devices for retaining said projections at predetermined points on said body, and a common support for said positioning device's, said common support being inclined with respect to the axis of the instrument body and the support or the body.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a support of a tapering instrument body to be provided with knobs, a plurality of knob positioning devices axially adjustable oi said body, and a common support for said positioning devices, said common support being inclined with respect to the axis of the support at an angle corresponding to the angle of the taper of the instrument body.

3. In a knob positioning machine, a supporting element, and a positioning device including a bracket movable on said supporting element and means carried by said bracket tor locking the bracket in selectively predetermined positions on said element.

4-. "In a knob positioning machine for an instrumentbody,a supporting bar provided with notches, a knob positioning device slidable on said supporting bar, and locking means adapted to enter the notches tor retaining the positioning device. in selectively predetermined position thereon.

5. In a knob positioningmachine tor ii:-

strument bodies, a supporting bar having notches, a bracket; slidable on the bar, a spring controlled finger on said body adapted to successively enter the notches for lock ing the bracket in predetermined position on the bar, and a positioning member supported by the bracket.

6. In a knob positioning machine for instrument: bodies, a supporting bar provided with notches, a bracket slidable on said bar, 11 eans on the bracket For automatically engaging selected notches to lock the bracket against displacement on the bar, and a positioning member in the bracket.

7. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a supporting bar, a. bracket, a positioning member on the bracket, and automatically acting means on the bracket for locking the bracket on said bar, said automatically acting means being manually releasable.

S. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a supporting bar, a bracket slidable on said bar, a positioning member connected with the bracket, the supporting bar being provided with notches extending transversely thereof, a pair of bell crank levers supported on the bracket, and means for normally forcing said bell crank levers into locking engagement with said notches.

9. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a supporting bar provided with notches extending transversely of the bar, a bracket slidably disposed on said bar, a positioning member connected with the bracket, a pair of levers supported in said bracket and adapted to enter the notches, and a spring acting on both of said levers and adapted to "force them into locking engagement with said notches.

it). In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a supporting bar provided with sets of notches in transverse alinement, a bracket slidably mounted on said bar, levers oscillatably supported in said bracket, said levers having arms extending normally parallel to a surtaco ot the bar and adapted to enter alined notches, and said levers having angular arms adapted to be manually actuated for the withdrawal of said bars "from said. notches.

ll. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, a supporting bar, a positioning bracket slidable on said supporting bar, automatic means for locking said brackct on selectively predetern'iined points oi the bar, and additional locking means for retaining the first named locking means in operative position.

12. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a supporting bar, a positioning bracket movable on said bar, locking means for holding said bracket on selectively predetermined points on said bar, and a latch tor said locking means.

13. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, a supporting bar, a positioning bracket slidable on said bar, means movable in planes transversely of said bar for retaining said bracket in selectively predetermined position on the bar, and means movable in a plane parallel to the bar for retaining the locking means in predetermined position.

14. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, a positioning bracket, and a spring controlled plunger movable within said bracket.

15. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrun'ient bodies of circular cross-section, a positioning bracket containing a plunger, and means for forcing said plunger radially oi the instrument body towards the same.

16. In a knob positioning mechanism for an instrument body, the combination of a bracket, a knob positioning plunger slidable within said bracket, means for automatically moving said plunger in a predetermined direction, and means for retaining said plunger against rotation.

17. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a po sitioning bracket, a spring controlled plungel slidable therein, and means entering through the bracket into the plunger tor pre-- venting rotation of the plunger.

18. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, apositioning bracket, a plunger slidable therein, means tor normally forcing said plunger in a predetermined direction, and means for locking said plungen against movement in said direction.

19. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, the combination of a positioning bracket, a plunger movable therein, the plunger having a. transverse notch, and a spring controlled latch adapted to enter said notch and to retain said plunger in predetermined position.

20. In a knob positioning mechanism tor instrument bodies, a positioning bracket, a plunger supported. thereby, means for automatically moving the plunger to operative position, and means for holding the plunger in inoperative position.

21. In a. knob positioning mechanism for instrun'ient bodies, a positioning bracket, a.

plunger supported thereby, means for automatically moving the plunger to operative position, and manually operable means for holding the plunger in inoperative position.

22. In a knob positioning mechanism for an instrun'ient body, a positioning bracket, a plunger slidable therein, means in the bracket for forcing the plunger downward, and means for retaining said plunger in raised position.

23. In a knob positioning mechanism for an instrument body, a supporting bar, a bracket slidable thereon, a positioning plunger located in said bracket, a jib interposed between said bracket and said bar, and means for varying the pressure 01" the jib against the bar.

24. In a knob positioning mechanism for instrument bodies, a supporting bar, a positioning bracket slidably mounted thereon and supported from the upper edge of said bar, means for varying the pressure of said bracket against said bar, and a positioning plunger in the bracket.

25. In a knob positioning mechanism, a positioning bracket, a plunger movably supported there-by, a supporting bar on which the bracket is slidable, a jib carried by the bracket and engaging the edge of the bar,

and means carried on the bracket for varying the pressure of said jib against the bar.

26. In a knob positioning mechanism for an instrument body, the combination of a positioning bracket, a plunger movably supported thereon, and means for moving said plunger to operative position, said plunger being provided with a knob engaging socket at its operative end.

27. In a knob positioning mechanism for an instrument body, a positioning plunger, a rotary support for the body circumferentially adjustable with respect to said plunger, an indexing Wheel fixed on said rotary support, and a plurality of indexing pins operatively associated with said indexing wheel.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto affixed myisignature this 9th day of November, 1922.

EDWARD J. GULIOK.