US1613501A - Record-controlled musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

' 1,613,501 2 T. F. CHEEK RECORD CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1920 2 Sheefis-Sheet 1.

INVEI'ITOH 72L BERT FCHEEK MLJL/Y ITTORII Jan. 4, 1927.

I T. F. CHEEK RECORD CONTROLLED MUSICAL! INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 5, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIlVEI/TOR Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOLBERT F. CHEEK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE WELTE MIGNON CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RECORD-CONTROLLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed November 5, 1920.

This invention relates generically to means for controlling the volume or pressure of air acting on the devices which produce the tones in mechanically operated musical instruments and more particularly to certain improvements in that type of record-controlled musical instruments which has pressure controlling mechanism comprising elements correlated to permit the tension of the air at the striker action to be varied in accord with the dynamic force with which the striker pneumatics are to be operated at any time and to maintain said tension whether one pneumatic is operated alone or any number of pneumatics are operated together.

A fundamental object, of the invention is to provide means whereby a whole musical selection or any part or parts of a selection may be rendered louder or softer at will.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a tension governing and reguga ting means "for a record-controlled musical instrument, which tension governing and regulating means will include a governing and regulating valve and means for rendering said valve eflective and inel'l'ect-ive, at will.

Another of the important objects of the invention is to provide a record-controlled musical instrument with means having a plurality oi? valves for controlling the pneumatic tensions in different portions of the striker action, respectively, and a common humanly controllable operating means for said valves.

..\nother of the important objects of the invention is to provide a record-controlled mu- .s'iflill instrument with a plurality of co-operative means for governing or regulating the tension of the air at the striker pneumatics. one of said means being humanly operable and acting to change or modify the volume oi" sound which otherwise would be produced under control of the other means, vithout at the same time changing the relative strengths of the tones.

A further important object of the inveni to provide a record-controlled musical .dlftlllltilll'. oi? the type employing a valve ble in ditlerent positions with relation to its port to correspondingly regulate the tension of the air at the striker action and also provided with a governing means acting with relation to the valve to maintain Serial' N0.421,821.

said tension regardless of the number of notes sounded simultaneously, with a humanly controllable means whereby the dyinamic force consequent upon the setting of the regulating valve at any position may be varied without altering the position of said valve with relation to its port.

Another object is to combine and co-ordinate the several elements herein disclosed so they effectively perform the functions set forth.

In the drawings in which like references refer to like parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail of the control valve.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing one of the pneumatics for controlling the volume of air which actuates the player action.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing an alternative construction of a pneumatic for controlling the volume 0L air which actuates the play r action.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the instrument is provided with the usual tracker bar over which the perforated music sheet travels as it is wound up on the feed roller 11. The tracker bar ,is connected by suitable conduits (usually eighty-eight in number) not shown, with the usual strike pneumatics indicated conventionally at 12. There is one pneumatic 12 corresponding to each conduit leading from the tracker bar and they are selectively operated according to the perforations in the music sheetin a manner well known in this art. The pneumatics 12 are all operativcly connected with the common windchest 13 which in the structure illustrated is divided by a wall 14 into two chambers 15 and 16. The chamber 15 communicates with the set or group of strike pneumatics in the bass section and the chamber 16 communicates with the set or group of strike pneumatics in the treble section. Conduits l7 and 17 communicate with my improved volume control or tension varying members indicated generally by 20 and 20. The con struction and operation of the members 20 and 20 is identical and the description of one will apply to both. The parts on the treble side will. bear the same reference characters with a prime mark added.

The member 20 is formed with a box like portion 21 having two chambers 22 andc28 i spectivelv vvith th chain 92- A u in Fig. 3) tends .{iiij a K 2 led i U c not be '12; spring Ill (shovvn dotte uormallv to lteep t 1e and the :-'.lt'l'i0ll in caamhers 2 and 23 tends to collzipse s bellows when the valve 2t;

r hereinafter set forth. '1 1e mover rent of th* bellovvs 3O actuates a regulating" valve 32 which is hingedly secured at 3 '0 an in erio'r vvall il of the beilovvs. A. clip 35 lied to the Wall 36 ot the bellows has a uger engaging a heel. 231' in the val 32 shovvn best in Fig. 3.

i is a conventional representation of a suitable source of ovv'er for producing the air-urrents vcithin the system. e of power may he of any suitable nature and cmistruction those which operate upon the suction pi.'incipl.ei. e. to reduce the pressure of the air in the system to ises the i i 1 all (.71

beloiv that of the atmosphere being preterred. it customam tor this purpose to employ suitably operated suction pump,

.rhamber '41P) formed tuber 4-3 of maid gate- 1 ruigh a duct 71 in a c ox his \viih a chamber (m Whirh is indicated iarther provided v nitrol member,

iih chambers 6-2 and (its. The chamber (it; is separated from the chamher as h a pouch or diaphragm (38 which is engaged with one en: valve stem and To in the cham- (17 having valve dish This chamber {it has an atmospheric hifr (Si. port T1} to he opened and closed by the varve dish. and a suction pa -t ill" to he opened and closed bv the valve r it also has a port I13 through which i con'miunieates with the ueuniatio 61 having:

' expand it. The movie is connected 2h when the pneuand to open said valve when the pneumatic 3i is expantled.

will be noted that when the parts are e position hown in Fla. 1. the chamoer v the atmosphere and is closed aea nst the suction in chamber (35. Pump matic G1 is in QUHSQQllCLLx subjected to equal pressure. (atmospheric) acting upon oppoof its movable boa d and is held site so es expanded the valve 26 is open, as shovvn.

In order to close said valve the stem (5? is lifted by diaphragm (38 therein opening by its $1 ring (32. At this time,

tlud the suction port 73 and closing; the atmospheric port '73. This is actomplished by the admi, :ion ot atmospheric air to charnl or it This chan'ber connected by a tube Tl; to a control valve 80 which is humanly conolled. i. e. is under control or" an operaive (21:; clmlradistinguished iiiom the record which controls the striker pneumatics). it is here shown as adapted tor hand operation. This valve includes a tllSt} tl. with a port formed therein. The disc 81 is in closed position in l i "When it i c by turning the handle 83 to which 11:5 secur ed. the port 82 will come into reg er n'iti the aperture T5 in the duct l1- thus lishiz gr conniinnication oi? the duct Tl vvhich open to atmosi 1 "with the pipe will be noted that the valve 26 ot the nber Q0 and the valve 26 of the member are connected with each other b the stem LT and tl'rat said valves are so arranged with relation to their l'eltiPQtfitlVC ports that they are opened sinuiltaneouslv and closed sinuiltanemisl v under control. or the described humanly controllal means common thereto.

In Fig. l I have shown a slightly modified form of volume control unit 2') which is adapted to be installed with its longitudinal rxis vertical instead o'l, horizontal as in Fig. l. l' v ith this arrangement the operating rod 2? is bent at right angles as at 2T :lorming a short vertical arm as shown. to which is secured the valve ere which in this case slides on the upper surface of the wall 253. ft spring 26 serves to hold the valve yielding!- iv in vvorltinp contact vsith the all 525. The.

lateral mover; cut of the rod 2? \vi 1 more the valve to close or o mired. this rod being a the From the foreuoln r it will be 2 ii the player mshes to render a porlio: ol a sele tion sol'ter vihen the parts a c in the position shown in Fig.1. 1

s .1011. lh's turu:-

handle 13 to its other po the valve F ll so that port 5- 15 eonuei H a rd til. the latter b ing open to phere and the former b connect chamber (56. ltmosphe i diaphragm 68 then lifts the va thus closing port munication hetvveen chambers permitting the suction tron fit) lows (31 and thereby move the rod 27 to the right thereby moving the valves 26 and 26 from the open position shown in Fig. 1 to the closed position shown in Fig. 3.

This cuts oil? the comnumication between chan'ibers 22 and 23 by way of the port and all air exhausted by the pump it) now passes through the ports 28 and i3!) and 2S and 29 causing the bellows to 15 artially collapse against the action of the spring 31.

This causes the regulating valve 32 to partially close the port 29 resulting in cutting down its area and ctmsequentl y cutting down the volume of air exhausted from the player action 15 with the result that less force is exerted on the striker pneumatics and therefore softer tones are produced. To render the selection louder the player shifts the handle 83 to the other position thereby closing the pipe 74. and permitting the bellows 61 to move the rod 27 and operate the valves 26 and 26 so that the normal full. volume of air will be exhausted from the player action by the pump as will be understood from the drawings and the above description.

The foregoing forth preferred embodiments of one part of this invention. An additional, but. a. very important feature of the invcntimi is in the use of the described volmac-control means in COIijllHCi'lOfi with an expression-inechanisin and in a relationship between the said expression mechanism and the volume-control means such that the musical composition being played, or any selected section thereof, may be rendered with the full strength primarily intended or SOftOHGCl. at the will of the 0])01HtiVO, without eliciting the relative strength of the various tones which result in giving expression. in other words, an in'iportant featru'e of this invcntmn is the employment of the described volmne-control means as a part of a ten ionregulating and pressuremaintaining system wh ch system includes, in addition to the said volume-control means, mechanism operative under control. of the record to so control the tension of the air at the striker pneumatirs that the resulting tones will bear the cx i'e.--s.ve relationship to each other called for by a proper and artistic rendition of the conmositiou being played, and which system, moreover, by reason of its inclusion of the described voluine-,ontrol means may. at the will of the operative, be controlled to vary the volume of the tones emitted, with relation to the. entire composition being played or with relation to any selected partthereof, while still retaining the relative strengths oi tone c mtrollcd by the record.

it will be undcn-itood that the statement made with rel a on to the mechanism in corn iuncti on with which the herein described vole.me-control means is employed has referen e to that type of player"mechanisms in which not only are the notes sounded in their known in the art and this invention is not confined to the use of. any particular detail form of such mechanism. In a general way they may he described as including a valvular member which is settable to various positions with relation to a windway between the striker pneumatics and the source of power to thereby variably determine the tension of the air at the strikerpneumatics and the resulting volume of tone emitted; an expression member which is operated under control of the record (through the medium of expression apertures in the tracker board and an expression action connected with said apertures and with the expression member) to set the valve in its various positions to vary the strength of the tones accordingly; and a tension-regulating member which is operative with relation to the valve to mainain the strength of the tones predetermined by the setting of the valve, regardless of the number of notes played simultaneously. An example of such mechanism is found in Patent No. 1,008,291 issued November 7, 1911 to E. \Velte and H. Bockisch and the one herein illustrated is substantially identical therewith, the VVelte-Bockisch mechanism having been selected for illustration for the reason that it has been found to be eminently satisfactory in use and also because it is very well adapted for use in the present system which includes, in addition to mechanism of the type exemplified by the Veile- Bockisch patent referred to, a volume control means so correlated with the said mechanism that the two will constitute a single system having a plurality of regulating means in dividually usable in the system at the will of the operator.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing which illustrates an expression mechanism sub stantially identical with the said \Veltr mckisch mechanism, it will be noted that for each group or set of striker pneumaticsas the bass scale and treble scale, for examplethere is a slide valve. (47 or 47) an expression bellows, (50 or 50) and a tension maintaining (regulating) bellows, or 51) and that each slide valve is connected with the movable board of the corresponding regulating bellows by a ca (18 or 48') which passes over a sheave (51-) or 19) carried by the movable board oi the corresp mding expression bellows. In such a construction. as well. known, the exprefision meme bers- 50, 50 are controlled. by the record, through the medium of an expression action (not shownl and primarily control the tension of the air at the corresponding set or group of striker pneumatics by setting the \alvula- r members 47, 47 in such relation to the ducts forming parts of the windways hetween the source of power and the sets or groups of striker neumatics, respectively, that the passage of the air will be restricted to a greater or less extent in accordance with the strength of the tones to be emitted. l is also well known that in such inechanisn the regulating pneumatics (51 or 51), respectively. are detiatcd more or less in accordance with the tension GXlStll'lg in the corresponding windwa vs, whereby their springs (51 or 51) are put under correspondingly greater or less tension and thereby become efi ective to open the valves ll. 47, respectively, when the tension is reduced by the operation of the striker pneumatics and to an ntent which accords with the number of striker pneumatics operated simultaneouslv. the valves. however. alwavs returning to the positions predetermined h the extent of detlation ot the expression hellows, respectivelv. The expression mechanism described is completely operative as a. pressure controlling and tension maintaining means and the results obtainable from its use are accurate reproductions of the interpretation of the artist, w iich interpretation has hecn embodied in the record: but since musical taste airy, there are certain renditions. either of an entire composition or 01 certain portions thereof. which some lis toners would prefer to soften, without. however. changing the relative strengths of the tones predetermined luv the record. and to this end a volume-control means, such as that hereinbetore described. has been provided as an additional or sup 'ilemental part of the air-controlling system. and the volume control means has been placed under control of the operative so that he may. at will. hy :uljustuient ot a control element, 'cnder said volume-control means effective. as for sott playing, or inetl'ective as "for loud playing.

Thus it will be noticed that the chamhers 2'2. 22 of the volume ci'iutrol members 20. 20" are connected with the wind passages 1- '16 ot the striker actionhy ducts 17, 17; that the chambers :23, L3 of said volume control members are connected with the source of power it). h) ducts l6. 4-6. chambers ll, i l, a chamber l3. a chamher and a duct ll. all opening one into the other. and terming parts ot the windwavs between the strike pneuamticsv and the source ol power. it will also be noticed that the val vcs 4:. -57. respectively. control these windwavs and that the regulating meumatics :31. 5'1 and also the pneumatics ,0. 30 are ope 'ativelv related to the wiudi'avs. The correlation o t parts accordingly such that the air drawn i either section 15 or it; of the wind chest 13 will he restricted by the correspond ing valve t? or i? in accordance with the extent to which the corresponding bellows 50 or 51, has been collapsed and that when the control valves 26, 26, are closed the pneuniatics 30. 30 will be under the tension which exists in the respective wind passages and will l e collapsed more or less in accordance with the particular positions to whicl the valves 5-? have been set under control oi the record. Collapse o't either of these pneumatics 3t 30 correspomlingly moves its valve 332 or 3L to\ 'ard a c1os5ngposition with relation to the corresponding ports 21'). 29 so that the valve thus moved new acts lhe corresponding windwa and hence to reduce the volume of sound below that which occurs when the windways are controlled only b the valves all, el without however, aliecting the relative strength oi the tones, since the valves -7 are still operative to control such relative strengths. On the other hand, when the valves 26. 26 are open the flow of the air will be bv-passed, or will pass by. the pneumatics without substantiall v acting upon the same. so that the tension to which the latter is suhjected will be substantiallv inetlective to collapse them. Henci. the volumes of tones will be those predetermined by the settings of the valves i7, i7 without further restriction. Since the regulating PIlQllll'ltlilCS 51 and 51 depend tor their operation upon the tension of the air in the windways, res ectively, and since proper regulation calls for an instantaneous response to every change in tension, it is undcsi able to rely upon these pneumatics (51. 51) to ellect the regulation when the flow of air has been further restricted. It will be noted, however, that the pneumatics 30, 30, are much smaller and hence correspondingly weaker. than the pneumatic 51. Sr and when the ' alves 26, 26 are closed will in conjunction with taeir valves 32", be operative to e'tl'ect the n cessary regulation with relation to the w iakened tension existing at this time.

ll hile I ha e illustrated a typical embodiment of the invention, and while I have shown and described a particular application thereof in which there are a plurality ol groups or sets of striker pneuiuatics. one con'iprising the bass scale and the other the treble scale, it vill be tllipillCllt that; these are to be considered as beingmerely suggestive. and that the invention ina he otherwise and variously euihodicd. and that the uuiuhcr of notes in a group or set is not material. since there may he only one such-- in fact. that all the notes o! the piano may be regarded as a cioup or set aud since It. A

lhere may it fit is common practice. however, to separate the treble scale from the has: scale and to rovide separately controlled expression iechanisnis therefor, and hence I have so i lstrated the invention without, however. in-

tending by the use of the term group or set of striker pneumatics, or any equivalent term, in this description or in any of the claims, unless such term is otherwise qualified therein, to restrict to any particular member or scale oi striker pneumatics included in such term.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a record controlled musical instrument, a source of power, striker pneumatics, an expression pneumatic under control of the record, a regulating valve, a regulating pneumatic having a flexible connect-ion therewith, a mechanical connection between said expression pneumatic and the flexible connection connecting the regulating pneir matic and the regulating valve, an additional regulating pneumatic, a valve controlled by the latter, means under control of the operator to render the latter valve effective or ineli octive at will, and means, including the said regulating pnenniatics, forming a windway which connects the source of power with the striker pneumatics and is controlled by the said valves.

2. In a record controlled musical instrument, a source of power, a group or set of striker pneumatics, means forming a windway between the source of power and said group or set of striker pneumatics, a plurality of regulators of different characteristics both connected to said windway, and a humanly controlled means operative with relation to the windway to by-pass the air around one of the regulators.

3. In a record controlled musical instrument, a plurality of wind chests and a source of power, a duct connection leading from the source of power and having branches to each wind chest, a plurality of regulators of dili'erent cl'iaracteristics connected to and arranged to control the duct connection to each wind chest, pneumatic means and a humanly controlled means for by-passing the air around one of the regulators of one of the ducts.

4C. In a record controlled musical instrument, a plurality of groups or sets of striker Pneumatics; a source of power for the groups or sets of striker pneumatics; a plurality of members for the groups or sets of striker pneumatics, respectively, each member having a plurality of chambers and provided with an opening through which its chambers have direct comn'iunication with each other and a valve operatively related to said opening, and also having a regulator pneumatic, ports through which said pneumatic has communication with both of said chambers and regulator valve operatively related to one of the latter )orts; a connection between the first mentioned valves of the members; a motor pneumatic operatively related to said connection and operative thereon to open said valves simultaneously and to close them simultaneously; and humanly operative control means tor said motor pneumatic.

5. The combination with a source of power, groups or sets striker pneumatics, and separate record controlled expression devices for each oi the groups or sets of striker pneumatics, respectively, of a plurality of volume regulating control members operatively reiatcd to each or the expression devices respectively, an operating means common to one of said members oi? each set, and a humanly operative control means operatively related to said op mating means.

6. The combination with a source oi power, groups or sets of striker pneumatics, means forn'iing a \vindway between the source of power and the groups or sets of striker pneumatics, respectively, and lGCOlt controlled expression devices for the groups or sets of striker pneumatics, respectively, and operatively rela'ed to the windway: oi? a plurality of volume regulating control members for each expression device, one member oi each set having a plurality of chambers and provided with an opening through which the chambers have direct communication with each other and a valve operatively related to said opening, and also having a regiiilator pneumatic, ports through which said pneumatic has communication with both of said chambers and a regulator valve operatively related to one of said ports; a connection between the first mentioned valves of the members; an operating means operatively related to said connection and operating thereon to open said valves simultaneously and to close them simultaneously; and humanly operative control means for said operating means.

7. In a record controlled musical instrument, a source of power, striker pneun'iaties, a plurality of chambers, means through which th chambers have communication with the source of power and the stril-zer pneumatics, respectively, a valvular member, an expression member under control of the record and operating to set the valvular member in accordance with the tension to be produced at the striker pneumatics, a regulating pneumatic operative with relation to said valvular member to maintain the tension for which the same has been set, rcgardless of the number of striker pneumatics operated simultaneously, a second regulating pneumatic, ports through which the latter pneumatic has connnunication with said chambers, respectively, a valve under control of the second pneumatic and controlling one of said ports, a port through which the chambers have communication with each other outside the second regulating pneumatic, and means under control of the operative to open and close the latter port.

8. In a record controlled musical instrument, a plurality of groups or sets of striker neumatics; a source of power for the same; a plurality of members, each having a plurality of communicating chambers, a regulating pneumatic having communication with both chambers and a valve controlled by the pneumatic and in turn controlling communication of the pneumatic with both chambers; each member also having a valve to control con'imunication of its chambers with each other outside its pneumatic; means to sin'iultaneously open and simultaneously close the last mentioned valves to render the regulating pneuinatics simultaneously inetlective simultaneously eti'ective, means through which one chamber of each said member has connection with the source of power and the other chambers of the respective members have communication with the corre=ponding sets or groups of striker neumatics; and additional regulating means which are operative when the first regulating means are ineffective.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set in hand at the borough of 1" anhattan, city, county and State of New York, this Qlst day oi Gctober. 19:20.

TOLBERT F. CHEEK.

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