US1749403A

US1749403A - Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like

Info

Publication number: US1749403A
Application number: US170531A
Authority: US
Inventors: Volare Fred
Original assignee: Aeolian Co
Current assignee: Aeolian Co
Priority date: 1927-02-24
Filing date: 1927-02-24
Publication date: 1930-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1947-03-04

Description

March 4, 1930. F. VOLARE 1,749,403

PEDAL MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC PIANOS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 4, 1930. F. VOLARE PEDAL MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC PIANOS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR Patented Mar. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; QFFICE FRED VOLARE, OF SCOTCH PLAINS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOI'L TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CDNNECTICUT PEDAL MEANS FOR AUTOMATIC PIANOS AND THE LIKE Application filed February 24, 1927.

My present invention relates to improvements in pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, the objects and features of which comprise simplicity of manufacture,

strength and durability in use, mcety of operation and a sightly appearance.

The construction of my pedal means is shown in its preferred form in the drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the ped- 1 als operatively attached to the pumpers and shown folded into their up position; Fig. 2 is the same showing the pedals in their down position; Fig. 3 is a front view of thepedals and related parts with the pedals folded into their up position; Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section on the line 44 in Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 in Fig.

3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

I will now describe my improvements in pedal means by way of the devices embodying my said invention illustrated 1n the drawings. The pedals are shown in connection with pumpers in an upright player piano. 1 is the side or end of the piano casing; 2 is the lower front panel of the case through which is supposed to be the usual opening permitting the pedals to be lowered through it from their up position where they have 8 been housed within the piano case, into their down playing position outside of the piano case; said opening vice Versa, perm1tt1ng the pedals to be returned back into the piano case.

The bellows parts to which my improved pedals are attached may be of any usual or well known construction and, as shown, comprise a stationary board 3 having reservoir or equalizing bellows 4 mounted on its front face and the two pumper bellows 5 on its rear face, said pumper and equalizing bellows being presumed to have the usual ports, valve and interconnecting passages to make same operative so that alternate expanding and collapsing of the pumpers will exhaust the air to a greater or less degree from the equalizing or reservoir bellows 4. Each pumper is automatically collapsed by the usual spring 6 located between the movable Serial No. 170,531.

board of the pumper and a stationary bracket 7 secured to the board 3.

My improved pedal means comprises the pedals proper designated 8, each pivotally supported at 9 near its lower end on a frame 10 which is pivoted at ll by its upper end to a stationary bracket 32 secured to the front face of the stationary board 3. The two supporting frames 10, one for each pedal, are rigidly united by transversely extending means 12. Each pedal has a link 13 operatively connecting its upper end to the horizontal arm of .a bracket 14 (one for each pumper) whose vertical arm is screwed to the movable board of its pumper.

The above being the general description of the pedal mechanism, there now follows the more detailed description of the features of construction of said pedal mechanism wherein my present invention more particularly resides. The construction is such that the entire pedal mechanism is adapted to be made of stamped up sheet metal and of metal rod and tubing. Each frame 10 consists of a metal rod bent up into the U-shaped form shown with a substantially flat bottom 10 for the i to rest on the floor when the pedals are in their out or operative position; and with the side bars of said U-frames straight between their free ends and a point 9 near the bottom 10 of the U, at which point said side bars are bent vertically downwardly to form the eilicient supports 10 for the whole frame 10 and for the foot applied to the pedal 8 to rock it about the pivot 9. The free ends 10 of the side bars of each frame are flattened and perforated with holes so to be received between the correspondingly perforated bentup ends of the bracket 32. Pivot pins 35 headed over at their ends extend through said holes whereby each frame is pivoted to its aforesaid bracket 32.

' At the pivots 9 where the side bars of the frames 10 are bent said side bars have portions 10 which are lattened in vertical planes and are perforated laterally with holes which are in lateral alignment with one another so as to snugly receive through them a straight i etal rod 15 of round cross section (compare Figs. 4 and 5) through all of said side bar holes of both frames 10 (compare Fig. 3). Both ends of this rod are screw-threaded and fitted with cap-nuts 16.

12 is a piece of metal tubing surrounding the rod having its ends engaged and clamped by the inner side bars of the frames 10 when the cap nuts 16 are screwed up against the outer side bars of said frames. 12"12 are other tubes loosely surrounding the rod 15 with a bearing fit, each tube being located between the side bars of its respective pedal frame 10 without, however, having its ends clamped by said side bars, whereby said tubes 12 can turn freely on the supporting rod 15.

In short, the described construction provides for a rigid uniting of the two pedal frames so that thev move as a. unit into and out of playing position. Also, the portion of said rod 15 and tubing 12 between the frames 10 constitutes a convenient hand-grip for lowering and raising the pedal means into and out of operative position.

17 is a U-shaped spring clip secured by its base to the board 3 (Figs. 3 and 4) and comprisesa pair of spring aws adapted to receive between them and yieldingly retain the hand-grip part just described, when the pedals are in their raised position.

The pedals per se designated 8 each consists of a bent-up sheet metal box of shallow rectangular form constitutin a pan-like frame for a solid rectangular oor piece, the latter made preferably of wood faced with a rubber or like composition for contact with the foot.

From Fig. 3 it will be seen that the rectangular outline of each pedal 8 is a little smaller than the rectangular space enclosed by its frame 10. Each pedal pan 8 (at its end adjacent the bottom or transverse portion 10 of the U-shaped frame 10) has a clamp 19 consisting of a piece of bent-up sheet metal having a cylindrical portion 19 (compare Fig. 5) adapted to snugly encircle and frictionally grip the heretofore described tube 12 (which it will be remembered loosely surrounds the rod 15 with a bearing fit) and having foot portions 19 which are riveted to the bottom of the pedal pan with said foot portions pressed together so as to cause the cylindrical portion 19 to clamp itself rigidly about the aforesaid tube 12 as in Fig. 5. The net result is that each pedal is provided with an excellent pivotal bearing connection with 1ts supporting frame 8, which bearin consists of a tube as long as the interior wi th of the frame, said tube turning about the rod 15. Furthermore, the said tube 12, except for the necessary end clearance, being as long as the interior width of the frame, and the pedal pan being secured by the aforesaid clamp 19 to said tube, it follows that the pedal in operation cannot work sideways or laterally out of its initial centered position relatively to the side bars of its said frame 10.

The upright arm 14 of each metal bracket 14 (Fig. 2) consists of a flat piece of the outline shown in Fig. 3 by which the bracket is screwed to the movable board of the related pumper 5. On the other hand, the horizontal arm 14 of said bracket has its sides bent up to form a parallel sided trough as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. At the free end of this trough-like arm and between its sides is pivoted one end of the link 13 as shown in said Figs. 2 and 3. The other end of said link 13 is pivotally attached to the bottom of the free end of the related pedal pan by means of a bracket or fixture riveted to said pan.

By my improved construction of pedal means I accomplish by the use of readily available materials a strong construction which is nevertheless light and sightly in appearance and which, due to the extended length of floor contact by the cross bars 10 of the frames 10, give a firm support for said frames without producing indentations or marks in the carpet or other floor covering to the extent that isolated supporting feet of the ordinary pedal construction indent themselves into the floor covering. These and other advantages inhere in my improved construction which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting cont-act with the floor, comprising the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross piece, the cross pieces of which rest on the floor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano; a rod extending transversely through the side bars of said frames parallel and adjacent to their cross pieces for supporting the pedals; and means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames.

2. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting contact with the floor, comprising the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross piece, the cross pieces of which rest on the floor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano; a rod extending transversely throu h the side bars of said frames parallel an adjacent to their cross pieces; means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames; sleeves surrounding said rod between the side bars of the individual frames but with end clearance therefrom so that said sleeves are freely rotatable on said rod; and pedals secured respectively to said rotatable sleeves which thereby pivotally support said pedals respectively on said frames.

3. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting contact with the floor, comprising the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross piece, the cross pieces of which rest on the floor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano a transverse rod extending through the side bars of said frames parallel and adjacent to their cross pieces for supporting the pedals; and means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames, said side bars of said frames being substantially straight from their pivoted ends to the aforesaid transverse rods, and being bent out of line with the foregoing substantially straight portion as to the portions of said side bars between said transverse rod and the cross pieces of the frames.

4. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting contact with the floor, comprising the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross piece, the cross pieces of which rest on the floor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano; a rod extending transversely through the side bars of said frames parallel and adjacent to their cross pieces for supporting the pedals; and means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames; and a tube surrounding said rod between the inner side bars of said frames, which side bars engage against the ends of said tube.

5. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting contact with the floor, comprising the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross iece, the cross pieces of which rest on the oor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano a rod extending transversely through the side bars of said frames parallel and adjacent to their cross pieces; means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames; a tube surrounding said rod between said frames clamped at its ends between the inner side bars of said frames; sleeves surrounding said rod between the side bars of the individual frames but with end clearance therefrom so that said sleeves are freely rotatable on said rod; and pedals secured respectively to said rotatable sleeves which thereby pivotally support said pedals respectively on said frames; the portions of said side bars adjacent the ends of said tubes being flattened.

6. Pedal means for automatic pianos and the like, adapted to be folded up into the piano and also to be unfolded and lowered into supporting contact with the floor, the combination of two U-shaped frames each comprising two side bars connected by a cross piece, the cross pieces of which rest on the floor when said frames are down in position for the pedals to be used, the side bars of said frames being pivotally supported at their free ends within the piano; a rod extending transversely through the side bars of said frames parallel and adjacent to their cross pieces; means on the free ends of said rod engaging the outer side bars of the two frames; sleeves surrounding said rod between the side bars of the individual frames but with end clearance therefrom so that said sleeves are freely rotatable on said rod; pedal pans; and clamps, one for each pedal pan having a foot portion secured to the pedal pan and having a cylindrical portion which surrounds and clamps the respective aforesaid sleeve.

Signed at Garwood in the county of Union and State of New Jersey this 21st day of February, A. D. 1927.

FRED VOLARE.