US1786441A - Change-key switch for music-reproducing machines - Google Patents

Description

B. E. MILLS 1,786,441 CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed Sept. 16. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l M2M@ '5 M j MW@ Dfec.v 30, 1930. B. E. MILLS 1,786,441

CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed Sept. 16, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg- Dec.v so, 1930.

B. E. MxLLs I CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed Sept. 16. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z7 ffy-f RUTOVIBTIC. PEFOH MUSICHL. TING MHCMINE INSTRUMENT f ,y f4 M/ANUA'LLY ,ZZ PLnynsLE INSTRUMENT MHSTER ROL-L COJ'UTROI- J2\// 'J4 .f4 J3 27 o 2 #nu z/ 42 fr] 4/ if ferent key from' that Patented Dec. 30, 193|() UNITEv4 STATES PATENT OFFICE BERT Ii'. MILLS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

AssIeNoR To MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, or CORPORATION or ILLINOIS CHANGE-KEY SWITCH FOR Iv/IUSTLC-REPRODUCING MACHINES Y Application filed September 16, 1927.

ducing music rolls from a master roll through the use of amachine operated by a series of electric circuits controlled by feeding the master roll between suitably related contact elements. C. Y

The principal obj ect of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of this character, a switch mechanism whereby the electric circuits may be broken and reassociated in such manner as to cause the reproducing machine to prepare the copy rolls for playing in a diffor which the master roll is prepared, the switch being preferably constructed and controllable so that the copy rolls may be produced for any selected key of the scale. l

It is also contemplated that the switch provided by the invention may be used for selectively changing the key in which an instrument may be played from a single roll.

A further Obj ect is the provision of apparatus of this character in which note perforations may be made in the copy sheets inaddition to those reproduced from the master roll ifthe operator finds this necessary or desirable.

Other objects and advantages of the inv vention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a switch mechanism in which my invention'is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partially broken away and showing the parts in different relation from that shown'in Fig. 1;

Fig. l is a sectional view, taken substantially on the section line L -4L in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view Showing the relation of the switch to the circuits leading to the master roll control, the printing or perforating machine, the reproducing instrument and the control instrument.

Upon said drawings l have shown, for ilseriai No. 219,870.

lustrative purposes only, an apparatus in ,which my invention is embodied and in eX- planation thereof, attention is called first to Fig. 5.

From'uthis figure, it will be observed that the switch, which I have indicated by the reference character 2l, is connected by aV trunk 22 with an apparatus controlled by means of a master roll, said apparatus being identified by the reference character 23. The, switch is also connected by a trunk 24; with a printing or perforating machine 25, which machine maybe constructed substantially as shown in Sandell Patent No. 1,423,738. The construction of the apparatus controlled by the master roll for operating the perforating machine is also known ,in the art and may be any suitable perforated roll player mechanism. The switch-21 also is,`or may be, connected by a trunk 26 with an automatic musical instrument 27 and by a trunk 30 with a manually playable instrument and it will be understood that the trunks 22, 24, 26 and 30 each carry a large number of electrical connections, whereby circuits completed through perforations in the master roll may be caused to operate devicesin the printing or perforating machine and/Or to play the instrument 27 by means of known electrically controlled devices. If it is desired to insert notes or tones in the copy rolls in addition to those inthe master roll, this may be done by a musician playing the piano or other instrument 30 which may be connected in known manner for energizing additional perforating magnets.

The connections'carried by the trunk 22 are indicated by the reference character 28 and lead to a series of conducting plates 29 arranged upon a longitudinally adjustable bar 3l of the switch mechanism, which'7 as shown, is disposed in a housing 32. Each plate 29 has pivotally secured thereto a contact finger 33, adapted to engage one of a series of contact plates 34 on a bar 35, mounted adjacent the bar 31 and movable toward and from the latter by means which will be presently described. Said bar is transversely slotted, as indicated at 35', and movably secured to the housing by means of studs 302L and washers 30h. The plates 34 are connected by electrical connections 36 with the trunks 24 and 26 leading respectively to the perforating machine and to the instrument 27, the manually playable or control instrument being connected into the saine circuits.

It will be seen that when the contact fingers 33 are in engagement with the contact plates 34, the circuits to the printingmachine and /or reproducing instrument are completed,` so that the latter will be operated by feeding of the master roll between the contact. elements of the control apparatus. For the purpose of opening and closing the switch, I provide a hand lever 37, pivoted at 38 to the housing 32 and being connected by a bar 39 with two angular arms 4l, pivoted at 42 to the under side of the bar 35. Said arms 4l areconnected bylinks 43 with the bar 3l, so that when the right, viewing Figs. l and 2, the bar will be moved away from the bar 31 and the contact elements 33 and 34 separated. This, of course,breaks the circuits and if it is desired to reassociate the latter, so that the perforating machine will for playing in a different key, or so that the instrument 27 will play ina dilferent key, the bar 3l may be shifted endwise by manipulation of a lever 44, disposed horizontally and pivoted at 45 to the interior of the housing 32, said lever being connected by a link 46 with one end of the bar 3l Said bar 3l is provided with slots 47, in which studs 48, extending up from the housing 32 and carrying washers `48 are disposed, and one end of said bar is provided with a toothed segment 49, adapted to cooperate with a projection 51 on the bar 35 to hold said bars in desired relation when the contacts are made. The bar 3l is preferably graduated, as indicated at 52, to indicate twelve diiferent positions corresponding to the twelve keys of the scale, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the f switch according to the key in which it is desired thatthe music shall be produced. A pointer 53 may be provided in the housing adjacent the graduations 52 on said bar 3l and the normal relationship of the bars may be indicated by a suitable designation, such its the letter i on the graduated part of the var.

Inasinuch as the contacts 34 are respectively connected with particular perforating or playing magnets (not shown) of the perforating machine 25 or instrument 27, it will be apparent that different magnets may be energized according to the adjustment of the switch and it is thus possible to selectively control the operation of said machine and/or instrument.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may from the spirit or scope of the lever 37 is moved toward the reduce co rolls are Jared P Py l l be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

-l. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller-,a perfor-ating machine electrically operated by said cont-roller andfadapted to reproduce the roll, and a switch in the electrical connections between tl e controller and the perforating machine wherebyv the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

2. In apparatus for making duplicate music sheets, the combination of afmaster roll operated electric controller, a reproducing machine electrically operated by said controller, and a switch in the electrical connections between the controller and the reproducing machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

3. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a perforating machine electrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce the roll, and a switch in the electrical connections between the controller and the perfor-ating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls perforated for any selected one of a plurality of different keys.

4; In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a perforating machine electrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce the roll, and a switch in the electrical connections between the controller and the perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls perforated for any one of the twelve keys of the scale.

5. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of .a master roll operated electric controller, a perfor-ating machine electrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce the roll, a switch in theelectrical connections between the controller and the perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared, and an instrument playable from the master roll but in the key of thc reproduced rolls.

' 6. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducing machine, a series of electric con- A and a switch .nections leading from said controller to the reproducing machine to operate the latter, for breaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereof to cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playingin a dierent key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

7. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducing machine, a series of electric connections leading from said controller to the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch for breaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereof to cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared, said switch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means 'for operating the same to break `and reassociate the contacts.

8. In apparatus for making music rolls Jfor automatic instruments, the combination of a master roll operated electriccontroller, a reproducing machine, a series of electric connections leading from said controller to the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch for breaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereern to cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master` roll is prepared, said switch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means for operating the same to break and reassociate the contacts for the entire series of connections simultaneously.

9. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducing machine, a series o'i electric connections leading from said controller to the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch for breaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereof to cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that Jfor which the master roll is prepared, said switch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means for operating the same to break and reassociate the contacts for the entire series of connections simultaneously, said operating means comprising separate manipulative d e vic e s adapted respectively for separating the contact elements and for shifting them relatively so that when brought together again the contacts are associated in dill'erent order.

10. A switch for music roll reproducing apparatus, comprising a contact elementhaving a plurality of contacts thereon, connections rom said contacts adapted to include the same in circuits controlled by a master roll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon, connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine, and meansfor separating said con-l tact elements and shifting them relatively to reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation `of the reproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted Jfor playing ina different key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

11. A switch for music roll reproducing apparatus, comprising a contact element having a plurality of contacts thereon, connections from said contacts adapted to include the same in circuits controlled by a master roll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon, connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine, and means for separating said contact elements and shifting them relatively to reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation of the reproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted :tor playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared, said contact elements being arrangeable in any selected one of a variety of dilferent relationships to thereby determine the rkey for which the copy rolls are to be prepared.

12. A switch for music roll reproducing` apparatus, comprising a contact element having a plurality of contacts thereon, connec-v tions rom said contacts adapted to include the samein circuits controlled by a master roll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon, connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine, means for separating said contact elements and shifting them relatively to reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation of the reproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted for playing in a dilerent key than that for which the master roll is prepared, and means for holding said Contact elements in selected relationship when the contacts are'in engagement.

13. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of a master roll operated electric controller, a perforating machine electrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce the roll, a switch inthe electrical connections between the controller and the perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproduce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which the master roll is prepared, and a manually playable instrument connected into the pertorating machine circuits whereby additional notes may be played into the copy rolls.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

' BERT E. MILLS.

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