US1799365A - Player piano - Google Patents

Description

April A, GULBRANSEN 1,799,365

PLAYER PIANO Filed Aug. 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Him I p 1931- A. c. GULBRANSEN 1,799,365-

PLAYER PIANO Filed Aug. 3, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 7, 1931- A. G. GULBRANSEN 1 1,799,365

PLAYER PIANO Filed Aug. 5, 192'? 4 Sheets-Sheet s p 1931- A. G. GULBRANSEN 1,799,365

PLAYER P IANO Filed Aug. 5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AXEL G. GULBRANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GULIBRAN SEN COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PLAYER PIANO Application filed August 3,

This invention relates to player pianos, and more particularly to that type of player piano in which the means for exhausting the chan nel board is foot operated.

1n pianos of standard type which are played by hand only, as distinguished from player pianos which may be played either by hand or mechanically, it has been the standard practice for many years to provide three pedals at the central portion of the toe rail for controlling the loudness of the tone and the length thereof, two of these pedals being commonly called the soft pedal and the loud pedal, respectively, the third pedal being known as either the tone pedal or the sustaining pedal. These three pedals arranged in this manner have been in use for so long, and the public has become so accustomed to them, that a piano or player piano without pedais at the central portion of the toe rail is a distinct departure from the arrangement to which the public has been long accustomed and immediately calls attention to the fact that the instrument embodying such departure is not a standard type of piano. This is objectionable as the average member of the public in buying a player piano is not particularly desirous of having it advertised to friends and associates that the instrument is mechanically played. The omission of the pedals usually used in standard pianos is also objectionable from an aesthetic standpoint as detracting from the appearance of the instrument as a whole. Vhile these various obj ec tions to the omission of the pedals of the standard piano have been known to the manufacturers of player pianos, such omission has generally been accepted as a necessary evil. It was realized at an early date that the provision of rectangular pedals in front of the toe rail and at an inclination downwardly and forwardly of the piano, such as were at one time commonly employed for operating the exhaust power unit, were particularly objectionable as presenting an unattractive and very ugly appearance which very materially detracted from the otherwise attractive and artistic appearance of the instrument. In an endeavor to overcome this various expedients were resorted to, such as mounting the oper- 1927. sfirial No. 210,324.

ating pedals so as to permit them to be positioned inside of the lower portion of the case when not in use, these pedals or, more corre-ctly, treadlcs, being withdrawn and supported upon the floor adjacent the toe rail of the piano when in use.

In all of the numerous expedients adapted, the treadles for operating the exhaust power unit are visible when o erating the player piano, which is objectionable for the reasons noted. In those cases where the treadles cannot be moved into the lower portion of the case, the treadles are always visible and in the cases where the treadles can be positioned within the case when not in use they are visible when playing the piano mechanically and this expedient of concealing the treadles when not in use has the further objection that the player must place himself herself in a very inconvenient position when inserting the treadles into the piano case or removing them therefrom. All of these various objections have, however, been accepted by the manufacturers and the general public as necessa y evils which could not be avoided in an instrument which is otherwise very desirable and, on the average, highly satisfactory.

I have found that by properly construct ing' the exhaust power unit it can be arranged within the lower portion of the player piano case in such manner as to be oprated by pedal levers operating through the toe rail and disposed in the position of the soft and tone or sustaining pedals of hand played pianos of standard type. This arrangement also renders it possible to position between the two pedals for operating the exhaust power unit a third pedal corresponding to the sustaining pedal of a piano but being disposed in the position normally occupied by the loud pedal. All of these pedals are visible at all times and operate through the toe rail of the player piano and are so constructed as to closely resemble in appearance the pedals commonly employed in pianos of standard type. The player piano thus produced cannot be distinguished from the standard type of piano except by close inspection and presents a very attractive and artistic appearance, which is an important consideration in instruments of this character. A further advantage of this construction is that the operating pedals are always accessible without any necessity 01. moving the same into or out of the case. An additional advantage is that the operating pedals occupy but little space in front of the toe rail permitting the player to sit close to the instrument as when playing by hand.

The two pedals for operating the exhaust power unit are provided with means for preventing slippage of the foot when operating the pedal, such means also preventing undue wear and rubbing on the shoe sole. An additional advantage of my construction is the simple and inexpensive means for establishing operating con. ection between the pedals and the exhaust bellows operated. thereby. Further objects and advantages will appear from the detail description.

Inthe drawings:

ig. 1 is a front view of a player piano constructed in accordance with my invention showing the parts in the positions which they normally occupy when the instrument is not being played mechanically;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the instrument with the lower fro board removed, the upper front board broken away to show the panel board, spool box, motor and associated parts;

3 is a plan view of the exhaust power unit and associated parts;

4: is a side view of the exhaust power unit and associated parts, one of the operating pedals and the toe rail and bottom board of the case being sectioned substantially on line l4;

Fig. 5 is a prospective front view of one of the exhaust bellows;

Fig. 6 is a detail partly in section, of the connection between one of the operating pedals and its associated exhaust bellows;

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail, '3 .rtl' broken away and in section, of the forward or outer portion of one of the operating pedals and its associated roller.

8 a detail side View of the throat member and the governor associated parts, partly in section.

The player piano illustrated in l d 2 is of a type and construction now well known in this art. This player piano ineludes a case 1 the lower portion of which i closed by a front board 2, the upper portion of the. case being closed by a front board This front board 3 is provided with a central rectangular opening normally closed by slides l which give ready access to a spool box 5 mounted ona shelf bracket 6 within the case. This spool boX carries spool and roll chucks for supporting the sheet to be played, which is wound 0a of the roll onto the spool during playing thereof. A suitable motor is mounted on the bracket shelf 6 adjacent the spool box and is connected to the spool or to the roll chuck, in a known manner, for winding and rewinding the music sheet. A channel board 8 is mounted in the upper portion of the case below the bracket shelf 6 and this board carries the pneumatics for operating the individual strikers or hammers of the instrument during playing thereof. The channel board and the pneumatics constitute what is commonly termed the pneumatic stack, the pneumatics of which are selectively connected to the channel board by suitable valve controlled means so as to be actuated by the air tension or partial vacuum in the channel board. All of the various parts of the instrument above referred to are well known in this art and need not be further described nor illustrated in detail. A throat structure 9 is v suspended from key bed 10 by means of suitable brackets 11. One end of this throat member is connected by a tube 12 to the channel board 8 and the other end of the throat member is connectd by a tube 13 to the exhaust of the motor 7. A second tube 14 extends from the same end of the throat member 9 as tube 12 and connects to a pneumatic 15 of sustainer for operating the damper rail in a known manner. A tempo valve 16 is mounted at the other end of the throat member and is operated by asuitable lever for controlling the speed of operation of the motor 7.

'A supporting board 17 is secured to the rearward face ofthroat member 9 and eX- tends downwardly therefrom, this board sup porting a governor 18 the main valve of Hill which operates in a musing 19 secured on i the rearward face of the board. The housing 19 communicates with the 1nter1or of throat member 9 by means of a tube 20, the housing and tl e throat member being provided with suitable nipples for reception of this tube.

The throat member 9 is provided, ad acent each end thereof, with a gate valve.

These valves are connected by a rod 21 the ends of which are pivoted to arms depending from the shafts upon which the valves are mounted. One of these arms 22 is elongated and is connected to the movable leaf of a silencer pneumatic 23. Communication between this pneumatic and the throat member is controlled by a valve mounted in a housing 24 secured on a board 25 which is secured through tube 27 into the housing 24 beneath the valve therein. This establishes communication between the silencer pneumatic 25 and the interior of the throat member 9 resulting in collapsing of pneumatic 25 and closing of the gate valve at the left hand or action end of the throat 9, the gate valve at the right hand or motor end of the throat being opened permitting operation of the motor 7 at relatively high speed for rewinc ing the roll. The construction and operation of the gate valve, the silencer, the governor, and the tempo valve and associated parts are all well understood in this art and need not be further described nor illustrated in detail.

The operation of the instrument when played mechanically is controlled by the sustaining and melody levers mounted on the key-bed at the left of the player, and the tempo lever mounted on the key-bed at the right of the player; these levers being illus trated in Fig. 2. The first lever at the right of the player is the reroll lever, and the third lever at the right of the player is the key-lock lever. The connections and functions of these various levers are well understood in the art and need not be described in detail.

The exhaust power unit is indicated in its entirety by the reference number 28. This unit includes two exhaust bellows 29 of known construction which are supported by suitable brackets 30 secured on a bottom board 31 which closes the lower end of case 1. The two bellows 29 support a relatively large bellows 32 which forms a reservoir or equalizer. The upper leaf of the equalizer is secured to the lower fixed leaves of the exhaust bellows 29. Movement of the lower leaf 33 of the equalizer bellows 32 in closing direction is limited by a stop finger 3d secured to the movable end of this leaf and disposed to contact with a stop 35 secured to a block 36, which is secured to the under face of fixed leaf 37 of the right hand bellows 29 as considered in Fig. 2. The exhaust bellows and the equalizer 32 are thus secured together to form an exhaust power unit which is supported an appreciable distance above the bottom board 31.

A sustaining pedal 38 projects through a notch or opening 39 provided in the toe rail 40 of the casing, centrally thereof. This pedal is of well known construction anc is provided at its inner end with an eye 40 through which extends a rod ll, this rod being rockably mounted through a pair of blocks 42 secured by screws 43, or in any other suitable manner, to bottom board 31. The pedal is secured to the rod by set screw 44 threaded through eye 40. A coil compression spring 45 is confined between board 31 and the shank of the pedal, the ends of this spring seating about studs 46 and 47 on the board 31 and the pedal, respectively, this spring acting to normally hold the pedal in raised position. The rod ll is connected in a known manner to the damper rail so that by depressing the pedal the damper are moved out of contact with the strings for permitting the notes s 'llhis action is well u At each sine of the sustaining pedal 38 I provide n operating pedal 48. This pedal operates through a notch or opening 49 in the toe rail similar to the opening 39. This opening is suitably cushioned by strips 50 of felt or other suitable material secured to the enclosing walls of the toe rail 10, it being understood that the opening 39 for the sus taining pedal 38 is similarly felted. The pedal 48 is provided, adjacent the outer or front face of toe rail 40, with an upwardly extending guard element 51 to prevent the toe portion of the players shoe from contacting with the rail 40, in accordance with the common practice, and this pedal is of substantially channel shape in cross section for the greater portion of its length. A short distance inwardly beyond the rail 40, pedal 48 is provided with an enlargement or boss 52 connectingthe depending lateral flanges 53 of the pedal. This boss receives a short pintle rod 54 secured therein, the ends of this rod extending into spaced blocks 55 secured by screws 56, or in any other suitable or preferred manner, to the bottom board 31. The operating pedals 48 are thus mounted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis extending lengthwise of case 1. It is also to be noted that these pedals are disposed at opposite sides of the sustaining pedal 38 in the positions which are occupied by the soft pedal and the sustaining pedal in a piano of standard type. It will also be noted that the pedal 48 closely resembles in appearance the pedal 38, the only difference being that the operating pedals are provided at their outer ends with enlargements forming forks 57. The operating pedals are thus spaced apart so as to be readily operated by the feet without interference and the as sembly is such that the pedal arrangement very closely resembles the pedal arrangement in the standard type of hand played piano.

A knurled roller 58 is mounted in each of the forks 57 of the operating pedals 48, this roller being secured on a short supporting rod 59 the ends of which have bearing in the arms 60 and 61 of for (s 57. Arm 61 is provided on the inner face of its base portion with an integral lug 62 which projects into an a rcuate recess 63 cut out of the adjacent end of roller 58, this recess being concentric with red 59. The lug 62 cooperates with the end walls of the recess 63 to limit turning movement of the roller in either direction. Recess 63 is of proper length to permit sufficient movement of the roller to compensate for the by means of the connecting rod 0! movement of the operators foot toward and away from the pedal when the pedal is reciprocated with the heel of the shoe resting upon the floor to give a leverage action for depressing the forward end of the pedal. The change in relation of the foot to the pedal is very slight so that but limited move ment of the roller 58 is necessary. Also, by positively limiting movement of the roller either direction tendency of the foot to slip off of the roller due to free turning or spinning thereof is eliminated. This method of mounting the roller and limiting movement thereof is of importance as facilitating operation of the pedals.

As will be noted more clearly from Fig. 4c the lateral flanges 53 of pedal l8 extend to within a short distance of the inner or rearward end of the pedal. This pedal is provided, adjacent its inner end, with opening 64. This opening receives a felt bushing surrounding a pin 6 secured in the lower end of a connecting rod 87 of wood or other suitable material, this pin extending through the bushing and through a felt disc 68 secured on the lower end of rod 67. A. similar pin 69 is secured in the upper end of the rod and passes through a bushing 70 and a washer or disc 71 similar to bushing 65 and disc 68. An arm 72 is secured, by means of screws 73, or in any other suitable manner, to the top face of the upper movable leaf 29a of each of the exhaust bellows 29. This arm is provided, adjacent its rearward end, with an opening 74 which accommodates the upper portion of pin 69 and the bushing 70 surrounding the same. The connecting rod 67 is thus confined between arm 72 and the inner end of the op erating pedal 48, and connections between the ends of this rod and the arm 7 2 and the pedal are effectually cushioned so as to prevent any objectionable metallic sound due to *i tion. The felt discs 68 and 71 and the bushings 65 and 70, in addition to acting as cushioning elements, also provide yieldable means for permitting relative movement between the rod 67 and the arm 72 and lever l8 durin operation of the exhaust bellows by means or the pedal 48.

An angle bracket 75 is secured to the upper leaf 29a of each of the exhaust bellows 29 and a similar bracket 76 is secured to the lower leaf of the bellows in alignment with the bracket 7 5. These two brackets are connected by a tension 'coil spring '57 having its ends secured through the rearward arms of the re spective brackets, this spring acting to normally hold the bellows in closed or collapsed condition. When the operating pedal 48 is depress-ed the bellows is opened or extended Q and associated parts against the tension of spring 77, this spring acting to collapse or close the bellows when the pressure upon the outer end of the pedal is released. This provides simple and highly efficient means for reciprocating the movable leaf 29a for alternately extending and collapsing the bellows for pumping air out of the equalizer 83.

Each of the bellows 29 is provided, through its upper leaf 29s, with two spaced exhaust openin s 7 8. These openingsare normally closed by a strip 79 of leather or other suitable material so as to prevent free entry of air into the bellows; Strip 'Z9 is secured at one end by suitable elements 80, such as tacks or the equivalent, to the outer face of leaf 29a. A woodenblock 81 is secured to the upper face of strip 79 at the other end thereof and transversely of the strip. This block corresponds in width to the strip, the strip being appreciably wider than the diameter of the openings 78 so as to effectually close these openings. A wire spring 82 is mounted on the upper face of leaf 29a and is secured to this leaf by a small staple 88 driven into the leaf and straddling the spring a short distance beyond tie inner end thereof. This spring has its inner end portion turned downwardly at right angles to form a securing and fulcrum element 8% which engages into a recess 85 of leaf 29a, this element bearing on the leaf at the lower end of the recess. At its outer end the spring 82 is bent at right angles to provide a rearwardly extending finger 86 which fits loosely into a recess 8? provided in block 81 this recess extending from the forward face of the bloclr. Beyond the staple 83 the spring 82 is bent rearwardly so as to exert rearward pressure on block 81 and this spring is placed under tension by staple 83 so as to exert downward pressure on block 81, the element 84 and finger 88 acting to hold the body portion of the spring spaced above the upper face of leaf 29a. The spring thus exerts both downward and rearward pressure on the block 81 and serves to hold the closure strip tight at all times so as to take up any slack in this strip and hold it snugly against the upper face of leaf 29a for effectually closing the openings 7 8.

The bellows 29 are provided in their lower leaves 37 with openings 87a which register with openings 32?) through the upper leaf 32a of the equalizer bellows 32. Communication between the exhaust bellows and the equalizer bellows is controlled in any suitable manner, as by means of suitable valves 8% of the flap type so arranged that, upon expansion of the bellows 29 air is exhausted from the equalizer bellows 32, this air being then exhausted from the bellows29, upon compression thereof, through the openings 78. When the bellows 29 is closed the strip 7 9 is slightly raised or unseated by the pressure of theair on'the underface thereof, permitting this air to be exhausted from the bellows. Upon expansion or opening of the bellows the strip 7 9 seals openings 78'so as to prevent entry of atmospheric air therethrough. While any suitable type of valve may be employed to control communication between the equalizer bellows and the ex haust bellows, I prefer to use for this purpose strips similar to strips 7 9, these strips being held extended by springs 82 and the parts associated therewith in the manner described. In this event the strips '4' 9 would be mounted upon the upper faces of the lower leaves oi the bel ows 20. alternately depressing and releasing the pedals 48 the equalizer bellows 32 is exhausted so as to maintain a substantially constant tension therein for exhausting the channel. board 8. The method of connecting the exhaust bellows to a reservoir or equalizer bellows whereby the latter is exhausted by alternate operation of the exhaust bellows, is well known in this art and it is not thought necessary, therefore, to illustrate or describe further the interior construction of the exhaust power unit, the construction and operation of which will be perfectly clear to those skilled in the art.

By mounting the equalizer bellows 32 directly on the lower leaves of the exhaust bellows 29, in the manner illustrat d and described, I provide an exhaust power unit of very compact and highly efficient construction which can be readily disposed within the lower portion of the player piano case substantially centrally thereof and so to accommodate the levers 48 and 88. As will be noted more clearly from I 2 and 3, the inner ends of the xhaust oellows 29 are disposed closely adjacent each other and a nipple 88 is secured in and opens through the top leaf 32a of the equalizer bellows centrally thereof. This nipple receives the lower end of a tube 89 the upper eno of which receives a nipple 90 secured through the lower wall of throat member 9. The tube 89, together withthe throat member 9 and tube 12, serves to connect the equalizer bellows 32 to the channel board 8 so that by operating the exhaust bellows 9 the channel board is exhausted and the proper tension for operating the player pneumatic-s is maintained within the channel board. This provides a very simple and highly efficient con struction and has the advantage that either the throat member or the exhaust power unit can be removed independen ly, all of the parts associated with the throat and the power unit being readily accessible.

lVhen it desired to play the instrument by hand, the sustaining pedal 38 only is operated. The volume or loudness of? the notes struck is determined by the force exerted in depressing the keys, i. e., by the fingering of the pianist. This is, however, no inconvenience as an accomplished pianist rarely employs the soft and loud pedals on the standard type of piano, the desired loudness or softness and variations in expressions of the selection played being determined by the skill and lingering of the pianist. In fact, the only pedal on a piano of standard type which is used to any appreciable extent by accomplished pianists is the sustaining pedal. I have, therefore, by my invention, removed the two pedals which are not essential to the hand playing of the instrument and have re placed these pedals by two operating pedals by means of which the instrument may be played mechanically. The resulting instrument, as previously pointed out, closely resembles the standard type of piano and is yet capable of bein played by hand as effectively as a piano having the usual three pedals for controlling the expression. In addition to being of much neater appearance than player pianos of ordinary type, the parts of my player piano are readily accessible at all times, all necessity for moving the operating pedal into and out of operative position is avoided, a very simple and highly eflicient exhaust power unit is provided and is disposed centrally of the lower portion of the case so as to prevent crowding of parts, and the power unit and the throat member are mounted independently of each other so the one may be removed without any necessity of removing the other.

lVhile Ihave illustrated and described my invention as used with a player piano in which the roll motor is operated from the exhaust power unit, I do not in any way limit 't to this one particular type of player. In fact my invention is particularly well adapted for player pianos in which the roll operating means is separate and distinct from the exhaust power unit. In my copending application for player piano, Serial No. 163,016, iiled January 24, 1927, I have disclosed a for: of instrument in which the roll motor is operated by power driven means separate and distinct from the exhaust power unit for exhausting the channel board. In the copend ing application of Arthur H. Boettcher for player piano, Serial No. 163,898, filed J anuary 27, 1927 is disclosed a player piano in which the winding and ire-winding means is operated by an electric motor and associated means for establishing driving connections between the motor and the spool or the roll chuck, selectively. The instant invention is well adapted for use with either of these player pianos disclosed in the applications identified as by having the spool and roll chuck operated by means independent of the exhaust power unit, the volume of air handled by such unit is greatly reduced permit- 1 ting the use of exhaust bellows of small capacity. This is advantageous in that it greatly facilitates the operation of the exhaust bellows and also gives more control over the expression by pedaling either slowly or rapidly to decrease or increase the tension in the channel board 8, since any Variation in volume of the air handled will have a much greater effect on the tension in the equalizer 32 than would be the case if this equalizer were of relatively great capacity, as is necessary in cases where the roll motor is operated from the exhaust power unit. It will thus be seen that by mounting the unit and the operating pedals therefor in the manner illustrated and described I have materially increased the efficiency of the instrument, as Well as simplified its construction, particularly when the exhaust power unit mounted in the manner disclosed is used in an instrument in which the spool and roll chuck op erating means is separate from the exhaust power unit. I also contemplate an arrangement in which power driven means not only operates the roll motor, but also effects a low tension in the channel board, the foot operated means being then relied on for bringing the tension up to the required point for playing and for eii ecting the variations in tension for expression.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a player piano, a channel board, a member extending across the bottom of the piano case, a pair of exhaust bellows above the bottom member, brackets secured to the bottom member and supporting the bellows, an equalizer bellows supported by the exhaust bellows and forming therewith an exhaust power unit, connections between the equalizer bellows and the channel board of the piano, a pair of operating pedals fulcrumed intermediate their ends on said bottom member, and operating connections between the pedals and the respective exhaust bellows.

2. In a player piano, an exhaust power unit including a pair of exhaust bellows provided with movable leaves, arms projecting from the movable leaves of the respective bellows and provided with openings, operating pedals fulcrumed intermediate their ends, said pedals having openings aligned with the openings of the arms, rods confined between the, pedals and arms, pins secured in the ends of the rods and passing through said openings, and yieldable bushings passing through the openings and receiving said pins.

3. In a player piano, an exhaust power unit including a pair of exhaust bellows, operating pedals fulcrumed intermediate their ends and having operating connection at their inner ends with the respective bellows, rollers mounted at the outer ends of the pedals transversely thereof, and means limiting turning of the rollers in either direction.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of July, 1927.

AXEL G. GULBRANSEN.

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