US2242418A - Player piano - Google Patents

Description

May 20, 1941. T, CHEEK PLAYER PIANO Filed May 13, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WEN ll NNN MQN

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May 20, 1941- T. F. CHEEK 2,242,418

PLAYER PIANO Fil ed May 1:5, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Talbert FC'keefi wt MB (A) MMA,

Patented May 20, 1941 PLAYER PIANO Tolbert F. Cheek, Bronx, N. Y., assignor to Welte Mignon Piano Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application May 13, 1938, Serial No. 207,843

1 Claim.

This invention relates to automatic musical instruments and has particular relation to automatic pianos of the so-called miniature, console or spinet type.

In applying the automatic power mechanism to the miniature pianos, difiiculty has been experienced in placing the mechanism within the usual small case in such a manner that it will not be visible to the observer and at the same time be so placed that it will operate the playing mechanism without destroying the artistic efiect.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of an improved player piano wherein the power action ofthe player is placed within the miniature piano casing in such a manner that .the presence of such power action will not be apparent from a casual examination of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such an instrument having the piano action including the keys above the bottom of the keybed and the power action pneumatics in front of the piano action with an operative connection therebetween.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such an instrument having a direct connection between the pneumatics above the keys and portions of the piano action.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such an instrument having a direct connection between the power pneumatics above the keys and portions of the respective wippens.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision of such an instrument having a direct connection between the power pneumatics above the keys and the keys of the piano action.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the complete specification and claim.

Similar reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the specification and drawings wherein, I have illustrated embodiments of my invention.

Figure 1 is an elevational sectional view of one form of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are modified forms of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I utilize a conventional form of piano action. As illustrated, the action rail I III is located above the bottom of the keybed III and in front of the plane of the piano strings H2. The action rail H is provided with a flange H4 carrying a. damper lever H5 pivoted thereto in a well known manner. At

the upper end of the damper lever H5 is the damper block I I 6 with the damper pad H6 in contact with the string H2 except during the actual playing of that particular string.

Supported also on the action rail is a flange H! to which is pivoted the hammer butt H8 which carries the hammer H9. The hammer spring rail I is contacted at one end by the hammer butt spring I2I which returns the hammer to its out-of-action position as illustrated. The hammer rail I22 is pivoted on the pivot I23 supported by the piano frame.

Supported also on the action frame is a flange I24 upon which is pivoted a wippen I 25. The jack I26 is pivoted on the forward portion of the wippen I and extends upwardly for engagement with the hammer butt H8 to give movement to the hammer to strike the string. The jack spring I21 engages an arm of the jack at one end and at its other end rests upon the wippen. This jack spring I2I normally holds the jack in position ready for operation.

A regulating screw I28 is mounted in the regulating rail I 29 and at its lower end carries a regulating button I30. This regulating button is engaged by an extension of the jack during the playing operation .and its adjustment by the screw I28 determines the position of the hammer at the time the jack snaps off the bottom of the hammer butt H8.

At the outer end of the wippen are mounted the check I3I with its coacting member I32 mounted on the hammer butt H8. The bridle wire I33 is also mounted on the forward end of the wippen I25 and carries one end of the bridle tape I34, the other end of which is attached to the hammer butt I I8.

In contact with a pad on the lower side of the wippen I25 is a capstan screw I 35 mounted on the rear end of the piano key I36. The key I 36 is pivotally mounted at I 31. The upper front panel of the piano is shown at I38.

All of the aforementioned construction is old and its construction and operation well known to those skilled in the art. For this reason, further details of construction and operation will not be described. In referring to the structure just described, I shall term the whole a piano action.

In order to efficiently operate the piano mechanism bypower means which I illustrate as a pneumatic means and do so without changing the general outline of the miniature piano, I have placed the stack of pneumatics which I herein term the pneumatic power action, just above the keys and to the rear of the upper front panel so as not to be seen and yet to be in a position to operate the piano action with as little loss of power as possible.

In the form illustrated in Figure l, the pneumatic action is placed in a position immediately above the keybed with the operating end of the pneumatic to the rear. These pneumatics of which there are two superimposed horizontal rows have been designated Mil. The pneumatics MD are each provided with a valve operating mechanism ml, which valve operating mechanisms control the operation of the pneumatics, selectively, through the operation of a suitable tracker (not shown) which is provided with pneumatic ducts connected to the ducts M2.

The wippens I25 have rigid extension portions I25 which in the illustrated embodiment, are metal strips secured in the ends of the wippens. Contacting pads I25 are placed on the ends of the respective extension portions i2ii for contact with coacting pads Mil on the movable portions 546* of the pneumatics Mil. These contacting pads 525 t m are preferably substantially in a line drawn between the pivot of the pneumatic and the pivot oi the wippen. This construction promotes efficient operation by a reduction of the friction between the contacting pads E25 and Hill.

When atmospheric pressure is admitted to a duct M2, the pneumatic Mil corresponding to this duct i i-2, is collapsed in a manner wellknown to those skilled in the art.

The collapse of the pneumatic Hill causes the contacting pads MB to push upwardly and operate the wippen I25 through the extension i25 and causes the operation of the piano action as already described.

It will thus be clear that I have provided a pneumatic piano playing combination which will be out of sight and will operate efficiently and effectively in a miniature or other small piano as well as in a larger type.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a modified form of the invention wherein the pivoted ends of the power pneumatics 2% are on the side toward the wippens 225. In this form of the invention extensions 24% extend from the movable members of the pneumatics 2M: and engage the under sides of the wippens 225 to cause the operation of the hammers.

In this case the valve mechanism 24! would preferably be placed below the respective pneumatics 2 3% instead of above as is shown in Fig. 1. The action is similar to the operation of the pneumatics hid. Upon the opening of the tracker (not shown) the valve mechanism 24! will cause the collapse of the pneumatic 240 with a consequent lifting of the wippen 225. This action causes the hammer to strike the string in the well known manner. As the construction, and operation above the wippen 225 is similar to that shown on Fig. 1, the further description of these parts is omitted.

Referring to Fig. 3, the keys 336 are provided with angular brackets 336 under which the extension members 340 of the pneumatics 340 extend to operate the keys 336. This operation of the keys 336 causes the operation of the wippens 325. The pneumatics 340 are controlled by the usual valve mechanisms 34l which in turn are controlled by the atmospheric admission to the ducts 342 connected to the tracker (not shown). Upon atmospheric pressure being admitted to a duct 342, the valve mechanism causes collapse of the pneumatic 3M1 with the resultant operation of the key 336, the wippen 325 and the hammer connected thereto. The construction and operation of the piano action operated by the key 336 and wippen 325 is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 and therefore is not described in detail. The pneumatics Hill, 249, and 340 herein described are the usual type having movable sides l iiia, 240a, and 3mm pivoted at Mob 25th and 340?) respectively.

The foregoing description makes it clear that this invention provides for the effective and emcient operation of the piano action with a minimum number of parts, on a minimum power input and yet permits its installation within the confines of the small types of piano now on the market.

While I have described and shown structure illustrating my invention, it is desired to have it understood that the showing is merely illustrative and that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and within its scope as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In a piano of the type having strings in a substantially vertical plane, a piano action having keys and wippens, the latter being adjacent the rears of the keys and in position to be directly operated by the keys, the key pivot, wippen pivot and contact point of key and wippen being substantially in a straight line; a power action having pneumatics with pivoted members, the pneumatics and wippens having coacting extensions for operation of the wippen by the pneumatic, the wippen pivot, pneumatic pivot and extension contact points being substantially in a straight line.

TOLBERT F. CI-IEEK.

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