US445075A

US445075A - Robert w

Info

Publication number: US445075A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1908-01-20

Description

(No Model.)

R. W. PAIN.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Jan. 20,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT V. PAIN, OF NE YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN ORGAN AND MUSIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

M USICAL INSTRU MENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,075, dated January 20, 1891.

Application filed January 23,1889. Serial No. 297,280. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: and vice versa. A rod II extends between I Be it known that I, ROBERT \V. PAIN, of each pair of valves H H so as to render it New York, in the county and State of New impossible for both valves to be closed at the York, have invented a certain new and usesame time. 5 ful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of Each valve ll consists of a lever hinged at 55 which the following is a specification. one end by flexible material 7r or otherwise The accompanying drawing illustrates a to the top of the reed-board and extending vertical section of a portion of a musical inover the vertical portion g of one of the ducts strument embodying my improvement, the before mentioned. It may be faced on the section being taken transverselyto the length under side with any suitable material to ob- 60 of the instrument. viate leakage. A spring h impinges upon it A designates one of the sound-producing and tends to force it to its seat. devices of this instrument. It is shown as Each valve H is made in the form of a leconsisting of a reed and is located in a cell ver, hinged at one end to theunder side of the I B, communicating with what is ordinarily reed-board bytlexible material 7t or otherwise 65 termed a wind-chest This wind-chest and extending under the lower end of the communicates through passages c with an vertical portion 9 of one of the said duets. equalizer D. The equalizer isin communica- It may be provided with any suitable facing tion with bellows E, of which there may be material opposite the said duct to prevent any desirable number. In the present inleakage. A spring 7r impinges against the 70 stance these are suction-bellows, and hence under side of each valve H tending to force when they operate they attenuate the air it upwardly to its seat. Zach valve II is within the wind-chest. The equalizer and shown as having an arm 7r extending rearthe bellows may be of ordinary construction wardly from it. Above the arm h" of each and can be combined in the usual or any valve 11' a pneumatic motor I is arranged other suitable manner. The bellows may be within the wind-chest C,its exterior being exoperated by rods E from a treadle or in any posed to the wind-chest and its interior comother ordinary way. The cells of the reeds muuicating with a duct 2', which terminates eomniunicatewith achamberF, opening to the in a tracker J. The arm 70 of each valve H o atmosphere. With each reed-eelliscombined is preferably provided with an adjustable So a valve G, which may be aptly described as contact-piece 705, which may advantageously a palletwalvc and pneumatic motor combe made in the form of a screw. The pneubined. The interior of each pallet and pneumatic motor 1, corresponding to each valve matic G is in free communication with a duct H operates upon the contact-piece 7r of such 3 5 consisting, as here shown, of an upright porvalve to lower the same in order to open the 8 tion g, communicating with said pallet and corresponding duct g g pneumatic, a horizontal portion 9 extending It must be understood that there will be for g from the portion g, and a vertical portion 9 each reed a pallet and pneumatic G, a duet extending from. the portion The portion g g g, a pair of valves ll. IP, with their ap' g is at the upper end open to the atmosphere purtenances a pneumatic motor I, and a duct 0 and at the lower end in communication with terminating in the tracker J. These parts the wind-chest C. The vertical portion 9 of will be varied in number, according to the each duct g g 1 has combined with it two number of notes the instrument is to have. valves H 11". The valve H is above the reed- The tracker J has passed over it a perfo- 5 board and controls the communication of the rated musicsheet controlling the ingress of 5 duct with the atmosphere. The valve 11 is air from the atmosphere through the ducts '2; arranged within the wind-chest and controls to the pneumatic motors I. \Vhen airin this the communication of the duct with the windway is permitted to enter one of the ducts 1', chest. When the valve H of any duct g 9 it will expand the corresponding pneumatic 5o g isopemthecorrcspondingvalve HHS closed, motor I, because the atmospheric pressure [O0 thus admitted to the interior of said motor will be greater than the pressure within the wind-chest C. The lower board of the motor will then move downwardly and force open 5 the corresponding valve H against the resistance of its spring 71.3. The opening of the valve H will permit the corresponding valve ll to close. Communication between the corresponding palletand pneumatic G through its duct g g g with the atmosphere will then be cut off, and communication will be simultaneously established between the pallet and pneumatic G through the duct g g g with the wind-chest O. The pallet and pneumatic G will then collapse, its lower movable board rising. Airwill then pass into the corresponding reed-cell and sound the reed therein. In considering the operation of the pallet and pneumatic it is important to note that the area of its lower board exposed to the reedcell is much less than the interior area of that board; hence the action which I have described Each pallet and pneumatic G has combined with it a stop to prevent its lower board from rising too far. This may advantageously be made of an adjustable pin or screw K, inserted in the reed-board above the pallet and pneumatic and extending down into the interior of the. latter.

I have thus far explained the operation of the musical instrument. under control of the traveling music-sheet. 'I will now describe the operation from manual keys L. These keys L are supported and operated in the usual way upon a key-block M.

Then one of the keys L is depressed, it will close the corresponding valve H and open the valve H It does not operate upon these valves only. Interposed between each key L and the corresponding valves H H is a lever N,which at one end is pivotally connected by flexible materialc or otherwise to the rear portion of the reed-board. It extends for- 5 wardly over the valve H',with which it coacts.v

It receives within it a pin 0, that is affixed to the. opposite valve H A spring P, shown as consisting of a flat strip of metal, is secured to each leverN and extends over the opening that accommodates the pin 0. \Vhen the lever occupies a certain position, as here shown, the spring Prests upon the top of this pin 0.

If the lever is swung'downwardl'y beyond this point, it will close the valve H with a yielding pressure, due to the spring P. Each lever N has combined with it a guide Q,whichhas the function of a stop, and is shown as made in the form, of aserew, it being, when so made, adjustable. A spring R is arranged beneath,

each, lever N and tends to press it. upwardly. The stop Q limits the upward movement of the lever N under the influence of the spring R. Between each lever N and its corresponding keyLisinterposed a pin S,which fits loosely in a hole in the key-block. When a keyL is depressed, it will act through its pin S to depress the opposite lever N. The depression of the lever N will cause the valve II- to be closed with a yielding pressure, owing to the presence of the spring P, and cause the simultaneons opening of the valve H During the closing of'the valve H by the lever N the spring P will be slightly deflected by the time the valve is held seated. The stop Q, is to be so adjusted as to preserve a proper initial coaction between the spring P and valve-pin 0. It will be seen that the movement of the valve II is infinitesimal compared with the movement of the key necessary to operate it. The spring P insures an operative connection at all times between the lever N and valve H, as it compensates for shrinking and swelling of material due to changes of the weather, inasmuch as it maybe deflected more or lessin the operation of the lever N as such changes occur. The key may nevertheless be fingered with all the ordinary advantages. The spring P of each lever has also the additional function of compensating for changes incident to variations in the weather, inasmuch as it is free to yield or straighten out to compensate for changes between the valve H and itself, as also changes in the reed-board, while its stop-pin Qremains unadjusted. The alignment of the lever will therefore not be disturbed by changes in the weather.

The adjustable stop K, which is combined with the pallet and pneumatic G. is important, in that it affords a ready means for regulatin g the amount of movement of each pallet and pneumatic. As the pallet and pneumatic for one note will require less movement than the pallet and pneumatic for another note, this facility for regulating the movement is important, especially when it is remembered that unnecessary movement of the palletand pneumatic for any note will interfere with its correct. action.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a reed-cell, of a combined palletvalve and pneumatic motor arranged at the outer side thereof and communicating internally through ductsv g g g with the atmosphere and the wind-chest, substantially as specified.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination, with the pallet-valve or pneumatic G, of

tion, wit-l1 a valve controlling the speaking of I a sound-prod ucing device, of a key, a lever interposed between, the key and the valve, and a spring transmitting motion from the lever tothe valve, substantially as specified.

5. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a valve provided with an upwardly-extending pin and controlling the speaking of a sound-producing device, of a key, a lever interposed between the key and the valve and receiving the pin of the valve, and a spring attached to the lever and bearing upon the pin, substantially as specified.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a valve controlling the speaking of 10 a sound-producing device, of a key, a spring providing a direct yielding connection between the Valve and key, and an ad nstablc stop preserving; a proper initial coaction between the spring and valve, substantially as specified.

1R0 BERT W. PAIN.

Witnesses:

O. R. FERGUSON, WM. IT. ROBINSON.