US564385A - Istrator of said thomas a - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. A. MACAULAY, Deod.

D. MGGAULEY, Administrator. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented July 21, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. MACAULAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.; DANIEL MOOAULEY ADHIN- ISTRATOR OF SAID THOMAS A. MAGAULAY, DECEASED.

AUTO MATIC M U SICAL NSTRU M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,385, dated July 21, 1896. Application filed July 1, 1892. Serial No. 438,645. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: G is a push-rod pivoted. to the pneumatic Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MACAULAY, motor and passing through openings in guide of the city, county, and State of New York, E and keyboard D.

have invented certain new and useful Im- H is a pneumatic motor.

provements in Automatic Musical Instru- Iis a duct-bridge having ducts a.

ments, of which the following, with the ac- J is a vacuum-chamber. companying drawings, is a specification. K is the music-sheet having the perfora- My invention relates to that class of musitions a. cal instruments in which a sheet of perforated K K are bearings fixed to the hinged doorV. I0 paper, representing a musical composition, L is the music-sheet roller.

controls the devices which operate the sound L is a take-up roller. ing devices hereinafter described and M is a bellows. claimed. It is especially adapted to pianos, N N are cranks on shaft 0 for operating but is applicable to other instruments. the bellows M. 15 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view show- N N are pitman-rods connecting the pedaling the leading features of the invention. levers P with the cranks N. Fig. 2 is a view of the duct-bridge and the N N are pitman-rods connecting with perforated sheet. Fig. 3 is a detail view of pedal-levers P with the bellows M. the treadle mechanism. a is a check-valve of the usual kind, having 20 A represents the strings of pianoforte, B the usual vent-hole 2, so that the pneumatic the hammer for operating the strings, and O H is emptied after an imperforate portion of the rods which actuate the hammer. the sheet covers an orifice of duct a.

The rods 0 are moved upward by the keys When a perforation in the music-sheet D, which are fulcrumed between their ends comes over a duet a, the inrushing air closes 2 5 upon a rail D on keyboard D and held in the valve n down on the orifice Z), thereby position by pins D preventing the air which actuates the motor 0 is abell-crank lever having a damper at H from escaping into the vacuum-chamber its upper end in contact with the strings A. J, so that the effective force of the sudden C is a rod having a thumb-nut O rush ,of air shall be exerted on the pneumatic 3o 0* is a pitman-rod connecting the dampermotor H. 8o lever O with an operating-motor such as H. P is the usual pedal for operating the The keys are operated by the push-rods G damper by foot. acting on the keys between the fulcrum and P is a connecting-bar between the arm P the sounding device, which are pivoted to the and NV.

3 5 pneumatic motor H, and are moved upward P P are bearings for pedahshaft P 8 5 when the motors are inflated by air admitted R is a pulley on shaft 0. throughthe ducts a. S is a pulley driven by belt F.

E is a movable push-rod guide. T is a pulley on shaft 0, driven by belt 1 E is a rod connected to the push-rod guide U is a pulley on shaft 0. I 40 E, having a thumb-nut E adapted to move V is a hinged door. the guide E manually. WV WV are pedal-arms having ball-pins con- E* is an elongated hole or opening in the necting the pitmen N N to the cranks N N. keyboard D long enough to permit the lat- The pedal-shaft extends some distance eral movement of the push-rod G by the along the back part of the piano, so as to 45 guide E. bring the arms W W immediately under the 5 F F is a bell-crank lever connected to cranks N. The cranks N are provided with the pneumatic motor H and to the movable split-blocks m, and the ends of the pitmen N guide E. have holes large enough to surround them,

f is a rock-shaft to which one or more of and a screw m connects the blocks with the 50 the levers F are secured. pitmen N. 10o

The operation is as follows: By turning the crank-shaft 0 either by the pedals or by "the crank O a vacuum is created in the chamber J by the operation of thebellows M. As perforations a in the music-sheet K pass over the ducts a in the duct-bridge I, the pneumatic motor II, by inrushing air, expands and moves the push-rod G upward against the key I) and actuates the hammer mechanism, causing the hammer B to strike the string A, producing the requisite sound. As each key in the illstrument has to operate it a pneumatic motor and push-rod, any musical composition represented by perforations in the musicsheet may be played.

For the purpose of causing a light or heavy touch of the keys, the positions of the pushrods G are varied by movable guides E, so as to strike nearer to or farther from the center of motion of the key, so as to strike the sounding device with more or less force. The guide E is arranged to be operated manually by the rod E having a thumb-nut E. To operate the guides E automatically, it is suitably connected with one or more pneumatic motors H by an intervening bell-crank lever 1 and secured to a rock-shaft f, said. motor being operated by air through perforations in the music-sheet. As the push-rod touches the keys near or more distant from their centers of motion at D the touch will accordingly be light or heavy.

For the purpose of automatically operating the damper a lever C is suitably connected with a pneumatic motor II, said motor being operated by air passing through perforations in the music-sheet. The music-sheet is fed from roller L to take-up roller L, which are operated by the loose pulleys R and U, having pins 6 c and the pulleys S and T, the pulleys R and U being alternately brought in engagement with pins (Z and (Z in shaft 0. By pushing the shaft 0 forward the pins (1 and e are brought into engagement and the pins e (Z, which are engaged during the playing of a piece, are now disengaged and the sheet is rewound back on the roller L. The music-sheet roller is removed after opening the hinged door V, bringing the door into horizontal position, when another roller may be inserted to replace the former. The pedals P are jointed, as shown, that they may be folded and placed inside the casing of the instrument.

As the actuating mechanism is intended to be operated by foot,the ordinary damper-actuating pedal cannot therefore be operated by the feet, but the damper may be opera-ted by a hand-operated device. For this purpose a manual damper-operating device is provided in the push-bar 0 having thumb-nut C The arms P and \V are rigidly connected to the shaft P as shown.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In an automatic musical instrument in combination a perforated sheet, a duct-bridge having ducts a, a vacuum-chamber, a pneumatic motor, a push-rod guide and a lever operating said guide suitably connected to said pneumatic motor and guide, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic musical instrument, a perforated sheet, a duct-bridge having ducts a, a vacuunrchamber and means to create said vacuum, a pneumatic motor, a push-rod. guide and a bell-crank lever operating said guide, suitably connected to said guide and said pneumatic motor, substantially as set forth.

In an automatic musical instrument, a movable guide E, a rock-shaft as f having guiding-arms F F and a rod as E adapted to manually operate said guide, substantially as set forth.

4.. In an automatic musical instrument in combination, a perforated sheet, a ductbridge, a vacuum-chamber, a pneumatic mo tor, a push-rod guide and a bell-crank lever connected with said pneumatic motor and push-rod guide, substantially as set forth.

5. In an automatic musical instrument, a jointed pedal-lever projecting outside the case and having a joint adapted to fold over inside of the case, substantially as set forth.

6. In an automatic musical instrument in combination, a push-rod, a pushrod guide and means for moving it in combination with a keyboard, having an enlarged opening to permit the lateral movement of said puslrrod, substantially as set forth.

7. In an automatic musical instrument in combination, a push-rod as G, a movable guide as E, a rock-shaft f having arms I? I in. combination with a pneumatic motor as II and a sounding device, substantially as set forth.

8. In an automatic musical instrument in combination, a perforated sheet, a duetbridge, a vacuum-chamber, a pneumatic n10- tor, a push-rod, a movable push-rod guide and. means to move it, substantially as set forth.

9. In. an automatic musical instrument, a key, a push-rod arranged to operate said key, a pneumatic motor and operating connectimis between said motor and push-rod, in combination with a movable push-rod guide through which said push-rod extends, and means con trolled by said motor for moving said guide, substantially as set forth.

10. In an automatic musical instrument, a key-operating push-rod and a movable pushrod guide, operating-levers for said push-rod and push-rod guide, and a pneumatic motor whereby said operating-levers are moved into operative contact with an actuating device, substantially as set forth.

11. In an automatic musical instrument, a key, an operating push-rod therefor and. means for automatically operating said push rod, a movable guide for the push-rod, and

' means for moving said guide to vary the action of said push-rod upon the key, substantially as set forth.

12. In an automatic musical instrument, a key, an operating push-rod therefor, and means for automatically operating said pushrod, a movable guide for the push-rod Whereby the same is adjusted to vary its action upon the key, means for automatically moving said guide, and a pull-bar connected With 10 said guide whereby it may be manually operated when desired, substantially as set forth.

THOS. A. MACAULAY. WVitnesses:

A. ACKERMAN, ANDREW J. MORE.

Images