US564386A - Istrator of said thomas a - Google Patents

Description

' (No Model) T. A. MAOAULAY, Deod.

D. MGCAULEY, Administrator. AUTQMATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENTL No. 564,386. 6 v Patented July 21 1896.

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g J U UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

THOMAS A. MAOAULAY, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.; DANIEL MCOAULEY ADMIN- ISTRATOR OF SAID THOMAS A. MAOAULAY, DECEASED.

AUTOMATIC M USICAL 'INSTRUM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,386, dated July 21, 1896. Application filed May 2, 189 2. Renewed February 3, 1893. Serial No. 461,526. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MAcAULAY,

of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following, with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of musical instruments in which a sheet of perforated paper representing a musical composition controls the devices which operate the sounding devices; and it consists-of the devices hereinafter described and claimed. It is especially adapted to pianos, but is also I 5 applicable to other instruments.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing the leading features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a view through X X of Fig. 1, showing the vacuum-chamber, the bellows, and oper- 2o ating devices. Fig. 3 shows the perforated music-sheet. Fig. 4 is a view of the air-duct bridge at the front end.

In the drawings, A represents a string of a pianoforte, B the hammer for operating the 2 5 string, and O the rod which actuates the hammer. They are moved upward by the keys D, which are fulcrumed between their ends upon a rail D and held in position by pins D The keys are operated by the push-rod G,

0 which moves upward.

E is a guide for the push-rod.

F is a bell-crank lever, having the wedgeshaped piece f, and operatively connected to a pneumatic motor H.

5 G is a spring on the push-rod G.

I is an air-duct bridge connected with the motor by ducts c and forming one side of the vacuum-chamber J.

J is a vacuum-chamber secured over the air-duct bridge I, and connected with the pneumatic motor by air-ducts l).

K is a perforated music-sheet wound on roller L. K? are brackets having bearings for rollers L L and fixed to the hinged door V.

M is an exhaust or vacuum bellows operated by cranks N on shaft 0.

41 is the usual vent-valve in the motor 11.

P is a" cylinder having rotary motion imparted by pulley R on shaft 0 through band 4.

S is a pulley on shaft 0, which operates the pulley T through band t.

U is a pulley on shaft 0 for operating the pulley U through band 12 c is a duct in the pneumatic motor H, 0011- 5 5 necting the pneumatic motor with the bridgeduct a.

N N are the cranks on shaft 0, operating the bellows through the pitmen N.

P is a cylinder suitably journaled in bear- 6o ings in bracket P The operation is as follows: By turning the crank O the shaft 0 is rotated, the cranks N N operate the exhaust-bellows M through the pitmen N, and the pulley R is turned, which rotates the cylinderP in the direction of the arrow. The pulley S rotates the pulley T through the band 75. This pulley T is geared to the take-up roller L, which winds the music-sheet from the roller L over the duct-bridge I. As perforations a in the music-sheet pass over the ducts a in the bridge, the vacuum which exists in the pneumatic motor by reason of its connection with the vacuum-chamber through the ducts Z) is '7 5 broken and permits the shoed lever F to fall on the cylinder P by force of gravity and the spring G The cylinder will carry the shoe F forward by frictional contact and cause the push-rod G to move upward and come in contact with the key D between its center of movement D and the extreme end near the hammer-operating rod O, causing it to operate the hammer B and sound the string A, producing the requisite sound. WVhen the perforations have passed over the ducts a, the unperforated portion acts as a valve over the duct a, when no more air can enter the duct, and the air in the pneumatic motor being exhausted into the chamber J, the motor collapses again and raises the lever F off the cylinder, when it returns to its position by force of the spring G resting against the stop h, which is fixed to the motor H, ready again to be operated as before. The music- 5 rollers are inserted in position by bringing the door V in a horizontal position and closing it again, as shown in the drawings, the music-sheet coming against the duct-bridge. After the piece of music is played, the sheet is rewound back from roller L to roller L by pushing the shaft 0 forward. This disengages the pulleys R and S from the pins 0 (7 and engages the pulley II with pins (Z by turning the crank O. The sheet is then rewound back again.

Il aving described my invention, I claim-- 1. In an automatic musical instrument a perforated. sheet, a pneumatic motor, a lever pivoted to said pneumatic motor, a rotary cylinder, and suitable devices for operating the sounding device substantially as specified.

I u an automaticmusical instrument, the combination of the hinged door V having the roller-brackets K K and the music-rollers L L with the operating-gears I and T substantially as speci iied.

3. In an automaticmusical. instrument, the combination with the hinged door V, having the 1'oller-brackcts K K and the rollers L L", of the horizon tal. duct-bridge I substantially as set forth.

4. In an automatic musical instrument, in combination the perforated sheet, the ductbridgc, the vacuuni-chamber, the pneumatic motor, the bell-crank lever pivoted to said pneumatic motor, the stop 71, push-rod and sprin substantially as described.

5. In an automatic musical instrument in combination, a perforated sheet and means to move it, a d u ct-bridgc located horizontally, a vacuuni-chamber above said duct-bridge, a pne'i'imatic motor, located under said ductbridge, air-ducts connecting said duct-bridge, vacuuni-chamber and pneumatic motor, a retary cylinder, a bell-crank. lever, direct] y fulcrumed to said pneumatic motor and adapted to be operated by said cylinder, a push-rod operatively connected to said bell-crank, a key, a hammer, and a sounding device, substantially 2 set forth.

(3. In an. autoi'natic musical instriuncnt, the horizontal duct-bridge, the series of pneumatic key-nmtors arranged horizontally on one side of said duct-bridge and the vacuumchamber arranged horizontall y on the opposite side of said duetbridge, the air-ducts in said duct-bridge eommunicatin g with said pneumatic motors, and the air-passages between said motors and said vaeuum-chainber extending through said du ct-brid gc, substan tially as set forth.

7. In an automatic musical instrument, :in combination, an operating-shaft at one end of the piano beneath the keyboard, a vacuum chamber extending from said shaft lengthwise of the piano and under the keyboard, a duct-bridge beneath said vacuumchamber, a pneumatic motor under said duct-b rid ge, a lever directly fulcrum ed to said pneumatic motor and depending therefrom, a rotary cylinder below said. duct-bri dge, said lever adapted to be operated by said cylinder; a push-rod connected to said lever a guide as E, a key, a hammer, and a sounding device, substantially as set forth.

In an automatic musical. instrument, a pneumatic key-motor controlled. by a pcrl'orated sheet and a vacuuuncham'l)er, a bellcrank. lever carried by and pivoted to said motor, a sounding device and operatingmeans therefor connected with one arm. of said lever, and an independent actuating device arranged to positively actuate said. lever to operate said sounding device when said lever is carried by movement of said motor into operative relation with said actuatin device, substantially as set forth.

I). In an automaticmusical instrument, the combination of the shaft 0 having a suitable bellows-operating device, the pulley R, the bellows M, the vacuum-chambcr .l', the duct bridge I, the pneumatic motor II, the bellcra'nk lever I the push-rod (I, the lcey, the hammer and a sounding device, substantially as set forth.

10. In an automaticmusical instrument in combination, the shaft 0, having the pulley the rotary cylinder 1, the perl'oratml sheet and means for moving it, the vaeuum-ehamber and the pneumatic-motor bellows for maintaining the vacuum in said chamber, a bell-crank lever directly tulcrumed to said bellows and adapted to be operated. by said cylinder, a push-rod, operatively connected to said bell-crank. lever, a key, a hammer and a sounding device, si'ibstantially as set l'orth.

11.. In an. autonnttic musical instrument in combinatimi, a perforated sheet and means to move it, a .luct-bridge located horizontally, a vacuum-chamber above said ductbridge, a pneumatic motor located under said duct-laidge, air-ducts connecting said ductbridge, vacuumchamber and mcumatic motor, a rotary cylimler, a bell-crank lever, directly i'ulcrun'ied to said pneumatic motor and adapted to be operated by said cylinder, a push-rod operativel y connected to said bellcrank, a key a hammer and a sounding device substantially as set forth.

12. In an automaticmusical instrument, in combination, a perili'orated sheet and means to move .it, a duct-bridge located horizontally, a vacuum-chamber over said duct-bridge, a pneumatic motor located under said ductbridge, a bell-crank lever directly 1' ulcrumed with said pneumatic motor and moved thereby, bringing one end (If said bell-crank levelinto contact with an ai'ztuating device and a push-rod operated by said. lever, and operat- :ing the hey betweenv its center of movement D and. the end near the hammer-rod substantiall y as set forth.

'lllOS. A. )ii'M Al l'iAY.

M. E. Gonnmivmn, Bmrrna Fox.

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