US663368A - Automatic piano-player. - Google Patents

Description

No. 663,368. Patented Dec. 4, |900. E. M. SKINNER.

AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER.

(Applicat'ion filed Har. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST M. SKINNER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,368, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed March 2l, 1,900. Serial No. 9,560. @lo model.)

To n/ZZ whom '1725 may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST M. SKINNER,y

a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, (Dorchester,) in the county of Suit'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Piano- Players, of which the following is a specification.

My invention resides in certain improvements in automatic piano-players, the object of thel same being to provide means whereby greater facility in expression in devices of this kind may be obtained.

The invention consists in novel means for accenting particular notes, and I provide that in the group of notes struck at the same time any number of them may be actuated with greater `force than the others, thereby giving to automatic piano-players a possibility and range in expression possessed heretofore only by the human hand. The individualizing of the notes is accomplished by suddenlyincreasing the air-tension in the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary pneumatics for an instant of time so short that in the most rapid music any one note may be selected and acted upon so quickly that the preceding` and following notes will not be alfected.

ln carrying out my invention l employ a low-tension bellows for normally operating the keys, a high-tension bellows for operating the keys corresponding to the notes to be accented, and automatic means thrown into operation by the music-sheet for cutting` in the high-tension bellows and cutting out the lowtension bellows.

The details of my invention will be fully set forth hereinafter and the novel features thereof will be defined in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiicatioin'Figui-e l is a vertical section of my improved automatic piano-player. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tracker or channel board. Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the musicsheet. Eig. 4 is a det-ail sectional view showing a modified construction.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The air or vacuum chamber l contains the key-pneumatics 2 and communicates through the ports 3 with the large pneumatics LL, having the fingers 5 thereon for operating the piano-keys (i. Each of the ports 3 is normally closed by a valve '7, whose stem 8 is connected with the key-pneumatic 2, as shown. Each of the key-pneumatics 2 communicates through a passage 9 with an opening l0 in the upper surface of the tracker or channel board ll, over which passes the perforated musicsheet l2. The said music-sheet. is wound on one of the rolls 13 and unwound from the other. perforatious lei 14, corresponding tothe music to be played, which perforations, as is usual in devices of this kind, are adapted to register with the proper openings l in the trackerboard ll. The air or vacuum chamber l also communicates through the wind -truuk l with the low-pressure air-reservoir or bellows 16 through a port 17, controlled by a checkvalve 1S, which opens inwardly or toward the low-pressure reservoir 16. The latter-that is, the low-pressure reservoir l--communi- Gates through the wind-trunk 19 with the high-pressure reservoir or bellows 20, the automatic valve 2l in the low-pressure reservoir 16 controlling the passage through the trunk 19. The main or high-tension bellows 20 is in communication through ports 22 with the feeding-bellows 23, the said ports 22 being controlled by an inwardly-opening checkvalve 24 and the feeders 23 being open to the atmosphere through the ports 25, having valves 26, controlling the same. Said feeders are operated from the pedals 27 through the link or pitman 28, as shown.

Constructed as above described the apparatus will operate iu the usual manner, all of the keys being actuated 'from the low-tension reservoir 1G, and all of the notes will be struck with equal force.

My invention consists in forming in the tracker or channel board l() a supplemental passage 29 and in the music-sheet l2 supplemental accentperforations 30, adapted to register with the passage 29, and means controlled by these parts for cutting off the lowpressure reservoir 1G from the air or Vacuum chamber l and cutting in the high-tension reservoir or bellows 20, so that the notes actuated thereby will be struck with greater force than those actuated from the low-pressure reservoir 1G. ln the event of a number of notes being struck simultaneously the It is provided with the usual note! IOO note-pertorations 31 in the music-sheet 12, corresponding to the notes to beaccented, are cut a short distance behind the other notepertoratious and exactly opposite the accentperforations 30. rlhe higher air-tension operating the accented notes moves the pianohammers so much more quickly than the notes which are not accented that it results in a simultaneous or practically simultaneous attack upon the strings. 1n the first chord on the music-sheet12 (shown in 3 of the drawings) the two slots 14I in advance oi the two slots 3l. register first with the openings in the tracker-board 11. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The piano-bain mers are then moved, say, ouehalt' of the distance toward the piano-strings. rlhe balance oi' the chord7 consisting of the slots 31, then register in conjunction with the accent-hole on the tracker-board. The pressure in the key-pneumatic chamber 1 is instantly raised to double (by way of illustration) the tension obtaining when the first keys were acted upon. It will therefore be clear that these latter notes or, rather, the

hammers for striking the same will be acted upon with much greater rapidity, overtaking the others. 1t is true that the high tension is also acting upon the keys first struck; but they have progressed so far that the efect of the high pressure is lost on them. The passage 29 at one end of the tracker or channel board 11 communicates with an accent-controlling pneumatic 32, which has connected to the movable part thereof the stem 3S of a valve 34, normally closing the port 35 between the air or vacu um chamber l and the passage 36, leading to the pneumatic 37 for the accent-valve 38. The said accent-valve 3811ermally closes the port 39, leading from the main or high-tension bellows 20 to the windtrunk e0, which communicates at its upper end with the air or vacuum chamber 1, and the stem 41 of said valve is connected to the movable part of the pneumatic 37.

Constructed as above described the operation of the device is as follows: When an accentperforation 30 in the musicsheet 12 which lies opposite the note-perforation 31 on said sheet of the note to be accented registers with the passage 29 in the tracker or channel board 11, the pneu-matic 32 is infiated by atmospheric air as against the low tension in the chamber 1 under the induence of the low-pressure reservoir 16. This causes the depression o1' the valve 34C and the opening of communication between the air orvacuum chamber 1 and the pneumatic 37 through the port 35 and the passage 36. The influence of the air-tension from the lowpressure reservoir 16 causes the deflation of the pneumatic 87, which serves to open the accentvalve 38 and open communication between the main or high-tension bellows 20 and the air or vacuum chamber 1 through the port 39 and the wind-trunk 10. rIhe tension or pressure from the high-tension bellows 2O being greater than that from the low-tension bellows 1 6 causes a quicker depression oi the key-pneumatic @,correspondiug to the note on the music-sheet 12 opposite the accent-perforation 30, and also causes the key corresponding to said pneun'iatic 2 to be actuated with greater Force, and thus accent the saine. As soon as the high-tension bellows 20 is open to communication with the air or vacuum chamber 1 the check-valve 1S is automatically closed in order that a sudden change in the air-tension in the chamber 1 may not be neutralized by the low-tension bellows 16.

By my apparatus I can have an accompaniment oi a fixed strength and produce a crescendo in the melody by collapsing the hightension bellowsO, as by working the pedals 27 more rapidly. The spiral spring 42 in the bellows 2O exerts a greater force the more it is compressed. if", therefore, the feeders 2S are worked slowly, they will collapse the bellows 2O but very little. f, however, they are worked rapidly, there is more air being taken from the bellows 20 than is being used through the wind-trunk 19 and the accent-valve 3S, and consequently with the valve 21 in the low-pressure bellows closed the bellows 2O will collapse in proportion to the degree of force exerted by the feeders In this respect the bellows 2O and feeders 225 are identical in their action with the ordinary cabinet-organ bellows. The accented notes are fed directly from the high-tension bellows and are cut in conjunction with the accenthole and are perfectly independent ot' the low-tension bellows 16 or the notes operated by it. Further1 I can have a melody or theme ot a fixed strength and increase the power of the accompaniment by collapsing the lowtension bellows 16 more fully-as, for instance, by opening an additional valve in communication with the high-tension bellows 20, as illustrated in Figa of the drawings. An additional wind-trun k is employed between the low-tension bellows 16 and the hightensicn bellows 20, and in this wind-trunk is mounted a slide-valve t. This is adapted to be operated by hand through the connections shown, consisting oi the hand-lever ai-, pitman 46, bell-crank lever e7, and link e8, the latter connected to the stem of the valve all. After the valve 21 is closed the low-tension bellows 16 may be still further compressed by the partial or complete opening ot' the slidevalve 51.4. The degree of its collapsing is governed bythe supply and demand.- The keypneumatics are making a constant demand on the bellows 16, which demand is supplied normally through the valve 21. it' the slidevalve -1-4 be opened, the collapsing ot' thebellows 16 is then not limited by the valve 2l, but by said valve 4A, as by opening the latter Valve in excess of the demand made by the key-pneumatics and supplied bythe governing-valve 21 the bellows 1G may be collapsed to any desired degree. The result is an in- IOO TIO

creased air-tension in the bellows 16 and a consequent increase in the strength of the accompaniment.

It will be noted that myinvention depends for its successful operation upon the provision of two or more independent high and low tension bellows each of which may be varied without reference to the other and in the means for cutting out one when the other is thrown into operation.

The check-valve 18, which controls the passage through the port 17, is an important feature of t-he apparatus, as the instant an increase in the tension takes place in the air or vacuum chamber 1 said valve is closed and prevents the impulse from distributing the tension in the low-tension bellows 16 and also from wasting itself by simply collapsing the low-tension bellows, As the duration of the impulse is but a fraction of a second, this is a matter of no small consideration.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a low-tension bellows normally in communication with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneumatics, of a high-tension bellows, and means for throwing said high-tension bellows into communication with said chamber and simultaneously cutting off the low-tension bellows therefrom. l

2. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a low-tension bellows normally in communication with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneumatics, of a high-tension bellows, and automatic means for throwing said high-tension bellows into communication with said chamber and simultaneously cutting off the lowteusion bellows therefrom.

3. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a low-tension bellows, a windtrunk connecting said bellows with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneumatics, and a normally-open checkvalve controlling the passage through said wind-trunk, of a high-tension bellows, a wind trunk or passage connecting said high-tension bellows with said chamber, a normally-closed accent-valve controlling the passage through the latter wind-trunk, and means for opening said accent-valve and simultaneously closing said check-valve, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a low-tension bellows, a windtru n k connecting said bellows with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneu matics, and a normally-open checkvalve controlling the passage through said wind-trunk, of a high-tension bellows, a wind trunk or passage con necting said high-tension bellows with said chamber, a normally-closed accent-valve controlling the passage through the latter wind-trunk, and automatic means for opening said accent-valve and sim ultaneously closing said check-valve, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary orkey pneumatics, a tracker or channel board having a series of passages therein communicating, respectively, with the several key or primary pneumatics, and having a supplemental passage therein, a low-tension bellows normally in communication with said airor vacuum chamber, and a normally-open check-valve controlling the passage between said low-tension bellows and said chamber, of a high-tension bellows, a wind trunk or passage connecting said high-tension bellows with said air or vacuum chamber, a normally-closed accentvalve for controlling the passage through said wind-trunk, a pneumatic for operating said accent-valve, a passage connecting the acentvalve-operating pneumatic with said air or vacuum chamber, a valve normally closing said passage, and a pneumatic for actuating said valve communicating with the supplemental passage in said tracker or channel board, whereby when said supplemental passage is uncovered by the registration therewith of a slot in the music-sheet passing over said tracker-board, said accent-valve will be opened and communication between the lowtension bellowsand said air or vacu um chamber will be simultaneously closed.

6. In an automatic piano-player, the combina tion with a low-tension bellows normally in communication with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneumatics, of a high-tension bellows, means for throwing said high-tension bellows into communication with said chamber and simultaneously cutting off the low-tension bellows therefrom, and means for Varying the tension of either of said bellows.

7. In an automatic piano-player, the combination with a low-tension bellows normally in communication with the air or vacuum chamber containing the primary or key pneumatics, of a high-tension bellows, means for throwing said high-tension bellowsinto communication with said chamber and means for automatically throwing said low-tension bellows out of communication with said chamber when said high-tension bellows is thrown in, and vice versa, whereby one, only, of said high and low tension bellows will be in ccmmuuication with said vacuum-chamber at the same time.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

ERNEST M. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. WATERHOUSE, FRANK l?. HOLMES.

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