US705000A - Piano-player. - Google Patents

Description

No. 705,000. Patented July l5, I902.

A. vE. WHITEHEAD.

PIANO PLAYER.

-(Applica.tion filed May 18, 1901.)

' (No Model.)

THE Noam FEYERS co. Pumaumou wasmns'rou. n. c.

'No'. 705,000. 7 Patented Jul l5, I902.

0 A. E. WHITEHEAB;

PIANO PLAYER.

(Application filed my 18, 1901.)

(No lode l.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

RS cu, puorau'mo WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

AURA E. WHITEHEAD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO FARRAND & VOTEY ORGAN COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

PIANO-PLAYER. i

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,000, dated July 1 5, 1902.

' Application filed May 18, 1901. Serial No. 60,922. (No model.)

To (ti/Z whom it may concern: B is the top section of the case, which is Be it known that I, AURA ENVHITEHEAD, a above the action 0. The action I have simply citizen of the United States, residing at Deindicated as a rectangular box, in which the troit, in the county of Wayne and State of valves and pneumatics are located,being com- 5 Michigan,have invented certain new and usebined and arranged in any desired manner. 55 ful Improvements in Piano-Players, of which The top of the action forms a substantially the following is a specification, reference behorizontal partition across the case, extending had therein to theaccompanying drawing nearly from side to side thereof, all as ings. plainly shown in Fig. 1. The action is so- IO The nvention consists in the construction cured to the case in any desired manner. 60 of a piano-player, and part-icularlyin the con- At each end of the case and at the rear side struction and arrangement of the parts in the are secured brackets D, in which are pivoted upper part of the case, whereby the constructhe brackets D, to which is secured the fultion is cheapened and simplified and wherecrum-loarrE. These brackets are so combined by, further, the tracker-board and motor are with the case that the fulcrum-bar may be 65 so disposed that a folding-in or movable fulturned so as to project the playing-fingers F, crum-bar may be employed which may be which are pivoted on the fulcrum-bar, outmoved into a stored position or projected outside the case, as shown in Fig. 2, or may be side the case; further, in the construction turned with the fingers inside the casing, as

of the case whereby the aperture through shown in Fig. 1. To permit of this turning 70 which the fulcrum-bar and playing-fingers are in or out of the case, I provide in the rear of projected may be practically closed in the opthe case the two doors G and G, having their crating position and entirely closed in the dividing-line directly above the fulcrum-bar. stored position of the fulcrum-bar; further, The lower door G is of such height as to perin the construction of the fulcrum-bar itself mit of the projection through the casing of 75 and the manner of attaching the fulcrumthe fulcrum-bar and the playing-fingers in blocks thereto, and, further, in the construcoperating position, while the door G is nection of the playing-fingers and in the con essarily opened. in projecting these parts outstruction, arrangement, and combination of side the case, but as soon as they are outthe various parts, as more fully hereinafter side maybe turned down, with its lower edge 80 described. directly above the fulcrum-bar, so as to close In the drawingsjigure lisasection through from View the inside of the case, with its unthecasing,showingthefulcrum-bar and playfinished operating parts. In this way the ing-fingers in elevation in their vertical posionly operating parts that are exposed are the tion within the case, the tracker-range and fingers and possibly part of the fulcrum-bar 85 trunk for the motor being shown in vertical with the particular construction of the case central section. Fig. 2 is a similar section herein shown. When the case is closed up, through the right-hand part of Fig. 1, showas shown in Fig. 4, it has a finished exterior ing the playing lingers extended as in oper appearance, as shown.

ating position. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec- II is a front hinged door which forms the 90 tion on line (I; 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4C is a perfront of the tracker-board box I, in which are spective view of the upper part of the casing the tracker-board Iand the rolls for the innclosed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part sic-sheet. This tracker-board box is located of the fulcrum-bar. Fig. 6 is a section theresubstantially midway the length of the case through, showing one of the playing-fingers and at oneside of the middle line, as plainly 5 partly in section. Fig. '7 is a horizontal secshown in Fig. 1. This gives ample room betion through Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a vertical lonside the tracker-board box above the action gitudinalsectionthroughtheregulating-valve in which the fulcrum-bar and the playingat the right hand of Fig. 3. fingers may be turned or moved inside of the A represents the case of a piano-player. casing. m

The pneumatic-motor J is arranged at one end of the tracker-board box and likewise at one side of the centerlongitudinai line of the action. This pneumatic-motor is for driving the in usic-sheet and is of the usual construction, comprising a series of pneumatics connected to a crank-shaft for imparting motion thereto.

At one end of the machine, within the easing and leading up from the end of the action, is a wind-trunk K, which connects into a horizontal wind-trunk K, which extends longitudinally of the action just in rear of the tracker-board box, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The wind-trunk K connects into the regulating-bellows L through the port a, and the port I) connects from this bellows into the wind-trunk K".

cis a light spring secured at one side of the port a and extending with its free end over the same, the free end being contacted by an adjustable contact (I, secured to the movable port 6 of the bellows L, all so arranged that as the air is exhausted from the bellows L more or less it will proportionately close the port a, and consequently maintain a substantially uniform pressure in the trunk K regardless of variation in pressure in the trunk K due to the movement of the pedals by the operator.

M is a tension-spring for the bellows L.

Secured to the under side of the bellows L is a valve-casing N. Leading from the trunk K to the box N is a port 7t, and from the box N to the trunk K is a port i.

O is a valve adapted to close the passageway through the valve-box N. When the valve 0 is open, a by-pass is formed from the trunk K to the trunk K or through the port h, box N, and the port 1', so that the air does not have to pass through the regulating-bellows L. This is used ordinarily in rewinding music-sheets. By thus arranging the regulating-valve at one end of the tracker-board box and the pneumatic-motor at the other end thereof, with the trunk K connecting the two, as shown, I obtain an exceptionally compact arrangement of the parts, and the motor and regulating-bellows being above the action can be readily reached for repairs or adjustment by simply removing the top of the case or even opening the doors G G. It also permits of arranging in the top of the case the stored fulcrum-bar and playing-fingers.

The construction of the fulcru1n-bar and playing-fingers is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The bar E is preferably a wooden bar and is provided on its outer surface with a series of vertical gains 70. These gains have at the desired points between them the ribs Z. Secured in the gains 7c and 011 the faces of the ribs Z are a series of fulcrum-blocks m, which are shown in Fig. 5. These blocks have at their end the bifurcated portion n, in which is journaled a playing-finger F. These blocks are also preferably provided with a shoulder 0, engaging on the under side of the fulcrumbar, and they are secured to the fulcrum-bar in any suitable manner, preferably by means of screws 1, passing through the body of the block and into the bar. This arrangement gives me the desired difference in the location of the fnlcrums for the playing-fingers for the black and white keys, respectively, and is a construction which is not only simple and economical, but is strong and durable, with no chance of the turning or loosening of the fulcrum-blocks after they are once sesured in position. The inner ends of the playing-fingers F are preferably bored with. a longitudinally-extending hole, and in this is inserted an elongated counterweight F, which always maintains the inner ends of the playing-fingers in contact by gravity with the upper end of the actuating-bars O, which are connected to the pneumatics and operated thereby.

I do not herein claim in such a device as I have shown the finger-levers projecting without the case in their playing position and a common actuating means for retracting the levers within the case nor such a combination, including the common fulcrum-bar, broadly, for such combination is shown, described, and claimed in my previous application No. 27,488.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a piano-player, a vertical case, an action-case arranged in the case below the top, a tracker-board box secured to the top of the action near the middle, a wind-trunk extending up from the action at one side, a horizontal wind-trunk extending across the top of the action behind the tracker-board box and the pneumatic-motor on the action beside the tracker-board box, to which the horizontal trunk connects.

2. in a piano-player, a case, an action arranged in the case below the top, a trackerboard box secured to the top of the action at one side near the middle line of the case, the motor on top of the action at the end of the tracker-board box, leaving the other side of the top of the action clear, and a movable fulcrum-bar having the playing-fingers pivoted thereon, adapted to be moved within the case above the action beside the trackerboard box and motor.

3. In a piano-player, a case, an action arranged in the case below the top, the trackerboard secured to the top of the action, a windtrunk extending up at one end of the action, and a horizontal wind-trunk extending across the top thereof, a pressure-regulator on the top of the action at one end, connected to said wind-trunk as described, and a pneumatic-motor at the other end of the action, to which said trunk connects.

i. In a piano-player, a case, an action arranged in the case below the top, the trackerboard secured to the top of the action, a windtrunk extending up at one end of the action and a horizontal wind-inrunlc extending longi- IIO tudinally across the same, a regulating-bellows secured to the said trunk at one end, a valve-casing secured to the bellows and connected to the trunk on both sides of the regulating-bellows connection, a valve in said casing and a pneumatic-motor at the other end of the action into which said wind-trunk connects.

5. In a piano-player, the combination of a case, an action in the case, a fulcrum-bar, the playing-fingers pivoted thereon, said bar being supported movably to withdraw the fingersin the case or to project them therefrom, of two doors for closing the aperture in the case through which the fingers are projected, one door extending down nearly to the upper face of the projecting portions, for the purpose described.

6. In a piano-player, a fulcrum-bar, having a series of vertical gains in its face, and a series of interposed strips or ribs formed between the gains, of fulcrum-blocks secured to said bar in the gains, other fulcrum-blocks secured on the outer faces of said ribs and projecting beyond the bar, and playing-fingers pivoted in such projections.

7. In a piauoplayer, a fulcrum-bar having a series of vertical gains in its outer face, and a series of interposed strips or ribs between the gains, of fulcrum-blocks 071 secured to said bar in the gains, other fulcrum-blocks secured on the outer faces of the ribs, the bifurcated portion at projecting below the bar and the shoulder 0 on the blocks bearing against the under face of the fulcrum-bar.

8. In apiano-player, the wind-trunk 70, the regulating-bellows on one side thereof and the valve-case N on the other side, the wind-trunk K, the ports ct b connecting the wind-trunks with the bellows, the valve 0 for the port a,

the ports h and 2' connecting the wind-trunks with the valve-case, and the valve 0 for controlling the by-pass through the valve-case. 9. In a piano-player, a case, an action arranged in the case below the top, a pivoted fulcrum-bar having the playing-fingers pivoted thereon, movable to a position within the case above the action with the playingfingers in a vertical position at the rear side of the casing, or into a horizontal position pro jecting without the case.

10. In a piano-player, a case, an action arranged in the case below the top, a movable fulcrum-bar having the playing-fingers pivoted thereon movable within the case to a vertical position above the rear side of the action, and the tracker-board, above the action at the forward side thereof.

11. In a mechanical playing attachment for keyboard musical instruments, the combination of a casing, a pneumatic-action therein, a series of vertically-movable push-rods operated by said action, a series of finger-levers arranged in their playing position, in a substantially horizontal plane with their key-actuating ends projecting without the casing and their inner ends in proximity respectively to said push-rods, a fulcrum-bar to which said levers are pivoted, and rocking brackets to which said bar is attached arranged laterally in the operating position of parts and adapted to be swung upward to carry said levers into asubstantially vertical plane within the casing.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature

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