US737363A - Pneumatic-motor valve mechanism for automatic piano-players. - Google Patents

Description

RMIT-NTED AUG. 25, 1903,

T. DANQUARD. PNEUMATIC MOTOR VALVE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLIUATION- FILED APR. 26, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

be MM x WITNESSES:

, dim/4% UNITED STAT S iatented Au ust 25, 1903.

PATE T OFFICE.

THOMAS DANQUARD, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO KOHLER &

CAMPBELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A FIRM.

PNEUMATIC-MOTOR VALVE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC PIANO-PLAYERS- SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 737,363, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed April 26, 1902. Eerlal No. 104,739. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs'DANoUARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Motor Valve Mechanism for Automatic Piano-Players, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention has for its object to provide simple and eflicient valve mechanism controlling the operation of apneumatic-motor which actuates the traveling music-sheet of an automatic piano-player.

The invention includes a novel arrangement of pairs of valves operating at the airpassages of the individual motor-pneumatics which open and close to rotate the drivingshaft from which the music-sheet is actuated and also includes a novel relative arrange 3 is a detail vertical cross-sectional view more especially illustrating the pair of valves and the air-passages of one of the motor -pneumatics.

In the drawings the numeral 5 indicates the wind-chest of the pneumatic-motor which is exhausted by a main bellows, (not shown), which draws air from the main wind-chest 6, with which communicate by suitably-valved ports the small pneumatics to whose movable walls are coupled the hammers which act on the keys of a piano to automatically play it in well-known manner. These hammer-operating valved pneumatics also are not shown, as theyform no partof this invention. The windchest 6 communicates directly with the motor wind-chest 5 through a passage 7 and also matically cuts off air-exhau st through the passage 8 9, more or less, as determined by movement of the outer flexible wall of this pneumatic, which carries a lip 12, engaging the valve. This flexible pneumatic wall is moved by the air exhaust of suction and against the force of an expanding-spring 13, which normally tends to fully open the pneumatic 10 and its valve 11. The operation of this auxiliary valved pneumatic 10 11 relatively to the airtension in or of the main bellows to control any desired speed of the motor and of the music-sheet is well known in this art. It will, however, be noticed that I have specially arranged theauxiliary valved pneumatic 1O 11 in such relation to the air-passages 7 8 9 and the motor wind-chest 5 as to permit location of both motor-controlling valves 14 15 directly at or within the motor wind-chest 5, to which are fastened the series of pneumatics 16, by or from which the motor drivingshaft 17 is rotated, as presently explained.

The reciprocating slide-valve 14 preferably has a slot which cooperates withthe reduced or narrow throat of the passage 9 to permit variable volume of air to pass through the wind-chest 5 as may be necessary to cause rotation of the motor driving-shaft 17 at any speed required by the desired tempo of the music which is controlled by the speed of travel of the music-sheet, whose take-up and delivery rolls are actuated by a belt 18, running from a pulley 19 on the motor drivingshaft 17 andinwell-known manner not necessary to show or further describe. The stem 20 of valve 1 is' shown coupled by a 1ink 21 toa lever 22 in easy reach of the performer, who by adjusting it may open the passage 9 more or less to assure faster or slower speed of rotation of the driving-shaft 17, and thus control the tempo of the music. The reciprocating slide-valve 15 has a stem 23, here shown coupled by a link 24, a rocking lever 25, and arod 26, with an other lever 27 in reach of the performer.- This lever 27 preferably has other connections (not herein shown) for automatically uncoupling the take-up roll of the music-sheet from the motor-shaft and coupling thereto the delivery-roll, so that one motion of said lever 27 will fully open the large direct air-passage 7 and cause high speed of the motor to assure quick rewinding of the music-sheet on the delivery-roll at the finish of a piece of music or when repeating parts thereof. Each reciprocating valve 14 15 is preferably held to its seat bya spring 28. (Best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.) No matter at what speed the motor driving-shaft 17 may be rotated by variable air-supply through the passage 8 9 past the valves 11 14 or through the passage7 past the valve 15 the operation of the motor is directly controlled bypairs of valves, one pair for each motor-pneumatic 16,

and which constitute an important feature of my invention, to be presently described.

The motor-shaft 17 is journaled in bearings 29, fixed to the wind-chest 5, and has a series of cranks 30, which when three motor-pneu- 'matics 16 are used are set one hundred an rods 31 are each coupled preferably by an ex tensible or, telescoping link 32 33 with an upbent arm 36 of a duplex tappet device 37 38,

adapted to operate the pair of valves 39 40 of each pneumatic 16. I prefer to make the link part 32 with one right-angularly bent end which has a bearing in the corresponding pneumatic-connecting rod 31 and receivesa nut 34, which detachably couples the parts 31 32 together. At its other end the link part 32 has a screw-thread 35, fitting a female thread in the other link part, 33,in which the bent end of the tappet-arm 36 has a bearing. When the nut 34 is removed, the part 32 can he slipped from the rod 31.to permit said part 32 tobe turned by its thread 35 in the part 33 for lengthening or shortening the link 32 33 as may be necessary to cause accurate throw of the tappets 37 38, and thereby actuate the two valves 39 40 of each pneumatic at proper times to assure easy and uniform rotation of the drivingshaft from the pneumatics 16 at any desired speed.

The valve 39 is arranged at an opening between the exhaust air chamber 41- of the motor wind-chest 5 and a passage 42, leading to the pneumatic 16, and the valve 40 con.

trols an air-opening 43 from said passage 42 to the atmosphere. valve 39 is linked to a lever 44, which is fulcrumed at 45 to the chest 5, and the outer valve 40 is held to another lever, 46, fulcrumed at 47 to said chest. The tappets 37 The stem of the inner 38 underlie the free ends of the respective levers 44 46, so that when the tappet devices arerocked by the links-32 33 from the oscil latory rods 31, coupling the pneumatics 16 to the cranked driving-shaft 17, the valves 39 40 will be alternately opened and closed to successively connect the pneumatics 16 with the exhaust-chamber 41 and with the atmosphere to cause opening and closing of the pneumatics for rotating the driving-shaft 17. Suitable light springs 48 act on the valvelevers 44 46 to promote prompt closure of the valves 39 40, as permitted by the rocking of the tappet devices.

I specially mention making the valve-operating tappet device 37 38 of or from one piece of wire or material adapted for rocking in suitable hearings on the motor wind-chest 5. As a further improvement I make the arm 36, by which the tappets 37 38 are-rocked, as an integral extension of the same wire. I further specially mention that the valve-operating tappets 37 38 are so proportioned relatively to the arm 36 and to the parts 30 31.

32 33 that the valves 40 always close just before the valves 39 open, thereby avoiding power-wasting leakage of air during operation of the motor-pneumatics 16 by exhaust of air through the wind-chest 5 by the main pedal-operated bellows of the instrument, thus assuring proper starting of the motor and also maintaining most regular rotation of the-music-sheet-driving shaft 17 at any desired speed to accommodate the tempo of the music.

By my special arrangement of levers 44 46,

connected to each pair of pneumatic-control-' valves, nor is there any such loss of power by friction as occurs when sliding pneumaticvalves are used and are actuated by pitnien connecting the pneumatics with the main driving-shaft. Furthermore, all parts of my pneumatic duplex-valve mechanism are at all times accessible for adjustment or repair and said valve mechanism is not only certain and positive in its action, but its construction and mode of operation combine to make it very efficient and durable in use and very well adapt it for hard service without requiring frequent attention for readjustments or repairs.

The novel arrangement of the main motorcontrolling valves 14 1.5 in the Wind-chest of the motor-pneumatics relatively to the auxiliary pneumatic 10, its valve 11, and the airpassages 7 8 9, and also relatively to the pneumatic-valves, makes a very simple, efficient, compact, and comparatively inexpensive construction.

I am aware of a prior automatic piano in which a single perforated slide-valve is used at a music-sheet-motor wind-chest to control flow of air through the motor-pneum atics and wind-chest to two separate chambers of a main wind-chest, from which air is exhausted by a main bellows. One of these chambers communicates with a pneumatic valved aircurrent regulator interposed in an indirect air-passage between said chamber and the bellows for automatically regulating the desired tempo of the music, and the other of said wind-chest chambers may by adjustment of the same valve put the motor wind-chest directly in communication with the main bellows for inducing unobstructed air current through the motor to assure its high speed and consequent rapid rewindin g of the musicsheet. Such subdivision of the prior main wind-chest into two independent chambers not only increases the cost of construction,but promotes liability to air leakage at interior joints which are not readily accessible for inspection and repairs and are injuriously affected by changes of weather and of temperature, to which instruments of this class are peculiarly sensitive. With my motor wind chest 5, having but one chamber commonto the motor-pneumatic valves and to the two independent valves 1 L 15, which control the direct and indirect passages 7 and 8 9, respectively, to the single chambered main wind-chest 6, and ,with the pneumatic valved air-current regulator 10 11, interposed in said passage 8 9, I wholly avoid inaccessible interior joints at the main wind-chest and assure effective operation and great durability of all the working parts,which may be reached easily and quickly for examination and re pair without dismombering any vital part of the instrument.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the motor windchest having air-exhaust chamber and airpassages, the motor-pneumatics, the motor driving-shaft, oscillatory rods connecting the movable walls of said pneumatics with the driving-shaft, and pairs of valves acting at openings of the motor wind-chest leading to the pneumatics and to the atmosphere, of levers coupled to the valves, tappets acting on said levers for opening the valves, and links coupling the tappets with the oscillatory rods connecting the motor-pneumatics and driving-shaft.

2. The combination, with the motor windchest having air-exhaust chamber and airpassages, the motor-pneumatics, the motor driving-shaft, oscillatory rods connecting the movable walls of said pneumatics with the driving-shaft, and pairs of valves acting at openings of the motor wind-chest leading to the pneumatics and to the atmosphere, of levers coupled to the valves, tappets acting on said levers for opening the valves, and links coupling the tappets with the oscillatory rods connecting the motor-pneumatics and driving-shaft, said valves and their operating devices being relatively adjusted to allow the valves at the atmosphere-openings of the motor Wind-chest to close before the valves open at the air-exh aust chamber of said wind-chest.

3. The combination, with the motor windchest having an air-eXhau st chamber and airpassages, the motor-pneumatics, the motor driving-shaft, oscillatory rods connecting the movable walls of said pneumatics with the driving-shaft, and pairs of valves acting at openings of the motor wind-chest leading to the pneumatics and to the atmosphere, of

levers coupled to the valves, tappets acting on said levers for opening the valves, and lengthwise-adjustable links coupling the tappets with the oscillatory rods connecting the motor-pneumatics and driving-shaft and per mitting regulation of the valve action.

4. The combination, with the motor Windchest having air-exhaust chamber and airpassages, the motor-pneumatics, the motor driving-shaft, oscillatory rods connecting the movable walls of said pneumatics with the driving-shaft, and pairs of valves acting at openings of the motor wind-chest leading to the pneumatics and to the atmosphere, of levers coupled to the valves, tappets actuating said valve-levers and comprising bent portions of an integral oscillatory wire or rod, and links coupling said integral tappet devices with the oscillatory rods connecting the motor-pneumatics and driving-shaft.

5. The combination, with the motor windp chest having air-exhaust chamber 41 and airpassages 42, 43; the pneumatics 16, driving shaft 17, and rods 31 connecting parts 16, 17, of a pair of valves 39, 4:0 for each pneumatic 16, an integral tappet device actuating the valves of each pneumatic and comprising oppositely-arranged cranked portions 37, 38, and an arm 36; pairs of levers 44, 46, actuated by the tappets 37, 38, andcarrying the respective valves 39, 40 of each pneumatic, and links coupling the connecting-rods 31 with the tappet-device arms 36 of the respective pne umatics 16, substantially as described.

6. In valve mechanism of the character described, the combination of a main windchest, a music-sheet-motor wind-chest, valves at said motor wind-chest controlling the motor-pneumatics for operating the motor and music-sheet, an auxiliary pneumatic communicating with both the main and motor wind-chests and having a valve actuated automatically by the air-exhaust, and two independently-operative valves at the motor wind-chest one of said valves being adjustable for governing the tempo of the music and controlling the indirect passage between the main and motor wind-chests in which the pneumatic air-current regulator is interposed, and the other of said valves controlling the direct passage between the main and controllable by the interposed automatic reguT later 10 11, a valve 14: in the motor Windchest 5 controlling air-current through the motor-pneumatics and said chest and the regulator 10 11 for governing the tempo of the music, a valve 15 in the motor Wind-chest 5 Y adjustable to permit unobstructed air-current through the motor-pneumatics for quickly re- Winding the music-sh cot, and means forindependently operating the valves ll, 15, substantially as herein set forth.

THOMAS DANQUARD; Witnesses: ALVIN K. GOODW'IN,

F. O. BUCHHOLTZ.

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