US744227A - Expression mechanism for pianolas or other musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

No. 744,227. PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903. R. W. PAIN. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PIANOLAS OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17. 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: a- Z. o'flm'w No. 744,227. Patented November 17', 1903.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EEicE.

ROBERT WILLIARD PAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PIANOLAS OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

eSPEUIFIGl-ZLTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,227, dated November 17', 1903.

Application filed July 17, 1903. Serial No. 165.910. (No model.)

T M 1117101171 it y COYZOWW H is the secondary valve-rod normally held Be it known that LROBERT \VILLIARD PAIN, in the position shown by the spring .l, so as of New York city, State of New York, (postto close the left -hand valve Q, and to open office address rEolian Hall, 362 Fifth avethe right-hand valve L,which admits atmos- 5 nue, New York city,) have invented certain pheric pressure to the exhaust-port M of the new and useful Improvements in Expression operatingpneumatic I It will be noticed Mechanism for Pianolas or other Musical Inthat the valves Q and L are in separate chamstruments, of which the following is a specibers, divided by the partition R. The ob jeet lication, accompanied by drawings. of this partition is to separate the passages 1o Theinvention relates particularly to means which admit the actuating tension or wind for tempering or giving expression to the acto the pneumatic from the exhaust-passages tion of the actuating-pneumatics that operand port M, by which atmospheric air is adate the strikers in keyboard playing instrumitted to the pneumatic P after the notehas ments, such as the pianola and other wellbeen played. I 5 known piano-players. S is the usual secondary valve-pneumatic The present invention contemplates the for operating the valves Q and L, T being softening of the action of the strikers by oneof the tension-chambers of thewind-chest, throttling the wind,whether tension or comas will be well understood. A. valve U is pression, which actuates the striking-pneuprovided, which in the form shown in Figs. 2o matie without at the same time interfering 1 and 2 is a slide-valve having openings with the exhaust and restoration of the pneuthrough it which register with the actuatingmatic to its normal condition after playing a port of the pneumatic P, so that by partly note. closing the valve U the rapidity with which The nature of the invention will be clearly the pneumatic will act will be decreased and 25 understood from the preferred embodiment the striker operated more gently to give soft of it shown in the accompanying drawings. expression to the music. This slide-valve is Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in actuated by a lever V and a handle \V or in section, showing one of the operating or strikany other desired way, and preferably it is ing pneumatics, the valves that control it, manually and not automatically controlled. 8o 30 and its connection with a striker or striking- Instead of a slide-valve any other form of lever for actuating a piano-key. Fig. 2 is a valve may be used-as, for example, the rodetailed section showing the slide-valve for tary valve U in Figs. 3 and 3, shown in two modifying the expression by throttling the different positions. actuating-wind and showing connections for The operation of the device is as follows: 35 actuating the slide-valve and the relation of lVhen the tracker-passage E admits air to the slide to five of the pneumatics. Figs. 3 and raises the primary pneumatic-valves, and and 3 are diagrams showing a rotary valve thereby admits atmospheric air to the pasin two different positions, such rotary valve sage G, the secondary pneumatic S, with its being capable of being employed in place of valves Q and L, is forced to the right, open- 40 the slide-valve. ing valve Q,and thereby connecting the pneu- The details of the piano keys B, strikers matic P with suction through the opening in or striking-levers C, connecting-rod D, and the slide-valve U. If the valve U is nearly tracker-board connection E are of no parclosed, the pneumatic P will operate proporticular interest and therefore need not be detionally slowly and cause a gentle blow upon 5 45 scribed. the piano-key, while if it is wide open it will At F is the usual primary pneumatic valveallow the pneumatic to act with its maximum rod, carrying two valves and operated by a rapidity. As soon,however, asthe keyis tobe pneumatic -diaphragm to admit either sucraised, or, in other words, as soon as the attion or atmospheric pressure in the passage mospheric pressure is cut off from beneath 50 G. Such primary pneumatic though desirthe primary pneumatic, allowing the valves able is of course not absolutely necessary. F to drop, the spring J again forces the valve Q shut and opens the valve L, Which permits the atmosphere to rush through the valve L and the unimpeded exhaust-port M into the pneumatic I to expand the pneumatic. It will, therefore be seen that While the valve U controls the [low of actuating vind for causing the striking it does not in anyway affect the exhaust-port M nor influence the rapidity with which the pneumatic can be restored to its normal position after playing a note.

It will be understood that tension-operated pneumatics and pressure-operated pneumatics are Well-known equivalents, although I have only described the apparatus as operated by tension.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In combination with an actuating-pneumatic for musical apparatus and awind-ehest and valve-controlled connections for connectingand disconnecting the wind-chest with the said actuatingpneumatic, of a separate set of valve-controlled connections for conneetin g and disconnecting the said pneumatic with the atmosphere and means for varying the striking action to give various expressions, independently of the return action of the pneumatic, for substantially the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with a striking-pneumatic, pneumatic-valves for controlling the actuating-Wind and the return Wind, of a divided valve-chamber for the said respective valves provided with a partition separating the valve that controls the actuating-wind from the valve that controls the return Wind, and means for varying the llow of the actuating-wind for varying the expression, independently of the return Wind, for substantially the purposes set forth.

In combination with an actuating-pneu matie, of actuating Wind connections and a valve controlling said connections, atmospheric connections and the valve for controlling said atmospl LOIIO connections, said valves being located in separate chambers, and a control-valve and operating connections that are independent of the striking-pneumatic for controlling the freedom of passage through the first said valve only, independentlyof the return Wind for substantially the purposes set forth.

4:. The combination with a striking-pneumatic and pneumatic-valves and valve-openings for the actuating-wind and for the return \vind respectively, of a partition separating the valve-chambers of the said valve and a tln'ottling-valve with actuating connections independent of the strikhig-pneumatic for controlling the freedom ofpassage through the actuating-wind-valve chamber independently of the return Wind, for substantially the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT \VILIJARII) PAIN.

\Vitnesses:

E. O. THOMPSON, \V. O. Mmsurjnno.

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