US759576A - Division-indicator for mechanical musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED MAY 10, 1904.

F. 0. WHITE. DIVISION INDICATOR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. lVHITE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

DIVISION-INDICATOR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,576, dated May 10, 1904-.

Application filed June 1, 1903. Serial No. 159,460. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Division-Indicator for Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufliciently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mechanism for indicating a dividing position in the scale of the music-sheet and tracker and is applicable to autopneumatic music playing instruments wherein the pneumatic actions for the bass and treble portions or other divisions are separated and each section provided with separately operative accentuation mechanisms, the prime object of my present invention being to provide a device, marker, or indicating finger or arm supported upon the instrument casing or frame and extending over the perforated music-sheet adjacent to the tracker and having means for indicating the relation of thenote-perforations or devices controlled thereby to the position of the dividing-partition employed within the pneumatic action, wind-chest, or flushing-chamber and the respective devices for effecting accentuation of notes at either side of said partition; also, to provide a division-indicating means that can be retracted, raised, or displaced to facilitate the introduction and removal of the musicspools. These objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein at one end with a head -piece or hingin g bracket 5, adapted for attachment to the front portion 1 of the instrument-casin g, while its other end is adapted to project forward over the winding-roll 2, tracker 6, and music-sheet 7 nearly to the music roll or spool 8 and is formed with a narrow or laterally-flattened end portion 9, that serves as a linear indicating means or dividing-sight between adjacent rows of note-perforations in the scale of the music-sheet or tracker. The attaching-bracket is best formed with forwardly-projecting ears, between which the end of the arm 3 is supported and retained by a transversely-disposed pivot 10, so that the arm can be swung upward, as indicated by dotted lines at 33 on Fig.2, to facilitate the introduction and removal of the music-spools. Suitable stoplugs 12 are provided for limiting the downward swing of the arm, so that its linear guide portion 9 will normally stand in longitudinal relation to the direction of feed and in close proximity to, but not in contact with, the surface of the music-sheet. The hinging-joint is best provided with a spring-washer or friction device 15, inserted between the hingesurface on the ear and side of the arm to afford a degree of friction that will hold the arm at adjusted positions, while permitting it to be raised and depressed by the hand of the operator as desired. 7

This division-indicating device is disposed above the tracker 6 at such position between the sides 14 of the spool-frame that its marker or end 9 bears the same relation to the scale of note-perforations of the music-sheet that the dividing-partition within the instrument bears to the scale of pneumatic actions controlled by the respective perforations. In

practice this position may be between notes E and ,F above middle G, that being a satisfactory point of division; but the invention is not confined to that particular position, but can be used at such position as may in any instance be required.

In the operation as the music-sheet passes from the spool 8 to and over the tracker 6 the overlying indicating member, standing stationary above the advancing music-sheet, constantly denotes the predetermined interval in the scale of note-perforations which corresponds with the position of the division in the instrument action, and thereby enables the operator to readily perceive which side of the division-line any particular melody-note perforation, as 21 or 22, or any note requiring accent, is to be played, and this beforeit reaches the tracker-orifices, and thus'enabling him to intelligently manipulate the accentuation mechanisms for the respective divisions of the action, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those conversant with the art. The melody-note perforations can be specially distinguished by markings on the sheet, as at 21 and 22.

I am aware that modifications in the form and arrangement of the division-indicator can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature and scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to the special form of embodiment shown.

hat I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the spool-frame, casing, tracker, and music-sheet, in amechanical musical instrument; a division-indicating device consisting of an arm or finger having at one end means whereby it is affixed upon the instrument-casing, its other end extended over the tracker adjacent to the surface of the music-sheet, and havinga lateral edge constantly disposed longitudinally parallel with the direction of movement of the sheet, said lateral edge serving as an indicating member in fixed or constant relation to a predetermined interval in the scale of note-perforations on a sheet.

2. In combination with the tracker and perforatedmusicsl1eet, a division-indicator comprising a hinged arm or index-bar mounted upon the casing and extendingover the tracker and music-sheet, an attaching-bracket within which said arm is pivotally supported to swing up and down, and a stop for limiting the downward swing of said arm when its free end is adjacent to the music-sheet.

In a mechanical musical instrument ofthe characterdescribed, the combination, with the tracker, and traveling music-sheet; of a division-indicating device provided with a sightguiding member at the front of the tracker and adjacently overlying the music-sheet at or in alinement with a predetermined interval in the scale of note-perforations, and means supporting said device upon a stationary part of the instrument and retaining the sight-guiding member at position for constantly denoting the relative alinement of said predetermined interval as the music-sheetis advanced over the tracker.

4. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, the combination with a system of pneumatic actions, means dividing said system into a plurality of separately-controllable sections, a tracker, a perforated music-sheet, and mechanism for propelling said music-sheet; of an indicating device provided with a longitudinal member disposed adjacent to the mu sic-sheet at the front of the tracker, for representing a division position in the scale of the music-sheet perforations corresponding to the division of the pnuematic action of the instrument.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with the frame or casing, the tracker, the music-spool, perforated musicsheet, and the music winding or receiving roll; of an overhanging member mounted upon the frame or casing, and having a sight-guiding part or marker overlying the music-sheet at the front of the tracker, for indicating a division in the scale of its perforations, and means for retaining said member in a definite position upon the casing.

6. The combination, with an automatic music-playing instrument having its pneumatic actions for the upper and lower registers divided into separate sections, and provided with a tracker, a perforated music-sheet, and means for advancing said music-sheet; of a d ivision-marker or indicating means independent of the music-sheet, at a predetermined position adjacent to the surface thereof, and disposed in longitudinal alinement with a space between rows of perforations, at an intermediate position in the scale thereof correspending with the position of the division in the pneumatic action, for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with the tracker, perforated music-sheet, and means for propelling said music-sheet, in a mechanical musical instrument; a division-imlicator consisting of an elevatable metal arm having a linear defining part as described, an attaching-bracket secured upon the front of the casing and having hinging ears to which the end of said arm is pivoted, and a sprii'ig-washer or friction device arranged between the hinge-joint surfaces for retaining the arm at position of adjustnumt.

\Vitness my hand this 28th day of May, 1903.

FRANK (I. \VH ITIC.

Vitnesses:

STANLEY B. \Vnrrn, Answer G. KUn'ULn.

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