US766516A - Accenting mechanism for mechanical musical apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 766,516.. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

R. W. PAIN.

ACCENTING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

v APPLICATION FILED OUT. 26, 1903.

no MODEL. z SHEETS-SHEET 1,

No. 766,516. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

' R. w. PAIN.

AGGENTING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1903. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, I904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

ROBERT W. PAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COM- PANY, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ACCENTING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICALv MUSICAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. '7 66,516, dated A g 2, 1904.

Application filed October 26, 1903.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT l/V. PAIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, New York city, New

York, (post-ofiice address care of the Aeolian Oompany,Aeolian Hall, 362 Fifth avenue,New York city, New York,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accenting Mechanisms for Mechanical Musical Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings.

The invention relates, primarily, to apparatus for playing pianofortes by means of a music-sheet, though it is not restricted in its application to this particular type of keyboard instruments. \Velhknown examples of such apparatus are found in the pianola, the aeolian, and the aeriol piano. It is customary in the pianola and similar instruments to have two different sources of'wind-pressure. The majority of these instruments operate with wind at less than atmospheric pressure, or, in other words, with suction instead of with pressure; but these two methods are to be regarded as equivalents for the purpose of this invention. It is also customary in these instruments to have means for varying the pressure to give piano and pianissimo effects. Means have also been invented for playing a single note louder than the other notes that are simultaneously played, and it is to this class of inventions that this improvement particularly relates.

The object of the invention is to provide means for applying higher wind tension to operate the notes that are to be accentuated than is applied to the other accompanying notes at the same time. This object is accomplished by the apparatus hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front-to-rear 4 vertical section through the upper portion of the pianola, showing the pneumatics and striking mechanism for one key-lever. Fig. 2 is a detail front view with the casing removed, showing the manner in which the valve-chests of the primary and secondary pneumatics are connected with vertical windways leading to the wind-chest. Fig. 3 is aview of the vertical support containing the vertical Windways.

$erial No. 178,500. (No model.)

' Fig. 4 is a detail of one end of the trackerboard, showing the tracker-holes.

The drawings show only one preferred embodiment of the invention and are diagrammatic in their nature, as the details of the separate parts of the apparatus are well known to those skilled in the art.

At B and C are shown the take-up and musicroll, respectively.

At D is the tracker-board.

E and F are the tracker-ducts for controlling, respectively, the primary-valve mechan- 6O ism for causing a note to be played and the accentuating mechanism for accentuating it.

The operating-pneumatic or striking-pneumatic H is connected with a key-lever G by the usual operating-rod G.

At H is the duct or port leading to the pneumatic H and governed by the two pneumaticvalves J, which respectively open and close communication between the duct H and the atmosphere above the valves and the wind-duct 7 O K below the valves. The valves J are operated, as is usual, by the pneumatic or diaphragm J. Vhenever atmospheric air is ad mitted to the ductL beneath the diaphragm J, the diaphragm is forced upward and raises the valves J because of the suction or air tension in the duct K, which also causes the collapse of the pneumatic H, as well' understood.

At M is the primary pneumatic, controlled by the duct E, as usual, to operate the primary 30 valve above the diaphragm and make communication between the duct L and the atmosphere, on the one hand, or the tension existing in the chamber or passage P, on the other hand.

At Q is the wind passage or chamber, connected with the normal working tension of the instrument, which, as is customary in pianolas and similar instruments, may be governed at will by an expression -lever W, though as this is not part of the novelty of the invention these details are omitted. Normally, therefore, the duct K is in communication with the passage or chamber Q. For the usual playing of a note, therefore-as, for example, an accompanying noteit suffices to admit air to the corresponding tracker-duct E, which raises the primary pneumatic M and pneumatic-valve, and thereby shuts off the pressure in the passage or chamber P from the duct L and opens communication between the duct L and the atmosphere, thereby raising the pneumatic J and the valve J and opening communication from the pneumatic H through the ducts H and K to the normal pressure chamber or passage Q.

, For accentuating the note a chamber or passage S is provided in communication with the higher Wind tension of the apparatus, and switch-valvesR, operated by pneumatic It, serve to shut off the communication between the chamber Q and duct K and open commu nication between that duct and the chamber S, so as to increase the tension in the duct K and cause the pneumatic H to operate more strongly whenever the valves J shall be raised to cause the playing of the note. The reverse motion of the valves R restores normal communication through the duct K and the lowertension chamber Q.

For the control of a separate pneumatic R a separate tracker-ductF, with a tracker-hole F, is provided. The lower end of the duct F opens beneath the diaphragm X, the upper side of which is exposed to the pneumatic tension in the chamber T, so that when atmospheric pressure is admitted through the tracker-hole F and duct F the diaphragm X is forced upward, raising the pneumatic-valves and closing communication between duct II, that leads to the diaphragm R, and the chamber T and opening the duct U to the atmosphere. When this occurs, the diaphragm R is forced to the right by the tension existing in the chamber S, and a higher wind tension is thereby connected with the duct K, as already explained. As soon as the tracker-hole F is covered again by the paper the diaphragm X falls, restoring the suction to the duct U and allowing the diaphragm R and valves R to move to the left under the action of the spring Y.

For the convenient mounting of the valve chests or shelves containing the pneumaticvalves described and for connecting the chambers P, T, S, and Q with higher and lower wind-chambers of the instrument an upright box Z, Figs. 2 and 3, having two upright pas- Valves.

sages z 2, as indicated in dotted lines, is provided, and these passages are respectively connected with pipes or passages Z Z, communicating with the higher and lower wind tensions of the instrument, respectively. The chambers or passages T, X, S, and Q extend to and open into openings P, T, S, and Q, in the upright box Z. Similar openings P" T S Q" are provided for lower tiers of As will be seen, the openings P, T,

and S communicate with the higher tension,

while Q, communicates with the lower tension, as required.

In Fig. l the tracker-holes F for accentuating are shown in a different line or series from the tracker-holes E for the ordinary playing of the note. This is not essential; but it is advantageous, because in perforating. the sheet-music it is only necessary to double the width of the perforation, so that it will cover .one hole F as well as the corresponding hole E or make two holes side by side in order to cause the accentuation of the corresponding note, while if the two holes were on the same line it would be better, if not indeed necessary, to advance the perforation for the accentuating tracker-hole F slightly in front of the perforation for the playing of the note by means of thecorresponding tracker-hole E,

because it is advisable to have the valve R operate slightly in advance of. the valves J, so as to insure the admission of the higher tension to the duct K at or slightly before the time that the valves J operate to play a note.

Having now set forth the invention in one of its preferred forms and without attempting to enumerate the many modified forms in which it may be embodied, I claim as follows:

1. In musical apparatus, the combination of primary pneumatics, operating or striking pneumatics and connections for the respective notes, higher-tension and lower-tension pneumatic connections therefor, a tracker and ducts for controlling the said pneumatics, separate tracker-ducts and means governed thereby located above the primary pneumatics and in front of the high and low tension connections for changing from lower to higher tension, or the reverse.

2. In musical apparatus, the combination of a tracker-board provided with ducts, primarypneumatic valves controlled by the said ducts, wind passages or chambers for winds of higher and lower pressures respectively, a switchvalve for said passages controlled by one of said primary-pneumatic valves, a strikingpneumatic, a valve for controlling the striking-pneumatic and controlled by the other of said primary-pneumatic valves, and a duct therefrom leading to both said passages or chambers, said duct being governed by said switch-valve for the purpose of affording different accentuations, and one primary-pneumatic valve being located in' juxtaposition to the switch-valve, and the other primary-pneumatic valve being located under the last said primary-pneumatic valve.

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

ROBERT VV.PAIN.

Witnesses:

E. C. THoMPsoN, W. G. IVIANSFIELD.

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