US830823A - Pedal-board and pedal for self-playing pianos or musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

No. 830,823 PATBNTED SEPT.11, 1906;

W. 1:. COOPER.

PEDAL BOARD'AND PEDAL FOR SELF PLAYING PIANOS OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1905.

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' in sue a manner as to UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F..OOOPER, OF NORWALK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE A. B. CHASE (30., OF NORWALK, OHIO, A- CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PEDAL-BOARDA N D PEDAL FOR SELF-PLAYING PIANOSDR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 1, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. COOPER, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Boards. and Pedals for Self-Playing Pianos or Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t e accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pedal-boards and pedals for musical instruments, and relates more particularly to edals adapted to be. used in connection wit bellows for mechanically operating a piano or other musical instrument. v A

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel form of pedal board or frame to which the pedals, or treads are hinged, novel means being emplo ed in connectionwith the pedal board or frame to lock the pedals in close proximity to thesame, wherey said board or frame can be turned u wardly and seated in the front of a piano. n this connection my improved pedal board or frame and pedals are particularly adapted for self-playing pianos. In such types of pianos it has been sometimes the custom to embody the self-playing attachment or feature in connection with an ordinary instrument, whereby either maybe used and independently present a neat and attractive ap- To employ pedals in connection withpianos of this type various means have been suggested to construct the pedals within the nstrument in such a manner that eas access may be had to the same when it is esired to operate the instrument as a selfla. er. I have devised suitable means for 01 in the pedal board or frame and pedalsv resent a neat and attractive appearance, it eing im ossible to detect this feature of a self-playing: instrument when embodied in an ordinary pianocase.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, com- A bination, and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully described, illustrated, and

claimed hereinafter.

tion involved in carrying out the ob'ects above specified are necessarily susceptib e to structural change without departing from the scope of the invention; but thepreferred embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view The essential features of the present invenof a iano, illustrating my improved pedalboar in a closed position. Fig. '2 is a similar view illustrating the board in an open position, the pedals thereof being positioned for operation.

Like reference-numerals designate corre-v sponding parts in the several views of the drawings.-

To put my invention into practice, I have illustrated a portion of'a piano-namely, the

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a. pedal-board constructed in accordance with- Fig. 4 is a vertical lower front board 1to which my improved pedal boardv or frame and its appurtenant parts are attached. The piano. in connection withwhich .my improved pedals and pedal board or frame are adapted to be used embodies a self-playing attachment or instrumentcomprising neu'matics, bellows, a duct-board, a'trackerox, and the numerous appurtenances common to self-playing in.- struments.

My invention resides in a pedal board or frame and pedals that are adapted to operate the bellows of a self-playing instrument. In

order that my improved pedal board or frame and pedals can be conveniently folded and seated in the front board 1 of a piano, I have provided said front board with a recess or concavity 2, which is preferably located adjacent to theordinary pedals 3 3 of a piano, and I pivotally mount a pedal board or frame 4, by means of suitab e. hinges 5 5, in front of. the front board 1. The pedal board or frame is substantially rectangular in top plan View and corresponds approximately to the size or contour of, the recess 2. The

outer or topmost edge of the board or frame 4 is providedwithhinges 66, carrying pedals 7 7. The pedals 7 7 are preferably arranged upon each side of the board or frame 4, and connected to the same near the ends are pivotally-mOuritedrods 12 12, which have their ends pivotally connected to'rods 14 1 4, eX-' tending through vertically-disposed slots 15 15, formed in the backing or rear wall 16.

These rods 14 14 are adapted to beconnected' to the mainbellows of a self-playing instrumen-t, and the pedals are adapted to be operated by the feet of the player.

In order that the pedal boarder frame 4 may be folded upwardly intothefrecess 2 of the front board, it is necessary that means be employed for retaining the pedals 7 7 in close engagement with the board or frame 4, and I have employed novelmeans to accomplish this, said means also serving to facilitate the closing and opening of the boardor frame 4. Centrally upon the board orframe 4 I secure a locking mechanismconsisting of a stationary plate"17,-carrying guides 18 18', between which is slidably mounted a plate 19, carrying a spring-latchingmember 20'. wardly-extcn'ding arms 21 21 of the member 20 are inclined, as indicated at 22, to engage clips or lugs -23- 23, secured to the inner'sides of the pedals 7 7, each lug being formed with a stud 23 to limit the movement of the ends of the spring-latching member 20.

The plate 19 is loosely mounted between the guides 18 18, so as to permit-of a slight rocking movement as well as a longitudinalmovement and is pivotally attached at 19 to I a s rin 26, that has one end fastened at 27 to the pedalboard or frame 4, the pivotal attachment of the plate 19 to the springpermitting of the rocking movement of the plate above referred to. The spring 26, is curved near the point of attachment, 27 and is formed with a slot 24,through whichslot a screw passes, this :screw seating'in the pedal board orframe4 and serving as a guide for thie"'sprmg. h a c.

Under normal wo king conditions the pedals aredepressed aiternately'by the feet of the operator, and as each pedalapproaches the termination? "its downward stroke the lug or clip .23 comacts with the inclined end 22 of the. member 20 and rocks the plate-19,

which is integral with or rigidly attached to member 20 ,onit'spivotal point 19, so as'to' throw the inclined 'end out of locking posithe operator until thelugs or clips 23 bot engage the inclined ends of the arms 21 21 of tion. 1 When the board 4 is to be closed, the pedals 7 are pressed down simultaneously by the member 20,. The lugs or clips, both engaging the inclined ends: of the member 20, cause the plate 19 to move forwardly a slight 6 5 \distance until the lugs or clips have reached The out-' latch 30. a I e To prevent my improvedpedal-boa'rd from in any manner interfering with the construc-' such-a position as to perinit of the lower edges of the ends21 of the member 20 engaging the top surface of said lugs or clips. The board or frame 4 can then be swung upwardly upon the hinges 5 5 into the recess 2, the rods 12 12 swinging downwardly to the position illustrated in drawings.

To retain the pedal board 01 frame 4 in a closed position, I have provided. the outer and upper edge of said board with a plate 29,

carrying an outwardly-extending lug 29, adapted to be engaged by a resilient stripor 'latch 30, which is secured, as indicated at 30", tothe iano-board. This resilient latch dotted lines in Fig. 4' of the is provided with a depending-lug or tooth- 30", having a beveled surface. When the pedal board or frame is moved upwardly, the lug 29 engages the'beveled surface of the toothor lug 30 and elevates the latch until the pedal board or frame has ,moved inwardly sufiicient to release the lug or tooth 30 and permit-of the latch returning to its normal position, firmly'and positively re-.

taining the pedal board or frame in its closed position. a

The rear wall or back of the recess '16 is provided with a plate 31, against which the curved portion of the spring 26 is adapted to engage. The closing of the board or frame 4 causes the curved portion of the spring'26 to engage the plate31 and movethe spring 26 an'dthe plate 19 and its latching member 20 sufficiently to release the pedals '7- 7. This is done in order that the pedals 7. 7will assume a position ready tobe operated when the board or frame 4 is opened by releasing (the tion or operativeness, of the ordinary footpedals 3 3, I have provided the board 4 with slots 33 33, through which saidpedals extend when the board 4 is in a closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

rio

Fromthe foregoing it will be observed that a I have devised a novel form of pedal board orframe and'pedals for self playing pianos or other musical instrumentsthat can be opened and closed by the feet alone. The construction which I- have employed in connection with'my improved. pedal board or frame permits of the pedals and their-appurtenant parts beinglcompletely hidden from view while the piano is being played in the ordinary manner and, also presents a neat and attractive appearance when the piano is 'not'in use.

Whilel have depended uponthe bellows ofa self-playing piano to retain the pedals 7 7 in an operative'position, it will of course. be

understood that suitable means may be devised for assisting the bellows in maintaining the pedals in such position.

It is thought that the construction, operati on, and advantages of the herein-described pedal-board will be apparent without further.

description, and it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope pedals, .alatching member carried by said pedal-board and adapted to retain said pedals m a locked position, means to release said pedals from said latching member when said board is closed, and means to lock saidboand within said recess, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the lower front board of a musical instrument, said front board having a recess formed therein, of a pedal board, or frame, hinged at the lower edge of said recess and adapted to fold upwardly into said recess, edals hinged to the upper inner ed e of said oard, links connected to said pedals and extendin within the instrument, means to hold sai pedals in engagement with said board until the said board is closed,-means to release the pedals when the board is closed and means to lock said board within said recess.

3. The combination with the front board of a piano, said front board having a recess formed therein, of a pedal board or frame hinged atthebottom of said recess, pedals hinged to the upper edge of saidboard and adapted to operate mechanism contained within the instrument,- means to temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with said board, means to release said pedals, and means to retain said board within said recess, substantially as described.

'4. The combination with the front board of a selfplaying instrument, said front board vertical board, means to hold said board within said recess, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a piano-case, said case having a recess formed therein, of a board or'frame hinged to the case and adapt ed to fold upwardly into said recess, pedals hinged to said board, locking mechanism carried by said board and consisting of a springpressed locking member adapted to. engage the confronting edges of said pedals and temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with .said board, and means to hold said board within said recess.

6. The combination with a musical instrument, of aboard adapted to fold upwardly into engagement with said instrument, pedals hinged to said board, a locking mechanism carried by said board and consisting of, a re silient member engaging the edals when the latter are depressed and 1101 in said pedals in engagement with said board pedals are depressed simultaneously.

7. The combination with a musical instrument, of 'a pedal-board adapted to fold against said instrument, pedals hinged to said board, locking mechanism carried by said board and adapted to temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with said board.

8. The combination of a musical ll'lStI'llu ment, a pivotally mounted pedal b0ard, or frame, pedals carried b means to temporarily ho (1 said pedals in en. gagement with said board.

9.v The combination with a piano, of a pedal board, or frame, hinged to said piano and adapted to swing outwardly into approxi imately a horizontal plane in respect to said piano, pedals carried by said board, a locking mechanism adapted to temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with said board, when oth pedals are simultaneously depressed, means to retain said board in a substantially osition, and means to release said pedals w en said board is so positioned.

10. The combination of a pedal-board,

pedals hinged to said board, and' means to.

ock said pedals in engagement with said board. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, WILLIAM F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

Jos. B. CoNNoLLY, L. L. Dom).

said board, and,

when both

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