US895382A - Pneumatic action for self-players. - Google Patents

Description

EATBNTED A'U'G. 4. 1963.

F. B. LONG 8. B. A. TAPE PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR SELF PLAYERS.

AYPLIGATION TILED MAR. 23, 19am.

' I 2 SHEET8-SHEE INVENTOHJ.

ATTORNEYS 1 v PATENTED AUG; 4,- 1908. P. B. LONG.& E. A. TAPPE.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR SELF PLAYERS,

APPLIGATIOF FILED MAR. 23, 1907.

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

mi w Ky UNITED srn'rns m me ornrofif FR. 3K sEnAJAH LONG AND EDWARD ARTHUR TAPPE, OF'LOS ANGELES, oALIroRnnl.

PNEUMATIC ac'rroiv ron sELF-ILavsa's; q i

' To all whom it ma concern:

Be itknown t-iat we, FRANK 'BENAJAH Loss and EDWARD ARTHUR TAPPE, citizens of the United States, and residents of Los Angeles, in the county, of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Pneumatic Action for Self-Players,

' self-playing pianos and like self-playe s, and

the keys or strikers, according to t of which the following is a 'full, clear, and exact description. 7

The HIVEHHOII relates to cabinet players,

its 0 jectis to provide a new and improved neumatic action, arranged to insure long e, especially as to the pneumatics, and to produce a quick and accurate response of e pneumatic to he produced.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinationsof the same,

which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is re resented in the accompanying drawings orming a which similar 0 aracters-of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. Figure 1 is a transverse section'of the imrovement as applied to a self-playing piano; ig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one of the pneumatics; Fig. 3 is a trans verse section of a modified form of the inrprovement; and Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the same, the bottom of thewind .chest being removed along the line 4-4: of

- one end of a lever F extendlng within the suction chamber A and on the other end of this lever is secured, bv a'regulating screw, the stem G of a valve G, normall seated on a port aopening into the suction chamber A,

' and adapted to connect the latter with the channel 1) opening into the pneumatic H. The channel I; is connected by 'a port- 0 with the channel (1 leading to the atmosphere, and the said ort c is adapted to be closed by the valve ii, to disconnect the channel b from the atmosphere and to connect the said Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. March 23,1907. Serial No. 364,101.

art ofthis specification, in'

Patented Ad .4,1eos. 7

channel I) by way ofvthe port a with the suetion chamber A, tov colla se the neumatic H, as hereinafter more in y descrl ed.

The movable member H of the pneumatic H is'connected by a rod I with one end of a.

lever J, fulcrumedat its-other end at J, and

provided with anarm J adapted to engage a keeper or bracket K secured to the under side of the key or'striker K, fulcrumed in the usual manner on the key board L of the instrument. An adjusting screw J on the lever J engages the arm J, for adu'sting the latter, so as to bring the free end t ereof into proper relation with the keeper K, arranged on the forward end of the key, as indicated inFig. 1. As the free end of the arm J engages the top of the keeper K it is evidentthat the key K can be played by hand with-' out interfering with the arm J the lever J and the parts connected therewith; but when the pneumatic His collapsed and a downward swinging motion is given to the lever J, then the arm J carries the keeper K and consequently the key along so as to actuate the key and consequently the piano or other instrument. The neumatic Iis provided with a fixed mom er I-P which is ap roximately parallel to the movable member previously mentioned, and the said members H and H are connected with each other by the flexibletubular connection H of rubber, leather or a like material. The edge of the movable member H is rovided with a guide H of'ielt, leather or 0t er suitable material and fitting the inner surface of a casing H inclosiru the pneumatic H and forming a guide for the movable member H. Now when the instrument is used and an aperture of the note sheet'1'cgiste1s -with an aperture in the tracker board and air passes by way of the tube E into the diaphragm chamber D, then the diaphragm D thereof moves outward into the suction chamber A and consequcnth imparts a swingin motion to the lever F which lifts the valve oil the port a, to open the latter and move the valve for the rod I to impart a downward swinging v motion to the lever J, to actuate the corre scription of the same spending key for sounding the proper string of the piano. As s on as the note sheet aperture has passed the tracker board aperture and the latter is closed b v the note sheet then the diaphragm D returns to its normal position, to allow the valve G to drop and close the porta and open the port; c, whereby the pneumatic-H 1S disconnected from the suction chamber A andis connected with the atmosphere, to allow the air to pass intothe pneumatic II to inflatethe same. \l'hen this takes place the movable member H moves back to its uppermost msition, and in doing so it returns the lever and allows the key K to move back to its normal position of rest. V

As illustrated in Fig. l, the lever F is in the. form. of a bell crank lever. and as shown in Figs. 3 and -1 the lever F for connecting the diaphragm D with the valve G is a straight lever. but otherwise the constructibn shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is ap'proximatelv the same as the one above mentioned in. re erence to Figs. 1 and 2, so thatfurther deis notdeemed necessary. Now by constructing the pneumatic H in the manner described, the movable member H moves parallel tov'ards and from the fired member H, and as the flexible connection H has no pie-arranged creases or folds it'is i not liable to be readily m3ured, and conseuntly long life, of the pneumatic is insured. t will also be noticed that by making the pneumatic in the manner described item be made of suitable capacity without occupying much sp The entire pneumatic action shown and "described is very simple. durable and compoet in construction. and is not liable to easily get out of order as it is composedof comparatively few-parts. i llaving thus described claim as n lPatent:

1. A pneumatic action lllOYh pneumatic, having a. fixed member, a1novi-able member approximate-l1.

said fixed member, allexible connection bc- .iWC'PII the said fixed and movable members, to allow the movable member to more approximately parallel to and .from the said fixed member, an exterior uide for the edge of the said movable member, and a casing inclosing the said pneumatic and engaged at its inner surface bytheseid. guide, to guide the movable member in its movement.

*2. A pneumatic action provided with a pneumatic having e. fixed member, a minable member approximately parallel to the i said fixed member, a-tlezibleconuection between the said lifted and movable members. and a casing inelosing the gaged at its inner surface our invention, ire ew and desire to secure by Letters member in its movement. t In testimony whereof rte-have signed our names to this specification m the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. FRANK BENAJAH LONG.-

EDWARD ARTHUR TAPPE.

Witnesses: 7

GEORGE 110mm, Q. A. JIXLEY.

led with a j parallel to the lineumatic and cit-'- v the edge of the movable member, to gu de said movablo'

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