US898762A - Speed-controlling device for note-sheets. - Google Patents

Description

WITNESSES H. MEYER.

SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR NOTE SHEETS.

APPLIGATION TILED MAY5, 1900.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908 HERMANN MEYER, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

biEED-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR NOTE-SHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application filed Kay 5, 1906. Serial No. 315,412.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Speed- Controlling Device for Note-Sheets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion.

T e invention relates to self-playing musical instruments in which a note sheet unwinds from one roller and winds up on another, and passes over a tracker board for controlling the sounding and other devices.

The object of the invention is to provide a speed controlling device, more especially designed for causing the note sheet to travel at a uniform speed by rotating the winding up roller at a speed decreasing in proportion as the note sheet winds iip on the winding up roller, thus com ensating for the increase in peri heral spee by the increasing thickness of t e note sheet roll on the winding up roller. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple means for permitting the operator to readily set the device to a desired speed as called for by the music on the note s eet. 4

The invention also consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and then claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the sectional rod of the speed adjusting device.

In self-playing ianos and like instruments, the speed 0 the note sheet increases in proportion to the increase of the size of the note sheet roll formed on the winding u roller, without an increase in the speed of the latter, its driving gear and motor. Now, in orderto overcome this defect and to reduce the speed of the winding up roller in proportion to the increase of the note sheet roll, the arrangement presently described in detail is made. The note sheet A unwinds from a roller B, and after passing over the tracker board C winds up on the winding up roller D,

pointed out in the the said rollers B and D being journaled in the frame E of the instrument and connected by the driving gears B, D with the pneumatic motor F of any approved construction, the said gears being preferably, however, such as are fully shown and described in the application for Letters Patent of the United States for an automatic self-playing piano, No. 272,499, filed by me August 3, 1905, and the said pneumatic motor is preferably of the construction such as shown and lescribed in the Letters Patent of the United States for a driving device for music sheets,

No. 765,503, granted to me July-l9, 1904.

The pneumatic motor F has its suction pipe F connected with a speed regulating valve G provided with a chamber G connected with the main suction chamber of the instrument, and the said chamber G is connected with a chamber G by a graduated port Gr controlled by a slide valve Gr having its stem G extending to the outside of the valve G to connect by a link Gr with one end of a lever H fulcrumed at H on the frame E of the instrument. A spring I presses the lever H for normally holding' the valve G in an adjusted open position to allow the air to be drawn from the pneuinatics of the motor F byway of the pipe F, the val e G and the main suction chamber of the mstrument. The free end of the lever H is pivotally connected with a rod J mounted to slide on the frame E and carrying a button J adapted to 'be engaged by the note sheet A at the winding up roller D, so that when the note sheet A is wound up on the winding up roller D and the note sheet roll thereon increases in size, it .is evident that the note sheet causes a gradual downward sliding of the rod J, whereby a swinging motion is iven to the lever H for the latter to gradua lly close the valve Gr over the port G to reduce the suc tion for the pneumatic motor F, to decrease the speed thereof in proportion as the note sheet roll increases on the winding. up roller D. Now, ,it is evident that as the speed of the winding up roller D gradually decreases, the speed of the note sheet A remains uniform. It will also be, noticed, that by having the button J engagDing the note sheet at the winding up roller it exerts sufficient friction on the note sheet to insure a regular rewinding of the note sheet on the rewinding roller B, without any tendency of the note sheet to run faster from the winding up roller D and to unwind faster than desired.

struction, and can e readily applied to the instruments as now constructed.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a self-playing musical instrument, the combination of a winding mechanism having a windingup roller for the note sheet, a pneumatic motor for driving the said winding mechanism, a motor valve for controlling" the s eed of the mptor, a compensating device having a lever connected with the said motor valve, and a rod mounted to slide and connected with the said lover, the rod having a button for engagement withthe note sheet at the winding '11 roller.

2. In a self-p aying musical instrument, the combination of a winding mechanism having awinding up roller for the note sheet,

so a pneumatic motor for driving the said winding mechanism, a motor valve for controlling the speed of the motor, a compensating device having a lever connected with the said motor valve, and a rod made in sections adjustably connected with each other, one end of the, rod being connected with the said lever and the other end being adapted to be engaged by the note sheet at the winding up roller. 1

3. .In a self-playing musical instrument, the combination of a winding mechanism having a winding up roller for the note sheet, a pneumatic motor for driving the said winding mechanism, a motor valve for controlling the s eed of the motor, a compensating device aving a lever connected with the said motor valve, a rod mounted to slide and con- 'nected with the said lever, the rod having a button for engagement with the note sheet at the winding up roller, and a spring connected with the compensating device, for holding the said button in frictional contact with the note sheet.

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

, HERMANN MEYER.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosrER, EVERARD B. MARsHALL;

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