US900496A - Motor-action for self-playing musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

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L. B. DOMAN.

MOTOR AGTION FOR SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INS'PRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED sEPT. 2s, 190a.

0 6 Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

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v L. DOMAN. MOTOR ACTION FOR SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1906.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

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LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF ELBRIDGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMPHION PIANO PLAYE R COM- PANY, OF ELBRIDGE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MOTOR-ACTION FOB SELF-PLAY'IN G MUICAL INSTRUIEENTS.

Original application filed August fl l flfi, Serial To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS B. DoMAN, of Elbridge, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York,- have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Actions for Self-Playing Musical Instruments, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and

. exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements 1n pneumatic motor action and its governing mechanism for self-playing umsical instruments of the class set forth 1n my pending application No. 329,692, filed August 8, 1906, of which my present application is a division, In this class of devices a minus pressure or partial vacuum is maintained by a suitable exhausting device in certain parts of the motor action, and the operation'of the motor neumatics is dependent upon means for alternately placing them in communication with the exhaust device and atmosphere, said motor pneu matics being connected to a suitable driving shaftfor transmitting rotary motion thereto from which motionmay be transmitted to any mechanism which it may be desired to operate, such for instance, as the music-sheet operating mechanism, not necessary to herein illustrate or describe as the winding and rewinding mechanism for the music-sheet forms no part of my present invention.

My object is to produce a simple, practical and highly efiicient motor action and its controlling mechanism as a single article of manufacture adapted to be installed within the case of a piano or similar instrument to be used as one ofthe mechanical units of what is commonly known as an 1 inside player, without altering-or unnecessarily mutilating the case of the instrument, andfor this purpose it is adapted to be attached by flexible connections to such other parts of the player with which it is to communicate so that it may be adjusted more or less without liability. of straining or opening any of the joints or connecting parts.

One of the more specific objects is to control the operation of a plurality of motor 'pneumatics with a less number of valves than has heretoforebeen employed as it'i s Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6. 1908.

No. 329,692. Divided and this application filed September 26, 1906.

Serial No. 336,839.

customary to use one valve for each pneumat1c,whereas, in my present invention I have soughtto control a plurality of pneumatics with'a single valve.

Another specific ple and practical object is to provide a simmeans for controlling at will, the'speed of the motor from maximum to minimum, and

vice versa, so that when used in connection with the winding and the tempo may be rewinding mechanism for the n'msic-sheet regulated to a nicety, or,

full .force of exhausting neumatics may be thrown into the motor action to actuate the same with a maximum speed during the rewind-ing of the music-sheet.

A furthenobject is to provide means for cutting out the tempo controlling pneumatic when it is desired tooperate the motor pneumatics with increasing speed.

Other objects relating to the specific structure of the various parts and its controlling mechanism will be brought out in the fol- .lowlng descrlption.

, In the drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved motor action and its controlling means. taken on line 22 Fig. 2 is a sectional view Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the controlling mechanism for the motor action. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sectional views taken respectively onlines H, 55, 6-6,

The exhaust-dev ice, as -1, is connected by a flexible conduit to-a valvechamber-3 of a valve-chest .-4 constituting a part ofthe controlling mechanism for the motor action. Th

e valve-chamber -3 is in permanent communication through a port 5-- with a tempo governing pneumatic -6-, which in turn, is connected by a valved port 7-. with a second valve chamber 8 also within the valve-chest -I-. The governing pneumatic -(itherefore embraces both of the ports -5- and T- and forms a part of the connection between the wind-inducing -8, which latter device and valve chamber 1s connected by a flexible conduit 9 to an exhaust-chamber -10- of a second Wind-chest 11- of the motor A slide valve -actionpresently described.

12- is operable manually through the medium of an actuating rod 14' attached at one end to its movable side and having its other end adjust-ably connected by a screw and nut 15 to an extension, .as -1(3, of the valve-chest This governing pneumatic 6, together with the ports 5- and 7 form an 111- direct passage or connection between the valve chamber 3- and valve chamber 8, which latter is connected directly to the exhaust chamber 10 of the motor action. This indirect passage is always more or less open, the degree. of opening being regulated by the valve -12 moving across the port 7, which in turn, regulates in a measure the action of the pneumatic *(i against the tension of the spring 1l. The movable side of this governing pneumatic is provided with a porous valve 1 7 co-actin'g with the ort 5 to further regulate communication between the valve chamber 3 and port -7 in' the following manner: When the. valve 12- is fullopen, as shown in- Fig.3, the force of the air tension in vthe chamber 10 is at its maximum, although any excess of tension which may be produced by the wind-inducing device will tend to collapse the governing pneumatic -6- against the action of its spring 1%1, which in turn, will cause the porous valve 17 to partially close the port 5- to temporarily subdue the force of the increased tension in the motor action, or until normal tension is restored by the spring 14 reacting to 'distend th'e pneumatic +6 to its normal position. The adjustment of the spring 14, therefore, determines'the degree of pressure or air force I necessaryto collapse the pneumatic to partially close the valve .17, but it is evident that the same effect may be produced by partially closing the valve 12, which reduces the force of the actuating air' in the valve chamber 8 and exhaust-chamber Qzi., while at the same time the full air tension from the exhaust device is thrown into the governing pneumatic tending to collapse the same against the action of the spring 14- and'to automatically move the valve 17 to the port 5 to partially cut off communication between said exhaust device and governing pneumatic, thereby further subduing the force of air passing through the port -7.

The degree of vacuum in the system is. of course, variable and would be suflicient at tunes to completely collapse the governing pneumatic --6- against the action of its retracting spring, which would cause the valve 17- to more positively close the ort 5. This, of course, would be objectionable and in order to obviate such conditions I interpose additional resistance by provid'-' ing the movable side of the governing pneumatic 6 with an auxiliary fulcrum bearing 18- and adjustable fulcrum -49- some distance from the hinge, as 20, of said movable side of the pneumatic .the fulcrum 19 being adjustable by means of ascrew 21.

The bearing 18- is secured to the fixed side of and within the pneumatic -6-' between the ports -5 and -7 and the fulcrum l9 and its adjusting screw 21- are mounted upon the movable side of said pneumatic substantially midway between its ends and adapted to engage the bearing 18- just before the valve 17 closes the port 5, thereby shifting the fulcrum farther from the resistance oll'ered by the connection of the spring -l4- with the rod l5, and correspondingly increasing the resistance to the closing of the valve or collapse of the pneumatic -6 there being a slight play of the hinged end of the pneumatic -6 to permit this shifting of the fulcrum. This assures an open, though constricted communication between the ports 5 and 7-, or rather between the exhaust device and motor action through the governing pneumatic and enables the speed of action of the motors to be more closely regulated.

I have now described the tempo controlling mechanism during the playing of the musical selection, but it is sometimes necessary to operate the motor pneunialics with an increased speed requiring the full force or tension of the exhausting device. as for instance, in the rewinding of the music-sheet, and for this purpose I provide the partition between the chambers -3 and -S- with a connecting port 22 having associated therewith, a valve -23- adapted to'he operated by the primary pneumatic ---24- also within the valve-chest i-.

The valve 22 opens into the valve chamber S and is provided ivith a stop 25 for engaging the upper side of the chamber 8- and limiting the opening movement of the valve 22-, the object of which is to control direct communication between the chambers 3 and -S and to establish direct communication between the wind-inducing device and motor action. This valve 22- is opened by the inflation of the pneumatic -24--, which latter operation is controlled at will through the medium of the valve 26- and port -Q(' mosphere so that when the valve ---2G--.

which operated manually through the medium of a rod 27, is opened tov uncover the port -26' atmospheric air is admitted to and operates to inflate the pneumatic -2l-, thereby opening the valve 23- from its port -22-- and establish ducing device and motor action.

It is now evident that the exhaust cham ber -10-- of the motor action is in permanent communication with the exhaust device through the conduit 9- and wind-chest 4.--. of'the controlling mechanism and that the air tension in said chamber -10- is governed by the position of the pneumatic of minus pressure maintained in the cham- 6 and valve 23 and that by connecting a series of motor pneumatics, as -3t) with the exhaust-chamber 10-,

these pneumatics will be operated with a force and speed corresponding'to the degree One of the distinctive features of this motor action is that a plurality of, in this instance two, motor pneumatics 30- are alternately placed in communication with two intermediate pneumatics -30-.

the exhaustchamber l0- and with atmosphere through the medium of a singlgLva-lve,

as '32', of which there are two each controlling the action of a pair of neumatics 3Q, and for this purpose I provide each valve 32 with a chamber or channel 33- and also prbvide the chamber 10- with a pair of separate ports -34- each communicating with its valve chamber Associated with each of the" ports 3tis a pair of ports -35 arranged in vertical alinement with but at opposite sides of the exhaust-port -34, the upper ports of each pair communicating through separate passages -36- with the end pneumatics 30- while the lower ports 85 communicate through separate passages '-37- with the These val-d es are reciprocated back and forth in suitable guides --38 by means of rods -39,- which'are attached at one end to the valves and have their upper ends attached to the intermediate links 31.

The area of each valve is snflicient to cover all threeof the pdrts with which it is registered, but this chamber -33- is only of sufiicient area to embrace two adjacent ports, that is, the middle exhaust port -34- and one or theother of {the valve ports which open to atmosphere when uncovered by the valve The vertical movement of the valve 32- is substantially equal to the compound vertical widths of the lower and upper ports 35 and the chambers -33 of said valves are therefore, always in communication with the exhaust device through the ports --34"and chamber -10-, and when each valve is removed to its extreme up or down position, it embraces the exhaust port -3l-- and one of the ports 35 while the other port 35 is open to atmosphere, thereby causing the exhaust and deflation of one of the pneumatics 30- while the other is being inflated by the atmosphere. Each valve, therefore, controls a pair of adjacent neumatics, as in this instance, one intermediate an'd one end pneumatic and the crank-arms of the shaft 3lfor each pair of pneumatics are offset the same distance at diametrically opposite sides of the axis of said shaft, the crank arms of one pair being disposed in a plane at substantially right angles to that of the other pair so that those to which the two intermediate pneuinatics are connected are arranged a quarter turn, one in advance of the other, and the alternate crank-arms are also arranged a quarter turn one in advance of the other, thereby preventing any possibility of a .dead-center lock, and assuring the starting of the crank-shaft by the motors from any stopping position.

The valve rods 39 are attached to the two intermediate links-31- a short distance inwardly from the crank-arms to give the desired vertical movement to the valves so that when one of these crank-arms and its corresponding valve are in their extreme lower positions, as shown in Fig. 8, to connect the lower port with the exhaust device, leaving the upper port open to atmosphere,

' the pneumatic connected to the lower port is being deflated, while that connected to the upper port is being inflated, during which time the other valve is covering the upper and lower ports so that duringthe next quarter turn of the crank-shaft the first'na-med valve is movedto close both of its upper and lower ports, and on the next quarter turn connects the upper port and its corresponding pneumatic to the exhaust device and opens the lower port and its corresponding pneumatic to atmosphere, and on the third quartert-urnuagain closes both the upper and lowerports, and on the last quarter, returns said valve to "the starting position. This action is the'salne for both valves except that one of the valves is a quarter turn of its movement in advance of the other. It therefore, follows that in one position of the crankshaft the two upperports and their corresponding'pneumatics are open to atmosphere while the two lower ports and their corresponding pneumatics are placed incom- 'and said wind chest outside of &

municat-ion with the exhaust device and that when the crank-shaft is moved a half revolution the two lower ports and their corresponding pneumatics are open to atmosphere, while the two upper ports and their corre'- sponding pneumatics :e connected to the exhaust device. This association of two atmospheric ports for two pneumatics with a single exhaust port enables me to control a plurality of Pneumatics with a single valve and at the same time to obtain a steady action of the crank-shaft without the liability of dead-center lock.

' The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be observed that the motor action proper and its cont-rolling mechanism are built together as a single mechanical unit to facilitate its installation in the case of a piano or similar instrument without alteration or unnecessary mutilation of such case, and in order that the operation may be complete, I have shown the valve rods --13-- and 27- as connected to suitable hand levers shown in Fig.- 1, whereby the motor mechanism maybe easily cont-rolled at the will of the operator.

\Vhat. I claim is:

1. In a motor action for self-playing musical instruments, a wind chesthaving exhaust ports and atmosphere ports, motor pneumatics communicating with the atmosphere ports, means actuated'by the motor pneumatics for opening and closing the atmosphere ports and alternately connecting them with the exhaust port, an exhaust device, a governor pneumatic forming a part of a connection between the exhaust device and exhaust port of the wind chest and provided with a valve for partially cutting off communication as the air tension increases, and pneumatic means for establishing direct communication between the exhaust device and wind chest outside of the governor pneumatic.

2. In a motor action for self-playing musical instruments, a pneumatic motor including a wind chest, an exhaust device, connec tions. between the exhaust device and wind chest including a governor pneumatic forming a part of such connection, and a valve mounted directly upon the movable side of the governing pneumatic for reducing the air tension in the motor as the air tension in the pneumatic increases and means including a primary pneumatic for establishing direct communication between the exhaust device the governor pneumatic.

In a motor action for self-playing musical instruments, a pneumatic motor including a Wind chest 'a-n exhaust device, connections between the exhaust device and wind chest including a governor pneumatic for regulating the air tension in the motor, said governor pneumatic forming a part of the connection between the exhaust devicel and pneumatic means for establishing direct communication between the exhaust device and wind chest, outside of the governor pneumatic.

4. In a motor action for self-playing musical instrument, an exhaust device, a pneu- 'matic motor including a wind chest, :1 governor pneumatic for regulating the air tension in the wind chest, a valve chamber communicating with the governor pneumatic and connected directly to the wind chest, a valve controlling communication between the valve chamber and governing pneumatic, an exhaust chamber connected to the exhaust device and communicating with said governor pneumatic, a valved port connecting the valve chamber with said exhaust chamher, a self-closing valve for said port, and pneumatic means for opening said valve to establish direct communication between the exhaust device and wind chest outside of the governor pneumatic.

5. A motor action for self-playing musical instruments comprising an exhaust.- dcvice, a wind-chest having an exhaust port and atmosphere ports, the exhaust port communieating with the exhaust device, pncumatics each connected to one of the atmosphere orts a valve coverin the exhaust )Olb and alternately connecting the atmosphere port thereto, means actuated by the motor pneumatics for actuating said valve, a governing pneumatic in and forming a part of the connection between the exhaust device and 'exhaust port, and pneumatically operated means for establishing direct communication between the exhaust device and wind chest.

6. In a motor action for self-playing musical instruments, an exhaust device, a windchest having atmosphere ports and an intermediate exhaust port, the latter communicating with the exhaust device, motor pneu- -matics, each communicating with one of the atmosphere ports, a valve and actuating means therefor coacting with said ports to control the action of the motor pncumatics, a governing pneumatic in the connection between the exhaust. device and wind-chest, a valveactuated by said governing pneumatic to regulate the air tension in the wind-chest, a valve chamber communicating with the governing pneumatic and provided with a port having direct connnunicatitm with the exhaust device outside of said governing pneumatic, said valve chamber forming a part of the connection between the exhaust device andwind-chest, avalve normally closing the last na 7, port, a primarv pncumatic for operating the last named valve, said primary pneumatic having a. port adapted to be opened to atmosphere, and an additional alve for the last named port whereby when open the primary pneumatic is actuated by the inflowlng atmospheric air to open the second named valve and thereby establish direct communication between the exhaust device and Wind-chest.

In witness'whereof I have hereunto set my hand-this 21 day of September 1906.

LEWIS B. DOMAN.

Witnesses:

FRED C. CARPENTER, M. E. ELLIOTT.

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