US907207A - Automatic piano, &c. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. WBSER. AUTOMATIC HANG, 8w. APPLIOA'HOI rmm 3.5, mos. nnnnwnn our. 8, 190a.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. A. WESBR. AUTOMATIC PIANO, &c. APPLIUATIOH FILED n.5, 190a. RENEWED 001e, 190a.

J. A. WESER. AUTOMATIC PIANO, kn. APPLIGATIOH nun 3.5, 1900. nmuawnn our. 8 190a.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 44 g pernnt the a and the 3 5 not, "on

matically,

anceo. the pia'noc cf c? .v l herelnatterwi th AUTOMATIC PIANO, 850.

10 foriinhg a part hereof.

This invention relates to autonm tic pianos, is end other,lnechamcnl nnzsicnl 1nrents in which, the lUGCllQlilCzll playing dev ,es are inclosed within the piano case.

15 It isl d .sirzihle that such pianos shall have the n no once of ordinary t e in elianicaltlei icc. "re in use, and at the saingtiine itis ccessn y that the piano case be cfnpable of being opened asrcqnired to Jplicntion and removal of music sheets end-a so that the pedals by which the p ow erbellon's are actuated shall be capable of being -folded into the case so that their resence shall not be reycnled when the case )ionos exec t when 25 ls'close-d tindslinll also be capable of being placed reodil This 7 invention particnl arlyf witl case, a

y in operative position.

is therefore concerned the construction ,of the penalty inrelation to the music rolls blow pedilsfand with the adaptation of thl blow porlnls to the case. In the G111- bodiriient of the invention presented in the drawings, is made moreover, provision whereby upo'ntlie release of a single catch is the case opened. for the insertion or rinbx-al of niusie sheet, but the blow are themselves released and per Initted to more into OPBISLlLlYEI P OSJUOD, a music sheet. cabinetv is also opened entoand manually operated controlling; (le -(ices are, .unoo\-'ered. All these partsnnt their, connections, moreoyeri, are devised witlfielation to th 'rproper cooperation and to Hi derhfzitrmt of the desired appear- Furthermore, power is,.stuijed by? the clot g of some oneiof jthese parish nch ripe-rates to effect the-opening of all of the fpartsnfheiione of them is released The iiivcntion will belinore fully explained 'clereiice to the accompany hlch'it is illustrated as emlianical features. 1

Figure 1 is a view in n i of an autornnt 1e .ention is applied, the

Spccificzltto'n of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908. ltcnuwctl October 6, 1903, Serial No. 456,413.

the broken line ]1 of Fig. 2, many parts which are not concerned with the present llWOlltlOll being omitted and the scale being larger than that of big, .2; Fig, 2 is a View in front elevation of some of the parts shown in 1' ig. 1 so far as they embody the invention, as if the same were removed, the frame and easing of the piano being indicated by broken lines and in outline in order to avoid cons fusion; Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the blow pedals, their supporting devices and connections in part; I igi 4 is a View in ele ration, es if seen from the inside, of the, ngsic sheet cabinet and some of its associated parts, the frame and casing of the piano being also shown, higs. 5 and 6 are views in vertical-section, on ditlercnt planes, of the parts shown in Fig, 4; Fig. 7 is a View similar. to Fig. 2, but illustrating a ditl'erent embodiment of the invention; Fig. 8 is a detail, view in section on the irregular plane indicated by the broken line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views illustrating; the devices for exposing the mannnlh operated controlling means.

In the embodiment of theinvention represented in Figs. 1-6 of the drawings, the tracker-box a of an automatic upright piano is represented as located near the upper right hand corner and as" accessible, for the purpose 01' insertingand removing the music rolls b, I), through an opening in the frontccsin'g of the piano which is closed by a panel 0 arranged to slide in ways 0 secured to the front casing c The panel door 0' is opened, when released, by a spring {I which, for convenionce, is arranged to not through a'cord d upon drum d, larger, diameter connected by a cord 1' with the door 0. By the closing oft-the door 0 power is stored in the spring d which is utilized thereafter, notcnly in opening the door 0, but in effecting the opening of other parts, as hereinafter described. ,A latch or detent e of ordinaryconstruction is ncuntednpo r the inner side of the front casing to engage the door 0 and-hold it'in its closed position,

'being provided with a push but/tone which to which is fixed a drum d of tor movement.

the plunger by a cord f', sprmglf and arm 20 ries the blow tion of t is lower front oasi ;:The member h is fined or rz 38 to the movable part of the be ows and w on the panel h is thrown up the member h swings on its elbow joint, permitting the the door, a pneumatic cylinder f, the plunger f of which is arranged to be struck'by the door or b y a cushion 0 carried thoreb y, as the door approaches the limit of its opening The door is also connected to f, for the purpose of restoring a plunger to its initial position as the door approaches the limit of its closing movement; The cylinder f is connected by a suitable duct 9 with a second-cylinder 9 located suitably with ref erence to the folding pedal mechanism. As shown, the duct 9 is connected to the cylinder through the plunger 9, shown in dotted hires, and the cylinder itself is movable, be-

ing restored to. initial position by a suitable spring 9". The cylinder is carried by or acts upon a lever g which operates a latch g.

The latch g on ages the panel it which car- 'e als and normally holds the same .in the c osed or inoperative position, bein released through the movement of the panejsdoor c. As shown more particularly inc-Figs. 1 and 2,7 the blow pedals h are pivoted upon the swinging panel h and are respective y connected to the bellows pumps by a a link It and an arm it having an elbow join-ted member k interposed between the link 5 i and the rigid member h in order'that the soar n mayyieldwhen the panel h is thrown up in closed position'and permit the panel h'to be brou ht into its exact position as a porh of the piano. id with res ect anel to swin into the desired osition. p a

The panel his supported by arms which- 40 pivoted at h upon swinging adjustable rms h, each arm h having a pro'ection or e h extending beyond the pivot to bear pen a stout fiat spring h" which is curved as shown so thatwhen the panel 71 is in its open position, as represented in Fig. 1, the

pressure of the spring it" acts to hold the panel down, and so that when the panel h is turnedu into its closed oaition, the ressure oft e s ring acts, tor the pane has ill been lifted s ljh'tlfl, to assist in the further to o movement an 1d the anelin itsclosed position. A spring stop is provided to cushion the closingoftho panel.

The springs h" nearlycounter balance the weight of the panel h and the parts carried thereby during the first part of the open'ng movement,- but the spring stop hf has suiticient force to-start the panel on its openn' ovement when it is released by the latoli '60 9'! To partly cushion the descendin movement'ol' theanal-7t and its supported parts, and also to 0 act. if desired, the release of the mini roll cabinet hereinafter described, there, ismounted uponthe panel a mum- .,;mui y r-" he pldngor v of which a are closed, the

pivotally connected to the casing h, as at i. As shown, the plunger is hollow and is connected by a duct 1) with a cylinder k, through its hollow plunger k The cylinder 1c is re? stored to initial position by a spring 1c and is carried by or acts upon a lever k which uperates a latch The latter engages a hinged panel 1 which forms, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a'receptacle or support for music rolls. -A spring 1' cooperates with a stop 1 to throw the panel or cabinet 1 open when it is' released, and a second spring Z co-- to cushion the outoperates with a stop I ward movement of the panel.

The panel! closes only the upper portion of the open ng through the lower front casing h and there 'is hinged near the bottom of said casing a lower panel m which is closed by a spring m applied at the hinge. A soft roller m is carrie by the lower panel m to bear aga nst the face of the panel It, so that the panel m is thrown dOVlD when the panel h is thrown do n and so that the spring m, actmg through the panel m and roller m, also assists in raising the panel h. It will now be understood that when the latch e'is released, tne door to is immediately opened by the spring d and, through the described devices, the panel h is immediately released and opened slightly by the s ring it so that gravity can act to comp etc the opening movement of the panel h and panel m. The open'u movement of the panel h is cushs ioncd by. the neumatic cylinder i. and, through the described connections, the music roll cabinet 1 is also released and permitted to open. While therefore the several panels piano presents the appearance of an ordinary piano to be operated manually, but by pressure upon the button e the piano is immediately prepared for use as an automatic or mechanical piano. As will be noted, the latch g, or the latch 70, or the latch r, is held out of engagement with its door only during the actuating movement of the door c, and after such actuating movement may at once reen a eits door and thereafter hold it closed, although the door 0 remains open.-

It 35 bvious that'various changes can be made i g the details of construction and arrangement. Thus, trated in Figs. plo ed for releasing the atches of the folding pe a] mechanism and of the music roll cabinet,,in place of the pneumatic devices previously described. As shown in said figures, there is pivoted upon the rear side of the door 0 an arm n,'.having at its lower end a roll a. A stop n secured to the door prevents movement of the arm n in one direction. Pivoted uponthe rear side of the casing c is a lover 0 having one end 0 placed in the path of movement of the roller a, so that as thedoor c'is opened the, endo of the for example, as illusenism, s swin ing music cabinet and means actuated by t e movement of one of said movable parts to release the other.

-' 13. In 53 mechanical 1111181031 instrument,

the combination of a case, a swing ng panel, 7'

12. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a case, -a. tracker-box, a. movable doortherefor, folding pedal mechanism, a swingin music cabinet, a movable coyer for menue y controlling devices and means actuated by the movement of one of said movable parts to release the others.

pedal mechanism carried by seid panel and a secondspringectueted swingm panel cofipe'ratin' with the firstto close t e-same.

1'4; 11 a. mechamcel.musical instrument,

the com'binetion of a case'he ving an opening, a swinging counterbalanced panel ad op ted to elosesaid opening, pedal mechenism carried by seidpanel, an we second spring-actuated, swinging panel c06peret-1ng wi 'the first named-panel, to move therewithatoclose said openinf.

15. n a, mechanical musicql mstrument,

- the combination of a case having enopening a two-part swinging panel adapted to close part to cause it to bear against the upper part when open.

16. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a case, 9. plurality of movable doors, a. latch engaging one of said doors to hold it in closed position, and'means actuated by the opening of another of sl'aid doors to disengage said latch, saidlatch being adapted to engage the first named door except during the actuating movement of the second named door, whereby the firstnamed door may be reingaged and held closed by the latch after the opening of the second named door.

This s cification 5 ed and witnessed this fourt day of A p 1906. JOHN A. WESER. Signed m the presence of-- A W. B. Giannin ELLA J Ravens.

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