US939178A - Tracker-board. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

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FRANK C. WHITE, OF-MERDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TEE WILCOX & W'HITE COMPANY, 0F MERIDEN, GGNNECTIGUT, A CORPRATON OF CONNECTICUT.

TRACKER-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Nov. 2, 1909 Application filed December 24, 1908. Serial No. 469,092.

cut, have inventedcertain .new and useful improvements in 7lracker-Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact dei scription.

My invention relates to trackers i'or niechanical players for pianos, organs and the like. i

My object aims at providing a tracker either an eighty-eightnote music sheet or roll, or with sixty-five note sheet or roll,

said tracker having two independent rows ot' pertorations, one row being properly spaced foi: an eighty-eight note sheet, the other being properly spaced for a sixty-,tive

note sheet. lCoupled with this I employ'an improved means for throwing either row of pertorations out of action.

K vin the accompanying drawings, Figure l is illustrati\l'e of a tracker viewed from one end and constructed to embody my in vention, there being also shown a sheet ot music traversing said tracker. Fig. 2 is a relatively enlarged perspective view, broken away and partly in section, of certain details. Fig. 8 is a still further enlarged detail View in section.

l is the body ot' the tracker having two independent rows ot ducts therein, one duct ot each row or set being indicated at 2-2a. The row indicated at 2 may be assumed to be properly spaced for an eighty-eight note music sheet-while the row indicated at 2a may be assumed to be properly spaced for a sixty-live note sheet. 3 represents a, perforated music roll or sheet arranged to traverse the tracker'. The tracker is provided with two bearing tacos L -t, adapted respectively for the ducs 2-'2a, the upper open ends of the latter being exposed in the usual manner to be covered and uncovered by the perforated note sheet 3, in the usual manner.

It is-obvious that with two independentrows or sets of perforations or ducts, suitable means must be provided to cut out one or the other row according to the particular style of note sheet selected for use. To that end, I provide at one edge to an abutment 6 located between the tracker bearings 1 -4a. The other a tlexible apron 5 anchored i operates equally to edge of the apron 5 is secured to a rod T carried by a suitable swinging bracket support. .'lhis support may comprise two brackets, one ot which is shown at 8, the

saine being pivoted at 9., ik corresponding y bracket (not shown) is provided at the opposite end of the tracker l.

l() `1s a spring, or equivalent device, connected at one end to the bracket 5 and at the other end to the-end ot' the tracker-board i'bclow the pivot 9. It will be seen, on reter' i ring to Fig. l, that the pull of said spring winch can be successfully employed with is in a direction as to hold the bracket in the position there indicated, in which the apron .3 will be drawn tightly over the bearing l" so to close the open upper ends of the ducts 2a, cutting them oit' entirely to the admission ot' air. these conditions, the note sheet 3 (assumed to be on the eighty-eight note sheet) will operate the instrument only through the ducts It it is desired to employ a sixtylive note sheet, the operator has merely to swing the rod T to the lett (as viewed in Fig. l) so that it will stand in anY opposite .1

position, thus 1carrying over the apron 5 so as to open the ducts 2fL and cover ducts 2. The flexibility of the apron 5 permits this shifting ot the rod 7 to be easily accomplished whenever desired. 'The flexibility of the apron also prevents all danger of injury to the bearing faces ot the tracker, a matter of vital consequence in an instrument ot this character. Beyond this, the employnient of a iexible apron has another advantage, namely, it permits all parts thereof to quickly contorni to the bearing faces lso as to effectively seal the ducts therein.

In the preferred construction, the flexible apron 5 is formed ot a doubled sheet of f vportion loosely surrmunling` the rod 'T and being held thereon by means ot a split tubell which so embraces the. rod 'T and fabric as to hold the doubled portion ot the latter smoothly in place and yet not so as to prevent the rod T ironi rotating therein, as it is shifted from one position to the other. The edges of the split tube il are preferably rounded at il"L to avoidiin jury to the fabric of the apron 5 (see Fig. The spring- 10 hold the bracket 8 in the position shown in Fig. i, or in a reversed position, said spring swinging Jfrom one side lt follows that, under to the other of the center 9 as rod T is shifted. The smooth upper surface of the split tube ll constitutes preferably a bearing over which the note sheet freely travels (see Fig. l) said bearing being so located as to hold said sheet somewhat above the immediately adjacent portion of the apron 5 whereby said sheet will touch said apron only along a comparatively narrow line, th us reducing surface friction to a minimum.

What I claim is:

l. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows of ducts, a shiftable fiexible apron and means to shift. the same to cut off either one of said rows.

2. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows of ducts, ashiftable flexible apron arranged to cut off either one of said rows, one part of said apron being anchored to said body at a point between said rows.

In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two indepel-identrows of ducts, a flexible apron arranged to cut off either one of said rows, one part of said apron being anchored to said body at a point between said rows, and a movable bracket support connected to another part of said apron, whereby said apron may be shifted to either of its two operative positions.

l. In a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows of ducts, a. ('lexible apron arranged to cutof either one of said rows, one part of said apron being anchored to said body at a point between said rows, and a shiftable bracket connected to another part thereof, whereby said apron may be moved to either of its two operative positions, with means for holding said bracket in each of its operative positions.

5. ln a tracker-board, a body l having therein two independent rows of ducts, a flexible apron arranged to cut olf one or the other of said sets, said apron beinganchored to said body at a point between said rows, and means to move said apron to either of its two operative positions, with means for holding the latter Ain either one of its operative positions, said means operatingalso to apply tension to said apron.

6. ln a tracker va body l having two independent air admission ducts, a closure for said ducts, said closure comprising an apron anchored at one edge to said body between said ducts and means whereby the rest of the apron may be swung to and fro to cover one or the other of said ducts.

7. In a tracker a body l having two indev pendent series-of air admission ducts, an apron operating as a closure for one o1.' the other of said series, means for holding one edge of said apron between said series, and means for shifting the rest of said apron into, and holding the same in, operative position at either side of said holding means and in position to close one or the other of said series of ducts. A

8. A double tracker having two independent sets of ducts, a flexible closure therefor, meanst'or shifting said closure into position to close either of said sets at will, said means inchnling a note sheet support. FRANK C. WHITE. lVitnesses 1 A. G. KUHNLE, C. L. Pinnen.

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