US945887A - Automatic musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

P. WELIN.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLIOATIOI mum In 24, 1904. RENEWED mm: 15, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

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AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 24, 1904. RENEWED Jun 15, 1009.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

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P. WELIN.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLIOATION r1121) MAY 24, 1904. nnnnwnn Jun 15, 1000.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

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PETER WELIN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KBELL AUTO-GRAND PIANO OF AMERICA, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A

CORPORATION or INDIANA.

. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Kay 24, 1904, Serial No. 209,449. Renewed June 15, 1999. Serial No. 502,330.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-Pn'rnR WELrN, a citi-- zen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful..Automatic Musical Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are employed for striking keys of musical instruments.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a construction by means of which the different notes of a musical composition will be struck with different loudness or force so as to produce accented or modulated effects.

To these ends, this invention consists of the playing attachmentfor musical instru-' ments; and of the combinations of parts therein as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed'out in the claims at the end of this specification.

The accompanying drawings show this invention applied to a playing attachment which is arranged in a separate casing from the piano or other instrument in connection with which it is'to be used. It is'to beunderstood, however, that this invention is equally applicable to a'playing attachment mounted inside of the piano casing itself.

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a sectional view of suflicient'parts of a playing attachment for musical instruments to illustrate the application of this invention -.thereto. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one .of the nuemat-ics shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive are detail views of separate parts of one of the sets of operating connections for sounding. one particular note; Fig. 2 be- .ing a perspective View of the top part and the servicefpneumatic carried thereby. Fig.

3 bein a a perspective view of one of the invt'erme iate parts; Fig. 4 being a perspective view of asecond intermediate part; and Fig.

' thereby. F g.6 is

- view of a 5 being a perspective view of the bot-tom part and accenting' pneumaticcarried a plan view 7 partly broken awa showing the character of perforated mus c and tracker-board Whichmay be used to control an-automatic playing attachment for musical instruments constructed according"to'this'invention. Fig. 7 is a. sectional push .button constructionwhich may :be use the for modulating -or accenti-ng a group ofth'ree notes; and are similar views showing the parts in difierent positions. x 3

In order to produce accented or shaded effects by the use of automatic playing at Patented Jan. 11, 19 10.

tachments for musical instruments, it has as are to be struck softly. In the practical use of these accenting devices for automatic playing attachments for musical instruments, I have found that it requires undesirably heavy work upon the pedals orfoot-pieces which operate the bellows. For example, in one-class of automatic musical instruments the pressure regulator or throttle which cuts down the air tensions forordinary playing, necessarily puts a heavy'working strain upon the pedals, While all compound bellows with which I am familiar, are necessarily comparatively heavy and complicated, and can be'workedonly with difliculty.

The especial object-of my present inventionis to provide a modulating or accenting construction for an automatic playing attachment for a musical instrument in which all accented effects are produced by a single bellows and comparatively low air tensions. To accomplish this result I prov-ide atrain of connections for striking each note comprising two distinct pneumatics, one pneumatic being operated when a blow of one force isrequired, and both neumatics. being operated when a blow of different 'force is required. I, In the construction herein illustrated, for the normal or unac'cent'ed playing'of. any particular note, I employa small'service "pneumatic which strikes the note-comparatively softl and in order to strike the note more forci loudly, I sample which acts simutaneously with the service pneumatic. That is to say, the operative connections for: sounding each notecomprise two separate pneumatics, the note fbeing y, or to strike theLnOte more an accenting pneumatic sounded by one pneumatic or by the combined action of both pneumatics as required. In the special construction I have herein illustrated the accenting pneumatic supplements and acts simultaneously with the service pneumatic, and I have adopted this arrangement as I have found this to give the most economical and reliable results; although the two striking neumatics cooperating to sound one note might be combined in other cooperative relations, for example, the pneumatics might be set to have opposite etlects, so that the action of one pneumatic would serve as a brake, diminishing the force of the other pneumatic, or the pneumatics might be successively brought into use, thus producing a certain force from a small pneumatic, a greater force from a larger pneumatic, and a combined force when. both'pneumatics act simultaneously.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, in the automatic musical instrument herein illustrated as embodyingone form of my invention, the operative parts are mounted in a casing or housing 0..

In the bottom part of the casing C are the usual bellows B which are worked from the treadles P preferably for producing a low air tension. The bellows B are connected by the usual passages (not shown) to exhaust the air from a vertical wind-trunk 10.

Mounted on the face of the vertical wind trunk 10 are the independently detachable units 11, each one of which contains the operative connections for operating one of the key striking levers.- Each of the units 1 1 comprises the upper small service pneumatic 12 which is connected by a rod 14 to a key lever 15, and a larger accenting pneumatic 13 which is connected, for example, as shown at the bottom unit, by a rod 16 to supplement the service pneumatic 12. In addition to a service pneumatic l2 and an accentlng or supplemental pneumatic 13, each one of the detachable elements contains the pneumatics and valves for controlling the striking pneumatics, and included in each set of operating connections is a primary valve 18 which is operated by a primary pneumatic to admit atmospheric-pressure to a .pneumatic which operates a valve 19'controlling the striking or service pneumatic 12,

Mounted on top of the casing is the usual tracker-board T cooperating with the usual paper winding rolls, and extending down from the tracker-board are the service pipes Each service pipe 17 is connected to operate a primary pneumatic to raise a valve 18, admitting air pressure to the operating pneumatic" which raises the valve 19 to con- .c'e pneumatic 12 with the .suc-

The operative connections so fanreferred to are substantially the same as employed 1n the ordinary instruments of th s class, and

it will also be seen that in the specific construction herein illustrated vl. have followed the same general plan as shown in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 727,725 granted to me May 12, 1903. That is to say, the ordinary operating connections for each note are all located in an element or structure which is dctachably secured in place so that the same may be removed without otherwise dismantling the construction. In addition to these ordinary operating connections each unit of an action constructed according to this invention comprises a switch valve 21 which is operated by a primary pneumatic to open the connection between the passage controlled by the primary valve 18 and a passage which leads to an operating pneumatic controlling the valve 22 which connects the accenting or supplemental pneumatic 13 to the atmosphere or to the suction.

The primary pneumatic which oierates the switch valve 21 has pressure acmitted thereto-through a pipe 20 which may be controlled from the tracker-board or from manually operated valves as hereinafter explained. By means of this construction when theswitch valve 21 is in its normal position the operation of the primary valve 18 may cause the operation of the service pneumatic 12 without affecting the accenting or supplemental pneumatic 13. \Vhen it happens, however, that the switch valve 21 is in its raised position the operation of the primary valve.18 will cause both of the striking pneumatics to operate. That is to say, the switch valve 21 acts simply as an intermediate controller, and the accenting or supplemental pneumatic is not broughtinto use, except when the primary valve 18 is opened. I regard this a point of advantage, as it secures absolute simultaneous action, and also for the reason that the switch valve 21 does not provide a direct outlet to the atmosphere, the only outlet to the atmosphere of the operative connections being controlled by the primary valve 18. This is important, because in the use of antomatic playing attachments for musical instruments the greatest loss ot air tension arises from the imperfect seating of the primary valves, and for the reason that when primary valve is shifted, but has not completed its travel, there is a momentary direct connection" between the atmosphere and v the vacuumchamberor win'd-tri ink.

' '-".lhe'.struct1u'al details of one or" the *removable units or'elements in the action ot an' automatic playing attachment for i'nusical instrun'ients constructed according to this invention are shown in Figs. 2 to As illustrated in these figures, the lower sectio1 i ,2 3

in addition to-carrying the accenting-or sup- .plemental --pneum'atic 13 is providedlfbjvith.

passages24'and 25 which connect with til e5 small pipes 17 and 20 before referred to;

Each of the passages 24 and 25 is provided with the usual leakdisk or small exhaust port, and also arranged in the lower section 23 are the primary pneumatics 26 and 27 which operate the primary valve 18 and the switch valve 21 respectivelygand an operatlng pneumatic 28 having a valve-stem which operates the valve of the accenting pneumatic. In the second section 29 are ar- [ranged the primary valve 18', the switch and valve 21, and the controlling valve 22, bored at one side of the exhaust chamber of this section 29 is a channel 31 which is controlled from the switch valve 21 and leads to the operating pneumatic 28. Mounted in the other'intermediate section 32 is an oper- .ating pneumatic 33 having a valve stem which carries the valve 19' controlling the service. pneumatic. 12. T hemovable section of the service pneumatic 12 is provided with two arms35 and 36 for connection with a' striking lever and with the accenting pneu- .matic respectively.

The complete action as thus constructed 'may be controlled either from the tracker-board which requires the use of a specially perforated music sheet, or from a number of push buttons or keys when ajmusic sheet of-the ordinary perforated pattern is to be used. .In practice a number of the controlling pipes 20 may communicate with a single tracker-board 4 channel.

That is to say, a single channel ofthe tracker-board may be 'made to control the accenting devices of a group of notes referably three in number,

and this can be one without producing confused or blurred effects, as three consecutive notes in a musical composition are never sounded in a perfect chord. The accentmg channels in the tracker-board 'T may belocated either at the ends or center of the tracker-board, but in' practice I prefer to have the accentedchannels distributed along I the entire length of thetracker-board, and

this I have found to be desirable, because it produces a more uniform location of the perforations in the music-sheet, and hence there is less liability for the music-sheet to warp or swell unevenly. T

In the. constructionillustrated in Fig. 6, the music-sheet cooperating with the tracker board is shown as having a number of special perforations or holes H which cooperate with corresponding holes in the trackenboard to throw in the accenting connectionsfor certainnotes, these s ecial accenting holes H being distinguishe from the 'ordlnary perforations by being set slightly in advance-of such ordinary perforations.

Where the play ng attachment is con-' trolled from thetracker-board a specially perforated music-sheet is required, and in some cases, particularly to adapt a mechan- .ism constructed according to this invention f r the use of perforated musicsheets of these figures, a group of three of the accenting pipes 20 is connected-to a chamber 87. Mounted in the chamber 37 is a valve stem 38 which is normally lifted by a spring 39. Fastened on the valve stem 38 is a button 410 which carries a "alve 41. Supported on the-valve stemby a spring 42 is a normally closed valve 43, and on the upper end of the valve-stem is .a finger piece having splines or channels in its side. \Vhen the parts are in normal position as illustrated in Fig. 7, the chamber- 37 communicates with a wind-trunk or vacuum chamber 45. lVhen the finger piece is firstdepressed as illustrated in Fig. 8, the valve 11 is closed, and thereafter the valve 453 is opened to admit atmospheric pressure to the accenting pipes 20, three such accenting pipes being controlled from a single push .button orfi nger piece. I consider this a desirable construction, because it enables me to shut off connection with the wind chest before atmospheric pressure is admitted to the chamber 37, and for this reason a direct connection between the wind chest and the atmosphere cannot be opened even when the finger key is in an intermediate position.

When the instrument is controlled by specially perforated paper, such for example, as provided with perforations H slightly in advance of the speaking perforations, it will be noted that the accenting or modulating effects will be produced automatically; but

when the accenting effects are controlled-by finger k ys or push buttons it is desirable that the hiusic sheet should-have the proper characte s printed thereon to indicate which ones of the push buttons should be operated.

To accomplish this the push buttons are preferably numbered consecutively, andon the musicsheet as'illust-rated at the right of, Fig. 6, I intend to print characters signifying which ones of the-push buttons should be operated. For example, when the pushbutton No. 1 should be operated, the char-- acters No. 1 are printed; immediately in front of the accented .note. In a, similar: way, different numbers, forexample', No. 2 and No.4, may alsobe printed to indicate the proper button.

In the operation of the complete instrument it will'be seen that all operationsareeffected by the action of a bellows which produces a uniform and 'comparatively'low ten I sion, and on this account I have provided a 1 constructionwvhich is of, easy and smooth operation, and which at the same time can produce strongly accented effects.

I a-m aware that numerous changes may be made in racti'cing my invention by those; who are ski ed in the art without departing f from the scope thereof as expressed in the claims. I do not wish. therefore, to be limited to the construction I have herein shown and described, but

\Vhat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a service pneumatic for striking a note with one degree of loudness, a modifying pneumatic cooperating with the service pneumatic to produce accented or modified ef- .t'ects, and a primary pneumatic controlling both of said striking pneumatics.

2. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a service pneumatic for striking a note With one degree of loudness, a modifying pneumatic cooperating with the service pneumatic to produce a modified striking effect, a valve for each of said pneumatics, and a primary pneumatic for each of said valves, one of said valves controlling the conditions of air tension in the chamber in which the other is situated.

3. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a service neun'1atic for striking a note with one degree of loudness, a modifying pneumatic cooperating with the service pneumatic to produce modified striking effects, a valve for each of said striking pneumatics, a primary pneun'iatic. for each of said valves, a pneumatic channel leading to each of said primary pneumatics and a pneumatic channel leading from one valve to the other.

4. In a music playing device, the combination with a wind-trunlnfof a plurality of service striking pneumatics, a plurality of supplemental or accenting pneumatics, and means for causin said supplemental pneumatics to act in conjunction with the corresponding striking pneumatics when notes are to be sounded with an accented effect, each of said supplemental pneumatics being connected with a service striking pneumatic and removable therewith as av unit from the wind trunk independently oi the other striking pneumatics.

5. ln amusic playing device, the combinationof a service pneumatic, a supplemental or accenting pneumatic, a primary pneumatic for controlling'the accenting pneu matic, and a primary pnemnatic for independently controlling the service pneumatic and for controlling the first named primary pneumatic.

(3. In a music playing device, the combination of a service pneumatic, an accenting pneumatic for the same note, aprimary pneumatic located in a passage between the .wind chest and the accenting pneumatic, and .a primary pneumatic located in a passage j between the wmd chest and the service pneumatic, the passage in which the first named n'imar v pneumatic is located also being controlled by the last named primary pneumatic.

7. An automatic playing attachment for musical instruments comprising a plurality of independently removable elements, each of which contains means for controlling the sounding of one note, and each of which comprises the service striking pneumatic, the supplemental or accenting pneumatic which acts conjointly therewith when the note to be sounded with a modified eliect, the primary pneumatic, the controlling valve for the service pneumatic, the switch valve, and the controlling valve for the supplemental pneumatic.

8. 111 an automatic playing attachn'ient for musicalinstruments, the combination of a tracker, a service striking meumatic, a sup lemcntal strikingpneumatic, a connec tion from the t'acker for setting the supplemental striking pneumatic 'in condition ready to be operated, and a connection from the tracker for then simultaneously operating the service and supplemental striking pneumatics by means of a single air impulse.

9. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a music sheet and its Winding mechanism said sheet having two sets of perforations, one in advance of the other, a set of service striking pneumatics, a set of supplemental or accenting striking pncumatics, a trackerboard having tracker-board channels with connections for controlling tl 2 service striking pncumatics, andhaving supplemental tracker-board channels controlling groups of the supplemental striking pneumatics, said supplemental tracker-board channels being distributed along the length of the tracker-board and cooperating with perforations in the music sheet which are in advance oit the speaking perforations.

10. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a set of service striking pnemnatics a set of supplemental striking pmauuatlcs cooperating therewith, and push buttons or fingerpieces each connected to throw in a group of supplemental striking pneinnatics to operate simultaneously with the corresponding service pneumatic-s.

ll. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of a of service striking pneumalics, a set of supplemental striking pneumatics, a set of primary pneumatics or valves for the service striking pneumatics, a set of primary pneumatics and switch valves forthe supplemental striking pneumaties, a controlling-box or chamber connected to control a group of supplemental striking pneumaties, and a finger piece or push button for the controlling chamberv having spring-pressed valves mounted thereon for first closing connection between the controlling chamber and the bellows, and for thereafter opening.

connection between the controlling chamber and the atmosphere.

12. In an automatic playing attachment for musical instruments, the combination of .a set of service striking neumatics, a set of supplemental. striking pneumatics cooperating therewith, push buttons or finger pieces, each having connections for throw 111g in a group of supplemental Striking pneumatics to operate simultaneously with the corresponding service pneumatics, and a music sheet having characters thereon to show which of the push buttons shouldbe operated to produce desired efiects.

13. In a music playing device, the combi-

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