US948984A - Keyless piano. - Google Patents

Description

T. P. BROWN.

4 w KEYLESS PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED IBB. 9, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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T. P, BROWN, KEYLESS PIANO APPLICATION-FILED FEB. 9, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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T. 1?. BROWN. KEYLESS PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9/1909. I

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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Ifll/filtitll? outrun srarns ran ans orrrcn THEOD'dRE P. ianowu, or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T SIMPLEX PIANO PLAYER CO.

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MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACH Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 9,1909. Serial No.

KEYLEss Piano.

retested Feb. 8, 1910.

a To all whomxit may concern: 1

Be it known that- I, THEODORE P. BROWN, a citizen of the.United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of \Vorccster and srstate of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Keyless Piano; of which the. following is a specification.

"lhisinvention relates to a pneumatic musical instrument.

The principal objects of the invention are t oprovide a simple, practicable, and neat arrangementwhereby a piano adapted to be controlled by an operator can be made without a key-bed or keys, or any levers const'ituting-a sul a piano of. the upright type adapted for automaticplaying with a much less expensive construction than is necessary Whenan entire key-bed is employed; also to provide a casing for such a keyless piano having a neat .and attractive appearance and having provision for the tracker without greatly modifying the form of. the ordinary up right casing.

Further objects and advant rcntion will appear hereinafter. lieference'is to be had to tl ing drawings,- in which--- v l igurc l is a.-front elevation of one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the front portion of the same 0n the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central vertical transverse sectional View; Fig 4c is an end elevation parts; Fi 5 6 is an en arged certain features, detail. V lheretofore in the construct-ion of player, or ombination, pianos for automatic operation under the control of an operator, it generally has been customary'to consider it desirable to be able to conceal the fact that the instrument. playing, and to making as possible like an ordinary instrument for manual operation. This invention hasfor one "object to produce an improved instrument designed to be personally controlled '50 during operation, which shallbe frankly an automatic instrument, and which can be sold on the market at. a much lower expense. than even the cheaper makes of player pianos and yet be constructed in a superior manner and having every advantage which player pianos ages of the ina plan of the wippen; Fig. transverse sectional view of and Fig. 7 1s a plan of a the-casing as near )stitute therefor; to provide- '1 I l I re accompany-c --wil l be seen of a wippen and connected was capable ofautoniatic a longitudinal u in front of it so as .e cient operation. noes are located in of the the casing are substantially have except the possibility of manual operation. With these things in View the ordina'ry'key-bed, keys, and all forms of levers which would constitute a substitute for the keys are entirely eliminated. In place of the keybed the instrument preferably is provided with a projection at the front for tracker so that the' mechanismwithin the casing does not have to be contracted and displaced in order to provide a place for the latter. The striking neumatics are located behind the tracker preferably and directly connected with the wippens which operate the hammers, in such a way that all motions of the hammers are positively transmitted to the movable leaves 1 of the striking pneumatics so that when the hammers are held nearer the strings when ready to strike, the pneumatics will be partially incapacitated for causing the hammers to move with full striking effect. Theexpr'ession manipulatory devices can conveniently come in under the tracker and extend to be in position for The wind inducing dethe bottom of the case where there is plenty of room-and any type of )edals or panels can beemploycd either folding or otherwise.

Referring particularly to the drawings it that the invention is illustrated as in the form ofan instrument of the upright type. The casing 10 of this instrument is shownas havinga top portion or panel 1.1 which may be made in any ordi nary form. This panel'preferably is located all in one plane and below its ends are two side panels12 also substantially in the plane top panel so that-these three parts of continuous with each other and maybe made in any fancy woods or ornamented-in any desired Way so as to get the desired effects as to the appearance of the instrument. 1

About at the center of the front of the instrnment is a hollow pro'e'ction'l3 consti' tuting a tracker box and preferably supported legs l t-extending from thebottom ofthe casing. Below this is shown a frontpanel 15 for folding pedals 16. Any desired type of pedals can be employed. These pedals are connected with the wind inducing 'devices 17 in any usual or desired manner.

The main Wind chest 18 is shown connected with the wind inducing devices and With-110 exhaust channels in a! series of primary valve 7 boxes 19 which have chambers connected by a music spool and take-up spool 22 and '23.

=respectively. By locating the trackcralong the front of the casing in inclined position, it takes up very little room, does not necessitate alarge unsightly angular projection but permits the use of a small one 13 which can have a form similar to that of an ordinary key bed. The valve boxes;19 also communicate with tubes or channels 24 leading to secondary pneumatic-"s 240 for controlling the striking. pneumatics 25, each of which is connected by a vertical rod 26 directly with a wippen 27 which operates a hammer 28 in any usual or desired manner. The wind chest 153 communicates with the striking pneumatics through a conduit or chimney 250. In'order to provide a simple and con venient connection between the rods 26 and the wippens'27, adapted to eausethe movable leaves '29 of the pneumatics to move positively with the hammers as well as cause thehammers to move with the movable leaves and so that the rods can be disconnected readily from the \VlPPQDSWllGH it is desired to repair or remove any one or all of the striking pneumatics, the wippens a 'e provided with open-ended slots 30, prefeiably lined with felt 31. The rods are detachably connected through these slots by means of nuts 32 both aboveand below and are connected with the movable leaves'29 of the striking pneumatics similarly by upper and lower nuts. The rods bear against a movable bar 33 which holds them in opera- 'tive position, but as the rods and bar are at the front and the upper ends of the rods are connected so as to be detachable by a forward movement, when the bar is removed or pulled forward all the rods can be disconnected from the wippens very easily so that the striking neumatics or any of them can I be taken out or repaired from the front. This; shows an important advantage of havin the free ends of the wippens and niov' ab e leaves of the striking pneumatics at the front and substantially in vertical alineinent.

with each other. The bar 33 is convenientl held in position by lates 34 each having an open ended slot 35 or a headed fasteningihi on the bar.

The hammers are shown as adjusted toward the strings to modulate the tone by means'of a pivoted hammer rest rail 37 adapted to be operated by mechanism 38 under the control of a lever 39. On account of the positive connection of the rods 26 with the movable leaves of. the pneuniatics and with the wippens, and the adjustment of the action to'prevent' lost-motion the operation of'the lever 35) not only moves the rest rail and chambers toward the strings to shorten the stroke, but this motion of the hammers pulls on the bridles, bridle wires, wippens, aiid'partially collapses the striking neumatics, which prevents their actuating the hammers with full striking effect. Therefore the eflectof the striking pneuinatics will not be partly expended in neu tralizing the effect of the adjustment of the' hammer rest rail but both clients will c'ooperate to produce the desired result sothat the rest rail does not have tobe moved so near the strings for any desired modulating effect and the pianissinio effects are clear and distinct.

The PIOJGCtlOll 13 provides a convenient location for the lever 39 and any other ex-.-

pression manipulatory devices which preferably are located in the tracker-box in front of the tracker and below it.

The instrument is shown as of the type involviiig primary and secondary pneumatics,

the former located immediately below the striking pnenmatics and separate therefrom, and the latter on the striking. pneuniaties,

but it will beunderstood that the single' valve or any equivalent system can be used with the other features of this'invention.

It will be seen that by means of this invention an instrument case is provided which, without departing widely from the accepted ide: s as to ,the proper form of an upright piano, yet gives a distinctive appearaiice to the instrument and shows atonce-that it is an automatic and not amanual instrument, and yet distinguishing it from the coin in the slot machines which are of an entirely different class as they have no means for personal regulation or control and no pedals or bellows operated thereby. At the same time a space within the casing is left free for the usual deviceswith which manualiy operated pianos-are provided, and the space ordinarily occupied by the rear portions of tthe key-levers, and

the rods which extend up from them 'is util;

ized for placing the strikingpneumatics.

In this way an exceedingly compact and neat instrument is secured which is comparatively inexpensive in construction, and

iia

can be made to any-desired degree of perfection and .the striking pneumatics and their connections are so placed as to be readily accessible and easily removable, while. the method of securing the pianissimo effects is very eflicient as has been explained.

- While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. There fore I do not wish to be limited. to all the back of the casing and details ofconstrnetion shown and/described, I

What I doclaim is V,

1. In. a pneumatic piano, the combination of an upright casing, hammers and 'wippens therein, said Wippens being pivoted near the having their free ends near the front thereof, striking phenmatics locatedilirectly under said wippens and each, having a movableleaf with theforward end free and directly under the free end of a wippen, and vertical rods connecting the free ends of said wippens and movable leaves, said rods being located in front of the striking pneuniatics 2. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of an upright casing, hammers and wippens l therein, said wippens being pivoted near the back-of the casing and having their free I ends near the front thereof, striking pnen-E, matics located directly under said wippens and each having a movable leaf with the forward end free and under the free end of .a wippen, and vertical rods connecting the free ends of said wippens and movable leaves, said rods being readily detachable from the wippe'ns. I In a pneumatic piano, the combination of an upright casing, hannners and wippens therein, said wippens being pivoted near the 5 back of the casing and having their .free

ends near the front thereof, striking pneumatics located directly under said wippensmovable leaf with the forward end free under the free end of a \vippen, vertical rods connecting the free ends of said wippens and movable leaves,

4 a 'movablebar extending across. the casing!) In front of and in contact withfsaid and means whereby the upper ends of said rods will swing forward away from the wippens' when',the bar is moved forward.

4. Ina pneumatic piano, thecombination of an upright casing, hammers andwippens matics located directly therein, said wippens being pivoted near the back of the casing and having their free ends near the front thereof, striking pneuunder said :wippens and each having a movable leaf with the forward end free and under the free end of ajwippen, vertical rods connecting the free endsv of said ippens' and movable leaves, said wippens each having an open ended slot inits end for receiving a rod, whereby the rods can swin out from the wippens, and means for holding the rods in position, in-said slots.

5? In a pneumatic piano, the combination of an upright casing, hammers and wippe-ns back of the casing ends near the front therein, said wippens being pivoted near the 'nd having their free ihereof, striking 'pnen matics located directly under said wippens and each having a movable leaf with the -'l.'orward end free and under the free end of portion, all substantia right casing,

near its center and covering saidtr'acker,

l ofan upright casing, hammers and wippens therein, said wippens being pivoted near the back of the casingand having their free ,ends near the front thereof, striking neumatics located directly under said wippens and each having a movable leaf with the forwardend free and under the free end of a wippen, vertical rods connecting the freeends of'said g wipgens and movable. leaves, said rods be 1n v -'readily detachable from the. wippens, Ya ve boxes for controlling the striking pneni'natics located under the striking pneulnatice, a tracker located in front of the striking 5, neumatics and extending longitudinally of the casing, and connections extending rear-q wardly from thetracker to said valve boxes.

7. In a piano, thetcombination ofan up right casing having a fixed projection near 9c the center thereof and rovided with a front y in the same plane, at the sidesand top oflsaid projection, ham-' liners and wippens'located within the casing at a higher level than said projection, strik- I ,tions continuous therewithat the sides all substantially in the same plane, and having a projection near the center thereof, of atracker located within'said rojection, and striking pneumati'cs located cirect-ly behind the tracker in said casing and connected with the tracker.

9. In a piano, the combination of an upwind-inducing devicesflocated in the lower portion thereof, striking pneumatics located above the wind inducing devices in the casing, hammers and Wippens located directly above and connected with the striking pneumatics, and a lon itndinal tracker projecting Irom the front 0 the easing near .tliecenter thereof, r

i 10. Ina piano, the combination of an upright casing, \vind inducing devices located in the, lower portion thereof, striking pneu matics located above the wind inducing-"devices in the casing, hammers and wippens located directly above and connected with the striking pnemnatics, and an'inclined longitudinal tracker projecting from the front' l25 of the, casing near the center, said'lcasing having a projection extending forward y 11. In a piano, the combination of an n I. i right casing, wind inducing devices located" manipulator-y devices in the lower portion thereof, striking pneuniatics located above the wind inducing devices in the cash-1g, hammers and wippens located directlyabove and connected with the striking pneumatics, a tracker projecting from the front of the casing near the center, said vcasing having a1 projection extendin forwardly near its center and covering sait tracker, and expression manipulatory devices located Within said projection and in front of the tracker.

12. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of a casing, striking pneuinatics located near the center thereof, .a tracker located in front of said striking pneumatics, a trackerbox surrounding the tracker and projecting from the front of the casing, and expression located within said tracker box.

13. In a pneumatic piano, the combination of the casing, striking )neumatics l0- cat'ed near the center thereo a tracker located -in front of the striking pneumatics, a

tracker box containing the tracker and projecting from the front of the casing near the centerthereof, a lever in the forward part of said tracker box, a movable hammer rest-rail above the striking pneumatics, and means for connecting the lever with the hammer rest-rail for moving it.

14 In a piano, the combination of a casing, wind-inducing devices in the bottom pneumatic, and a trackerin front of thestriking pneumatics and connectedwith the primary neumatics.

15. In a piano, the combination of a casing, wind-inducing devices in the bottom thereof, pedals extending from the front of the casing for. operating the wind-inducing devices, striking Pneumatics located above,

the wind-inducing devices and communicating therewith, primary neumatics, secondary pneumatics communicating with the pri mary pneumatics and striking pneumati-cs,

and a tracker in front of the striking pneumatics'and connected with the primary pneumatics.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, THEODORE P. BROWN. Vitnesses:

- C. Fonnns'r Wesson, ALBERT E. FAY.

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