US958731A - Combined piano-player and talking-machine. - Google Patents

Description

W M. DAVIS. COMBINED PIANO PLAYER AND TALKING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1909.

Patented May .24, 19

2 SHEETSSHEBT L a qlnventor:

W. M.- DAVIS. COMBINED PIANO PLAYER AND TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.10, 1909.

- Patented May 24, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor: i b- ,1; s y y 2 7 1% we fim' tt wanna m. DAVIS, or NEW Y'QRK, N. 'Y,

counnian rune-Prams. AND JIALKIHG-MAOHINE.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WALTER M. Davis, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York cit in the county of New Y York and State 0 New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Combined Piano-Players an Talking-Machines, of-which the following is a specification. g

This invention relates to improvements in combined piano layers and talking 'machines an'd the oh ect ofmy invention is to combine the playing device and the talking machine in such a u'ianner that the note sheet moving mechanism of the piano playing tie- 'vice' is automatically started from the talking machine correctly ,and precisely at the proper time.

In the accom anying. drawings in which like numerals 0 reference indicate like parts in'all the fi res, Figure 1 is an elevation of arts of t e piano playing device and the tal ing machine parts being shown in section, parts in iagrant and others broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view-of the starting mechanism in the piano pla I ing device. Fig. 3 is a plan view-of t to talking machinediskh Fig. 4 is 'a vertical sectional view through the same and itssup-- port.

When playing by means of a piano playing mechanism, the piano accompaniment to a musical or like performance, rendered or reduced on a talking machine, it is abso utely essential that the .piano accompaniment shall beginprecisely and exactly at the correct time so that the sounds produced by the talking machine and the piano playing mechanism shall be in perfect unison and harmony, as they were in the original roduetion, by means of the voice or so'lo instrument and a'piano.

The piano playing mechanism and the talking machine are driven from the same source of power, for example, the pumping bellows of the piano playing mechanism, and

, must be .driven at the same relative uniform speed in order to conform to the original product-ion.

As the disk of the talking machine must always be moved a grcater'or less distance before the sounds begin 'to be produced, and the note sheet of the piano playin mechanism must not be moved operative y untila certain predetermined spot on the talking machine disk or record has been reached by Specification 0! I Pmnt- Patented May 24, 1910. Application filed September 10, 1909. 8erta1Ko..517,000.

' the needle or stilus, means are provided to I I eet winding mechanism at the proper time. i

start the note 5 In the specific embodiment of my invention illustrated inthe drawings the piano playing mechanisn'i l of conventional con struction is provided with a conventional wind motor 2 deriving its wind from the windchest 3 through the pipe 3. The crank shaft 4 of the wind motor 2 drives the .music roll shaft 5 by means of a suitable clutch 6 of conventional construction and which can be shifted manually by means of a suitable lever 7. This clutch is also engaged bya lever 8 atone end of which the armature of an electromagnet 9 is formed, this magnet being in a circuit 10, including a source of electricity such as for exa'mplea battery 11. One end or terminal of the electric circuit 10 is connected with a brush or wiping contact-12 on the talkin machine frame 13 and the other terminal 0? this contact is suitably connected with the needle or stylus 14 or its holder of the talking machine.

.The rotatin support 15 for the talking machine recor or disk is provided with the annular electric contact 16 a' peering on the upper and lower surfaces 0 the support 15 and in contact with the brush orwiping contact 12. cured on the shaft 17 driven by suitable gearin 18 pr power transmitting devices ,from t e crank shaft 19 of a wind motor 20 of the same dimension and construction as the wind motor in the piano player 1 and deriving its motive ,wind -frornthe windchest 3 of the piano player through a branch pipe 21.

A contact piece 22 of metal or carbon is embedded in the upper surface of the record disk 23 near the rim'and in flush with the upper surface or substantially so and this contact piece 22 is electrically connected with an embedded wire or strip 24 extending to near the center of the disk 23, its free inner end being exposed on the under side of the disk so that when the disk 23 is laced upon the support 15, the inner end of this wire 24 contacts with the up er surface of the annular contact 16 ember ded in the support 15. The contact 22 must be so embedded in the disk 23 that the stylus or needle 14 contacts with it at the precise moment when ,the piano playing moment when the-disk begins to produce sounds-or it may be a greater or less time before, asit frequently and in fact enerally :is the casethat the accompanist ays one or more bars-before the solo per ormance,

either vocal or instrumental, begins.

The disk 23 is placed upon the su' port 15 inthe conventional manner an the? needle -or stylus 14: placed uponthe upper}; surface of;the disk 23. The clutch 6 is cpened manually in case it is closed and the in the usual manner and both.

" pumping bellows of the piano, player are opera wind motors 2 and 20 are thus'operated and 18 the disk is rotated, but the perforated.

properly ad u music sheet, which has been previously motionless. When the needle or stylus 14 I comes in contact with the contact 22 on the 20' disk 23 the electric circuit is closed and the 'electromagnet Q attracts the upper end of the lever 8 and thereby closes the clutch 6 "2:"and the note sheet begins to move and contin'ues to move in exact harmony or unison with the diski23.

Having described my invention what I I claim as newa'nd desire to'secure Letters Patent is 1. The c'gihbinatihn'with a piano playing mechanism, making use of a perforated note 4 sheet, and a motor means, in said mechanset forth.

on the tracker remains -New York, and State of 2. The combination with a piano playin mechanism, of a music roll, a motor, a clutc for throwing the motor into gear with the music roll, means for operati a talkingmachine and means for controllin the clutch operatin means bythe talkin machine, substantia yas set forth.

3. The combination with a piano playing mechanism, of amusic roll, -a motor an the clutch,:

"means for operatively connectin the roll with the motor, an electric device or adjusting said means, a talking machine and means on the talking machine for closing the circuit of the eleatric'device, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a. piano playing mechanism, Qffa music roll, a -motor, a clutch, an electromagnet forpgo erating the clutch 'tfattta ing machine, an

an electric circui means for closm the electr1c"-c1rcu1t by means of the ta king machine disk andl stylus, substantially as set-forth.

5. The combination with a piano playing mechanism, of .a music roll, a motor, means for connecting the music roll with the motor, 'an electromagnet for operating such means, an electric circuit, a tal mg machine,

a record disk having an electrical contact in its record surface and connections for con-' ducting electricity from the contact iece in the record to theelectromagnet a oresaid and connectionsfor transmitting theelectrocurrent through the needle or stylus of the talking machine, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York cit in the county of ew York this 4th day of August A. D1909.

ree-gm; sms.

Witnesses:

R. G. BREEN, 1 E. D. MITCHELL.

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