US967330A - Player grand piano. - Google Patents

Description

COOPER.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907- Patented Aug. '16, 1910.

9 BHEETS SHE'P-T 1.

WITNESSES v lwelvron QATTZHNES SL 7 WQ 1?. COOPER. PLAYER GRAND PIANO. APPLIOATIONQFIL'ED FEB. 11, 1901.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

9 BHEETS-SHBET 2.

INVENTORY Z" 2. eh cmfi W y AT mvsrs.

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WITNESSES 0,

w. P. GOOPBR. v PLAYER GRAND PIANO; AEPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

Patented Aug. 16, 19 10.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' INVENTOP WITNESSES v. /7 ygf/xk. V

JNVENTOH 9' sums-sum: 4.

A TTOHNE YS.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

W. I. COOPER PLAYER GRAND PIANO. APPLICATION III-1111 11311, 1907. 967,330.

WITNESSES g0.

W. F. COOPER. PLAYER GRAND PIANO. I APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11,1901.

7 Patented Aug. 16,1910

9 SHEETS-SHEETG.

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' W. F. COOPER.

PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907.

Patented mg. 16,1910.

WITNESSES INVENTOH w. F. COOPER. PLAYER GRAN PIANO. A'PPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11,1907.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

7 T E o v H m v, H N E m: N 8 l/ H H. N 0 m v 9 W Y A W.-P. COOPER. PLAYER GRAND PIANO APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11', 1907.

. Patented Aug. 16,- 19101 9 8HEETB-SHEET 8.

9 EETS-SHEET y; 9

Patented Aug. 16,1910;

/V VE/VTO/? w. P. GOQPER. PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1907. I

W/TNESSE W- 15$ ,QITOHNEYS.

To all whom it may concern:

' P' NI ED sTArns gr NToFFIoE.

WILLIAM F COOPE R, F NOBWALK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'ro THE A. '.B CHASE COMPANY;

. PLAYER GRAND PIANO.

Be it known that I, lViLLuu F. Coornn, ascitizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Norwalk, in the county of Huron, State of Ohio. have invented a certain new and useful llayer Grand. Piano, of which the follon'iug is a specification. I

My invention relates to mechanical mnsical instruments and more especially to a player grand: piano, and involves the pro- -be either played in the usual manner or mechanically.

Generally speali'ing, it is the object of my invention to provide a grand piano with attached playingmechanism, the whole being constructed'and arranged so that the playing mechanism will not injure the appear ance of the piano, and so that the addition of the playing mechanism will not require changes in the form. or construction 0f;the

piano proper or interfere with convenient repair and adjustment of the piano.

On the other hand, it IS an ob ect of my invention to provide an apparatus in which the player mechanism is normally securedto' the piano frame or casing, while being readily removable therefrom to permit convenient adjustment orfrepair of the player mechanism. In building pianos, and especially grand pianos, it is of very great importance that the apparatus have, as awhole, an

artistic appca'r-ance,'so that in applying playing mechanism to such-a piano oneis'obliged to meet something'more than theordinary problems relating to convenience, economy and efficiency. The apparatus must work well and must be arranged soas to be readily repaired and adjusted,b,ut inaddition, it must be so arranged as not to interfere with the artistic appearance of the piano. Thus the problem of providingan acceptable] and .an efficient-player grand piano is rendereddiflicult by thenecessity that the maker is under to sacrifice none of the. efliciency of thestandard .grand piano and to SaCIlfiCGllOIlfl of its capacity for ready'repair and adjustment, while providing-a play ng mechanism of the most etlici'ent kind, and also readily repairable and adj usta-ble, without substantially altering the, appearance of the piano. Thus it is desirable, and one of the specific. features of my invention, that the key-board and piano action may be readily removed .from the piano by moving it horizontally Specification of Letters Iatent. Patented; Aug, Application filed February 11, i901 Serial No. 356,701.

is illustrated in the accompanying;drawings.

A CORPORATION or OHIO.

forward from the key-bed, and I have, there "fore, so arranged and combined the player mechanism with thepiano asto permitthi's tobe done. I

In accomplishingthe objects of my invention' I have disposed the principal parts of the mechanism of a pneumatic'iplaye'r hori zont-ally and have secured them" together in a relatively shallow structure independently of the piano casing and then secure V structure beneath and back of the-kc board so that no part of it, except certain= eonnec-' tions to the treadles, extcndsfar'below the key-bed of the piano. I haye arrang'ed the apparatus to be divisible into two. main" parts. One .part comprisesthe'pianocas ing and all of the ordln'ary pianopart'sex- .eept the'pedal support and pedals,-while the other part comprises the player'mechanism and the pedal support and pedals connected 7'15 together independently ofthe" piano and Se? cnred as a unit to the piano casing. This separable portion of the apparatusco'nnects with the piano action through operating membe'rs extending upwardly tlirough' tlie flt) key-bed of the piano. When the player and pedal support are secured to the laI10 the. pedal support is a,substantialjdistance above the floor level. When it is. desired't'o remove the player, for purposes of repair or adjust- 8'5" ment,the player is detachedfrom the piano" casing and is lowered to the floor leveli This brings all parts of the pl'ayer mech'-: anism below obstructing portions ofthe piano and permits the player"-mechanism as a whole to be moved horizontally from un-' derthe piano.

My invention involves generallythe few;

tures above set out andin additioritheretoq more specific features of construction] and arran ement which are described:withjtlieir'. incum bentadvantages more fully heroine after; asare also'ce'rtain preferential; fee tures of my invention. A

One specific embodiment-of my invention Figure 1' art piano casing and of th wh the, plaer, the separate casing or screen thereof ein shown' in section; Figs. 4 and 5 are top p n views of the left and right liandhalvesog the player detached fromthe f:piano; F' s.

and -7 are views of the right I and left "a d halves respectively of the player in section and looking upward .19 he life! tailed sectionail view on an enlarged scale of 1-7 of Fig. 1; Fig: 8 is a de-' the tracker hot, key bed and some of the op- .erating connedtions, the forward portions of thefi re being taken on a line near the cen- Y ter 0 the piano, while the rear portions of I of the pedal suj)port and certain of the opthe figure are taken-on a line at one side of the p ano Figa is a detailed sectional view erating-connections'; and Fig. 10 is an en-v larged plan view of several of the power neuma'tics and Operating connections thererom;

'One result Qlattained by my invention is that the piano casing and the ordinary parts of the piano have not been altered in form orappearance 'or their relation wlth each other in order to combine with them the parts of a player mechanism. These parts comprise a piano casin A supported from ;legs, one of which 30' A 'i'sthe soundingborrd supported and disthe .piano. Upon this, keybed the piano a'cin Fig.

is shown at A,- Fig. 2.-

osed in. the usual ma .iner within the casing elow'the stringsA B is the keybediof tion rests loosely in the usual'manner so that itmay slide-transversely when the soft pedal is operated, and may slide forwardly when it is to be,talien out of the piano for repair .or .adjustment. The 'piano action (includes the keys C, the frame C and the casting G? carrying the action parts as clearly indicated. 1. Aslisusual with grand pianoswhen the piano 'action 1s to be removed,the fall board A is detached from the casing, as

well as the keyrail A ,.thus removing all obstructions to the forward movement of the action. v q

Referrmg further to the usual and piano parts, a represents one of a series of dampers resting upon the several stringsand adapted'to be moved upward from the. strings by the, movement of the hinged and upon each wire s secured a nu-t d'. It.

is by? the engagement of the moving parts of the player with these nuts d that the piano ct1on'1s operated by the player.

5 at the 'forwar I treadlesj E are hinged at their rear ends to .rods e-- which are plvotally secured at their.

support F, and, are thus in an unobstrusive oper j p v f fixed/by therode which is hinged at e to the forward end of the treadles and'is mounted at i'ts other end in 'a hinged Sn 1 f sensed These wires are 'securedto thevkeys at the rear ends thereof and are to operate the.

action by imparting an upward movement a ',to the rear of the key.

In order to limit the upward movement of the key I have provided a rail secured to the casting C and I- carry by this rail a number of stops 0 one above each key, which stops are carried on the ends of threaded wires c each secured into threaded orifices in the rail. Each stop is therefore individuallyadjustable in posimanual-'playin of the piano the stop '0 end ofthe key is sulficient.,; but I have found that the additional tion. It will be understood that in the individual adjustable stops thatI have de-" scribed above'the keys and back of the 'piv-,

' otal points thereof to be desirable whenfthe I player actsupwardl'y from the rearendof E represents the bellows: of

the pneumatic'player. It is, operated from the treadles 1E through mechanicaLVactuating connections indicated in Fig. 1. -The free ends to tlie-lower ends of "vertically disposed levers E These levers; are pivoted at e m a bracket secured to. the lyreior pedal position, beinghidden from view from the front of thepiano. The upper ends; of these levers E are connected to conne'ct ing rods E which 'operatevbellcranks E",,whose .free ends are connected by hinged arm's'E" with members, E connected to the movable parts of the bellows mechanism. The treadlgis are normally maintained in'ltheir upper position by the springs E. The tive forward position of the treadles port ajt e carried by the-pedal support I. I

The lower end of the rod 6 moves in'a nearly horizontal line from a position within thepedal support and belbw the hinge e to apositionback of the pedal support. In

order that the treadles and the rods 6 may be thrown up" to a forward position within the" pedal support when'desired, and with-- out necessitating any, preliminary pressing down ofthe tread'les against the springs E f I have constructed these parts as above described and have also soqarranged the 1 point e and the lower end of the-rod e as tomake this movement possible. ,Thus the length of the rod 0 added to the-vertical distance between 6 and the lower end of rod 6' is equal to the sum of the lengths of the treadlewlfl. and the rod 6. .By'this construction and these relative dimensions it is only necessary for the o'perator'desiring to 13 2O lengths of the treadles E, the rods 0 and' s' ,e and the vertical distance between the ilse'ithe piano for manual playing, to lift upon the outer: end of the rod e regardless of the respect ve positions of the treadles and'the various parts will fol'd within the pedal support, being vertically disposed therein- (see Fig. 9)..

It uvill ,be understood that the structure comprising'my invention includes the usual partssfofi a pneumatic player. Such parts 'areip erformmg the usual functions of such a player and the several parts cooperate to- -,getherf to produce the proper movement of the power pneumatics in the usual Way. I therefore-shall not attempt to describe the specific-construction of each of these varixfous'known parts or their pneumatic connecpneumatics isbackof thecenter line of' this passage inorder, aswill ap ear, to leave; as

tions iyvitha other of these known parts,

Thefipower pneumatics are placed below the "keybed. of the. piano and closely adjace nt th,ereto. The power pneumatics are in 'twox'parallel lines extending across the piano, the several pneumatics of one series much room at the front 0 the pneumatics as possible for the tracker box andmotor. By placing the, pneumatics horizontally and it ini a: relatively obscure position. The movablepart of each pneumatic is connected to one end of a hinged diagonal lever 51,

the hinge of the lever being'in a bearing g on afixed support G? secured beneath the passage'Bj-to the; keybed; The; free ends of the several hinged levers g are secured 'to'the vertical wires or pitmen h, upon the each! of these members is located so as to engage the nuts d carried by the-key which topof which nuts h" are screwed so that each wire it with its nut hconstitutesan extensible upwardly extendingjmember' and the" particular pneumatic is. to operate.

Then, therefore, the air isexhausted from I any 'pneumaticathe upper side of that pneumatic is drawn down. pulling down one end of. the corresponding: hinged lever g and pushingupwardly the other end' thereof with theupwardly extending member secured thereto! One or both of the nuts '11" andh should be cappedwithf'f elt or other hinge to hinge. in this manner I amv enabled "to place them veryclose to the lower surface of the keybed and thus assist in. ren-- deringathe player compact and in locating non-resonant material. are therefore operated by the movement of the upwardly extending members in the passage from the keybed, this movement be,- ing causedby the movement of the diagonal levers extending in opposite directions from The various keys the pitmen 72 tothepneumatics of the two series.- Each pneumatic operatesca keyat one side of the pneumatic.

The power actuating members extending throughthe upward passage in the keybed should be properly guided in their movement and to elfect this I have provided the slide 71, having an opening through which the nut it passes and secured within the passage B of the keybed from a suitablesupport G By placing the guide within the passage B I am enabled to locate the power pneumatics closely adjacent to the lower surface of the keybed and thus contribute to the compactness andunobtrusiveness of the player that is so necessary in use with a grand piano.

By the construction I have thus far de scribed, I am able to adjust the point of engagement between the nuts cl" and h at the exact level of-the top surface of the keybed. It isxnoti'desirable that this point of a desirable to have the point of engagement above the level of the keybed because this increases the downward movement ofthe.

player necessary before it can be removed from the piano.

piano action to have this-point of engage-c ment accurately at the level of the top of the keybed. This feature of my invention, therefore, enables me to apply the player mechanism accurately to the piano action 'andwwithout adding any construction that prevents the desired movement of the piano actionhorizontally from the keybed.

Moreover, it is desirable for purposes of accurate adjustment of the engagement be belowsuch' surface because then the piano action could not be removed,

without moving all the keys, and it is not a top H is a casihg located below the power pneumaticsand which contains the pneu} matics that'arewcontrolledfrom the tracker box. and which in-turn control the power pneumatics. Preferably the pneumatics in casing'H comprise primary and secondary Y pneumatics. ,The ducts from the tracker boxrto the 'pneumaticsuin casing- H' and the ducts from the pneumatics in casing H to I the power: pneumatics are in the pneumatic boardH locatedbetween the power pneumatics and the-casing I represents the tempo o'r controller box suitably, connected by air ducts with the motor in the usual manner. J J are the ex "pression bellows whichiare connectedby air 7 ducts withjhe power pneumaticsand with the tempo or controller box; K is the motor regulator or a y equalizer a which is connected byair-cl t h 1 .may. 'be swung downward; under 'the key;

also. carried thetake-up roll L.

flows E and with the tempo or controller box I.

These various controlling devices are lo .cated back of the keybed and at one side of --the main bellows in substantially the horizontal plane of the bellows.

The tracker L connected to the ducts leading to theprimary pneumaties-by means of flexible tubes Z and fixed tubes Z is carried in a tracker box L in which are the supports for the music roll L and in which is This tracker'box is hinged on pivots Z so that it may be either placed'in the operative or playing'position shown in Figs' 1 and 8, 'or

I bedhof the piano to the position shown in Fig. 3.

Upon the tracker box are mounted various controllinglevers to be manually operated while the player mechanism is in operation.

' At 'the righthand, side is the lever m which a connecting r 7 nects to avalve in the tempo-"or controlling operates a rock shaft 111/, the "rockingof which moves a connecting rod m trans verse'ly operatin a bellcrank m from which m is operated and conbox I. -Carried by the tracker box' there is also a lever ml to operate the damper rail.

This'lever rocks the rod. 41' through which crank n is operated to act upon the connect-;

ing rod 1 The movement of this connecting rod operates the bellcrank lever, 11. the

operation of which causes a downward movement. of the lever n securedto the rockshaft' n upon the end of which is the crank-n" which pushes up the connecting rod in? and engages and'lifts the crankv n at the 'end of rockshaft n The rocking of this shaft n raises the upwardly proj ect1ng memberm. which bears on the under side oft-the .d'amper rail a. Af'movement therefore of the lever n through the connecting mechanism described lifts, the damper rail aand removes the dampers e from the strings.

" This same result during the manual ope'r-fl ation of the piano is achieved by bearing upon the right-hand pedal N, which is connected through a vertical rod N with a bellcrank lever N secured to the rock -shaft n be'foredescribed. When the player together with'the pedal support and pedals is separated from the piano the connecting mechanism to the damper rail above described is separated onthe line a, where the connecting rod n engages the crank n", but when the various parts are assembled and secured together the connecting rod n and crank a registeras described.

0 and 77 are the expression levers carried by the tracker. These operate respectively the rock shafts o and 7), which are connected by rods .0 and p respectively to the bell crank levers Y o and p respectively. From these levers there arekrearwardlyexlending rods and P perate'valves 1n the expression bellows J and J, Th

three bell crank levers m, 0 and 1) areascured one above another at one corner of the piano. The left-hand or soft pedal of the pianoO shifts the-piano action tr'ansversely for the customary purpose- This g pedal operates the vertical rod 0' throu h. whichthe rock shaft 0 is operatedii T e rock shaft has a crank O at its end through which the vertical rod 0 is operated; The

movement of this rod 0' operates the bellcrank lever O, the free'end-of which enters a slot in the keyframe C so that the downward movement of the pedal imparts a movement of the keyframe to the right,

When the player and the pedal support are removed from the piano, as hereinafter described, the connections between the. pedal 0 and the key-frame are separated at the line 0, where there is a loose engagement between the vertical rod 0 and one. end of the bellcrank It will be noted that the pedals are each connected withvertical. rods which operate rock shafts extending transversely in oppo site directions beyond the pedal support and to opposite'sides of the piano where they respectively operate the keyframe and the damper board. This enables these connec tions to be made without interfering with. the space in the center of the piano and back of the edal support in which thepneuma-ty ics,,bel 'ows,.etc., are to be placed. The mofi the piano in the present instance, andtim; mediately in front of the pneumatics," The motor is indicated at Iflits shaft" shownat p. This position of the moto is tor is also located beneath the keybed offime the piano being. at the right hand side/of;

in conformity with the general objects/of the invention in that it" is closely th'ljacent to the under side of the'keybed and in"'-fsubstantially the same horizontal planc-fas'. the remainingparts of the player, while being located so that its shaft may be readily connected mechanically with the. mechanism in the tracker box by means ofthe' chain 11 All of the parts of the player mechanism are connected together and are connected with the'pedal support independently of the I a piano caslng. There is at .each'side of the player aside frame Q to which '15 secured both the main bellowsand the-pneumatic board H. Running across the player and attached to the pneumatic board is a sill Q, (made hollow to form part of the air duct to the motor). 7 Secured to this cross sill are the forwardly extending arms R at whose ends are mounted the pivots Z of the tracker box, the tracker box having a rearward ex tension L mounted von such pivots-p The motor is secured by the bracket r to one of the side bars Q and through a, bracket z" to oneof the horizontally extending arm s R.

bar B let'into the under side of the keybed ings. n the forwardly-extending arms? 1L 1-0 -of the piano. On the forward end of the side bars Q are bracketsQ fthrough which are orifices 1 to receive similar thumbscrews which screw into the piano keybed or plates letinto the. same. {Secured to the bellows board are two brackets T which act as a support for the pi-nots of the bell cranks E, These brackets have orifices to receive thumbnuts which screw into a plate T which is attached to the arms of the spider of the piano. It will thus .be seen that the player and pedal supports are dctachably secured to the piano by the six thumbscrews described.

When it is desired to remove the player from the piano it is only necessary to'loosen these tluunbwercws and tl,|.e player may be lowered until the pedal support restsupon the floor. This only needs a movement equal to about the thickness of the keybed for 4 none of the fixed parts of the player extend p secured. tothe side frame of the player and above the keybed, the highest fixed points of the playerepeing the bracket T and the nuts It. 11 1, therefore, the player has been -lowered to this position it may be moved horizoi-itally backward from beneath the casing of the piano.

' V represents acasingonscreen which is surrounds the back portion of the same so as to hide the bellows and-other portions of the mechanism from view. 'The upper edge of this scrcenentends a less distance above the lower edge of the surrounding piano casing than that which separates the .pedal support. from' the floor so that when the player is detached and lowered the screen maybe moved horizontally from under the casing. Additional supports for the player when it is detached from the piano are provided inthe form of legs W which are hinged to the player at wand ordinarily lie horizontally within the casing.

In order that the movable supports of the player may accurately register with the movable parts ofthe piano action, I have provided dowels a; which roject upward from the side bars Q, anenter recesses formed in the keybed of the piano. These ,dowels projecting upwardly from the player guide the player to the exact position which.

it should occupy with relation to the piano.

1 have throughout referred to the appaarrangement which I have shown an ratus described as a player grand piano and my invention broadly andspecifically is peculiarly applicable thereto, since a number of problems are met with in the practical development of grand pianos that are different from those met with in the application .to upright pianos, while some of-these. problems are different when applled to whai' are generally known as square planos. It

will be understood, however, that'I do not mean by the expression grand piano to necessarily limit myself to the,precise form and detail of pianos that aienow known as grand pianos, but desire to, include within the claims apparatus in which the particular form and details of the piano may vary in some respects from the present known types of grand pianos provided that the substan- I tlal combination and mode of operatlonof the "claims are applicable thereto and em-,

bodied therein. I believe that I am the first to have developed a practical and commercial player grand piano in which are obtained the results necessary to a proper player grand piano without, interfering with the artistic appearance and the capacity of adjustment and repair of the piano and of I the player, and I, therefore, .do not desire to be limited to the specific construction and d described, my invention as set out in the appended claims being broader than such specific features.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a player grand piano, the bellows,

expression and tempo boxes, motor and pneu-' matic action, secured together and disposed to form a relatively flat and thin structure, and means for securing said structure. as a unit to the piano to lie horizontally partly beneath and partly back of the keybed of the piano.

l 2. In a player grand piano, the bellows,

expression and tempo boxes, motor and pneu-I matic action, secured together and disposed to tom: a relatively flat and thin structure,

and m ans for securing said structure as aQ unit to the piano to lie horizontally partly beneath and partly'back of the keybed of the piano, the extreme upper portion of said unitary structure being at substantially the level of the top of the key-bed.

3. The combination with a grand piano, of a player, including bel1ows,-expression and tempo-boxes, the. pneumatic action, motor,

tracker box, rolls, and suitable pneumatic connections and mechanical operating connect1ons, means for secur ng all of Siftld parts together independently of the piano casing,

and means for securing said player'as a unit to the piano as a horizontally disposed player structure.

4. The combination with a grand piano, of

. of the piano casing, a pedal support secured a pneumatic playertherefor having its various parts secured together independently to theplayer and having operating connectionsito the player, and means for securlng the "combined player and pedal support to the .piano in operative relationwith the piano action. I

5.. A player grand piano comprisingtwo main parts, one part comprising the piano,

including its strings, sounding board, keys,

action and easing, the other comprising the player and the supports for the piano pedals, and detachable connections securing the two main parts together in operative relation.

6, A player'grand piano comprising. two main parts, one part comprising-the piano,

. including its strings, sounding board, keys,

actionand casing, the other comprising the player'and the-supports for the piano pedals, and detachable connections securing the two 1nain parts together in operative relation,

the player parts being so disposedas to per mit 'free separation of the two main parts by arelative vertical and horizontal -move-,

-. 'ment.

'7'; In a player grand piano, a main art including the piano casing, strings, soun ing board, keys, action, controlling. devices and mechanical "connections therefrom, another main part comprising-the playerparts the pedal support,=-tl 1e pedals and actuating con-'v nections therefrom, and: means forv securing the two main parts together with the piano action in operative relation to'the player and the pedal connections in operative relation .to

the mechanical connections from the con trolling devices. I

8 In a player grand piano, a player mechanism detachable from the main parts of thepiano, a pedal support secured to said mechanism, controlling devices in the piano, and -mechan1calconnections from the controlling devices and from the pedals, the two sets of mechanical connections being positioned to register when the player mechanism is secured in operative position.

" 9. In a player grand piano, thecombination with the piano of power actuated me1n-- berssecured beneath the key bed of the piano and extending upwardly through the keybed, and operating members for the pianoaction carried above the key-bed of the piano, said power actuated members and action operating members loosely engaging,

cach other along a line substantially at the upper level of'the key-bed. I ,i 10. In a player grand piano, the combination withthe piano of power actuated 'mem-' bers secured beneath the key-bed ofpjthe piano and extending upwardly throughthe key-bed, operating members for the piano. action carried above the'key-bed of the piano, said power actuated members and action operating members loosely engaging keys abovesaid'jpassagc, upwardly extendeacli otherralong a line substantially at the" upper-levelof the key-bed, and means for individually adjusting the pointbfem'gageri.v ,mcnt between each power actuated member member.

and the corresponding' action operating- 11. In a player grand piano, the

I tion with the piano of power actuated mem v bers secured beneaththe key-bed of the piano and extending upwardly. through the r key-bed, opera-ting members for the pian. action carried above the key-bed of. th piano, said power actuated -members and action operating members loosely engaging: each other along a ,line substantially at the upper level of the key-bed, means '-.for indies vidually adjusting the position of the engag- Q ing ends of the power actuated members,

and means for individually adjusting the engaging ends of the action operating anemers. l

'12. Ina player piano, the key-bed thereof power pneumaticssecured below the key-M bed, .adjustably extensible members operated by said neumatics extending upward;

through thekey-bed, and adjustably extens sible members secured to the several piano keys and extending downward to engage' the' pneumatically operated members.

13. In a player grand piano, thecomhinin' bed of two'series of power pneumatics each arranged horizontally-beneath the key bedf the members of each series lying" side byside in two parallel lines extending across the piano, and members. operated by the tion with the piano and its aotion'andkey-nseveral pneumat-ics extending "upwardly through the key-bed.

14. In a player grand piano, the combina I tion with the piano and its action and key bed of two series of power pneumatics each arranged horizontally beneath the key-bed, the members of each series lying sideby'. side' in two parallel lines extending across the piano, the members of one series lying hinge to hinge with the members of the" other series, and members operated by the several pneumati'cs through the key-bed.

15. I a player grand piano, the combinaextending upwardly I tion with the piano and the keys and'keyboard thereof, having a passage there through beneath the keys, of downwardly extendmg' nembers' secured to the several ing members passingfthrough said passage and engaging the downwardly extending members,- power pneumatics, each *horizon tally disposed beneath the key-bed, lying side by sidev in a line .extendingacross the members.

; 16. In a player grand piano, the combinaQ iso tion with the piano and the keys andJkey,-

. 125 piano, and-,connectlons between sa1d pneumatics and theseveral upwardly extending board thereof, having a passage there- .and engaging the downwardly extending members, two series of power pneumatics' extending across the p ano beneath the key bed, the members of each series lying side by side and the members of one series lying end on to the members of the other series,

"and connections between the individual neumatics and the several upwardly extending members.

17. In a player grand piano, the combination with the piano and the keys and keyboard thereof, having a passage there through beneath the keys, of downwardly; extending members secured to the several keys above said passage, upwardly extending members passing through said passage and engaging the downwardly extending members, two series of power pneumatics extending across the piano beneath the keybed, the members of each series lying side by side and the members of one series lying hinge to hinge with the members of the other series, and connections between the individual pneumatics and the several" upwardly extending members.

18. In a player grand piano, the combination of player actuated members beneath the key-bed ofsaid piano and extending u wardly through the key-bed to substantial y the upper level of said key-bed, and piano actuating members contacting with' said player actuated members at substantially the upper level of said key-bed.

19. In a player grand piano,'the key-bed having a vertical passage therein, vertically movable action operatingmem'bers passing operating members.

upward through said passage, a transversely extending support beneath said passage, a series of power pneumatics lying on each side of said support and a lever secured to each pneumatic pivotally mounted upon said support and connected to one of the action 20. In a player grand piano, the keys thereof and the key-bed having a vertical passage below the rear ends of the keys, two series of power pneumatics beneath the key-bed, the members of one series lying end to end with the members of the other series, the center line between the two series being back of the center line of said passage, and operating connections from the several pneumatics passing upward through said. passage tosaid keys.

21. In: a player grand piano, the piano keys, the keybed with a vertical openingbeheath the rear of the keys, two series of horizontally disposed pow'erqjneumatics be- .neath the key-bed and with the center line' between the series located rearward of the 'actuating'members to the pneumatics 0 ,th

center-dine; bf said passage, 7 verticallyable key amt-uatin'g membersfex ndi ward through said;;pas'sage,gau I vers connecting the keygjac'tiiating alternately withi .ics.

ferent series.

'22. In a player grand-p n] th 1;? the key-bed having yer't al 85832 neath the keys, key. actuatin' I, saidpassage, two-series'of power ,pn below the key-bed, each'pneumatie b g 1st erally displaced with relation. to} and diagonal hinged levers extending nately forward and backward fromjth'ei' ke two series. A 23. In a vplayer grand piano, the combination with the keys and thefkeybed hay? ing a passage therethrou h, downwardly-- ex+ tending members screws to the keys, pneu= 5 matically operated threaded memberssecured beneath the key-bed and passing-mp: wardly .into said passage andnuts screwed upon the threaded ends of said membersand loosely engaging the downwardly extending 199:" members. v 4

24. In a player grand iano, thecombi nation with the keys and e'y-board having I a passage therethrough beneath the keys,=of

downwardly extending members securedto: 'the several keys above said passage',=,up'-3 wardly extendingmembers passing through saidpassage and engaging the downwardly '1- extending members, power pneumat-ics ',jeach 3 horizontally disposed and all inYt-hej-same horizontal plane closely adjacent to the botf tom of the key-bed, and connections between I 5 said neumatics and the several upwardly extending members.

. y t 25. In a player grand piano, the key-bed i165 and casing thereof, the piano action includi 1 5 ing the key-frame, keys and. actiqn parts movable horizontally forward up on the keybed, the player detachably' secured to the piano with operating members passing up} 11(j) ward through the key-bed, said player being movable downward from the key-bed when detached, and downwardly. extending members secured to the keys and engaging said operating members.

26. In a player grand piano, the "piano casing, strings, sounding board and piano actionseeured together to-formjbit unitary structure, the player parts and ,iileans' for securing the same together independently 120 of the piano to form another unitary'structure', means for detachably securing the two structures together, and vertical projections on one of said structures fitting vertically disposed recesses in the other of said struc 2 tures v 27; In a' -player grand piano, the piano casing, strings,-sounding board and piano action secured together to form a unitary structure, the player parts. and means for 1 securing the same together independently of the piano to form another unitary structure, means for detachably securing the two struc tures together, and upwardly projecting dowels on said player adapted to enter orifices in the key-bed of the piano.

28. In a, layer grand piano, the key-bed thereof, a vp ayer action below the same and suitable actuating connections therefrom to the piano action, a bellows mechanism be- ,hind 'said action, a motor beneath the keybed and in front of thepl ayer action, and

a tracker'box supported from a oint beneath the key-bed and at one si e of the motor. U

29. In a player grand piano, the key-bed thereof, the bellows-mechanism and expresof the same, the ?power neumatics all dis-' 3 posed in the same horizontal plane forward sion and tempo boxes secured at the rear of the rear of the key-bed, and the motor below the key-bed and in front .of the power Pneumatics, and the tracker-box supported fat :1 point below the key-bedand at one-side I of the motor. a

30. In a player grand thereof, the bellows mechanism and expressidn and tempo boxes seeured at the rear of the same, the power neumatics all disposed 111112116 same horizontal plane forward of the key-bed an'd'in front'of the power pneu matics, a trackerbox, anda movable mount-t ing for the sameat one side of the motor adapted to permit movementof the tracker box from an'tobscure position beneath the rear of the key-bed, and the motor'below the key-'bed-to an operative position in the line I of vision of the operator. i 'Intestimony whereof,

Y Witnesses:

A. DALY,

EDWIN SEGER.

I have signed my name to this speclfication, 1n the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

\. WILLIAM fr. ooornrti t 25 pi'aino, the key-bed

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