US980747A - Pneumatic piano - Google Patents

Description

,W; G. BETZ.

I PNEUMATIC PIANO. APPLICATION nun luv. 1a, 1009.

Patented Jan. 3,1911.

WITNESSES.- Vfihyf, a",

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcE;

WILLIAM G. IBETZ, OF STEGER. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STEGER & SONS PIANO MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS is CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC rinse Specification of Letters I'a tent. Application filed November 18, 1909.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911. Serial No. saaesa.

To all 'it'may concern: 1

.Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Bnrz, of

' Steger, county of Cook, and State. of Illinols, have invented a certain new and use-. ful Pneumatic Piano; and I do hereby declare that 'the followinglis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of-this invention consists in providing the individual pneumatic elements of a neumatic piano with a vertically disposed secondary valve held by a spring which retracts as the valve moves to an open Said spring is preferably insert-ible and. held in a metallic plate so that it is accessible and readily removable. This renders the spring and valvereadily accessibleand removable, so that the valve will never get out of order or act-sluggish, but the'chief advantage is the very rapid vibratory movement of the valve that 3.; possible with this construction.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a central vertical section through a pneumatic element and associated parts; some, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a section like what shown in the right-hand part of Fig. 1 with the secondary valve open instead of closed, and the other parts in their position when the machine is not in operation.

In the drawings herein 10 represents the key of a iano-forte having a capstan screw ll extent ing upwardly therefrom, which is engaged by a sticker 12 that is pivoted at its upper end to a wippen, which actuates the piano hammer. The sticker 12 1s actuated by thclerer that is fulcrumed between itsv ends to the lower end of the 'bar 21, which extends-i down from the cross bar 42. One

' end of said ever actuates the sticker through plat'e to the chamber31 between the metal plate 32 and the wall 33. This wall has an opening or port 34 through it which is closed by a secondary valve 35, supported by a helical-spring 36. The spring tends to open' the valve. The apex of the helical spring is secured to and carries the valve 35, while the other end of the spring rests in an annular seat 37 in the plate The plate 32 is secured by screws 38 tofthe parts 39, so that by removing said screws the plate 82, spring-36 and valve can be readily withdrawn. The port 34 brings the cham ber 31 111 communication with the chamber 40 which lies between the wall 33 and the end wall ofcasing 41. The casing 41 rests upon the bottom 22 and it has secured upon its top a plate 43. Said plate 43 is also secured upon the part 89, see Fig. l and the partition plate 32, so as to form a valve chamber at one end and abellows chamber at the other'end. The chamber 40 communicates' through a passageway 45, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full linesin Fig.

2, with a suction chamber 46 that is formed by the .plate 47 and pieces 48 and 49 and the plate 43. Above the plate 47 there is an open air chamber 50 and the port 51 leads therefrom to a passageway 52 in said plate 47 that communicates withlthe passageway 53 leading therefrom into the wall 41" and in communication with the pouch 54 that carries a pin 55 thatbears against the secondary valve 35 to push said valve open, when external air enters the passageway 53.. Then the-air will be withdrawn from the bellows through the suction chambers 40 and 46, which are in communication with some suitable air exhausting means not shown. p

The air for actuating the pouch 54 is .admitted through the port 51 by the primary valve 60, which closes said port 51 normally. This valve is opened by air coming through the tracker board, not shown, by way of the passageway (31 to a point beneath the pouch 62, so that when the opening in the tracker board is exposed for the admission of air, it will enter the passageway 61 and qevate the pouch 62 to op'enthevalve a d let air into the passagewa to actuate he pouch 54 to open the va ve 35 to permit the exhaust of air from the bellows 27 a and therelot:

by actuate the-lever 2Qandoperate the sticker 1.2.

There is a bleed holej70 througliitho plate '43 and in communicationjjwithvfthejsuction chamber in H some me no G in the tracker hoard pass my 61, so that when the tracker board or then wsagcrmy 61 is closed the air then bleed hole into the suction chamber and that. permits the pouclrGfZ to descendso that the valve closes the port 51.- Then the pressure of the air in the passageway diminishes the air from the passageway is drawn into the suction chamber some Whatthrough the port having the stern of the valve-(i0 extending through it which permits the pouch aim return from the ectuzitcc position to the position shown in, The suction through the 'l and 3.

'il cuuse atmospheric pressure to "'e against the action of the spring 38, but this ettect is diminished by the pull. of the i so that wliien sir enters the pcsssgehu 53 and act-notes the pouch pin 56 readily pushes the valve to the en position, which is the 0 on of the valve shown in Fig. 3, but in. Fig. the pouch and pin have returned'to their inoperative position.

ivhen the device is idle the parts are in the position shown in -Fig. thespring 36 holding the valve 35 open. When the 'device isin use suction through port 3 k and chamber e0 normally holdsthe valve 35 closed, as shown in Fig. l, in spite of the pull or" the spring 36. When air enters the tracker hoard slot and passageway 61, it :ictuates the pouch 54-. so that the pin will push the valve 35 open in spite of the suction which tends to close it, and then suction will draw the air out of the he'lows actuate the lever and In this operation of opening the valve the sac-34w b end 1 spring 36 cooperates with the pin 5650 as to lessen the task ot the znr-pushed p n 56,

rendering the device sensitive. 1" in will be somewhat Withdrawn through the What claim csniy invention and desire "to secure by Letters Patent 5:

element including {1 mire/ a retrectilo spring secured at its end centrullf to said. valve and tending to hold the. vavve open, and :1 ren'ioveble plate provided with. an openins with a grooved wall in which the other end of said spring is seated, substantially as set forth. r

In a. pneunmtie piano, a pneumatic element including a vaivc, a 5 ring for supporting said valve which ten s to hold it in an open position, a pouch aida ted to be'acted upon by air pressure, an a pin extending from the pouch toward said Valve. for cooperating with the spring in opening the valve when the pouch is actuated.

In a pneumatic piano, a pneumatic element including a be lows, means having suction passageway therefrom through a suction port, a valve for closing saidsuction port, a spring for supporting andtendin to hold said valve in open position and adapted to yield during the closing thereof, it pouch, a said valve or opening t e same. andmeans for conveying air under atmospheric presin extendin from the pouch to

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