US991494A - Musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

H. E. FRENCH.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1908.

Patented May 9, 1911.

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HORACE 'EDGAR FRENCH, OF NEWCASTLE, INDANA, ASSIGNOR T0 KRELL-FRENCH PANO CO., F NEWCASTLE, NIDIANA, .A CORPURATION OF NDIANA.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

:MUSICAL NSTRUIJIENT.

Patented May 9, 191i.

Application lled September 28, 1908. Serial No. 454,992,

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, 'HORACE EDGAR FnnNoi-i, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Musical lnstrunicnt, of which the followingl is a specication.

This invention relates to a mechanical musical instrument or. player, and is chiefly adapted for use on the pneumatic type thereof.

The principal objects ot the invention are to provide an improved means for supporting, exposing, and operating the various controlling devices or levers; to provide an improved. mechanism for operatingthe lower panel, and means whereby all the said. devices will be controlled by said lever supporting means in a convenient and simple manner.A Further'objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to-the accompanying` drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a pneumatic piano player showing one way in which the several features of this invention may be applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part of the device showing the parts in position for locking the keys; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the key lock; Fig. 4 is a plan of the drawer or slide showing the controlling` device; and Fig. 5 is an elevation from the rear showingl how the lower panel is operated.

The key-bed. is shown as provided on the bottom thereof with drawer or slide 'l1 on which are located the various controlling" devices. It is shown as provided with a inutller operating lever 12, a lever 13 'tor operating` the forte or loud pedal, a choker operating lever 1li, a tempo lever 15, and a re-roll lever 16, but it will be understood that it may be provided with more or less controlling devices or levers. according tov `theA type of instrument to which it is applied. Connecting' wires l17 to the muffler,

1S to the loud pedal, 19 to the tempo, and to the re-roll .are also illustrated, 'lhc drawer or slide is also provided with a choker box 9.1 and a re-roll 22, and with air channels 23 and 24 for said boxes respectively. The choker valve Q5 is connected vwith the lever 11i by a link 2G, and a re-roll valve 27 is connected to the lever 16 by link 28, all of which will be readily understood. The air channels QS-and 2li are connected with corresponding` devices on the instrument by means of lflexible connections 29 so that the controlling mechanism may be mounted on the drawer or slide so as to move out and in therewith and expose the operating ends oi" the levers when it is drawn out.

The front end of the drawer or slide is provided with a raisedrib 30 which engages the bottom of the key bed when in closed position so as to conceal the levers and which serves as a hand-rest for the operator when the drawer or slide is pulled out. The drawer is provided with a guide 31 which has notches 32 (Fig. il) in theend adapted to co-act with stops 33 for limiting its outward motion. Means is connected with this drawer or slide whereby when it is pulled out this will not only expose the controlling,` devices in the proper position 1Corl operation, but will open the lower panel, release the pedals so that they will drop out, andlock the keys. The means whereby these results are secured according to the present drawings will nowbe described.

The drawer is provided with a flexible connection 35 passing over pulleys 3G on the bottom of the key-bed and connected with avertically sliding' lower panel 37 by means of a, lever 3S. This system of connections is reduced to a very simple form so that when the drawer is pulled out the panel will be raised. In raising the panel the pivoted pedals ll0 are exposed, and not only that, but a latch 41 which operates on a member -l-Q on the pedal supports 45 to hold the pedals in 'folded position is engaged by a projection 43,

on the inside of the panel and raised as ini dicatcd in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to permit the pedals to be forced outy by means of a spring; 4.4- which normally closes the ISE:

bellows 4G.' The pedals are connected with v the bellows 4G byl links 47 or in any other desired manner. l'

The pedals 40 are at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the horizontal supports -45 when they are out in the dotted position in Fig. 1. ln order to fold them into the piano` they must be compressed to the same o1 the keys.

position as these supports. When folding them into the piano a pin 48 on the side of each pedal engages into the grooved end of a pivoted tongue or pedal trip e9 which forces the pedalsback into the proper position, and this tongue is released by a spring 69 as soon as this is accomplished. They are then pressed rearward farther until the cross bar 42 passes under the latch 4l which by means of a spring immediately drops down and catches the same. The operation of pulling the drawer forward raises the panel/.37. rhe projection 43 raises the latch 4l. on its upward motion, which releases the trap work and the pedals are thrown forward by the coil spring 44 which is in tension. When the pedals are folded up the projection 43 passes beyond the latch 4l and'does not touch the same in returning. The movement of putting the pedals back into position is accomplished by pushingthe same rearward with one movement of therfoot, which not only raises the pedal mechanism, but compresses the pedals into proper position and pushes them into position, where they are automatically locked by the latch 41.

rli'he key lock 50 consists of a pivoted bar located in the key-bed under the front ends It is provided with an arm or lever 51 which is connected with the drawer or slide so that the pulling out of the latter will swing the key lock into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, so as to engage the bottoms of the keys 53 and hold their forward ends up during the automatic play` ing of the instrument.

Each key is shown as having an attachment 54 in the form of a lever which is pivotally connected on a vertical pivot 55' near the center of the key. The attachment shown herein is one which comes within the .scope of my prior invention set forth in my Patent No. 905304 granted December l i908, but it is shown ina form which is comparatively simple, as the pivot 55 may consist of a simple screw and the attachment is held from gcttingoutof proper position by means of a downwardly projecting pin p6 engaging in a recess in the back of the rey. v

As in my above mentioned patent the attachment is provided with a capstan screw 57 for connection with the action,and with an adjustable disk 58 for connection with the striking pneumatics through sliding rods 59.

`It will be observed that as in my above vmentioned patent, the capstan screw is located over a cushion 60 which is on the rear end of the key so that the instrument may be played either mechanically or automatically, so as to get, in I approaching that of the human hand.

'While l have illustrated and described a the latter case, a touch preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many' modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore l do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction shown, but i What. I do claim is z*- l. The combination with the key-bed of a mechanical playing instrument, of a reciprocable drawer' mounted under the key-bed and capable of being drawn out in front in position to serve as a hand-rest and having a plurality of air channels therein, and controlling devices mounted to move with the drawer and having means operable inde-. pendently of the motion of the drawer for controlling said air channels.

2. The combination with the key-bed of a mechanical playing instrument, of ahandrest mounted under the key-bed and capable of being drawn out in front and having a plurality of air channels therein, controlling devices mounted to move with the hand rest and movable independently thereof for controlling said air channels, and flexible connections for said air channels attached to the hand rest.

In a music playing device, the combination with the keybed and keys, of a keylock, a drawer under said keybed, a controlling device mounted on the drawer and adapted to be concealed by said drawer when closed, and means operated by the drawer for raising' the key-lock under the front ends of the keys when the drawer is pulled out to expose the controlling devices.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with the key-bed, ofa drawer under the key-bed, controlling devices on the drawer, a pivoted key lock, a lever on the key-lock, means for operating said lever automatically by drawing` out the drawer for rocking' the key-lock into contactwith the bottoms of the keys, a panel, and means connected with said drawer for operating the panel.

The combination with the key-bed, of' a drawer, controlling devices adapted to be concealed thereby, a key-lock, a vertically sliding' panel, a lever for lifting the panel, means connected with said drawer for operating the key-lock, and a flexible connection between the drawer and said lever for opening the panel, when the slide is drawn out.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination with the key-bed, of a slide therefor, a key lock, al lower panel, pedals, and means connected with said slide whereby when it is pulled out the keys will be locked, the panel will be raised, and the pedals will swing out into exposed position. I

. In a musical instrument, the combination of a lower panel, a keybed, means lomy hand, in the presence of two snbserbng Witnesses.

HORACE EDGAR EEE-NCH.

Witnesses LAWRENCE FRAIZER, MYRON E. MILLIKAN.

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