US1218094A - Test-roll for musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. LE GATO.

TEST ROLL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION F|LED-ocT.4.1915.

1,21 8,094. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

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JOHN A. LE GATO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD PNEUMATIC ACTION CO., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TEST-ROLL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed October 4, 1915.

Tf1 all whom z't may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. LE GATO, a a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Test-Roll for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a test roll for musical instruments and particularly to a roll adapted for testing the operation of the tempo regulator and governor of an automatic player piano or other similar instrument.

It is customary to place tempo indications in the form of figures upon the record rolls used in such instruments, at irregular intervals throughout the record whenever the tempo of the music should be changed. The speed of the instrument is suitably adjusted to these indications by moving the tempo indicator to corresponding points on the tempo scale as the record is drawn over the tracker bar.

A given tempo number appearing upon a record sheet always indicates that the sheet should travel past the tracker bar at a certain definite rate of speed. For example, in the scale commonly used, the number 10 indicates that the note sheet should travel at the rate of one foot per minute past the tracker bar; the number 20 indicates that the sheet should travel at the rate of two feet per minute, and the number 30 indicates a speed of three feet per minute, these designations being continued to a usual maximum of 130, indicating a note sheet travel of thirteen feet per minute.

The note sheet is drawn over the tracker bar by a motor which is commonly controlled by a centrifugal governor. The governor when set at a given point will cause the motor to operate at a uniform speed until the setting of the governor is changed. Such change is effected by means of a manually movable device which is also connected to move an indicator along a tempo scale mounted in a convenient position in the front of the instrument.

It is frequently necessary, particularly after repairs have been. made upon the driv- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

sel-iai No. 53,901.

ing or controlling mechanism, to determine whether the note sheet is actually traveling at the rate called for by the indication upon the tempo scale.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a test roll having designating markings or indications thereon, by means of which the adjustment of the tempo regulator may be quickly tested and readily corrected if necessary.

A preferred form of my invention is shown inthe drawing in which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a music roll and a portion of the music sheet, and

Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of a tempo scale and the tempo indicator.

Referring to Fig. 1 I have shown my improved test roll as comprising a long strip of paper 10 wound upon a headed spool or roller 11. The sheet 10 is provided at its end with a ring 12 of the usual form by which it may be secured to the take up roll 0f the instrument.

At a convenient distance from the end of the strip a line or mark is provided, said line being designated by the word Start. At definite distances from the starting line additional marks or indications are placed upon the sheet as shown in the drawing. The mark 14 is shown as being spaced six inches from the starting line; the mark 15, one foot from the starting line, the mark 16, one and one-half feet, and the mark 17, two feet. Additional marks (not shown) may be placed upon the sheet `at any desired distances from the starting line.

As will appear in the drawing, the marks 15 and 17 are designated to show the distance from the starting line and also to refer to a number upon the tempo scale.

The designation of the mark 15 upon the sheet 10 reads One foot per minute at 10 and the designation of the mark 17 reads Two feet per minute at 20. The first designation indicates that the sheet should travel from the starting mark 13 to the mark 15, a distance of one foot, in one minute, if the tempo indicator is set at 10 and the indicator and governor are both properly adjusted. Similarly, the designation of the mark 17 indicates that the sheet should travel :tromv the starting line to the mark 17, a distance of two feet, in one minute if the tempo indicator is set at 20.

A portion of a tempo scale of usual form is shown at 2O in Fig. 2 and a portion of the indicating device is shown at 2l in the same figure.

The test sheet is commonly provided with a series of perforations 22 so disposed that each of the notes in the instrument will be sounded successively a number of times as the sheet is drawn through the instrument. The provision of such perforations in a test sheet is old in the art and forms no part oil my invention.

The use of the test sheet will be obvious from the foregoing description. After the governor and indicator have been set in approximately accurate positions the test sheet is placed in the instrument. The tempo indicator is set for instance at 2O and the sheet' is started in operation. lf the regulator and indicator are correctly adjusted, the mark 1T will pass a lined point9 such as the tracker bar, exactly one minute after the starting line passed the same point. li the line l? arrives early or late at the lixed point it in dicates inaccurate setting or adjustment of the governor or indicator. After suitable corrections have been made the tests may be repeated at different points upon the tempo scale.

Having thus described my invention it will be evident that changes and modilica.- tions can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims and l do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what l claim is 1. As an article of manufacture7 a test music roll for automatic musical instruments having a tempo regulator, said roll having thereon a mark indicating` a starting position and additional marks definitely spaced from said starting mark and each designated to show the distance from the starting mark and also the tempo rate at which said mark should pass a fixed point in a definite specilied time after the starting mark passed said point.

2. As an article of manufacture, a test music roll for automatic musical instruments having a tempo regulator, said roll comprising a long strip o'lZ paper wound upon a headed spool and provided with an indication designating a starting position and with additional indications spaced at regular and pre determined distances :trom said starting indication and marked to show the correct travel of' the note sheet during a given time interval, with the tempo regulator set at a given point in its scale.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto setmy hand.

JOHN A.. LE GATO.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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