US1708502A - Player piano - Google Patents

Description

April 1929. A. G. GULBRANSEN 1,708,502

PLAYER PIANO Filed April 25, 1921 Qfinzzefiiom m 1 awe G. Gulbncznsen Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A'XEL G. GULBRAN SEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GULBRANSEN COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLAYER PIANO.

Application filed April 25, 1921. Serial No. 464,431.

My invention relates to player pianos, and more specifically to an improved attachment for facilitating the control of such a piano by the operator.

In the various devices commonly employed for emphasizing the melody of music produced by mechanical means, the keyboard of the instrument'is ordinarily divided into a plurality of sections, and individual control of the force or loudness ota note played at any instant in any section is provided.

The primary object of my invention is to assist the operator in estimating before a note is played, in which section of the keyboard the particular note to be emphasized will be played, so that he may actuate the proper control lever at the proper time.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of as much as is necessary of a player piano to illustrate the application of my invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and I Figure 3 is a similar section with the indicating means in a. different position.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration the keyboard oi the player piano is divided into two sections, a bass section and a treble section. The paper 10 'is moved across the tracker bar 12 from the upper roll 1& to the lower roll 16 by any of the mechanisms usually employed in the art for this purpose. I provide indicating means in the nature of a bar 18 adapted to project across in front or" the paper adjacent the line'of vent holes 20 on the tracker bar to indicate to the operator the dividing ine between the two sections of the keyboard.

To obviate having the bar 18 in the way of the operator when the rollis being removed or at any other time, I provide a pivotal support for the same so that it may be swung up out of the way as indicated in dotted lines at 22 in Figure 1. The particular supporting means I have illustrated comprises a simple bracket 2% mounted on the end of a stud 26 attached to the tracker bar and passing through the supporting structure 28 adjacent the end of the tracker bar 12, but it will be obvious that various means for supporting the bar may be provided. A suitable pintle 80 provides a pivotal connection for the bar 18, which pivotal connection is preferably adjacent the edge of thesupporting structure 28 so that the bar when swung up into vertical position will be entirely out of the way of the operator.

The supporting bracket 24 preferably extends beyond its pivotal connection with bar 18 and carries a small lug 32 which functions as a stopoperating by abutment with the edge of the bar 18 to hold it in either of the positions illustrated in Figure 1.

Vithout further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service, without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essen tial items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured. to me by the "following claims:

I claim: i

1. In a player piano, the combination with the tracker bar of an indicating arm, a stud attached to and extending beyond the end or said tracker bar, a supporting bracket secured on the outer end of said stud and extendmg inwardly to the ad acent end of said bar, said arm being pivotally mounted on sand bracket adjacent to the end of said bar and on an axis at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the bar to be swung into operative position in front of and parallel with the bar or to vertical position away from the bar. 7

,2. In a player piano, the combination with the tracker bar of an indicating arm, astud extending from one end of the bar, a supporting bracket secured to the outer end of said stud and extending inwardly to the adjacent end of the bar, said indicating arm being pivoted on said bracket adjacent to the stop on said bracket for limiting the swing end of the bar and on an axis extending at of said arm in either direct-ion.

right angles to the perforated space of said In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subbar whereby said arm may be swung into scribed my name this 21st day of April, operative position in front of and parallel 1921.

with said perforated space or to an upright position away from said bar, and a single AXEL G. GULBRANSEN.

Images