USRE12476E - Charles l - Google Patents

Description

No. 12,476. REISEHIIID MAY 1, I906.

' O. L. DAVIS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

I APPL IUATION FILED MAR2-L1905.

lgyglww I amrzfazfgz lz 15 matically played.

v and operate one of the piano-keys. 25 various pneumatics or bellows are arranged AMI-ABLE soc sisv'nvAv i838 UNITED STATES PAZENT O FICE.

GHARLES L. DAVIS, OF DETROIT,

MICHIGAN, ass1e1ion, BY MESNE' ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTOPIANIST 00., or CHICAGO, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

ILLINOIS,

ME CHANIC AL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Reissued Letters Ratent.

Rois sued May 1, 1906.

Original 1%. 725,941,.aaa A ia 21, 1903. Application for reissue Amiga, 24, 1905. Serial No. 251.893.

To all whom'it may concern! Be it known that I, CHARLES L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of 5 Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawtoin s, forming a part of this specification.

y invention relates to mechanical musical instruments, and in particular to me chanical piano-players-that is to say, to instruments by which a piano can be auto- In these mechanical pianmplayers of the kind to which this invention relates there are a series of operatingso arranged and supported as to he "in position over the keys of the piano-keyboard.' Each of these fingers is'controlled by a pneumatic or bellows, so that by the operation of such pneumatic or bellows a finger will be depressed, so as to strike against The each one of the tubes being extended between one of the bellows or pneumatics and one of the ports of the trackereboard. The tracker-board is usually arranged at the top of the instrument, and a traveling sheet of music,

3 5 is drawn or advanced across thistracker-board by suitable mechanism, usuall consisting of a couple of rolls, from one of which the musesheet is unwound and upon the other of which it is wound. The music-sheet is pro- 40 vlded with a series of apertures or perforations which register with the various ports of the tracker-board at redetermined times and for predetermined intervals. Asa general rule the air is exhausted normally from the pipes or tubes leading to the yarious pneumat'cs, and these pneumatics are ar ranged so as to operate u on the admission of air into the correspon ing tracker-board ports. When, therefore, .an aperture regis 5o ters with one of the tracker-board ports, the

corresponding pneumatic is actuated by the admission of air through that aperture and into that port in such a way as to cause the operation the corresponding piano-key. In this may the playing of the plano is accomplishe the? various apertures on the u on itsfqz ig'inal spool after it has been 'l he also contemplates as'an object, the t ng'ement of this form of mechan- 'f=" ;,wa y that the traveling sheet of ection of travel, so as to pere1 adjusted lateralLy or transinit its' being adjusted to secure the proper registration of its perforations with the-corresponding tracker-board ports and also to permit of its bein shifted sufficiently to per mit the key in which the composition is bein played to be changed; p

n the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of the'music-sheet-controlling mechar'nsm of a mechanical-piano-player embody- Fig. 2 IS an end View of ing my invention. the same. a

In the music-'sheet-controlling mechanism illustrated in the drawings for'the'purpose of setting forth my invention-I have shown 'a tracker-board A, which is under-V stood to be suitably connected and mounted in the mechanical pianmplayer or other musical instrument in which the inventionis embodied. This tracker]- board A is the usual form of board, consisting of alwooden board mounted on edge and providedwith apertures or ports 1 1, extending crosswise of the board and communicating with suitable tubes which are understood to be extended to-the pneumatics. The top of the piano-player is provided with'a base-piece 2, which 1s secured to the pla er and forms a rigid support for the trackeroard. This base-piece 2..is mounted in such a way that the trackerl board A projects up through it near its lon- 65 trac shaft 16 is for the urpose of allowing the shaft 16 to be shifted by a shifting movement of the movable carrier B without interfering with the driving of such shaft by the pulley 17 and belt 18. It will be seen that the shifting movement of the carrier B either to cause the proper registration of the tracker-board ports and the music-sheet perforations or to shift the set of ports with which the perforations register is not interfered with by the mechanism for advancing the-musicrsheet, this mechanism being so arranged as to permit the lateral shifting movement of the carrier and the spools carried thereby without interfering in the least with its action. The arrangement also permits the music-sheet to be rerolled also without interfering with the mechanism by which it is shifted laterally.

It is understood that the lever 13 shuts the airofi from the tracker-board portswhen it isoperated, so as to cause the music-sheet to be rerolled; but as such an arrangement is old and well known it is not shown or de scribed herein.

What I claim as my invention is- 1.- The combination in a mechanical musical instrument of music-rolls, a trackerboard, and means for shifting one of said rolls -board.- a

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of music-rolls, a tracker-board and means for simultaneously shift both of said rolls longitudinally and relatively to the o enings in the tracker-board.

3. n a mechanical musical instrument, the ,combination of music-rolls, a tracker-board, means for shifting one of said rolls lon 'tudinally and relatively to the tracker-board,

ing an adjusted or varia le ow to the roll. 4. In an automatic musical instrument or player, in combination with a fixed trackeroard, a platform movable lon 'tudinally with respect to the tracker-boar take-up and rewind rolls mounted on said platform, and means for moving the platform at will.

-5. The combination with the trackerboard,*and means for advancing the travel; ing music-sheet across the same, of a carrier 'upon which the music-sheet-ad'vancing means is mounted, the said carrier bein arranged for movement longitudinally of t e tracker board, meansfor s 'fting the carrier to either 5 5 direction, gearing-for driving such music-advancing mechanism, said gearingbeing adapted to permit the shifting movement of the carrier and the advancing means carried thereby during operation, and means for driving said gearin substantially as described.

'6. The com mation with the trackerboard and means for advancing the traveling music-sheet, of a shiftable carrier arranglsd for movement longitudinally of the er-hoard and carrying said music-sheetlongitudinally and relatively to the traclreF said shifting means bein cam tile of impartfor actuating the advancing means, gearing for driving said me: us, the said gearing being adapted to permit the shifting of the carrier and the musicsheet-advancing means urried thereby during operation, means for connecting and disconnecting said gearing at will, and mechanism for driving said gearing, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the trackerboard and means for adv/ancin a sheet or strip of music across the same, 0 a shiftable carrier upon which is mounted the musicsheetadvancing means, the said carrier bei arranged for shifting movement longitu inally of the tracker-board, a drivingshaft stationarily mounted, and gear-whee a between said driving-shaft and the musicsheet-advancing means, one of said gearwheels bein sufficiently wide to rmit the shifting of t 0 carrier and said music-advancing means without causin the disengagement'of the gear-wheels, su stantially as described.

8. The combination with the trackerboard and the spools for the music-sheet, said spools being arranged on o posite sides of the tracker-board, a shiftab a carrier arranged for shifting movement longitudinally of the tracker-board and supporting said spools, a gear-wheel on the driven spool, a rotary driving-shaft carrying a pinion adapt ed to mesh with said gear-wheel, the said pinion being sufliciently wide to permit the shifting of the carrier and the music-spools without disengagm the pinion and gearwheel, and means or driving said drivingshaft, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the trackerboard and the spools for the music-sheet, said spools being arranged on o posits sides of the tracker-board, of a shi table carrier upon which said spools are mounted said carrier bein arranged lor movement longitudinally o the tracker-board a drivin shaft, gearin between said driving-sha t and one of sai spools, the said gearingbeing adapted to penmt tne shifting of the carrier and s ools without disengaging the gearing and a so adapted to permit t e disengagement of the gearing when desired, and means arin so as to cause its dlsenga ment,su tantlall asdeacribed.

10. e combination with the trackerboard and a shiftable carrier arranged for shifting movement .hm 'tudinally of the tracker-board and provi ed with spools situated on opposite sides -of the tracker-board, of a driving-shaft, gear-wheels carried by said driving-shaft and by the driven musicspool, one of said gear-wheels bein suiliciently wide to permit the sl i'ftingol' t 66!?- rier without causing their disengagement and the gear-wheel upon the driving-shaft being splinecl thereupon, and mcansfor shifting said gcar-wheel on the driving-shaft so as to cause its disengagement from the ear-wheel carried by the driven music-spool, substantially as described.

11. The combination with the trackerboard and with means for drawing the music-sheet across the tracker-board, of a carrier arranged for shifting movement longitudinally of the trackerboard, means for shifting said carrier, power-transmitting connection for actuating said music-drawing means so as to draw the music-sheet across the tracker-board in either direction, said powertransmitting connection being adapted to permit the shifting of the carrier with the music-drawing means thereon, irrespective of the direction in which the music-sheet is being drawn, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with the trackerboard, and with spools for the music-sheet, the said spools being mounted upon opposite sides of the tracker-board, of a shiftable carrier arranged for movement longitudinally of the tracker-board and having the spools mounted upon it, means for shifting the shiftable carrier in either direction, a driving-shaft, power-transmitting connections between the driving-shaft and both of the spools whereby each spool can be driven, said power-transmitting connections being such that each can be broken to prevent the driving of the spool with which it is associated andbeing also adapted to permit the shifting of the s-hiftable carrier without causing their breakage, and means for causing the simultaneous engagement of one power-transmitting connection and disengagement of the other, and vice versa, sub stantially as set forth.

13. The combination with the trackerboard and with a shiftable carrier arranged for shifting movement longitudinally of the tracker-board and provided with spools situated on opposite sides of the tracker-board, a driving-shaft, gearing between said driving-shaft and one of said spools, the said gearing being adapted to permit the shifting of the shiftable support without causing its disengagement, power-transmitting connection between said driving-shaft and the other spool, said connection being adapted to permit the shifting of the shiftable carrier without causing its disconnection, means for connecting and disconnecting said gearing, and means for connecting and disconnecting said power-transmitting connection according as the gearing is'disconnected or connected respectively, substantially as set forth.

14. The combination with the trackerboard and With mechanism for carrying the musicsheet, of a shiftable carrier upon which the music-carrying mechanism is mounted, means for shifting said carrier, and means for advancing and rerolling the music-sheet, both the advancing and the rerolling means being adapted to permit the shifting of the lame .shiftable carrier without disconnecting them,

substantially as described.

15. The combination with the trackerboard and with a shiftable carrier arranged for a shifting movement lon itudinally of the tracker-board and provide with spools arranged on opposite sides of such board, of a driving-shaft, gear-wheels, one on said driving-shaft and one on one of said spools, one of said gear-Wheels being sufficiently wide to permit the shifting of the carrier without causing the disconnectionof said wheels and the gear-wheel onthe driving-shaft being splined thereto, a supplemental shaft connected with the socket for holding the other spool, power-transmittin connection between said shaft and the riving-shaft, said connection being such as to permit the shifting of the carrier without disengaging such connection, a clutch for engaging and disengaging such connection, and means for simultaneously operating said clutch and shifting the gear-wheel on the driving-shaft in such a way as to connect the d-rivingshaft with the power-transmitting connection and to disconnect the gear-wheel on said shaft with the gear-wheel on the driven spool, and vice versa, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the trackerboard and with a shiftable carrier arranged for shiftin movement laterally oflthe trackerboard an CHRI'I mg a pair of spools, one arranged on eac side of the trackenboard, means for shifting said 'shiftable carrier, a driving-shaft carrying a wide pin-ion splined to it,a gear-wheel carried by the driven roll and meshing with said inion, a pulley mounted loosely on the riving-shaft and having a pin adapted to engage a pinch a collar on said pinion, a supplemental shaft connected with the socket tor the other spool, :a pulley loosely mounted on said shaft and splined thereto, and a lever adapted to shift the pinion on the drivihg-shafit so as to cause the disen agement of the pinion with the gear-whee on said driven roll and the engagement of the said clutch-pins, and vice versa, substantially as described.

17. The combination with the trackerboardand with means foradvancing the music strip or sheet across the board, of a shiftable carrier arranged for movement longitudinally of the tracker-board, the said advancing means being carried by said carrier, means for shifting the carrier in either direction, and power-transmitting connection for driving said advancing means in a backwardly lirection, said power-transmitting connection being adapted to permit the shiftingof the shiftable carrier without disconnecting the connection.

18. The combination with the tracker board and with a shiftable carrier arranged for movement longitudinally of the trackerboard and provided with a music-spool on EXa'n reign,

-alinement with the one sup the rear side of the tracker-board, of a driving-shaft oarr 'ing a loose pulley, a clutch for engaging sair pulley, a su plemental shaft connected with a socket or receiving the spindle of a music-roll, a pulley splinedto said shaft, 11 hearing for holding said pulley in alinement with the loose pulley on the driving-shaft, and means for 0 ierating said clutch, substantially as set fortl i.

19. The combination with the trackerboard and with a carrier shiftable longitudinally of the tracker-board and provided with a driven spool, and also with sockets for a music-spool, and with means for shifting the shiftable carrier, of a driving-shaft having a loose pulley, a clutch for engaging said pulley with said shaft, together with means for operating said clutch, a six plemental shaft connected with said socket or a music-s 001 and provided with means whereb it is old against longitudinal movement re atively to said socket, a loose pulley splined upon said shaft, and a bearing holding said pulle in oose pu ey on the riving-shaft, substantially as described.

20. The combination with the trackerboard, of a shiftin su port arranged for movement longitu mal y of the trackerboard and having an aperture through which the tracker-board projects, the portions of the su port being arranged in the front and rear 0? the tracker-board, a pair of spools,

orted on the front portion of the support an the other on the rear'portion and secured thereto so as to be moved in unison by the shifting. of the support, and means for shiftin the sup ort in either direction.

21. n a mec anical musical instrument the combination with the rigidly-moan tracker-board extending upwardly fromthe top of the instrume t, of a flat support arudinally of the trackerranged to slide longi board and mounts upon the top of the musical instrument, the said flat support eonsisting of front and rear portions arranged in the front and rear of the tracker-board and having an openipg or aperture through which the tracker-boa ro sets, a pair 0 spools, one mounted on t 1e iront portion and the other on the rear portion of the support so as to be moved in unison thereb and devices for shifting said support in eit er direction.

22. In a transposing apparatus for -mu' sical instruments, a trave ing web mounted on rollers, said rollers being journaled m a frame which has a lateral movement.

23. In a transposing apparatus for musical instruments,a traveling web mounted on rollers, said rollers being journaled in a frame which has a lateral movement, and means whereby said roller-frame may be adjusted and held at any point.

24. The combination with the trackerboard and means for advancing the traveling music-sheet, of a shiftablo carrier arrange for movement longitudinally of the trackerboard and can 'ng said music-sheet-advancing means, an power-transmitting connections for driving said means, the said connections being ada ted to permit the shifting of the carrier an the music-sheet-advancmg means carried thereby durin operation.

25. The combinatlon wit a tracker, of a traveling music-sheet having perforations to cooperate with ports of said tracker, and means for shifting said music-sheet longitudinally of the tracker.

26. The combination with a tracker, of a traveling musie sheet, supporting devices for ca 'ng the music-sheet, and means for adjustmg the music-sheet crosswise of its direction of movement and relatively to the tracker. Y

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of January, A. D. 1905.

CHARLES L. DAVIS. Witnesses:

. Gaonea W. Ausson, WILLARD Hxmawsr

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