US1158015A - Controller device for tracker-boards. - Google Patents

Description

A [mm/70R M I im. B S

C. M. WELTE. CONTROLLER DEVICE FOR IRACKER BOARDS. APPLICATION FILED pic. 9 1913'.

I WITNESSES Ptnted Oct. 26, 1915.

- c M. WELTE. CONTROLLER DEVICE FOR TRACKER BOARDS.

. APPLICATION FIL'ED ogc. 9, 1913. 1,158,015 Patented 00. 26, 1915.

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' ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL M. WELTE, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO M. WELTE & SONS, INC., OF NEW i f YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLER DEVICE FOR-' TRACKER-BOARDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

Application filed December 9, 1913. Serial No. 80554 6.

To all whom it only concern:

Be it known that I, CARL' M. VVELTE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controller Devices for 'lrackerlioards, of which the following is a full, clear, and enact description, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and use the same.

The invention relates to mechanical musical instruments and more particularly to the control of the tracker-board of such an instrument, that is, to devices for controlling the operativeness of the ducts or passages of a tracker-board with reference to the perforations of a music-sheet or roll.

In the ordinary type of mechanically operated musical instruments it has been common to employ atrack'er -looard over which a perforated sheet of music is passed and such devices ordinarily operate upon an exhaust principle so that atmospheric pressure admitted to the ducts of the tracker through the openings of the music roll as they come into registration with the respective trackerducts, release and actuate certain valve mechanisms which cause the sounding of the particular note corresponding to the tracker-duct which is released to the atmosphere. After such a roll has been passed over the tracker-board and the selection or selections of music represented thereon have been played, it is necessary to re-wind the roll and obviously, the tracker-ducts must be 'made inoperative with reference to the perforated sheet during this re-winding operation, otherwise the selections would be played backward. It has also become a general practice to utilize. a plurality of trackerboards with individually perforated music sheets for each tracher-bmlrd so that one roll 01' sheet of music may be played and during the re-winding (.t said roll, the second roll or sheet of music may be played. In such an a rrangei'nent, an instrument may be operated continuously.

The invention herein disclosed relates to the control of the tracker ducts and is de signed to control the flow of air through the tracker ducts and connections so that the manipulation of the note-sounding devices may be controlled.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and compact arrangement for open ing and closing the ducts of a tracker with reference to the sounding devices and a still further object is to control the ducts of a plurality of trackers.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an oscillatory or rotating device for connecting and controllingthe tracker ducts which will condense the very numerous connections required into a minimum of space.

The invention, as illustrated in the drawing, is shown in connection with two distinct tracker-boards and their respective music rolls.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of trackers and their connections to a player pneumatic. Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation of the controller device. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device illustrated in Fig. 2, looking from the right of said figure with parts broken in section. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view through the disks of the controller. Fig. 5 is a detail view on enlarged scale of a portion of the two disks of the controller illustrating the arrangement of the tracker and player pneumatic connections. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the valve for controlling the actuators of the controller.

In the accompanying drawings no attempt has been made to show in detail the various parts of a mechanical musical instrument which wind and rewind the rolls or spools carrying the perforated music sheets and as illustrated in the diagram of Fig. 1, but a single player pneumatic is shown, it being understood, of course, that the number of player pneumatics depends entirely upon the number of tracker openmgs and that the controller device which is designed to control the tracker-ducts of whatsoever number with reference to a corresponding number of player pneumatics or other valve or' motor devices which may be employed in a musical instrument and which it is desirable to control through the tracker ducts.

Referring to the diagram in Fig. 1, the numeral. 1 indicates one tracker-board and 2 a second tracker-board wherein a single tracker opening 3 is shown in the trackerboard 1 and a single opening 4: illustrated in the tracker-board 2. i

The music roll or spool 5 for the trackerboard 1 is illustrated as being re-wound in the direction of the arrow appurtenant wound upon the spool 5.

thereto, it being presumed for the purpose of illustration that the music-sheet 6 has been played as it was'wound upon the windor spool 7 and is now being re- Therefore, its tracker-ducts are closed by the controller as hereinafter more fully described.

ing roll The music roll or spool 8 appurtenant to 'the-tracker-board 2 is illustrated as bearing tion through the controller device with the player, Pneumatics.

Thel'controller device for connecting and disconnecting the various ducts of the tracker-boards 1 and 2 with the player pneumatics consists essentially of two disklike members 11 and 12, each provided with a series of perforations which may be brought into and out of registering position with each other. The disk 11 is as illustrated, secured to .a standard or support 13 by a collar 14 while the disk 12 is free to oscillate or rotate upon a central bearing 15 which is concentric with a disk 11. This disk 12 is held firmly against the face of the disk 11 by a spring 16 or other suitable device and is limited in its rotary or oscillatory movement with reference to the disk 11 by pins 17 fast in the disk 11 and projecting through slots 18 concentrically arranged about the aXis of the disk 12. These stop pins 17 preferably bear springs 19 which insure a good surface contact between the meeting faces of the disks 11 and 12.

The stationary disk 11 is provided'with a series of concentric perforations 20, 21, 22, 23 from which project tubes 24 which serve as a convenient means for connecting the tracker tubes or ducts 25 of the trackerboard 1 and the tracker-ducts or tubes 26 of the track enboard 2. The oscillatory disk 12 is also provided with a series of concentrically arranged perforations 27, 28, 29, 30 so arranged as to be brought into and out of registering position with certain of the perforations of the stationary disk 11 upon partial rotation or oscillation. The perforations 27' to 30 inclusive are likewise con nected with tubes 31 which serve, as a convenient' means'for connecting with the ducts or tubes 32, 33 which lead to the player pneumatics. Itf'teill be'observed that all of the perforations in the stationary disk 11 are arranged in concentric rows and in radial lines whilc'the series of perforations in the oscillatory disk 12 have the various perforations arranged in concentric rows with the alternate concentric rows of perforations arranged on the same radia. Thus, when the oscillatory disk 1s in one position, the perforations of the concentric rows 27 and 29 of the movable disk are in registering position with the perforations 20 and 22 of the stationary disk as illustrated in Fig. 5. The perforations 28 and 30 of the movable the face of the stationary disk which is intermediate the radial lines of its perforations. When the oscillatory disk is shifted, the concentric rows or perforations 28 and 30 are brought into registering position with the perforations 22 and 23 of the stationary disk and thereupon the perforations 27 and 29 are closed by the stationary disk. lVith this arrangement, it is obvious that with disks of comparatively small diameter, a

. great number of connections may be madeand by a very slight oscillatory movement of the disks relatively to each other one or another of the series of openings may be brought into registering position.

The oscillatory movement of the movable disk 12 may be secured in any desired manher. For the purpose of illustration, it is shown in the diagram of Fig. 1 as being accomplished by small motors of the bellows type A, B, the movable board of each of these bellows being connected through suitable rods a, b with the peripheral edge of the movable disk.

To control the operation of the motorsA and B, a valve 0 is employed in conjunction with the main bellows or source of power D of the instrument which, as illustrated, is actuated by a suitable motor. This bellows D through a suitable duct 34 is connected to an opening 35 in the stationary member of the valve C which stationary member has openings 36, 37 connecting through ducts 38, 39 with the motors A and The openings 36, 37 and their respective ducts areplaced in communication either with the suction of the bellows D through.

phere and is also provided with a channel or duct 43 formed in its lower face and arranged to be brought into registering position with ports 44, 45 extending upwardly from the duct 35, said registration being dependent upon the position of the movable member 40.

As illustrated in the diagram of Fig. 1, the duct 38 is in communication with the main bellows D through the duct 34, passage 35, port 44 and ducts 43 and 36, thus collapsing the bellows A. Thebellows B is open to atmosphere through the ducts 39,37 and 42.

In Fig. 6, the parts are shown as just appreaching the position above described and obviously if the movable member 40 is moved to the right, the reverse condition will attain and the bellows B will be coldisk are then closed by openings 41, 42 to the atmoslapsed under the suction of the bellows D the music-roll 8, the end of the latch 49 will while the bellows A will be inflated upon being open to the atmosphere. This arrangement gives a positive movement to the oscillatory disk 12.

The movement'of the valve member 40 may be'accomplished in any desired manner.

' project into a notch 50 of the music roll and this will swing the lever 46 until the block 40 is shifted from the position shown in Fig. 1 toward the right to connect the duct 38 to the atmosphere and subject the duct 39 to the action of the suction of the bellows D.

It is to be understood, of course, that any desired means may be used for shifting the movable disk 12, that above described being a convenient means for accomplishing the result.

The main suction D is connected with the player Pneumatics E by a duct 51 which communicates with a windchest 52, the action of which upon the player pneumatic 53 is controlled by a valve 54. This valve is mounted in a compartment 55 which is normally open to the atmosphere through an opening 56 so that the pneumatic 53 will be expanded. It rests normally upon a valve opening 57 of the suction compartment 52.

As illustrated in the diagrannthe trackerducts 26 of the tracker 2 are in communication with the ducts 33 of the player pneumatics while the tracker ducts 25 of the tracker 1 are closed with reference to the ducts 32 of said player pneumatics. There fore, the tracker-ducts 26 will actuate the player pneumatics E. As soon as an opening of the music sheet registers with atracker-duct 26, atmospheric air is admitted below a diaphragm 58 which under the suction of the chamber 52 will cause the valve 54 to rise.

This movement will uncover the valve opening 57 and raise the diaphragm 58, subjecting the pneumatic 53 to the suction of the chest 52 and cause it to collapse.

The pneumatic is, of course, connected in anv suitable niannerwith the key or other sounding device of the instrument which it is desired to actuate. To re-seat the valve 54 after the closing of the tracker-duct, a bleed-hole 59 is provided which equalizes the pressure on both sides of the diaphragm 58 as soon as the tracker opening is closed.

A single player pneumatic and only two tracker-connecting ducts 32, 33 are shown.

It is assumed, of course, that there will he a pairof tracker- ducts 32, 33 for each player pneumatic. Obviously, upon a shifting of the valve member 40, the tracker-ducts of the oscillatory disk willbe brought into registering position with the player pneumatic ducts 32, 33 and thereupon the tracker 1 will be'in' playing position while the tracker 2 will be cut off. 7

Obviously, the details of the various mechanisms may be modified and changed to meet the exigencies of any particular case. \Vhile one form of accomplishing results is shown herein, it is merely illustrative for the purpose of showing a manner of actuating the controlling device. It will be observed that in the form of controller herein shown, all

of the connections may be readily made at a ducts is very slight. With such a device as described, a maximum number of connectlons may be made within a minimum of space and 1t will be observed that but four .concentric rows of perforations are shown which occupy a comparatively small portion of the disks. Furthermore, the device is extremely simple to manufacture as the perforations may be arranged with great accuracy with a minimum of labor. It is preferred-to make the disks of metal inasmuch as there is no liability of sticking and freezing of the parts due to variations in climatic conditions.

There is a distinct advantage in utilizing the rotary disks and having the pneumatic motors A and B connected with the periph' ery thereof, one being inflated while the other is exhausted as it is obvious f om this construction that there is considerable leverageat the periphery of the disks which perranged to be brought into and out of registering position. with the perforations of the i cooperating disk as the disks are oscillated relatively'to each other.

3. A controlling device for tracker-boards comprising two relatively movable disk like members, one of said members having a series of concentrically arranged perforations arranged in radial lines about a common center, the other of said disks having a series of concentrically arranged perforations the alternate rows of which are arranged in radial lines about a common center.

4. A controller device for tracker-boards comprising-a pair of disks, one of said disksbeing stationary and provided with concentric series ofperforations arranged upon ra dial lines, the other of said disks having an oscillatory movement and being provided with concentric series of perforations, the alternate series being arranged upon radial lines and means for oscillating said disk.

5. In combination with a double set of tracker-board perforations and perforated music sheets, a stationary disk having a series of perforations connected with each set of ducts of the respective tracker-board perforations, a cooperating disk having perforations connected with the ducts of the player pneumatics and means forrelatively oscillating said disks to bring the series of perforations corresponding to one trackerboard into and out of registering position with the series of perforations of the cooperating disk.

6. In combination with a double set of tracker-board perforations and perforated music sheets, a stationary disk having a series of perforations connected with each set of ducts of the respective tracker-board perforations, an oscillatory disk hzfi/ing perforations connected with the ducts of the player pneumatics and means under the control of the music sheet for oscillating said disk to bring its perforations into and out of registering position with either set of perforations of the stationary disk.

7. In combination with a tracker-board and perfo 'ated music sheet, a pair of perforated disks, one of said disks being stationary and having its perforations connected with the ducts of the tracker-board, f the other of said disks having an oscillatory movement and having perforations connected with the player pneumatics and automatic means for oscillating said disk for moving its perforations into and out of registering position with reference to the perforations of the stationary disk.

8. A controller device for tracker-boards comprising two disk-like members, one of saidiimeinbers having concentric series of --per'forations, the alternate series connected respectively with the ducts of separate tracker-boards, an oscillatory dlsk having concentric. series of perforations, the alternate series be ng connected with the player pneumatics of an instrument and means for perforations of the movable disk arrangedto register with certain of the perforations of the stationary disk upon partial rotation of said movable disk, two motor devices connected to substantially diametrically oppo site edges of the movable disk and means for alternately actuating said motor devices.

'10. In a controlling device for trackerboards, two relatively movable disk-like members, each provided with concentric rows of perforations, certain of the perforations of one movable disk arranged to register with certain of the perforations of the cooperating disk upon partial relative rotation of said disks, two motor devices connected to opposite sides of the disk and means for alternately actuating said motor devices 11. In a controlling device for trackerboards, a plurality of tracker-boards each having music rolls and a traveling music sheet, two relatively movable disk-like members, each provided with concentric rows of perforations, certain of the perforations of one disk arranged to register with certain of the perforations of the cooperating disk upon partial relative rotation of said disks, a motor device for imparting relative rotation to the disks, a shiftable valve mecha nism controlling said motor device and means operable from the music rolls for shifting said valve mechanism.

12. In a controlling device for trackerboards,'a plurality of tracker boards each having musicrolls and a traveling music sheet, two relatively movable disk-like members, each provided with concentric roWs of .)erforations, certain of the perforations of disk arrangedjo register upon partial relative rotation of said disks, a motor device for imparting relative rotation to the disks, a

shiftable valve mechanism controlling said motor device and connections between said valve mechanism and each set of music rolls whereby said valve 1s controlled.

CARL M. WELTE.

Witnesses WM. B. HILL,

Kivrn BRENNER.

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