US1820865A - Expression device for musical instruments - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 25, I 1931. s. BATTNER v EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUIENTS Filed July 10. 1929 Patented Aug. 25, 1931 {UNITED STATES Pare m orerce STEPHENY'BATTNER', OF L TQRTH TONiAw 'ANDA, =N-EY-V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO 'TH'ER'UDOLPH 'WURIEITZER M-ZfN'UFACTURINGEQMPANY, OF NQRTH TONAWANDA,'NEW"YORK, A

EXPRESSION DEVICE 50R .IMUS'ICAL INSTRUMENTS Application :filed July 10,

Thisinvention .relateslto improvements in expression devices forautom'atic musical 1nstruments, particularlly player or reproducing pianos.

55 One off its objects .is the provision of an expression device which .is simple, compact anddurablein construction, which is reliable and -etlicient .in operation, and Whose parts areso organized andarrangedasto accurate- Q lyireproduceifine grades ofexpression or step changes in playing intensity.

Other features of the invention reside in the aiovehconstruction and arrange'ment 01f partslhereina 'fter described and particularly pointed out in [the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 iisasectional side elevat' on of an expression device embodying my improvements. Figure 9 is a front end vieiv thereof.

' Figure Bisanen d viewofthe clutch control mechanismofmydevice. v v

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding ,parts throughout the several views.

In the preferred.embodiment of the inventionsshown in the drawings, indicates a wind .chest .of any ,wellIknown construction having a passagell for connection with a main-sourceo fgpower or; suction .(not shown) such as abellows for operating the playing.

pneumaticsofthe instrument. Interposed in this spassage ista partition .12'havin a valve controlled port 13. The passage '11 at one side-of theipartition maybe termed thehig'h oralnregulatedexhaust chest andthe passage 1929. :Serial No. 377,287.

port 17 and which has a spring '18 connected to its movable board to yieldingly resist its collapse, said pneumatic tending to close "the valve 15. Disposed in opposing relation to the regulatorpneumatic is a main expression pneumatic 19 and located between "them'is a rock lever 20 pivoted vat 21 to swing in the direction of movement of the movable boards of such pneumatics. Pivoted a't 22't0the'ffree end of'this rock leverto swing'laterally thereof is a centralizing rocker arm "23, one-end of which is connected by a link 24with the movable board of the regulator pneumatic 16, while the other end thereof-is connected by a similar link 25 with the corresponding board of theiexpression pneumatic 19. The regulator valve is suspended fromt'he rock lever by a rod or stem26 secured at ,its lower end to the valve and extending freely at'its upper end through an opening in the lever. Above the lever this rod has a nu't28 and interposed between the latter and the :lever is a spring 29 which yieldingly sustains "the valve 15,, the tension of such-spring "being stronger than that of the suction or full atmospheric pressure. The connection of the regulator and expression pneumatics -with the actuating valve lever results in the opening of'the valve 15 upon the collapseof the expression pneumatic and in "the closing of 'the valve upon the collapse of the regulator pneumatic in each case the rockerarm 23 constitutes a lever between the links 24, and the;points of attachment of' the latter with the rocker arm constitute pivots about which said arm turns in transmitting the movements of the pneumatics "to the valvea-ctua'tinsr "lever.

A series of auxiliary expression pneumatics30 for the purpose of 'obtainingquick accen'ting effects are provided which are adapted tocontrol the valve 15 independent of the main expression pneumatic 19. For thispurpose a rock shaft 31 is provided which is arrangedsubstantially parallel totheiock lever 20 and which is journaled at its ends in suitable bearings 32. Projectingradially from the shaftare a series of arms 38connected at their outer ends with the movable boards of the corresponding "auxiliary expression pneumatics 30 through the medium of springs 34, which are capable of being readily adjusted to the desired tension. Another radial arm 35 is secured to the rock shaft and connected therewith is the upper end of the valve stem 26 to which an adjusting nut 26 is applied for engagement with the top side of said arm 35, so that when one or another of the auxiliary expression pneumatics is collapsed the shaft 31 is accordingly rocked downwardly to lower or open the valve 15, the latter being thus controlled in this instance independently of the pneumatics 16 and 19. It is also to be noted that the connection between the regulator pneumatic 16 and the main expression pneumatic 19 is such that the position of the former is not in any way influenced by the latter, but only by the regulator valve 15.

The main and auxiliary expression pneumatics may be controlled automatically from the tracker board of the instrument in any approved manner.

The expression pneumatic 19 is provided with automatic means for holding its movable board in different positions so as to obtain finer grades of expression in combination with the auxiliary pneumatics 30. For this purpose a rack bar 36 is provided which is pivoted at 37 to the movable board of the pneumatic 19 while its other end meshes with a pinion 38 mounted on a spindle 39 secured to a bracket 40 and carrying a clutch-disk 41, the latter and its pinion being free to revolve on said spindle. The rack bar is held in engagement with the pinion by a roller 45) applied to the bracket and bearing on the cushioned face of the rack bar, as seen in Figure 1. Movable into and out of engagement with the disk 41 is a companion clutch-disk 43 splined on the spindle and constantly urged into frictional engagement therewith by a spring 44. A lever 45 engaging a grooved collar 46 on the movable clutch-disk is provided for shifting the same out of engagement with its companion disk, said lever being pneumatically controlled from the tracker by pneumatics 47,48 disposed side by side. The pneumatic 47 operates in conjunction with the expression pneumatic 19 to release the- clutch disks 41, 43 when exhausting the latter pneumatic to increase the tension, and the other pneumatic 48 operates independently of said pneumatic 19 to release the clutch and permit the same to vary the expression of the selection being rendered. Leading from the pneumatics 19, 47 are conduits 49, 50 which are joined to a common conduit 51 connected to a duct in the tracker (not shown), while the-pneumatic 48 is connected by a conduit 52 with another duct in the tracker. Secured to the movable board of the pneumatic 47 is a cleat 53 which overlies the corresponding board of the companion pneumatic 48, as that whenever said first-named pneumatic is collapsed by the uncovering of the respective tracker-duct, such companion pneumatic is likewise collapsed. The movable board of the latter, however, is not attached to the cleat so that it is capable of being collapsed independently of the pneumatic 47 for the purpose presently to be described. The clutch lever 45 is connected by a link 54 with the pneumatic 48, so that whenever the latter is compelled to be simultaneously collapsed with the companion pneumatic 47, or is caused to be independently collapsed, the clutch disks 41, 43 are released, permitting the expression pneumatic 19 to be deflated or inflated to produce the desired step by step grades of expression. In other words, the pneumatic 47 releases the clutch to permit the deflation of the expression pneumatic 19 and the companion pneumatic 48 releases the clutch to enable the expression pneumatic to return to its inflated position. The length of the expression-controlling holes in the note sheet determines the degree of deflation or inflation of the pneumatic 19 and the moment such openings pass out of register with their corresponding tracker ducts, the spring 44 promptly engages the clutch elements, arresting said pneumatic and maintaining it in any intermediate position until released to produce a different grade of expression.

Briefly stated, the operation of this expression device is as follows When the instrument is started, a partial vacuum is created in the wind chest 10 to operate the playing pneumatics, such vacuum tending to collapse the regulator pneumatic 16 against the resistance offered by its spring 18. As the regulator pneumatic collapses, it rocks the lever 20 in a direction to partially close the regulating valve 15. If the volume of regulated air in the wind chest is small, the regulator pneumatic will collapse more and tend to more fully close the valve to cut ofl the main supply, while should the volume increase, the regulator pneumatic will be inflated proportionately and the valve will be opened wider.

When a gradual expression is desired, such as crescendo, the main expression pneumatic 19 is brought into operation in the customary way, which will result in its being deflated more or less and thus cause the regulating valve 15, through the connections 20, 23, 24 and 25, to be opened wider and permit a larger volume of high tension partial vacuum to be admitted to the regulator pneumatic which in turn collapses a further degree. It will be understood that the governor pn0umatic will be working under high tension and will constantly tend, through the rocker arm '23 and rock lever 20, to close the valve.

Should the volume be greater at times, the governor pneumatlc Wlll open the valve wider to compensate for such larger volume.

When a quick or accentuating expression is desired, the auxiliary expression pneumatics 30 are brought into play which act when deflated, to open the valve 15 independently of the main expression pneumatic by rocking the shaft 31 accordingly and forcing the valve stem 26 downwardly against the resistance of the spring 29. \Vhen the expression pneumatic or pneumatics 30 are again inflated, the spring returns the valve to its initial position.

The provision of the clutch mechanism makes it possible to automatically maintain the expression pneumatic in any position for producing desired playing intensities of varying duration.

I claim as my invention 1. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating lever for said valve operatively connected to said regulating pneumatic and said expression pneumatic, the deflation of the regulating pneumatic tending to close the valve and the deflation of the expression pneumatic tending to open the valve, and automatic means for releasably holding said expression pneumatic in any intermediate position.

2. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating member "for said valve operatively connected to said regulating pneumatic and said expression meumatic, means for holding the latter in eitl'erent intermediate positions, and automatic means for releasing said holding means.

3. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating lever for said valve i'ulcrumed at one end to swing in the plane or movement of the movable boards of said pneumatics, said valve having a stem suspended from said lever intermediate its ends, and connections between the free end of said lever and the expression and regulating pneumatics.

4. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating lever for said valve *fulcrumcd at one end ito swing kin the plane of movement off the movablefboards of said xpneumatics, said "valve having a stem -'sus pended :from said lever intermedi ate its ends, connec'tions "between (thefree end otsaidlever and theexpression:and re'gulating pneumatic-s, and clutch means afar lrolding=said expression pneumatic .in ldlflfll ent intermediate positions.

5. An expression device for sautoma'tic musical instruments, comprising za'xregulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposedibe-z tween the source :of power and ithe :plmyiing action of th'e instrument,-an expressioii-ipneu matic arranged in opposing relation :to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating rleveru for said valve itu'lcrumed atione end .tossvuingiin the planeof-movement of the .movableaboards oi'said pneumatics, said valve having ass'tem suspended from said lever intermediate iits ends, a spring applied 'ItO ithe valverstem above said lever and bearing thereon, :rmd connections betweenrthe'lfree end o'fsai'd lever and the expression and regulating .pn'eumatics. i

6. An expression device ifor autematic'mu sical instruments, comprising :a iregula'ting pneumatic, a regulating valve iinterposed between the sourcelof power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating member for said valve operatively connected to said regulating pneumatic and said expression pneumatic, pneumatically operated clutch means for releasing said expression pneumatic, and an auxiliary expression pneumatic operatively connected to said valve for controlling it independently of said main expression pneumatic and said actuating member.

7. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating pneumatic, an actuating lever for said valve fulcrumed at one end to swing in the plane of movement of the movable boards of said pneumatics, said valve having a stem suspended from said lever intermediate its ends, a rock arm fulcrumed at the free end of the lever for movement crosswise thereof, links extending in opposite directions from the ends of the rock arm and connected, respectively, to the movable boards of said regulating pneumatic and said expression pneumatic, and pneumatically operated clutch means connected to the movable board of the expression pneumatic for holding the same in different intermediate positions.

8. An expression device for automatic musical instruments, comprising a regulating pneumatic, a regulating valve interposed between the source of power and the playing action of the instrument, an expression pneumatic arranged in opposing relation to said regulating neumatic, an actuating lever for said valve ulcrumed at one end to swing in the plane of movement of the movable boards of said pneumatics, said valve having a stem suspended from said lever intermediate its ends, a rock arm fulcrumed at the free end of the lever for movement crosswise thereof, links extending in opposite directions from the ends of the rock arm and connected, respectively, to the movable boards of said regulating pneumatic and said expression pneumatic, a plurality of auxiliary expres sion neumatics, a rock shaft carrying arms operatively connected to said auxiliary pneumatics, a second arm carried by said shaft and connected to the valve-stem, a spring applied to the latter and interposed between said second arm and said actuating lever, said second arm controlling the regulating valve in response to the actuation of said auxiliary expression pneumatics and independently of the actuating lever, and pneumatically operated clutch means connected to the movable board of the expression pneumatic for holding the same in different intermediate positions.

STEPHEN BATTNER.

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