US767781A - Expression mechanism for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments. - Google Patents

Description

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

B. S. VOTEY. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIGALLY AGTUATED MUSICAL.

INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1904.

E .N sgfwwwltoz DW' OTEY no MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 16., 150 E. s. VOTEY. EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIOALLY AGTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; 27,1904.

EDWI fl mam UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

EDIVIN S. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO' AEOLIAN COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATICALLY-ACTUAIED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,781, dated August 16, 1904,

Appli ati filed February 27,1904. Serial No. 195,519. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. Vo'rEY, a citizen of. the United States, and a resident of Summit, New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Expression Mechanism for Pneumatically-Actuated Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in expression mechanism for pneumatically-actuated musical instruments; and the objects of the invention are to obtain greater expression with the simplest possible means and to enable different pressures or tensions to be readily applied to diiierent portions of the pneumatic action.

Further objects of the invention willherein:

after appear; and to these ends the invention consists of expression mechanism for carrying out the above objects embodying the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a pneumatic action on the line w of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 on the line y y. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a pneumatic action for a pneumatically-operated musical instrument with this invention applied thereto.

The drawings show a suitable pneumatic action in which the vertical windway A communicates directly from the expression valvechamber B to the passages in each of the valvecornpartments of the action. For this purpose suitable communication is provided, as shown, from the windway A to the chambers C. The chambers C of the valve-chests extend from end to end of the instrument, but are divided by the partitions p and contain all the secondary pneumatics in such chests. The chambers I) also extend from end to end of the instrument and contain all the primary pneumatics in the valve-chests.

The tracker-board passages E lead directly down to the rear boards F, which are prothe tracker connection E and the windways G and K opens the passage I to atmosphere and shuts off its connection with the windchamber D. A secondary-pneumatic valve L may also be of well-known construction and operated by the pneumatic O, so that when 5 atmospheric pressure is admitted to the passage-way I the pneumatic O will rise, lifting the valve, thereby closing the upper valveboard, which leads to the atmosphere, and opening communication between the chamber 7 P and the suction-chamber C. The chamber P is in direct communication, as seen by the dotted lines, with the striking-pneumatic Q. The striking-pneumatic motors Q are connected with the striking-levers by rods R, the weight of which is suflicient to restore the levers to their raised position without the intervention of a spring.

In the expression-valve chamber is arranged the slidable plunger S, operated, as shown, by means of the rod T, and said valve-chamber extending longitudinally of the instrument communicates with all the windways A, as shown in Fig. 2. Each wind way A, as shown, communicates with a plurality of chambers C, 5 one in each tier of valve-chests. The partitions p, which serve to subdivide the chambers C, at the same time limit the number of pneumatics with which each windway A communicates.

The action may operate with either suction or compression; but in this instance it will be assumed that suction is used, and low or high wind may be applied at one end of the valvechamber B, as at the end marked 1, while, vice 95 versa, high or low wind may be applied at the other end 2 of the valve-chamber-that is to say, if low wind is appliedat one end high wind should be applied at the other. With this arrangement it will be seen that by moving the plunger S along the valve-chamber different portions of the pnuematic action may be provided with wind at different tensions, and thus the expression may be controlled. It is also obvious that the entire pneumatic action may be supplied with wind at a given tension by moving the plunger S to such position that all of the windways A are open to one tension.

Obviously some features of this invention may be used without others, and the invention may be embodied in widely varying forms.

Therefore, without limiting the invention to the constructions shown and described nor enumerating equivalents, I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In apneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale or series of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connected with one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber having ports connected with said pneumatics, means for admitting wind under different pressures at each end of said chamber, and asolid plunger movable longitudinally of said chamber for preventing the flow of wind admitted at one end of said chamber toward its other end.

2. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale or series of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connected with one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber having ports connected with said pneumatics, means for admitting wind under different pressures at each end of said chamber, and a suitably-actuated solid plunger forming a partition movable longitudinally of said chamber and operative to determine the number of devices of such series at each end thereof, to which wind entering at a given end of said chamber shall be supplied.

3. In a pneumatic action for musical instruments, a musical scale or series of sound-producing devices, operating-pneumatics each connected with one of the devices of such series, means providing a chamber having ports connected with said pneumatics, means'for admitting air under different pressures at each end of said chamber, asolid plunger movable longitudinally of said chamber for preventing the flow of wind admitted at one end of said chamber toward its other end, a plunger-rod extending out of anend of said chamber, and a manual lever operatively connected thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDI/VIN S. VOTEY. WVitnesses F. H. HUGHES, W. C. MANsFIELD.

Images