US826754A - Mechanical musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

No. 826,754. PATBNTED JULY 24, 1906.

' E. S. VOTEY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED D 190 B0 1 5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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vafgtestq PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

E. s. VOTEY. I

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED D150. 1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Attest; Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN S. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN.

COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1.906.

Application filed 1380mm 1,1905. Serial No. 289,762.

To all w/wm it may concern.-

having horizontally-disposed case and strings,

such as grand or square pianos. Its object is to provide such pianos with means for playing them pneumatically controlled by a erforated music-sheet without considerab y or disagreeably changing the appearance of the/piano and without interfering in any way with its manual operation.

It consists of means to these ends and of combinations of parts, which will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of a keyboard musical instrument as is necessary to'illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

1 designates the bottom of an instrument, above which are mounted keys 2, which keys together constitute the keyboard of the instrument. The mechanism by which these operate on the strings 3 is not shown, asit forms no part of the resent invention.

Mounted above t e keyboard of the instrument and somewhat at the rear of the manual portion thereof, and in the present instance above the forward ends of the strings 3 and directly overlying the front portion of the frame 31 of the instrument to which'said forward ends of the strings are secured,is a portion of the pneumatic playing ap aratus com rising a music-sheet-winding rol 4, commo yknown at a take-up roll, a tracker 5, over which the music-sheet passes, supports 6 and 7 for the music-sheet, one of which, 6, is a drivin -shaft by which the roll may be rewound in t e usual manner, and a series of neumatic bellows 8 for rotating the win ing-roll 4 and the drivingshaft 6 of the music-support. The actuating mechanism 8 is connected by means of the shafts and gears (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings} for operating the Winding-roll and the driving-shaft. As these form no part of the present invention and may be modified as desired, it is not necessary to here further describe them. From the tracker 5 and connected with each'of the ducts 9 thereof is a flexible connection 10, which in the present instance leads below the keyboard 2 and below the bottom 1 of the instrument to a pneumatic action, consisting ordinarily of primary, secondary, and striking pneumatics, which, as they form no part of the present invention, are not herein shown.

It is evident that certain modifications may be;made in the device Without departing from the spirit. of the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a piano, a horizontally-disposed case and strings, a keyboard, and a winding-roll, a tracker and a music-sheet sup ort mounted above said keyboard and said strings and overlying the front portion of the string-supporting frame.

2. In a piano, a horizontally-disposed case and strings, a keyboard, and a winding-roll, a tracker, a music-sheet support and pneumatic mechanism for rotating said windingroll mounted above said keyboard and above said strings and overlying the front portion of the string-supporting frame.

3. In a piano, a horizontally-disposed case and strings, a keyboard, and a winding-roll,

a tracker, a music-sheet support and pneumatic mechanism for rotatin said windingroll mounted above said key card and said strings and overlying the front ortion of the string-supporting frame, sai mechanism being located at one side of said winding-roll, tracker and music-sheet suport. p 4. In a piano, a horizontally-disposed case and strings, a keyboard, a windmg-roll, a tracker and a music-sheet support mounted above said keyboard and said strings and overlying the front portion of the stringsupporting frame, and connections leadin from said tracker to a point beneath sai keyboard.

5. In a piano, a horizontally-disposed case and strings, a keyboard, .a winding-roll, a

pneumatic tracker and 9. music-sheet supgort mounted specification in the presence of two subscribabove said keyboard and sai strings and ving'witnesses.

overlying the front portion .of the string- "supporting frame, vand connections leadin EDWIN 5 from said trackerto a point beneath the bot Witnesses:

tom of said ease. D. O. HEINS,

In testimony whereof I have signeii this W. O. MANSFIELD.

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