US417680A - Robert w - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. I7, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT WY. PAIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,680, dated December 1'7, 1889, Application iled May 6, 1889. Serial No. 309,804. (No model.)

T all whom' it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. PAIN, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates especially to pianofortes operated mechanically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of a musical instrument embodying my improvement, the front of the case being removed and certain of the parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is avertical section of a portion of this instrument upon a larger scale, the plan of the section being transverse to the length of the instrument.

Similar let-ters of reference designate corresponding parts in both iigures.

A designates the strings of a pianoforte.

B designates hammers for operating upon the strings.

C designates rods serving to actuate the hammers. These rods O are moved upwardly by keys D, of ordinary construction, fulcrumed between their ends upon a rail D and held in position by pins D2. These keys are for operating the instrument manually.

G designates a number ot electro-magnets.

Their armatures G are carried by levers F,

that are f ulcrumed between their ends, and

at the rear ends serve to transmit motion through pins E to the keys D for the purpose of operating the hammers. There is one of these electro-magnets for each note to be sounded. Each electro-magnet G is connected by electric-circuit wires lV. l/V2 IW XV* with contact-pieces P P2. The connections between the electro-magnets and the contact-pieces are in multiple arc and the main-circuit wires are in communication with a battery V. There is one contact-piece P for each electro-magnet G. The contact-piece P2 is, however, common to all the electro-magnets. As here shown, a wire W3 extends from one pole of the battery W5 to a Inetal brush P4, impinging upon a journal of the contact-piece P2. A wire W4L extends from the other pole of the battery to the coils of the electro-magnets G. From the coils of the electro-magnet G a number of wires W2 extend .to the contact-pieces P. These wires may advantageously be offset into a cable from a point somewhere about the point V, Fig. 2, to a point near the magnets G. The contact-pieces P are pressed into contact with the contact-piece P2 by means of pneumatic motors J, arranged in a chamber I. This instrument is intended to operate in connection with exhaust-bellows O2; hence this chamber I is an exhaust-chamber. Internally the pneumatic motors .I coinmunicate through ducts a and pipes o with the ducts d2 of the tracker or rest K. A perforated music-sheet L passes over this tracker or rest and controls the admission ot air to the motors. Vhen the motors are expanded by the entrance ot' air, their movable boards operate through pins P3, extending through the bottom of the chamber I to the contactpieces P', to press the contact-pieces P down upon the contact-piece P2, thus completing the circuits in which the magnets G are arranged and causing the latter to oscillate the levers F and keys D in such way as to effect the operation of the hammers.

The bellows O2 are operated by an electromagnetic engine Q through a belt R, transmitting motion to a crank-shaft O3, connected by pitman O"L to the bellows O2. A wire XV? extends from the battery 75 to one of the binding-posts of this engine. The other binding-post of the engine is connected by a wire with a switch-lever W8. A wire WVG extends from the battery W5 to a contact-piece S5, with which the switch-lever co-operates.

S designates resistance-coils connected to a number of contact-pieces s4 s3 s2 s'. The switch-lever may be adjusted into con tact with any of the contact-pieces s s2 s3 s4 S5, to introduce more or less resistance into the circuit of the engine Q, for the purpose of the latter.

The bellows O2 communicate with an equalizer O. This is connected by a pipe O5 with a chamber I', which communicates with `the vchamber I, under control of a valve I2. The

valve I2 is connected with mechanism for reversin g the music-sheet, so as to eiect the rewinding of it. Vhenever the mechanism is reversed, so as to effect the rewinding of the music-sheet, the valve I2 is shifted, so as to cut off communication between the bellows and the chamber I and render the pneumatic motors J inoperative. Thus the speaking of the sound-producing devices during the re- IOO lmade of or faced with metal.

winding of the music-sheet will be prevented. The equalizer O is also connected by a pipe O With a Wind-motor consisting of a number of bellows-like chambers M and a crankshaft N, connected to their movable boards. The crank-shaft N of the Wind-motor transmits motion through a belt N to a shaft N 2, serving to impart motion to the music-sheet. A valve OG serves to control the passage of air through the pipe O, and so regulate the speed of the motor.

My present improvement resides in the contact-piece P2. This consists of a cylinder In the present instance it is represented as made of metal and journaled in bearings P5, affixed to the under side of the chamber I. IVhen made of metal, the brush P4 may impinge upon one of its journals. Rotary motion is imparted to this contact-piece P2 by means of a belt PG, receiving motion from a pulley on the shaft N2 and transmitting motion through a pulley affixed to one of the journals of said contact-piece.

I have found that by this improvement I can maintain a uniformity of action in a mechanical musical instrument and avoid the tendency to fuse and adhere by sparking when separating the contact-pieces. The contact-pieces are not apt to'stick together orbecome liable to damaging sparking.

Vhat I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a number of electro-magnets for causing' the operation of sound-producin devices, electric circuits or branch circuits comprising these electro-magnets, a number of contact-pieces corresponding to the number of magnets, pneumatic motors for operating these contact-pieces, a music-sheet controlling the pneumatic motors, a contact-piece opposite the contact-pieces aforesaid and consisting of a rotary cylinder, and mechanism, substantially such as described, for rotating the said cylinder, substantially as specified.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a number of electro-magnets for causing the operation of sound-producing u devices, electric circuits or branch circuits comprising these electro-magnets, a number of contact-pieces corresponding to the number of magnets, pneumatic motors for operating these contact-pieces, a music-sheet controlling the pneumatic motors, a contactpiece opposite the contact-pieces aforesaid and consisting of a rotary cylinder, mechanism, substantially such as described, for rotating' the said cylinder, and a metal brush impinging upon said cylinder, substantially as specified.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of a number of electro-magnets for causing the operation of sound-producing devices, electric circuits or branch circuits comprising these electro-magnets, a number ot' contact-pieces corresponding to the number of magnets, pneumatic motors for operating these contact-pieces, a music-sheet controlling these pneumatic motors, rollers upon which the music-sheet is wound and rewound in reverse directions, a valve operated when the music-sheet is moved backward to render the pneumatic motors inoperative, a rotary cylinder forming a contact-piece and arranged opposite the contact-pieces aforesaid, and mechanism, substantially such as described, for rotating this cylinder, substantially as specified.

ROBERT W. PAIN. lVitnesses:

JAMES MORGAN, W. l. TREMAINE.

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