US1055054A - Roll-shifter for player-pianos. - Google Patents

Description

I W; A. KRUGK. ROLL SHIFTER FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .27, 1911.

1,055,054. Patented M211: 4,1913.

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Va ino WALTER A. KRUCK. OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

ROLL-SHIFTER FQR PLAYER-PIANOS.

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Specification of Lett rs P n iatentec Mar. it. 1M3.

Application filed October 27, 1911. Serial No. 6571086.

lie it known that l, lVaL'ren A. Kmioit a citizen of the United States. residing at Camden in the county ofCamden and State of New Jersey. have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlioll-Shifters tor Player-Pianos, of which the following is a s 'iliCtltlOlL This invention relates to roll shifters for player pianos.

More pa rticularly, it belongs to thatclass of coutrivances constructed and arranged to e operated by atmospheric pressure and c ntrolled by the movement of the note sheet. whereby the displacement of the note sheet with reference to the tracker-bmird in either direction may be rectified by a suitable sidewise movement of the note sheet brought about by an endwise movement of.

the roll carryingit.

The object of this invention is the production of a roll shifter comprising devices formed of metal, and without using the customary bellows for the purpose of impartlug movement to the elements concerned.

Another objectof this invention consists in the special construction and arrangement of parts actuated by atmospheric pressure and controlled by the note sheet. adapt ed to etl ect a reciprocating movement for any desired purpose in connection with a player piano.

The construction and arrangement of the parts of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of wh1ch- Figure 1 represents a front view of a portion of the frame of a player piano mechanism. and shows the note sheet in part, and the roll carrying it, with this invention applied thereto. Various parts concerned are shown in vertical section to aid the explana tion. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the spool valve casing and main valve casing, With a part of the cylinder containing the operating piston.

'llhrougl'iout the drawings and description, the same letter or numeral is employed to reter'to the same part.

On the base plate A, is erected the powe cylinder a, within which is a piston B hav- M with the casing ing a rod 0 connected with a hell-crank lever t, by the link The hell-crank is pi'votallv connected with rod l),andthe rod is mm ably onnected with levers l) and c. by means (if plus I and projecting from rod 1 and engaging slots (i and r in the levers. 'lhe levers have their free ends arranged against the endsbt the spindles H and it by which the roll I is supported, and the roll 'carries a note sheet j,'that passes over a trackerboard K. The two end orificesoi thetrackerboard marked 7; and L are connected with certain valvular devices, of which there are two A description of the. construction and operation of one setof those devices will explain the whole, as both sets are X- actly alike in every way. 1

The tracker orifice A is connected by tube N on base plate A. Within the casing is a spool valve n arranged to work freely up and down in the casing. Theasinp' N is usually made with two removable end caps as illustrated, and, in the lower end cap is placed a disk 0 having two cavities P and Q, and these cavities register with orifices It and 1' in the rubber disk S,

that is placed upon disk 0 and acts as a cushion for the spool valve 9i, it may be noted here that the orifice 7a in the trackerboard is connected by tube M with the cavity P of disk 0 that is located in the bottom of casino N of the spool valve. The cavity Q of disk 0 is connected by tube T, and using N by tube t, with the main valve casing U. It will be observed that the tube T opens below the piston V in casing U, and that the tube '15 opens into that casing above the piston. The piston V has a rod W attached to it, and the rod passes upwardly through a guide plate 'wlixed transverselywithin the coupling 1. At the upper end of 'rod TV is a valve 2 that has a seat 3 on the top of coupling 1. A cap 4. covers the valve and the top of the coupling and cap 4: is provided with a central opening 5 through which the outside air may enter. Cap 4; of

the main valve casing is connectedby tube i (3 with the cylinder (1 above the piston B as shown. p

The casings N and U and their contents comprise one set of valvular devices. The other set, identical in size and structure, in-

: cludes spool valve casing 7, best shown in orifices is Fig. 2, and there is also set forth one of the tubes marked 8 connecting the casing 7 with the main valve casing 9. The top of casing 9 is connected by tube 11 with the working cylinder a below-the piston B.

It will be noted in Fig. 1, that the note sheet 7' when in proper position covers the end orifices and L of the trackerboard, and, the note sheet covers likewise the additional orifice 12 located near orifice L and connected with tube 13, and the additional orifice 14L located near orifice 7c and connected with tube 15. The additional orifices are placed, as illustrated, by the side of the and L but a little toward the middle ofthe trackerboard.

To explain the operation, let it be assumed that from any cause the note sheet j during its progress over the traokerboard is drawn to one side uncovering, in whole or in part, the orifice l. Air now passes by way of tube M into spool valve casing below the valve, which it lifts, allowing-air to pass through cavity P, openings R and 1' in the cushion disk at the bottom of that casing, and by connecting tube T into main valve casing-U be'low piston V. The piston is raised, and valve 2 closes opening 5 at the top, enabling the suction tube at to take the air from the working cylinder 41 above piston B. Atmospheric pressure below piston B moves that piston upwardly, operating bell crank C, and rod D toward the left and again covering orifice 7:. Let it be further assumed that the note sheet j is so narrow that a part of each of the orifices 7c and L are always uncovered. Such a condition of things will result in holding up main valve 2 and its duplicate in'the casing 9, and equal suction will be effected both above and be low piston B in working cylinder (in. Now, if the note sheet becomes displaced toward the right, considering Fig. 1, sutliciently to uncover any part of additional orifice 12, airpasses by tube 13 into the top of casing N as illustrated, and there is then air pressure both above and below spool valve a, which drops of its own'weight, closing orifices R and r at the bottom of easing N. No more air can then enter by way of connection T beneath main valve piston V, and by way of duct 1; the air beneath that piston is quickly exhausted. The cuts air on main valve 2 seats that valve enters working cylinder a above T. which is moved downwardlympr l crank C and rod D, moving roll .i te sheet j to the left and recovering illlfillfll orifice 19. The reason for pl the additional orifices somewhat more toward the middle of the trackerboard will now become apparent. The object is to provide for the automatic adjustment of unusually narrow note sheets. I It will be understood, that when both additional orifices12 and 14 are covered by the note sheet,'the tubes 13 and 15 are exhausted,

' owing to the fact that the top of each spool valve'has a duct such as duct 16 through the upper disk of spool valve n shown in Fig. 1. The air is drawn out betweenthe ends of the spool valve through the tube 25, into the casing U of the main valve, and the interior of casing N above the spool valve is normally, therefore, a partial vacuum, which condition permits air entering below the spool valve to raise that valve as already eX- plained.

It has been stated herein that both sets of the valvular devices are identical in construction and operation, and, further, when the orifice it or the orifice L is opened, the sets of valvular devices operate independently of each other. But, when either of the additional orifices 12 or 14 is opened as set forth in this specification, while the sets of valvular devices still act independently, it is not exactlyin the same order as before. That is to say, for example, when orifice L is uncovered, air by way of tube m actuates the parts in casings 7 and 9, best shown in Fig, 2. The uncovering of additional orifice 12, however, located atthe same end of the tracker-board with the orifice L, causes the operation of devices in casings N and U.

Having now described this invention, and explained the mode of its operation, what 1 claim is ings having valves movable freelyjup and down therein, each valve having ahead at either end connected together and an air space between them, the said casings having upper and loweropenings controlled by said valves, of trackerboard having end orifices connected with the lower openings ot-the casings and additional orificesconnected with the upper openings, the said end and additional orifices at the same end of the tracker-board being connected with different casings, a suction tube having connections with said casings between the of the valves therein, and means constructed to permit the passage of air from above the upper heads of the valves in the casings into said suction tube connections.

2. The combination with a pair of casings having spool valves movable freely up and down therein, the said casing. iving upper and lower openings contr d said valves, of a trackerboard ha end orifices lconnecled with the low r of the 1. The combination with a pair of cas-' casings and additional orifices connected head of the valve into said suction tube con- 10 with the upper openings, the said end and I nections. additional orifices at the same end of the In testimony whereof I afiix my signature trackerboard being connected with dilferent in presence of two Witnesses. casings, anda suction tube havin connec- J 1 tions with said casings between the heads of 1 WALTER KRUCK' the spool valves, the upper head of each itnessesz' spool valve having an air duct constructed CHAS. M. BALnwIn,

to permit an to pass from above the upper FRANK B. LAYTON.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five'cents each, by addressing the "Commissiones of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

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