US795313A - Self-playing musical instrument. - Google Patents

Description

No. 795,313. PATENTED JULY 2.5, 1905. H. W. SHONNARD. SELF PLAYING MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22. 1900.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

g wu% r ave toz .f 3513 flliltoz-mei md mg "aw H 5 ND "w u mm mm m. n 10ml m mun/a1 nu wank-mu. u rv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELF-PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed May 22,1900. Serial No. 17,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD W. SHoNNARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Self-Playing Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in self-playing attachments for musical instruments, and particularly for pianos and other keyboard instruments; and it has for its object the provision of means whereby the performer is enabled to modulate the tone force for purposes of expression either in accordance with his own ideas or as guided by signs upon the usual music-sheet.

My invention comprises means whereby the performer may conveniently inspect the rolling music-sheet and observe the expressionsigns thereon, as well as mechanism whereby those signs may be translated at will into tone modulations for musical expression.

My invention further comprises means whereby sparks at the music-sheet are avoided, thereby prolonging the life of said sheet.

My invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a rear view of the magnet-carrying frame and swinging stops. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing details of preferred mounting. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the relation of the swinging bail or stop to the rockerarmature preferably used in this connection. Fig. 5 is a side View of a piano-keyboard, showing the mode of attachment of the music-sheet and the means for inspection of expressionsigns. Fig. 6 is a diagram of circuits, showing the electrical relation of my spark-preventer to the other parts of my preferred attachment. Fig. 7 is a side view of the magnet-supporting frame as used in my pending application showing the preferred mode of supporting my spark-preventers in connection with said magnets and frame; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relations of the coils on my spark-preventer.

I have herein described and illustrated the principles of my invention as applied to the specific form of self-playing attachment shown and described in my prior application for patent, Serial No. 723,171, filed July 8, 1899; but it will be understood that many kinds of selfplaying instruments may be supplied With improvements made in accordance with my present invention, and I am not to be limited to the application of said invention to the particular type of attachment set forth in the application aforesaid.

In the drawings the frame carrying the magnets for impelling the immediate toneproducing agents, such as the striking-rod of a piano, is shown at 1. This frame is of the type shown in my application aforesaid and is to be applied to the keyboard as described in said application. The magnets and rockerarmatures shown in the drawings herein are employed as in said application. These magnets are arranged, as shown, in two rows and over each row there are suspended three swinging bails 2 3 4 and 5 6 7, the same being provided, preferably, with soft contact-tips 8, as of felt. The use of a plurality of swinging stops or bails is to render it possible to independently control different parts of the total register of the instrument. It will be understood that one or any number of bails may be used in this connection without departing from my invention. The tone-producing magnets in the lower row alternate with those in the upper row, as well understood in this art, and it is therefore evident that the upper and lower bails should be made to act in vertical couples, so that the whole of each sec tion of the total range of the instrument may be controlled at once. For this purpose the bails 2 and 5, 3 and 6, and 4 and 7 act together as couples, as illustrated in Fig. 2. For this purpose the upper and lower bails are connected by a rod 9, whereby they always remain substantially parallel. In order that the different bails may be conveniently controlled from devices compactly arranged at one end of the attachment, I have found the method of mounting illustrated in the drawings appropriate. For this purpose the rods 10 and 11 are mounted for rotation in appropriate brackets, as 12, and extend the whole length of the attachment. Around these rods the sleeves 13 and 14 are adapted to rotate, and these extend only past two of the three bails employed. Around the sleeves 13 and 14 outer sleeves 15 and 16 are rotatably mountedand extend only the length of the first or right-hand bail. The bails 4 and 7 are fixed to the long rods 10 and 11, so as to swing with their rotation. The sleeves 13 and 14 carry the bails 3 and 6 and the sleeves 15 and 16 carry the bails 2 and 4. The substantially vertical rod 9 insures simultaneous movements of the long rods and 11. The rod 17 acts in the same way for the sleeves 13 and 14, and the rod 18 connects sleeves and 16. i The mode of operation of each independently-movable bail couple is illustrated in Fig. 2. Here is shown a prime lever 19, to which is connected a forwardly-extending rod 20, extending to a convenient point in the front of the keyboard 20, Fig. 2, and passing through the double bracket 21 22. The spring 23, abutting upon the forward part 22 of said bracket, tends always to push the rod 20 back into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus allowing full scope to the armatures controlled by the corresponding bails. By using a trigger, as 24, in front of the instrument the performers finger may be made to govern the position of each independent bail at will. Of course the number of triggers thus used would depend upon the number of sections into which the total register of the instrument was divided and the corresponding number of swinging bails or stops. As shown in Fig. 4, the bails, with their felt tips 8, are so hung over the rockerarmatures 25 that in proportion as a trigger is pulled forward against the spring 23 and the rod 9 is pulled upward the tip 8 approaches the normal position of the rocker, thus permitting it less and less upward or active movement when the corresponding magnet 26 is energized. The more this upward throw is limited the less will be the effect of each armature upon its striking-rod 27 and the softer will be the tone produced. ,The striking-rod may be made to operate the hammers of the piano in various obvious ways; but I prefer to accomplish this by causingsaid rods to abut beneath the rear ends of the finger-keys 27", Fig.- 2, thus producing the same effect as when the forward end of the key is depressed by the finger. It is to be understood, of course, that each armature has its own striking-rod and that there is a separate armature for each key 27. In Fig. 2 the finger-key is shown depressed at the front end, as when the hammer has just been operated. It is thus evident that by proper manipulation of the triggers or their equivalents any desired force of tone may be produced, and the various portions of the total register may be thus regulated independently.

In some self-playing instruments expres sion-marks have been placed upon the musicsheet which indicate by their form or position the various elements of musical expression appropriate to the particular piece of music out into that sheet. In cases where the music sheet is arranged beneath the keyboarchas shown at 28, the performer cannot see the sheet during the playing of the music. I have therefore mounted upon the forward edge of the keyboard a means for diverting the lightrays to the performers eye. In the drawings this is shown in the form of a prism 29,

whereby the performer is enabled to see along the line 30. By making this prism as long as the music-sheet is wide the performer may see expression-marks made in any portion of the sheet and can thus be guided in producing the expression intended by the makers of the sheet. It will be obvious that there may be used in this connection other means well known for diverting light-rays, and I am not to be limited to the prism for this purpose.

Means have hitherto been employed in pianofortes for moving the piano-hammers to different starting-points with respect to their distances from the wires when at rest. This has been done for varying the volume of the tone produced. In my invention I avoid the objection of having to move the hammer-keys all together, as has been done hitherto. The weight of a row of piano-hammers or the spring-pressure necessary to bring them all back rapidly enough to follow quick changes in tone volume would make the manipulation of such means by the fingers very tiring and prevent rapid changes in tone and accent requisite for the best performance. In my device a separate piano-player is provided having lightacting levers or rockers, and the regulation of the total travel of such operating-levers, whether accomplished by checking the forward movement thereof or their return movement, implies very little effort, thus making the modulator as claimed by me appropriate for hand use.

In my preferred form of tone-modulator, as shown herein, the hammers are thrown forward by the full force of the magnets, and. the degree of projectile force is regulated by interrupting the impelling effort sooner or later by changing the positions of the bails, as described.

Another important feature of this invention is the means whereby the formation of injurious sparks at the contact-linger tips is avoided and the music-sheet thus preserved from gradual destruction. In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 this is illustrated. The means found best consist of a pair of independent wires 31 and 32 (see Fig. 8) insulated from each other throughout their entire length and coiled together upon a spool 33, which may or may not contain iron or steel. One end of each wire is left insulated,-while the opposite ends are con neeted to t'erminals'3 i 35 on the spool. lVhen these spools are placed upon the instrument, they are mounted upon spindles 2,6 and the terminals 3 1 and 35 are respectively clipped by springs 37 and 38, whereby each spool is brought into electrical relation with one magnet 26. The nature of this electrical relation is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the pairs of coiled wires are diagrammatically represented at 39. The main current coming in at 4:0 41 divides into two principal branches, one through the driving-motor 42 and the other through the contact-fingers 43 and corresponding magnets 26. The bar 44 indicates a common return for the magnets. These contact-fingers and magnets are devices well understood in the art of self-playing electrical instruments operated by a perforated music-sheet. preventing coil oneterminal, as 34, connects through spring 37 to that end of the corresponding magnet-coil 26 which is connected to the corresponding contact-finger a3. The other terminal'35 connects by spring 38 to a common return-wire 4:5,leading back to theline by the switch 46. The pair of wires 39 would thus form a shunt around the circuit-break at its corresponding finger 43 upon the roller 47 were it not that the wires 31 and 32, composing the double coil, are insulated from each other over their entire length.

The above-described arrangement has been found to prevent absolutely the occurrence of sparks injurious to the music-sheet. Whether this is at all due to action analogous to that of the condenser is not known, but experiment shows that the effect desired can only be attained with condensers when these are of large capacity and are carefully adjusted with regard to detailed conditions of size, voltage, &c., in each case. With the coils described, however, a great range of size and length of wire, of number of turns, &c., is permissible without appreciable difference in power to prevent sparks, and, moreover, the static capacity of the coils used is relatively small. As an example of dimensions which have been found eminently successful in actual practice the following may be given: Where magnets 26 are used on one-hundred-and-ten-volt circuits, such magnets having a resistance of two hundred ohms per set and being wound with wire eight mils in diameter the spark-preventer was wound with enough wire of the same size to give a resistance of ten ohms.

The particular electrical connection illustrated in the accompanying drawings (while not absolutely essential to performance of some of the functions of my spark-preventer) is important whether my coils are used'or large specially-adjusted condensers replace them, since if short circuit accidentally occurs from one wire to the other or from one plate to the other of a condenser no destructive current can take advantage of the new path to pass through the finger-tip and form a destructive arc, which burns the paper. On the other hand, the proper magnet 26 receives current through the short circuit, which holds down the corresponding key and betrays to the operator the location of the trouble. Removal of the short-circuited spool and replacement by another supplies an immediate remedy.

Variations in the constructions herein set forth will occur to those skilled in this art, and I am not to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details as herein shown and described.

In each spark-- What I claim is 1. In an electric self-playing musical instrument, an electromagnet, a rocker-armature and a striking-rod impelled by said armature; in combination with a movable stop for the armature and means whereby said stop may be brought into different parts of the path of the operative movement of said rocker at will.

2. In an electric self-playing musical instrument, means for producing tone, a magnet and armature for operating said means, a swinging bail-pivoted over one end of said armature and means for varying the position of said bail with relation to the position of rest of said armature.

3. In an electric self-playing musical instrument, a magnet, arocker-armatu re and a striking-rod impelled by said armature; in combination with a swinging bail pivoted over the active end of said armature, and means whereby said bail may be swung with its lower edge nearer to or farther from the position of rest of said armature.

4. In a self-playing attachment for musical instruments, a row of magnets and armatures, two or more swinging bails pivoted above successive sections of said row and a rotatable rod and sleeve one within the otherto which said bails are secured.

5. In combination with a 'pianoforte, an automatic player for operating the keys thereof, said player comprising a lever for operating each piano-key to be-acted on, a separate means for moving each lever, an adjustable stop in the path of movement of said levers and means for varying the position of said stop with relation to said levers, whereby the total operative movement of said levers may be more or less limited, substantially as described.

6. In an electric self-playing musical instrument, two rows of operating-magnets, actuating-armatures governed by said magnets, one or more swinging bails over each row of magnets and armatures, mechanical connecting means uniting said bails so as to make them swing together and means for moving said bails in couples.

7. In an electrically-operated keyed musical instrument, a series of magnets, means actuated by said magnets for operating the keys of said instrument, a contact-finger electrically connected to each magnet and means for producing make and break of circuit at each finger; in combination with a spark-preventing coil for each magnet, each coil being composed of two mutually-insulated coiled wires, one end of one of said wires being electrically connected to the circuit between a corresponding contact-finger and magnet and one end of the other wire being electrically connected with the operating-circuit on the other side of the circuit-break at the corresponding finger, substantially as described.

8. In an electrically-operated musical instrument, contact-fingers for controlling the circuits, operating-magnets, a support and two electric terminals corresponding to each magnet and a spool carrying two mutually-insulated conducting-wires, one end of eachof which is adapted to make contact with said terminals when said spool is placed upon said support.

9. In an electrically-operated musical instrument, contact-fingers for controlling the circuits, magnets for impelling; the operating means, a spindle and two contact-springs near each magnet and a spool carrying two mutually-insulated coi'iducting-wires one end of each of which is adapted to make contact with said springs when said spool is placed upon said spindle.

HAROLD WV. SHONNARD. WVitnesses:

JAMES lVlORGAN, HAROLD S. MAGKAYE.

Images