US2953957A - Piano player - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1960 L. B. SKINNER ETAL 2,953,957

PIANO PLAYER s Sheets-Shee t 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. 55 B. K/ NEH, ILL/HM MLIHMS EJTF/ELD I Sept. 27, 1960 SKINNER ETAL 2,953,957

PIANO PLAYER Filed Dec. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS LEE 5. SKINNER flTToRNE r5 Sept. 27, 1960 L. B. SKINNER E'AL PIANO PLAYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 12, 1955 "L. "J. u JL IN VEN TOR. LEE 8. SKINNEB WILLIAM H- WILL/ANS y JOHN A, WESTF/ELD V r1 W HTTOIZNEYJ United States Patent PIANO PLAYER Lee B. Skinner, 166 Newton St., Seattle, Wash.; William H. Williams, Seattle, Wash. (Rt. '3, Box 42, Alderwood Manor, Wash.); and John A. Westfield, 4010 E. Madison, Seattle, Wash.

Filed Dec. 12, 1955, Ser. No. 552,548

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-105) This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments of those kinds known as piano players as distinguished from player pianos, and which are of unitary construction, easily portable and adapted to be removably applied to the keyboard portion of a piano.

To properly distinguish the present instrument from the player piano types of instruments, it will here be explained that although each employs perforated record strips for the playing of musical selections, the player piano may be described as a piano which has mechanism permanently built into it for the playing of selections whereas the mechanical piano player is an instrument that is made as an independent instrument designed to be set on or applied to the keyboard portion of any piano for the playing of musical selections.

Heretofore, instruments of the piano player category have been used, and to considerable extent, prior to the advent of radio, but did not prove to be entirely satisfactory for various reasons, mainly because of their excessive weight; cumbersomeness; objections to or difficulties of their application to a piano; their relatively high cost and for various other reasons including, in some instances, the marring of the keys of the pianos to which such instruments were applied.

In view of the foregoing explanatory matter, and for other reasons related to the age in which we now live, it has been the primary object of this invention to provide a piano player which is a complete unitary structure; that is easily hand portable; that can be easily and readily applied to any piano having a standard keyboard and can be easily and satisfactorily secured functionally thereon; which is readily detachable from the piano; is exceptionally light in weight, and is relatively inexpensive.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an instrument of the above stated character having an improved form of mechanism for the striking of each of the individual keys of the piano, and wherein each of these mechanisms is characterized by a novel lever mechanism for the striking of the key that is more positive in its action than the heretofore used plunger types of key strikers, and which, by its use, eliminates or avoids any undesirable wear on or marring of the piano key which it engages.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an instrument of the above stated kind wherein the tempo of playing may be varied at will by the use of a variable speed driving motor for the rolls on which the record strip is wound.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a hand portable unit that when placed in functional position, will be supported over the keyboard and within the forward end limits of the shoulder blocks of the piano.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts embodied therein and in their mode of operation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

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In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan, or top view, of the piano player embodied by the present invention as functionally applied to the keyboard portion of a piano.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the present instrument as applied to the piano keyboard; a part of the front wall of the housing of the instrument being broken away for explanatory purposes.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tracker bar and record strip mounting rolls, as seen on line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view through the present instrument and keyboard portion of the piano, taken substantially on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken through one of the bellows or pneumatics, showing the valve mechanism as contained therein for controlling the bellows action.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a part of thepiano keyboard and the overlying portion of the present piano player, with the front of its housing broken away to show the staggered arrangement of the pneumatic bellows; also showing the rod connections with the bellows and key striking levers.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the record strip roller driving means.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement of tracker bar and record winding rolls.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Figs. 1 and 2, we have illustrated the present piano playing instrument as functionally applied to and secured in functional or playing position on a piano having a standard keyboard, that is, a keyboard having the usual eighty-eight keys. The piano player of this invention is designated in its entirety in these views by reference numeral 10; the keyboard of the piano as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 is designated, generally, by reference numeral 11; the forwardly directed shoulders of the piano frame structure, at opposite ends of the keyboard, are designated, respectively, by numerals '12 and 12', and the horizontal cheek blocks fixed to the frame structure at the inside of said shoulders and to which the opposite end portions of the housing of the piano player 10 are supported and clamped, are designated respectively, by numerals 13 and 13.

The piano keyboard, as indicated at the left hand end in Fig. 2, comprises the usual arrangement of white keys and black keys. In Fig. 4 of the drawing, the forward end portion of a black key is designated by numeral 14 and the forward end portion of a white key is designated by numeral 15. It is to be understood that all keys of the piano are mounted in the usual manner and that, when downwardly struck for playing, each will actuate certain devices, not herein shown, to cause the production of a musical tone of the chromatic scale. When the piano keys, whether black or white, are disengaged after being struck by the striking elements corresponding there to as used in this instrument, they immediately return to normal horizontal position, for example, to positions corresponding to those in which the two keys in Fig. 4 are shown.

Since the various mechanisms of the piano itself form no part of the present invention, they will not be further described in this specification except as may be found necessary to impart a proper understanding of the piano player mechanism as used in connection therewith.

The mechanism of the present piano player unit 10 is enclosed by a housing 16 of elongated box-like form, as shown in plan view in Fig. 1; as seen in front view of Fig.

2 and in enlarged cross-section in Fig. 4. Its overall length is slightly less than the distance between the shoulders 12-12' of therframe at opposite ends of the piano keyboard, so that it can be readily received between them for support at its ends upon or its securement to the cheek blocks 1313, as seen in Fig. 2. The housing 16 is substantially square in cross-section and, as noted in the various views, and comprises a vertical front wall 16 opposite end walls 16e-16e and a horizontal top wall 16L Preferably, but not necessarily, this housing is fabricated from aluminum plates which give it a desired degree of strength without excessive weight; all plates being suitably joined for insuring the desired rigidity, strength and durability of the housing.

After the instrument has been properly positioned over the keyboard of the piano, it is secured at opposite ends by means of clamp devices of suitable kind to the cheek blocks of the piano frame. In Figs. 1 and 2, clamps for this purpose are designated by reference numeral 17, and it is also a function of these clamps to provide for limited vertical adjustment of the housing relative to the blocks to best accommodate the instrument to the level of the keyboard, regardless of the thickness of the cheek blocks.

The present instrument is designed to use the usual form of perforated record strip which, in use, is advanced between strip winding rolls, 1S and 19 across the usual form of tracker bar; these parts being mounted in a housing 20 that is fixedly mounted upon the housing 16 midway of its ends. The record strip winding rollers 18 and 19 are of the usual type used for this purpose and are mounted horizontally and longitudinally of the housing 20, and in parallel relationship along the front and back sides respectively, of the tracker bar 25.

The record, which is herein designated by numeral 26, is advanced for playing from the rear roll 19 to the forward roll 18, and as advanced, is drawn flatly against and across the transversely curved top surface of the tracker bar 25, as noted in Fig. 4. The winding of the record strip 26 from one roll to the other for playing and also for rewinding, is effected by selectively driving the rolls 18 and 19, and this is effected by use of a mechanism which will now be described.

In Fig. 7, 3t designates a small variable speed electric motor that is fixedly mounted on a base plate 31 that is pivotally mounted on the top wall of housing 16 on a vertical pivot axis 31 for limited oscillation. The motor is located adjacent the left hand end of the housing 20 with the motor shaft 32 extended toward the housing 20; this shaft being equipped with two friction wheels, 33 and 34, as shown. The rolls 18 and 19 are mounted and driven by their respective supporting hubs 35 and 36 which are rotatably applied to the end wall of the housing 20 and are extended therefrom to that side adjacent which the motor 30 is located. These hubs are equipped, respectively, with friction drive wheels 37 and 38 for their rotation. An idler friction wheel 39 is rotatably mounted on the sidewall of housing 20 in constant driving contact with Wheel 37. The wheels 38 and 39 are mounted at the axial level of motor shaft 32. Thus, by effecting an oscillating movement of the motor and its shaft to one limit, the friction wheel 33 on the motor shaft can be frictionally engaged with Wheel 38 to drive the rear roll 19 to wind the record strip thereto, and by rotatable adjustment of the motor to its opposite limit, the friction wheel 34 can be caused to engage and drive the idler roller 39 and roller 37 for winding the strip onto the forward roller 18 as for playing a selection.

The operating positions of the motor 30 are controlled and established by a hand lever 40 as seen in Fig. 7. This is fixed to a pivoted shaft 41, which has a lever arm 42 thereon connected by a link 43 with a lever 44 extended rearwardly from the motor base. A yieldable means 4-4 is mounted on the housing 17 to engage the lever 40 to .45. frictionally hold it and the motor in a neutral position or for driving either roll.

The tracker bar 25 as seen in Fig. 3 is of the usual form of construction, being formed substantially to its full length with a succession of passages 45, in alignment and each opening to the top surface and bottom thereof. These air passages, in their successive arrangement along the tracker bar, correspond to the individual keys as arranged successively along the keyboard, and each passage is connected at its lower end by an air tube 46 of small diameter with a small pneumatically operated bellows 4-8 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5; there being a bellows 48 corresponding to each of the piano keys and each bellows has fixed mounting in the housing 16 above the key corre sponding thereto.

It is to be observed best in Fig. 5, that each bellow 48 comprises a stationary top wall 50 and a hinged lower wall member 51 adapted to be actuated at its forward end toward and away from the top wall member, as presently explained. At its forward, swinging edge, each wall member 51 is equipped with a bracket 52 to which the upper end of a vertical wire rod 53 is operatively connected. At its lower end, this rod is operatively connected to the forward end of a horizontally disposed lever 56 which has its inner end portion extended rearwardly along and closely overlying the top surface of the striking portion of the piano key that corresponds to that particular bellows, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

Each of the levers 56, as thus arranged in succession along the keyboard for the actuation of the piano keys is pivotally supported between its ends by a pivot pin 57 that extends between the spaced, downwardly directed ears 58 of a bracket 53 that is rigidly fixed to and extended forwardly from a means of support, which in this instance, as best shown in Pig. 4, is the bottom wall of a vacuum chamber enclosing housing 61, later to be described. I

It is further to be noted by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 that the pneumatic bellows 48 are operatively fixed to the front wall of the vacuum chamber housing 61 to extend forwardly therefrom in three horizontal rows, and in Figs. 2 and 6 it is shown that the bellows of the three rows are in staggered relationship in order to accommodate them and their lever operating connections to the relatively close relationship of the keys of the piano and key striking levers. All bellows are of the same size and of the same construction, and all are supported with their opening and closing ends directed forwardly to equal extent as well shown in Pi g. 4.

In the present mode of operation, all bellows 48 normally are in expanded or open conditions, as seen in Fig. 5. The striking of any piano key by its bellows actuated lever mechanism is effected upon the application of vacuum to the expanded bellows. To accomplish the instant collapsing of the bellows, a valve structure is embodied in the top wall member of each, and the opening and closing of each of these valves is controlled through the functioning of the record strip 26 being used, and as it moves across the tracker bar 25 to close off or admit air into the tracker bar passages.

In Fig. 4, 60 designates the previously referred to vacuum chamber; this being enclosed within the elongated, air tight tank 61 that is fixedly mounted within and extended along the back side of the housing 16, from end to end thereof. A partial vacuum is constantly maintained in the chamber 60 by suitable means. In the present instance, I employ a conventional motor driven vacuum pump designated in its entirety in Figs. 1 and 2 by numeral 65. The pump is connected with the vacuum chamber 60 through a conventional vacuum regulator 66 which operates automatically to maintain the desired degree of vacuum in the chamber 61.

Referring now to the valve mechanism as shown in the bellows 48 of Fig. 5, which is common to all bellows, it is to be noted that the top wall member of the bellows is rigidly fixed to housing 61. 'It is formed with a chamber 68 that is divided between upper and lower ends by a flexible diaphragm 69. Immediately below the diaphragm, an air passage 70 leads from the chamber 68 rearwardly, and to this passage an air tube 46, that leads from the lower end of the corresponding air passage 45 of the tracker bar 25, is connected. Immediately above the diaphragm, the chamber 68 has a horizontal passage 73 opening directly therefrom into the vacuum chamber 60. At its upper end, the valve chamber 68 opens into a valve chamber 75 which is provided with vertically spaced, opposedly related valve seats 76 and 77. The chamber 75 has a relatively large top port 78 opening to atmosphere, and an air channel 80 that leads from between the valve seats, through the top wall member of the bellows, into the bellows chamber. A valve disk 82 is freely contained in the chamber 75 and this has a stem 83 connecting it with the diaphragm 69 in such way that the vertical movements of the valve disk from and against the seats 76 and 77 is governed by and is in accordance with upward and downward flexing of the diaphragm under influence of pressures as applied against its opposite surfaces.

It is to be observed also, by reference to Figs. 4 and 5, that the air tubes 46 pass through the vacuum chamber 60, and each is formed with a small port 84 that provides for an equalizing of vacuum at opposite sides of the diaphragm.

It is further to be understood that each bellows may be urged toward its open or expanded condition at all times by any suitable means such as a spring, weight or otherwise.

Assuming that the record strip 26, as being drawn across the tracker bar, covers and closes the bar passage 45 for any bellows, the condition of vacuum in the wall chamber 68 of that bellows will cause the valve disk 82 to be drawn downwardly and closed against the valve chamber seat 76. Thus, the atmospheric air connections to the bellows through its top opening 78 and passage 80 will be open, and the bellows will be fully opened, as shown. As the record strip advances, and a perforation therein moves into registration with the air passage 45 of the tracker bar, atmospheric connection is thus made through the tube 46 and passage 70 to the underside of the diaphragm 69 thus permitting vacuum as applied in chamber 75 through passage 73, to flex the diaphragm upwardly and lift the valve disk 82, to a position closed tightly against its upper seat 77, thus opening a direct vacuum connection from chamber 68 through chamber 75, and passage 80 to the corresponding bellows, causing its instant collapse. With the upward collapsing movement of the bottom wall member of the bellows, its rod connection 52 rocks the corresponding lever 56, causing the rear end portion of the lever to strike the piano key with which it is associated and cause the key to function.

With the, passing of the perforation of the record strip from registration with the tracker bar passage 45, the passage is again closed against intaking of atmospheric air, and vacuum, as applied through the passage 73, and port 84 and passage 70 to opposite sides of the diaphragm becomes substantially equalized and the valve 82 is drawn downward to a position closed against the seat 76 and held by the vacuum in chamber 68. Atmospheric air is then admitted to the bellows through passage 80 causing it to expand and the normal position of the leverage mechanism to be restored.

The above described bellows action takes place with the bellows thus produced, that the selections are played on the piano.

To briefly summarize the advantages of the present device, would be to note that the instrument is relatively simple in its construction and mode of operation; it can be easily and readily applied to any piano with standard keyboard, it is light in weight; it is electrically operated, and when detached from the piano, is easily portable.

It is further an advantage that when the present player is applied to a piano in the intended manner, it is contained substantially in its entirety within the limits of the keyboard portion of the piano.

In order that the terminology used in the following claim may be in accordance with that generally used by persons familiar with the art to which the present device pertains, the noun pneumatic will be used to designate a bellows and its associated valve mechanism.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Leters Patent is:

A portable piano player adapted to be removably mounted upon a conventional piano and selectively strike the keys thereof, said piano player comprising a housing having a front wall, back wall, top wall and opposite end walls, an intermediate wall extending between said end walls and spaced from said back wall to define with said back wall a single vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber extending substantially the full height and length of said housing, a motor operated vacuum creating means positioned on said top wall and interconnected with said chamber for creating and maintaining an operating vacuum in the chamber, a key-striking lever adapted to extend along and above each of the keys of an associated piano, each lever being supported from the lower wall portion of said vacuum chamber and pivotally mounted for vertical oscillation, a pneumatic corresponding to each key striking lever mounted in the housing between the front wall and vacuum chamber and above the striking levers, individual connecting means interconnecting the free end of each pneumatic to its respective striking lever; a tracker bar, record winding rolls and means for driving said rolls all mounted on the top wall above the pneumatics and vacuum chamber, a valve integral with each pneumatic, means defining two passages for each valve leading from the valve to the vacuum chamber, an air tube corresponding to each valve connected to and extending from the tracker bar and interconnected with the respective valve through one of said passages, all of said air tubes passing through the vacuum chamber and each air tube having a port formed through the wall thereof in a portion of the tube within the vacuum chamber, whereby a vacuum is created and maintained in the air tube incident to the sealing of the end of the tube secured to the tracker bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,872 Brown Oct. 17, 1899 640,922 Kuster June 9, 1900 653,263 Salyer July 10, 1900 725,676 Cooper Apr. 21, 1903 745,944 Wieser Dec. 1, 1903 931,192 French et al Aug. 17, 1909 2,302,011 Dragelin Nov. 17, 1942 2,488,170 Calamari et a1. Nov. '15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,122 Australia July 31, 1929 462,175 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1937

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