US839559A - Self-playing piano. - Google Patents

Description

' PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLBY, JB.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET] No. 839,559, Y PATENTED DEG. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLEY, JR.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED .15.11.13, 1906.

B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED DEG. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLEY, JB.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

AEPLIOATION FILED JAH. 13. 1906.

-'been folded. down IUNrrnn f STATES PnrENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KNABE t COMPANY MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OF BALTIMORE` MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

SELF-PLAYING PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed January 13, 1906. Serial No. 295,988.

To all whom it may cfm/cern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. DARLEY, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State oi Maryland, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Playing Pianos and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- aot descri tion of the invention, such as will enable otliers skilled in the art to which it apoertains to make and use the same.

'Iy invention relates to improvements in self-playing pianos of the type shown in my former patent, No. 813 35,5, dated February 20, 1,906 and the'object of myinvention is to provide means whereby after the key-slip has to ldck the keys and the pedal-board folded down to bring the pneumatic apparatus into action said. keys may be unlocked and operated by the playenwithout the necessity of folding back the pedalboard.

With these objects in view my' invention consists in the construction and combinations 'oi' parts, as claimed. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view oi a piano with one of the ends removed. Fig. 2 is abroken iront view with a part oi the top casing removed. Fig. 3is a side view, partly in elevation, showing the mechamsm for locking the keys outoi operation. Fig. e is a similar view showing the locking means holding the keys looked, and Fig.. 5 is a detail view showing a part' of the pedal attachment for unlocking the keys af- .ter the pedal-board has been ioided down.

a represents one of the ordinary pivoted keys, and l; represents a bar extending across the piano and 'adaptedwhen lowered to vlook saidlteys against movement, resting upon strips of telt c. on said keys. The bar is supported in brackets d, one of which is pivoted, as shown at c in Fig. i, to each side oi the iano. Each of the brackets as s own at f, and a headed screw g passes through said slot into the bar o, thereby making the latter brackets. These brackets d are of considerable size and weight, and unless positively prevented they will assume the position shown in Fig. 4, bringing the bar Zi into conhereinafter desoribed 'and d is slotted,

adjustable upon said tact with gravity.

h represents a key-slip pivoted on the front frame ofthe piano and arranged to fold outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. To this keyslip It is attached va lever i, which is bent downwardly, as shown at j, and provided with a horlzontal pin lc. This pin when the key-sli is folded down',as shown in Fig. .4, is broug t intocontact with the projecting end m of a rotating locking-rod n, movin'ig` it against the tension of the spri o. he lower end of the rod n is provided with a hook p, which engages a slot in the upper part of the pedal-board 1f, whic downLso as to bring the pneumatic attachthe vkeys o and locking them' by Ament into operation.

It is obvious from the description and the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 that the folding lever t forward, whereupon the pin lc will is adapted to foldv down of the key-slip will move the strike the end m of the lever n and unlock the pedal-board, whereby the latter will fold by the pressure ofthe spring 11 into the upper position. (Shown in dotted lines in Fi 1.) L

From the up er position l(shown in otted lines in Fig. l) t e pedal-board may be folded down into the lower positionl, (shown in dotted lines in said lgure,) in which position the piano may be operated as a self-playing instrument.,

s represents a portion of the folding pedalboard nivoted to the frame, as shown at t. Pivoted to the bottom board s is a ush-rod n, which extends up between the keys and the upper end of which contacts with a block o, fastened to the center of the bar b. When the pedal-board is folded u as shown in Fig. 3, the rod u holds the loc ring means away from the keys, as shown inFig. 3 g but when the pedal-board is folded down, as shown in Fig. 4, the rod u is drawn down, whereupon the bar b falls down and across the keys, being carried ldown by the heavy brackets d. y

To provide means whereby theplayer may operate the keys without the necessity of folding up the keyboard, I have devised the following: To the soft pedal w, which is piv' oted, as shown at tothe lower part of the frame, is fastened an u wardl -extending bolt or rod y, which is a justab y attached,

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by means of nuts, such as to one end of a' lever -2, which is pivoted, as vshown at 3, in brackets `4, extending upwardly from the i bottoni of the piano.

To the other end of the lever 2 is pivotally attached, as show-n at', a'push-rod 6, the upper end of which operates the soit-pedal attachment 7, but which is separated therefrom by a space, as shown in Fig. 2. The push-rod 6 is provided with a slot 8, through which passes a piny 9 ononeoi the brackets. ,the result being that when the push-rod 6 is in its lowest'position, as shown in Fig. 4, the bar b will beperrnitted to fall into the position shown in the same igure; but when 'the push-rod 6 isl pushed up, as' bythe ldownward movement-of the soit pedal, the bar l) `will be lifted and the keys c released, so that they 'inay be' operated by the player 'even when the key-slip h is folded' down, as shown in Fig; 4. A spring 1`O normally holds the lever 42 in the position shown in Fig. 2. Suii'icient lost inotion is provided between the end oi the rod 6 andthe soit-pedal attachment 7 ,so that the rst niotion oi the pedal w merely lift-s the bar o and. does not operate the soit-pedal attachment,.wliich latter can be operated, however, by a further depression of the pedal w. i

Theother parts of the piano are substantially the saine as' those set forth in iny prior patent above referred to.

Having thus described'iny invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. in a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, a locking means for said keys, a device operated bysaid pedal? board for operating said locking nieans,and separate ineans for disengaging said locking means without the movement of the pedalboard, substantially'as described.

n 2. In a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, a locking-bar for said keys, a means for holding said lockingbar out oi'engagenient ywithsaid keys and perinittii'ig said locking-bar to engage with said keys bythe operation of thepedal-board, and separate rneans for moving Isaid locking ineans out of engagement with'said keys, substantially as described.

3. in a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, a gravity-operated locking-bar for said ke js, a iiieans for holding said locking-bar out o engagement with said keys and 'for permitting said locking-harto engage with said keys by vthe operation of the pedal-board, and separa te nieans for nzoving. said. Vlocking-bar out of engageinent with said `keys without operating the pedal-board,

substantial y as described.

4. ln a self-playing piano, the combination oi keys, a locking-bar for said keys, ineans for holding said locking-bar out of engagenient with said keys, a pedal-board connect-4 said keys, a pivoted pedal-board, means op-` erated by said pedal-board for holding said bar out of engagement with said keys, nieans for locking and unlocking said pedal-board, including a'pivoted key-slip, and connections between said key-slip and said pedal-board, and separate ineens for moving the locking means Ou'tidengagenient with the keys with- 1 out the movement of the pedal-board, substantially as described.

6. ln a self-playing piano, the combination oi keys, a locking-barir said keys, a pivoted pedal-board, a push-rod connected to said pedal-board, and holding said locking-bar out oi contact with said keys when the pedalboard is folded up, 'means for locking said pedal-board, including a hooked rod, a pivoted key-slip, and a rod operated by said keyslip forl :moving said rod, and separate ineens for niovingsaid locking-bar out of contact 'with said keys without the moverrent or" the pedal-board, substantially as described.

7. In a Vself-playing piano, the combination of a pivoted pedal-board provided with a catch, a rod provided with a hooked end, a spring bearing' against said rod, a'pivoted key-slip, and a bent rod attached thereto and carrying a pin, said pin being adapted to strike said Ihooked rod and unlock said pedalboard when said key-slip' .is tolded I down, keys, a locking-bar for said keys, andv separatefineans for-'moving said locking-bar yout of contact with said keys after it hasbeen brought into contact therewith by the moveirent ci the pedal-board,.substantially as described.

8. ln a self-playing piano, the coiibination of keys,'ineans for locking the saine, a pivot- 'ed pedal-board, i'ieans for locking said pedalboard inan upright position, means whereby the releasing of said locking means will lock said keys, and separate in eans for nioving vthe locking'nie'ans out oi'contact with said keys-without the nioventent of the pedalboard, saidseparate ireans consisting et a perla-La lever connected thereto, a push-rod operated by said lever and provided with a slot, and a pin carried by the locking means for the keys, said pin engagi'ng'said slot, substantially as described.

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ln testimony whereof l affix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W'. DARLEY, JR.

Witnesses:

CHARLESV. R. Bonrronn, E. C. DOLE.

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