Patent GB-191006503-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Piano Playing Mechanism and the like.
Inventor: ATKINSON CLAUDE WILLIAM
Filed: 1910-03-15
Granted: 1910-07-28
Abstract: 6503. Atkinson, C. W. March 15. [Addition to 1439/09.] Player-pianos; actions; blowing and exhausting air.-Relates to various detail constructional improvements in player-pianos of the kind described in the parent Specification. As shown in Fig. 1, the vacuum chest f, which is pivoted at g', is supported on slotted quadrants g attached to the piano, and is formed of two sheetmetal parts f<1>, f<2>, secured together by struts h. A strip of metal o, attached beneath the keybed, carries depending lugs o<1>, between each of which and the front of the player a wedge o<2> is inserted and held in place by a screw o<3>. Spring-pressed hooks, mounted in slots formed in the lugs o<1>, serve as a means of attachment for the playing-table. The vacuum chest f is connected at each end with side wind-trunks n, which are connected by a wind-trunk n<1> provided with central stop-pieces to divide it into base and treble sections. Short wind-trunks n<2>, which are riveted to the wind-trunk n<1>, connect the wind - trunks n with the exhaust bellows. The wind-trunks n are provided with projecting shoulders over which the wind-trunks n<1>, n<2> fit, bolts and nuts being used to secure them in position. The note-operating pneumatics e, which are connected to the wind-chest by metal tubes e<1>, are provided with metal brackets m<1>, the bases of which engage with grooves in the moving plates of the pneumatics e and are secured in position by wedges. The brackets m<1> are provided with pins m which engage arms d<1>, mounted on rods d fitting into grooves in clips d<2>, which engage projections d<3> on the keys. The rods d are attached to arms d<1> by threading them through holes d<8> therein, forming a kink in the rod, and passing a pin d<10> through it, as shown in Fig. 19. The rods d are guided by felt bushes d<4> and leather disks d<6>. The tubes e, which are of flat section, are provided with short projecting bosses by riveting over the edges of which the pneumatics e are secured in position. The pneumatics e are assembled in groups of five or seven, the tubes e' resting on the vacuum chest with distance-pieces e<4> arranged between them. As shown in Fig. 10, a metal band e<5> is placed about the tubes and above them is a bar e<6> which may be drawn down by screws e<7> fitting into holes in the struts h. Cover-plates e<9> are fitted between the groups of pneumatics. The power pneumatics e are provided with springs i which tend to force their flexible parts inwards, and felt pads are arranged inside the pneumatics, near to their hinges. The construction of the valves and their operating- pneumatics, which fit into conical seatings k<1> in the wind-chest, is shown in Fig. 20. The valvestem k<2> is provided with a platform k' supporting a part k<4>, which slides freely on a guide k<5> and.is adapted to operate the valve k<6>, which operates the valve k' through the distance-piece k<7> and spring k<8>. A spring k<10> normally supports the moving parts. A felt pad k<11> is arranged beneath the moving parts of the pneumatics, as shown in Fig. 1. The guides k<5> are supported by arms l, and the holes in the pneumatics k through which the stems k' pass function as bleed-holes. The tracker pipes are held in position by expanding them into dished holes in the perforated plate n<3>.