Patent GB-190210346-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Pianos and other Musical Instruments.
Inventor: BOULT ALFRED JULIUS
Filed: 1902-05-05
Granted: 1903-07-04
Abstract: 10,346. Boult, A. J., [Shonnard Mauufacturing and Trading Corporation]. May 5. Automatic instruments.-Relates chiefly to piano players and automatic pianos. A number of electromagnets 3 are arranged in two rows, Fig. 7, and may be concealed within the case of the instrument. The armatures 74 are curved, as shown, and act upon levers 77 either directly, or, in the case of the lower row, through vertical rods 85. The levers 77 act upon the keys 1 through rods 75 which may be either vertical or inclined sideways. The levers are all mounted on a rail 79, which is acted on by springs so as to keep it normally in its highest position, in which there is a considerable amount of motion lost before the rods 75 strike the keys, and therefore a soft effect is produced. To produce a louder effect, either end or the whole of the rail 79 can be forced down by separate levers, under the control of the player, giving correspondingly louder effects. To save space, the magnets 3 can be arranged with the lines joining their pole-pieces inclined to the front of the instrument, and the armatures can be still more inclined for further economy of space. The tune-sheet moves between rollers 33, 34, Fig. 10, contained in a drawer 14, which is shown in its playing position in Fig. 7 and fully drawn out for the purpose of changing the tune sheets in Fig. 10. Fig. 7 also shows it, in dotted lines, pushed in to its fullest extent, so as to be out of sight when not in use, The roller 34 carries the tune-sheet, and is carried on a pivot which is pushed outwards when the roller is in its place. When the drawer is pushed in, the pin engages with a fixed stop, and the drawer is thus arrested in its correct playing position. On removing the tune-sheet roller, the pin is drawn in by a spring, and the drawer can then be pushed in to its fullest extent. The spindle of the roller 34 also engages with a brake wheel 41, against which a spring 44 is pressed when the drawer is pushed in. When the drawer is pulled out, the roller 34 can be rapidly rotated by hand gearing for the purpose of re-winding the tune-sheet. The tune-sheet passes over a conducting-roller 26, which co-operates with pairs of fingers 24 carried on a rod 28. A pair of fingers is allotted to each note, and when the free ends of the fingers drop through holes in the tune-sheet, electric contact is made and the magnets 3 are energized. An alternative way of mounting the fingers is to notch their ends and engage the notches with a bar which takes the place of the rod 28. Conducting-springs connect the fingers 24 with the screws 31, and the set of fingers and parts immediately connected with them are carried in a casing 11, which can be moved laterally by a handle 22 for adjustment with respect to the tune-sheet to secure accurate engagement or to effect transposition. The driving-mechanism is shown in Fig. 3. An electromotor 61 is carried in a case which is pivoted so as to permit it to be oscillated by a lever 69 provided with an index. This mounting of the motor enables any part of the curved surface of a disc 65 to be engaged with a friction-wheel 55 which drives the tune-sheet roller 34, and thus permits the speed of the tunesheet to be regulated. The construction of the disc 65 is shown in Fig. 4. It is acted on by a spring 66, which presses it against the wheel 55. In the middle of the curved friction surface there is a loose block 68, with which the friction-wheel 55 engages when the motor is in position for it to do so. The disc is thus prevented from driving the wheel 55, as the block does not turn with the disc but merely prevents the spring 66 from pushing it too far forwards. Means are also indicated for starting and stopping by hand, and stopping automatically.