Patent GB-112632-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Inventor: KLUGH PAUL BROWN
Filed: 1916-02-22
Abstract: 112,632. Klugh, P. B. Feb. 22, 1916. Player-pianos; actions; blowing etc.; expression, controlling; music spools; tracker-bars; tunesheets; winding-mechanism.-An auxiliary action controlled by the tune-sheet to vary the stroke of the hammers, singly or in groups, is regulated in accordance with the degree of exhaustion of the main action. In a player-piano as shown in Fig. 3, in which the main action 12 its controlled by the usual tracker-ducts 42, Fig. 3<a>, the auxiliary action 33 is controlled by special narrow ducts 43 connected in pairs by tubes 46, 47 to valves 48 and motors 36 each controlling two adjacent hammers. The auxiliary action is pivotally mounted upon a bar and can be turned from the inoperative position, shown in dotted lines, to the fully operative position, shown in full lines, in which the stroke of the hammers for unaccented notes represented by the narrow perforations 50 is restricted by the padded stops 38. For accented notes, widened or displaced perforations 51, Fig. 5, are arranged to open both ducts 42, 43 so that springs 40 carrying the stops 38 are deflected by the collapse of the motors 36 to increase the stroke. The auxiliary action is only brought into its operative position when music spools of a certain length are inserted into the tracker box; for standard spools of shorter length the action remains in the long-stroke position and the supply of wind is cut off. For this purpose, a valve 111 is connected to the sliding spring-urged spindle 21, Fig. 5, to connect a pneumatic 81, Fig. 6, through a tube 110 either to atmosphere or to the wind-chest 12 of the main action through a tube 112, according to the length of the spool. The pneumatic 81 acts through a toggle 83, 84, link 85, a lever 77, and a spring 88 upon a collar 79 on a sliding rod 73 with an adjustable head 76 engaging an arm 72 of the pivoted action-bar 33. The pneumatic 81 also acts through a link 98 upon a regulating-valve 95 in the exhaust pipe 89 of the auxiliary action. The main exhaust chest has two spring-controlled reservoir bellows with springs of different power; the bellows 58 with the stronger spring is connected by a pushrod to one arm of a roller 106, the other arm of which acts upon the lower end of the rod 73 to depress the rod and increase the stroke of the hammers as the'degree of exhaustion increases. This may be effected by substituting a direct passage 64 to the main action 12 for the governed passage 63 by means of the accent lever 66, or by active treadling. - The rewind lever 69 is connected to valves 67, 68 which cut off the exhaust and a valve 71 which vents the action chest 12; a pneumatic 28, Fig. 5, connected to the chest 12 is then opened by a spring 31 and shifts the reversing clutch. The ordinary hammer rest-rail 10, Fig. 3, may be divided and actuated automatically or otherwise to shorten the stroke; for instance the rail may be in two independently movable parts connected to the pedals and to pneumatic motors. The auxiliary action 33 is removable by opening the bearings for the pivots 131 and releasing the coupling bar 126 from latches 128. Music spools of standard size may be lengthened by means of an adapter, Fig. 18, to operate the valve 111 correctly. Specification 6857/09 is referred to.