Patent GB-191304288-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Piano-players.
Inventor: GOOLMAN FREDERICK ROOT
Filed: 1913-02-19
Granted: 1913-07-24
Abstract: 4288. Goolman, F. R. Feb. 19. Winding - mechanism; tune - sheets; trackerbars.-An automatic piano is provided with a magazine containing a number of music-spools, which are successively moved into the playing position, played, rewound, and returned to the magazine, by automatic means. Springy strips of metal are fastened at the ends of the tunesheets, causing them to coil up when unwound without using a take-up roll. A metal strip on each tune-sheet is bent back to form a hook. which is adapted to be engaged by a hooked member to draw the tune-sheet between the feed rollers. As shown in Fig. 3, a number of music-spools 4 are mounted on two guides 3, which are secured to the sides of the frame 1. Each guide comprises an horizontal portion 3<a> and a curved portion 3<c>, and the arrangement is such that the upper spools 4 can be removed and replaced. A short curved guide 3<d> is also provided. When a coin falls upon a member 75 or this member is otherwise depressed, a switch 65 is released from a detent 66 and completes the circuit of a motor 55, which drives a shaft 57 through belts 56 and pulleys. The shaft 57 drives shafts 60, 61, 62, 63 through a chain 59 and sprockets. The shaft 63 drives a feed-roller 12, which co-operates with a roller 13 mounted on arms 7 to feed the tune-sheet 9 across the tracker-bar 10 and over the guides 11. The tracker-bar 10 is shown in cross-section in Fig. 9, and, as shown in Fig. 3, is suspended by hooks 15. The shaft 60 drives a roller 5, which tends to rotate the spool 4<a> to wind up the tune-sheet and thus serves as a brake to secure even winding. When the tune has been played through, a special tune-sheet aperture causes the bellows 67, 71 to collapse. The bellows 67 opens the switch 65, and the bellows 71 operates through a lever 73, link 74, and bell crank 50, to slide a spindle 61, Fig. 2, longitudinally to disengage it from a recess in the periphery of a disk 44 on a shaft 31. The movement of the spindle 61 operates a switch 53 to complete the circuit of the motor 55 through the lead 69, and also causes the pinion 49 to gear with the spur-wheel 21. The shaft 31 is rotated counter-clockwise through one revolution and is then stopped by the spindle 61, which engages the notch in the disk 44 under the action of a spring. During the rotation of the shaft 31 the following operations are effected. The recess 32<b> of the cam 32 permits the arm 27 of a bell crank to move upwards under the action of a spring 26, and the movement is transmitted through a rod 23 and crank 22 to a spindle 8 carrying arms 7 having the rollers 6, 13 mounted upon them. The spool 4<a> is thus permitted to fall downwards, and is guided by the members 3<d> to a position beneath the lever 28, which is pivoted on one arm of the bell crank. The cam 30 then engages one arm of the lever 28, forcing it upwards and causing the other arm to push the spool 4<a> into the position occupied by the spool 4<b>, the spool 4<b> being thereby displaced and pushed on to the guide 3<a>. The spool 4<a> is held in driving contact with the rotating roller 17 by a weighted roller 18, mounted on pivoted arms 19, and the tune-sheet is thus rewound. By further rotation of the cam 32, the arm 7 has been caused meanwhile to move to a position such that the rollers 5, 6 retain a spool 4, which is caused to mount the projection 3<c> on the upper guide 3<a> when the spool 4<b> is pushed on to the lower guide 3<a>. The shaft 31 carries cranks 41, which are connected by links 40 to levers 38 pivoted at 39 and connected by a rod 37 carrying a hooked member 36. The member 36 is moved upwards between the rollers 13, 14 and pressed by a spring 42 into engagement with a hook 35 on the tune-sheet. Further rotation 'of the shaft 31 causes the hook 36 to move downwards, drawing the tune-sheet between the rollers 13, 14. The tune-sheet is then gripped between the rollers 13, 14 owing to further movement of the arms 7, and the rotating roller 14 draws the tune-sheet across the tracker-bar 10 and guides 11. Owing to the provision of a covered spring strip 54, Fig. 7, at the end of the tune-sheet, the tune-sheet coils up in the manner shown. A guard-plate 79 carried by the arms 7 prevents the lever 28 from damaging the tune-sheet. When the spindle 61 again enters the recess in the disk 44, the switch 53 is opened, so breaking the circuit of the motor 55 and stopping the instrument until the switch 65 is again closed. To prevent backward movement of the spools through the magazine, spring detents may be provided on the sides of the frame to engage depressions in the ends of the spools.