Improvements in Attachments for Actuating Pianos and Organs.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Attachments for Actuating Pianos and Organs.
I WILLIAM RICHMOND EDDINGTON, of Woodburn, in the County of Macoupin,
and State of Illinois, one of the United States of North America, Farmer do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTACHMENTS FOR
ACTUATING PIANOS AND ORGANS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The following is a full clear and exact, description of my invention, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view of my
improved attachment.
Figure 2 is a bottom view of same.
Figure 3 is an end view of the attachment, part broken away, and a detail-
vertical section of an organ. Figures 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections of the
attachment taken on line 4-5 Figure 1 and detail vertical section of an organ.
Figure 6 is an end view of the apron guide. Figure 7 is a detail view of the apron.
Figure 8 is a detail view of the apron, illustrating the manner of securing its ends
together, and Figure 9 is a section of same taken on line 9-9 Figure 7.
My invention relates to an attachment for ordinary pianos or organs and other
musical instruments of this character whereby the keys can be operated by
mechanical means in the same manner and to the same perfection as if operated
by hand.
This invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and
pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings A represents part of an ordinary organ over the
finger keys of which my improved attachment is placed and can be removed at
pleasure.
B represents the housing or casing of the attachment that supports rollers C
connected at one end by cog wheels C and one of them having at the other end a
worm wheel C engaged by a worm C³, on a crank shaft C. By this means the
rollers are turned toward each other, as indicated by the arrows Figures 4 and 5.
The journals or gudgeons C of one of the rollers rest on ledges at the ends of the
housing B', see Figure 3 and this roller is held over toward the other by springs D,
that press against arms D¹ pivotted at D³ to the ends of the housing, and which
bear against the gudgeons from behind.
The springs surround screw threaded rods D³ having knobs D* on their outer
ends, between which and the arms D¹ the springs are located.
:
[

page_text: By screwing the rods inward the tension of the springs is increased to increase
the friction of the rollers' upon the apron and insure its movement as the rollers are
turned.
"
By pulling the upper ends of the arms back against the pressure of the springs,
the rollers can be moved slightly apart to permit the easy insertion of one end of an
apron. The adjustable roller is held down upon the ledges B¹ by set screws D³,
that pass through projections D on the arms D₁ and which have knobs D7 on their
upper ends, by which they are turned, and collars D³ on their lower ends, that bear
upon the gudgeons of the rollers, see figure 3. "By adjusting these screws up or
down music sheets or aprons of different thickness can be used.
E represents strips that rest upon the cheek blocks of the organ and are connected
by pins or pintles E' to strips E³ made fast to the housing of the attachment. Screw
threaded rods Es pass down through the housing and into the ends of the strips E.
They have knobs E on their upper ends by which they are turned to adjust the
instrument to suit the keys of the organ or piano on which it is placed. The
housing has hooks B³ that engage the organ and hold the attachment in place, see
Figures 1 and 3..
F represents the apron which is perforated and which passes between the rollers.
As the apron is moved by turning the rollers, springs G, that depress the keys H
of the organ or piano, are operated through means of levers I, pivotted to strips I¹
located over the bottom board J. The springs are connected to the outer ends of
the levers which are raised up by the apron, as shown in figuro 5, until one of the
slots or perforations in the apron comes opposite the levers, when their outer ends
will be pulled down by the springs and the different springs are thus permitted to
depress the different keys at the proper time to produce the proper notes, and for
the purpose of operating the springs twice where two notes occur on one key,
I secure wires across such of these slots, see figure 7 as represent two or more notes
and the desired result is obtained.
The ends of the sheet are connected to form a belt, by metal strips F¹, through
which are passed pins F' see Figures 8 and 9 and these strips and pins are covered
by a metal strip F³ see figures 7 and 9.
The springs are formed of wire bent to form springs as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
They are secured by their outer ends to the underside of the bottom board, and
their inner ends are bent upward and pass through a slot J¹ in the bottom board
above which they are made fast to the levers as stated.
Their power is increased by auxiliary springs L made fast to them and to the
bottom board, see Figures 2, 4 and 5.
The ends of these auxiliary springs are connected to the other springs by boing
hooked over them, so that should the tension of the springs be decreased by use, it
can be restored by simply unhooking these auxiliary springs, bending them down,
and then re-hooking them over the other springs again.
By making these springs longer or shorter they will have a greater or less
leverage over or upon the springs G.
.
Should it be desired to prevent the operation of any one or more of the springs
at any time without interfering with the operation of the others, this can be
accomplished by means of sliding rods M, made fast to the bottom boards and to
the strips I by staples M¹ through which they slide.
They have bent parts M³ that slide under the outer ends of the levers I to throw
their upper inner ends down and back out of contact with the apron so that the
keys of the organ or piano, to which these springs belong will not be operated, and
as soon as the rods are pulled forward or outward again, these springs will operate
again as described. This same end can be accomplished with all of the springs
simultaneously by means of a sliding plate N supported on the strips moved in and
out by means of a stem N¹ having a button N2 that is shown in its natural position,
see Figures 4 and 5 and when it is pushed in, it comes in contact with the upper
ends of the levers forcing them back out of contact with the apron.

page_text: O represents a block located between and beneath the rollers, and made fast to
the strips I by screws O¹ that pass through slots Ns in the plate N. It has a
concave surface 02, facing the inner roller, and its office is to direct the belt or
apron backward, as it is introduced between the rollers.
P. represents pull rods suitably connected to the under side of the bottom board
and provided with hooks P' on their inner ends, to engage the stops of the organ,
and knob P on their outer ends, by which they are forced in and out.
T represents a strip, to which the inner ends of the strips I are made fast.
Upon this strip is placed the number of the keys see Figure 1-the keys being
numbered from left to right consecutively and each piece of music has the number
of its highest key placed on its right hand corner, and by placing the number to
the corresponding number on the strip, which agrees with the number of the key
as stated, any one that can read numbers, cannot fail to play the music correctly.
U represents the music guide, the body of which consists of end pieces U¹, top
strip or pieces U2, and bottom strip or piece Us, the end pieces having notches U*,
see Figure 6, to fit the inner roller. The lower strip U³, fits up close against the
strip T, and the guide slides upon its support. By placing the right hand end of
the guide over the number on the strip T, that corresponds with the number
of the sheet above mentioned, the proper tune will be played for that piece of music.
When the guide is thus adjusted, it is held to its adjustment by buttons U
secured to the end piece U and which can be turned from the position shown in
dotted lines, to the position shown in full lines Figure 6, when they will engage or
enter between the strips I' to hold the guide from movement. The end pieces
of the guide can be moved to and from each other to fit the width of different
sheets of music which have their width marked in inches as shown on the left side
of Figure 7.
The strip U' is marked off in inches opposite which are notches U7 to receive
the upper end of the button Us. By shifting the end pieces to or from each other
to the number that corresponds with the number of inches on the music and then
turning the button, the end pieces will be held just the width apart of the sheet,
the sheet being guided by the end pieces V pivotted to the end pieces and provided
with buttons V₁ by which they are turned to guide the sheet between the end
pieces.
Hooks W¹ on the organ engage over the strip U³, on the guide to hold the guide
in place. They pass up through a slot U in the strip and are then moved half way
around see Figures 1, 4 and 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In an attachment for organs and pianos the springs adapted to depress the
keys of the organ or piano in combination with suitable means for operating them.
2. In an attachment for organs and pianos, the springs adapted to depress the
keys of the organ or piano in combination with auxiliary springs and suitable
means for operating the springs.
3. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the rollers, means
for turning the rollers, perforated apron, levers pivotted to cross strips, bottom
board, and springs connected to the bottom board and to the levers, all arranged
and operating substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
4. In an attachment for pianos and organs the perforated apron, having wires
secured across part of the perforations, substantially as shown and described and
for the purpose set forth.
5. In an attachment for pianos and organs the perforated apron united by metal
strips and pins covered by a strip F, substantially as set forth.
6. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the rollers, apron
and block O, with a concave face, for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 7. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the rollers, apron,
levers, springs connected to the levers and adapted to operate the keys of the
organ, and sliding bent rods M, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the rollers, apron,
levers, springs connected to the levers and adapted to operate the keys of the
organ, and sliding plate N substantially as shown and described and for the purpose
set forth.
9. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the apron, rollers,
hinged arms located behind the gudgeons of one of the rollers, springs D and
adjusting rods D³ arranged and operating substantially as shown and described and
for the purpose set forth.
10. In an attachment for pianos and organs the combination of the apron, rollers,
hinged arms located behind the gudgeons of one of the rollers springs D, adjusting
rods Ds and rods D³ screwing through the arms and provided with collars on their
lower ends, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose set forth.
11. In an attachment for pianos and organs the strip T, having numbers repre-
senting the tunes of the music sheets marked upon it, in combination with the
adjustable guide U, adapted to receive the music sheet or apron, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
"
12. In an attachment for pianos and organs the adjustable apron guide U
provided with buttons Us for fitting between the strips I¹ of the attachment,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
13. In an attachment for pianos and organs the apron guide, consisting of end
pieces and top and bottom strips, the bottom strips having notches and provided
with numbers indicating the width of the music sheet or apron, in combination
with button Us, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
14. In an attachment for pianos and organs the apron guide, consisting of end
pieces and top and bottom strips, in combination with the hooks W¹ for engaging
over the bottom strip of the guide for the purpose set forth.
15. In an attachment for pianos and organs the pull rods P, having hooks P¹ for
engaging the stops of the organ substantially as shown and described and for the
purpose set forth.