Improved Valve Device for Pneumatically Operated Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Valve Device for Pneumatically Operated Mechanical
Musical Instruments.
We, WOLF HEILBRUNN and SIMON BLUTH, Proprietors of the Firm of
K. Heilbrunn Söhne, of 39 Keibel Strasse, Berlin, Germany, Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The present invention consists of an improved pendulum valve for employment
in connection with pneumatically operated mechanical musical instruments and
consists more particularly in the details of construction herein after described
and pointed out in the claims.
And in order to render the present specification more easily intelligible reference
is had to the accompanying drawings in which similar letters of reference denote
similar parts throughout the several views;-
Figure I being a vertical section through one form of the device and
Figure II a similar section through a further developement of the same.
One key B of a mechanically operated harmonium or piano is shown in the
drawing and underneath the key board is arranged the valve casing comprising the
two chambers x and y divided by a wall w, the canal z in the wall g having a
rounded conical end over which the perforated note sheet passes being wound on
rolls n n, and adapted to pass on the end ². The canal z is closed at its lower end
by a membrane b and is provided just above said membrane with a smaller
opening leading into the chamber and preferably conical tapering towards the
interior of the said chamber. The wall w is provided with a valve opening s¹ into
the chamber y, and opposite this opening in the other wall of the chamber y is a
valve opening leading to the outer air. These two openings s¹ and a¹ may be
alternately closed by valves and a respectively said valve being mounted to
swing on the rod p suspended in the chamber y. At the bottom of the chamber is
arranged a bellows t having a bar h¹ at its lower moveable side, said bar h¹ being
adapted to operate a rod h which in its turn operated the key lever or key. The
chamber. a is in communication with some vacuum source at s2 so that normally
partial vacuum exists therein.
The device operates in the following manner;-
When a hole of the note sheet comes over the mouth 22 of the canal z the outer
air enters it and forces the membrane bover in the position shown in dotted lines at
Figure I the inlet z' from the canal being too small in proportion to destroy the
partial vacuum before the membrane has been forced over. This membrane, when
blown out pushes against a rod q' on the valves and opens this valve simul-
taneously closing the valve a to the outer air and thus producing partial vacuum
in the chamber y which operates to raise the moveable side of the bellows t
drawing the lever ¹ upwards and operating the key B by means of the rod h. As
soon as the opening in the note sheet has passed the mouth of the canal z, vacuum
will again be restored in the same through the canal z¹ the membrane will be
released and the valves sucked on to its seat thus opening the valve a and allowing
free air ingress to the chamber w, so that the bellows opens allowing the lever h¹
and with it the lever h to fall and release the note or key.
According to the modification shown at Figure 11 the bellows t are employed
for effecting several movements or for operating several levers simultaneously.

page_text: The bellows are operated in substantially the same manner as just described but
they are arranged the other way up, so that the vacuum will operate to depress the
lever . The bellows are not arranged under the casing y but along side of the
same and are connected to the chamber y by means of a canal k. P. is a flue pipe
of an organ and o any other kind of organ tone covered by a valve mounted on a
rod d fast on the end of a lever pivotally mounted at 23. The rod h connects the
end of this lever to the lever arm ¹ of the bellows. Between the arm ³ and
a cover or valve at the lower part of the instrument, a rod A is arranged which is
also actuated by the arm ³ of the lever ³. The valve is supposed to communicate
with and operate the flue P in any known manner and is held closed by a spring as
is also the valve of the rod d. The end of the lever 2 may also be made to
operate a drum stick i pivotally mounted as shown at the upper part of the
figure.
The operation of this part of the device will be evident from the foregoing
description. When the rod his moved downwards hy the bellows t it will also
open the flue valve and the other valve o by means of the rod d and simul-
taneously operate the lever i of a drum stick to sound a drum.
Obviously the mechanism can be employed in a variety of ways, without
departing from the nature of the present invention.
The pendulum valves a and s may be so arranged that the valves shall normally
close the opening s¹ by gravity, in order to insure the proper closure of this valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same to be performed 'declare that what I
claim is-
1. Combination with a pneumatically operated mechanical musical instrument a
valve device consisting of two chambers, one communicating with the canal over
which the note sheet passes and with a vacuum source, a membrane at the end of
the said canal adapted to actuate a pair of swinging valves a s in the next chamber
to close the opening to the air and set a bellows in communication with the vacuum
chamber, and thus operate said bellows arm substantially as described.
2. In combination with the valve device of Claim 1 a lever arrangement to
simultaneously operate a flue and other note valve and also a drum operating lever
substantially as described.
3. The valve and lever operating device substantially as described and illustrated
and for the purposes stated.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1900
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.