Improved Device for Automatically Playing Pianos and similar Instruments.
Year: 1892

page_text: *COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Device for Automatically Playing Pianos and similar
Instruments.
JOSEPH FELLER, of 43 and 44 'Luisen Str., Berlin, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved device for automatically playing pianos
and similar instruments which can be applied to any piano. or the like with only
slight modifications. In automatically played pianos of known construction the
rollers for carrying the note sheets are arranged horizontally in a case sliding
beneath the key board whereas the mechanism for producing the movement of
the key levers is arranged vertically in the lower part of the piano, reaches to the
bottom of the same and is connected to the note sheet by flexible levers. The
transporting roller for the mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the piano near
the pedals, this arrangement and construction of the playing device necessitates a
very complicated construction of the entire mechanism and also of the lever for
bringing the same into contact with the transporting roller and requires a corre-
spondingly large case to receive the mechanism.
.
In my playing device on the other hand the rollers for carrying the note sheet
or sheets are arranged in the frame carrying the mechanism, said mechanism being
arranged vertically and parallel to the wires.
The mechanism for the key levers are hereby simplified to a considerable extent
so that the entire mechanism requires only a small space and can therefore be
applied to any piano without having to alter the form of the case.
The transport roller lies beneath the keys and can be driven direct.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the playing device.
Figure. 2 is a vertical section of Figure 1.
..Figures 3 & 4 represent the guide rails for the rods which operate the keys.
Figure 5 represents the spring cap to the rods for operating the keys, on an
enlarged scale.
The frame b which carries the playing device is fixed to the rail a¹ running
beneath the key board a said frame being connected to the bottom a³ of the case by
feet. ' of special construction.
The key levers a³ are as usual arranged above the key board. The frame /
carries the transporting roller c. and the two rollers d d for receiving the note sheet.
The rods e for operating the key levers a are preferably connected by ball and
socket joint with levers.e' which are jointed at to a rail et connected. to the
frame b.
The levers carry arms
by means of.a. screw.f?.
which move around.the, point f' and can be adjusted
These arms carry wires or wire rods which are preferably connected by a
leather or other band g' to the segments g. The segments g are rotarily attached
to flat levers with stops'h' which move around the fulcrum'h' in' a rail i. 'The
levers' are movably connected by members m m¹ to the levers k and to the levers
with their noses P.
These levers and members are, in order, that the same may be arranged close to
each other and also radial, preferably made of sheet metal. The levers ke turn in
the fulcrums in the bolts'o', which can be adjusted by means of set screws o³ and
run through adjustable bolts o* of the rail o' whereby the levers are arranged in
grooves in the rail n and turn on the fulcrum n'.

page_text: The note sheet which is unrolled from the roller d is led over a movable
rail d³ with groove d' and is rolled onto the roller d'.
In the Figures 1 and 2 the mechanisms are represented out of operation.
The operation of the same is effected by the orifices of the note sheet which
represent the notes and which permit the nose of the lever to enter the recess or
groove of the rail d³. In this manner the segment 9 will, by means of the
levers 1, k, or the members m, m¹ be pressed onto the transport roller c as shown
by the dotted lines in Figure 2. The band and wire rods f are attracted by the
movement and the rods e caused to operate the key levers as by means of the rail f¹
and levers e¹.
The rod e is retained in raised position according to the size of the orifices in the
note sheet. On the latter being moved forwards the nose is forced out of the
recess d' and the segment g brought out of contact with the transport roller c by
means of the levers l, k & h so that the parts are brought into the position shown
in Figure 1 and 2. The pressure of the segment 9 on the roller c can be regulated
at will by means of the spring and set screw k³ on the lever k.
In order to attain a gentle stroke of the rods e on the key levers a³ the former
are provided with caps et with spring e³ (Figures 2 & 5). The rods e are guided
by means of rails p with longitudinal slots p' between which the guides p' with
noses p³ are arranged as represented in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
In adjusting the rods e the rails p are loosened so that the guides p² can be
readily moved the same being fixed by drawing up the rails preferably by means of
screws so that the noses p³ of the guides p gear into the grooves p¹ in order to
securely retain the guides p2 in position. The rollers c and d are driven by means
of bevel wheels 7 and cord drums r r.
If the note sheet d has been wound onto the roller and the piece of music thus
played to the end the same can be readily transferred to the roller d so that the
piece can be repeated.
A lever s is fixed to the bottom of the case a³ and can be depressed by the foot,
such movement being transmitted by the cord or strap s¹ to the cord drum so as to
overcome the pressure of the spring t by means of the lever and bring the worm
out of gear with the worm wheel u of the roller d'. The cord drum r with lever t¹
and worm u is movably arranged in the point t* of the frame b. The cord s¹ gears
simultaneously with the angle lever vv on the fulcrum v² so that when the arm vis
depressed and the spring extended the strap drum will be coupled to the cord
drum by means of the coupling w.
The movement of the bevel wheels q is now transmitted by the cord drum r and
strap drum & with strap a³ in opposite direction to the strap drum al and roller d and
hereby to the note sheet. In order to bring the noses of the lever during the
return motion of the note sheet out of gear with the latter the same are withdrawn
by means of the rail y which operates on the lower ends of the levers k. The
rail y is arranged on the rod y¹ carried in bearings on the frame b. The cord s
is connected to the rod y¹ by an arm y' which, on the treadles being operated, will
cause the rod y' and rail y to be pressed towards the lever k.
In order that in fitting the frame b, the same may be readily adjusted in any
desired direction the feet 61 of the same are provided with horizontal slots 6' whic..
are connected to the frame b with its longitudinal slots 6 by means of connecting
links 6 with slots 64.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
A device for automatically playing pianos and similar instruments, characterised
by the following devices.
1) The construction of the frame for carrying the driving roller, note roller
and playing mechanism arranged vertically in the piano and parallel to the wires
whereby the movement of the playing mechanism is produced by a nose l' of the

page_text: articulated levers l, k, h (arranged in superposed position and parallel to the note-
sheet) gearing into the note sheet, in connection with the segment g, wire f, rail f¹,
lever and rod e, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
2) The spring with set screw for pressing the segment g onto the transport.
roller c, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
3) The arrangement of the set screw f' in connection with the rail and
lever el for regulating the stroke of the rod e, substantially as described and shown
in the drawings.
4) The device for facilitating the easy stroke of the rods e on the key levers a*
consisting of the cap with spring attached to the 'ends of the said rods e,.
substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
5) The device for returning the note sheet consisting of the bell crank lever v.
connected to the treadle levers by a cord s' the operation of which causes a coupling
of the cord drum with the strap drums or roller d by means of the coupling w
and the release of the cord drum with its worm u from its gear with the worm
wheel u' substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
6) The guide rails p with groove p¹ and guides p' with groove p³ for the secure
guiding and adjustment of the rods e substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.
7) The connection of the frame 6 with the feet 6' by the connecting members b³
with the slots 63, 6 6 so that the frame can be adjusted in any desired position,
substantially as described and shown in the drawing.
8) My improved device for automatically playing pianos and other similar-
instruments, substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of May 1832.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN. C.P.A.,
70, Chancery Lane, London, Filing Agent..