IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY PLAYING PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY PLAYING
PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS." A communication from
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1881.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MECHANICALLY PLAYING PLANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS." [A com-
munication from abroad by Claude Gavioli, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for mechanically
playing pianos, organs, and similar instruments, and in which compressed air is
employed to work a series of pneumatic levers for actuating the keys or valves of
the piano, or organ, or other instrument to be played upon.
In carrying out this Invention a strip of paper, parchment, or other suitable
material perforated according to the tune or piece intended to be played is caused
to travel slowly under the ends of levers which are pivotted to a fixed rail, and
are equal in number to the keys of the instrument to be played upon.
These levers are caused to bear lightly upon the surface of the perforated strip
by springs, and as the strip travels along the ends of the levers will be presse:1
down into the perforations. The opposite ends of these levers bear against rods
pendent from balanced valves situate in a small wind chest placed above the levers,
and supplied with compressed air from bellows at the bottom of the apparatus.
As these valves are balanced a very slight pressure is sufficient to raise them from
their seats. When raised they will permit of the compressed air passing from the
wind chest into a series of channels which conduct the air into small pneumatic
levers, at the same time closing the exit passages from those levers. These small
LPC71

page_text: pneumatic levers are connected by rods to pendent spring levers, which act upon
a series of balanced clack valves which admit the air to and allow it to escape from
a series of larger pneumatic levers.
These larger pneumatic levers are intended to act upon the valves or keys of
the instrument to be played upon. They are formed of a fixed frame of wood,
one side of this frame having pivotted to it a tablet of wood which is bound to
the frame by a strip of leather in such a manner as to form a bellows. The
opposite side of the frame is closed in by a sheet of paper or other suitable
material.
The flexible side of each of these pneumatic levers is provided with a finger
which bears against one limb of a bell crank lever pivotted in a fixed bar. The
other limb of the bell crank lever underlies a lever which may be connected either
with one of the keys or with one of the valves of the instrument intended to be
played upon.
The strip of perforated paper is wound on a roller which is driven by a worm
and worm wheel actuated by a handle, and is provided with means whereby the
speed at which it is driven may be reduced as the perfored strip is wound on.
The larger pneumatic levers may be used if desired in combination with an
ordinary pin drum in lieu of the strip of paper or other material, in which case the
small pneumatic levers will be dispensed with.
The sinall pneumatic levers each consist of a plate of wood pivotted in a small
chamber, and made air tight by glueing parchment or other suitable material
round the edges both of the plate and the chamber, so that the former will be free
to rise and fall in the latter. To the outside of this plate of wood is secured a rigid
piece by which the rod connected to the pendant lever before referred to is
attached to the small pneumatic lever.
Air to work the pneumatic levers is derived from a bellows or other suitable
blowing apparatus which is worked in any convenient manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th January 1882.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
MECHANICALLY PLAYING PIANOS, ORGANS, AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS." A com-
munication from abroad by Claude Gavioli, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of apparatus for mechanically
playing organs, pianos, and other keyed instruments, and in which compressed air
is employed to work a series of pneumatic levers for actuating the valves or keys,
as the case may be, of the instrument to be played upon.
In carrying out this Invention it is preferred to dispense with the use of barrels
or pegged plates to act on the valves or keys, and in lieu thereof strips of paper,.
parchment, or other suitable material perforated according to the tune or piece to
be played are employed. These strips are caused to travel slowly under the
weighted ends of levers suitably mounted, and equal in number to the keys or
valves of the instrument to be played. These levers are arranged to act on valves
to open certain passages from a supplementary wind chest to small pneumatic
levers, which act upon a second series of pneumatic levers. These levers which
receive motion from a second wind chest act on the valves or keys of the instru
ment to be played.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of the
whole apparatus forming the subject of this Invention.
Fig. 2 is a front view, partly in section, shewing the arrangement of levers
resting on the strip of perforated paper, and which act on the valves of the supple-
mentary wind chest.
The remaining Figures, 3 to 13, shew some of the parts in detail and on an
enlarged scale, and also certain modifications in form, all of which will be more
particularly referred to hereafter.
A, Fig. 1, is a wind chest formed with a series of partitions, so as to produce a
number of passages equal to the number of valves of the instrument when the
apparatus is to be used for playing on an organ.
Each of these passages leads to a clack valve B which is kept against its seat.
by a spring and glued on parchment in the ordinary manner, but carrying at the
hinge end a small tail piece C covered with thin parchment or leather.
As the valve is made to open by pushing on the rod D, the tail piece C will
enter between the partitions, and the valve becomes in fact a balanced valve, as
the pressure of the air on the tail portion will compensate for that on the
other end.
This valve in opening under the action of the rod D allows the compressed air
contained in the space Ĕ (in communication by the passage E' with the bellows).
to enter the wind chest A, and pass to the pneumatic lever M which serves to
actuate, as will be hereafter described, a valve of the instrument. G is a metal
plate screwed on the moveable plate M¹ so as to project slightly beyond it, and this
projection, as the plate is moved by the air, communicates movement to a curved
piece I of wire formed with a double elbow which transmits the movement through
a lever or arm H pivotted at H, either direct or by means of a rod J to the valve
of the instrument. When it is desired to strike on the keys of a piano as when
using a pianista, the rod J is replaced by a lever which is of sufficient length to
overlie the keys of the piano.
On the wind chest A is secured a frame K having a number of compartments

page_text: equal to the valves or keys. Two openings L made in each. of these compartments
allow for the escape of the air which has served its purpose, and which remains in
the lever bellows M after the note has ceased to speak. These openings L are
closed by valves attached to a balance lever N ; one of these valves open inside and
the other outside. The external valve O is connected with the lever N by the
threaded rods P which are provided with nuts, by which the distance of the
valve O from the plate K may be regulated.
The lever N is actuated by the arm q pivotted at g', and terminated at its outer
end by a fork into which the rod R in connection with the lever N enters. This
rod R is also provided with a regulating nut, and a spring is provided to press the
arm q outwards into the position to keep the valves in their normal position of
open.
The arm q is moved by the bellows X through the arm m¹, and rod n¹. The rod n¹
is provided with a nut which presses against the arm q and forces it inwards, the
effect of which is to release the pressure on the nut of the rod R and allow the
spring N¹ to act on the balance lever N to rock it on its pivot and close the
openings L, L, at the same time the arm q will press on the rod D and open
the clack valve B to allow the passage of the air to the lever bellows M in the
direction shown by the arrows.
At Figures 5, 6, and 7, a modification of above arrangement is shown; in this
modification the action of the mechanism on the instrument is caused by means of
a roller acting by friction on rock levers of special form, the action of the lever
bellows M (which in this case will be of smaller dimensions) being solely to hold
up the valve of the instrument so as to give a sustained sound.
The roller a is mounted horizontally on the apparatus in such a manner as to
extend a length equal to that of the key board of the instrument.
It is formed generally of wood covered with india rubber or other suitable
material, and receives its movement from the driving shaft of the apparatus through
any kind of gearing.
Between the roller a and the wind chest A are arranged levers 3 in number
equal to the valves of the instrument, each of these levers carries a semicircular
piece which is pivotted at y'; and as this piece descends on to the roller under
the action of the arm q it rocks on its pivot, and by means of the rod 6 and arm e
moves the valves of the instrument.
Regulating nuts limit the motion of the levers B, and springs suitably placed 3
cause the return of these levers to their normal position after the action bas
received its movement from the roller α.
One of the most important points in this modification consists in the employment
of the pneumatic levers M. to hold up the valves, as will be hereafter described, so
as to permit of the levers B returning to their normal position after the blow has 4
been given.
In this modification the wind chest A is slightly modified; it is composed of a
series of chambers, each enclosing a balanced valve 5 which serves to close the
opening. On the front of the wind chest, that is to say, on the side opposite to
the roller a is a series of air chambers closed by a plate or plates 6, and each con- 4
taining a clack valve 2. These clack valves are connected with the balanced
valves by rods μ, and are actuated through rods by the levers B.
P
The valves are kept closed by the pressure of their springs and of the air
contained in the chamber, and they assist in keeping open the balance valves
enclosed in the second compartment of the wind chest.
5
When by reason of the rocking of the lever ẞ the valve A is opened the balance
valve is closed, and air from the main bellows passes into the lever bellows M by
the passage. These lever bellows act on and raise by means of their arms m¹
and pivotted rods m² (Figures 5, 6, and 7) the arms e, and maintain them in the
raised position until the valve à closes, in doing which it opens the balance valve 5
and permits the air contained in the lever bellows M to escape through the
opening, and the valve of the instrument is allowed also to close.

page_text: As has been stated above, strips of perforated paper or parchment are used to
cause the movement of the levers Z which work the apparatus, and it is therefore
necessary to avoid all resistance or friction in transmitting the movement from
these levers to the other parts of the apparatus.
To this end an additional series of pneumatic levers X is employed. The office
of these levers X is to act on the valves of the wind chest A, as has already been
described, and they are put in motion by compressed air entering by the passages Y
which open to a second wind chest of small dimensions.
The sinall lever bellows X, of which Fig. 4 represents an underneath view, are
constructed in the same manner as the large lever bellows M before described,
and their moveable plate X' carries a finger piece m² which transmits the move-
ment of the plate to a rod n¹ in connection with the pivotted arm q before
referred to.
The compressed air is distributed to the lever bellows X from the small additional
wind chest which is represented in vertical section in the upper part of Fig. 1, the
size of this wind chest being about one sixth that of A.
Fig. 3 shews in plan partly in section the upper part of the small wind chest
with the arrangement of openings, over which are fitted the pieces S which carry
four sets of equilibrium valves in metal (Fig. 2). These openings are formed in
the three thicknesses of wood T, U, V, which form channels from which the air
passes by the opening Y, to the small lever bellows X.
The piece S (Fig. 2) carries, as will be seen, four ssts of balanced valves z
which close in opposite directions two openings so as to overcome the resistance of
the pressure of air. These valves z are contained in an air chamber covered by a
plate a screwed to the apparatus, and this chamber is in direct communication
with the bellows. To the centre of each valve is pivotted a rod 61 which passes
down the centre of the opening c.
These rods each terminate in a small cylindrical block d' of wood or metal,.
which presents a sufficiently extended surface to the action of the lever Z, and
serves at the same time to close the opening e¹ which remains open when the
valve is closed.
By this simple arrangement the air is introduced into the small lever bellows X,
when a lever Z pressed by a spring f¹ falls into one of the holes in the paper or
parchment, and when the lever Z is raised by the full portions of the paper or
parchment, the small bellows is immediately discharged, the piece d' ceasing to
stop at the opening e'.
The orifices of these openings, into which the pieces d' enter, are formed in a
plate of metal g', two deep grooves in its thickness being formed by which the
wind escapes.
Fig. 2 bis represents a slight modification of the piece S and of the valves. In
this arrangement the equilibrium of the valves is effected only by the pressure of
the air acting on a piece of leather or parchment fixed across the opening in which
the end of the lever opposite to the valve works, and in this manner the air
passes only by half the openings formed in the piece S, and thus half the chances
of escape are removed.
The paper or other material with the perforations corresponding to the notes
of the piece of music to be played is carried by two reels 'n', o¹, each of which
consists of a small wooden roller and two end plates screwed thereto.
These reels n', o¹, are mounted in a suitable framework placed between two
supports, which are provided with forked pieces to maintain the frames in
their proper position.
When only a short piece of music is to be performed, a band of paper joined
together at its two ends will be sufficient; or when the same piece of music is to be
repeated continuously the end plates of the two reels are removed, and the rollers h¹
will be covered with india rubber or other soft material which will have sufficient
hold on the paper to draw it forward. In this case one of the rollers will be

page_text: mounted in adjustable bearings, and will be caused to press on the other by a spring,
A diagram of this arrangement is shown at Fig. 13.
Rotary motion is communicated to the reels which carry the perforated paper
by means of a shaft (Figures 1 and 2), which is actuated from the driving
shaft.
The shaft carries at one end a worm which gears into a worm wheel on the
axle of the reel o¹, and at the other end a bevil wheel which gears with a bevil
wheel on the driving shaft. The main bellows m' are also worked from the
driving shaft in any convenient manner.
The perforated paper is drawn off by the driven reel o¹ from the reel n¹, on
which it has been rolled up, but between the two reels it passes over a metal rod p¹.
This rod has a longitudinal groove made in its upper side, in which the ends of the
levers Z drop when an opening in the paper presents itself, and it is by the depth
of this groove that the movement of the levers is limited.
It will be evident that the groove may be dispensed with if thick paper or card-
board be used instead of thin paper or parchment; but in this case it will be
necessary to reduce the small arm of the lever to preserve the same amount of
displacement at their opposite ends for acting on the small blocks d'.
The introduction of the paper over the rod p¹ may be easily effected after raising
simultaneously all the levers Z by means of an excentric W arranged for the
purpose.
When the band of paper, which is attached by its two ends to the reels, is com-
pletely unrolled from the reel n³, the working of the apparatus must be stopped,
or the band is likely to be torn.
To avoid any inconvenience of this kind the connection between the worm
wheel and the bobbin o' is formed by what may be termed a friction coupling.
This coupling, shown in Fig. 1, consists of a spring q', which is secured at the
centre of its length to the centre of a copper disc 71 attached to the worm
wheel.
The spring q' is made to bear against the disc 1 with sufficient pressure to turn
with it until the spring meets with resistance, when it will slide over the surface
of the disc. The spring as it turns with the disc comes into contact with a
cranked handle q2 mounted on the axle of the reel o¹, and turns this handle and
with it the reel o' until the whole of the paper has been drawn off the reel n¹
which then stops. The resistance thus created acts on the handle q² and prevents
the spring q¹ from turning with the disc 11.
In order to render uniform the speed at which the paper unrolls from one reel
and rolls upon the other, and particularly when the apparatus is driven by a motor
of any kind, the mode of transmitting the power just described may be replaced by
that represented in Fig. 11.
On
In this arrangement the driving shaft acts on the reel by means of mechanism
carried by the rocking arm t. This mechanism consists of two bevilled pinions t¹, t²,
which are placed in connection with the shaft by the universal joint u'.
the axle of the pinion t¹ is keyed the toothed wheel which rests on and runs in
contact with the plate s' of the reel. This plate is covered with india rubber or
other suitable material which will allow the wheel v to bite thereon. A friction
roller a¹, also carried by the arm t, runs in contact with the paper on the roller h¹,
so that as the amount of paper on the roller increases the arm t is pushed back,
carrying with it the wheel v, which as it approaches nearer the periphery of the
plate & decreases the speed of the roller h¹.
It will be understood that the arrangement of the apparatus above described is
capable of various modifications, according to the nature of the instrument to be
played; for instance, the pneumatic levers shewn in Fig. 1 may be made to form
part of the instrument to be played.
I would here remark t! t when no great effort is required to open the valves
or otherwise play the instrument the working of such valves or other parts may
be effected direct from the first series of pneumatic levers X.

page_text: In this case the perforated paper on its reels, the series of levers Z with their
equilibrium balanced valves, the air passages to the lever bellows X, and these
levers will be retained and the rods will act directly on the valves or keys, as
the case may be, of the instrument.
Fig. 12 shews in diagram the application of a pin barrel to the arrangement of
apparatus shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7. c' is a bell crank lever mounted in a
transverse piece B', so that all the pins arranged in the same line of the barrel A
shall strike against the shorter arm of the lever and raise it as they pass.
The opposite end of the lever will act on the arm q to actuate the remaining
parts.
Having now described the nature of this Invention for "Improvements in
Apparatus for Mechanically Playing Pianos, Organs, and similar Instruments," as
communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim,-
First. The apparatus, substantially as herein described and shewn in the
Drawings for automatically playing on pianos, organs, and similar instruments,
whereby by the employment of strips of perforated paper or other suitable material
the performance of long pieces of music may be effected without interruption.
Second. The application of compressed air acting through an arrangement of
equilibrium balance valves which distribute it to a series of small pneumatic levers
to transmit movement to a second series of pneumatic levers which act on the
valves or other parts of the instrument to be played, substantially as and for the
purpose herein shewn and described.
Third. The application of equilibrium balance valves constructed and operated.
in the manner herein shewn and described, to distribute the compressed air to
a small additional wind chest, as set forth.
Fourth. The series of small pneumatic levers constructed and arranged as shewn
and described, and provided with means for transmitting movement to the
parts which act on the valves or other working parts of the instrument to be
played.
Fifth. The arrangement of large wind chest provided with a double series of
equilibrium balance valves, and the mechanical arrangements for working such
valves, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Sixth: The construction and arrangement of pneumatic levers for actuating the
valves or other working parts of the instrument, and the mode of working such
levers, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Seventh. The arrangement of apparatus for working the valves or other working
parts of the instrument to be played, substantially as described and shewn with
reference to Figures 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
Eighth. The application to either of the pneumatic apparatus herein described
of a pin barrel in lieu of the perforated paper, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
H. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)