AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PIANISTA OR AUTOMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYING ON PIANOS OR OTHER KEYED INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
PIANISTA OR AUTOMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYING ON PIANOS OR OTHER KEYED
INSTRUMENTS," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying drawings and to the Figures and Letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
The difficulties arising in the construction of a "Pianista" or apparatus with
pneumatic action for effecting the automatic performance on a piano or other
keyed instrument are of two distinct kinds if the medium on which the music is
noted consists of paper, because the notation, being represented by holes formed in
paper of only slight strength, the touch of the "pianista" the finger or key of which.
passes in and out of these holes, must be very slight, while for playing on the
piano a comparatively considerable force is required.
In a former patent N° 945 of 1881 (being a communication to J. Imray from
the said Thibouville-Lamy) an apparatus was described intended to solve this
problem of combining a slight touch for the pianista with a strong touch for
playing on the piano.
According to the present invention a small bellows is provided for each note of
the pianista in addition to the large one heretofore employed, the small bellows
having for its object to effect the communication between hammers of the pianista
and the music paper, and to open the valve of the large bellows through which
the air pressure passes, and which offers a considerable resistance in the
suction-pneumatic arrangement. In the arrangements formerly employed, the
lever for opening this valve also effected the communication between the hammers
of the pianista and the music paper.
1
According to the present invention the hammers of the pinnista communicate
with the valves of the small bellows, which offer much less resistance, so that
paper can readily be used instead of cardboard for the music paper.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shews a part cross section of a pianista,
shewing one note. Fig. 2 shews a plan, Fig. 3 shews a back view.
To the ordinary bellows A of each note is added a small bellows B, communi-
cating with the conduit C in which the exhaust is produced. The rod d rises or
falls according as the key or finger x which actuates it, is moved by the passage of
the holes in the music paper X; when it rises, the lever g urged by the spring h
closes the valve f and opens the valve a through the medium of the lever i.
valve facilitates the opening of the valve k; the latter is so arranged that it closes
of itself without the aid of a spring, being replaced in position by the weight of the
part on the right hand side and by the suction.
The
The valve a also operates without a spring, the lead plate p being sufficient to
close it. When the valve a is raised the conduit C communicates with the small
bellows B; the leaf of the latter falls and the pilot rod b attached thereto bears
upon the lever j and thus opens the suction valve C of the large bellows A; this
bellows closes and actuates the hammer Y. The lever j by its other end raises the
valve e, which is thus closed. This valve is independent of the lever and detaches
itself when the lever j descends.
In the above arrangement there may be added, in the one or other bellows,
improved means for opening the aperture for the inlet of air, according to which,
instead of having to effect a direct pull upon the plug of a valve, there are provided
two perforated slides, one moving upon the other and actuated so that in one
position, the holes of the one being opposite those of the other, the air can pass
through, while in the other position, the air passage is cut off. These slides may
be actuated either directly by the piano keys or by means of the small bellows.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew a modification in which the valves are replaced by such
perforated slides, these being indicated by the same letters of reference that
indicate the valves in the preceding arrangement at fig. 1. In this case, the small
bellows B can be arranged perpendicularly to the large one; it has a special suction
passage C¹, but otherwise the mode of operating is the same.
By means of this arrangement, the pressure of the pilot rod d corresponding to
the key fig. 3 can be made very slight, being but one twelfth the weight of the
rod d of the other arrangement; in consequence hereof thin music paper can be
used in place of cardboard and the caoutchouc feed rollers F can be placed to the
right hand, in front of the grooved cylinder G into which the ends of the keys x
penetrate the paper consequently passes out of itself at the end of the piece,
which is a great advantage. Fig. 6 shews a mechanism allowing all the ends of
the keys to be lowered when the paper or cardboard is inserted below the
cylinder G, while, at the same time, the latter slightly raised. On each side of the
pianista is arranged a lever m, pivotted at n and abutting against the underside
of the bearings of the cylinder G. When the paper or cardboard is to be placed
in position, the lever a, carrying a cam shaped rod z is turned so as to cause this
to depress the ends of the keys, while at the same time, it effects the raising of
the cylinder G, in bearing against the levers m.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim in respect of Pianistas of the kind herein referred to :-
:
First The combination with the large bellows for each note of a small bellows
which effects the communication between the hammers of the pianista and the
music paper and which serves to open the valve of the large bellows, substantially
as herein described.
Second: The arrangements herein described with reference to figs. 1, 2 and 3 of
the drawings for actuating the hammers by the combined action of the large and
small bellows.
Third: The modified arrangement herein described with reference to figs. 4
and 5, wherein perforated slides are substituted for the valves of the bellows.

page_text: Fourth The arrangement herein described with reference to fig. 6 of the
drawings for facilitating the introduction of the music paper between the keys
and the grooved cylinder.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.