Improvements in Motor-driven or Automatic Pianos or Piano-organs.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor-driven or Automatic Pianos or Piano-organs.
We, CHARLES ROMANO, of 6, Victoria Dwellings, Clerkenwell Road, London,
Musical Mechanician, and PASQUALE AMATO (trading as Pasquale & Co.), of 5,
Phoenix Place, Calthorpe Street, Gray's Inn Road, London, Piano-organ Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in motor driven or automatic
pianos or piano-organs and is as follows:-
In a mechanical piano or piano-organ having a cylinder of the usual well-
known construction or any other suitable character we arrange and combine
therewith a spring motor for rotating said cylinder and we either mount said
spring motor in the form of a coiled spring inside said cylinder or we may
arrange said spring motor at the end of said cylinder that is to say we affix the
motor in this arrangement to the inside of the piano case or otherwise mount
same independently of the cylinder but in suchwise that same is in gear with
said cylinder or will rotate same as and when desired.
When the spring motor is arranged inside the cylinder as aforesaid we employ a
suitable powerful coiled spring (i.c. like a clock spring) one end affixed to the
inside of the cylinder and the other end of said spring affixed to an axle or
shaft running centrally through said cylinder.
Suitable winding mechanism is provided by which to revolve said axle or
shaft (with suitable pawl and ratchet wheel to prevent return movement of said
shaft) while the cylinder itself (advantageously at the opposite end) is provided
with a ring of teeth or a gear wheel which gears with a regulating mechanism
consisting of a suitable train of wheels which gear up and rotate at a very high
speed a vertical shaft provided with suitable governors for instance small ball
governor (of the well-known type used for governing steam engines and other
motors) or other suitable governor acting by centrifugal force; or we may use
other suitable types of governor for instance a suitable fan may be used if desired.
In combination with this governor we arrange a brake or regulating device by
which we can permit the cylinder to revolve at a greater or less speed as may
be desired for instance we provide a rotary shaft with a knob on the exterior of
the case while the inner end of said shaft is screw-threaded and screws into a
forked or other suitable device which is thereby pressed against the revolving
shaft or some other working part of the governor; or we may arrange a shaft to
screw through the side of the case and thereby act as a brake to regulate the speed
of the cylinder; or we may employ other suitable construction or character of
brake.
In order to prevent over-winding we provide (advantageously at the opposite end
of the cylinder to the winding end) a tooth on the main shaft or axle (which
latter passes through the cylinder) such tooth at each revolution of the said shaft
gearing with a stop wheel pivotted to the cylinder (this stop wheel having teeth
arranged partly around its circumference) whereby said stop wheel is moved the

page_text: distance of one of its teeth at each revolution of the main shaft when winding
until the spring is sufficiently wound at which moment the said single tooth of the
main shaft will have moved all the teeth in the stop wheel past same consequently
now bringing opposite said single tooth a non-toothed surface or dead surface on
said stop wheel of such a form as to prevent the further rotation of said tooth and
consequently preventing any further winding rotation of said main shaft.
Any suitable stopping and starting device may be used for instance a stop may
be arranged to be moved into and out of the path of travel of the said revolving
governor balls and on releasing said stop the cylinder will be revolved by the
now wound spring and in its rotation will carry the said stop wheel round the
said tooth on the main axle (which latter is now at rest) and thereby the stop
wheel will be revolved and returned to its former position.
Instead of arranging the motor inside the cylinder as aforesaid, we may
arrange and mount same independently of said cylinder viz. either on the inside
of the casing or on a separate and special support within the casing and between
the latter and the cylinder end, for instance we may mount the spring motor on
a removable part of the casing known as the "door" so that when said door is
removed the spring motor will thereby be withdrawn that is to say the spring
motor will be moved from the axle and withdrawn from the interior of the
cylinder and thus permit a new cylinder to be introduced (with a fresh set of
tunes arranged thereon) the interior of said new cylinder at one end thereof
being of similar form to the last i.e. adapted to receive the said motor therein so
that different cylinders may be rotated by the same motor-the other arrange-
ment and construction being as before described.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, CHARLES ROMANO, of 6, Victoria Dwellings, Clerkenwell Road, London,
Musical Mechanician, and PASQUALE AMATO (trading as Pasquale & Co.), of 5,
Phoenix Place, Calthorpe Street, Gray's Inn Road, London, Piano-organ Manu-
facturer, 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:-
This invention has for its object improvements in motor driven or automatic
pianos or piano-organs and is as follows:-
In a mechanical piano or piano-organ having a pin-barrel or cylinder of the usual
well-known construction or any other suitable character a spring motor is arranged
and combined therewith for rotating said cylinder and said spring motor may
either be mounted inside said cylinder or said spring motor may be arranged
at the end of or outside of said cylinder that is to say in the latter case the
motor may be affixed to the inside of the piano case or otherwise mounted
independently of the cylinder but in suchwise that same is in gear with said
cylinder or will rotate same as and when desired.
When the spring motor is according to the present invention arranged inside
the cylinder as aforesaid a suitable powerful coiled spring may be employed
(i.e. like a clock spring) one end affixed to the inside of the cylinder and the

page_text: other end of said spring affixed to a winding shaft or axle or shaft running centrally
through said cylinder.
Whatever the form or arrangement of the motor may be suitable winding
mechanism is provided by which to revolve said axle or shaft (with suitable pawl
and ratchet wheel to prevent return movement of said shaft) while the cylinder
itself (advantageously at the opposite end) is provided with a ring or teeth or a
gear wheel which gears with a regulating mechanism consisting of a suitable
train of wheels which gear up and rotate at a very high speed a vertical shaft
provided with suitable governors for instance small ball governor (of the well-
known type used for governing steam engines and other motors) or other suitable
governor acting by centrifugal force; or we may use other suitable types of
governor for instance a suitable fan may be used if desired.
In combination with this governor is arranged a brake or regulating device by
which the cylinder can be permitted to revolve at a greater or less speed as may
be desired for instance a rotary shaft may be employed with a knob on the exterior
of the case while the inner end of said shaft is screw-threaded and screws into
or is yoked or otherwise connected to a forked or other suitable braking device
which is thereby pressed against the revolving shaft or some other working part
of the governor; we may arrange a shaft to screw through the side of the case
and thereby act as a brake to regulate the speed of the cylinder; or we may
employ other suitable construction or character of brake.
Means may be provided to prevent over-winding (advantageously at the opposite
end of the cylinder to the winding end) such as a tooth on the main shaft or
axle (which latter passes through the cylinder) such tooth at each revolution of
the said shaft gearing with a stop wheel pivoted to the cylinder (this stop wheel
having teeth arranged partly around its circumference) whereby said stop, wheel
is moved the distance of one of its teeth at each revolution of the main shaft
when winding until the spring is sufficiently wound at which moment the said
single tooth of the main shaft will have moved all the teeth in the stop wheel past
samie consequently now bringing opposite said single tooth a non-toothed surface
or dead surface on said stop wheel of such a form as to prevent the further
rotation of said tooth and consequently preventing any further winding rotation
of said main shaft.
Any suitable stopping and starting device may be used for instance a stop may
be arranged to be moved into and out of the path of travel of the said revolving
governor balls and on releasing said stop the cylinder will be revolved by the
now wound spring and in its rotation will carry the said stop wheel round the
said tooth on the main axle (which latter is now at rest) and thereby the stop
wheel will be revolved and returned to its former position.
Instead of arranging the motor inside the cylinder as aforesaid same may be
arranged and mounted independently of said cylinder viz. either on the inside
of the casing or on a separate and special support within the casing and between
the latter and the cylinder end, for instance I may mount the spring motor on
a removable part of the casing known as the "door" so that when said door is
removed the spring motor will thereby be withdrawn that is to say the spring
motor will be moved from the axle and withdrawn from the interior of the
cylinder and thus permit a new cylinder to be introduced (with a fresh set of
tunes arranged thereon) the interior of said new cylinder at one end thereof
being of similar form to the last i.e. adapted to receive the said motor therein so
that successive cylinders may be rotated by the same motor-the other arrange-
ment and construction being as before described.
"
In the accompanying drawings the invention is illustrated with the spring
motor arranged and carried inside the cylinder and not carried on the "door
described.
as
Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation (partly in section) of the interior mechanism
of this motor-driven or automatic piano or piano-organ the front casing being
removed to show the interior construction according to the present invention.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 2-2 Fig. 1.
a is the main cylinder or barrel provided with pins for actuating the hammers b
of the piano in the usual or any suitable manner.
c is the casing.
d is the "door" or removable end in said casing c.
e is winding shaft or axle journalled in said cylinder a.
fis motor-spring (in said cylinder a) contained in its casing 9 one end of said
spring being attached to the axle e by the screws f¹ or other suitable means
(or instead of screws f¹ keys or cotters sliding in a keyway in the axle c may be
used) and the other end of said spring f is attached to the interior of the
cylinder a by being fixed by the screws to its casing and the latter in turn is
fixed to the interior of the cylinder a by slotting or grooving the latter at a¹ and
providing corresponding ribs or tongues gl (on the exterior of the case g) adapted
to fit into said grooves a¹ and thus locking said case y to the interior of the
cylinder a.
I
his gear wheel rigidly fixed on axle and gearing with toothed wheel i which
latter is revolved by the winding handle on the exterior of the case-a pawl
being arranged to engage the ratchet wheel fixed to the said gear wheel i so
as to prevent the axle e from revolving in the opposite direction to its winding.
is spring fixed on the inside of door d and bearing against the end of the
axle e to keep the other end of said axle e pressed up against the tune-changing
cam y; this arrangement and this cam y being of the usual character.
kis ring of teeth (or gear wheel) fixed on the end of the cylinder a with which
gears the first wheel of a train of wheels by which the governors are actuated
and the brake automatically applied as follows:-
r
The train of wheels operated by said toothed wheels terminate in a worm
wheel with which engages the worm m on the vertical shaft n which latter is
thereby revolved at a high rate of speed.
This shaft has the transverse bar or arms o fixed rigidly thereto which
support a suitable pair of governor balls or weights p which in conjunction with
a spring are mounted and arranged to act in the manner well-known with this
type of governor for steam engines or other motors; only in this case the balls
when expanded serve to lift a conical brake wheel which latter is thus lifted
against the braking device or brake blocks s formed of 2 converging (tapering)
rods adapted to slide in the fixed rests t provided therefor said sliding blocks s
being adjusted (i.e. moved transversely with respect to the axis n) by means of
the set screw a to which latter they are yoked so that the converging inner faces
of said blocks s can thus (by means of the adjusting screw ) be moved closer
towards one another or further apart and thus the conical brake block will
come in contact therewith at either a slower or higher speed according to the
relative position to which said brake blocks s are adjusted.
w is knob on the end of stop-pin which latter is adapted to be pushed into
engagement with the balls p and stop the piano from playing.
Or other suitable means to stop the piano may be employed.
It will thus be seen that when the spring motor is wound and the stop-pin or
other stop withdrawn the cylinder a will be very slowly revolved and its speed
can be accurately regulated by means of the aforesaid governors and adjustable
Brake arrangement; while the motor can be removed and a new cylinder a (with
another set of tunes) can be introduced without difficulty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a motor-driven or automatic piano or piano-organ having a spring motor
to operate the cylinder or pin-barrel and means to wind said motor-the com-
bination therewith of means to regulate the speed of revolution of said cylinder
such regulating mechanism consisting of a ball governor mounted on a vertical
shaft the latter operated by said cylinder through the medium of a train of

page_text: wheels, a cone brake wheel such as r operated by said ball governor, adjustable
brake blocks such as s arranged to operate upon said brake wheel and means to
adjust said brake blocks s so as to thereby regulate the speed of the cylinder a
all combined and arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
2. In a motor-driven or automatic piano or piano-organ combining and
arranging the spring motor inside the cylinder or pin-barrel a in suchwise as to
revolve the latter substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
3. In a motor-driven or automatic piano or piano-organ arranging and mounting
the spring motor inside the cylinder or pin-barrel a in suchwise as to revolve
the latter in combination and acting in conjunction with means to regulate the
speed of revolution of said cylinder a such regulating mechanism con-
sisting of a ball governor mounted on a vertical shaft the latter
operated by said cylinder a through the medium of a train of wheels,
cone brake wheel such as r operated by said ball governor, adjustable
brake blocks such as s arranged to operate in conjunction with said
brake wheel and means to adjust said brake blocks s so as to thereby regulate
the speed of the cylinder a substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before described.
a
4. The improved arrangement and construction of motor-driven or automatic
pianos or piano-organs with regulating mechanism operated and operating sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and as illus-
trated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.