mprovements in Musical Instruments capable of Manual or Mechanical Operation.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1899-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
mprovements in Musical Instruments capable of Manual or Mechanical
Operation.
We, FRANZ HANKE, of 48, Chausseestrasse, Berlin, N., Germany, Manufacturer,
and FRANZ SCHAEFFER, of 48, Chausseestrasse, Berlin, N., Germany, 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:-
The object of this invention is to greatly simplify certain devices used for
main feature of the
mechanically playing ordinary and orchestral pianos, a
invention being that the connection between the valve and air boxes on the one
hand, and the working bellows on the other hand, which heretofore consisted of
complicated angle and lever transmissions and greatly hampered the reliable
playing action of the instrument, is effected by means of simple suction channels.
Moreover the arrangement of valves, levers and the like in the interior of the
wind boxes is avoided; and further, owing to the fact that the formerly usual
single wind box extending over the whole length of the instrument is replaced
by four very short wind boxes (b, b, b, b, Figure 1 of the accompanying draw-
ings), music discs, which are easily exchanged, can be substituted for the long
music sheets so difficult of handling. Finally it may be mentioned that the
whole set of devices used for mechanical playing is mounted on a board into
which the above-mentioned suction channels between the wind boxes and work-
ing bellows are cut, whereby repairing of the instrument is rendered possible
by simply withdrawing the board. The mechanical playing device, here de-
scribed, may then be easily repaired, seeing that free access may be had to all
the parts.
In the case of orchestral pianos the connecting tubes 1 to 9 are in addition
employed.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device proper for mechanical play-
ing, the music disc, motor and rope pulleys having been omitted.
Figure 2 is a front elevation showing the said device for ordinary pianos.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the pointed
levers.
Figure 4 is a detail view of one of said pointed levers.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through a wind box, the openings leading
to the suction channels not being shown.
Figure 6 shows the arrangement of the suction channels in the board A, A¹
Figure 7 shows the wheel which actuates the music disc, and
Figure 8 is an elevation of the device for mechanical playing applied to
orchestral pianos.
In Figure 1a are the air suction chests, the wind boxes, c the suction valves
and d the devices for actuating same, e the air admission valves, and f¹ to f¹
the pointed levers, which are movably attached to the bracket g. The board A A¹
with its suction channels h is also shown in this figure. Adjacent to the back

page_text: of this board are the working bellows for actuating the striking mechanism
for both kinds of instruments, ciz. ordinary and orchestral pianos. For the
latter instrument rubber tubes 1 to 9 are in addition arranged as shown in Figure 8
between the suction channels in the board A A¹ and the working bellows
to for the drum T and kettle-drum Q, between the reservoir bellows R and
the wind box W, and between wind box W and the pipes 1'. For working the
cymbal B, a working bellows is arranged directly on the board A, A¹. For
playing ordinary pianos only suction air is used. For orchestral pianos the same
is the case, excepting the sounding of the pipes, which is effected by compressed
air. This compressed air is obtained from the suction air that is employed for
working the other parts, the arrangement being such that this suction air is
conveyed to a reservoir bellows R and thence in the form of compressed air passes
through the tubes 6 to 9 to the wind box W and to the pipes P' respectively.
Into the wind box W a slider S is inserted carrying at its outer end two working
bellows and 8, which are worked directly by the music discs, namely when
those openings of the music disc have been reached at which the pipes P are
again to play or to be again silent, the bellows, 18 are caused to either draw in
or to discharge air.
In Figure 2, M is the motor, n, p and q are rope pulleys, o is the music disc
and a rod capable of rotation which forces the music disc against the pointed
levers. In the case of the orchestral piano shown in Figure it was, owing
to sufficient space, possible to arrange the motor M above the rope pulley n, so
that the rope pulley could be omitted.
The music disc o consists of metal and is provided with two kinds of openings,
those marked corresponding to the notes of the music and having their lengths
adapted to the measure of the music. Into these openings fall the pointed
levers fto f for the purpose of producing the effect hereinafter described. The
openings y are circular and of equal size and are equidistantly arranged around
the edge of the music disc. Into these openings catch the spherical heads or
teeth of the wheel illustrated in Figure 7 in such manner that the music disc
is caused to rotate upon a central pin.
In Figure 3 the two horizontal double lines connected by two vertical lines
diagrammatically represent the bracket g for the pointed levers f¹ to ft.
The longitudinal section through a wind box (Figure 5) illustrates its partition-
ing into chambers.
In Figure 6 the board A. A with the suction channels his represented. The
lines drawn in this figure indicate the exact path of the suction channels between
the wind boxes and the working bellows. The suction channels commence behind
the wind boxes b and the openings communication with the latter are marked r,
st and u. The suction channels terminate in three ranges I, II, III at the
back of the board A A' and here the working bellows for the strings of the
piano are connected. For the kettle-drum and drum (Figure 8) the correspond-
ing suction channels pass up to the top edge of the board whereas
the suction channel for the cymbal B terminates at the front. The
board A, A consists properly speaking of two boards, a strong one A in which
the suction channels with the conduits to the working bellows to are pro-
vided, and a thin or weaker A' one into which the openings leading to the wind
boxes 6 and the working bellows are bored. The two boards are hermetically
connected with each other.
This improved device operates in the following manner:
The motor M having been connected, the cord or rope has the effect of setting
the rope pulleys q, p, in the case of the ordinary piano, or y, in the case of an
orchestral piano, and simultaneously the rope disc ", in rotary motion. The
latter is connected with the main suction bellows and moreover turns a shaft J
located behind said disen by means of a worm gear. Upon the other end of
this shaft the wheel shown in Figure 7 is mounted, the spherical heads or teeth
of which catch into the openings y of the music disc o, thereby causing the latter

page_text: to rotate. Directly beside the actuating wheel the system of pointed levers, diagram-
matically shown in Figure 3, and a portion of which only is shown in Figures 1 and 3,
is arranged. When the points of these levers f¹ to ft are located behind the unper-
forated part of the music disc, the valves located in the wind boxes band
serving for the suction chests a, are closed, whilst the wind boxes b themselves
as well as the suction channels and the working bellows k and to are filled
with outer air. When, upon rotation of the music disc, the points of corre-
sponding levers f enter the note indicating openings a owing to pressure from
the valves c are
e
outer valves
closed and
are
the spring c¹, the
to 16
".
the suction chests
opened to
The working bellows
thereby thrown into communication with the wind boxes b, they draw in air
and knock the see-saw pieces against the corresponding keys or against the
key board m, and the various drum sticks and mallets against the drum, kettle-
drum and cymbal. In orchestral pianos, where there is no key board, only
the mechanism is struck, whilst the pipes Pare sounded by compressed air in
the manner above described.
l
are
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. A device for the mechanical playing of ordinary pianos the characteristic
feature being that by the action of pointed levers fl to f' catching into the
openings e of the music disc o, set in rotary motion, the outer valves e are closed
the valves opened toward the suction chests a, the working bellows caused
to draw in air and the see-saw-pieces forced upwards against the key board m,
in connection with the four superposed wind boxes and with the suction
channels cut into the board A.
2. The modification of the device for the mechanical playing of orchestral
pianos consisting in that by the suction of the working bellows k, only the
mechanism (strings) is struck, and by the working bellows to the drum T
kettle drum and cymbal B are operated, and that by the air, used for working
the above mentioned parts and compressed, any suitable number of pipes Pare
played.
3. The combination for the mechanical playing of orilinary and of orchestral
pianos of the metallic music disc with the devices mentioned in the first and
second claims respectively.