Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1917 Vol. 64 N. 17

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12
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PNEUMATICS
word, it was a pneumatic expression, reversed. INVENTS PNEUMATIC CONTROL VALVE
Now, inasmuch as the finger can, when the
WASHINGTON, D. C, April 23.—George W.
hand is unsupported, lift and drop several times
treadles were directly connected, and made to in a second, it is evident that this system gives Davenport and Louis J. Burkhim, Gainesville,
fold up flat against the front of the exhausters an extremely sensitive expression control, much Fla., were last week granted Patent No. 1,222,738
when not in use. The total width of the ex- quicker than the feet alone or even than the or- for an automatic piano player.
This invention consists of a new and useful
haust set was only about eighteen inches, and dinary buttons, which have to be held down,
by finishing off the front to match the piano, and then let up for an accent; a process slow, improvement in automatic piano players, adapted
to be applied to the ordinary type of upright
using the best brass treadles, hardware, pedal- stiff and tiring.
pianos,
without alteration to the piano. It com-
rods, etc., the effect was quite acceptable; so
The new system is an immense success. Com-
much so that it was decided not to attempt to bined with a little marker in front of the tracker- prises a combination of a plurality of pneumatic
cover up the set at all, but to leave them under bar to show the place of pneumatic division, it control valves of novel construction arranged
the piano in full sight. The effect turned out gives an accent control which for rapidity is in a player stack compose'd of two layers and
to be quite sightly, and Mrs. Jones was by no marvelous. Owing to the extraordinary quick- adapted to operate in conjunction with the usual
means displeased at the appearance.
ness with which the fingers, when they have no devices of an automatic piano player, such as
Housing the Equalizer
weight to support, can be raised and lowered, it a spool box, tracker bar and pneumatic gen-
The equalizer and the expression devices were gives results apparently possible only to an au- erator.
to be left in the place where the original bellows tomatic accent system cut into a special roll. All
system was housed. Using the original fram- who have heard it marvel at its effectiveness.
ing and supports, the old expression governors,
This is a substantially correct narrative of an
MERIDEN, CONN., April 26.—R. W. Carter, of the
after being repacked, shellacked and made tight, experiment carried out within the writer's Wilcox & White Co., and W. H. Lyon, secretary
were put back into place, and a new equalizer knowledge. It is offered in the hope that it may and treasurer of the Chas. Parker Co., were
made to occupy the remaining space, as the old prove suggestive to those who are thinking of
elected directors of the Board of Trade Indus-
ones would not fit neatly anywhere after the designing player grands in the near future.
trial Corp. at a meeting held here last week.
exhausters had been taken away.
It should be mentioned that the action was
divided into two compartments, between pneu-
matics Nos. 44 and 45. The division was also
carried out in the new stack so that the bass
and treble expression governors might be used
as before.
The Old Motor Remains
The motor was left in its original place, and
the transmission gear was retained untouched.
All that was necessary was to replace some parts
and tune things up generally, the original lay-
out having been so good that to attempt to im-
Nearly seven years of extraordinary success give us the
prove it seemed a waste of time.
The spool-box presented no harder problem.
right to claim that we have the player of right principles.
It was decided at once to leave the original ap-
No substantial change in construction has yet had to be
paratus intact, save for the necessary cleaning
and regulation of moving parts, arrangement of
made in the player piano that bears our name. Refine-
tubing to the new stack, and other details. But
ment in detail has been constant; but principles have
the expression lay-out was to be entirely re-
formed.
remained intact. We are proud of the
The Expression Control
On the spool-box there had been three but-
tons. One ran to the bass expression governor,
one to the treble expression governor and one
to the sustaining pedal pneumatic which had
been fastened near the lyre under the key-bed.
In place of the last, Jones made a simple rock-
ing lever under the key-bed, with its fulcrum
attached to the front of the exhausters and its
further end connecting, by means of a light
wire cable, with the bottom of the pedal-rod
because we have never had to re-design it, never had to pick it to
behind. The outer end contained a sliding
pieces to find out hidden faults, never had to apologize lor it.
metal rod with a handle on its end. When
pulled forward, this handle projected in front of
T H A T SORT OF A PLAYER P R O P O S I T I O N IS T H E ONE
the spool-box in just such a position that the
" T O T I E UP T O " !
right hand of the player-pianist would nat-
urally rest its palm on the handle, while the
thumb and index finger grasped the tempo
And Likewise;
Note These Facts!
lever which was placed in the front of the spool-
The piano is equally good:
The pumping is lightest :
box. When the player action was not in use,
the sliding rod could be pushed back so as to
Schulz Pianos have been good pianos
Schulz Walk-Step Pedal and Unique
disappear from sight under the key-bed.
always.
Air-tight Action. Look out for that.
So successful was this arrangement that
The price is moderate :
There is a ten-point motor:
Jones decided to apply it also to the soft-pedal
rod; which he did, making the lever operate
You can sell it to the people ; and
Which means more even pull, quicker
through resting the palm of the left hand on it,
make a good profit, without having
pick-up, lighter running.
while the fingers could manipulate the expres-
aught to explain away.
sion devices.
The action is most responsive :
The whole thing is exclusive:
The Accentors
Schulz Sure-Seat Balanced Gravity
These latter now engaged attention. After
You sell on your own talking points,
Valve assure quickest repetition and
some thought, Jones decided to make an experi-
not on duplicates of the other fellow's.
highest responsiveness.
ment of an unusual kind. He had the two but-
tons taken out and the ends of the rubber tubes
See Us At the Music Show—Chicago Coliseum—May 19-26
running from them to the expression governors,
brought up so as to project through the places
where the buttons had been, with two metal
nipples to stiffen them. Leather tops were fas-
tened on these, perforated, and the fingers could
rest over the holes easily, while the palm of the
OTTO SCHULZ, President
hand was supported by the soft pedal lever. The
result was that normally the air would flow
3 FACTORIES IN CHICAGO
freely through the tubes into the valves of the
General Offices
*
Southern Wholesale Branch
governors, keeping the power steadily soft
711 Milwaukee Avenue
1530 Candler Bldg.
against any hard pumping. On the other hand,
the moment the finger closed over the hole, the
CHICAGO
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
full force of the pumping was available. In a
(Continued from page 9)
DIRECTORS OFJTRADE BOARD
The Player of Right
Principles
M. Schulz Company
Player-Piano
M. SCHULZ COMPANY
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
B
Y this time everybody has exercised the privilege of saying
anything and everything about the entrance of this country
into the European war, that may occur to him as pertinent.
But is it wise at so early a date to make predictions regarding
a situation so plainly uncertain? We think not. And especially
we think that it is advisable to avoid exciting ourselves by
attempting to forecast the course of governmental action and of
business activity until the general'direction of national activity
is more clearly set forth. At this writing, when Congress has
just voted the great war credit of seven billions of dollars, the
one thing certain is that efforts are at once to be made to put
the industries of the nation on a basis of abnormal activity, for
the purpose of furnishing our Allies with the materials they
daily use in such incredible quantities, in such a manner that
the present strain under which they suffer in producing these
for themselves, may be relieved. This is a policy as wise as its
fruits will be effective, representing, as it does, the most direct
and positive contribution that the American nation can make at
this moment to the cause of liberty and democracy. Later on,
we can talk about military participation, when the army organ-
ization plans now in progress have been brought to some point of
effectiveness. At the moment our sea forces will do their share
and the industries of the nation, together with its purse, may
be depended on for the rest. In a word, business will go on
more than usual. And this means prosperity for the player trade.
13
tion for some time to come, if at all; but at the same time we
might as well anticipate the possibility some time in the future.
Anyhow, would it not be the part of wisdom to order now as
much as possible for the requirements of the coming year? It is
not necessary to anticipate aught save a much increased retail
demand in every branch of the musical instrument business, and
therefore, should the country's military requirements after a time
absorb any part of the organizations now devoted to piano and
player-piano supply manufacture, the dealers who are prepared
in advance will profit greatly.
ITH the growing and increasing importance of the small
W
grand piano, the question of the player-grand cannot help
attracting attention among farsighted player men. The purchas-
ing power of the general public may reasonably be expected to
increase steadily during the remainder of the year and for some
time thereafter, even should peace come very soon; and this for
reasons which have been very thoroughly discussed in various
quarters already. Hence the interest in the higher classes of
player-pianos may likewise be expected to grow. If the work-
man's income increases, it may be reasonably anticipated that the
employer will prosper accordingly. The fixed income classes
alone have reason usually to complain of war, with its high
prices. But the producers charge high prices just as they also
pay them. Naturally, therefore, the player-grand piano, with its
exclusiveness and its architectural beauty, should now be pushed
strongly. There is not the least reason to suppose that the field
E shall, we hope, not be accused of selfishness or of narrow-
for
expensive and exclusive player-pianos has yet been scratched.
minded blindness to the grave needs of the hour when we
The Ampico, Duo-Art and other developments have shown that
say that the first need of the moment is for business men every-
in their special field there is an enormous potential demand
where—and nowhere so much as in our own trade—to adopt a
never before suspected. But it is our opinion that what may
definite policy. It is for us to do two things: First, to hold our-
be called the straight player-grand has an equally great potential
selves in readiness to perform whatever duty the government
demand. The A. B. Chase Co., the Behning Piano Co. and
may require of us at any moment; and secondly, whilst we await
Kranich & Bach have now for several years manufactured and
the summons to duty, to carry on and push our present business
to the limit. Any or every one of us may be required, ere the sold player-grands of the personal control type. The first-named
war is over, to place himself and his talents at the service of his indeed were the pioneers in exploiting such an instrument sys-
country; but, meanwhile, our very best preparation will be, not tematically and gained for their product a reputation that has
proven permanent. None of them, it is very true, have made an
only business as usual, but business more than usual. Nor need
enormous commercial success on this one branch of their manu-
we suppose that such a policy is either difficult or fantastic.
facture, nor was it to be expected that public taste should have
On the contrary, the one special way in which the war may be
been refined enough to make great commercial success possible;
expected to touch most of us will be indicated in the increased
purchasing power of skilled labor; a power which will be re- but times change and a new era is opening. Let us do some
flected in increased purchasing of articles useful only for cul- hard thinking during the next few weeks about the player grand.
tural purposes. Among such are pianos and player-pianos. The
HE very sensible and well-thought-out remarks uttered in
experience of the original belligerents amply confirms this belief.
the March issue of the Standard Player Monthly by Presi-
In Great Britain, as has been pointed out over and over again,
dent LeCato, of the Standard Pneumatic Action Co., should be
retail demand has been limited by only one condition; namely,
read by all who are inclined to feel doubtful about the course
by the lack of adequate sources of supply to the manufacturers.
of the player business during the coming year. Mr. LeCato
British pianos were fitted with German actions and British
sees nothing ahead but a demand surely running well in advance
player-pianos with American players. The war cut off the Ger-
of probable supply. His reasons for so thinking are in part the
man supplies of actions, tuning-pins, wire and felt and the task
of improvising domestic sources, as well as that of finding new same as have been urged in previous paragraphs on this page.
In addition, however, he has gone into detail and winds up a
ones in other countries, has been very difficult. But in this
train of sound reasoning with the admonition to remember that
country we are under no such handicap. We can therefore get
the prosperity of the business is now on the soundest possible
supplies just so long as the manufacturers thereof can obtain
foundation, which war can only make even deeper and broader.
raw material. We need not look for any curtailment of produc-
W
T
the Master Player-Piano
is now equipped with an
AUTOMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
Which guarantees absolutely correct tracking ot even the most imperiect music rolls
WINTER & CO., 220 Southern Boulevard, New York City

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