Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
APRIL 26,
1924
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
Modern Functions of the Player Valve
Entire Development of the Player Action During the Past Twenty Years Has Been Towards Lighter Parts
With an Elimination of Leakage Therefore Lower Power Requirements—The Modern Pneumatic
Stack Valve Still Capable of Further Refinement in Its Construction
course, experimental. The wood of which they thick enough almost to touch the walls of the
were constructed was often too porous, nor had channel in which it worked, and then being
methods been developed for handling securely swaged out so that four bearing points were
the question of air-tightness. Joints were packed left for contact with the channel, while sufficient
with leather indeed, but the wood was com- space was given all around to permit the pas-
monly soft and deteriorated under the stress of
sage of the exhausted air.
constant tightening and withdrawing of screws.
Further Refinements Possible
Actions therefore soon took to leaking, and
The modern pneumatic stack valve is the sim-
when this once happened everything else went plest of all the parts in the modern player action
wrong.
and it might be supposed that there is very
It was mainly because the early players did little more to be done in the way of improving
so quickly and commonly take to leaking that it. Yet there are two or three directions in
all their parts were so large and ungainly, and which improvement might be made, one of
therefore so heavy. The vicious circle is com- which is very important. Now that it is pos-
plete when we realize that heavy parts mean sible to make all parts so small and light it
that more power is needed to handle them, ought to be possible—and, in fact, is possible—
while, on the other hand, large parts are neces- to make each valve integral with its pneumatic
sary when power is low. Power is low when so as virtually to abolish the stack and to sub-
stitute for it a skeleton framework with mere
actions are not air-tight; and there we are.
Now the entire development of the player channels to connect up the pneumatics with each
action during the last twenty years has been other. The valves in this case would be placed
directed towards overcoming these defects. The in the heads of the pneumatics and the com-
first and most important of all has been, of plete structure would be built on the unit system.
course, the defect of leakage, and this has been
Something could also be said about possible
overcome by experience and study, leading to methods for developing such a novel unit con-
better selection of woods, better treatment of struction, but the present remarks are pre-
them, the substitution of unit construction for ferredly confined to the valve. This important
the old-fashioned chests, and the consequent part of the modern player action should be con-
partial elimination of long-packed joints. Hard sidered, not as completely perfected, but as cer-
By the term "valve" one means, of course, wood has been used where screws enter, better tainly practical and efficient. It will not be com-
every kind of air-way controlling device, but leather has been developed for the special pur- pletely perfect until it is an integral part of the
especially the controller which operates upon poses of closing joints; and in general the pneumatic structure, immediately removable,
automatically seating and securely air tight,
the pneumatics of the pneumatic stack. The problem has been substantially solved.
The Immediate Result
capable of acting at very high speed and not
design and development of this valve has con-
The immediate result has been, of course, a likely to wear out. It is a good deal of this
stituted one of the most complex and delicate
problems involved in the whole pneumatic art. progressive diminution of the dimensions of all already. It will some day be all of this and
moving parts. Air-tightness has meant that the perhaps more.
Pioneer Work Was Hard
Most of us who remember anything at all bellows systems—themselves subjected to steady
about the early players realize that the pioneer improvement also—have been becoming more
conditions of the art were painfully new and and more capable of supplying high-tension
could justly be compared to nothing so much power; while the pneumatic stacks have been
as to the entrance of an explorer into an almost becoming more capable of operating under such
impenetrable jungle, through which he might power without dangerous transmission losses. Larger Quarters Necessitated Through Growth
make his way only by dint of patiently clearing Hence, it has been possible to make all pneu-
of Business in the East—Jordan M. Cohan
a path through the manifold obstacles in his matics smaller, since working pressure is a
Joins Local Sales Staff
path. Everything was new, everything was un- function of the dimensions of the pneumatic,
tried. No one had any notion of what really when the exhausting powers of the bellows are
For the fourth time within a period of two
would happen when pieces of wood, of leather, regarded as a constant.
years the New York branch of the United States
of metal and of paper were put together in cer-
Now, of course, when it became possible to Music Co. have found it necessary to enlarge
tain ways. No one knew how big each pneu- make parts smaller it also became possible to ils quarters and carpenters are now busy
matic ought to be or what should be the dimen- reconsider the design and make them lighter making the necessary changes in the building
sions of the various passages, valves and chan- and more rapid in operation, not merely abso- occupied by the branch at 122 Fifth avenue.
nels. No one had any notion of the possible or lutely but relatively. The older valves were too
A recent addition to the sales force is Jordan
probable ravages of climate. No one could fore- heavy, because they were too large; and there- M. Cohan, well known to radio fans through
see the horrors of corrosion. No one could fore it was necessary to build them in such a liis broadcasting of piano recitals through sta-
guess that pneumatics would stick and valves manner as to permit them to work securely. tions WEAF, New York, and WOR, Newark.
be sluggish or refuse to seat. In fact, no one That is the explanation of the heavy guide pins, He gained his first roll experience in the retail
could guess any of the terrible things which the guide bushings and the big heavy disks.
department of A. I. Namm & Son, Brooklyn.
were soon to occur.
It was because these heavy valves did not seat
Donald C. Fendler recently returned from his
Naturally then it was a matter of vast diffi- securely that designers turned toward new trip up New York State, bringing back with
culty to anticipate the behavior of the early forms. Finding that they could only obtain him a big volume of orders. Though Mr. Fend-
players under the stress of use. The first trou- improvements by reducing dimensions and ler is only twenty-four years old this is his
ble to be noticed in these instruments was con- abolishing the need for artificial seating arrange- sixth year as a music roll salesman in associa-
nected with the behavior of the valves. They ments, they first set themselves to solve, and did tion with George H. Bliss, vice-president of the
took to sticking, they failed to retain their succeed in solving, the problem of air-tightness, United States Music Co. and manager of the
power to seat themselves air-tightly, and in gen- and then they found that they could make many New York branch.
eral they fell down on their job, as one might changes in the direction of simplicity and light-
say. It will be interesting to discover why this ness. They abolished the guide pin and reduced
Consult the Universal Want Directory of
was so.
the whole valve, in many cases, to a mere disc The Review. In it advertisements are inserted
In the first place the old players were, of with a wooden stem below it, this stem being free of charge for men who desire positions.
T
HE pneumatic art has gone through many
developments since it first took definite
shape some twenty-five years ago; nor
has its present high state of efficiency and ac-
curacy in technical matters been attained with-
out severe and sometimes painful experience.
In some special respects the development has
been astonishing, mostly perhaps in respect of
what is least perceptible to the eye. One has to
look into the inside of a pneumatic stack or
bellows system to discover its technical beauties.
The best proof that this is a true statement is
lurnished by the very plain and obvious test
of works. When one plays the player-piano of
to-day one is instantly impressed with its
smoothness and with the apparent complete
separation of the speaking from the non-speak-
ing elements in respect to the supply of power.
The motor does not interfere with the stack,
nor the stack with the motor. The operation
is noiseless and the repetition perfect. The bel-
lows works perfectly and the accenting is easy
and immediate. The whole mechanism strikes
a note of economy and power, delightful to ex-
perience after the horrors of former years. And
what is it to which, more than to anything else,
we must give the credit for the vast improve-
ments of to-day? Without a doubt, to the valve
most of all.
U. S. Music Co.'s New York
Branch Again Expands
For over 25 years Specialists
in high grade Piano Cases
Paterson Piano
Case Co.
PATERSON, N. J.