Presto

March 11, 1920.
THE PNEUMATIC TRACKING DEVICE
The principles of player action operation are
vividly presented in a series of lectures running in
the Standard Player Monthly, published by the
Standard Pneumatic Action Co., New York. The
object of the lectures is to assist salesmen, dealers
and tuners to secure a better working knowledge
of the operation of the player action. Lecture No.
5, which follows, treats of the pneumatic tracking
device:
The purpose of the pneumatic tracking device is
to keep the roll of music running true over the
tracker bar so that the perforations in the music
roll will be in perfect alignment with their cor-
responding holes in the tracker bar. At times the
music roll on all players has a tendency to work
over to the fight or left and if this is not corrected
instantly, it will result in a discord because the per-
forations in the music roll will then open the wrong
holes in the tracker bar, thus causing the wrong
notes to play.
We will first explain the exterior working of the
tracking device—the action that can be seen. Then
we will explain the operation of the valves and
pouches that are inside the shifter box.
Double Pneumatic and Cam.
Glance at the cross-sectional view of the tracking
device, illustrated by Figure 3. You will see that it
is equipped with a double pneumatic; the two pneu-
matics are linked together part way open so as to
allow one pneumatic to open entirely while the op-
posite pneumatic collapses entirely. There is one
stationary leaf for the two pneumatics, illustrated
by S, Figure 3. The upward and downward move-
ment of this double pneumatic operates, through
connections, a crescent shaped piece of metal known
as a "cam."
This cam is located to the right of the music
box, as indicated in figure 2. When each of the
pneumatics of the double pneumatic is open an
equal distance, the end of the shaft which holds
the right end of the music roll rests against the
center of this cam, as illustrated in figure 2., You
will see in the sketch that the cam is set at an
angle of about 10 degrees. Therefore, when the
cam moves upward it presses against the shaft that
holds the roll, and the roll is pushed to the left.
If the cam were set perpendicularly this would not
be possible. There is a spring in the plunger bear-
ing which holds the left end of the music roll, so
that when the music roll moves to the left it does so
against spring pressure. When the cam moves
downward the pressure that it exerts is lessened,
which permits the spring pressure in the plunger
bearing to force the roll to the right and the roll
resumes its proper position.
mesh which prevents dust from entering the valve
box. The air flows up under cut-off pouch P, forc-
ing it up, which permits the air to flow around
through the channels and reach a position under
pouch M. The passage of this air is indicated by
arrows. The pressure of air from underneath
pouch M in turn raises valve Y and connects the
bottom pneumatic with the outside air. The air
flows down through the channels opened by the
raising of valve Y, indicated by small arrows, and
inflates the bottom pneumatic. (In the sketch it
might seem that the housing that protects valve Y
is air tight—this is not so.) The air filters in around
this housing so that the pneumatic may be inflated
when the valve is raised. The housing is placed
over the valve so that it may be protected. The top
pneumatic is still connected with the exhaust, which
makes it the weaker. The outside air pressure then
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PRIMARY
i A l t PA5»ACE BtTUEtH
SECOHDAHY VALVE.5
causes the lower pneumatic to inflate and the upper
pneumatic to collapse entirely. (Remember that
Extra Holes in Tracker Bar.
Probably much of the confusion or perplexity the upper pneumatic is connected with the exhaust.)
regarding the operation of the shifter device is due As the bottom pneumatic inflates it forces the cam
to lack of understanding the reason for the exist- down, which allows the spring in the plunger to
ence of the four extra holes in the tracker bar. (Two force the roll to the right and back to its proper
on each side of the regular holes, indicated by A place.
For Narrow Rolls.
and D—C and B, figure 1.) Let us emphasize that
the upper and outside holes A and D are for the
Now he will take up the operation when a roll
purpose of controlling rolls of a standard width or of narrower width than the standard width is used.
wider, and the lower and inside holes C and B are In this case the two upper holes would be entirely
for rolls of a width narrower than the standard. uncovered and the air would continue to flow down
These holes are connected to the shifter box by through each of these, rasing the two primary
tubes indicated in figure 1.
valves and thereby connecting the two pneumatics
with the outside air. In this case the two pneu-
The shifter box contains two complete sets of
valves and pouches. In order that this lecture may matics remain neutral, which will keep the roll of
not become complicated, we will explain only the music running true over the tracker bar. But if the
roll should shift a trifle to the right, hole B would
operation for one set of valves, and one set of
be removed. The air would then rush down through
pouches. Please understand that the operation of
the second set is identically the same as the one tube B, indicated by arrows, and push down on
which we are about to describe, the only difference pouch O, figure 1, which in turn would force cut-off
being that the roll is moved in the opposite direc- pouch P to close. The closing of the cut-off pouch
F closes the air channel between tube A and pouch
tion when the other set of valves operates.
Place a roll of music of standard width in the M. This permits primary valve Y to settle back to
spool box and start to pump on the treadles. You its former position, closing this pneumatic to the
will see that the edge of the paper entirely covers outside air. Consequently the lower pneumatic be-
the four extra holes in the tracker bar. When in comes connected with the exhaust and the upper
this position the two pneumatics are connected with pneumatic is inflated, the cam is raised and pushes
the exhaust, as illustrated in figure 3, and the air the roll back to its proper position.
is drawn out of each of the pneumatics as indicated
by arrows in figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates the two
ORDERED TO LISTEN.
valves closed and consequently each of the pneu-
"Stop,
look,
think, act!" is the headline of a
matics is open equally because the air is being ex-
hausted equally from each. The primary valve Y, newspaper display in St. Joseph, Mo. It is the vig-
figures 1 and 3, controls the air passage of the lower orous way of the J. W. Jenkins Sons' Music Co. in
pneumatic. The other valves control the passage directing the prospective piano buyer to a consider-
to the upper pneumatic. As explained above, when ation of the "Jenkins Way.' This follows: "You
valve Y is closed it connects the pneumatic with have been thinking of buying a piano. You want
the exhaust. When it is raised it connects the to purchase from a house you feel has the best
pianos and players. You want to spend your
pneumatic with the ouside air.
money where you know your dollar will go the
Outside Hole Uncovered.
farthest. You want to know you are choosing a
Now move the paper to the left just far enough piano from the world's choicest makes. You like to
to uncover hole A. The outside air rushes into hole feel satisfied after you have purchased. By purchas-
A and down through tube A to the shifter box. The ing a piano or player under the Jenkins Plan, One
passage of this air is indicated by small arrows. Price and No Commission, you bar all the gateways
(The screen indicated in figure 1 is merely a wire of future regret."
HAVE AMERICAN EXPORTERS
BEEN SEVERELY LIBELED?
The Department of Commerce, Viewing the Situa-
tion, Suggests That Opinion.
Ignorance or indifference in packing methods has
been repeatedly charged against American export-
ers and now there arises a suspicion of an insidious
propaganda to give Americans a black eye by cer-
tain foreign competitors.
According to "Selling in Foreign Markets," pub-
lished by the Department of Commerce, a situation
has recently arisen affecting the reputation of Amer-
ican exporters which contains elements both of
great good and great harm. The book says:
"Certain American consuls, commercail organiza-
tions, and banks have done a useful service in
sharply calling attention to specific derelictions on
the part of Americans in export trade. Certain fail-
ures to meet requirements of contracts have been
condemned and other exporters warned that such
methods are injuring the prestige of all American
trade.
"In itself this has done good, but it is apparent
that many newspapers, magazines, and individuals
have made these specific complaints the basis for
generalization highly discreditable to all American
foreign trade. All exporters have heard the unini-
tiated remark, 'Well, of course, Americans do not
know how to pack their goods for export, and they
insist on jamming their product down the throat
of the foreigner regardless of his own tastes.'
"This opinion, although unfounded, is so widely
prevalent as to be a positive hindrance to even
systematic and skillfully conducted foreign trade,
and there is ample reason to believe that it finds
its way into foreign print to the discredit of Amer-
ican goods, and that it is used as a basis of selling
arguments against American products. We hear lit-
tle about English or German goods being poorly
packed, yet a visit to the steamship docks in normal
times will show the extent of damage sometimes
inflicted, for lack of proper packing, upon importa-
tions from the older industrial and exporting na-
tions. Controversies and disappointments as to
whether contracts have been strictly fulfilled occur
wherever business is done, and there is no reason
to believe that it is more frequent in Amrican than
in any other export or import trade. It would be
interesting to learn to what extent such complaints
are kept alive in foreign markets by our competi-
tors."
AMERICA'S OPPORTUNITY.
Francis H. Sisson, vice-president of the Guaranty
Trust Co., New York City, expresses the opinion
that this is the time of America's opportunity for
investment in foreign countries. Mr. Sisson is of
the belief that the investing public should be made
to see that opportunity. He claims that to main-
tain our position in world trade and to keep open
the markets of the world to American products it
is vital that our foreign trade should be financed
through the extension of credit abroad and the pur-
chase of foreign securities. "The maintenance of
an outlet for our products in other countries is es-
sential to the niaintenance and development of
American industries," said Mr. Sisson. "The invest-
ment of capital in other countries is one of the
effective ways to keep world markets open for
American products. This involves the purchase of
foreign securities and the development of an inter-
national finance market in this country."
TRADE WITH BRAZIL.
The present apepars to be a most aunspicious time
for American exporters to look over their list of
grievances with the present Brazilian customs tar-
iff, since this tariff is at the present in the midst of
being revised. This revision is looked upon by offi-
cials in Washington with much gratification since
numerous protests have been registered over the
alleged extremely high rates of duty on various
articles. Exporters who are at present experiencing
difficulties along this line are advised by the De-
partment of Commerce to keep in close touch with
their Brazilian representatives in order to be as-
sured that their claims receive attention before the
revision is completed.
PLAYER OWNER QUALIFIES.
The availability of the player-piano for producing
good music at the owner's pleasure was pointed out
in the newspapers last week by W. J. Davis, Sagi-
liaw, Mich., who said: "Can you, at a moment's
notice, sit down at the piano and play Dvorak's
'Humoreske,' the 'Meditation' from Thais, or even
our national anthem, 'The Star Spangled Banner'?
Yes, you can if you have a player-piano—the man's
instrument. A home without a player is minus one
of life's greatest enjoyments. After a hard day's
work, nothing so soothes the jarred nerves as self-
made music."
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