US1040852A - Practice-clavier. - Google Patents

Description

A. C. BERGMAN.

PRACTICE ULAVIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7,1910.

1,040,852. Patented 0ct.8,1912.

I W W guLummA PLANOGRAPH cu. WASHINGTON. 11C,

AMOS C. BERGMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRACTICE-CLAVIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed June 7, 1910. Serial No. 565,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMOS C. BERGMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Practice-Claviers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to practice-claviers or instruments of the class employing means for producing clicks or toneless sounds, and it dwells particularly in an improvement over my patent bearing N umber (368,003, of February 12, 1901, the object of the present invention being to provide simplified means controlled directly or positively on movement of the regulating or actuating element of the touch-bar to indicate the pressure 011 the keys.

In the drawing, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views :-Figure 1 is a transverse sec tion through a portion of my improved practice-clavier. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the operative connections between the touch-bar and the indicating dial. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the dial.

As hereinbefore described the object of the present invention relates particularly to an improved means for indicating the tension on the keys and in view thereof such parts that are not essential to the elements forming the present structure have been omitted. The casing 1 is provided with a bottom member 2, a rear member 3, and a front member f. 011 the base member is mounted a balance pin 5 which is operatively associated with the key 6. The said base member supports adjacent its front and rear ends respectively sounding bars 7 and 8 which are provided with surfaces 9 which are designed to be engaged by adjustable sound-producing pins 10. The device will be described in the singular, that is to say, but a single key will be described as it is obvious that the construction of one key and the mechanism therefor is common to all the keys throughout the instrument. At the rear, the key is rabbeted to form a projecting portion 11 which is designed to be engaged with the cushioning surface 12 on the block 13. Immediately beneath this block and suitably spaced therefrom is a block 14 having an upper cushioning surface 15. This block is designed to engage the key on upward movement of the forward end of such key and the block 13 is designed to be engaged by the key on downward movement of its forward end. suitable well-known guide-pins 16 which are operatively associated with the key for the purpose of guiding the same in its movement.

The touch-bar 17 is pivoted, as shown at.

18, to the block 19 on the rear member 3 of the casing. This touch-bar supports a pressure spring 20 whose free terminal 21 bears against the upper surface of the key 6 at the rear end thereof. It will of course be understood that on movement of the touchbar in forward and rearward directions the desired pressure of the spring can be ob tained so as to cause the key to respond to the different touches. A facing or front strip 22 is supported by the casing 1, and as illustrated, an actuating or regulating rod 23 extends therethrough and it has its rear end operatively supported in the rear member 3. The actuating or regulating rod is formed to provide an intermediate threaded or screw portlon 24 on which the follower 25 is designed to travel. This follower is provided with a depending forked portion 2e and between the arms thereof extends the upper end 27 of a pivot arm 28. A pivot pin 29 connects the upper end of the pivot arm 28 with the arms of the depending forked portion of the follower. This follower is slidably mounted in a keeper or tubular-like guide 30 on the touchbar. The rod 23 is provided at its outer end with a manipulating knob 31 which may be controlled by the operator to obtain the desired movements of the touch-bar.

The indicating mechanism for designating the pressure of the spring 20 on. the key consists of a dial plate 32 having the graduated portion 33 near its peripheral edge and suitable scale characters 34. This dial plate is disposed horizontally with respect to the facing strip 22 and it is disposed directly beneath the same, the said strip having an exposure opening 35 which is designed so that the scale-characters of the dial plate will be singly presented to View of the user of the instrument. The dial plate is apertured, as shown at 36, for the reception of the stem of a screw 37 which is supported by the facing-strip 22. The dial-plate is apertured, as at 38, for the reception of the depending stem 39 of a connecting rod 40. This rod is formed at its rear end to pro- The base member supports vide a depending stem 41 which extends through the aperture in the ear 42 on the depending portion of the follower. From this construction it will be readily under stood that on movement of the follower in either direction on its supporting or regulating rod 23 movement will be imparted to the connecting rod to impart rotary movement to the dial plate and to cause the scale-characters and graduated portions re spectively of such dial plate to be exposed and brought into registration with the opening The opening 35 has its wall formed to provide a pointer l9. for cooperating with the scale-characters and degree-marks of the indicating dial. The position of the exposure opening 35 with respect to the manipulating knob 31 of the regulating rod 23 is such that the hand of the operator will not form an obstruction to the view of the designating characters or degree marks of the dial plate.

The casing supports a bar 43 on which is supported a cushioning spring 44; having its free extremity extending downwardly to ward the buffer block 45 of the key 6. This spring is designed to engage the buffer 45 of the key 6 to prevent the key from re bounding when pressure of the hand is released therefrom. A controlling screw 46 extends through the bar 43 and its adjustability permits the operator to hold the spring under the proper or desired stress.

I claim 1. A practice clavier comprising a casing having a recessed front strip, a touch bar,

a regulating rod having an actuating portion located at one side of the recess, connections between the touch bar and the rod and including a. follower mounted to travel on the rod, a pointer in the recess of the strip, a dial plate movably supported by the strip and having a portion disposed beneath the recess and graduated to co-act with the pointer, and a rod movably connected at one end to the dial and movably connected at its opposite end to the follower.

2. The combination with a practice clavier including a casing having a recessed front bar, a touch bar, a practice key and a spring carried by the touch bar and bearing against the practice key, of graduated dial pivoted to the recessed front bar of the casing, a regulating rod revolubly mounted in the easing and having an actuating portion extending through the recessed front bar, a follower adapted to travel on the regulating rod and operatively connected with the touch bar to move the same when movement is imparted to the follower, a rod having a depending front portion pivoted to the dial and a depending rear portion pivoted to the follower, and a pointer located on the front recessed bar of the casing and adapted to oo-act with the said dial.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMOS C. BERGMAN.

Witnesses M. C. PAGKER, SAMUEL HEYMAN.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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