US1082895A - Piano-action. - Google Patents

Description

R. H. MULLINER.

PIANO ACTION.

AIfPLIOATION IILED JUNE 12, 1912.

I 1,082,895. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ATTORNEYS R. H. MULLINER.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, .1912.

1,082,895, Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES! INVENTOR BY I fw% I ATTORNEYS Lu BIA PLANDGRAPH CO.,WASNINGTON, D. c.

RICHARD H. MULLINER, or sYRAoUsE, NEW YORK.

PIANO-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed June 12, 1912. Serial No. 703,230.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD H. MULLINER of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga an State of New York, have invented a new and useful Piano-Action, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a piano action in which the parts thereof are compactly arranged, the action including particularly novel and efficient means for mov ing the jack out of engagement with the hammer butt and for preventing the rebound of the hammer; and the invention consists in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed. Other objects will appear throughout the specification.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of the piano action, the parts being shown in their initial or starting position, in Fig. 1, and in their positions occupied just after the blow has been struck, in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is an elevation looking to the leftin Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views of modified forms of features of this piano action.

I have here illustrated my invention as embodied in a piano action for upright pianos, and 1 and 2 are rails constituting parts of the frame supporting the piano action.

3 is the key and 1 the wire.

5 is the hammer, and 6 is the hammer butt pivoted at 7 to a bearing 8 suitably supported by the frame 1.

9, 10 and 11 are, respectively, powertransmitting parts between the key and the hammer, said parts being common y known, respectively, as the abstract or sticker, the wippen or jack lever, and the jack. However, throughout the specification and claims, these terms are used for convenience and so far as my invention is concerned any other members performing the function of these parts may be employed.

The wippen 10 is pivoted in the usual manner at 12 to a hanger 13 associated with the rail 1; and the jack 11 is pivoted at 14: to uprights or cars 15 rising from the free end of the wippen, the upper end of the jack eoacting with the usual shoulder 16 in the hammer butt 6, and the ack being acted on by a spring 17 interposed between the heel 18 thereof and the wippen and acting to move the jack 11, on its pivot 14 to press the upper end thereof into engagement with the shoulder 16.

One feature of my invention includes means for forcing the jack 11 on its pivot 1a out of engagement with the hammer butt 6, said means having motion relatively to the wippen and serving to move the jack 11 on its pivot 14 outof engagement with the shoulder 16 after the hammer has been given its impulse, but before the same strikes the wire 1. Said means is here shown as a rocking member or lever 19 arranged above the wippen 10 in position to be actuated thereby, said lever being preferably located between the pivot 12 of the wippen l0 and the pivot 14 of the jack 11 and coacting between its ends with the wippen 10 and at its opposite ends respectively with a fixed point on the rail 1 and with a shoulder associated with the jack 11. Preferably the lever 19 is pivoted, as at 20, at one end to the hanger 13 provided on the rail 1 and is fulcrumed between its ends at 21 on the upper edge of the wippen 10, and the pivotal movement thereof is resisted by a returning spring 22. However, as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, the lever 19 may be carried by the wippen and pivoted between its ends at 23 to uprights or cars rising from the wippen 10, and be fulcrumed at 24 at a fixed point on the rail 1; and the returning spring may be located in any suitable manner as illustrated at 25 and 26. In Figs. 1 and a, the fixed point 21 is shown as provided on the main part of the rail instead of on the hanger 13 as in Figs. 1 and 2.

The shoulder associated with the jack is preferably provided on a member 27 pivoted to the jack, as at 28, and located on the inner side thereof, said member being adjustable about its pivot to cooperate most efficiently with the lever 19, by a screw 29 threading through the jack 11 and operating to move the member 27 on its pivot 28 against the action of a suitable spring 30.

Owing to the fact that the leverage of the lever 19 is less than that of the wippen or jack lever 10, said levers have differential movement, and the lever 19 imparts to the the initial part of the movement of the wippen 10 by the key 3, and as soon as the lost motion is taken up, the lever 19 quickly moves the jack on its pivot from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2.

Another feature of my invention comprises means for checking the hammer, said means cooperating with the jack. This means comprises an angularly arranged arm 31 extending downwardly and rearwardly from the hammer butt and from the pivot point 7 thereof, that is, in a direction away from the wire or from the direction of movement of the hammer when striking the blow, said arm 31 having a bearing face 32 on the underside of its lower end, which surface 32 coacts with an upwardly facing bearing face 33 provided at the inner side of the jack 11, these surfaces 32 and 33 being located between the pivot 7 of the hammer butt and the pivot 14 of the jack. Said surface 33 is inclined relatively to a radial plane indicated by the line 34 and intersecting said surface, so that the surfaces 32 and 33 will wedge snugly in engagement during the rebound of the hammer, as seen in Fig. 2, and hence prevent the hammer from rebounding. As seen in Fig. 5, the surface 33 may be formed on an adjustable part as a block 35 associated with the jack 11, the block being shown as pivoted at 36 to the jack 11 and as held in position by an ad justing member as a screw 37.

My invention also includes means for re turning the hammer to its normal position in engagement with the hammer-rest rail 38. Said means comprises a flexible connection as a bridle strap or cord 39 connected at one end at 40 to the arm 31 and at its other end to the member 19 near the free end thereof, so that the return movement of the member 19 by the springs 22 and 17 serves to also return the hammer 5 into engagement with the hammer rest rail 38. This feature is particularly advantageous in that it requires no additional parts to be added to the mechanism other than the flexible connection 39.

My invention also includes buffer means for regulating the blow of the hammer. This buffer means, as here shown, includes two parts carried respectively by the rail 1, and the hammer butt 6, one of the parts being s ring-pressed. As here illustrated, the spring-pressed part 41 is carried by a block 42 associated with the rail 1, and the other part 43 is carried by the hammer butt *6, both of said parts being adjustable. The part 41 is here shown as pivoted at 44 to the block 42 and held in its adjusted position by means of a screw 45, and the part 43 is shown as carried by a screw 46 extending transversely through the hammer butt. The buffer means is for the purpose of regulating the blow of the hammers so that all the hammers can be regulated to strike substantially the same blow when the key is struck a given blow. By turning the screw the tension of the spring of the part 41 can be adjusted to restrain the blow of the hammer more or less and by turning the screw 46, the part 43 can be adjusted to engage the part 41 at the proper time.

My piano action is particularly advantageous in that it consists of compactly arranged parts and in that the bridle strap is connected to parts performing other functions in the operation of the action so that additional parts for the bridle strap are unnecessary.

hat I claim is:

1. In a piano action, a wippen, a. jack carried by the wippen, and a member arranged in the path of movement of the wippen and mounted to move relatively to the wippen, said member being also arranged to engage the jack to force the same out of engagement with the hammer butt during the action of the wippen, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a piano action, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen and formed with a shoulder, and a pivoted member arranged in the path of movement of the wippen and to move relatively to the wippen into engagement with said shoulder to force the jack out of engagement with the hammer butt. substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a piano action, a pivoted wippen, a jack carried by the wippen, a lever arranged in the path of movement of the wippen, the lever having a different pivotal point from that of the wippen and being arrairged to engage the jack to move the same out of engagement with the hammer butt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a piano action, a pivoted wippen, a jack pivotally connected to the wippen and having a shoulder, and a lever arranged above the wippen in position to be actuated thereby, the lever having a different pivotal point from that of the wippen, said lever being arranged to coact with said shoulder to move the jack relatively to the wippen out of engagement with the hammer butt, the lever extending in the path of the wippen in position to be actuated thereby, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a piano action, two levers arranged to have relative movement, and a jack carried by one of the levers and movable there with and having a portion arranged in the path of movement of the other lever, so that the jack is moved relatively to the lever which carries the jack, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a piano action, two levers arranged to have relative movement, and a jack pivotally connected to one of the levers and carried thereby and having a portion arranged in the path of movement of the other lever whereby the jack is moved on its pivot by the latter lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a piano action, a wippen pivoted at one end, a jack pivotally connected at the other end of the wippen and having a shoulder located above the wippen, and a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith, the lever having a different pivotal point from that of the wippen and being located intermediate of the ends of the wippen and arranged to engage with said shoulder to move the jack on its pivot during the pivotal movement of the wippen, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail; a wippen pivoted at one end to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the other end of the wippen and having a shoulder, and a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith, the lever being located between the ends of the wippen and coacting at points spaced apart with a fixed point on the rail and with said shoulder on the ack, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the wippen and having a shoulder, and a lever interposed between the rail and the wippen and having its intermediate portion arranged in the path of the wippen, and having its opposite ends engaging respectively with the rail and with said shoulder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a piano action, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen, a member arranged in the path of movement of the wippen, and engaging with the jack to force the jack out of engagement with the hammer-butt during the actuation of the wippen, and a spring arranged to act on said member to resist movement thereof during the actuation of the wippen, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11.. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the wippen and formed with a shoulder, a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith, the lever being mounted to coact at points spaced apart with a fixed point 011 the rail and with the shoulder of the jack, and a spring arranged to resist pivotal movement of the lever during actuation of the wippen, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the wippen and provided with a shoulder, a lever arranged above the wippen between the rail and the jack in position to engage between its ends with the wippen and at its opposite ends respectively with the rail and with said shoulder, and a spring arranged to act on said lever to resist pivotal movement thereof during the action of the wippen, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. A piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the wippen and provided on its inner side with an adjustable part having its lower face opposed to the upper edge of the wippen, a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith and to coaet between its ends with the wippen and at its opposite ends respectively with the rail and said part, substantially as and for the purpose described.

14. In a piano action, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen, a member arranged in the path of movement of the wippen and to engage the jack to force the jack out of engagement with the hammer, and means connecting the hammer butt and said member whereby the hammer butt is returned to its starting position by the movement of said member, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In a piano action, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen, and coacting with the hammer butt, the hammer butt being provided with an arm or extension, a member arranged in the path of movement of the wippen to be operated by the wippen, and means connecting said arm and said member for transmitting the return movement of said member to the hammer and returning the hammer to its starting position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

16. In a piano action, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen and coacting with the hammer butt, the butt having an arm or extension, a member arranged in the path of the wippen to be operated by the wippen, said member being also arranged to engage the ask to force the jack out of engagement with the hammer butt, and means connecting said arm and said member for transmitting the return movement of said member to the hammer and thus returning the hammer to its starting position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

17. In a piano action, the hammer having its butt formed with an arm, a wippen, a jack carried by the wippen and coacting with the hammer butt, a member arranged in the path or" movement 01" the wippen to be operated by the wippen, said member being also arranged to engage the jack to force the jack out of engagement with the hammer butt, means connecting the hammer butt and said member whereby the hammer is returned to its starting position by said memher, and means coacting with said arm to check the hammer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

18. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted at one end to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on th other end of the wippen and provided with a shoulder, a lever arranged above the wippen in the path of the wippen to be actuated thereby and to coact between its ends with the wippen and at its opposite ends re spectively with the rail and with said shoulder, and a bridle strap connecting the hammer butt and said member whereby the hammer is returned to its starting position by said member, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

19. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted at one end to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the other end of the wippen and provided with a shoulder, a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith and to eoact between its ends with the wippen and at its opposite ends respectively with the rail and with said shoulder, a bridle strap connecting the hammer butt and said member whereby the hammer is returned to its starting position by said member, and a s rin for normall resistin movement of said member by the wippen and for returning said member to its starting position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. An upright piano action comprising a supporting rail, a wippen pivoted at one end to the rail, a jack pivotally mounted on the other end of the wippen and provided with a shoulder, a lever arranged above the wippen in position to move therewith and to coact between its ends with the wippen and at its opposite ends respectively with the rail and said shoulder, and being normally spaced apart from said shoulder, the hammer butt being provided with an arm or extension, a flexible connection between said arm and said member, the jack and said member being provided with surfaces normally spaced apart. and arranged in each others path in order to engage after the hammer has been actuated, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 15th day of May, 1912.

RICHARD H. MULLINER. lVitnesses S. DAVIS, L. M. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Images