US1121312A - Piano-action. - Google Patents

Description

W. G. VOGEL.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN114. 1914.

Patented Dec. 15,1914.

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WILLIAM C. VOGEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed January 14-, 1914. Serial No. 811,998.

To aZZ "w/wm- 2'2. may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM C. VOGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Actions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to upright piano actions, and especially to that portion of the action which comprises the jack, hammer butt, jack wire, butt strap and a bridle strap, movement of the jack causing the jack wire to pull back upon the butt strap thereby holding the upper end of the jack against the outer face of the hammer butt knuckle causing the hammer head to remain in its proper position during depression of the key.

The object of the invention is to simplify piano actions of this type and to decrease cost by doing away with the usual backcheck and catcher, and with the bridle wire. The omission of this last mentioned part causes a corresponding decrease in the length of the bridle strap.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through a portion of a piano action, parts being shown in normal position in full lines and being shown in dotted lines in the position occupied after the key is depressed and the hammer head has rebounded from the string. Fig. 2 is the side view of a jack showing the modified construction of jack wire. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a butt strap. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a bridle strap.

In the drawings 1 is the main piano action rail provided with upper and lower flanges 2 and 3, and to the upper flange 2 is pivoted a hammer butt 1; this carries a hammer shank 5 which supports the usual hammer head 5 which in turn rests against a hammer rest rail 5 The main action rail also carries a rearwardly extending flange 6 to which is pivoted a damper lever 7, held in place by the usual restoring spring 8. A wippen 9 is pivotally connected to the lower flange 3 and carries a spoon 10 and is also pivotally connected to the usual eX- tension 11. The jack 14 is pivotally connected to the wippen 9 and is held in constant engagement with the hammer butt at by a spring 13 which bears upon the lower end of the jack and also upon the whip. The jack 1% bears upon a knuckle 15 carried by the hammer butt 4. A jack wire 16 extends upwardly and outwardly and its upper end is bent inwardly from the upper portion of the jack. A bridle strap 13 is secured to the upper forward face of the hammer butt l and engages the lower portion of the jack wire 16 at 24. A butt strap 17 is also secured to the upper forward face of the hammer butt 4, preferably by the same means employed for securing the bridle strap 13, said butt strap 17 being engaged by the jack wire 16 at its upper portion, and normally having a slack portion as shown. A regulating rail 18 is supported from the main action rail by a bracket 19 provided with the usual regulating button 20. The usual vertical action bracket 21 is also employed; upon depression of a piano key the extension 11 is lifted in the usual manner, thus throwing the parts into the dotted position shown in Fig. 1, and the movement of the jack 14: which still remains in contact with the hammer butt 4, will cause the jack wire to pull back upon the strap 17, thus holding the hammer head 5 in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In piano actions of the standard makes the key at the front end has a travel of threeeighths of an inch, the hammer is thrown forward when the key is depressed from one-fourth to five-sixteenths of an inch. The hammer strikes the string prior to the complete depression of the key, and this causes an opening of about one thirty-second of an inch to be formed between the upper inner face of the jack 11 and the butt knuckle 15, which allows the upper end of the jack to slide out from underneath of the butt-knuckle at 15. The strap 17 is not stretched its full length when the hammer strikes the string as said strap does not assume the position as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, until the heel 14 of the jack lat presses against the regulating button 20, thereby forcing the upper end of the jack to slide out from under the lower side of the butt-knuckle 15; this last movement of the jack stretches the strap 17 and takes place after the hammer has struck the string. In standard piano actions the jack will slide out from beneath a butt-knuckle when the hammer has moved back and is from one to three eighths inch from the string, the exact position of the hammer with relation to the string at the time this movement of the jack takes place being regulated by the adjustment of the button 20.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the bridle strap 13 is longitudinally slotted as shown at 13* thus allowing certain freedom of movement with reference to the jack wire, the lower portion of which passes through said slot. By reason of this construction no bridle wire is necessary; this not only saves the use of these wires but also makes a great saving of material as it considerably shortens the bridle strap.

While in its preferred form the jack Wire 16 is formed with the bend 2a: in its lower portion 1 may use the form shown by the jack wire 16 of Fig. 2 in which the lower portion is slightly bent. The aclr wires 16 and ltf are bent inwardly at their upper ends as indicated at 23 and thence bent back upon themselves and then carried upwardly and inwardly to form the prong 223, this construction at the upper end of the jack wire being common to all or its forms.

What I claim is 1 An upright piano action having a jack and a hammer butt, a jack wire carried by the jack and bent inwardly at its upper end said inwardl bent portion havin a ronm, n b.

a butt strap secured to the hammer butt and Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing engaged by said prong and normally slack and a slotted bridle strap secured to the hammer butt the jack wire passing through said slot.

2 An upright piano action having a jack and a hammer butt, a jack wire bent upon itself in its lower portion and bent inwardly at its upper end, a butt strap secured to the hammer butt and to the upper end of the jack wire, and a bridle strap secured to the hammer butt and to the lower bent portion of the jack wire, said bridle strap being slotted to allow for movement of said strap independent of the movement of the jack.

3. An upright piano action having a hammer butt and a jack normally in engagement with the hammer butt, a jack wire carried by the jack and bent inwardly at its upper end said inwardly bent portion carrying an upwardly and inwardly extending prong, a longitudinally slotted bridle strap secured to the hammer butt, the jack wire passing through said slot a butt strap secured upon the hammer butt and superposed upon the bridle strap, said butt strap being normally slack and in engagement with the prong of the jack wire.

WILLIAM G. VOGEL.

Witnesses:

ELLEN S. VoenL, JAMns A. l-IUToHnNs.

the Commissioner of Yatents,

Washington, I). C.

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