US1176655A - Piano-action joint. - Google Patents

Description

PIANO ACTION 5mm.

APPUCAT' F* ED JULY 18,192

Patented Mar. 21, 2.916.

'2 SHEUS-3HEET Witnesses Attorneys I.

A. B. CROSS.

PIANO ACTION JOINT.

APPLlCATION FILED lULY 1a. 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

g if i l $236M); Witnesses Inventor,

by I.

Attorneys ALONZO B. cnoss, or MOBILE, ALABAMA.

PIANO-ACTION JOINT.

Specification Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1!, 1914. Serial No. 851,802.

ful Piano-Action Joint, of which the following is a specification.

's invention relates to piano actions, its principal object being to eliminate practically all of the disadvantages-incident to the use of piano actions such as commonly employed. For example, flanges on which the movable parts of the action have been mounted, have heretofore been provided necessarily. These flanges contain pin holes which are bushed or lined with cloth. The different parts work upon pins which are secured firmly in osition and ,work loosely in the holes in t e lined flanges. It is'a well known fact, however, that changes of temperature and atmospheric conditions cause the flanges to expand and contract. in dam weather the entire action often becomes 5 uggish so that repetition is seriously interfered with and the parts often stick to such an extent that they-will not work. Furthermore, piano actions as ordinarilyconstructed, are provided with several springs all of which become weak after long use and often break. This is especially true of the dam er spring. The jackspring commonly used is made of coiled wire and soon becomes weakened to such an extent that it interferes with proper repetition and often v phere, thereby causing the action to work fails to work.

It has been found that the bushings or linings used in connection with the flanges very quickly wear out, especially when the action is subjected to constant use, this leaving the action loose and noisy. Furthermore the'flange pins often corrode under the action of the moisture contained in the atmos- -possible to readily remove the s tive to each other and to prevent the parts from moving out of line.

Another object is to provide simple means wherebv the spring strips can be quickly and securely attached to the parts, it being ings without completely detaching the ho ding means provided therefor. E

A further object is to provide a structure which dispenses with the usual hammer spring rail, the hammer butt sprin the jack springs and some other parts heretofore used in piano actions, and the flanges which have heretofore been used upon the whippen, jack, hammer butt, abstract lever and damper lever.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

-In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piano action embodyin the present improvements, the parts eing shown in their normal positions, the action rails being in section. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relative position of the parts immediately subsequent to striking the stringswith the hammer andbefore the key has been released. Fig. 3 is a front elevationof the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is-a perspective view of one of the spring connections. Fig.6 is a detail view of a holding plate to be used with a spring connection. Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofan' other form of connecting spring.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the usual key having an adjustable capstan screw extending under and adapted to bear upwardly against the abstract 3. This abstract has a link 4 pivotally connected to it and said link is in turn connected to an action rail 5 by means Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

of a spring connection 6. This connection is made up of a thin strip of spring metal, preferably hardened steel, said strip being extended at one end under the action rail and at its other end on tpp of the link A clamping plate 7 is mounted upon each end portion of the strip 6, one of the plates being attached to the action rail 5 by means of suitable screws 8, while the other plate, is similarly secured to the link 4. As sho'wn in Fig. 6, each end portion of the strip 6 has a screw receiving notch 9 therein while apertures 10 are provided for the other screws extending through the plates 7.

Thus the connecting strip 6 can be securely held against movement relative to the rail 0 and link 1 and not only serves as a hinged connection between the link and the rail 'but also as a spring for holding the, link normally in a predetermined position relative to the rail. The strip (5 is of the same width as the link 4 and will prevent the link from swaying laterally or shifting out of line.

The upper end of the abstract 3 is pivotally connected as ordinarily to a wippen 11. This wippen extends under an action rail 12 and is preferably formed in its upper face with a recess 13 designed to embrace the lower edge of the aclion rail 12 during the. pivotal movement of the \vippen. Said wippen comiected to the bottom of the action rail 12 by a strip 1% preferably formed of hardened steel, this strip being similar to the strip 6 hereinbefore described and being attached to the rail 12 and wippen 11 in the same manner. Thus strip 1:4 not only con stitules a hinged connection between the rail 12 and the wippen 11 but also serves as a spring for holding the \vippen normally in a predetermined position relative to the ac tion rail and to prevent said wippen from swinging laterally out of line. A, damper spoon or tongue 15 extends from the back end of the wippen and in front of the lower end of the damper lever 16, which lever is connected to the upper portion of the front face of the rail 12 by means of a connecting strip 17. This connecting strip is prefer ably made of hardened spring steel, the end portions of the strip being connected to the damper lever and to the rail 12 in the same manner as are the strips 6 and 14. This cminecting strip 17 is preferably formed with an intermediate bend so that under normal conditions the damper lever will be held at such an angle as to hold the damper head 18 in contact with the string S.

The front end of the wippen 11 extends under a r gulating rail 19 carrying a. regu lating screw 20 to the lower end of which is secured a regulating button 21. This button is disposed above and in the path of the foot 22 of a jack 23, the heel portion of the jack being mounted to rock upon the top of the wippen. This jack is connected to the wippen by a spring strip 24 preferably formed of hardened spring steel and which strip is secured to the jack in the same manner as the strips (3, 14 and 17 "1 .lower end portion of the spring sir @i iowever, is extended into a slot 25 formed in the upper portion of the wippen, this inserted portion of the spring being held in place by a wedge 26 which is driven into the slot, the several parts being then glued together in any suitable man This spring strip 24 serves not only a a hinged connection between the jack andthe wippen but also serves as a spring for holding the jack normally at a predetermined angle to the wippen and to prevent the jack from twisting or tilting laterally out of line with the wippen.

The hammer butt 27 is connected to the action rail 12 by a spring strip 28 similar to the strip 17 heretofore described, this strip being secured to the action rail 12 and to the hammer butt 27 in the same manner as the strip 17 is fastened. The hammer butt is arranged in front of a hammer rail 29 as ordinarily. the hammer 30 being so positioned as to strike the string S when the action set in motion. A back stop 31 is connected to the hammer butt 27 and the jack 23 projects between this back stop and the toe of the hammer butt.

Importance is attached to the fact that by using clamping plates such as shown in F ig. 5, it is possible, simply by removing the screws entering the openings 10 in the various spring strips, to withdraw these spring strips from engagement with the other screws extending through the strips or plates 7. wippen or other part is being removed the clamping strip or plate 7 will be retained in position thereon while the spring strip remains attached to its rail and slips from engagement with the part being removed. To replace a hammer, Wippen, or the like, it is merely necessary to slip the part back on' the string, replace the screw in hole 0 and tighten the screw that fits in recess 9.

By setting the lifter spring at different angles, the touch can be made light or heavy as desired.

\Vhat is elaimcd isz- 1. A piano" action including separate parts, one otwhich is movable relative to the other, a flat spring strip, separate connecting means extending through the strip and into the respective parts, and means engag- Consequently while a hammer,-

ing the ends of the strip and the respective into the respective parts, means engaging In testimony that I claim the foregoing as the ends of the strip and the respective parts my own, I have .lsereto affixed my signature for holding said parts against pivotal movein the presence of two Witnesses.

ment relative to the strip, and clamping ALONZO B. CROSS. 5 plates engaging those portions of the strip Witnesses:

lapping the parts of the action, said plates JAMES 0. SMITH,

being engaged by the connecting means. I F. V. KURTZ.

copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "commissioner ot ratents Wuhlngton, D. 0." i

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