US1359928A - Wrist-supporting attachment for pianos - Google Patents

Description

L. F. STAFFORD. WRIST SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1919.

1,359,928. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- A TTORNEYS L. F. STAFFORD.

WRIST SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATTON FILED OCT. 7. 1919 1,359,928, Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES LEWIS FREDERICK STAFFORD, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

WRIST-SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed October 7, 1919. Serial No. 329,006.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS FREDERICK STAFFORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful \VristSupporting Attachments for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a piano attachment for holding and guiding the hands of players, especially beginners, and particularly to means for permittinga fore and aft movement of the wrist supports in a plane instead, of in an arc.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forthand claimed.

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

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away of a piano provided with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, parts of parts seen in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively an enlarged being omitted fragmentary plan and elevation of the means for supporting one end of the rail along which the wrist supports slide.

Figs. 5 and 6 are an enlarged plan and side elevation of the wrist supports.

This attachment comprises generally, a rail extending along and above the keyboard. wrist supports slidable along the rail, and means for supporting or guiding the ra l whereby it can be moved in a plane rectilinearly, forwardly and rearwardly when the operator is reaching from the black to the white keys and vice versa, and whereby the ends of said rail can be moved in opposite directions as when the player is reachinc for black keys with one hand and for white keys with the other hand.

1 designates the piano; and 2 the keyboard thereof. 3 is a rail extending above and along the keyboard and 4 are the wrist supports which are mounted upon slides 5 movable in a lengthwise groove in the rail 3, these supports being formed of two sections which are adjustable toward and from each other to accommodate difi'erent widths of wrists. The slides 5 are also provided with suitable rollers 6. The rail 3 is here shown as pivoted at its opposite ends and movable about the pivotat either end as an axis as when the player is reaching for the black keys with one hand for the white keys with the other, it being pivoted to its supporting means by a pin-andslot connection.

As here shown, the rail 3 is connected at each end by a pin-and-slot connection to a rocking or pivoted. member 7 which is pivoted at 8 on a vertical axis to a stationary rail 9 supported on uprights 10 which are ad ustably mounted in ways provided in brackets 11 mounted to be adjustably movable forwardly and rearwardly in guides 12 secured on the under side of the keyboard. .As here shown, the rail 3 is formed with a slot 13 at each end and each rocking member 7 with a pin 14 working in the slot, and the rocking member 7 is also formed with an arc-shaped track 15 on which a roller 16 moves during the movement of the rail 3.

The uprights 10 are held in their adjustable position in any suitable manner and in so far as this invention is concerned it is immaterial how the rail 9 is supported.

In operation, during the movement of the player forwardly and rearwardly the rail 3 can move in a plane rectilinearly or about an axis located at either end of the rail and owing to the fact that the rail moves in a plane instead of an arc the movements of the player are natural and the same as those of an accomplished player not using this at- I tachment.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a piano, of an attachment for holding and guiding the hands of the player comprising a rail extending along the keyboard and above the same, means supporting the rail connected thereto to permit the rail to move rectilinearly forwardly and rearwardly or either end of the rail forwardly or rearwardly relatively to the other end, and wrist supports carried by the rail and slidable along the same, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a piano, of an attachment for holding and guiding the hands of the player comprising a rail extending along the keyboard in front of and above the same, wrist supports carried by the rail and slidable along the same, means for supporting the rail at its. opposite ends, said means comprising normally fixed sup- 7 ports for attachment to the piano and members pivotally connected to the supports respectively and to opposite ends of the rail whereby a fore and aft inci ement in a horizontal plane of either end of the rail relatively to the other end is permitted, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a piano, of an attachment for holding and guiding the hands of the player comprising a rail extending along the keyboard and above the same, wrist supports carried by the rail and slidabie alongthe same, and means for supporting the rail at its opposite ends inc1uding forwardly and rearwardly movable pivoted members, the rail being pivoted at its ends to said members by pin-and-slot connections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 5th day of September. 1919.

LEWIS FREDERICK STAFFORD.

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