US1687984A - Mechanical construction of pianos - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1928;

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1927 & 8 Ma ll t\|l WW Ill. .ll|.|.||.|l |l||| llllll m. T NM M "W W a w W V 6 1%. Rn s 1 I N G. LYON MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOS Oct. 16, 1928. 1,687,984

Filed Jan. 27, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE LYON, OF PARIS, FRANCE, A SSIGNOR TO SOGIET'E ANONYME PLEYEL, OF

PARIS, FRANCE, .A' CORPORATION OF FRANCE.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION or IIANOS.

Application filed January 27, 1927, Serial No. 164,067,. and in France March 26, 1926;

My invention relates to improvements'in the mechanical constructionof pianos comprising two keyboards disposed one above the other, the keys of the upper keyboard being situated in the rear of the keys of the lower keyboard. 1

It is an observed fact that in the mechan- "that of the lower keyboard, while acting upon this latter, at the same time permitting the independent operation of the keys of the upper keyboard, in such manner that by pressing a-key corresponding to a note pro- 5 duced by the lowerkeyboard, the operator can produce this note as well as the note 7 situated an octave higher, while being able following description with reference to the at the same time to separately pressany of the keys of the upper keyboard.

My said improvements essentially consist in the construction of the diflerent devices in a simple manner, thereby reducing the risks of defective operation and rendering the mechanical parts easy of access for 'mountlng and dismounting.

7 One of the principal characteristics of the, invention consists in the use of a coupling device which permits, by pressing a given key of the lower keyboard, to produce at the same time the corresponding note and the note situated an octave higher, while the operator is further enabled topress the keys of the upper keyboard in an independent manner.. 1 V r 5 Theinvention isclearly disclosed. in the Figs. and 5 are detail views showing two positions of the device which serves to couple the lower key with the gear pertaining to the corresponding key of the upper keyboard.v r s The two keyboards are in all cases disposed one above the other and comprise the, requisite number of keys. The lower 4 keyboard consists of the white keys a a etc. and the black keys A A etc, and the upper keyboard consists vof the white keys 6 6 etc, and the black keys B B etc.

The keys of the upper and lower keyboards are respectively disposed one in the rear of the other and inthe same plane as the mechanism which serves to control each striker corresponding to a respective key.

The keys a or A of the lower keyboard,

when turning upon their pivots, will raise" by their respective ends 28 a lever 16 coacting with an adjustable button 29 which is mounted on the rod 1 whose upper end is secured to the lever 2 controlling the striker mechanism. Inthis manner the keys of the lower keyboard will directly actuate each corresponding striker mechanism.

In thelever 16 (Figs-1, 4 and 5) is formed a mortise 32 whose function will be further disclosed. The ends of the keys 6 or B 7 of the upperkeyboard are provided with a respective adjustable button 7 coacting with the lever 16 amortise 3 is formed in the said lever (Figs. 2 and ,3) for the free pas- U. shape which is pivoted on the horizontal axle 5 and is terminated at the other end ,bya member 6 similar to the member 6 -The space between the branches 6 and 6 I of the piece 8 is determinedin such manner;-

as tocorrespond to the space which is necessary to contain, all thevmechanisms of an octave of notes.

The rotation of the piece8 on its axle 5,

actionof the link 20 coacting with the lever 16 which is raised by the button 7 mounted on the end of a key b?orB will thus raise the second branch 6 by a likeam unu The upper face 3 Fig; 8') of thebr'anch "sage of the rod 1 which is controlled by' due to the ascent ofthe branch 6 under the Y bar 6 is in contact with the button 12 which is screwed upon the rod l which as above stated connects the lever 16 of the lower keyboard. "ith the lever 2 controlling the striker mechanism and in this manner the device actuates the striker mechanism. of the note which is an octave higher than the note corresponding to the key of the lower keyboard situated directly below the key which is pressed upon the upper keyboard.

It will be observed from what precedes that upon pressing a key Z1 or B of the pper keyboard, this will actuate, through the mechanism 6 86, the stri (er "tor the notesituated an octave higher, i. e., the

striker of the twelfth key counting to the right, which striker can. further be directly controlled by a ke if or A of the lower keyboard.

A. coupling device is en'iployed to connect together the levers 16- and 16 which are respectively controlled by the keys or the upper and lower keyboards, so as to produce simultaneously the note corresponding to the directly actuated key and the note corresponding to the upper octave.

To effect this coupling, i. 0., to connect together the levers 16 and 16 there is pivotally mounted at 15 on the lever 16 a vertical lever 15 whose lower end normally projects through the mortise 32 provided in the lever 16.- A spring 3 1 has its upper end eonnectedto the lever 16 while the lower portion bears against the lever 15 so as to move the shoulder portion 15 of the lever in engagement with the end 32 oi? mortise 32,as shown in Fig. 5.

This coupling movement is under the con trol of a pedal (not shown) which as represented in Figs. l: and 5 will move to the right a bar 33 coacting with'all of the vertical levers 15, so that the spring as (in each case) can act upon the pieces 15, in order to bring the lower end 15 upon the edge 31 out the mortise 32 formed in the lever 16.

When the pedal ceases to act upon the 33, the latter will drive back all of the vertical levers 15 against the action of the springs 34, so thatthe lower ends 15 will coincide with the mortises 32 in the levers 16. In this position, the ascent of the lever 16 will have no effect upon the lever 16 since the vertical lever 15 freely engaged in the mortise 32 in each case.

The lower ends 310i the rods 1 are loosely slidable (Fig. 5) inthe apertures 35 formed in the lovers 16, so that in the coupled position, the lever 16 of the upper octave will not be actuated during the ascent of the rod 1 due to the button 12. During the ascent of the rod 1, it will simply move within the aperture 35 of the lever 16. It the apertures 35 -were not provided, and'the rod 1 were simply secured in the lever 16, the lever 16 situated in the upper octave would impart its motion to the octave above the latter, and so on, and thus the motion would be transmitted from upper octave to upper octave towards the right, and clear to the end of tl e keyboard.

From the preceding considerations it will be observed (Figs. 1 and that when the vertical lever 15 is driven back by the bar against the action of the spring 3%, its lower end 15 will be disengaged from the edge 32 of the mortise 32 in the lever 16, so that the ascent of said lever will-not ali'cct the lever 16, and thus when a key a or A of the lower keyboard is pressed, this will only control-through the rod l--the striker mechanism'ot the note situated in the same vertical plane. It will be noted that the rods 1 are loosely movable in the mortises 3 (Figs. 2 and 3) in the lever 16 and in the forks 6 of the U-shaped pieces '8.

The descent 01 a key I)- or B ot the upper keyboard will act directly upon the corrcsponding lever 16 whichby means oi the rod 20will raise the branch 6 of the piece 8 (Fig. 2)) which will thus turn upon its pivot 5, and this movement will raise the second branch 6 situated in the plane of the mechanism of the note in the upper octave (Fig. As above stated, the rod 1 is engaged in a slot in the said branch, and a button 12 mounted on said rod is in contact with tl e upper face of the branch 6. ,The ascent of the branch 6 will thus act upon the button 12 and hence upon the rod 1, and the latter will thus control the striker mechanism of the note. lVhen the rod 1 is raised by the branch 6, its lower part will move freely in themortise 3 of the lever 16 and in the aperture 85 of the lever 16.

For the coupling of the levers 16 and 16 the operator acts by means of a pedal upon the bar 33 which will thus be moved to the right. Under the action of its spring 34: the vertical lever 15 will turn on its pivot 15 upon the lever 16, and its lower end 15 will be displaced in the mortise 82 and will be brought upon the edge 32 ot the lever 16.

At this moment, if the operator presses a key a or A of the lower keyboard, this will act upon the lever 16 which in its ascent will actuate-by the button 29the rod 1 connected with the lover of the striker mechanism for the corresponding note, and

at'the same time, due to the coupling afforded by the vertical lever 15, the lever 16 will be raised and hence (through the rod 20, thebranch 6- of the U-shaped piece 8, and the second branch 6) it will act upon the button 12 "of the rod 1 which actuates the control lever 2 of the striker mechanism of the note an octave higher than the note which is directly controlled by the lever 16.

Irrespectively of the coupling thus effected, it will always be feasible to directly actuate the keys 6 B etc. of the upper keyboard.

Claims:

1. In a coupling device, for pianos provided with a lower keyboard the keys of which act directly upon the striker mechanism of the note situated in the same plane and an upper keyboard the keys of which act upon the striker mechanism of the note situated an octave higher than the note controlled by the keys of the lower keyboard, providing for the simultaneous operation of the striker mechanism actuated by any of the keys of the lower keyboard and of the striker mechanism of the note situated an the upper keyboard, a mortise formed in the lever actuated by the keys of the lower keyboard, a bar normally holding the coupling piece in coincidence With the mortise, and an external pedal controlling the bar.

2. Ina coupling device as claimed in claim 1, a coupling piece between the lever actuated by the keys of thelower keyboard and the lever actuated by the keys of the upper keyboard, a pivot for the coupling piece on the leveractuated by the keys of the upper keyboard, a mortise formed in the lever actuated by the keys of the lower keyboard, a bar normally holdingthe couplingpiece in coincidence with the mortise, an external pedal controlling the bar and a spring mounted on piece, when the bar is disengaged, so as to engage the lower end of the coupling piece upon one edge of the mortise.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GUSTAVE "LYON.

, the lever actuated by the keys of the upper i keyboard and coacting with the coupling

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