US172621A

US172621A - Improvement in upright-piano-forte actions

Info

Publication number: US172621A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1876-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1893-01-25

Description

F. FRICKINGER.

UPRIGHT PIANO-FORTE ACTION.

Patented Jan. 25, 1876.

Jill/mini:

N. PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPH "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoE.

FRIEDRIGK FRIGKINGER, OF WEST NASSAU, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN UPRIGHT-PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 72,621, dated January 25, 1876; application filed November 15, 1875..

Cam B.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICK FRIOKIN- GER, of West Nassau, in the county of Bensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Action for UprightPiano- Fortes, of which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a side view of my improved piano-forte action. Fig. 2 is a side view of part thereof, showing a modification.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to an improved elastic joint for the lifter of an upright piano-forte action, and also to a new mechanism for drawing the hammer off the string, all as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents the key, 13 the lifter, O the jack or fly-lever, D the fly, E the hammer butt or shank, and F the hammer of an upright pianoforte action. G is a cross-rail of the pianoframe, in front of the lower part of the lifter. To this rail is secured, by screws or otherwise, a lug, a, to which a lever, H, is pivoted, as shown. The inner end of the lever H is pivoted by a pin, 12, to the lower part of the lifter. As thus far described, the lifter-connection a H b is old.

My improvement consists in connecting the lifter, below the lever H, with said lever H by a spring, I, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This spring has the tendency to draw the lower part of the lifter toward the rail G, and to consequently move the upper part of the lifter inward, and to thereby vibrate the lever O, and cause the hammer to strike. The

spring I is, however, not strong enough to efl'ect these movements unaided. It only tends to effect them, and aidsthe player as soon as the key is touched. In fact, by this spring I the action is nearly balanced, so that a very slight touch on the key will suffice to work the hammer.

Many, especially the better class of players, sire their instruments to be so adjusted 11L at they can be played with the least possible ipenditure of power. By my invention such an instrument is produced.

The second feature of my invention has ref-- erence to the means of withdrawing the hammer from the string or cord. This has usually been done by a cord or strap connecting the hammer-butt with the rigid piano-frame behind the hammer, and was, therefore, a mechanism distinct from the other action. In fact, rapid strokes with the hammer were almost impossible when the dead pull-back was applied; yet the excellence of an instrument depends, to a great degree, on its capacity of rapidly repeating the strokes of a hammer. Now, my invention consists in connecting the hammer-butt E with the fly D by a short strap, 61, which is applied to pins projecting from said butt and fly, as shown. The fly, in dropping, will draw the hammer down with it by means of the strap d, and will, when pushed up again, immediately throw the hammer against the cord, thus aiding in the production of and permitting rapid strokes of the hammer. In addition to the strap 01 a spring, 6, fastened to the hinge-piece f, and hooking into a loop, 9, on the hammer-butt, behind the pivot of said but-t, may be used.

This spring is very sensitive, and is just strong enough to draw the hammer back, while it does actually not resist the striking motion of the hammer. Nor does the strap'd offer such resistance. But the back -springs heretofore in use had to be expanded by the striking motion of the hammer, and offered a very objectionable resistance to the same.

The spring 6 may be used in conjunction with or independent of the strap d.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an upright'piano action, the combination, with the lifter B and lever H, of the balance-spring I,-substantially as herein shown and described. I

2. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the ordinaryjack or fly lever O and fly D with the strap 61 and hammer-butt E, all arranged to operate so that the fly in dropping will draw the hammer otf the string, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. In an upright-piano-rorte action, the combination of the spring 6, which has a hook at its free end, with the loop g fastened to the hammer-butt, behind the pivot of said butt, substantially as specified.

FRIEDRIUK FRIOKINGER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST O. WEBB, G. G. MANNEY.