US189029A - Improvement in upright piano-forte actions - Google Patents

Description

F. FRICKINGER.

UPRIGHT PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

No.189,029. Patented Apri1s,1s77.

UNITED STATES @Firma-a.

FRIEDRIGK FRIGKINGER, OF WEST NASSAU, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN UPRIGHT PIANO-FORTE ACTIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,029, dated April 3, 1877; application tiled October 14, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRIEDRIGK FRIcKrNG- ER, of West Nassau, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Upright-Piano Action, of which the following is a specification:

Figures 1 and 2 are side views of my improved action, showing the same in different positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention relates to improvements in the hammer rest and butt of an upright action, as hereinafter more fully described.

The letter A in the drawing represents the hammer-rail, and B the fly-stop, of an upright piano-forte action. C is the hammer; D, the hammer-butt, and E the hammer-catch on the hammer-butt. The hammer derives its motion from the y F, which, in turn, is actuated by the y-lever G. The liftingrod H connects the finger-key I with the iiylever G. This fly-lever carries also the backjack J.

Heretofore the hammer-rest was usually constructed of a separate rail, arranged above the hammer-butt, and the hammer rested with its shank against such rail.

One feature of my present invention consists in dispensing with a separate hammerrest, and in utilizing the inner rail or iiystop B for the purpose of a hammer-rest. This object I attain by cushioning the upper inclined surface of the fly-stop B, and placing the same under the shank of the hammer-catch E. This arrangement renders an elongation of the hammer-catch or its shank desirable, as indicated in the drawing, Fig. 1, showing the shank of the hammer-catch resting on the rail B, and Fig. 2 showing the hammer thrown against the cord or string by the action of the fly F.

It will be readily seen that by this arrangement of the y stop the construction of the instrument is much simplified, as the upper additional rest-rail is dispensed with; and, at the same time, as the y-stop and the hammer-rest are combined in one piece, it will make a very positive and strong y-stop.

The fly-stop B derives its name from the fact that it arrests the upward motion of the fly F, in manner indicated in Fig. 2.

For adjusting the length of the lifter H, I place a screw, L, into the body of the lifter H, either as in the drawing, by screwing the same into the lower end of the lifter, and causing it to rest on the finger-key I, or by placing a right-and-left screw into the body of said lifter, in which case the latter is made in two separate pieces.

By this screw I can lengthen and shorten the lifter without causing the latter or any part of the action to be displaced or taken to pieces, and I prefer for this purpose to provide the cylindrical or other shaped head a of the screw L with holes, into which a wrench-pin can be introduced, or with projecting prongs, whereby it can be readily turned.

Finally, my invention consists in extending the butt M, to which the y-lever G is -pivoted, downward, and in joining it by a link or brace, N, with the body of the lifter H, as shown. By this arrangement I impart the requisite degree of steadiness to the lifter, and dispense with the much more complicated steadying devices which were heretofore used to properly brace or stay the lifter of an upright-piano action.

If the brace N be placed parallel to the tlylever G the motion of the lifter caused by the action of the finger-key will also be slightly lateral, and the lifter will in consequence travel somewhat on the nger-key in being lifted. This traveling motion it would share with the litters of ordinary upright piano-forte actions; but by placing said brace N some-- what out of parallel with, i. e., oblique to, the y-lever G, as shown in the drawing, I cause during the vertical movement of the lifter also a degree of vibration of such kind that its lower end will not vary its positionon the finger-key, and the friction formerly produced by the lifter on such finger-key will consequently be avoided.

I claim as my inventionl. In an upright piano action the inner rail B, placed with reference to the fly F and hammer-catch E, to constitute a combined brace N, both directly pivoted thereto, and fly-stop and hammer rest, substantially as to the lifter H, substantially as specified. specified. Signed October 7, 1876.

2. The hammer-catch E elongated and combined with the i'nclinedfaoe of the iiy- FRIED' FRIOKINGER' stop B, substantially' as herein shown and de- Witnesses: scribed.

ERNEST C. WEBB, F. v. BRLESEN.

3. The butt M, having the ny-lever G and

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