US2096478A - Upright piano action - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 19, 1937. c. D. BOND 2,096,478

UPRIGHT PIANO ACTION Filed March 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l FTQIJ l fi as 'l 32 l u gm TFNE'TF Ewan REY'BTOM 1 INVENTOR CHAUNCEY D. BOND ATTO R N EY Oct. 19, 1937. c. D. BOND 2,096,478

UPRIGHT Pmfio ACTION Filed Marsh 9, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHAUNCEY D. BOND ATTORN EY Patented Oct. 19, 1937 nrmon'r PIANO ACTION Chauncey D. Bond, York, Pl...

Piano Company, Inc., of Pennsylvania auignor to Weaven York, Pa a corporation Application March 9, 1936, Serial No. 67,757 6 Claims. (CI. 84-24 This invention relates to key operated stringed musical instruments such as pianos, and more particularly to upright pianos of the miniature ype.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano in which the level of the key board can be disposed at any desired height with respect to the standard upright piano action, the sound board, and the iron frame of the instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano action in which there is no locked contact between the key and the action.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano action in which the keys may be removed without disturbing the regulation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano so constructed that the action can be removed without disturbing the regulation.

Another object of the invention'is to provide an improved upright piano having improved 25 means for adjusting the mechanism so that the Another object of the invention is to provide an improved upright piano of the character mentioned, which is simple in construction and reliable and exact in function under all conditions of service.

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in the construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of which it is composed as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an end elevation of a miniature upright piano constructed according to the present invention with parts broken away and in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section of the principal parts of the action of the upright piano shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the action lift member operatively associated with the key and the wippen for operating the action shown in Fig. 2.

In the construction of miniature upright pianos having the standard action m chanism, the discated too close to the floor to permit a player while sitting on a piano stool or bench to position his legs, especially his knees, beneath the key bottom.

According to the upright pianos of very small size and embodying structed with the keyboard level desired with respect to the keys will operate the action in the usual manner. Such improvement in the construction of miniature upright pianos is accomplished by shortening the length of the key bottom, key frame and the keys, and operatively connecting the inner endof the shortened key with the wippen by an improved action lift in the nature of a Z-shaped member constructed in the manner to be hereinafter more fully described.

Referringv to the drawings, the standard upright piano action comprises a wippen Ii which is pivotally mounted upon an action rail l2 by' means of a wippen flange l3. A hammer butt I4 is pivotally mounted upon the action rail I I by means of a flange IS. A jack I6 is pivotally carried upon the wippen II by means of a flange positioned at any action, so that the In accordance with the present invention the key 2|, key frame 22 and key bottom 23 are all mounted in the piano at a point above the wippen H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

- In the prior construction of standard upright pianos the inner end of the key 2| terminated beeath the wippen and the inner end of the key carried a capstan screw, the head of which en- Based a felt Pad carried by the underside of the whippen. The purpose of the capstan screw was to enable the inner end of the key to at all times be operatively engaged with the wippen.

With the key II and its will strike a musical m.

- According to the present invention the means for operatively connecting the key 2| with the wippen comprises an action lift 25 in the form of an elongated member of substantial Z-form.

The upper end of the action lift 25 has a laterally extending arm 26 which overlies the inner end of the key 2!, and the lower end of the action lift 25 is formed with an arm 21 which extends laterally in a direction opposite to the arm 26 and terminates in an upwardly extending lug 28, which engages a felt pad 29 on the underside of the wippen II.

In order thatthe lug 28 can be at all times maintained in contact with the wippen H, the underside of the arm 26 is formed with an arcuate surface 30 which constitutes a bearing for engagingthekey2l.

Formed in the arm 26 on opposite sides of the arcuate bearing surface 30, are openings 3! through which are inserted screws 32 which are mounted'in the key 2| as shown in Fig. 2. v

By this construction the relative position of the action lift 25 can be regulated or adjusted so that when the key is mounted on the key frame the inner end or lug 28 of the action lift 25 will bear against the underside of the wippen whereby th key will be operatively connected with the wippen in the customary manner.

One of the features of the present invention resides in the fact that the usual piano key which, as is well known, is supported upon a center pin 33 carried by a center rail 34 of the key frame 22 and key pin 35 carried by the usual front rail 36, can be taken out or removed from the piano without disturbing the regulation. Furthermore, by the above described construction it will be noted that there is no locked contact between the key and the action, and the key can be readily removed in the usual manner by first raising the outer end of the key to disengage the; same from the pins 33 and 35, since the inner end of the action lift arm will pass readily underneath the outer end of the wippen ll.

In Fig. l I have indicated by a broken line the usual location of the key bottom in the standard miniature upright pianos. It will be appreciated that by my present invention the key bottom can be located at a point considerably above the usual disposition of this part of upright pianos.

While in the instant case the key bottom is located slightly above the wippen of thestandard upright piano action, it will be appreciated that the key bottom can be located at any other relative position desired and when such relocation of the key board is effected it is only necessary to construct the intermediate vertical portion of the action lift 25 longer or shorter as the case may be, so that when said action lift is mounted on the key 2| its inner end 28 will operatively engage the underside of the wippen-ll.

Changes may be made in the details of construction and in the arrangement of the parts above described within certain limits without departing from-the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I extending portion projecting from lower laterally extending portion for engaging the underside of the wippen. v

2. In a piano action, a wippen, a key board having a key pivotally mounted thereon and located in front of and above the wippen, and an arm carried by said key and comprising an upper laterally extending portion, an intermediate depending portion, a lower laterally extending portion underlying the wippen and an upwardly extending portion projecting from lower laterally extending portion for engaging the underside of the wippen, and means for adjustably mounting said arm on the key to maintain the inner end thereof in engagement with the wippen.

3. In an upright piano having a standard action, a wippen, a key disposed in front of and above the wippen, a single armv engageable with said wippen for actuating the same, a pair of spaced apart screws passed through one end portion of said arm for securing said arm to the key, and a lug depending from said arm and disposed between said screws and constituting a bearing justably fastened to the key and having its opposite end underlying and disconnected from said wippen. I

5. A piano action comprising a wippen, a key disposed in front of and above the wippen, and means operatively connecting the key. with the wippen, said means comprising a single arm engageable with and disconnected from said wippen and having an elongated substantially vertical portion adjustably carried by the inner end of the key and having its lower end terminating at a point below said wippen and adapted to actuate the whippen when thekey is operated.

6. A piano action comprising a wippen, and a key for operating said wippen .having a Z- shaped extension terminating beneath-and disconnected from the wippen, said extension being engageable with the. underside of said wippen when the key is operated. v

' CHAUNCEY D. BOND.

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