US297908A - becker - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. Y F. L. BECKER.

REPETITION ACTION FOR PIANQS. No; 297,908. I Patented Apr. 29, 1-8 84.

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REPETITION AGTION FOR PIANOS.

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I N0.'297,908. Pajoerited Apr. 29, 1884.

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WW K75? I UNITED STATES I PATENT @EETCE.

FRANCIS L. BECKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR O13 ONE-FOURTH TO GUSTAV BECKER.

REPETlTlON-ACTION FOR PlANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,908, dated April 29, 1884.

Application filed May '1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. BECKER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RepeatingActions for Grand and Square Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved action for grand and square pianos by which not only a simple and reliable construction, but also a great facility of repetition and an improved touch in the key, is obtained.

The invention consists of a repetition-action for grand pianos, in which a hammer-butt hav- I 5 ing two shoulders, one above the other, is acted upon by a lifting-jack, which latter is retained on the lower shoulder of the hammer-butt by a hitching device, and actuated by a balancing-spring that is applied to the balancingjack, so as toimparta constant backward tension thereon. The balancing-jack is pivoted at its lower end to a fulcrumed balancing-lever and retained at its upper end to the hammer-butt by a hitching device, con- 2 5 sisting of a pitch-pin applied to the hammerbutt, and of slitted hitching-strap applied to the balancing-jack.

The invention consists, further, of certain details of construction, which will be more fully 0 described hereinafter, and finally be pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate the same parts, Figure 1 represents a side view of my improved grand-piano action, showing the operating mechanism when at rest; and Figs. 2 and 3 represent side views of v the action, shown, respectively, in position after the key has been pressed down to its full 0 extent and in position after the key has been slightly raised again from its lowermost position for the purpose of repetition.

A in the drawings represents the hammer, the butt A of which is pivotedto the fixed 5 butt-arm B in any approved manner. The

hammer-butt A is provided with two shoulders, a and aone above the other and equidistant, or nearly so, from the pivot of the hammer-butt-and also with a rest-cushion, b,

in front of the shoulder a, and with a hitchpin, d, back of the shoulder a. The hammer A is lifted by a jack, 0, of the usual construction, which engages the upper shoulder, a, of the hani1ner-butt A. The lifting-jack O is pivoted in the usual manner to a fixed arm, 0, of the key-lever D and checked by a fixed button, Q of the rail H of the action-frame. A second jack, E, is arranged to engage the lower shoulder, a, of the hammer-butt A, and is connected by a slitted strap, d, to the hitchpin d of the hammer-butt A. This auxiliary or balancing jack E is pivoted at its lower end to the rear end of a fulcrumed lever, E, which is provided at its front end with a regulating screw-button, f, and a check-hook, 9. To 6 the rear part of the lever E is also attached an upwardly-extending wire, h, with a terminal button, h, that operates upon a blockscrew, h of the butt-arm B. The slotted lug e, which forms the fulcrum of the lever E, is applied to the rear end of a fixed angular arm,

F, that is attached to the key-lever D, while to its front end is secured an upright supporting-post, F, to which is applied the balancing wire spring G, the front end of which is around a tension-regulating screw, i, of the post E, which screw is provided with a nick for readily turning the same, and adjusting thereby the tension of the spring G. From the tension-regulating screw 1; the balancing- 8o spring G passes over the recessed and cushioned head of the post F, toward the balancing-jack E. The rear end of the balancingspring G is bent in the shape of a hook, i, to which is attached the looped cord G, which extends along a center groove at the lower end of the balancing-j ack E, and which is attached above the pivot of the same by means of a wooden key or other attachment to the jack E, as shown clearly in the drawings. The 0 balancing-spring G exerts. a constant backward tension upon the balance-jack E, so as to cause it to exert a balancing action upon the hammer by means of the hitching device 61 d when the key has been struck and the 5 hammer raised by the lifting-jack C. The lifting and balancing jack 0 and E act upon separate and independent shoulders of the hammer-butt, the lifting-jack being oscillated in following the motion of the key-lever,while the balancing-jack is confined by the hitching device to its position on the hammer-butt and turned in backward direction by the tension of the balancing-spring Gr, whereby the jacks always move independently of each other and without ever coming in contact with each other, so as to impede each others motion, and by which the tension of the balancing-spring on the hammer butt is in the same direction as that of the motion imparted to the hammer-butt by the lifting-jack-namely, in an arc of a circle the center of which is formed by the pivot of the hammer-butt. The key-lever D is fulcrumed to its balancing'rail D, and provided at its rear end with the usual hammer-check, A. The rail H carries at its upper part the usual hammercushion, A". The butt-arm l} is secured to a second bar, H, of the action-frame, which is arranged at some distance back of the bar H, so as to provide the required space for the intermediate mechisms described.

The operation of my improved pianoaction is as follows: \Vhen the key is slowly pressed down, the rear part of the key-lever and the mechanisms attached thereto are raised, so that the lifting-jack will raise the hammer butt high enough for the hammer'head to ap preach the string to within about one-eighth of an inch, when the lower arm of the liftingjack will touch the regulating-button O and escape thereby from the butt-shoulder a. At the moment when this escapement occurs the balaneing-jack'E, that acts upon the second shoulder, c,of thehammerbutt,will, by means ofits balancing-spring, hold the ham mer-head in position near the string till the key is allowed to rise at its front end, when, immediately before the hammer drops down into its former position of rest, the lifting-jack will reengage its shouldenso as to be ready to respond to the next stroke, even with the key being at the low dip of one-sixteenth of an inch from its balance-rail. \Vhether the key is struck gently or with considerable force, the motions described will always take place. By striking the key in the usual manner the hammerhead will be thrown by an uninterrupted swing against the string, and produce either a soft or loud tone, according to the force exerted upon the key. The hammer-head next rebounds and settles with its lower tapering end on the back check, A where it will be retained until the front end of the key is permitted to rise again. As soon as the hammer-head is released from the hold of the back check, the balancingjack, by means of the action exerted thereon by the balancing-spring, will support the hammer until the liftingjack has re-engaged the shoulder on the hammer-butt,so that when the key is released the key-lever will return, together with the mechanism attached thereto, to its position of rest. The required tension of the balancing-spring G is obtained by the regulating-screw t, so that the exact degree of force is exerted upon the balancing jack. The balancing'spring has two distinct functions: First,it acts upon the balancing-jack and causes the latter to exert a tension in the direction of the upward motion of the hammerbutt; second, it operates the balancingjack and its fulcrumed lever so as to counterbalance the weight of the hammerhead when the same is in position near the string. The check-wire and button h It will at the moment when the escapement of the lifting-jack occurs touch the block-screw of the hammer-butt arm and prevent thus the blocking of the hammer-head against the string in case an extreme pressure is produced upon the key by the player. The regulating screw-buttonf, that is attached to the front end of the lcverE of the balancingjack E,is required for the purpose of establishing the connection of the balancing-jack with the shoulder a. of thehammer-butt, so as to adjust it in such a manner that when the stroke occurs the hammer-butt will be held up just high enough, so that the lilting-jack can escape from its shoulder without producing any friction thereon. The cheekliook g of thelever E prevents any superfluous downward motion of the balancing-jack when the hammer rebounds from the string. It also prevents the hammer from being blocked by the back check when the player wishes to execute a very rapid repetition upon the same key.

The advantages of my improved piano-action are, first, that itwill cause the striking of the string and produce asound at any desired dip of the key below its position of rest from one-sixteenth of an inch to the usual dip of three-eighths of an inch; secondly, as the ham mer is supported by the balance-lever when the key is depressed, a reliable repeating ac tion is obtained by the alternate action of the lifting and balancing jacks upon the hammer; third, my improved action further gives the player full control over the tone, so as to enable him to gradually increase the same from the softest pianissimo to the greatest practical fortissimo without any interruption by the es capement or perceptible change in the touch. Owing to these advantages my improved piano-action does not require any bufl'stop or shifting-pedal in order to produce pianissimo, by which an injurious effect is exerted upon the surface of the hammer-heads, and other disadvantages are incurred.

As compared to the actions heretofore in use, myimproved action is of greater simplicity and consequently greater cheapness, while it is not subjected as much to climatical changes. It can be regulated to a niccty by adjusting the balancing-spring while the frietion of the operating parts is reduced, and thereby the wear of the action be reduced.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as newand desireto secure byLetters Patent- 1. In a piano forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt having two shoulders, one above the other, a lil'ting-jack, a balancingjack, a hitching device by which the balanc ing-jack is retained on the lower shoulder of the hammer-butt, and a balancing-spring applied to the balancing-jack so as to impart a constant backward tension thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt having two shoulders, one

above the other, a lifting-jack, a balancing jack, a hitching device by which the balanc ing-jack is retained on the lower shoulder of the hammer-butt, a balancing-spring applied to the balancing-j ack, and a fulcrumed balancing-lever to which the balancing-jack is pivoted, substantially as specified.

3. In a piano-forte action, the combination,

of a hammer-butt having two shoulders, one above the other, a lifting-jack, a spring-actuated balancing -jack, a hitching device by which the balancing-jack is retained on the lower shoulder of the hammer-butt, said hitching device consisting of a hitch-pin applied to the hammer-butt, and of a slitted hitchingstrap applied to the balancing-jack, substantially as set forth.

4. In a piano-forte action, the combination of the hammer-butt having two shoulders, one above the other, a liftingack acting upon the upper shoulder, a spring-actuated balancingjack hitched to the hammer-butt below the lower shoulder, a fulcrumed balancing-lever, and abalancing-spring that is applied to a fixed supporting-post, and connected by a looped cord that extends around the lower end of the balancing-jack to a point above the pivot of the same, so as to impart a backward motion to the balancingjack, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt having two shoulders, one

6. In a piano-action, the combination of the V hammer-butt A, having two shoulders, a a, a lifting-jack, O, a balancing-jack, E, hitched to the hammer-butt, afulcrumed lever, E, having check-hook g and regulating-button f, a balancing-spring, G, applied by a tensionscrew, 6, to an upright post, F, and by a looped cord, G, to the balancing-jack, the balancingspring being supported in the grooved upper end of the post F, and provided with a hookshaped end for attaching the connecting-cord, substantially as specified.

7. In a piano-forte action, the combination of a hammer-butt, A, having two shoulders, or a, one above the other, alifting'jack, O, abalancing-jack, E, hitched to the hammer-butt, a fulcrumed balancing-lever, E, a balancingspring, G, applied to a connectingpost, F, and by a looped cord, G, to the balancingjack, the balancing-lever E being provided with a check-wire and button, h h, that abut against a block-screw, h on the hammer-butt arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS L. BECKER.

\Vitnesses:

CARL KARP, I SIDNEY MANN.

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