US351477A

US351477A - bdwaed steoud

Info

Publication number: US351477A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1886-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 1903-10-26

Description

(No Modelu.)

E. STRUD.

y KEY BOARD FOB. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' Patented Oct. 26, 1886.

@Qur/u Mr/6 UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

. EDWARD sTRoUD, or NEW YORK, n. Y.

KEY-BOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,477, dated October 26, 1886.

Application filed August 3. 1886. ySyderial No. 209,842. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern):

Be it known that I, EDWARD S'rRoUD, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pianos and other Musical Instruments, of which the followingis aspecitication.

My invention is more particularly intended for pianos, although it may be embodied in other musical instruments. The keys of a pianoforte are usually supported by a keyframe, which in turn is secured to a thick plank of wood, called a key-bottom. In pianos as usually constructed the back ends ofthekeys are supported directly upon the keyframe or keybotto1n, and by extreme dampness or extreme dryness of the atmosphere the wood of the key-bottom and keys is caused to'swell or shrink, and thereby produce what is commonly called long and short jacks, and also changes the depth of touch or the range of vertical movement of the keys at their front ends. To correct this difliculty in a measure, the keys have been provided at their back ends with screws inserted in their upper surfaces, and through which they operate upon the action but although the adjustment of these screws will correct what is technically known as long or short jacks it will not have any effect in changing or varying the ydepth of touch, and hence will not correct the changes in the depth of touch, which are produced by the swelling and shrinking of the keys and the key-bottom.

The object of my invention is, rst, to reduce to a minimum the changes which would he produced by the swelling or shrinking of the wood in a keywbottom and keys, and, secondly, to provide an adjustable key-rest for the backend of the keys, which is so constructed and arranged that it may be adjusted vertically relatively to the key-bottom, and will by its adj ustmeut prevent long and short jacks, and also maintain a uniform depth of touch. I-Ieretofore the swelling or shrinking of the full depth or thickness of wood both in the key-bottoms and keys have resulted in maximum changes in the vertical position of the keys; and in order to reduce such changes to a minimum I reduce as much as is possible the depth or thicknessof wood both in theback ends of the keys andin a portion of the key-hottom from which the adjustable key-restis support ed, as will be understood from the description hereinafter contained.

kThe invention consists 1n novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which are hereinafter described, and pointed out in4 the claims.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure I represents a transverse section of a piano-acn tion, and au end elevation, partly in transverse section, of a key-bottom with keys supported thereon. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of a key-bottom and a key-rest with -keys supported thereon, a portion of the parts between the ends being removed to reduce the length of the figure; and Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of one end portion of a key-bottom and key-rest with keys supported there` on, illustrating a slight modification of my invention.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention does not in any way relate to the action, and it will therefore be necessary to but brieliy refer to its principal parts.

A designates the hammer; B, the hammerrest rail; C, the jack; and D, the lever provided with a flange, d, to which the jack is pivoted, and which itself is secured hy a ange, d', to the action-rail E.

F designates the keys, which at their rear end are provided with screws j', secured in their upper surfaces and forming adjustable projections, which act upon the levers D to lift the jacks G.

G designates the key-lrame, on which the keys are pivotally supported at f', and H designates the key-bottom, which may loe made of a thickp lank of wood, as is usual. Instead of supporting the rear end or the keys upon the key-frame or key-bottoni, as is usually done, and which results in the keys being raised or lowered, as the wood in them and in the key-bottom shrinks or swells, Isupport the rear ends of the keys upon a bar, l, extending `parallel with and at the rear of the key-lootA tom H, and which is faced with felt i, and is preferably vertically adjustable, as I shall IOO hereinafter describe, relatively to the key-bottom. This bar I constitutes a key-rest, whereby the back ends of the keys are supported, and whereby the downward movement of the keys at the back end is limited.

I have here represented the key-bottom II as rabbeted at the rear edge and from its upper surface downward, as represented at 71 so as to form a rearwardly-extending lip or flange, 71', at the bottom of the key-bottom, and by means ofthe rabbet l1 this lip or flange is in this example of my invention formed integral with the key-bottom. I have also represented the rear ends of thekeys as rabbeted at ft from the under sidcupward, so as to form rearward projections, f 3, from the upper portions of the keys, and through these rearward projections f3 the keys are supported by the key-rest I.

I have in Figs. l and 2 represented the keyrest bar or rail I as held in vertical position by posts I', the upper ends of which are screwed into the bar I and the lower ends of which are screw-threaded and passed through the lip or llange h. The lower ends of these screwthreaded posts I may be nicked or notched, so as to receive a screw-driver, as shown in the drawings, and nuts I may be applied to them above and below the lip or fiange, so as to hold them securely in place after they have been adjusted or turned by t-he screw-driver applied to their lower ends. I have here represented the posts I as provided with reverse screw-threads, right and left, at their opposite ends, so that a given degree of turning` of a post will produce twice the vertical adjustment of the bar I that would be securedif the post were screw-threaded only in one part, I or h', and had a swivel-connection with the other part. Vhenever it is found that the keys are deranged by the swelling or shrinking of the small thickness of wood in the lip or ange h and rearward projection, f 3, from the key, it is only necessary to slightly turn t-he screw-threaded posts I in order to raise or lower the k ey-rest bar I to the proper' degree, and by such adjustment long and short jacks will be prevented, and the uniformity in thc depth of touch, which is so desirable, will be preserved.

It will be understood that the advantages of my invention may be secured in a degree by supporting the rest-bar I from a thin lip or flange of wood or niet-al extending rearward from the key-bottom H, or by supporting the keys on the bar I, through rearward projections eitherof wood or metal from their upper portions, or by both these features of construction and without any provision for the vertical adjustment of the bar I; but in order to secure the advantages of my invention to the fullest extent I provide additionally for the adjustment of the bar I relatively to the .flange or lip h', from which it is supported.

In thel example of my invention shown in ig. 3 I have represented the keyrest bar I as supported from the lip or ange 7L of the key-bottom 7L by means of springs j, and I have also represented ordinary wood-screws j', which are inserted loosely through and are capable of turning in the lip or flange h', and which screw into the bar I. \Vhen the screws j are turned in one direction, the bar I will be lowered or drawn downward against the force of the springs j, and when said screws are turned in the other direction the bar I will be relieved and will be raised proportionate to the extent to which the screws are turned by the action of the spring' 7. j

It will be seen that by the vertical adjustment of the bar I, I provide not only for raising or lowering the keys to bring them into proper relation to the levers D on which they operate, but I also provide for maintaining a uniform depth of touch, which is, as well known, very desirable. rlhe screwsf may be employed, as heretofore, to bring the bearingpoints of the individual keys in proper relation to the levers D, on which they operate.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the keys, keyframe, and key-bottom of a musical instrument, of a vertically-adjustable key-rest arranged beneath the keys at their back ends, and which limits the downward movement of the keys at the back ends, substantially as herein described.

2. rI`he combination, with the keys of a musical instrument and a key-bottom having at the back a iiange or lip projecting from its lower portion, of a key-rest supported from said ilange or lip, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with the keys of a musical instrument and a key-bottom rabbeted at the back and upon its top, so as to form an integral liange projecting from its lower portion, of a key-rest for the back ends of the keys supported from said flange, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the key-bottom of a musical instrument, of keys having at their rear ends projections from their upper portions, and a key-rest on which the rear ends of the keys are supported through said projections, substantially as herein described.

IOO

5. rIhe combination, with the key-bottom of a musical instrument, of keys rabbeted from the under side at their rear ends, so as to form integral rearward projections from the upper portions of the keys, and a key-rest on which the rear ends of the keys are supported through said projections, substantial] y as herein described.

6. rlhe combination, with the keys and keybottom of a musical instrument, of a key-rest and supports whereby the key-rest is supported from and capable of vertical adjustment relatively to the key-bottom, substantially as herein described. l

7. The combination, with the keys and keybottom of a musical instrument, of a key-rest and sorew-threaded posts supporting the keyor fiange fromv its lower portion, a key-rest, rest from the key-bottom and adjustable to, and screws whereby the key-rest is adjustably 1o vary the height of the rest, substantially as supported from said lip or ange, substanherein described'. tiaiiy as herein described. 5 8. The combination, with the keys rabheted EDWARD STROUD.

at the rear end to forni rearward projections Witnesses: from their upper portions, of a key-bottom G. HALL, rabbeted at the back to form a projecting lip FREDK. HAYNEs.