US462636A

US462636A - Piano-action regulator

Info

Publication number: US462636A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1908-11-03

Description

(No Model.)

W. D. GIBBS. PIANO ACTION" REGULATOR. No. 462,636. Patented N0v.8,1861.

/ D Z /C Z C, I 6 E E F D C -C D witnesses In ventoz:

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VESLEY D. GIBBS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO-ACTION REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,636, dated November 3, 1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No. 3 80,053- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WESLEY D. (James, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Action Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices designed to enable the instructor on the piano to regulate the action of the piano, so that a greater or less force will have to be exerted by the pupil to operate the keys, thus to give exercise to the fingers beneficial in giving the pupil perfect control over the keys.

The object of my invention is to' provide means whereby an accurately-uniform touch is given to each key of the piano provided with the action-regulator.

My invention, broadly stated, comprises the combination of a flexible plate arranged to engage the keys of a piano-forte to impede their movement when operating the hammers to strike the wires, and means for adjusting such plate with relation to such keys to increase or diminish the resistance to the stroke of the fingers of the player.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a piano provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of my appliance as applied to control the whole finger-board.

A is a flexible plate of rubber or other suitable material secured to and projecting from one side of the movable wooden plate or bar B, which is suspended above the rear ends of the keys, and is arranged to be moved up and down by means of the lever C, which is pivoted to the frame and secured to the bar. The bar B is preferably suspended from the frame-piece, D by the suspending-wires E, each secured at one end to the frame-piece, and secured at the other end to the bar by means of bolts F, passed through slots G, arranged longitudinally of the bar to allow of the adjustment of the bolts along the length of the bar. The lever O is pivoted to the frame-piece D by the screw II or other suitable means, and extends up to a point convenient of access, Where is arranged a series of pins I or other suitable means for securing the lever in place in various positions. The lever is preferably formed of a strong wire bent to form the eye J, in which is clasped the pivot H, and the end of the short arm 0' is bent forinsertion through the eye H, which is fixed to the bar B, through which eye II the bent member a of the lever C is passed. In practice I employ two bars to each finger-board, as shown in Fig. 2, and each bar is operated by a lever to press with greater or less force upon either the right or left hand part of the finger-board or to relieve them entirely from pressure. The arm a and eye 11 allow a degree of longitudinal movement of the bar for the purpose of adjustment.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a piano-forte, of the flexible plate arranged to engage the keys of the piano-forte to impede their movement when operating the hammers to strike the wires, and means for adjusting such plate with relation to such keys to increase and diminish the pressure thereon.

2. The combination, with a piano-forte, of the movable bar, theflexible plate secured to and projecting from one side of the movable bar, the suspending-wires each secured at one end to the frame-piece and secured at the other end to the movable bar, and the lever pivoted to the frame and secured to the bar.

The combination, with a piano-forte, of the movable bar provided with the slots arranged longitudinally of the bar, the flexible plate secured to such bar and arranged to engage the keys, the bolts and nuts, the suspending-wires secured to such bolts at one end and to the frame of the piano-forte at the other end, the eye fixed in the bar, the lever pivoted to the frame and having one end passed through the eye, means for securing the other end of the lever, and means for securing the lever in place.

a; In a piano-action regulator, the movable bar provided with the flexible strip arranged to engage the keys, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WESLEY D. GIBBS. \Vitnesses:

IV. A. Po'rTS, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND.