US495122A - Fall-board for pxanos - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

P. SOHIMMEL & S. F. NELSON. FALL BOARD FOR PIANOS.

No. 495,122. Patented Apr. 11, 1898.

101mm '[nveniom fiiaiolinJb/zmmcl JcaflcfiFizelson. ur-MW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIDOLIN SOHIMMEL AND SEARIOK F. NELSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FALL-BOARD FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,122, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed March 14, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRIDOLIN SoHIMMEL and SEAEIoK F. NELSON, both of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Fall-Boards for Pianos and Organs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in fall-boards for pianos and organs, and its obj ect is to greatly simplify the construction and cheapen the cost of manufacture of fall-boards of the class which are made up of two principal parts, the rear one of which is adapted to fall or be pressed back by the raising of the other to permit the forward section to be "thrown farther back than ordinarily, thus leaving an unusually large space before the key-board and allowing a clear space for the music drop.

To this end we do away with all hinges between the frame of the piano and the parts of the fall-board, simply pivoting the same at their ends to the frame and as hereinafter shown make the device selfoperating and sel flocking without the aid of springs or springparts.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:-

Figure 1 is a transverse section of a fallboard constructed in accordance with our invention, showing the fall-board open. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the fall-board partially open. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the fall-board closed.

As shown in the drawings, the keys 2 and the piano casing 3 are of the ordinary construction with the exception that all interm ediate supports or lugs projecting upward between the rear parts of the keys are dispensed with, all such parts being unnecessary to our construction of the fall-board.

The fall-board is formed in the two sections 5 and 7 the section 5 being pivotally supported at points near its upper edge by pins projecting therefrom into the casing, as shown by dotted lines in the drawings. These simple pivot pins take'the place of the costly hinge which would otherwise have to be employed along the full length of the upper edge of the Serial No. 424,761. (No model.)

part 5. The other or front section 7 of the fall-board is pivoted near its rear edge to the frame by similar pins projecting from its ends (see dotted lines in drawings) andis arranged to be thrown down over the keys or to be swung back so that its forward part rests against the under edge of the part 5 and at a much greater incline than usual. As shown the top part of the part 7 is flat and extends back in a plane surface to a point above the pivot (shown in dotted lines) where the blind hinge 9 is attached. The front edge of the part 5 has a groove adapted to fit the rear part of the blind hinge snugly and the part 5 is of such width that when raised in the position shown in Fig. 3 its edge just comes againstthe blind hinge so that it seems to form a permanent part of the piano frame to which the forward part of the fall-board is attached. The part 5 is positively and rigidly supported when closed by the strong fingers or lugs 11, one of which is placed at each end of the forward part of the fall-board and attached permanently thereto. \Vhen the forward part is raised these fingers are withdrawn from be- I neath the part 5 and sliding across the flat lower edge thereof permit the part 5 to fall of its own weight upon the stops or blocks 13 arranged on the sides of the frame and which prevent the parts 5 from being pushed farther back so as to expose the interior of the piano to damage. To prevent the raising of the part 5 after closing we provide one or more of the hooks 15 extending from the back thereof and adapted to engage the pins 17 in the frame. Thus it will be seen that the part 5 is safely locked in either position without regard to the part 7 except as the fingers 11 thereof support the same, which fingers it should be noted form the only sliding connection between the two parts and as they operate on the lower unfinished side of course do no damage. The fact that afine surfacejoint is made between the two parts without movement of either part over the same to scrape it forms an important advantage of our invention.

A further advantage is that a smooth unbroken surfaoe of top is made between the extreme forward and rear edges of the fall-board.

Having thus fully described our invention,

we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the piano casing, of a fall-board composed of independently pivoted parts 5 and 7 pivoted at their rear edges, the rear part 5 adapted to drop by its own gravity when unsupported by the forward part, the forward edge of the rear part and the rear edge of the forward part of the fallboard adapted to close together to form an unbroken surface between the tops thereof, a blind hinge arranged in the joint, rigid arms 11 extending from the rear of the forward section and beneath the lower and forward edge of the rear section and forming the only and positive support for said lower edge when closed, and stops 13 for limiting the fall of the rear part when released by the raising of the forward part, substantially as described.

2. In a fall-board the combination, with the piano frame, of the rear section 5 pivoted near its upper edge to said frame and adapted when un-supported to drop upon the stops 13 provided on said frame, the forward section pivoted on said frame and provided with thelugs 11 arranged to engage the under-side of the section 5 when resting on said stops and as the forward part is closed or lowered to raise the lower edge of the rear section and positively support the edge thereof in contactwith the rear edge of the forward section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 7th day of March, 1892.

FRIDOLIN SOHIMMEL. SEARIOK F. NELSON.

In presence of A. 0. PAUL, F. S. LYON.

Images