US504A - Action of pianofortes and mode of giving stability to such instruments - Google Patents

Description

T. LOUD.

. Piano Forte. v NO. 504. Ptented Dec. 7,1837.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS LOUD, OF PHILADELPI-IIA, IENNSYLVANIA.

AC'IION OF PIANOFORTES AND MODE OF GIVING STABILITY '10 SUOI-I INS'IRU'MENTS.

Specfication of Lettere Patent No. 504:, dated December '7, 1837.

T0 all 107mm zt may concern Be t known that I, THOMAS LOUD, of the city of Phladelphia, in tbe State of Pennsylvania, have nvented certan impreve- 1nents in pianofortes, whcb mprovernents consst, first, in what I denominate the front-mo-tion grand action, wth front regn- Iation; second, in the back-motion grand action, with front regulaton; thrd, in the metallc supportng-brace in tunngpns or long bocks, and, fourth, in the detached metallic plate, of whch several improvernents in the action and in the mode of gvng stabty to the nstrument under the great degree of tcnson to which t s subjected, and consequently causng it to keep in tunc more perfectly than ordinary, I do hereby declare that the followng s a full and exact descrption.

In the accmnpanying drawing, Figure 1, represents the front motion grand acton, with the front regulaton, tbe respective parts of which are ponted out by the following numerals.

References to Fig. 1: 1, the key; 2, the jack or grasshopper, attached to che key and that lfts the hannner when the key s struck; the frontupper part moved, while the back standard s permanent; 3, the regulatng screw, wth nuts on the screw'; 4, the ham- 1ner b1ock, to Whh s attached the harnmer shank and hannner head whicb strikes the strings; 5, the center of ham1ner block; 6,

the capsule, in whch the center of the bammer 1noves; 7, tbe strng; 8, che check, to catch the hannner head after it has struck the string; 9, the spring of the jack.

My mpro-vement in the front motion grand acton with front regulaton, con ssts in the applying the jack or grasshopper (whch lfts the hannner and is attached to the key) at once to the block of the hammer, without the use of the second or under baxnrner, the jack havng a front motion; that s to say, the movable part of the jack, after t has taken the hannner to the string, passes, or releves from it, by a front moton and toward the center of the ham1ner, nstead of passng back, and away from the center of the han1mer, whch s the common mode in grand actions, and also in the method of regulaton of the jack, whch is arranged with the regulatxw screw passng from the front through aoose hole in its movable part, and screwed into the permanent standard at the back; the regulatng screw has two nuts on it, one front and one back of the rnowable part of the jack. The spring of the jack kceps t firrnly against the harn1ner block, and by screwng the regalatng screw, in or out, the nut at the back of the movable part of the jack is made to force forward the front of jack, so as to pass or releve it off from the ha1nmer block, at the exact point of the barnmer heads touchng the string. be nut in front of the movable partof the jack is placed at a dstance from it, say, of one fourth of an nch, and s used as a guard to prevent the point of the jack flyng off too far from the harn1ner block when a severe blow is struck-the regulation of the jack is from the front, and it can therefore be regulated when the acton s in its place in the instrument-as in the ordinary jack of the Englsh action where the under harnmer is used. The operations and movernents as well as 1nethod of r-e ulat-on of rny front motion grand action Wth front regulation is fully exemplified in the draW- ng with the numerals referring thereto. The mprovement claimed and wshed to be secured by Letters Patent, in ths modification of the acton, is-

The application of the jack or grasshopper mrnediately to the hammer block, With a front motion, or toward the center of the hannner; together with the front regulation of the jack or grasshopper, when the jack s thus appled at once to the harnmer block.

Fi 2, shows the manner in whch I effect 1ny second i1nprovement in tbe acton, denominated by me the back moton grand action, With front regulaton. The back moton grand action, as usually made, s regulated by taking the action out of the nstrument, and turning the regulating pns, or screws, which are placed perpendicularly over the projectng arm of the jack whch s a part of it; the screw and arm are not in sight, and are not capable of being regnlated from the front. ho following references and descripton Will fully exernplify the po-nts of dfference between ths back hannner head Whch strkes the string; 7, the center of hammer block; 8, the capsule, in whch the center of the ha1n1ner 1noves; 9, the string; 10, the check, to catch the hannner head after t has struck the string;

11, the permanent rail, (clothed) against which the relieving lever strikes, in its motion in takng the hannner to the string; 12, the spring of jack.

My 1nprovcment in the back 1notion grand acton, Wth front regulation, consists in attachng to the front or 1novable part of the jack or grasshopper, that strikes the hannner block, an addtional 1novable lever, called a relevng lever With an arm or projecton( whch is at right angles from its center) passng under a clotned per1nanent rai1, '1t s attached to the front of the jack by a regulatng screw passng through a loose hole in front of jack, and screwed into the relievng lever from the front. The relevng lever is kept firrn to the front of the jack by two nuts screwed on to the re ulating screw, one front and one back oft1e front ofjack. The regulatng screw, by screwng in Or out, regulates the point at whch the hannner s perrntted to fall, by rasng or depressing the back ar1n of the relieving lever, Whch passes under the clothed permanent ral, so that as the key rses, the jack is struck of fro1n thehan1- 1ner, sooner Or later, as may be necessary. Another mportant improvement in the use of the relevng lever, is, that the jack, by ths arrangement, is regulated frena the front of the instrument, when the acton is in its place in the pianoforte, ths acton is called back motion grand acton because, When the movable part of the jack has taken the ha1nmer to the string, it passes or releves from the ha1nn1er by a back moton, or from the center of the hannner. Its operatons and movements as well as the n1ethod of regulatng it are fu]1y exemplfed in the above named drawng, Fig. 2, wth the references thereto. The mprovement clai1ned in ths modficaton of the action and wshed to be secured by Letters Patent, s

The releving lever of the jack, in the back moton grand action of a piano forte; whch releving lever, ether centered in the front part of the jack, or not, is attached to the front or movable part of the block, to which the 1netallic supporting brace s attached; 3, the points of support to the points of tnbes or braces, or lnetallc plate, and madeusually with a projectng part in the casting 1et in, down the front of the block, and fastened Wth a screw; 4L, projectng part of the castng, made in notches, and lei; in and screwed to the front of long block, to secure the lowest point of support;

5, tunng pns in long block to whch the stringe are attached; 6, bridge on long block, upon whch the string rcsts, and for1n the vibrating point; 7, 1netallc p1ate, to whch the end of strng s fastened; 8, braces or tubes for supporting the 1netallc plate.

My 1netallc brace as applied to piano fortes consists of a band of metal (nsually cast iron) of about three eighths of an nch in thickness, and varying from three fonrths of an inch, to two and a balf nches in Wdth, which s inserted into the long, or tnnng pin, block; there beng projectng parts of the castng, whch pass down, and are 1et into the front part of the block, and are firnfly screwed to it, at the several points of support, ether between the tunng pns and the bridge on sad block, or on the outer side of the tunng pins, followng the Whole, or part of the whole line of tnnng pns, and aganst which the treble end of the detached metallic plate, to be presently described, as well as the brace, or braces, that support the metallc p1ate, s attached or supported; and also aganst which, in my patent compensaton tube piano fortes, one end of each tube s attached, nserted, or supported. For a descrption of which compensaton tubes I refer to the Letters Patent of the United States granted to me therefor. The great value of ths supportng brace, s ts givng an unchangeable support to the various ponts that support the metallc plate to which the ends of the stringe. are attached, and in taking the strain arsng frorn the tension of the stringe off from the case, or wooden part of the piano forte.

What I claim as my improvement, and wsh to have secured by Letters Patent, in what I denominate my metallc supportng brace, s

The nsertng, or attaching of a continuous 1netallc band or brace, called the metallc supporting brace in the tunng pins, or long block, of piano fortes, to forno supports to the metallc plate, by braces, tubes, or otherwse for more than one point of its strain, the sad supportng brace being contnuous, ether in one or more peces, and beng placed in, or attached to, the tunng pin or 1ong block to receve the strain from the 1netallc plate arsng from the tension of the springs, ether by its touchng the plate, or by braces or tubes attached to it, in the manner, or upon the prnciple herei fully made knoWn.

F g. 4. shows my fourth rnprovement, eonsstng of the cletached metallc plate, together wth its connection ancl combination With the other parts of the instrument.

References to Fg. 4: 1, the front of the instrument; 2, the back of the instrument; 3, the long, or rest pn block; 4, the detachecl metallo plate; 5, the places where the screvvs are nsertecl, to hold the plate level; 6, the wooden pin, upon whch the plate rests; 7, a projectng pece of the castng on the uncler 'scle of plate, at the place of attaohment at the treble or back of the instrument, to the long, or rest pn block; 8, a projectng pece of castng on the upper side of plate, at the place of attachment at the bass or front of nstrument, to the wooden brace; 9, the attachment at the projeoting bend of. plate, to the metal brace; 10, castng inserted in the uncler sicle of wooclen brace, to meet the projecton on the plate at 8; 11, the end of case, or nstrument; 12, the wooden brace; 13, the metallic brace; 14 the metallic supportng brace.

My 1II1PIOVGIHBII denominated tl1e detachecl metallic plate consiste in the plate (whch in my nstruments s of cast ron) being cletached (except at the tWo ends of the plate) from the back ancl end of the piano forte case nsteacl of fillng the corner as is commonly clone; ts inner edge following the line of the pins to whch the strngs are fastenecl on the plate on the outer edge, formng a band of the requrecl shape, varyng in wclth from three to eight nches, thereby reclucng the quantty of metal, and exposing more of the sound board.

The detachecl metallc plate is screwecl at the tWo ends to the pn blocks', to Whch the sound board s fastenecl, to preserva ts level with the brdges, and it also rests upon a wooclen pin (insertecl in the bottom of the nstrument) in the bencl near the center of the plate; the stran of the strngs s supported by attachug it at the treble or back of the nstrument, aganst the tunng pin, or long block, or castngs, nsertecl in the block, ancl at the bass, or front part of' nstrument, aganst the wooclen brace, or a metal cast-ng nsertecl in it,-ancl in the center of plate, by one or more metal braces, Wth or wthout hardenecl steel ponts; wheh braces rest aganst the plate, ancl against my metallc supportng brace, insertecl in the tunng or rest pn block, but vvthout any sde or lateral supports.

The great value ofthe detaohed metallic plate, conssts in the reduction of the metal in wclth, to a narrow band, nstead 0f fill- 111g up the corner of the nstrument, and thereby avoclng the oontracton ancl expansion of the larga plate, whch is always against the string.

The mprovement claimecl ancl wishel to be seourecl by Letters Patent, in the detachecl metallio plate, is-

The detaching the plate from the back and end of the case, except at the ends of plate, where t s sorewed to keep it level.

TI-IOMAS LOU D.

Wtnesses:

J OSEPI-I R. BRYAN, THOMAS C. LOUD.

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