US553829A - Coupler for keyboards of pianos - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. A. BOEHM.

GOUPLER FOR KEYBOARDS 0F PIANOS. No. 553,829. Patented Feb. 4, 1 89 `(Nu Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. BOEHM.

COUP-LER FOR KEYBOARDS OF PIAN-0S. N0. 553,829. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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UNITED STATES ERNEST A. BOEHM, OF

PATE-NT OFFICE.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COUPLER FOR KEYBOARDS OF PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,829, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed September 6, .1895. Serial No. 561,680. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNEST A. BOEHM, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplers for the Keyboards of Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.y

My invention has relation to improvements in couplers for the keyboards of pianofortes; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the speciiication and pointed ont in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my complete invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing one of the pegs controlled by one end of the coupler. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coupler detached; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, showing the coupler completely off or disengaged.

The object of my invention is to construct a coupler for piano-keyboards whereby, when a certain key of the board is struck or depressed by the finger of the operator, the corresponding note of the next succeeding octave may be made to respond simultaneously with the note struck.

The present device may be attached to the ordinary upright piano of any of the standard makes, and can automatically be disengaged from or be brought into engagement with the keyboard at the will of the operator. In detail the invention maybe described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a long narrow board covered preferably with cloth on the upper surface and on which the series of couplers are pivotally mounted. Each coupler is composed of a medial member 2, a short terminal arm 3, substantially at right angles to the member 2, a defiected portion 4, also substantially at right angles to the member 2, but disposed perpendicularly to the arm 3, and an outwardly.terminal extended arm 5, forming a continuation of the deiiected portion i and parallel substantially to the arm 3 and extending in the saine direction therewith. The member 2 forms the pivot about which the arms 3 and 5 oscillate, the several members 2 being each pivotally secured to the board 1 by the free end of a metallic strap or clip 7, riveted at one end to the board at either end of the member 2 and adjacent respectively to the arm 3 and the deflected portion i, each clip having interposed between it and the member 2 a piece of cloth 8. Secured by suitable blocks 0 and parallel to the longitudinal edge of the board 1 is a strip 10, provided with a series of openings 11, each adapted to loosely receive a vertically-operating peg 12, having an upper terminal felt-covered head 13 held normally a slight distan ce above the upper surface of said strip.

The construction of the coupler is such that the several medial members 2 can be arranged side by side in parallel series diagonally across the board 1, as best seen in Fig. 1. The board 1 is pivoted along its front longitudinal edge at either end thereof by a hinge 14, secured to the front edge of a standard 15, carried at either end of the piano-frame at any convenient point thereof. The medial portion of the rear edge of the board 1 is pivotally connected by a depending lug 1G and a rod 17 to one of the pedals 18, the position of which, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, is its depressed positionthat is, as held down by the foot of the operator.

The construction of the keyboard and the action of the risers or abstracts operated upon the depression of any key is not here entered into, that being a feature which is well known and old and forming in no way the subjectmatter of this application. Suffice it to say, however, that when any key-for example, X -is struck or depressed, the rear portion thereof raises the abstract or riser 19 controlled by it. Now each abstract under my present invention is provided with a rightangular projecting arm 20, the free end of which carries a vertically-adjustable screwthreaded rod 2l, whose lower end is provided with a felt-covered head 22 and superposed directly over the free end of the extended arm 5 of the coupler. At the same time the arm 3 of the coupler is located immediately over the head 13 of the peg l2 of the key removed one octave distant, it being understood that the length of the member 2 of each coupler is such that the arms 3 and 5 co-operate with abstracts removed just one octave apart.

Then the board 1 and strip 10 are depressed,

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or when the coupler is om as shown in full lilies in Fig. 2, the head 13 of the peg 12 is held at a suitable distance above the upper surface of the strip 1() by the rear end of the key operating' the peg. The head 1S thus slightly elevated tilts the arm 3 of the coupler ont of contact with the boa-rd 1 to which the coupler is pivoted, tilting it at its free end an amount equal to the distance that thehcad ol the peg has been raised above the surface ot' the strip 10 by the rear of said key. Under these circumstances, too, the free end of the arm 5 is in contact with the felt-covered head 22 of the rod 21. As seen from the drawings, the end of the member 2 which forms the pivot for the member is located a slight distance from the revolving longitudinal edge of the board 1, so that the base of the arm 23 is adapted to rest and be supported bythe board when the coupler is allowed to tilt or drop to its lowest position relatively to the upper surface of the board. New when it is not desired to use the coupler the operator removes his foot from the pedal. 1S, the latter assuming its normal position through the action of the free end of the resilient flexed spring 25 secured at one end to the inner surface of one or both of the standards 15, which spring not only raises the pedal to its normal position, but'tilts the coupler-carrying` board 1 to its highest position, as shown in Fig. 5. As the board is thus being swung upward about its pivotal edge, it is apparent that in this motion the pivotal point or end of the swinging member 3 is raised; but as the pivotal end of the said member 3 is thus raised the etlect is to depress the free end of the said member or arm S-that is to say, the eileet is to bring said arm more nearly to the horizontal whileyet supported by the peg 1 (See dotted position of the parts in Fig. 2 lVhile the free end oit' the arm thus being .relatively depressed. or tilted, the free end of the arm 5, which had heretofore (that is, during the depressed position of the board 1) been. in contact with the base of the rod 21, will drop away from said rod, but a greater distance than the free end ot' the arm 3 has dropped, owing to the fact that it is longer and the further fact that its pivotal point is in fact the j uncture of the deflected portion if with the member 2. The coupler-mms I3 and 5, therefore, will drop, as it were, until arrested by reason of the arm 3 beingI supported and arrested by the upper surface of the board 1. This arrest of the coupler-arms happens when the strip 10 has just come in contact with the base of the head 13 of the peg 12. A further upward sweep of the board 1, therefore, will raise the base of the peg 12 away from the rear end of the key which had previously supported it and at the same time raise the free end of the arm 5 a second time into contact with the base of the rod 21, the free end of the arm being at all times of course supported by the head 13 of the peg 12; but as the peg itself is now out of contact or reach of any action of the key the possibility of the peg 12 being raised to elevate the arm 3 disappears, and the coupler under these circumstances therefore will be disengaged. (See Fig. 5.)

To re-engage the coupler, the board 1 is again depressed, when the first elfect olsuch depression will be to remove the free end ol the arm 5 out of contact with the rod 2l and lower the peg 12 sufficiently to bring the same to rest on the rear of the key opcrz'tting it. A further depression of the board will cause the head 123 of the supporting-peg 12 to tilt the arm $5 upwardly and at the same time to tilt the free end of the arm upward till it comes again in contact with the base of the rod 2l, when the partis will again. be in their coupled position-that is to say, the coupler will be on-as represented in full vlines in Fig. L.

It is apparent that when the coupler is on if the operator, for example, strikes the key X the rear end of said key will raise the abstract 1f), as usual, and produce the sound or note corresponding to that key. At the same time the rear end of the same key will raise the peg 12, its head 1S raising the free end of the arm 8, thus tilting the coupler upward about its pivotal member 2 and causing the free end of the extended arm 5 thereof to raise the felt-covered head ot' the rod 21., removed just one octave to the right, which rod 21 in turn raises the abstract 15)/ carrying the same and removed one octave from the abstract 10, and thus sounding the note corresponding to the key X represcntei'l by said abstract 1.0.

rllhe present device is applicable not only to pianos, but to organs and similar instruments.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a piano, suitable couplershavingme dial portions adapted to be arranged and pivoted in parallel series, each medial portion thus pivoted having arms at either end detlected in the same direction from their common medial portion adapted to co-operate with the abstracts of keys removed one octave apart, substantially as set forth.

2. ln a piano, a coupler having a medial portion, a terminal arm substantially at right angles to the medial portion, a deilected portion at the opposite end ot' the medial portion also substantially at right angles to 'the medial portion but disposed perpcndicularly to the terminal arm, and an extended arm forming a continuation of the deflected portion and parallel substantially to the terminal arm, substantially as set forth.

23. In a piano, a suitable board, a series ol movable pegs mounted in the line of the keys of the piano and adapted to be controlled each by the depression of its correspoiuling key, a suitable coupler operated by the action of each key, and suitable connectionsbetween the coupler and the abstract of the key rcmovcd one octave, for simultaneously con- IOO IIO

trolling said abstract and sounding the note corresponding thereto, substantially as set iorth.

et. In a piano, a suitable pivoted board, a pivotal connection between its free edge and the pedal-lever, a series of couplers having terminal arms deflected substantially parallel to one another carried by the board and adapted to co-operate With the keys When the board is in its depressed positiomand suitable means for disengaging` the couplers and board from the keys, substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano, a suitable spring-actuated longitudinally-pivoted board, means for controllingl said board from the pedal-lever, a series of couplers having medial portions pivoted to the board diagonallyT across the same in successive series, a terminal arm for each coupler, a series of vertically-operating` pegs actuated by the rear of the keys and adapted to control the short or terminal arm of the coupler, an upwardly-deflected portion also substantially at right angles to the medial member but perpendicular to the terminal arm, an outwardly-extending terminal arm forming a continuation of the deflected portion and substantially parallel to the terminal arm, a series of abstracts or risers co-operatingwith the several keys, a vertically-adjustable rod carried by each abstract and adapted to co-operate With the long terminal arm forming a continuation of each deilected portion of the couplers, the terminal arms of the several couplers co-operating simultaneously With keys removed one octave, and suitable spring-clips at either end of the medial portions of the couplers forming the pivotal connections between the said couplers and the board carrying the same, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ERNEST A. BOEHM. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. MATHEY, E. STAREK.

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