US559742A - Piano-case - Google Patents

Description

E. N. OGDEN; PIANO CASE.

(No Model.)

,fnvezzbr Irzmrh/VO azz. g4 I Patented May 5, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT CrrIcE,

ERNEST N. OGDEN, OF CHATIIAM, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-TI'IIRDS TO MAY E. RIDER, OF SAME PLACE, AND MARTIN V. SPRAGUE, OF PITTS- FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANO-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,742, dated May 5, 1896.

Application filed June 18,1895. Serial No. 553,232. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- panel may be removed, if necessary. Fig. 3 Be it known that I, ERNEST N. OGDEN, a is a detail section showing the construction citizen of the United States, residing at Chatof the hinges connecting the lower edge of the ham,in the county of Columbia and State of front panel to the piano-frame. Fig. at is a New York, have invented new and useful Imdetail view showing the construction by which 5 5 provements in Construction of Pianos, of the toggle or other form of lever is connected which the following is a specification. pivotally to the inner face of the panel.

My invention relates to certain improve- Thereference-numerallinsaid drawingsinments in the construction of pianos, mypurdicates an upright piano of any ordinarycon- Io pose being to make provision for opening and struction, the numeral 2 denoting the front 60 closing the lower front panel of the case at lower panel and the numeral 3indicating the the will of the player, whereby a largely-inkeyboard. These parts as Well as the other creased volume of sound may be thrown diportions of the structure being familiar to rectly out 'into the apartment and toward the every person skilled in the art and being unfront, instead of compelling the entire volchanged by my invention, a detailed descrip- 6 5 ume of acoustic vibrations to pass upward, tion of the same is unnecessary for the puras has been the practice heretofore, during poses of this specification. My purpose be which passage the acoustic pulsations are ing to enable the performer to throw the front more or less interrupted by the keyboard, or lower panel 2 open at will and to a Varying by the action, or both, said pulsations passextent, I accomplish this in the manner fol- 7o ing out at the top of the case by partly or lowing: I connect the lower front panel at its wholly raising the lid. It is my purposealso lower edge to the frame by hinges 5, the to combine with the lower front panel of an lower leaves of said hinges being so formed upright piano simple means whereby it may that they may be readily detached from the be thrown open to any required degree by frame of the piano should it become necesmerely manipulating one of the foot-pedals sary to remove said panel. To the inner face of the instrument to a greater or less degree, of the said panel, at a point below its upper according to the degree to which the panel is edge, is attached a plate 5, having a lug (3, to be opened, its closing being automatically in which is formed a seat for a pivot-pin 6,

o effected by releasing the pedal, thereby enmounted in the bifurcated end of one member, abling the performer to vary the volume of 7, of a toggle-lever, the other and similarlysound thrown into the apartment and thus formed member, 7,being pivotally connected greatly increasethe facility of expression of to a lug 8, hanging from the lower face of the any musical composition performed. frame supporting the keyboard, as seen in 35 The invention consists, to these ends, in the Fig. 1. Between the two pivotal connections 8 5 several novel features of construction and for the ends of said rod the latter is divided, new combinations of parts hereinafter fully and its two adjacent ends are provided with explained, and then particularly pointed out any form of hearing or lug suitable for enin the claims which conclude this specificagagement with a pivot-pin 9, upon the forked 40 tion. end of a connecting-rod 10, which extends 0 To enable those skilled in the art to which downward far enough to be connected to the my invention pertains to make and use the end of a bar 13, fulcruined between its ends same, I will describe said invention in detail, and connected at its one end to said connectreference being had to the accompanying ing-rod and at its other end to the extremity 4 5 drawings, in which of a second lever 15, arranged below the first Figure 1 is a vertical section taken from lever 13, the fulcrum of the latter being near front to rear of an upright piano containing the end which is linked by arod 16 to the end my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view showof one of the foot-pedals, preferably the cening the pivotal connection between the panel tral one, although I may use any other if pre- 50 and its operative connection, whereby said ferred. A drawing-spring 17, connected to the lever 13 and to the keyboard frame, serves to break the toggle-lever by an upward movement produced by the drawing-spring 17, and thereby close the lower front panel, while by a pressure on the foot-pedal the said toggle-lever is brought into substantially a right line and the lower front panel is opened to an extent corresponding to the degree of pressure on the foot-pedal.

In order to retain the panel 2 in its open position and in any one of the different positions which vary the extent to which the front is thrown open, I provide locking projections 18 or other equivalent devices in the pedalsupporting frame, with any one of which the edge of the pedal may be engaged. By a pressure in the proper direction the pedal may be disengaged, and upon removing the pressure of the foot the spring 13 will at one close the panel.

As it may sometimes be desirable to remove the lower front panel 2, as already mentioned, I form the other pivotal connection for the rod or bar 7 in such manner that it may be readily disconnected. This construction may be of different kinds, but a simple and sufficient form is shown in Fig. i, in which the lug (i is provided with an open slot 6, in which the pivot-pin on the forked end of the rod '7 may be inserted. Said slot is overhung by a spring 18, secured to the plate carrying the lug and bearing in such direction that it will confine the pivot-pin in the slot (3 but permit it to be disconnected at pleasure.

The hinges 5 are each formed preferably of a leaf having such construction that it may be attached to the panel by screws or other suitable means, while the other leaf has ribs or feathers 5 which may both lap upon and be sunk into the wood of the frame.

Prior to my invention the front lower and upper panels and the entire inclined back of the case have been provided with flaps or horizontal strips resembling those used upon shutters, said flaps being connected together and automatically thrown open at the moment that the lid covering the keyboard is lifted. A pedal is also connected to the flaps in such manner that the latter can be partly or wholly closed by the player. A pedal has also been so connected to the top lid of an upright piano that said lid can be thrown open to emit the sound. I make no claim to structures of this character. They cannot accomplish the results which I seek to obtain. The flaps formed at intervals in both front and rear of the piano-casing and arranged to be normally open at all times are totally impractical and highly objectionable features. Any person having even a small knowledge of music would at once condemn such constructions. The top lid operated by a pedal is less objectionable; but it fails, nevertheless, to accomplish the results desired. All upright pianos are provided with top lids, and it is customary to open said lids and keep them open when the full power of the instrument is desired. 111 no instance prior to my invention has the entire lower front panel been made capable of use as a swell-panel, and in no other form of construction can the remarkable results which I secure be obtained.

Vhat I claim is 1. An upright piano having a lower panel, hinged at its lower edge in combination with a toggle-lever having one arm pivoted to a rigid bracket and the other arm pivoted on the panel, a pair of parallel levers one of which is connected by a link to the togglelever joint, and a pedal connected to the other parallel lever, whereby said panel may be opened to different degrees by pressure upon said pedal, substantially as described.

2. An upright piano having a lower front panel 2 connected to the frame by its lower edge and a pedal mechanism consisting of the lever 15, connected to the pedal, the lever 13 connected to said lever 15, and the togglelever 7, 7 having its ends connected to the panel and to a rigid bracket and its joint connected to the lever 13, whereby said panel may be thrown open, when desired, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERJEST N. OGDEN.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. NoRRIs, J. GRANVILLE MEYERs, Jr.

Images