US593133A

US593133A - Touch and technic sto-p for pianos

Info

Publication number: US593133A
Authority: US
Current assignee: JVCKenwood Corp
Publication date: 1897-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1914-11-02

Description

(Np Model.) I 4Sheets-Sheet 1. A. R.-SPOERL 8v W. L. GEISLER.

TOUGH AND TBGHNIG STOP FOR PIANOS.

No. 593.133. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

1 T1 I, 0 I

1 Q fJ I WITNE88E8 I an {3/ runs 7 50M azxw/ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. R. SPOERL & W. L. GEISLER. TOUGH AND TEGHNIC STOP FOR PIANOS.

No. 593,133. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. R. SPOERL & W. L. GEISLER. TOUGH AND TEOHNIG STOP FOR 31.3303.

No. 593,133. Patented Nov. 2, 1397.

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' INVENTORS (No Model.) '4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. R. SPOERL 33W. L. GEISLER. TOUGH AND TEGHNIG STOP FOR PIANOS.

No. 593,133. Patented Nov. 2,1397.

' INVENTORS WITNESSES Uivirnn STATES ATFNT @rrinn.

ALFRED R. SPOERL, OF BROOKLYN, AND WILLIAM L. GEISLER, OF HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK.

TUUCH AND TECHNEC STOP FOR PEANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,133, dated November 2,1897.

Applicationflled November 16, 1896- Serial No.612,265. (Nomodeh) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALFRED R. SPOERL, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and WILLIAM L. GEisLER, of Hempstead, in the county of Queens, State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Touch and Technic Stop for Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to mute attachments for ordinary pianos; and its object is to provide a new and improved touch and technic stop for pianos and arranged to enable aperformer to render the piano mute and to permit finger exercise with any degree of resistance to the keys.

The invention consists in a novel construc tion of the mute attachment; further, in a novel construction of the resistance for the keys, and, lastly, in a novel connection of the mute attachment with the resistance, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a cross-section of the improvement, showing the hammers locked out of action. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, showing the resistance out of actionand the hammers released. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the improvement on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a cross-section of the same on the line i 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a like View of part of the same, showing the resistance out of engagement with the keys. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the resistance on the line 6 6 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a sectional front elevation of the same on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a side elevation of the same with parts in a diiferent position and parts broken out. Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7, and Fig. 10 is a similar View of the same on the line 10 10 of Fig. 3.

The upright piano shown in the drawings is provided with the usual casing A and keys 13, connected at their rear ends by links C with jack-levers O, carrying a jacket 0 engaging the hammers D for throwing the latter upon the strings E to sound the same in the usual manner. The hammers D normally rest on a hammer-railD, and the jackdevers C rest at their forward ends on a rail F, preferably made in the form of a threaded roller, journaled in suitable bearings in arms F, pivoted at F to a rail of the action, as is plainly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and at.

The arms F rest on vertically-disposed rods or posts F fitted to slide in suitable hearings in the casing or frame A, and each of the said rods F carries a forwardly-extending foot F resting at its free end on an arm F secured to a laterally-extending shaft G, mounted to turn in suitable bearings formed in a bracket A, attached to the easing A.

The shaft G extends a suitable distance above the rear ends of the keys B, and one end of the shaft G is provided with a downwardly-extending arm G, connected by a link G with a lever G fulcrumed on the keyboard-frame and provided with a handle G under the control of the operator, to permit the latter to swing the lever G transversely and turn the shaft G to cause the feet F to be raised or lowered by the action of the arms F WVhen the feet F are raised, on throwing the lever G forward in the direction of the arrow a, (see Fig. 4,) then the rods F are lifted and the arms F, carrying the rail F, are moved upward to swing the jack-levers O upwardly, thereby lifting the links 0 out of engagement with the rear ends of the keys B and causing the jacks to swing the hammers D into an intermediate position, as in dicated in Fig. 1. When the several parts are in this position, the keys B when pressed do not act on the links 0, and consequently the hammers are not actuated and the piano is rendered mute.

When the lever G is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow to, then the feet F move downward as the arms F swing in a downward direction, and consequently the rods F arms F, and rail F move downward to permit the jack-levers C to swing in a like direction and allow the hammers D to fall back to their normal resting position on the rail D, as illustrated in'Fig. 2. The links 0 now rest again on the rear ends of the keys B, and when the latter are played the hammers are actuated and the strings are sounded in the usual manner.

\V hen the lever G is moved forward into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4: and the piano is rendered mute, as described, then a resistance II is thrown in engagement with the keys I and when the lever G is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow a then the said resistance II is thrown out of engagement with the keys at the time the hammers D move into an active position, as described above and shown in Fig. 2.

The resistance II is actuated from the shaft G, and the latter is provided for this purpose with gear-wheels in mesh with segments 1, formed on the frame I, carrying the resistance II. The frame I is mounted to turn loosely on a longitudinally-extending shaft J, journaled in the brackets A, previously mentioned. The frame I is formed with guide-plates l and I one above the other, and carrying rods K, adapted to rest on the top of the keys B between their pivots and the rear ends, as is plainly indicated in the drawings, it being understood that each key is adapted to be engaged by a corresponding rod K. The downward movement of each rod K is limited by projections or pins K, adapted to be seated on the upper guideplate I as is plainly shown in Fig. 7.

The top of each rod K is engaged by a spring L, extending transversely and secured at one end to a rail I, forming part of the frame I. On the free end of each spring L is secured a block L, normally resting on a plate N, supported in the frame I, the block being also adapted to engage with its top a second plate N, held vertically adjustable in guideways I, forming part of the frame 1. Suitable screws N engage the plate N to raise or lower the same and permit the spring L to swing more or less, according to the resistance desired to be given to the corresponding key B.

It is understood that when a key is pressed at the time the resistance II is in an active position then the upward swinging of the rear end of the key lifts the corresponding rod K, and the latter moves in contact with the spring L to swing the same upward until the block L strikes against the under side of the plate N to limit the further swinging of the spring L in this upward direction. More or less tension can be given to the spring L by means of a laterally-extending bar 0, extending over the springs L and secured at its ends to arms 0, secured by screws 0 to plates P, fitted to slide transversely in suitable gu ideways I formed in the sides of the frame I. (See Figs. 6, 7, and 9.)

Each of the plates 1 is formed at its under side with a rack P in mesh with a gear-wheel P secured on the shaft J, and on one outer end of this shaft J is secured a gear-wheel Q in mesh with a rack Q, fitted to slide transversely in suitable bearings formed on the frame A. The rack Q is formed with a forwardly-extending arm (1*, pivotally connected with a lever Q, fulcrumed on the keyboard-frame and formed with a handle Q1, adapted to be taken hold of by the operator. The lever Q is provided with a pointer It, adapted to indicate on a graduation It, held on the keyboard-frame at one side of the last treble-key, as plainly indicated in Fig. 23.

Thus it will be seen that when the operator swings the handle Q" of the lever rearwardl y then the gear-wheel is turned by the rack Q in the direction of the arrow 1), (see Fig. (3,) whereby the shaft 3 is turned in the same direction and the gear-wheels I are rotated to shift the racks I and conserpiently the plates I backward to move the bar 0 over the springs L toward their free ends and increase the tension of the said springs to give some resistance to the rods K when. the latter are moved upward upon pressing the corresponding key I The bar 0 can be adjusted up or down by moving its arms 0 correspondingly upon loosening the set-screws 0 so that the said bar 0 does not engage the springs L until some time after the rods K have started on their upward movement upon pressing the keys I5.

Now it will be seen that by the arrangement described any desired resistance can be given to the rods K to regulate the touch of the operator pressing the keys. Furthermore, the sliding motion of the said rods can be limited, if desired, by adjusting the plate h" correspondingly in the guideways I".

The rail I is preferably made vertically adjustable on the sides of the frame I, as indicated in Fig. 10, so as to adjust the springs L relative to the upper ends of the rods Ii, and the springs L are adjusted vertically relative to the rods K by set-screws L, screwin into the bottom of the rail I against strips L, of leather, felt, or like material, and engaging the under side of the sprin between their fastened ends and the rods K, as plainly shown in Figs. l and O. The strips L" render the springs noiseless.

When the lever G is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and .1-, then the hammers I) are in an inactive position and the resistance II is thrown into an active position owing to the turning of the shaft G, as previously described, the said shaft by its gear-wheels U imparting a swinging motion to the frame I, since the said gear-wheels engage the segments I. lVhen the lever G is shifted rearwardly to permit the hammers to fall back into their former resting position, then a swinging motion is given to the frame I to cause the latter to assume the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, whereby the rods Ii are moved out of engagement with the keys I and the latter when pressed do not touch. the said rods, but actuate the hammers in the usual manner. The resistance II is now out of action and the hammers are in action, and when the lever G is in the position shown in Fig. i then the hammers are thrown out of action and the resistance is thrown into an active position. (Shown in Fig. 4.)

Having thus fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance comprising rods fitted to slide, and adapted to rest on the keys, and springs pressing on the said rods, substantially as shown and described.

2. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance comprising rods fitted to slide, and adapted to rest on the keys, springs ressin on the said rods and means substantially as described, for increasing or decreasing the tension of the said springs, as set forth.

3. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance comprising rods fitted to slide and adapted to rest on the keys, springs pressing on the said rods, and means, substantially as described, for limiting the swinging motion of the said springs, as set forth.

4. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance comprising rods fitted to slide and adapted to rest on the keys, and springs pressing on the said rods, each of the said springs being provided at its free end with a block or weight adapted to swing between two plates, one of which is adjustable, substantially as shown and described.

5. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance,comprising aframe mounted to swing, and under the control of the operator, rods fitted to slide in the said frame and adapted to rest on the keys, and springs held on the said frame and engaging the said rods, each of the springs being provided with a block or weight at its free end, substantially as shown and described.

6. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance, comprising a frame mounted to swing, and under the control of the operator, rods fitted to slide in the said frame and adapted to rest on the keys, springs held on the said frame and engaging the said rods, each of the springs being provided with a block or weight at its free end, and a bar adj ustaloly held over the said springs for regulating the tension of the springs, substantially as shown and described.

7. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance, comprising a frame mounted to swing, and under the control of the operator, rods fitted to slide in the said frame and adapted to rest on the keys, springs held on the said frame and engaging the said rods, each of the springs being provided with a block or weight at its free end, a bar adjustably held over said springs for regulating the tension of the springs, and means, substantially as described, for adjusting said bar over the said springs, as set forth.

8. A device of the class described, provided with a resistance comprising a frame, rods fitted to slide in the said frame, springs pressing on the said rods, a bar adjustably held over the said springs, means for shifting the said bar, and a device for indicating the position of the bar relatively to the springs, as set forth.

9. A device of the class described, provided with a rock-shaft under the control of the operator and carrying arms, posts fitted to slide vertically and provided with feet engaging the said arms, hinged arms connected with the said posts, and a rail carried by the said hinged arms and adapted to engage jack-levers, substantially as shown and described.

ALFRED R. SPOERL. WILLIAM L. GEISLER. WVitnesses:

THEo. G. HOSTER, JAMES M. HENLEY.