US63547A - William h - Google Patents

Description

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IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that l, 1"VILLIAM H. MCDONALD, of Brooklyn, in 'the county of Kings, and Stu-te of New York, have invented a certain new and useful improvement on Prop Sticks to Piano-Forte-Case Lids or Tops, applicable also to other musical instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and which represents a transverse section of a piano case with its lid or top having my improvement applied to it. n

There is no little inconvenience nor small amount of labor requisite, and considerable risk as regardsinjury or breakage, in raising and lowering the main lids or tops of piano-forte cases, the prop sticks, as heretofore constructed and operating, meeting but imperfectly the facilities and functions required of them. Thus, in opening the lid, for instance, it is customary to first raise the lid by, say, lifting it near the one end, which, in case of a heavy lid, induces unequal strain 01 sagging of the opposite end, and, after raising the hinged prop at such lifted end, to run the hand or hands along the lid to get at and raise the prop at the opposite end. fr like inconvenience attaches'to lowering,l the lid, first the one prop havingto be dropped, and then the other,

while, both in raising and lowering, there is great liability to injury or breakage by the untimely adjustment of the props, or their premature or accidental lowering. My invention obviates these diiliculties by attachment to the props of springs and loops or other holdfasts, so that on raising the lid at its centre, say-thereby avoiding all sagging or straining, and the same remark applies to lowering the lidthe props at both ends are or may be automatically raised to their proper position for support of the lid in its open condition, while, to lower the lid, i

a simultaneous dropping of both props is produced by 'first unshipping the holdfast of one prop and then the other, and afterwards slightly lifting on the lid, preferably at its centre, before letting` it down.

Referringr to the accompanying drawing, A represents apiano-forte case with its main lid, B, and supplementary lid, b. C is one ofthe props arranged in .the one end of the case, the same arrangement being duplicated at the opposite end. This prop, which is pivoted or hinged, as at c, may have a soft covering, (Z, at its supporting end, and have its raised or lowered position regulated or limited by stops, ef, against which it is made to strike. Attached to this prop is a rubber cord, D, or other suitable spring, formed with a loop, g, bitching on to a pin, 7L, or otherwise provided with any suitable holdfast to insure the operation ofthe prop substantially as follows: Prior to lifting the main lid B, the elastic cord D of both props is hitched on to its pin 7L, when, on raising said lid, the supporting ends of the props. will be automatically* raised by the action of the cords or springs D, to their proper position for holding up the lid, that, in being raised, the supporting ends of the props follow up. 'lo lower the lid it is only necessary to unhitch the elastic cords or other springs from their pins or points ot attachment, and afterwards to slightly lift on, the lid so as to release pressure of the latter on the props which then, but not till then, suddenly drop, so as in no way to interfere with the lowering of the lid, which, by this, my invention, it will be seen, may be both raised and lowered by the hand or hands applied to it at the centre, both props rising and falling simultaneously and automatically, and the lid or instrument being protected from injury or damage by irregular adjustment of the props, or the accidental or untimely lowering of them. The reverse action or position of the lid and props is represented by black and red lines in the drawing. Of course my invention is not restricted to any particular form or character of spring, or manner of 'connecting it with the prop, or mode of bitching it to the case., as such may be variously modied and applied, either directly or indirectly, to secure a like action of the prop; thus my elevating device, controlled by a spring, and operatingl in a secondary manner on the prop to produce like results, would be substantially the saine thing.

What l claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the hinged or pivoted prop C, to the lid` B, of a spring or elevating device, controlled by a spring, and made capable of attachment to or detachment from the case for operation of the prop or props at either end of the latter, substantially as specified.

WM, H. MODONALD.

Witnesses:

J. W. GooMn, G. W. Etsen.

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