US667438A - Piano. - Google Patents

Description

No. 667,438. Patn nted Feb. 5, I90l. s. A. HAGEM-AN.

PIA N 0. (Application filed Dec. 7, 1896. Renewed July 9, 1900.)

(lo iodol.)

2 Sheets-Shoot l,

Invenfor Wifflesse s.

221? if orri/ey umu, wxsummm u c No. 667,438. Patented Feb. 5, I901.

.8. A. HAGEMAN.

PIANO.

(Appliclhon filld Dec. 7, 1896. Renewed July 9, 1900.) (In Iodol.) 2 Shah-Sheet 2.

' IIIII'I'A'III! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON A. HAGEMAN, OF- CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,438, dated February 5, 1901.

Application filed December '7, 1896. Renewed July 9, 1900. Serial No. 23,046. lNo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON A. HAGEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oincinnati, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pianos and other Musical Instruments, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to pianos and organs, its object being to provide a system of mechanism whereby the defects of the scale incident to those instruments whose tones are fixed throughout an extended series may be corrected for any key or succession of keys of the music being performed thereon and the instrument thereby rendered perfectly harmonious for the time being in relation to such keys, thereby achieving whatis known among musicians as just intonation.

It consists in the details of mechanism for accomplishing this object whereby the entire apparatus is simple, easily applied, and rendered convenient, efficient, and durable in action.

Mechanism embodying my invention as applied to an ordinary upright piano is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a partial rear elevation, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of an upright piano, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view at the rear, showing details of construction. Fig. 4 is a detail front view of the lever connections operating the movable stops or pitch-modifiers. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the movable stop or pitch-modifier; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the shifter or assembler with its jaw members separated to show construction; and Fig. 7 an enlarged detail cross-section of the connecting-bars, showing their connection with the shifters.

Referringnow to the drawings,A designates the body or frame of the piano, and on its strings or unisons. My invention being applicable as an independent attachment or addition the construction of the piano in all ordinary respects will be herein assumed without detailed description and the defects of its scale assumed to be known. The piano is assumed also to be tuned and the relative imperfections of pitch distributed, as is usual, by equal temperament.

To correct the inequalities of pitch, let there be supposed to be placed in contact with each string or set of unisons a movable bridge or pitch-modifier b, movable toward or from the permanent bridge upon the wrest-plank or frame and constructed and operated as follows: The pitch-modifier 17 consists of a piece of metal placed beneath and extending across the group of strings a, Figs. 2, 4L, and 5, and bearing up against the strings with sufficient pressure to constitute a limit of vibration. The stop 19 moves upon a metal support and guide 0, consisting of a short steel bar seated upon the iron frame or the wrest-plank. To the stop Z) I attach a link d, pivoted above to a crank-arm e, radially attached to a crossshaft f, journaled across the top of the pianobody and provided with operating mechanism, presently to be described. The arms c (front levers) are of lengths proportioned to the lengths of the strings, thus compensating for the difference of length of the different unisons.

Each string or unison of the piano being similarly provided and all the pitch-moditiers being set close to and parallel to the permanent bridges on the wrest-plank or iron frame, the piano may be tuned and used as though no pitch-modifiers were present. It will be obvious that by temporary adjustment of certain of the pitch-modifiers throughout the register of the instrument, whereby the vibrating length of the strings aflected is slightly increased or diminished, as required, any defects of relative pitch may be corrected, and to this end each string is provided with a pitch-modifier, as explained, provided with actuating mechanism, as follows: The several cross-shafts fare arranged in parallel relations, and to each one, at its rear extremity, is attached a radial arm or lever g, de pending vertically at the rear of the piano, and each radial arm is pivotally connected by a wrest-pin with and constitutes a support and guide for a horizontal strip h or connecting-bar which extends entirely across the piano-frame. The connecting-bars h (twelve in number) correspond with the whole and half tones of the chromatic scale and are arranged in two banks with space between for the reception and play of a series of shifters or assemblers 1', each consisting of two opposite members or jaws formed somewhat like those of a pair of clipping-shears and hung upon a common pivot, there being also twelve of said shifters and one additional shifter whose function will be explained later.

The pivotal jaws of the shifter devices 2' (shown in perspective in Fig. 6) are alike in structure and are hung in opposite relations in pairs upon certain of the shafts f, as may be convenient, and project down between the banks of couplers h and are of such form that when closed their proximate edges are brought into parallel relations with their outer edges converging downwardly. Beneath these in the same vertical line each with each are arranged a corresponding number of verticallyniovable rods K, guided in a suitably-constructed framing K each rod being terminated above by an enlarged head K with a V-shaped recess, whose upwardly-diverging surfaces engage the converging ends of the shifter-jaws, and by upward movement between the banks of connecting-bars closes the jaws of the shifter together. Each rod K is attached to and actuated by a foot-lever Z, pivoted to the under side of the piano-frame and carried forward to convenient reach of the performers foot, (or hand, as desired.) Each of the connecting-bars his provided at its inner side with a set of pins as, projecting approximately midway into the space between the banks and between the opposite jaws of one or other of the shifters 11, there being thirteen pins in all to each connecting-bar, twelve between each pair of the shifter-jawsthat is, one for each connecting-bar.

The general construction of the mechanism being understood, it may be explained that each of the connecting-bars h, by its supporting-arm g, cross-shaftf, crank-arm c, and link cl, controls a pitch-modifier b beneath each string or set ofunisons of the same designating letter throughout the register of the instrument, whereby the movement of any pitch-modifier in relation to a given string is accompanied simultaneously by a similar movement of all other pitch-modifiers l) of similarly-lettered strings, so that when the pitch of a given tone is elevated or depressed all octaves of the tone are likewise affected.

The pins 50, projecting inwardly from the connecting-bars h between the jaws of the shifters 'i, are so placed in relation to the connecting-bars and shifters that when the jaws of a given shifter are closed together by the upward thrust of one of the heads K all the pins 0 at that point are assembled in a common plane and all the connecting-bars of the entire series are moved, if required, into a position wherein the pitch-modifiers b regulate the relative pitch of all tones of a given scale, increasing or diminishing the vibrating length of certain strings, so as to bring them into exactly harmonious relations for that scale or key throughout the entire instrument. There being twelve shifters, each devoted to a scale or key based upon a given tone or semitone of the ordinary diatonic scale as its tonic and each shifter having its appropriate pedal, the piano may be adjusted instantly to any desired key or the adjustment instantly changed to any other key, or by the thirteenth shifter previously referred to (with attachments constructed and arranged in the manner described) the instrument may be instantly restored to its normally-tempered condition.

The pedals are preferably provided with springs s to restore them to their normal position after use; but the connecting-bars h and the pitch-modifiers I) remain in whatever position they may be placed until moved by readjustment for another key or restored by the even temper or thirteenth pedal to the neutral position first herein described. By the latter device the player, if confused or in doubt as to the changes of key, may always restore the piano to the even temperament.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a piano or similarly tempered stringed instrument, a series of adjustable pitch modifiers arranged to traverse the strings or unisons respectively, and by adj nstment to increase or diminish their vibrating length; and a series of connecting-bars mediately attached thereto; in combination with a corresponding series of assemblers or ad jnsting devices adapted to engage and adjust the relative positions of the connecting-bars, and thereby the pitcl1modiliers; and actuating devices for the assemblers adapted to be used selectively; whereby the connectingbars and pitch-modifiers may be adjusted as desired, to regulate the tone intervals for any musical key at will, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a piano, a series of pitch-modifiers arranged to traverse the strings respectively to increase or diminish their vibrating lengths; a series of movable connectingbars with connections uniting them in octaves; a series of assembling or adjusting devices corresponding with the connecting-bars; actuating devices adapted to adjust the relative positions of the connecting-bars and thereby the positions of the pitch-modifiers whereby the vibrating lengths of the strings may be readjusted for any key, changeable at will, and an additional actuating device for reassembling the connectingbars from any adjusted position back to the original or tempered position common to all the keys, substantially as set forth.

3. In a system of mechanism for altering the pitch-intervals of a piano or similar tempered instrument, the combination of the strings, a series of movable stops for altering the vibrating length of the strings, and a corresponding series of operating-levers connected therewith, and provided with means for their oscillation through a common radial angle, said levers being of successively-increased length proportioned to the difierent lengths of the strings, substantially as set forth.

4. In a system of mechanism of the character indicated, in combination with the pitchmodifiers moving in the longitudinal direction of the strings a system of levers connecting the same with a series of operating bars or strips moving in a direction across the line of the strings, and a series of shifters or assemblers actuated by hand or foot pedals to actuate the operating bars or strips, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a system of mechanism of the character indicated in combination with the pitch modifiers and their lever connections, a series of superimposed operating-bars provided with lateral pins or studs and a series of shifters adapted to engage the studs and assemble them in the same vertical line, thereby shifting the pitch-modifiers to predetermined relative positions, substantially as set forth,

(5. In a system of mechanism of the character indicated in combination with the pitchmodifiers and their lever connections a series of parallel operating-bars provided with lateral pins or studs in sets, a series of shifters embodying two opposite pivoted members normally resting at opposite sides of a given set of studs and adapted to be closed in toward each other bringing the set of studs into a common plane substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a system of mechanism of the character indicated, in combination with the pitchmodifiers and the lever connections, a series of parallel operating-bars superimposed in two opposite banks, and provided with sets of studs projecting into the space between a series of shifters or assemblers pivotally suspended above and projecting into the space between the banks at both sides of each set of studs, and means for actuating the shifters to engage each set of studs alternately and assemble them in a common plane, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a system of mechanism of the character indicated, embodying pitch modifiers, their lever connections and the operating-bars provided with lateral studs, a shifting device consisting of two pivotally-suspended men1- bers arranged at opposite sides of a given set of studs, having outward surfaces converging downwardly and adapted to close together upon the studs and assemble them in a common plane, in combination with a verticallymovable head having opposite jaws adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the shifter and close the members together, substantially as set forth.

9. In an upright piano, the combination of a foot-lever Z, connecting-rod K, head K, shifter 2' t', a series of connecting-bars h, levers g, shafts f, levers e,'connecting-rods d, and movable stops or pitch-modifiers b, operating upon the strings or unison a, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In mechanism of the general character indicated, the combination and arrangement of the laterally-movable bars h, the levers g, by which they are suspended and through which their movement is transmitted to the pitch-modifiers, the shifters or assemblers t' t', and the vertically-movable jaws or heads K, substantially as set forth.

11. In mechanism of the general character indicated, the combination and arrangement of the movable bars h, suspended from the lateral shafts f, upon the levers or radiusarms g, in two opposite banks, the shifters suspended from the shafts f, between the banks and the actuating-heads K, projecting into the space between the banks, both shifters and actuating-heads being held between the banks as guides, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing HERBERT J. ALLSUP.

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