US913137A - Means for preventing interference in assembling self-playing pianos. - Google Patents

Description

Wziheaa (,6

' E. 0. HISGOOK.

EBIERENGE IN ASSEMBLING 8 APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 1908.

' MEANS FOR PREVENTING INT ELF PLAYING PIANOS.

,Zncznu': I 7/2073! 6145COCK [wag/.5

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

UNITED sra rns PATENT OFFICE.-

EMORY O. HISCOOK, Oh (,IIIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. KIMBALL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COItPORATION OI ILLINOIS.

DEANS FOR PREVENTING INTERFERENCE IN ASSEMBLING SELF-PLAYING .PIANOS.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

7 Application filed September 25, 1908. Serial No. 454,768.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMORY O. HISCOCK, a

citizen of the United States, residing'in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Imwhereby the piano action is actuated, di-

reetly under the forward ends of that part of-the piano action, variously known among piano manufacturers.as'the \vippen or jack whip, the \wippen being provided with vertical adjustlng screws whereby .the contact with the lifters may be regulated. The bottom of the adjusting screws, are customarily covered with leather or felt disks in order to cushion the contact between them and the. lifters, and render it noiseless.

In assembling the pneumatic action and the piano action, diflicnlty has heretofore: been caused by the interference which it is very difi'ioult to prevent, between the litters and the wippens, and by which-the cushion ing disks are very apt to be knocked off the screws, tl'us necessitating laborious repairs. To obviate this difliculty has been my object in the present invention, the nature of which is fully set forth below.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure. l is a partial vertical section of a self playing piano embodying my improvement. and Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section, from which the pneumatic. action and the piano action have been omitted.

In said drawing, 3 represents the keys of the piano, 4 one of the wippens connected to the corresponding key by the extension 5,

jnsting screw 10 with which 'thecorrespond- -mg wippen is provided, and which is provided with a cushioning disk 11 of leather or other soft material, usually secured to it 'by cement or other adhesive.

To obviate the interference in assembling the lifters with thescrcws I0, and their cushioning disks 11, I place immediately under the series of keys a bar 12 of rectangular shape in cross section and hinge the samenear one of its edges by hinges 13 to a stationary part of the key bed. and attach to the bar a lever or handle 14: by which it may be rocked on said hinges. By moving this lever from the full line to .the dotted position of Fig. 1. it will be seen that the bar 12 will be rocked so that it will lift the series of keys above their normal positions somewhat. and in so doing, the \vippens will also be lifted snfiiciently to'clear the litters and thus allow the positioning of the lifters without any interference of the kind mentioued. It is of conrseonly necessary to relain the lifting bar in this position during the time occupied in positioning the pneumatic action in the instrument.

Instead of locating the bar 12 under the keys as above described. I attain the same result by arranging a bar 12. similar to the bar 12 under the series of wippens as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I. This bar is located insnch relation to the \vippens that when it is rockedon its hinges or pivots 13 by the handle 14, it will raise the wippens.

from their normal positions sutliciently to prevent. the interference mentioned.

I claim lhe combination in an automatic piano.

of the ordinary piano action for manual playing. a pneumatic action for automatlc playing, and means whereby the wippens of. the

piano action may be raised temporarily toavoid interference with the pneumatic action while positioning the latter.

- EMORY C. I-IISCOCK. 'W i t-nesses:

II. M. MUNDAY, PEARL ABRAMs.

Images