US922247A - Pianissimo device. - Google Patents

Description

W. G. BETZ. PIAEISSIMO DEVICE. urmonxon rum) N0V.BL1B07.

Patented May 19, 1909.

Fig-1 INVENTOR: William G B217:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.WILLIAM G. BETZ, OF NEWCASTLE. lNDlANA, ASBIGNOR T RAY PIANO LOMP -XNY, OF NEW- ASTLE, INDIANA, (UPARTXERSHIP PIANISSIMO DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May is, 1909.

To all 'who'm it may concern:

Be It known that I, WILLIAM G. Bn'rz, of

Newcastle, county of Henry, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Pianissimo Device; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to rovide an improved means for taking up the 0st motion when the soft pedal isactuated, or for pianissimo purposes, This causes the iano action to be easily operated, especia y in pneumatic pianos, and, therefore, the work of the pneumatic action or of the performer on finger keys will be considerably less and the effect of movement of the keys on the piano action more certain, sudden and sensitive than in similar constructions heretofore knovn.

I do not wish to limit my invention to use in connection with pneumatic ianos, although it probably of more value m such a piano than in the ordinary finger key piano.

The various features of my invention will be understood from the accompanying drawin? and the followin description and claims.

.n the drawings igure 1 is a vertical section through the upper portion of a piano, the lower ortion being broken away and the parts of t e. piano action in an unoperated position. Fig. 2 is substantially the same showing the parts operated and parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the part illustrating the lost motion mechanism, the normal unoperated position being shown by full lines and the operated position being shown by dotted lines.

There is shown in the drawings a sounding board 10 at the back of the piano with stri s 11 thereon. There is also a key bed 12 wit a balance rail 13 having center pins 14 on which the piano kevs 15 are mounted. At the inner end of the key there is a capstan 16.

Action 'brackets 17 are mounted vertically above the key bed and near the lower end of said brackets there is a transverse flan e rail 18 from which the flange 19 extends ownwardl to which a connecting bar 20 is pivoted t at extends forwardly and downwardly, and its front end is pivoted to the lower portion of the sticker. 21. The sticker is vertically moved by the capstan on the key 15..

56 The action rail 23 is secured transversely of the brackets 17, and a flange 24 extends downwardly therefrom to which a wippen 25 is pivoted between its ends. .Said wippen 25 is not, as usual, directly connected with the sticker 21, but instead is pivoted upon the lost motion lever 26 between its ends, and said'lever at its rear end is fulcrumed in upwardly extending arms 27 from the sticker, said arms projecting upwardly behind a shoulder 28 at the upper end of the sticker on which a cushion 29 is mounted. The fulcrum point of the wippen 25 upon the lost motion lever 26 is substantially over the vertical center of the sticker 21, and said lever 26 rests normally upon the upper end of the sticker so that the vertical movements of the sticker are transmitted directly to the wippen, but when the soft edal is used, the vertical motion of the stic or is transmitted to the wippen 25 throu h the vertical arms 27 on the sticker and t e lost motion lever 26, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When the soft pedal is operated the vertical rod 30 elevates the lost motion bar 31 that is pivoted to the brackets 17 by rods 32.

A jack flan e 41 extends upward from the rocker 25 in a inc about midway between the fulcrum point between the wippen and lost motion lever 26 and the fulcrum point between the lost motion lever and the arms 27 at the upper end of the sticker. Thus it is seen that instead of the sticker transmitting its motion directly to the wippen, as in piano actions heretofore, in my im roved construction there is a lost motion ever inter osed between the sticker and wippen, an said lever is controlled and moved by the lost motion bar, which is actuated. by the soft pedal.

As arranged herein, when the soft edal is not used, the motion from the sticker t rough the lost motion lever and the wippen is almost as direct and immediate as in the constructions heretofore, for then the wippen is down upon the shoulder 28 of the sticker, but. whent e soft pedal is operated, the forward end of the lost motion lever is elevated, and then the motion of the sticker is transmitted through the arms 27 and lever 26 circuitously to the wi pen.

What claim as m invention and desire to secure'by Letters atc 1' is:

1. An upright piano action including a sticker having at its upper end a rearwardly and upwardly extending arm so as to leave a shoulder at the up or end of the sticker in front of said arm, a ost-motion lever pivoted at its'rear end in said arm and adapted to rest normally on said shoulder, pianissimo mechanism for elevating the front end of said lost motion lever, and a wippen pivoted to said lost motion lever at a point 1n vertical alinement with said sticker.

2. An upright piano action including a sticker having at its upper end a rearwardly and u wardly extending arm so as to leave a shoulder at the up er end of the sticker in front of said arm, a 0st motion lever pivoted at its rear end in said arm and adapted to rest normally on said shoulder, pianissimo 15 mechanism for elevating the front end of said lost motion lever, a wippen pivoted to said lost motion lever at a point in vertical alinement with said. sticker, and a jack fulcrumed to the Wippen at a point in vertical alinement 20 with the sticker.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signaturi in the presence of the witnesses herein name;

WILLIAM G. BETZ. Witnesses OLIVE BREEDEN, N. ALLEMONG.

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