US927945A - Key for organs, pianos, &c. - Google Patents

Description

G. L. CHENEY., FOR ORGANS PIANO y l AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 8.

927,945. Patented Ju1y13, 1909.

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GEORGE L. CHENEY, OF ESSEX, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT, READ & COMPANY, OF DEEP RIVER, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

KEY FOR ORGANS, PIANOS, 85e.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1909.

Application led August 21, 1908. Serial No. 449,659.

.particularly to the construction of the mortise of the key into which a guide pin, such as the front guide pin, projects.

The guide pin should it snugly in the mortise, but not bind therein. On either side of the mouth or opening to the mortise a piece of bushing or felt is placed, and the pin projects upward between these bushings into the mortise. The pin should not rub or bear against the sides of the mortise except at the bushing. Uien the key is new the bushing is usually sutlicient to hold the upper end of the guide pin away from the side walls of the mortise, but when the bushing is worn the pin is apt to bind or rub against the side of the mortise, if the mortise is of the same width throughout as its opening or mouth. Again, a workman regulating piano and organ keys sometimes finds the keys bind on the guide pin, and therefore wishes to enlarge or widen the hushed part of the front mortise which engages closely with the guide pin. The common way to do this is to pinch each side of the bushed part of the mortise with pliers, or to drive in a wedge. Not only is this hard to do when the whole mortise is of the same interior width, butl it is likely to bring the guide pin, after the bushing is pressed into the wood, in contact with the wood on the side of the morn tise, in beyond the bushing, so that it will scrape on the wood. Consequently, the mortise has been made wider above the mouth or opening in the bottom of the key than at the mouth, so that while at the mouth the guide pin will tit snugly its upper end cannot rub or bear on the side walls of the mortise. A serious diliiculty has, however, eX- isted in the construction of such a mortise because the portion within the key is wider than the opening or inlet to it on the under side orbottom of the key. Hence it has been customary to form the mortise from the top of the key before the ivory or celluloid is laid on it, by boring or cutting it downward of the desired width and then making a narrower continuation extending entirely through the .key to the bottom or under side. The top was then closed up by inserting a strip or plug of wood, or other suitable substance, and the narrow opening in the bottom of the key remained to form the mouth or inlet to the wider mortise above. The ivory or Celluloid was finally placed on the key over the strip or plug of wood. But in inortises formed thus the covering strip or plug of wood was liable to warp or shrink. rlhis in turn affected the thin layer of ivory or Celluloid above it. Ihe surface of the key became irregular and it was often necessary to plane or smooth the ivory over the covering strip or plug. To obviate the necessity of any such covering strip or piece of wood, in the present invention the mortise is made from the bottom and instead of extending it entirely through the key, it terminates within the key, so that the inner or upper end is closed, not by a separate strip or piece, but by an integral portion of the key. At the same time the inner or upper end is wider than the mouth of the mortise, so that all the advantages of the former mortise are retained without the concomitant disadvantages.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical longitudinal central section through a key embodying the invention. Fig. 2, a bottom view of the outer end of the key, Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section through the key and mortise,and Fig. 4, a.

similar view with the bushing removed.

In all figures, similar letters of reference represent like parts.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description, the part designated by the letter A represents the front rail of the key board, and B the front guide pin mounted thereon in usual manner.

C designates a key, and D the ivory, celluloid, or similar substance, laid upon it. Within the front end of the key C is a mortise E, which, as shown more particularly in Fig. 4f, has a comparatively narrow opening or mouth F in the bottom of the key, and a wider socket or mortise Gr above. The mortise Gr does not extend entirely through the key, for its upper end is closed by an integral portion of the key C. The mortise er socket G is considerably wider than the opening F, as shown more particularly in Fig. l, so that while the guide pin B lits nicely Within the opening (Fig. its upper end does not bear or rub on the side walls of the mort-ise. The mortise is made so that it is about one sixteenth of an inch wider in diameter than the opening F.

0n either side of the narrow opening or mouth F is a strip orl bushing H which constricts the mouth or opening, so that the inner portion ol the mortise or socket G is not only some one sixteenth of an inch wider than the opening' or mouth before the bushing is in place, as shown in Fig. l, but is perhaps an eighth of an inch wider than the opening or mouth after the bushing is inserted (F ig. rllhus to lorm the mortise from the bottom, so that the opening is narrower than the inner part of the mortise or socket above it, a tool may be used having a head wider at least in one direction than the shank. After the opening is made, a relative movement between the key and tool is given, so that the wider head or portion of the head will sweep out the mortise laterally above the opening to a distance beyond the width of the opening. For example, the shank of the tool may be of a diameter less than the width of the opening. lVhile the tool is rapidly revolving a relative lateral movement between the key and tool is'imparted, the shank will be confined in its movement by the sides oli' the opening, but the wider head will sweep out a socket or mortise somewhat wider than the opening. By thus forming the wider or enlarged mortise trom the bottom of the key and closing the upper end by an integral part of the key, the necessity of the separate covering strip or piece ol" wood is obviated. Therefore there is no piece to become warped or to shrink, and so to atleet the ivory above. Furthermore, in

l l l the present invention, as only a narrow projecting part of the mortise is bushed and engages the guide pin, this can readily be com` pressed by a workman when desired, while the guide pin is still held at a safe distance from the wood on the side of the enlarged inner portion ot the mortise.

Having now described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A key' for an organ, piano or similar instrument having near its lront end a mortise for the reception oit the lront guide pin lormed in a portion ot the key having unbroken and imperlbrate top, side and end surfaces, and a slot in the bottom ot the key communicating with the mortise and ot a width less than the mortise, substantially as described.

2. A key ttor an organ, piano or similar i instrument having near its front end a inortise for the reception oli the liront guide-pin formed in a portion o'l the key having unbroken and imperliorate top, side and end surfaces, a slot in the bottom el' the key communieal'ing with the mortise and of width less than the mortise, and a bushing on the side walls of the slot, substantially as described.

3. A key for an organ, piano or similar instrument having the liront end ol its body part formed of a single piece of material and provided with a mortise, a slot for receiving a guide pin leading from the mortise through the under side of the body, said slot being of a width less than that of the mortise, substantially as described.

In witness wheii'eot l have hereunto set my hand on the day ot July, i908.

GEO. L. CHENEY.

Witnesses lll. lll. lvlon'roN, Giro. A.. lllomrwoon.

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