US2087033A - Piano - Google Patents

Description

July 13, 1937. H Y 2,087,033

PIANO Filed July 24, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 13, 1937. A. A. HUSEBY 2,087,033

PIANO Filed July 24, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 13, 1937. A. A. HUSEBY 2,087,033

PIANO Filed July 24, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 {I My Z3 7 lderdn fjww JZZfZ WW, J KW f July 13, 1937. A. A. HUSEBY 2,087,033

PIANO Filed July 24, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 13, 1937 Ul'i'ED STATES zrsmn PATENT OFFICE Application July 24,

9 Claims.

As is well known, pianos have for many years been produced in three general types known as square, grand and upright. In the first two the sounding board, string plate, strings and action are disposed horizontally, and in the upright type they are disposed vertically or substantially so. The main purpose underlying the evolution of the upright type was undoubtedly to save floor space and make the instrument practical for domestic use in small rooms where a square or grand instrument would occupy an undue amount of space in relation to other articles of furniture. This, however, to a considerable extent involved a sacrifice of tonal volume and richness, due to the necessity of using sounding boards of less area, shorter strings, and less resonance space within the instrument. Hence, for concert work the grand piano is almost always used, on account of its greater power and volume, and superior tonal quality.

It occurred to me that a piano possessing the advantage of the upright piano in respect of economy of floor space required and the advantage of the grand piano in respect of power, volume and tonal quality might be obtained by combining with the case, key-bed, keys and action of an upright instrument the sounding board, string frame or plate, strings and deep resonance chamber of the typical grand piano, these parts of the latter being, of course, mounted upright or substantially vertical in the instrument. Furthermore, in such a combination as I have designed and will hereinafter describe in detail, I am able to utilize a large portion of the space beneath the key bed as a resonance chamber, and also dispense with the usual vertical spaced posts or stanchions that, in the standard upright piano, extend between the pin block and the base of the case directly behind the sounding board and are not only unsightly and add to the weight and cost of the instrument, but offer considerable obstruction to the sound waves issuing from the rear of the instrument.

Novel structural features of the invention in clude the use with the sounding board, metal string plate, and strings of the grand piano type, of the deep rim of the same piano type that forms the bounding wall of the resonance chamber, and the means for suspending said rim from the pin block of the instrument; and an improved removable panel oover for that portion of the resonance chamber that underlies the key bed including tongue and groove means for securing the same in place without the use of screws or similar fastening devices.

1936, Serial No. 92,311

In the accompanying drawings I have presented an illustrative embodiment of the novel features of the invention as embodied in the modern console type of upright piano, and briefly describing the several views thereof- Fig. l is a perspective front view of the piano.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, with the upper and lower front panels and a portion of the key bed and keys removed to disclose the grand piano type of string plate and strings.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the instrument.

Fig. 4 is a perspective front View of the pin block and rim suspended therefrom.

Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are enlarged cross sections taken on the lines 5, 5, and 1 respectively of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged front elevation of the removable lower cover panels and of the intermediate fixed pedal panel, broken off at the right and partly in section on the line 8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on line 9 of Fig. 1, illustrating an improved pedal action.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view in the horizontal plane of the line i l of Fig. 9.

Describing first the main features of the instrument case, it designates the usual pin block that extends the full width of the upper portion, and i8 designates vertical posts that support the ends of the pin block and in turn are supported on the top horizontal limbs of the two leg frames ii. To the under side of the pin block I5 is attached, as by screws 03 (Fig. '7), a rail l9 that extends between the inner sides of the upper end portions of the posts 16 (Fig. 3) and forms a backing for the top edge portion of the sounding board. Strongly secured to the inner sides of the posts it, as by screws 2! (Fig. 5), are the upper end portions of a depending curved rail 22 that forms a backing for the lower side and bottom edge portions of the sounding board and string plate. To the outer side of the curved rail 22 is attached a laminated rim 23 of a width or depth approximately three times the thickness of the pin block it": and 0f the type used in grand pianos. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the rim at its lowest point is very slightly above the floor level, and has the general outline form of a slightly flattened cycloid curve. The case includes the side walls 26, key bottom 25, top or cover 26, and bodily removable front panel 21 characteristic of the upright type of instrument.

designates the sounding board, the general form or shape of which is illustrated in the rear view, Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. '7, the horizontal top edge of the sounding board underlies and. fits the bottom edge of the pin block i5 and is secured to the rail id. The bottom edge and lower portion of the side edges of the sounding board fit the rim 23 and abut against, and are secured to, the rail 22. Their upper edge portions have lateral extensions or wings 2 3 (Fig. 5) which overlap the inner sides of the posts it. To the back of the sounding board are secured the usual oblique ribs 2c, the end portions 29 of which are shaved to a reduced thickness, as shown in Fig. '7; and to secure a continuous contact of the edge portions of the sounding board with the backing rails i9 and 22, the latter are equipped with strips 39 and 3! that are transversely grooved to receive and seat the reduced ends of the ribs, as indicated in Fig. 7. Overlying and. suitably spaced from the sounding board 28 is the metal string plate 32. This is a heavily ribbed and flanged structure, such as is characteristic of grand piano construction, as distinguished from the much lighter string plates of standard upright instruments which are bolted through to the heavy posts or stanchions lying behind the sounding board to reinforce them against the tension strain of the strings amounting to several tons. As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the upper portion of the plate 32 lies against the pin block if: and is socured thereto by numerous screws The top edge and upper portions of the side edges are stiffened by flanges 34 and 35 respectively, and a rear rib 36 fits beneath the lower edge of the pin block 15. The flanges 35 are rectangular extensions of heavy marginal ribs 3'! (Fig. 5), through which and the sounding board wings 28 screws 33 pass into the posts it. The lower side edges and bottom edge of the plate are cast with heavy ribs 39 (Fig. 6), through which and the sounding board screws 4! pass into the rail 22. The intermediate stiffening ribs, bass and treble string arrangement and mountings, and bridges, as shown in Fig. 2, are or may be all as standard in grand piano construction; the action fragmentarily shown at Hid, being of the upright type.

Describing the pedal action, which is shown in Figs. 1, 9, 10, and 11, this in the main follows the construction shown in my former Patent No. 1,085,915, granted February 3, 1914, but modified to adapt it to an instrument of the type herein described. Extending between the key bottom 25 and the front edge of the rim 2% is a fixed panel the lower end of which is vertically slotted to receive the shanks 43 of soft or piano pedals M and 45 and loud or forte pedal 45, the three pedals being mounted on a pivot pin 453. To the front of the panel, at its lower end, is attached a teadying block d1 having slots registering with the panel slot, through which the shanks of the pedals also extend. The different length. strokes of the soft pedals l4 and 55, to shift the hammer rail. d8 toward the strings, are effected by limiting the down movements of these pedals by differently inclined bottom walls id and 5! of the slots in block ll in which the pedals operate. ttached to the under side of the rear edge of the key bottom 25 is a strip 52, to the under side of which are attached two pairs of bearing blocks 53 and Journaled in bearing blocks 53 is a rock shaft 55 which at one end has a rearwardly bent arm terminating in a flattened right angle bend 5?. The other end of rock shaft 55 has a rearwardly extending arm 58. Journaled in bearing blocks 54 is a rock shaft 59 formed at one end with a rearwardly bent arm 5! having a flattened end portion 62 and at its other end with a rearwardly bent arm 63 having a flattened end portion 64.

On the rear side of panel 42 are upper and lower bracket plates 65 and 66 that are apertured to form guides for lower lifter rods 51. The lower ends of two of these lifter rods have a rounded step bearing at 63 on blocks 69 mounted on the shanks 43 of the soft pedals M and 45, and the upper ends of the same rods have rounded heads "ii liftingly engaged with the rock shaft arm 5?. The third lower lifter rod 6 is similarly interposed between the loud pedal 46 and the flattened end 62 of the arm 6! of rock shaft 59. Keyed on each rod 6'! is a collar 12 on which rests a thrust spring '53 that encircles the rod and is footed at its other end on the under side of bracket plate 55; these springs normally maintaining the pedals in raised position. Stepped on the free end of arm 58 of rock shaft 55 is an upper lifter rod i guided by an apertured bracket 15 and at its upper end articulated to a lug 16 on the lower edge of the pivotally supported hammer rail A similar upper lifter rod 14 is stepped on the of rock shaft 59 and at its upper end is connected to the damper rail in such a manner that when said rod is lifted the dampers are held on the strings.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in the described construction of pedal action the rock shafts are journaled on the under side of the key bottom, and the movement of the pedals is transmitted through lower lifter rods to the rock shafts and from the latter through upper lifter rods to raising springs are applied to the lower lifter rods,

That portion of the resonance chamber that is bounded by the wide rim 23 is closed in front by a pair of removable right and left symmetrical cover panels ll lying on opposite sides respectively of the fixed pedal panel 42 and substantially in the same plane with the latter. In the curved portion of the rim 23 is cut a groove 78 (Fig. 6) of a width to fit the lower curved edges of the panels H, which form in effect tongues in relation to the groove 18. The upper edges of the panels ll, when the latter are fitted in place, terminate slightly below the key bottom, so that each panel may be entered with its lower edge resting on the inner surface of rim 23, then pushed rearwardly until said lower edge is over the groove l8, and then dropped into the groove, thus avoiding the use of screws or bolts to fasten the panels in place. To facilitate this operation, a low stop strip 19 is preferably mounted on rim flush with the rear wall of groove 18. As before stated, the described construction, and especially the use of the heavy, strongly ribbed and reinforced. grand piano type of string plate or frame, enables me to dispense entirely with the heavy vertical posts or stanchions behind the sounding board used in the upright type of piano, which partially obstruct and break up the sound waves emanating from the rear side of the sounding board. Fig. 2 shows how, in the present construction, the rear side of the sounding board is left clear and almost entirely unobstructed. Figs. 2 and 5 also illustrate an improved handle construction by which the usual rear handles for lifting and shifting the position of the instrument on the floor can be located inwardly of the vertical plane of the back side of the case. Each of these handle members comprises a handle proper ti and an integral rectangular shank, the two limbs 32 and. 83 of which overlap two adjacent sides of the rail 22 and are secured by screws 84 and 85. The handles 8| extend in a plane that is parallel with the sounding board and do not project beyond the plane of the rear side of the case.

While I have herein shown and described one practical and efficient embodiment of the invention, it is manifest that minor changes of form, structure and arrangement of the associated parts may be made without departing from the essence of the invention or sacrificing any of the benefits and advantages inherent therein. Hence, I reserve all such variations, modifications and mechanical equivalents as fall within the spirit and purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An upright piano equipped with an upright piano action and a vertically disposed sounding board, string plate and wide bounding rim of the grand piano type, said rim underlying the key bottom of the instrument, a fixed pedal panel extending between the key bottom and the center of the front edge of said rim, and removable cover panels on either side of said pedal panel supported by said rim.

2. In a piano of the type described, a supporting frame for the sounding board and string plate, comprising a pin block, depending posts at the ends of said pin block, and a rim member attached to and depending from said posts.

3. In a piano of the type described, a supporting frame for the sounding board and string plate, comprising a pin block, depending posts at the ends of said pin block, and a wide rim member having substantially the outline form of a cycloid curve attached at its upper ends to and depending from said posts.

4. In a piano of the type described, a supporting and attachment frame for the sounding board and string plate, comprising a pin block, depending posts at the ends of said pin block, a rail attached to the under side of said pin block, a curved rail attached at its upper ends to and depending from said posts, and a wide curved rim attached to and extending forwardly of said curved rail, in combination with a sounding board attached to said rails, and a string plate attached to said pin block and curved rail.

5. In a piano of the type described, a supporting and attachment frame for the sounding board and string plate, comprising a pin block, depending posts at the ends of said pin block, a rail attached to the under side of said pin block, a

curved rail attached at its upper ends to and depending from said posts, and a wide curved rim attached to and extending forwardly of said curved rail, in combination with a sounding board fitting within said rim and at its margins attached to said rails, and a string plate attached at its upper portion to said pin block and at its lower portion to said curved rail; the rear side of said sounding board being free of obstructions to sound waves issuing therefrom.

6. In a piano of the type described, the combination with a depending rim member underlying the key-bottom and bounding the lower portions of the string plate and sounding board, of a pair of cover panels closing the front of said rim, said rim member and panels having tongue and groove engagement with each other for retaining the panels in place.

'7. In a piano of the type described, the com bination with a depending rim member underlying the key-bottom and bounding the lower portions of the string plate and sounding board, said rim member having a longitudinal groove in its inner surface slightly in rear of its front edge, of a pair of cover panels closing the front of said rim, the lower edges of said panels being removably seated in said groove.

8. In a piano of the type described, the combination with a depending rim member underlying the key-bottom and bounding the lower portions of the string plate and sounding board, said rim member having a longitudinal groove in its inner surface slightly in rear of its front edge and a stop strip flush with the rear wall of said groove, of a pair of cover panels closing the front of said rim, the lower edge portions of said panels abutting said stop strip and being removably seated in said groove.

9. In a piano of the type described, the combination with a wide depending curved rim member underlying the key-bottom and bounding the lower portions of the string plate and sounding board, said rim member having a longitudinal groove in its inner surface slightly in rear of its front edge, of a fixed pedal panel extending between the key-bottom and the longitudinal center of said rim member, and a pair of removable cover panels closing the front of said rim member on either side of said pedal panel, the lower edges of said cover panels being seated in said groove, and said cover and pedal panels lying substantially in the same plane.

ALBERT A. HUSEBY.

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