US2495913A - Treble action for accordions - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1950 w. B. AHERN ET AL 2,495,913

TREBLE ACTION FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Jan. 24, 1947 ZW/M@ /97 ams/i215.

Patented Jan. 3l, `1950 TREBLE ACTION FOR ACCORDIONS' William B. Ahern and Albert J. Walt, De Kalb',

Ill. assignors` to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Com.- panyf, Chicago, Ill. a. corporation Application' `lanuary 24, 1947, Serial N'o. 724,166

L Claims.

' l This invention relates to a key construction with. its valvelift as usedwith the treble action ofv an accordion.

It is the object of the invention tov provide a finger key for use with the treble action in a piano accordion wherein the key structure comprises a single sheet metal` stamping terminating in an integral. valve lift formed therewith, the keybody to provide a rigid support for a plastic key` face.

One feature ofthe invention resides in. a bendable juncture between thev keybody and the valve lift, wherein the keybody and liftare capable of relative adjustment in the plane. of their opera.- tion by bending of the metal at their juncture-` Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a spring lockA associated with the keybody for pivotally mounting the key and; valve lift upon a pivot rod to provide a snap-on mounting such as to. permit of convenient removal and replacement.

Another feature of the invention resides in the. arrangementA of ther compression spring: for yieldably maintainingv the key in its normal position under spring tension, and wherein said spring is formed with a snap-on anchor in association with a notched spring rail.

A further feature of the invention resides in an eccentric screw adjustment: between the metal keybody and its plastic key face for. adjusting the outer end of the key face laterally relative thereto, whereby the key faces of the keyboard may be arranged in equally spaced relation.

Another feature of the invention resides inthe arrangement and formation ofthe key guide rail in. which the guide lugs formed on the, ends of the keys.- may be guided and cushioned against laterali. displacement, there being associated therewith a cushion strip carried by a metal frame for receiving and cushioning the impact of the actuated ends. of the keys.

The. full nature ofthe inventionv will be, understood from the accompanying drawings and the following. description and claims:

Fig, I is a central vertical section through one unit of the treble-faction and; a portion of the treble action valve box.

1lg.,2 is. a plan view showing the underside of the finger key construction with a portion of the valvev lift removed.

Fig., 3 is aperspective view of the keybody and associated' valve lift extension thereof.

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Fig. 4 is a view showing a portion ofl the vkey guide railA taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings there is shown a portion of an 'Ie having the. usual openings to the reed boxes controlled by the respective valves I I, each valve being secured to thel end of a valve lift I2. For operating the valves through the valve lifts there is plurality of treble keys carried by the key bed I3 extending at an angle to the valve. plate Ill upon which the upstanding lbrackets I4 are mounted. Carried by the brackets I4 there is a horizontal hinge rod [5i upon which the treble keysy are hingedly supported.

The piano keys comprise a metal body I6 toi-med of a sheet metal stamping integral with the valve lift I2. Said' bod-y is formed with a flat upper surface and downwardly flanged side portions il, the hat' upper surface being joined to the valve lift along one edge thereof as indicated at I8-, with a right angle bend. Thus, the hat upper surface of the keybodyy extends in. a horizontal plane as compared with a vertical plane inv which the valve lift'. extends. Substantially at the juncture, as indicated at I8, the nat upper surface of the keybodyy is bendable transversely thereof for adjusting they angular relation of the.` lift and thereby effect proper seating of the valve II with the keybody lying in its proper plane.

The flanged side portions of the keybody terminate adjacent the juncture I8 with the valve liftb in a forwardly extending hook portion I9 to provide a tight but removable slip-on fit over a bushing 20 rotatably carried on the hinge rod between the armsof the bracket. I4.

" Rigidly secured to the underside. of the keybody adjacent its hook portion I9 there, isa nat f hinge spring 2l' secured thereto, said spring being looped atV 22` to partiallyy embrace the bushing 2D under spring tension, and terminating in a curved camming portion 23.. Thus, the key may be readily mounted upon the hinge rodr bushing by pushing itv in place with sufficient force to cause the camming portion 23 ofr the spring to ilex it downwardly until it snaps over the bushlng and' thereby locks the keybody and valve. lift in pivotal relation to the valve plate and key bed. They mayv be readily removed by pulling outwardly until the force overcomes the tension of the spring, causingitl to flex away from the bushing to release the key structure.

Mounted on the key' bed I3 there is a spring .rail 2li having a plurality of spaced grooves indicated at 25, extending transversely of its upper surface, one forA each key. For yieldingly retaining the individual keys in their normal' position under spring tension there is aA compression spring'26 looped intermediate its ends and having one arm formed with a reverse bend 21 adjacent one end thereof adapted to snap into and be retained by a slot 28 in the upper surface of the keybody. The opposed end of said spring is curved at 29 to snap into one of the grooves and in the spring rail 24.

Carried by the keybody I6 there is an ivorylike plastic key face 30 of a hollow form U-shaped in cross section terminating in a solid portion overlying the keybody towards its juncture I8 and pivotally secured thereto by a screw 3 I, and having a filler block 32 for receiving a screw threaded camming head 33. Said block 32 is also adapted to receive a locking screw 34 for securing the key face to the other end of the key body. For camming adjustment by the camming head 33 the keybody is provided with anelongated slot 35 in which the eccentric camming head 33 extends for rotation relative thereto in a manner to provide for adjustable displacement of the key face laterally of the keybody.Y To permit of Asuch lateral displacement for adjustment, the locking screw S9 extends through a transversely arranged elongated slot 36 in the keybody.

Carried by the key bed i3 along the forward edge thereof there is provided a key guide rail 3". stamped of sheet metal and adapted to be rigidly secured to the key bed. Said guide rail is provided with a raised forwardly extending ange portion 38 spaced upwardly from the key bed and terminating in a plurality of tongues 39 spaced from each other. Said tongues extend along the forward edge of the key bed under and in line with the ends of the key faces. Each of the tongues 39 has a tubular sleeve 40 of felt slipped thereover so that the space between the tongues acts as a guide for maintaining proper spacing of the keys while permitting actuation thereof. For this purpose the end of each key face 30 is anged downwardly to provide a curved end portion 4i terminating in a reduced guide lug 42 extending between and having its bearing against the felt guide sleeves 4G on the guide rail. The downward movement of the free end of the key is limited a shoulder 93 striking the tongues 39 of said rail and its engagement with a felt cushion strip 34 mounted longitudinally of the flange portion 33 adjacent the tongues 39.

From the foregoing it will be observed that relative adjustment between the keys and the Valve lifts may be effected by bending the fiat upper surface of the keybody adjacent the juncture I8 to thereby assure proper seating of the valves with the keys lying in their proper plane. Lateral adjustment of the key spacing is provided by adjustment of the camming heads 33. By reason of the snap-on mounting by the hinge spring 2i, as well as the snap-on retention of the compression spring 2S, the keybody with its key face and the valve lift may be snapped into and out of place in a convenient manner.

The invention claimed is:

LA treble action accordion key comprising a metal keybody, a plastic key face secured over said keybody, means for pivotally mounting said keybody to the action, means for pivotally securing said key face to said keybody adjacent its pivotal mounting, an eccentric member rotatable in said key face extending through an aperture of said keybody for lateral adjustment of said key face thereon about their pivotal connection, and means for locking the adjusted end of said key face to said keybody after adjustment.

2. A treble action accordion key comprising a metal keybody element, means for pivotally 4 mounting said keybody element to the action, a plastic key face element pivotally secured to said keybody element adjacent its pivotal mounting, an adjusting member rotatably mounted on one of said elements having an eccentric head engageable with the other element for displacing said elements laterally about their pivotal connection upon rotation of said member, and means for locking said elements in their laterally adjusted relation.

3. A treble action accordion comprising a metal keybody having a flat upper portion with downwardly extending side walls terminating in slots, a.' hinge rod on said action for pivotal engagement by the slotted ends of said side walls, the flat upper portion of said keybody having an annular extension thereof bent at right angles to provide an integral valve lift and bendable transversely thereof for valve lift adjustment, a plastic key face pivotally secured over said keybody adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof, an eccentric adjusting member carried by said key face for adjusting it laterally of said keybody about their pivotal connection, and means for securing the end of said keybody to said key face. I

4. A treble action accordion comprising a metal keybody having a flat upper portion with downwardly extending side walls terminating in end slots, a hinge rod on said action for pivotal engagement by the slotted ends of said side walls, the at upper portion of said keybody having an annular extension thereof bent at right angles to provide an integral valve lift and bendable transversely thereof for valve lift adjustment, a plastic key face pivotally secured over said keybody adjacent the pivotal mounting thereof, an eccentric adjusting member carried by said key face for adjusting it laterally of said keybody about their pivotal connection, means for securing the end of said keybody to said key face, and a finger portion on said key face overhanging the end of said keybody terminating in a downwardly extending spacing and guiding member.

WILLIAM B. AHERN. ALBERT J WALT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,246,998 Pickard et al. Nov.` 20, 1917 1,319,801 Schatzel Oct. 28, 1919 1,784,469 Soprani Dec. 9, 1930 1,890,830 Schlicht Dec. 13, 1932 1,904,768 Rieschick Apr. 18, 1933 1,984,079 Nelson Dec. 11, 1934 2,117,002 Hammond May 10, 1938 2,220,724 Lindeberg Nov. 5, 1940 2,246,371 Lindeberg June 17, 1941 2,250,131 Miller July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 563,740 Germany Nov. 9, 1932 308,131 Italy May 26, 1933 467,783 Great Britain June 23, 1937 89,290 Sweden May 19, 1937 351,954 Italy Aug. 27, 1937 357,165 Italy Mar. 4, 1938

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