US854058A - Repeating action for upright pianos. - Google Patents

Description

No. 854,058. PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

0. SAUTER.

REPEAT-ING ACTION FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED 001.19.1906.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REPEATING ACTION FOR UPRIGHT PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907'.

Application iiled October 19,1906. Serial llo; 339,609-

Be it known that I, CARL SAUTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, and State of Maryland, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Actions for Upright Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a repeating action or mechanism applicable to upright pianos, the object being to provide an action requiring but little pressure at the key board to operate and at the same time one which will respond quickly to the touch of the key, thereby materially assist- .ing the performer in. the rendition and execution in performing, especially so where quick runs are required. By the use of my improvement these runs can be easily accomplished without sacrificing the accurate ness and evenness of the tones and also with less physical force than is ordinarily required in performing on instruments of like character not equipped with my improvement,

and the general playing of the instrun'ient is much improved.

With the foregoing object in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is an elevation of the action, showing it as in a state of rest. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the action, showing the parts just after the wire has been struck.

A is a key bottom or base.

1. is a jack 2 is an arm. on the upper end of the jack 3 is a lever secured to the upper end. part of the jack 1 4 is a nosing upon the lever 3 provided. upon the jack 1 is a guide pin 5 for the purpose of guiding the lever 3 6 is a spring uniting the lever on the jack 1 with v the hammer-butt 7; 8 is a back-stop and 9 an arm which is a part ther at; 10 is an upright wippen supporting thereon the jack 1; 1 1. is an upright back check 12 is a hammer 13 is socket of the hammer butt 7; 14 is the main rail to which is secured the wippen 10; .15 is a wire or string of the instrument.

It will be noticed that in the construction of my action I have, to a great extent, done away with the use of springs upon which other actions of similar character depend for the action thereof, and which are liable to get out of order, therebyrendering the action less positive and durable. In the construction of my action but one spring is required; this spring 6 is secured upon a movable lever 3 attached to the jack 1, and is flexibly jointed to the hammer-b utt 7 by means of the spring being formed into a hook 1.6'on its free end, and a flexible loop 17 made of any suitable material, (preferably of silk cord) being secured to the hammer butt 7 and the hook 16 being engaged by the loop 17. As a result of this combination of the lever and spring, the latter is placed under tension at the hammer stroke and, after disengagement of the jack and hammer strives to press back the jack into the socket 18 of the hammerbutt 7. The jack is affected by the slightest abatement of the hammer pressure, (of about one-fourth the key travel), in such a manner that the repetition takes place with extraordinary rapidity. The spring, by reason of its connection with the hammer, serves to pull the latter away from the wire.

The jack 1, which is pivoted upon the wippen 1(), has an arm 2 on its upper right end portion which projects sideward and grips into the socket 1 3 of the hammer-butt 7 the depending lever B is pivoted upon the upper left end part of the jack 1, which is connected by the means of the spring 6 with the hammer-butt 7 in the manner above described. The lever 3 is provided with a nosing 4, upon which, when the hammer is in a position of rest, the arm 9, of the back-stop 8 rests. The hammer and the wippen 1 0 are attached in the usual manner to the main-rail 14, and the back-check 11 is attached in the usual manner to the wippen 10. After a complete hammer-stroke and while the key is retained in its lowest position, the hammer 12 as is well known is held in a standing position short distance from the string 15 as shown in Fig. 2 by means of the back-stop S and the backcheck 1 1. The hammer on its forward stroke has drawn the hook end 16 of the spring 6 forward, this aetiontending toforce the nose end 4 of the lever B rearward and the upper end forward. Thus the nose is maintained in contact with the arm 9 of the back stop, and the arm 2 of the jack is retained within the socket 13. After disengagement of the jack and hammer, the ack is held stationary, while the hook end of the spring is drawn farther forward with the butt of the hammer and the lower end of the lever B is forced forward by the still-advancing back stop, the result of this action being that the spring is i )laced under greater tension, so that, the

nose 4 working against the arm 9, the tendency of the spring is to force the jack forward into engagement with the hammer, or, what is the same thing, force the hammer back into engagement with the ack. Therefore, upon a slight relaxation of the pressure upon the key, and the consequent rearward movement of the back check 11, back stop 8, and the hammer, the arm 2 of the jack is caused by the spring to be re-engaged with the socket 13, and immediately upon. pressure again being exerted upon the key stroke of the hammer against the string takes place.

Slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts herein described, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence l do not desire to limit myself to the exact construction as herein set forth but,

Having described my invention, what .i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a jack to actuate the hammer, a projection carried by the hammer, a lever interposed between and working against said jack and projection for effecting engagement of the jack and hammer, and a spring connecting the lever and hammer for actuating said lever,

12. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a jack to actuate the hammer, a projection carried by the hammer, a lever pivoted to said jack and bearing against said projection for effecting engagement of the jack and hammer, and a spring connecting the lever and hammer for actuating said. lever.

3. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carried by said hammer at the front thereof, a jack standing intermediate said hammer and projection, a

lever pivoted to said jack and depending at the front thereof, said lever having a forward ,1 l l l l l 1 protuberance to engage said projection, a spring secured. to and extending upward from said lever, and connection. between the upper end of said. spring and the hammer.

i. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carried by the hammer at the front thereof, an upright jack disposed intermediate said hammer and projection, a lever pivoted to said jack and depending at the front thereof in position to bear against said projection, a spring connecting said. lever and hammer, and a guide for said lever extending forward from the jack.

5. A repeating piano action, comprising a hammer, a projection carried. by said. hammer at the front thereof, an upright jack disposed intermediate said. hannn'er and, projection, a lever pivoted. to said. jack and depending at the front thereof in position to bear against said projection, a spring secured to and extending upward from. said. lever and having its upper end formed as a hook, and a loop connecting said hook and hammer.

6. A piano action, comprising a hammer. a wippen, an upright jack pivoted to said. Wippen and arranged to actuate said hammer and. to be disengaged therefrom during the operative stroke, a back stop carried by said hammer at the front thereof, and in. front of said jack, said back stop having an. arm depending therefrom, a lever pivoted. to said jack and depending intermediate said jack and said arm in position to bear against the latter, a spring connecting said lever and said. hamn'ler, and a hack check airried. by said wip'pen in front of said back stop and in po sition to engage the same.

In testimony whereof I. aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

UAR L SAI I T l) .I l

itnesses:

E. Huron Bmnvixc'rox, Many M. Mneinxw.

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