Abstract:
A vertical or upright piano action includes a key bed, a key frame, a wippen, a damper action, a hammer action, a repetition lever, a sustain mechanism, sostenuto mechanism, and an una chorda or action shift mechanism. Butt directly engages damper, improving response to professional standard. Touch resistance is unchanged by sustain mechanism.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/687,228 filed Apr. 20, 2012 entitled “Professional Vertical Piano Action”. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB) 
       [0004]    Not Applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR 
       [0005]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    For any pianist looking for a piano that has superior touch and tone, so as to be able to perform high level works, or perhaps moderate level works with greater ease and enjoyment, purchasing a grand piano of at least 6′ in length has been the requirement, as these pianos have the length of string, and soundboard area sufficient to produce excellent tone. They also have a high response action mechanism. This responsiveness is enabled by a repetition lever, and the force of gravity on the hammers, which in a grand piano travel vertically to strike strings which are oriented horizontally. 
         [0007]    Most musicians have neither the space nor the money to afford such an instrument. The next best option currently available is to purchase a tall upright piano because of its long string length and large soundboard size, however because the strings of this type of piano are oriented vertically, the hammers must travel horizontally, and be a significant distance above the keys in order to strike the strings in the correct location, often necessitating additional parts to span the gap between the key and wippen. One downside to the common upright action, is that to reset the action so that it can be struck again, it relies on the parts below the hammer butt to move back into position faster than the hammer does. For this reason, there is often a difference between the movement of the hammer and butt, and the lower parts of the action, causing unpredictability when playing difficult passages. In addition, because there is little spring force and dead weight pushing the keys back up from the fully depressed position, (compared to a grand piano action), the pianist must lift more on their fingers when playing quickly. To date, none have been very successful in producing vertical pianos that could solve these problems without high cost of production, or problems with serviceability. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    This application generally relates to acoustic keyboard instruments such as a piano or harpsichord, the invention being designed mainly for vertically strung pianos to improve their performance without added cost, detriment to serviceability, or reliability. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    A vertical or upright piano action includes a key bed, a key frame, a wippen, a damper action, a hammer action, a rotating damper flange rail acting as the sustain mechanism, a sostenuto mechanism, and an una chorda or action shift capability. Hammer action directly engages damper action, and wippen includes a repetition lever, thus improving response to professional standard without incurring great cost, or using mechanisms abstruse to technicians. Touch resistance is unchanged by sustain mechanism, which is a feature never achieved in even the finest pianos produced today. Repetition lever has a channel to accept a knuckle, thus greatly reducing the knuckle rolling friction and wear normally seen in grand pianos. Hammer checking is governed by the repetition lever, allowing greater height of a vertically strung piano without added cost to the action or sacrifice in performance. Wippen is mounted directly to the key. 
         [0010]    The layout of this action is such that the knuckle rotates far less than a traditional piano, upright or grand, in relation to the jack, allowing the pianist to enjoy a smoother feel than a typical grand. Also, unlike an upright piano, the jack remains in the same starting position until its rotation is initiated by the letoff screw, thus allowing the pianist to more accurately gauge the moment the jack disengages the knuckle, thereby having more control over the instrument. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]    The drawing included shows the invention as installed in a vertical piano, being viewed from the right side, so as to show all critical components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    This invention comprises an action mechanism for a vertically strung piano, (or other vertically strung musical instrument), comprising a key bed  50 , a key frame  52 , and a plurality of piano keys  61 , keys  61  being mounted side by side in ordinary fashion to key frame  52 . A wippen  64  is affixed to the rear portion  59  of each key  61 , each wippen  64  comprising a wippen body  47 , an ordinary jack  45 , an ordinary repetition spring  46 , a repetition lever  39 , and a repetition lever adjustment screw  41 . Rear portion  59  of each key  61  has an adjustable height bottom surface  55 , and an adjusting screw  54  which passes through key  61  to regulate the height of bottom surface  55 . In the current embodiment, wippen  64  was secured to the back of key  61  using an ordinary flange screw  65 . 
         [0013]    Key frame  52  is made the same as ordinary grand pianos and can shift a short distance from side to side for musical effect. Key frame  52  has ordinary guide pins  56  mounted in each side to maintain front to rear position while shifting side to side. Guide pins  56  are installed near the rear portion  59  of key  61 , and rest in grooved blocks  51  which are mounted to key bed  50  at both sides of key frame  52 . 
         [0014]    Repetition lever  39  comprises an ordinary check block  33  which is mounted atop the front portion  63  of repetition lever  39  facing the back catchers  34 , a permanently mounted hammer drop adjustment wire  42 , a vertical window  58 , a 10 mm deep, 10 mm wide horizontal channel  48  running straight through when viewed from the side, an ordinary repetition spring receiving slot  40 , and is attached to wippen body  47  in the same manner as ordinary repetition levers are attached to grand piano wippens. Vertical window  58  is of appropriate width and length to accommodate the required motion of jack  45  within, and has a vertical channel  57  approximately 3/16″ wide and ⅛″ deep which begins about ¼″ directly above the open end of repetition spring receiving slot  40 , running straight upward with an open end at the top. Felts  44  are mounted at opposite ends of vertical window  58  to limit the motion of jack  45 . 
         [0015]    Said action mechanism further comprises a plurality of hammers  2  glued onto shanks  6  which are glued into butts  11  and arranged side by side in ordinary fashion. Each butt  11  comprises a flange joint  12 , a sticker joint  13 , and a felted extension  14  which reaches downward from flange joint  12  approximately ¾″ and facing vertical portion  15  of damper pickup finger  16 . Each butt  11  is mounted to a hammer flange rail  8  via an ordinary flange  7  and screw  9 . Butt flanges  7  are oriented vertically above flange joint  12 . Stickers  26  are hinged on the heel  28  of butts  11  in the same manner stickers are ordinarily hinged to wippen heels in tall upright pianos. Each sticker  26  has an ordinary 10 mm knuckle  36  mounted to its base, and each knuckle  36  has a strip of leather  37  glued to the back which fits into vertical channel  57  in repetition lever  39 . Hammer flange rail  8  is affixed to key frame  52  via a series of brackets  53  such as are standard in grand and upright pianos. 
         [0016]    Said action mechanism further comprises a letoff rail  38 , and hammer stop rail  3 . Letoff rail  38  comprises a plurality of ordinary back catchers  34  mounted side by side into it via ordinary check wires  35 . Letoff rail  38  further comprises a plurality of ordinary letoff buttons  43  oriented parallel to the travel of wippen  64 . Letoff rail  38  is felted  39  on the underside. Hammer stop rail  3  is mounted to brackets  53  via a plurality of bolts  66  and nuts  67 . 
         [0017]    Said action mechanism further comprises a damper action. Said damper action comprises a plurality of damper levers  10  arranged side by side in an ordinary fashion, a damper flange rail  29 , and a damper guide rail  21  to which each damper lever  10  is attached. Each damper lever  10  comprises an ordinary damper head  4  and mounting wire  5 , an ordinary sostenuto tab  24  with spring  17  and stop felt  19 , an engagement finger  16 , a lift regulating screw  20  (same as an ordinary drop screw), a bushed hole  21  with an interior diameter of approximately 1/16″-1-8″, and an ordinary flange  30  at its base. 
         [0018]    Damper flange rail  21  is hinged  31 , is mounted to the piano in the same way grand piano damper trays are commonly mounted, and is held in place by several springs  32  such as are commonly used to hold grand piano damper trays. 
         [0019]    Damper guide rail  21  is fixed to the interior of the instrument via 2 to 5 brackets  68 , and comprises a plurality of regulating screws  22  which pass through damper springs  23  and bushed holes  27  in each damper lever  10  to screw into damper guide rail  21 . Damper guide rail  21  also comprises an ordinary sostenuto engagement rail  24 , and a strip of damper guide felt  25  where lift regulating screws  20  will make contact. 
         [0020]    This invention can easily be made using standard milling and molding equipment currently in use in factories. It can be made out of wood, metal, or composite materials. The structural components of the current embodiment were cut and shaped from wood, metal, leather, and other materials readily available from piano supply houses. The hammer flange rail  8 , and damper flange rail  29  were made from Aluminum. The hammer stop rail  3 , damper guide rail  21 , and letoff rail  38  were made from maple timber. Anyone familiar with piano building, wishing to reproduce this action need only scale the drawing so that the action measures 16⅜″ tall from the bottom of rear corner of key  61  to the highest point on hammer  2 . Drawing was taken from the actual blueprint from which the prototype was built. 
         [0021]    The invention functions as a pianist applies downward force to key  61  at front portion  60 , key  61  transferring upward force to wippen  64  which transfers upward force to knuckle  36  which transfers upward force through sticker  26  to butt  11  which rotates to apply forward force to hammer  2  through hammer shank  6 . Pulling force is applied to damper lever  10  by butt  11  when it engages damper pickup finger  16  via felted extension  14 . Butt  11  is positioned to engage damper lever  10  as hammer  2  reaches ⅓ to ½ its total traveling distance or the distance between the hammer  2  at rest, and string  1 . (Hammer traveling distance of the current embodiment is 45 mm.) As hammer  2  nears contact with string  1 , jack  45  comes in contact with letoff button  43  thereby rotating, and fully disengaging from knuckle  36  as hammer  2  reaches approximately 1 mm from string  1 . Knuckle channel  48  retains knuckle  36  in proper forward position as jack  45  rotates out from under it. Knuckle  36  rotates in relation to knuckle channel  48  as key  61  pivots on balance punching  69 . Knuckle  36  in channel  48  acts as a joint. 
         [0000]    Strip of leather  37  retains knuckle  1  in correct side to side position in knuckle channel  48 . 
         [0022]    As hammer  2  reaches approximately 3 mm from string  1 , hammer drop wire  42  contacts the felt  49  on the underside of letoff rail  38 , preventing repetition lever  39  from further upward motion. At the same time, jack  45  begins to rotate, moving in relation to repetition lever  39  the same manner as a traditional grand piano jack and repetition lever. As the pianist continues to apply downward force, key  61  moves downward at the front  60  until stopping on front rail punching  62 , which occurs immediately after jack  45  disengages from knuckle  36 . 
         [0023]    After jack  45  has disengaged from knuckle  36 , hammer  2  continues on under its own momentum to contact string  1 . Hammer  2  compresses slightly, then simultaneously repels string  1  into motion and repels itself backward. As hammer  2  moves away from string  1 , (key  61  being fully depressed), check block  33  drops, being pushed downward by knuckle  36  via repetition lever  39 , and is arrested by back catcher  34 . As repetition lever  39  is arrested by back catcher  34  via check block  33 , hammer  2  and damper lever  10  are also arrested, and remain stationary, with string  1  vibrating freely until key  1  is released. At this moment, hammer  2  is arrested at between ¼″-½″ away from string  1 . 
         [0024]    As force from the pianist is released, key  61  immediately moves upward at the front, its movement being initiated by spring force from catcher wire  35 , hammer drop wire  42 , and repetition spring  46  pushing against the resistance of damper spring  22 , letoff rail  38 , and the resting mass of hammer  2 . As check block  33  is released, repetition lever  39  begins to move upward, simultaneously moving sticker  26  upward and key  61  upward at the front  60 , thus quickly re-aligning jack  45  under knuckle  36  so that key can cause hammer  2  to strike string  1  again, long before key  61  returns to its rest position. 
         [0025]    The rest position of repetition lever  39  is governed by repetition lever adjustment screw  41 . If key  61  is not immediately re-depressed, key  61  will immediately return to its rest position. As key  61  returns to its rest position, damper spring  22  continues to apply backward force to hammer  2  via damper lever  10  until damper head  4  is resting on string  1  (or resting on damper guide felt  25  if damper flange rail  29  is engaged). As damper lever  10  reaches its rest position, hammer  2  and key  61 , along with all adjoining parts, continue returning to their rest position under their own momentum and weight. 
         [0026]    The keyboard shift feature or Una Chorda is controlled in exactly the same manner as is common in grand pianos, the current invention utilizing the same style of mechanism. When sostenuto rod  24  is engaged, it rotates so that the tangent  70  is vertical, thus holding up any damper levers  10  that were engaged when it was rotated. Sostenuto tabs  18  function in exactly the same fashion as the ones found in ordinary grand pianos. 
         [0027]    Damper flange rail  29  is engaged by lever arm  71 . When damper flange rail  29  is engaged, it rotates forward, causing each lift regulating screw  20  to contact damper guide felt  25 , creating a pivot point, causing every damper head  4 , (when properly adjusted), to simultaneously disengage from every string  1 . When damper flange rail  29  is fully engaged, damper pickup finger  16  is the same distance away from felted extension  14  as when damper flange rail  29  is in its rest position. This is due to the fact that damper lever  10  moves forward slightly before lift regulating screw  20  contacts damper guide felt  25 , and damper pickup finger  16  is positioned slightly above lift regulating screw  20 . Thus it rotates back slightly to its previous position as damper lever  10  reaches its fully engaged position. This relationship allows resistance of touch to remain the same, whether or not dampers are engaged by damper flange rail  29  when key  61  is depressed. 
         [0028]    Adjustment screw  54  is turnable for adjusting the rest position of hammer  2 . Lift regulating screw  22  allows easy adjustment of a plurality of damper levers  10 , (installed side by side), to lift simultaneously when damper flange rail  29  is engaged. 
         [0029]    Damper up stop felt  72  is positioned to limit excess motion when damper lever  10  is engaged rapidly. Regulating screw  22  maintains damper lever  10  side to side alignment, and can be turned to adjust the spring  23  resistance of damper lever  10 . Key frame  52  along with its attached hammer action, can be removed for maintenance by lifting it upward so that guide pins  56  clear the top of grooved blocks  51 , then backing it out of the instrument. Grooved blocks  51  act to guide felted extension  14  up and over the tip  15  of damper pickup finger  16  during key frame  52  installation and removal.