Abstract:
An escapement action for a piano includes a hammershank having a first end mounted to pivot relative to the piano and a second end carrying a hammer to strike a tensioned string of the piano, with a knuckle disposed therealong between the first and second ends. A repetition support bearing against a key of the piano is mounted to pivot relative to the piano in response to depression of the key. A jack has a first portion extending from a pivot connection with the repetition support and defines a jack surface disposed for engagement with a knuckle surface, the jack arranged for escape of the jack surface from engagement with the knuckle surface during depression of the key. A spring urges the jack toward an &#34;at rest&#34; position with the jack surface in engagement with the knuckle surface. A jack retainer assembly dependent from the hammershank between the second end and the knuckle includes a cushion surface positioned to retain the jack in &#34;at rest&#34; position in opposition to force of the spring.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to pianos. 
     When a pianist presses upon a piano key, the motion of the key is transmitted to a hammer, which in turn strikes against a tensioned string, to produce sound. The traditional assemblage of levers, pivots, springs and pads that translates key motion into hammer motion, allows the hammer to rebound after striking the string, and further allows for rapid repetition of notes is called a double escapement action. 
     FIGS. 1/1A through 3/3A demonstrate operation of a prior art double escapement piano action 100. For the purpose of better understanding, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the following components remain stationary with respect to the piano during a sequence of key depression through hammer strike and return: hammershank flange 134, hammershank flange center pin 136, repetition support center pin 112, key fulcrum 104, key pin 106, drop regulation screw 196, jack let-off button 170 and string 140. 
     Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the prior art piano double escapement action 100 is shown in the &#34;at rest&#34;position. Wooden key 102, approximately 15 inches long, is mounted to pivot on felt-covered, wooden fulcrum 104 and brass pin 106 extending through a vertical slot (not visible in the figures) in key 102. Repetition support 110 is mounted for rotation about metal center pin (a fixed pivot point) 112. Two levers are mounted to rotate independently within the repetition assembly: an L-shaped jack 120 (also known as a &#34;fly&#34;) mounted to rotate about center pin 121, and repetition lever 123 mounted to rotate about center pin 114. Felt hammer 130 is fixedly mounted at the free end of wooden shank 132 (shown also in FIGS. 7 and 7A), and wooden shank 132 is mounted to rotate about center pin 136, held stationary by flange 134. As the hammer 130 is rotated upwardly, it strikes tensioned piano string 140 to create vibration and sound. Affixed to hammershank 132, between hammer 130 and center pin 136, is buckskin covered cylindrical knuckle 150, engaged upon the top end surface 128 of the upper arm 122 of the jack 120. 
     The jack 120 is maintained in the &#34;at rest&#34; position shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A by action of a lower end of return spring 160, which bears against the rear surface 129 of the jack, thus urging it to rotate backward (counter-clockwise in the drawings), about center pin 121, until the felt regulating button 162 (mounted on the upper jack arm 128) is brought into contact with the rigid metal spoon 164 (mounted to repetition support 110). The upper end of return spring 160 biases the forward end of repetition lever 123 to rotate upwardly, about center pin 114, until the pad 166, mounted at the opposite end of repetition lever 123 is brought into contact with the repetition support 110. 
     We refer next to FIGS. 2 and 2A (in which the position of the action 100 in the &#34;at rest&#34; position of FIG. 1A is indicated in dashed line for ease of reference). Upon depression of the key 102 (indicated by arrow 180), repetition support 110 is moved upwardly, to rotate (arrow 182) around center pin 112, thereby actuating the various interengaged elements of the repetition assembly (i.e. repetition support 110, jack 120, repetition lever 123, spring 160, regulating button 162 and spoon 164) and moving the hammer 130 towards striking engagement with the piano string 140. In particular, movement of the jack 120 urges the knuckle 150 upward and to the left (in the drawings), causing the hammershank 132 to rotate about center pin 136, driving the hammer 130, at the free end of the hammershank, upward and to the left, toward the piano string 140 (arrow 184). During movement of the knuckle 150 upward and to the left, the engagement of the knuckle surface with the top end surface 128 of the jack 120 creates excessive friction, which has the recognized consequence of requiring a pianist to apply additional force in order to achieve the desired key depression. In order to minimize this undesirable condition, it has been known to apply lubricant to the opposed top end surface 128 and the surface of knuckle 150, and/or to insert one or more lead counterweights 172 into the front portion of key 102. Approximately midway through full depression of the key 102, the outer end of the lower arm 126 of jack 120 is brought into engagement with stationary let off button 170. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 3A (in which the position of the action 100 in FIG. 2A is indicated in dashed line for reference), as key depression continues (indicated by arrow 180), engagement of the jack lower arm 126 with stationary let off button 170 causes the jack 120 to rotate in a clockwise direction, about pin 121. This rotation causes the top end surface 128 of the upper arm 122 of the jack 120 to move forward (to the right in the drawings, indicated by arrow 190), escaping from beneath the surface of the knuckle 150. Movement of the hammer 130 continues upward with rotation of hammershank 132 about pin 136, with the hammer striking the tensioned piano string 140 and then rebounding downward (arrow 192), to lodge against the opposed surface of back check 194. 
     When the key is released, the elements of the repetition assembly (i.e., repetition support 110, jack 120, repetition lever 123, spring 160, regulating button 162 and spoon 164) return toward the &#34;at rest&#34; position of FIGS. 1 and 1A, by the combined effect of gravity and the force of spring 160 acting through repetition lever 123 against stationary drop regulation screw 196 and knuckle 150. Engagement of hammer 130 with back check 194 holds the hammer in a slightly elevated position, allowing the top end surface 128 of the jack 120 to move quickly, under the urging of spring 160 upon jack 120, back (left in the drawings) to its &#34;at rest&#34; position under knuckle 150, with the regulating button 162 engaged against spoon 164. Upon return of all of the action components to the &#34;at rest&#34; position, a full keystroke is complete. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a double escapement piano action in which key movement rotates a jack/repetition lever assembly upward into a hammer/hammershank/knuckle assembly. This assembly, in turn rotates upward propelling the hammer into a tensioned string. The jack is held in its correct position beneath the knuckle by either a moveable or deformable jack retainer rather than a conventional rigid spoon. The jack retainer permits rotation of the jack within the repetition assembly during an initial portion of the action movement, therefore, the jack is free to follow the arcuate path of the knuckle, prior to escapement, in both the vertical and horizontal directions. This coupling motion reduces friction between the jack top surface and the knuckle lower surface. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, an escapement action for a piano, comprises a hammershank having a first end mounted to pivot relative to the piano and a second end carrying a hammer to strike a tensioned string of the piano, the hammershank comprising a knuckle disposed therealong between the first end and the second end; a repetition support bearing against a key of the piano and mounted to pivot relative to the piano in response to depression of the key; a jack having a first portion extending from a pivot connection with the repetition support and defining a jack surface disposed for engagement with a knuckle surface of the knuckle, the jack arranged for escape of the jack surface from engagement with the knuckle surface during depression of the key; a spring urging the jack toward an &#34;at rest&#34; position with the jack surface in engagement with the knuckle surface; and a jack retainer assembly dependent from the hammershank between the second end and the knuckle, the jack retainer assembly comprising a cushion surface positioned to retain the jack in the &#34;at rest&#34; position in opposition to force of the spring. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a piano escapement action assembly, comprises a hammershank having a first end mounted to a piano for pivoting movement and a second end carrying a hammer to strike a string, the hammershank comprising a knuckle a knuckle disposed therealong between the first end and the second end; a jack having a jack surface in engagement with a knuckle surface in &#34;at rest&#34; position, the jack being arranged relative to the knuckle and to a key of the piano to convey motion of the key to the knuckle, and to disengage the jack surface from the knuckle surface during depression of the key; a spring disposed to urge the jack toward the &#34;at rest&#34; position; and a jack retainer assembly positioned to oppose the spring to retain the jack in &#34;at rest&#34; position, and allowing the jack to rotate relative to the piano in response to depression of the key and prior to disengagement of the jack surface from the knuckle surface to allow the jack surface engaged with the knuckle surface to remain engaged with the knuckle surface during movement of the knuckle. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a piano escapement action, comprises a hammershank having a first end pivotally mounted to a piano and a second end carrying a hammer to strike a string, the hammershank comprising a knuckle a knuckle disposed therealong between the first end and the second end; a jack having a jack surface in engagement with a knuckle surface in &#34;at rest&#34; position, the jack being arranged relative to the knuckle and to a key of the piano to convey motion of the key to the knuckle, and to disengage the jack surface from the knuckle surface during depression of the key; a spring urging the jack toward the &#34;at rest&#34; position; and a jack retainer cushion connected to the hammershank and arranged to contact the jack in the &#34;at rest&#34; position in a manner to oppose the spring and retain the jack in the &#34;at rest&#34; position. 
     Preferred embodiments of these or other aspects of the invention may incorporate one or more of the following additional features. The jack retainer assembly comprises a cushion connected to the hammershank, preferably the retainer cushion is affixed to the hammershank by a rigid or flexible support member. The retainer assembly comprises adjustment means for precise positioning of the cushion relative to the knuckle. The retainer has the form of a raised surface upon the knuckle. The retainer has the form of a compliant member, deformable to allow the jack to rotate with the knuckle. In combination with a jack retainer, the rigid spoon and jack regulating button are adjustable to maintain a predetermined spacing therebetween during initial movement of the action, such spacing being an advantageous feature of the invention because subsequent adjustment can be used to alter the force required to depress a key. The action may further comprise an adjustable regulating member, provided in place of a rigid spoon, moveable between a first position in which the jack is free to rotate with the knuckle and a second position in which the jack is held motionless, relative to the repetition assembly, prior to escapement. The jack return spring force is re-directed toward reducing inertia in the hammershank assembly when the mechanism is in &#34;at rest&#34; position, thereby to facilitate hammer acceleration. The repetition lever is relieved to avoid contact with the jack retainer assembly. A front upper corner of the jack top surface is radiused to improve contact between the jack upper surface and knuckle lower surface. The geometric relationship between repetition lever arc of travel and jack retainer assembly arc of travel are calculated to maximize performance aspects of the invention. 
     Objectives of the invention include to provide an improved piano escapement action with lower friction between jack and knuckle surfaces to reduce unwanted noise commonly associated with these components, and also to allow reduction in size and/or number of lead weights, typically located in the front portion of the key, or to allow relocation of weights toward the center or fulcrum of the key, thereby to reduce the inertia in the key, facilitating greater key acceleration. Other objectives include to provide an improved piano escapement action in which the difference between force required for key depression and lifting force for key return is significantly less than present in prior art actions of similar design. Further objectives of the invention include to provide an improved piano escapement action that will permit easy manufacture of retrofit kit consisting of jack retainer assemblies and relieved repetition levers for installation on most modem piano double escapement actions. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of presently preferred embodiments, and from the claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are side views of a conventional prior art piano escapement action, showing, sequentially, movement of the action upon depression of a piano key; and 
     FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A are enlarged, detail side views, taken partially in section, of the conventional prior art piano escapement action of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with the prior positions of the action indicated in FIGS. 2A and 3A by dashed line, for ease of reference. 
     FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are side views of a piano escapement action of the invention, showing, sequentially, movement of the action upon depression of a piano key; and 
     FIGS. 4A, 5A and 6A are enlarged, detail side views, taken partially in section, of the piano escapement action of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, respectively, with the prior positions of the action indicated in FIGS. 5A and 6A by dashed line, for ease of reference. 
     FIGS. 7 and 7A are side and end views, respectively, of a conventional prior art hammershank. 
     FIGS. 8 and 8A are side and end views of an embodiment of a hammershank of the invention; 
     FIGS. 9 and 9A are side and end views of another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention; 
     FIGS. 10 and 10A are side and bottom views of yet another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention, and FIG. 10B is a side view of a pad support member of the hammershank of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention with a slotted adjustment screw; FIG. 11A is a top view of the flexible support member showing a forked depression; and FIG. 11B is a side view of the slotted adjustment screw; 
     FIGS. 12 and 12A are side and end views of another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention; 
     FIGS. 13 and 13A are side and end views of yet another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention; 
     FIG. 14 is a side view of still another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention; and 
     FIG. 15 is a side view of another embodiment of a hammershank of the invention. 
     FIG. 16 is a side view, taken partially in section, of an embodiment of an escapement action of the invention; 
     FIG. 17 is a similar view of another embodiment of an escapement action of the invention; and 
     FIG. 18 is a similar view of yet another embodiment of an escapement action of the invention. 
     FIG. 19 is a side view, taken partially in section, and FIG. 19A is a top view of a repetition lever for use in a piano escapement action of the invention. 
     FIG. 20 is a side view, taken partially in section, and FIG. 20A is a top view of a conventional prior art repetition lever. 
     FIG. 21 is a detail side view of the top end portion of an improved escapement jack for use in a piano escapement action of the invention. 
     FIG. 22 is a side view of a conventional prior art escapement jack, and FIG. 22A is a detail side view of the top end portion of the conventional prior art escapement jack of FIG. 22. 
     FIG. 23 is a side view, taken partially in section, of another embodiment of a piano escapement action of the invention, while FIG. 23A is a plan view of a cam employed in the embodiment of the piano escapement action of the invention of FIG. 23. 
     FIG. 24 is a side view of a piano escapement action of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An improved piano escapement action 200 of the invention, and its operation, will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which, for purposes of clarity and ease of understanding, elements having structure and function as in the prior art action 100 described above will be identified using the same reference numerals. 
     In the operation of the improved piano escapement action 200 of the invention, the jack 120 is free to follow the arcuate motion of the knuckle 150, with the top end surface 128 of the jack maintaining a rolling point of contact with knuckle 150 until the lower arm 126 of the jack contacts the stationary let off button 170. 
     Referring first to FIGS. 4 and 4A, an improved piano double escapement action 200 of the invention is shown in &#34;at rest&#34; position. As in the operation of a conventional prior art action (described above), when key 102 is depressed by a pianist (indicated by arrow 180), the key pivots on fulcrum 104 and key center pin 106. Movement of the key moves the repetition support 110, which in turn pivotally supports L-shaped jack 120 and repetition lever 202, and the hammer 130 at the end of hammershank 132 is moved to strike string 140 by rotation of the hammershank about pin 136 in stationary flange 134. Knuckle 150 supports the hammershank 132 by engagement upon the top end surface 128 of the upper arm 122 of jack 120. The &#34;at rest&#34; position of jack 120 is maintained by a return spring 160, which acts between jack 120 and the undersurface of repetition lever 202. 
     In the improved piano double escapement action 200 of the invention, a jack retainer assembly 204 consists of a jack retainer cushion 206 positioned below the knuckle 150 by rigid support member 208 extending from hammershank 132. The upper arm 122 of jack 120 is urged against the face surface 210 of jack retainer cushion 206 by action of spring 160 (as indicated by arrow 212). In this position, with the jack 120 held in the &#34;at rest&#34; position engaged upon retainer cushion 206, the regulating button 162 is held in an &#34;at rest&#34; position spaced from engagement with spoon 164. As a result, biasing force of spring 160 is redistributed from urging the regulating button 162 against the spoon 164 towards urging the upper arm 128 of the jack 120 against the retainer cushion 206 (arrow 212) which, in turn, applies a slight lifting force (arrow 214) to hammershank 132 carrying hammer 130. This lifting force, constantly applied to the hammer, reduces the inertia that must be overcome by a pianist applying his or her finger to set the hammer 130 into motion. 
     We refer next to FIGS. 5 and 5A (in which the position of the action 200 in the &#34;at rest&#34; position of FIG. 4A is indicated in dashed line for ease of reference). Upon depression of the key 102 (indicated by arrow 180), the repetition support 110 is moved upwardly, to rotate (arrow 182) the repetition assembly (i.e., repetition support 110, jack 120, spring 160, regulating button 162, spoon 164 and repetition lever 202) about stationary center pin 112, toward string 140. The top end surface 128 of jack 120 presses knuckle 150 upward, to urge the hammershank 132 and hammer 130 upward toward string 140 (arrow 184). In FIGS. 5 and 5A, the lower arm 126 of jack 120 has just come into contact with the let-off button 170. As repetition assembly (i.e., repetition support 110, jack 120, spring 160, regulating button 162, spoon 164 and repetition lever 202) continues to rotate upward from the &#34;at rest&#34; position, the top end surface 128 of jack upper arm 122 follows knuckle 150 upward and to the left (arrow 216), maintaining a rolling point of contact between jack top end surface and knuckle 150. The clearance provided between regulating button 162 and spoon 164 in the &#34;at rest&#34; position leaves the jack upper arm 122 free to move to the left (in the orientation of the drawings) until either the regulating button 162 contacts spoon 164, or jack lower arm 126 contacts let-off button 170, whichever occurs first (depending upon adjustment, as discussed below). 
     Finally, referring to FIGS. 6 and 6A (in which the position of the improved action 200 in FIG. 5A is indicated in dashed line for reference), as key depression continues (indicated by arrow 180), jack lower arm 126 presses against let off button 170, jack 120 is forced to rotate in a clockwise direction, abut pin   21, thereby causing the top end surface 128 of the jack upper arm 122 to escape (arrow 218) from under knuckle 150. The hammershank 132, carrying hammer 130, is then free to rebound (arrow 220), after the hammer strikes the tensioned piano string 140, and to fall against back check 194. 
     When the key 102 is released, the improved piano escapement action 200 of the invention returns to the &#34;at rest&#34; position shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A, with regulating button 162 spaced from spoon 164 and the upper arm 122 of jack 120 urged (arrow 212) against retainer cushion 206 by return spring 160. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 8 through 15, we will now describe preferred embodiments of the invention, in which the jack 120 is held in its &#34;at rest&#34; position by engagement of the jack upper arm 122 against the jack retainer assembly 204, rather than by engagement of the regulating button 162 against spoon 164. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 8A, the jack retainer assembly 204 is shown in its simplest form, with a generally rectangular jack retainer cushion 206 held in place below the knuckle 150 by rigid support member 208 attached directly to hammershank 132. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 9A, a retainer cushion 230 is affixed to adjustable support member 232. An adjustment screw 234 threaded through hammershank 236 has a head engaged with a pad 238 contacting support member 232. Rotation of screw 234 acts to adjust the position of the retainer cushion 230. 
     Referring to FIGS. 10, 10A and 10B, in improved hammershank 240, e.g. for use in the embodiment of the improved piano escapement action 200 of FIGS. 6 and 6A, flexible support member 242 has a rectangular end portion 244 that is secured in rectangular recess 246 defined by hammershank 240 by a fastener 248, e.g. a pin or screw. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 11A, an adjustable support member 250 is machined to include a fork-like depression 252 at the point of adjustment. The fork 252 is positioned within a slot 254 of collared adjustment screw 256, permitting both upward and downward adjustment. In FIG. 11B details of the construction of the adjustment screw 256 are shown. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 12A, a jack retainer cushion 260 is affixed to a relatively more malleable support member 262 formed, e.g., of soft metal, plastic or similar elastically deformable material. The flexible support member 262 is bent to reposition retainer cushion 260 along arc 264, which in turn allows for precise location of jack 120 relative to knuckle 150. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 13 and 13A, a jack retainer cushion 270 is affixed to a wooden button 272. The cushion and button are fitted into a recess 274 within a wooden support member 276 attached to hammershank 278, and held in place by a loop of elastic material 280 that fits within a groove 282 defined in support member 276. The position of cushion assembly 270, 272 can be finely regulated by inserting or removing shims or spacers between button 272 and support member 276. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 14, an extra layer 284, e.g. of buckskin or similar material, is affixed to knuckle 150, with an end face 286 of layer 284 acting as the support member for a jack retainer cushion 288. 
     In the embodiment of FIG. 15, a screw 290 extends through a hammershank 292. A jack retainer cushion 294 is affixed to the portion of screw 290 that extends below knuckle 150. The screw 290 is inserted into the hammershank 292 at an angle, so that raising and lowering the screw 290 adjusts the position of jack retainer cushion 294 relative to knuckle 150. 
     Other embodiments of the invention are within the following claims. For example, the relatively low compliance regulating button 162 and/or rigid spoon 164 of prior art escapement actions may be replaced with higher compliance components to allow jack 120 to follow the arcuate motion of knuckle 150. 
     Also, referring to FIG. 16, a high compliance button 162&#39; compresses against spoon 164&#39; allowing the jack 120 to follow the knuckle 150; in FIG. 17, rigid spoon 164 is replaced with compliant spring member 296; and in FIG. 18, a spring member 298 extends through the repetition lever 300 and engages against the rear surface of knuckle 150, again leaving the jack 120 free to follow knuckle 150. 
     Also, referring to FIGS. 19 and 19A, an improved repetition lever 310 configured for use with the improved hammershank of FIGS. 8 through 15 has a slot dimension 312 that is extended and angled or stepped. This is in comparison to the corresponding slot dimension 314 of a conventional prior art repetition lever 316 (shown in FIGS. 20 and 20A). 
     Referring now to FIG. 21, in a jack 120&#39; for use in the improved action of the invention, the front upper corner of the top end surface 128&#39; portion may have an enlarged radius 320 to allow jack top surface 128&#39; to roll against (where A= repetition support pivot, B=hammershank pivot, r 1  =radius of repetition lever cut out arc, and r 2  =radius of hammershank tab arc) knuckle 150. In contrast, referring to FIGS. 22 and 22A, top surface 128 of conventional jack 120 has a relatively smaller radius only at rear upper corner 322, to ease the return of upper arm 122 under knuckle 150 when the key is released. 
     Referring to FIGS. 23 and 23A, a oval or elliptical cam 800, mounted between rigid supports 801 (only one is shown) on repetition support 110 is rotatable around pivot axis 802 to vary the space between regulating button 162 and the surface of cam 800, thus adjusting the point during the keystroke at which engagement between opposed surfaces of the jack and knuckle is initiated. If the space is larger, jack 120 will travel with knuckle 150, e.g., as described in FIGS. 4/4A through 6/6A. If the space is reduced by rotating cam 800 into position 804 (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 23), the action will function in a more conventional manner. Rotation (arrow 806) of the cam can be affected, e.g. by a pedal, finger lever or similar device connected to cam 800 by a flexible or rigid lever linkage. 
     Similarly, mechanisms for adjusting the location of spoon 164 may include, e.g., a rigid bar that moves (left to right in the orientation of the figures), activated by a flexible or rigid lever linkage. 
     Finally, referring to FIG. 24, where the repetition support lever has a first predetermined arc of travel, r 1 , about a first center point 112 and the jack retainer assembly has a second predetermined arc of travel, r 2 , about a second center point 136, the first and second predetermined arcs of travel are calculated relative to the length of a line, AB, between the first and second center points according to the equation: 
     
         r.sub.1 +r.sub.2 &lt;AB 
    
     to avoid interference engagement and to maximize performance aspects of the improved action.