Improvements in Vertical Grand Pianos.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vertical Grand Pianos.
We FRIDOLIN SCHIMMEL and SEARICK FOX NELSON both of Faribault,
in the County and State of Minnesota United States of America, Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what mauner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying drawings :-
:-
Our invention relates to pianos and particularly to grand pianos and has for its
primary object the production of a grand piano in its vertical form.
The type of pianos known as "uprights" or "upright grands" have never been
favorably compared with those of the horizontal or grand type proper, the same
being deficient in many qualities which the latter instruments possess.
Two important reasons why these differences exist between upright and grand
pianos are, first, that the base strings of upright pianos are necessarily shorter and
overstrung, and second, that the actual force of gravity is not employed in their
actions as in grand actions and hence the fine regulation and delicate repeating
strokes common in the grand action are entirely lost.
To overcome these objections it is the object of our invention to provide a piano
of the grand type and qualities but in an upright or vertical form. The second
and necessary object is to provide a vertical action in which the hammers will be
returned by gravity and an action adapted to the finest regulation. A further
object is to provide for the free and uninterrupted flow of the sound waves from
the upper part of the piano.
Our invention consists primarily in a vertical grand piano which will occupy
substantially the floor space of the ordinary upright piano, and further in a new
type of action possessing an upright form and the best qualities of a perfect grand
piano all as hereinafter described.
In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this Specification-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vertical grand piano embodying our
invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof on the lines .c-x of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front view of the iron frame, the strings and other parts thereon,
and showing further the interior form of the frame and sounding bar.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the action shown in Figure 2.
Figure 5 shows a preferred modification of the action.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate, in two positions, a further modification of the action.
As shown in Figure 1, the lower part of the piano case, that is from beneath the
fall board, is substantially the same as in ordinary upright pianos. The upper
part of the case is much higher than usual, particularly on the left hand, in order
that longer base strings may be used in the instrument. ine right hand part is
preferably cut down and given the ogee form shown, about two-thirds of the width
of the case being so taken up and the curve ending some distance above the fall-
board, thus preserving a general symmetry of form while giving all necessary room
for the string frame within. The upright back of the instrument is made up of
heavy timbers 2, of which the pin block 3 forms a part. The pin-block with its
tuning pins is preferably placed in the bottom of the piano and is easy of access
beneath the key-board ledge when the lower panel is removed. The sounding
board 5¹ conforms to the general shape of the frame, being secured firmly therein.
The iron frame 6 is of a corresponding form and adds to the strength of the
structure. This frame (see Figure 3) is preferably constructed for a straight

page_text: string or parallel arrangement of the strings 7, thereon, the objections to the
overstrung arrangement being thus avoided. The treble strings and the space
occupied thereby are preferably the same as in other pianos, but the base strings
are limited in length only by the will of the designer. In connection with the
bridges 71 on the sounding-board a particular advantage of our instrument may be
noted, namely, that owing to the great extension of the sounding-board the bridges
do not closely approach the edges or corners thereof but are located within the
fully vibratory parts of the board.
The key-board frame 12 is set into the case in the usual way and the key-board
made up of the keys 13 has the appearance usual in an upright piano. Above the
key-board is the cover or fall-board made up of hinged parts 14, 15, the upper one
pivoted at points 16 at its top and the lower section pivoted at points 17 at its
ends. The edge of the upper part 14 rests above the rear edge of the lower part
and is supported in such position by fingers 18. These extend from the ends of
the part 15, and when the same is raised, the fingers drop with the lower edge of
the part 14 carrying the same below and back of the rising forward part. As the
swinging part 14 is always in position to be engaged by the fingers it will obviously
be raised when the forward fall is lowered.
As shown in Figures 2 and 4 the action is preferably placed below the key-
board and a large unobstructed chamber 10 is thus left before the strings in the
upper part of the instrument.
The action has five horizontal rails extending the full width of the piano and the
several movable parts of the action are secured upon these, the regulating rail, 19,
the sticker rail 20, the action rail 21, the damper rail 22, and the hammer rail 23.
The first four of these rails are firmly secured upon the action brackets 24. The
hammer rail 23 is swung by links 25 from the brackets. Arms 26 on the brackets
serve as stops or rests for the hammer rail. The butt 27 of the depending
Lammer 28 is pivoted upon the rail 21 and of its natural weight the hammer rests
against the rail 23. The upright sticker 29 has its lower end pivoted in the free
end of the hammer butt and its upper end is held by a link or joint 30. A butt 31
is provided on the upper end of the sticker and with this the escaping jack 32
engages. This jack is pivoted on the vertically adjustable litter 33 on the inner
end of the key 13. The lifting jack is secured by a single screw 34 and is rendered
adjustable by a screw 35 extending through the jack to the top of the key. The
escaping jack bas the form of a bell crank and a spring 36 beneath the lower armı
thereof holds the jack against the sticker and the butt 31 until the jack is raised
into engagement with the adjustable stop 37 in the rail 19. This action takes
place immediately after the hammer strikes the string and the haminer is thus
liberated and falls of its own weight. The delicate repeating action is ensured by
regulating the return of the hammer from the string. For this purpose we
employ a jack and regulating sticker 39 having on its upper end an arm 40 co.
fined in the space 41 in the end of the key. The lower end is pivoted on the back
check lever 42 pivoted on the action rail and carrying the back check 43 adapted
to engage a catcher 44 on the hammer butt, the same being normally a short
distance apart. A link 45 holds the sticker 39 at the top. When the two stickers
are raised the back check will follow the hammer and be in position to retard its
return when freed from the escaping jack and will hold the saine long enough for
the escaping jack to return for the next stroke upon the hammer. Such action is
ensured by the employment of the repeating spring 46 secured on the lever 42 and
extending into engagement with the hammer sticker and adapted to lift slightly
thereon to hold the sticker and the hammer momentarily while the back check is
removed and the escaping jack replaced. This spring is really an adjustable
counterbalance and yields gradually thus holding the haminer near the string
ready for a quick repeated stroke.
The lever 47 carries the damper and is pivoted on the damper rail at 51. A
weighted arm 48 extending from this lever is adapted to be engaged by the lifter
or wire book 49 extending downward from the sticker 39. A stop rail 52 limits its

page_text: movement and the slot 50 in the arm permits enough play to avoid the necessity
for fine adjustment. For the sake of simplicity we prefer the modified form of
action shown in Figure 5, wherein similarly numbered parts remain as in Figure 4.
An arm 53 on the upper end of the sticker 39 and carrying an adjustable stop 35
The lever 42¹
to engage the key here takes the place of the lifter jack of Fig. 4.
and the back check 43' are substantially the same as in Fig. 4, but the lever is
mcdified to admit of the application of the more reliable repeating lever 55 pivoted
between lugs 56 thereon and having an end 57 extending through slots in the two
stickers to engage the hammer sticker. This lever 55 has but small movement
with respect to lever 42' and such movement is limited by an adjusting screw 58
and a fixed stop 61, the latter extending from the action rail. The lifting force of
the lever is due to a small spring 59 arranged about a pin 60 in the lever 42' and
pressing upon the repeating lever 55. In Figure 5 the damper lever 62 is pivoted
upon the rail 51 and the extension 63 thereof projects into engagement with the
litting boot 64 on the lower end of the sticker 39. The damper may be lifted
away from the string by a pedal rail 65 engaging a finger 66' on the damper. A
spring 66 not only holds the damper against the string, but also serves to keep the
extension 63 engaged with the lifting boot 64. All points of engagement between
the several parts of the action are carefully muffled by pads as indicated, and such
a complete action is provided opposite each string or sets of strings in the piano.
In this action the
A single sticker action is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.
escaping jack is placed between the back check lever and the hammer butt. The
sticker 70 extends upward from the back check lever 71 carrying the back check 72
and pivoted on the rail 73. The arrangement of the bracket 74 and the movable
rail 75 is common. The damper lever 76 is pivoted on the rail 73 and is adapted
to be operated by an arm 77 on the lever 71. The depending hammer 78 has a
butt 79 pivoted on the action rail and provided with a catcher 80 and the part 81
This jack is pivoted
adapted to be engaged by the lower of the escaping jack 82.
on the underside or lug 83 on the lever 71 and a cushion spring 84 above the short
arm of the jack holds the lower arm against the butt until so far lowered as to be
The movement continued
engaged by the adjustable stop 85 on the hammer rail.
beyond this point carries the hammer against the string and finally disengages the
jack from the hammer to permit the same to fall back against the back check which
When the hammer
in the meantime moved forward close to the catcher thereon.
returns the adjustable stop 86 on the back check will engage the yielding repeating
or counterbalancing spring 87 on the hammer, which spring normally rests against
the stop 88 thereon but in this engaged position has just enough strength to hold
The repeating
the hammer quite near to the string but not against the same.
stroke is gained by the return of the jack while the hammer is so held by the stop
on the back check, as shown in Figure 7, except that the hammer should stand
away from the spring and the back check away from the catcher.
These actions and particularly the first two, permit of the finest regulation for
touch, time and blow, and as the stroke must be made against the natural weight of
the hammer and connected parts, the pressure necessarily increases as the hammer
approaches the string, it is obvious that the action may be forced at any point in
its throw and up to the full power of the player, while on the other hand the
lightest blow on the key will result in perfect action or operation of all parts.
Further the action will respond to the more rapid stroke of an expert player. A
peculiar advantage of our instrument, namely, the full steady tore derived therefrom
is due to the placing of the action in the lower part of the instrument and the
unbroken sound space before the upper part of the strings.
Thus by the aid of the several features of our instrument, an instrument is
produced with which the most delicate effects or those of great brilliancy, power
and volume may be attained and to these we add the particular advantage of an
instrument occupying but a small floor space and hence capable of use where
otherwise a smaller and comparatively unsatisfactory upright piano would take the
place of grand pianos.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is.
1. The general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising
our improved vertical grand piano substantially as described and as illustrated in
the accompanying seven sheets of drawings.
2. In a vertical grand piano arranging the hammers in such a manner that the
stroke effected by depressing the keys of the keyboard is made against the natural
weight of the hammers and connected parts for the purposes and substantially in
the manner hereinbefore described and shown.
3. In a vertical grand piano placing the action in the lower part of the instrument
so as to present an unbroken sound space before the upper part of the strings,
substantially as described and as shown most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings.
4. The improved type of vertical grand piano in which a portion of the case is
raised or extended so as to provide for the introduction of long base strings opposite
to the base of the keyboard, substantially as described and as most clearly apparent
from Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
action for operating and governing the hammers and dampers in vertical grand
pianos substantially as described and as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the
drawings.
6. The general arrangement and combination of modified action for operating
and governing the hammers and dampers of vertical grand pianos substantially as
described and as illustrated by Fig. 5 of the drawings.
7. The modified action described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of November 1894.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.