Improvements in Upright-piano Actions.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Upright-piano Actions.
I, GEORGE MORSE GUILD, residing at Number 10 Dartmouth Street, in the
City of Boston, County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention related to upright piano actions, and has for its object to simplify
and reduced the cost of construction, and to produce at the same time a light,
elastic, and powerful action which will not be injuriously affected by climatic
changes, and in which the notes can be repeated in a perfect and effective manner;
and to this end my invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts and
details of construction as hereinafter set forth and specifically claimed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an upright piano action, constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same with the parts in the positions which
they occupy when the key is depressed.
Figure 4 is a detail representing in perspective the jack-butt and hammer-heel,
the bumper, and the upper portion of the lifter-rod and jack.
In the said drawings, A represents the center rail to the upper portion of which
are secured the flanges a, b, the former a, having pivoted thereto the damper
lever B carrying the damper c, while to the latter b, is pivoted at 6 the hammer-
heel C, the lower portion of which is properly shaped and constructed to form the
jack-butt D, (sometimes called the "haminer butt").
E represents the hammer, d the hammer stem, G the hammer rail, and e the
damper spring, all constructed in the usual manner.
term a
H is a rail having secured to its under side a flange f to which is pivoted a lever I
which rests upon and is supported by an adjusting screw 9 projecting upward from
the inner end of the key L fulcrummed at h, the head of the screw g bearing upon
a cushion k applied to the under surface of the lever I. To the lever I is pivoted
at 10 the lower end of an upright rod or bar M, the free end of which forms the
jack, while the opposite end forms the lifter, the entire rod or bar forming what I
"combined lifter-rod and jack," the upper or free end of which lies directly
beneath the jack-butt D, and acts upon the same to operate the hammer when
raised by the depression of the key L through the lever I previously referred to,
an elastic cushion or stop 12 being provided against which the upper end of the
lifter-rod and jack normally rests, as seen in Fig. 2. The adjusting screw enables
the parts to be readily adjusted to compensate for wear, the head of said screw g
being preferably provided with holes to receive the end of a rod or other implement
by which it may be turned to effect the adjustment required.
g
n,
1 is a guide pin and hammer retractor, which projects from the under side of the
hammer-heel or jack-butt D, and is bent at a right angle to extend forward as
shown, said pin passing through a bushed slot n, shown in Fig. 4, formed at the
free end of the lifter-rod and jack. The pin 1, which takes the place of the guide
flange hitherto used, works smoothly and without any friction in the slot and
forms a simple, cheap, and effective guide for steadying and preventing the lifter-
rod and jack from having any lateral movement, whereby it is kept at all times
exactly in line with the jack-butt D as required. A further advantage possessed
by this guide pin is, that after the hammer has struck its blow upon the string and
the key has been released, the weight of the lifter-rod and jack and mechanism

page_text: connected therewith will be brought upon the guide-pin by the contact of the end
of the slot n therewith, and thus transmitted to the hammer-heel, operating positively
in this manner as an assistant device to insure the instant retraction or withdrawal
of the hammer in case the joint should be affected by dampness, and rendering it
necessary to employ only a very light and inexpensive hammer spring, thus
materially reducing the cost of the action, and rendering the touch of the instrument
very light and elastic.
The hammer spring which I prefer to employ in connection with the aforesaid
construction consists of a light spring p composed of straight wire, one end being
preferably secured at 15, to the jack or bar M, while its opposite end bears with
suitable tension against a rest or projection 16 located on one side of the jack-butt
or hammer-heel, and having on its inner side an open slot or notch 8, Fig. 4, to
receive the end of the spring p and keep it in place, said spring sliding in said
slot and by its tension exerting an outward pressure upon the jack-butt or hammer-
heel above the level of its pivot or fulcrum 6 to withdraw or retract the hammer on
the release of the key L.
To the rear end of the lever I, which raises the lifter-rod and jack, is secured the
throw-off arm q which, when the key L is depressed, is caused to act upon the lower
end of an intermediate lever N, pivoted at 17 to a flange r, secured to the bottom of
the rail A, said lever N being thus caused to strike an adjustable button s secured
to the end of a regulating screw t passing through the lifter-rod and jack M, whereby
the upper or free end of said lifter-rod and jack is thrown off its seat w to allow
the hammer to recede from the string, and by means of this screw t the operation
of these parts may be regulated with the greatest nicety; furthermore there is no
friction between the buttons and the lever N, as the button does not slide upon the
straight face of the lever while in contact therewith.
The upper or short arm of the lever N is not normally in contact with the lower
end of the damper lever B, but is slightly removed therefrom, and is brought into
contact therewith to actuate the same as required when operated by the throw-off
army on the depression of the key L; and by making the lower arm of the inter-
mediate actuating lever N of great length, and the upper arm above the pivot short,
as shown, the leverage is increased, so that the key will move the damper with the
greatest ease and without the contact of the short arm of the lever N with the
damper lever B as the key is depressed being felt by the performer in the slightest
degree even if a stiff damper spring is employed, the action being by this construc-
tion rendered easy and elastic. Furthermore by employing the throw-off arm q
projecting from the end of the lever I to actuate the lever N, the necessary amount
or range of motion is secured to move the long arm of the said lever N a sufficient
distance to produce the required movement of the damper lever, and as the front
face of the lever N at 20 is normally situated some little distance from the regulating
button s, it does not come into contact with it until the hammer has nearly touched
the string, and consequently the lifter-rod and jack M remains under the shoulder
or seat w of the jack-butt until after the blow has been struck, when it is instantly
thrown off its seat w into the position shown in Fig. 3, an elastic cushion or buffer a¹
secured to the free end of the lifter-rod and jack being by this movement brought
into contact with the bumper Q to be hereafter described, which thus forms a back-
stop therefor.
By this means the blow of the hammer upon the string is given with its full force
before the lifter-rod and jack commences to be thrown off the shoulder or seat w of
the jack-butt, resulting in the full force of the blow upon the key being always
transmitted to the string.
As the key L is depressed, an increased tension in a backward direction is put
upon the spring p by the movement of the parts into the position shown in Fig. 3,
the spring being thus ready to act in the proper direction to effect the recession of
the hammer at the proper time, and as the lifter-rod and jack commences to fall
on-the release of the key L, the tension of the spring p under the arrangement
described, acting upon the said lifter-rod and jack in an inward direction, causes its

page_text: free or upper end to be instantly returned to its original position beneath the seat w
of the jack-butt, against the stop 12, as seen in Fig. 2, ready for a repetition of the
blow of the hammer.
By this construction I am enabled to reseat the free end of the lifter-rod and
jack beneath the jack-butt the moment the key L is relieved of the pressure of
the finger, the parts being thus ready for another blow when the hammer has
receded but a short distance from the string, which gives me the advantage of
being enabled to repeat rapidly without removing the finger from the key, and at
the same time cause the hammer to give a fine and perfect blow each time it strikes
the string.
P
By arranging the light spring in the manner described to perform the double
function of a hammer spring and a spring for reseating the lifter-rod and jack
beneath the jack-butt, it can be made of very much lighter wire than any hammer
spring hitherto used, thereby giving the instrument a much lighter and more delicate
touch as the full force of the spring is not felt on the key until just before the blow
is struck, the ordinary hammer spring, and hammer-spring rail hitherto necessary,
being by this construction entirely dispensed with, thereby still further reducing
the cost of construction.
P is the back-catch, which is secured to and projects at or nearly at a right angle
from the front side of the intermediate lever N by which the damper lever B is
operated. This back-catch P is provided with an elastic cushion 25 which, when
the lever N is actuated by the throw-off arm 9 on the key being depressed as
described, is brought up firmly and squarely against the lower end of a long
bumper projecting down from the hammer-heel C, serving as it is pressed against
said bumper to hold the hammer from rebounding as soon as it has struck the string
and has fallen back as seen in Fig. 3.
By thus securing the back-catch to the lever N and making the bumber Q of
great length so that its lower end will have an extended range of motion as the
hammer swings on its pivot, the back-catch and bumper will always be at or nearly
at right angles to each other, causing the pressure of the back-catch to be always
exerted upon the bumper endwise or in the direction of its length, holding it firmly
and securely whether the blow of the hammer be a light or a powerful one, and
consequently there will be no tendency of the end of the bumper to slide or slip
down on the back-catch as has heretofore been liable to occur, and which is very
objectionable as it produces a wedging of the back-catch and bumper together and
a consequent choking of the action owing to their failure to separate on the release
of the key. With this construction any extra pressure on the key to produce a
powerful blow of the hammer will only cause the back-catch to be pressed more
firmly against the end of the bumper without any slip in any direction, and as soon
as the key is released, the back-catch and bumper will separate at once, leaving the
parts free to operate as before described, while when the key is being depressed,
the back-catch and bumper are kept at a short distance apart and only come into
contact when the hammer falls back from the string, the bumper being then
instantly caught by the back-catch and held firmly as required until the key is
released, when the weight of the back-catch will assist in returning the lever N to
its normal position as seen in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In an upright-piano action, the combination, with the hammer and hammer-
heel, the latter provided with a rest or projection 16, the jack, and the jack-butt
co-operating with the latter, of the spring p secured at one end to the jack and
having its opposite or free end in contact with the rest or projection 16, said spring
sliding on said rest and exerting an outward pressure against the same, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I pivoted to the

page_text: rail H, the lifter-rod and jack pivoted at its lower end to said lever I and provided
with the regulating button s, the throw-off arm q projecting from the lever I, and
the intermediate lever N arranged between the throw-off arm and the button s,
substantially as set forth.
3. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I pivoted to the
flange of the rail H and actuated by the key L, the lifter-rod and jack M pivoted
to said lever I, and provided with the regulating buttons and slot n, the throw-off
arm secured to the lever 1, the intermediate lever N arranged. between the
throw-off arm and the button s, the jack-butt, hammer-heel and hammer, the
guide-pin 1 projecting through the slot n, and the spring p, the latter connected at
one end with the lifter-rod and jack M, and at the opposite end with the jack-butt
or hammer-heel, all operating substantially as described.
4. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I, the lifter-rod and.
jack M pivoted thereto, the lever N, operated by the lever I, the hammer-heel
having the jack-butt formed thereon, the back-catch P secured to the lever N,
and the bumper Q projecting from the hammer-heel and adapted to be caught
and held by the back-catch as the lever N is actuated, substantially as described.
5. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I, the lifter-rod and
jack M pivoted thereto, the lever N operated by the lever I, the hammer-heel
having the jack-butt formed thereon, a spring connected at one end with said lifter-
rod and jack and at the opposite end with the hammer-heel or jack-butt, the back-
catch P secured to the lever N, and the bumper Q projecting from the hammer-heel
and adapted to be caught and held by the back-catch as the lever N is actuated,
substantially as set forth.
6. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I pivoted to the
flange of the rail H, the lever N operated by the lever 1, the lifter-rod and jack M
pivoted to the lever I and provided with the button s, the hammer-heel having the
jack-butt formed thereon, the spring p, the back-catch P, secured to the lever N,
and the bumper Q projecting from the hammer-heel, all operating substantially as
described.
7. In an upright-piano action, the lifter-rod and jack pivoted to the lever I and
provided with the regulating button s, in combination with the hammer-heel
having the jack-butt formed thereon, the intermediate lever N, the throw-off'
arm 9 projecting from the lever I and adapted to move the lever N into
contact with the button s, and the spring p adapted to seat the lifter-rod and
jack beneath the jack-butt and retract the hammer after the blow, substantially as
set forth.
8. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I, the lifter-rod and
jack pivoted thereto and provided with the regulating buttons and slot n, the
hammer-heel having the jack-butt formed thereon, the intermediate lever N, the
throw-off arm g projecting from the lever I and adapted to move the lever N into
contact with the button s, the spring p connected at one end with the lifter-rod and
jack and at the opposite end with the jack-butt or hammer-heel, and the guide-pin 1
projecting through the slot n formed in the free end of the lifter-rod and jack, sub-
stantially as set forth.
9. In an upright-piano action, the lever I, pivoted to the flange of the rail H, the
lifter-rod and jack pivoted at its lower end to said lever I, the hammer-heel having
the jack-butt formed thereon, the latter provided with the seat w and stop 12, in
combination with the key L provided with the adjusting screw g, the latter adapted
to contact with the underside of the lever I to lift the same, substantially as
described.
10. In an upright-piano action, the combination, with the lever I provided with
the throw-off arm q and pivoted to the rail H, the lifter-rod and jack M pivoted at
its lower end to said lever I, and provided with the regulating buttons, and the
hammer-heel C having the jack-butt D formed thereon, of the lever N, the back-
catch P secured to and projecting from the front side of the lever N, and the
elongated bumper Q projecting down from the hammer-heel and adapted to be

page_text: caught and held without slip by the back-catch as the lever N is actuated, sub-
stantially as set forth.
11. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the damper and damper-lever,
the latter pivoted to the flange a of the rail A, the hammer and hammer-heel, the
latter having the jack-butt formed thereon, the lever I pivoted to the rail H and
having the lower end of the lifter-rod and jack pivoted thereto, and an intermediate
lever N operated by the lever 1 and adapted to actuate the damper-lever on the
depression of the key, substantially as set forth.
12. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the damper and damper-lever,
the latter pivoted to the flange a of the rail A, the intermediate actuating lever N,
the lever I pivoted to the rail H and provided with the throw-off arm q, the latter
adapted to move the lever N to actuate the damper-lever on the depression of the
key, the lifter-rod and jack pivoted to the lever I, and the jack-butt D, substantially
as described.
13. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the rail A, flauge a, hammer E,
hammer-heel C, having the jack-butt D formed thereon, the lifter-rod and jack M
provided at its free end with the slot n, and having the adjustable button 5, the
spring p having one end connected with the hammer-heel or jack-butt, and the other
end with the lifter-rod and jack, the guide-pin 1 projecting from the hammer-heel
and engaging the slot n, the lever I pivoted to the flange of the rail H and having
the lifter-rod and jack pivoted thereto, said lever I being provided with the
throw-off arm 7, the key L provided with the adjusting screw g, the lever N,
the back-catch P secured to the lever N, and the bumper Q projecting from
the hammer-heel, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set
forth.
14. An action for upright-pianos substantially as described, the same consisting
of the rail A, flange a, hammer E, hammer-heel C, having the jack-butt D formed
thereon, the lifter-rod and jack M provided at its free end with the slot n, and
having the adjustable button s, the spring p having one end connected with the
hammer-heel or jack-butt and the other end with the lifter-rod and jack, the guide-
pin 1, projecting from the hammer-heel and engaging the slot n, the lever I pivoted
to the flange of the rail H and having the lifter-rod and jack pivoted thereto, said
lever I being provided with the throw-off' arm q, the key L provided with the
adjusting screw, the lever N, the back-catch P secured to the lever N, the
bumper projecting from the hammer-heel, the damper c, damper-lever B. pivoted
to the flange a and adapted to be actuated by the lever N, and the damper-spring e,
all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.
15. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the lever I pivoted to the
flange of the rail H, the lifter-rod and jack M pivoted at its lower end to said
lever I and provided with the adjustable button s, the hammer-heel having the jack-
butt D formed thereon, the throw-off arm q projecting from the lever I, the lever N,
and the key L, with its adjusting screw g, the latter forming a rest for the lever I,
all operating substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.