Improvements relating to Cottage Pianos.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
Improvements relating to Cottage Pianos.
I, HEINRICH KAIM of Kirchheim-under-Teck, Wurtemburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Piano 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:-
This invention relates to cottage pianos and consists essentially in the peculiar
arrangement of the check and repeating actions and of the damper levers, and of
the spring tie as will be hereinafter set forth.
Instead of fixing the check fast on the hammer butt as hitherto, I suspend it
from an arm or projection on the hammer butt and the retaining of the hammer is
effected by this pendent check being pressed against an adjustable stop. The
friction produced by the pressure against the stop is only very small.
The
repeating mechanism, corresponding to the above is worked by means of a swinging
action as in the case of the check just referred to. This swinging repetition piece
may be either arranged movably on the arm or projection of the hammer butt or
on the check. To return the hammer to its position of rest the spring tie may be
affixed to the end of the swinging check and hooked into a silk loop fastened on the
sticker lever.
The lifting of the dampers is effected by means of a rectangularly bent wire
affixed to the sticker guide, which wire engages the damper lever arm and lifts the
damper. The collective lifting of the dampers is effected by means of a universal
bail mounted on a common-axis with the dainper levers as will be further described
hereinafter.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are transverse vertical sections through the rails. The dotted
lines show the position of the mechanism when a hammer has just struck a wire,
that is to say, after the escape of the hopper. On the hammer butt A is fastened
a projection or arm a on the free or front end of which is pivoted a hanging check B.
Between this check B and the hammer butt A is a second freely suspended piece H
(the repeating piece) which is pivoted to the arm a of the hammer butt. A rail R
is mounted in front of the checks B and this rail is provided with a series of
adjustable screws p which carry adjustable stops P for the checks B. The
regulation of the checks B is effected preferably in octaves, that is to say, the
stops P are formed in lengths corresponding each to an octave, whilst the rails R
are continuous. If the hammer A' be lifted by means of the hopper C, lever D
and sticker E by depressing a key G, the hopper escapes through its heel c¹
striking a stop, and then presses with its button c (which is arranged at the front
of its upper end) against the suspended repeating piece H. This repeating piece
is connected by means of a spring with the check B and transmits to the latter
the pressure received from the hopper, whereby the check B is pressed against the
adjustable stop P and is consequently retained together with the hammer A' in the
position shown in dotted lines irrespective of the strength of the pressure on
the keys. In order to return the hammer to its position of rest, a new spring
tie is attached to the end of the check B, said tie having the end of its spring wire b
hooked to receive a silk loop d, which, latter is secured to the movable end of the
lever D. By this arrangement the wire spring or tie on the hammer butt,
together with its connections which have hitherto been_generally used, are
dispensed with. Further, by use of the repeating piece H with the spring h,

page_text: whereby the hopper C is constantly pressed against the batt of the hammer, the-
spring g on the hopper C and ontlever D becomes unnecessary.
When the above inechanism is employed without repetition action, that is to say,
when the repeating piece H is omitted, the projection or arm a on the butt of the
hammer, and from which the check B hangs, is made shorter, with the object of
allowing the yielding hopper C to rest with its button c directly on the check B
and to press this check against the stop P. The spring g, for returning the
hopper C again under the hammer butt A cannot in this case he dispensed with.
The dampers in the above described mechanism are raised in the following
manner-
The damper levers J are considerably lengthened at their lower ends by means
of wires i, so that the dampers i may be easily lifted from the strings S. The
lifting is effected by means of rectangularly bent wires M, carried by the sticker
guides F, and having buttons m adapted to press against the spoon-shaped ends of
the wires. The collective lifting of the dampers is effected by means of a
universal bail formed of a continuous bar k carried by hanging arms K which are
pivoted on the axis o of the damper levers J, so that in lifting there can be no
frictional slip between the felt covering k¹ of the bark and the wires ¹ of the
levers J. The wires ¹ under the action of the universal bail k, or of one or more
of the damper lifting wires M, are pressed against an adjustable rule L which is
attached to the rail L' on which the sticker guides F are pivoted. The lifting
of the dampers can be regulated by bending to the required extent the damper-
lifting wires M. The hammer rail N, which also carries the levers D and hoppers C
is made in one piece as usual.
The mechanism shown in Figure 2 has no repetition action but has a loose
hanging check B', which however in this case is somewhat shortened. The
adjustable stop P for the check B' is arranged between the check B and the
hammer butt A. The retaining of the checks B' is effected by means of an
ordinary check V on a wire e fastened in the usual manner to the lever D. The
hopper C is returned under the hammer but in the ordinary manner by means of
the spring and the dampers are lifted as in the case of Figure 1.
The mechanism shown in Figure 3 differs from that shown in the two other
figures, in that the lever D is connected at its front end to a rail R' which latter
also carries the screws p of the adjustable check stops P, the hanging checks B²
being applied in a similar manner as in Figure 2, that is, mounted to hang loosely
on the projections or arms a of the hammer butts A. The repeating piece H₁' is
however mounted to hang loosely from the check Vinstead of being mounted on
the arm a of the hammer butt A. and is limited in its lateral movement by means
of a stirrup v¹. A spring his arranged between the check Vand the repeating
piece H' which hangs from the check, so that the pressure of the repeating piece
on the hanging check B2 is elastic, as in Figure 1. The lateral movement of the
hopper C is limited by means of a wire stirrup a² which is secured on the hammer
butt A, and said stirrup being engaged by the check V₁ also serves to return the
hammer to its position of rest, so that the wire and tie which has hitherto been
necessary, is replaced in a better and more permanent way. The hopper C is
returned again under the hammer butt as usual by means of the spring acting
on the heel c' of the hopper. The position of the various parts of the mechanism
after a stroke of the hammer is shown in dotted lines. In this instance, too, the
dampers are lifted in the same manner as in the case of Figures 1 and 2.
The advantages which I obtain by my invention are as follows:-
The dampers are lightly lifted.
The fixing and removal of the separate pieces of the mechanism, and especially
their regulation, is considerably simplified whilst all of the parts are readily
accessible.
The hammers are securely held by the loosely hanging checks notwithstanding
any excess of pressure on the keys.
The course of the hanging checks can be precisely regulated.

page_text: An excellent repetition by means of the repetition pieces hanging loosely on.
the arm of the hammer butt or on the ordinary check, so that, whilst the hammer
is held fast, the hopper is allowed on the least abatement of pressure on the keys,.
to return under the hammer butt, and the hammer on the least pressure on the
keys is again actuated. Moreover by the omission of the wire and tie further-
advantages are obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what.
I claim is
1. An action for cottage pianos in which the check usually attached firmly on.
the hammer butt (A) is replaced by a check (B) swinging from an arm (a) on
said hammer butt, said check being retained either (a) directly by means of the-
hopper (C) which yields on the lifting of the hammer butt and presses with.
its button (c) the check against an adjustable stop (P), or (b) by means of a
second check (V or V¹) affixed to the sticker lever (D or D¹) which presses the
check (B) against the adjustable stop (P).
2. In an action of the kind described in Claim 1, a repetition mechanism.
consisting of the arrangement of a repetition piece (H or H¹) to hang movably on an.
arm (a) of the hammer butt (A) or on a fixed check (V), which repetition.
piece after the hammer butt is lifted is pressed either by the hopper (C) or
the fixed check (V¹) against a swinging check (B or B2) and by means of a
spring, inserted either between the repetition piece (H) and the swinging check (B),.
or between the repetition piece (H) and the fixed check (V), presses the swing
check constantly in an elastic manner against a stop (P), whereby on abatement
of the key pressure the hopper returns under the hammer butt (A) before the
hammer (ie. the swinging check B or B2) is set free by the repetition piece.
3. In a cottage piano-action such as described in Claims 1 and 2, an arrange-
ment for lifting the dampers either separately or collectively, in which the-
separate lifting of the downwardly prolonged damper levers (J) is effected by
an angularly bent wire (M) having a button (m) at its end and affixed to the
sticker guide (F), whilst the collective lifting is effected by means of a universal
bail (k), provided with a covering (¹) and mounted to turn on an axis common.
with that (o) of the dampers.
Dated the Eleventh day of July 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.