Improvements connected with Pianos.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Pianos.
A communication by HEINRICH Katм, of Kirchheim u/ Teck, in the Empire of
Germany, Pianoforte Manufacturer.
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND M. Inst. M.E., of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, 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 has for its object to automatically expose a number of openings
which facilitate the escape of the sound from the case of the piano immediately
the latter has been opened for playing on. At the same time these openings are so
arranged and their size so calculated that dust cannot easily penetrate the interior
of the piano, moreover, it will be impossible to insert the hand, if, as not infrequently
happens, it should be forgotten to close the lid or flap after playing, so that children
or other unauthorised persons can easily do considerable damage by inserting the
hand in the mechanism. The present invention also provides at the same time a
convenient music rest, a better one than which can hardly be desired.
On the accompanying drawing-
Figure 1 shows this invention as applied to a piano in cross section, and
Figure 2 is a front view.
The front flap A with its movable vertical part a is attached by means of
hinges to the rear flap B in the usual manner, and the latter instead of being
fixed, is made horizontally adjustable in such a way that when flap A is raised
and laid back, it may be pushed back to a certain extent, together with the
rear flap B, under the front frame C, and when in this position it may be pre-
vented from automatically returning from this position to the one when the piano
is closed by means of a catch or support k which is pressed against the rear flap by
means of a spring i, and which closes or snaps to as soon as the rear flap is pushed
sufficiently far backwards.
At each end of the rear flap B there are two bars b, each of which presses on
one end of a lever E pivoted at o, thus turning the lever and pressing the other end
of the same against the front frame C which is hinged at g. The lower side of this
frame is then opened, two springs fassisting to overcome the preponderating weight
of the same; rollers e are also employed to diminish the friction at the ends of the
lever, these rollers bearing against the bars b or the front frame C.
The front frame C when opened has such an inclined position that, together with
a bar a arranged on the underside of the front flap A, it forms an extremely simple
and convenient rest for the music. As the front frame C has its hinge situated
somewhat to one side, the front part c of the frame rises when the latter is opened
and opens the lid D of the piano case G. When the flap A has been opened and
both flaps A and B pushed back, the sound can then escape between A and C and
also at the sides of the front frame and the piano frame, and also at the top from
the lid D; none of these openings are however sufficiently wide to allow of the
band being passed through them to the mechanism.
Further, as the lid D projects over the upper opening and the front frame C
over the lower opening, the dust which, under ordinary circumstances, is mainly
deposited in a vertical direction cannot reach the interior of the piano case.
The strength of the springs f may be such that the pressure exerted by the
front frame and the lid D, as long as the piano is open, exactly suffices to
automatically press forward the flap B and the front flap A after the holder k
Pin d 1

page_text: has been pressed down, the piano being thus again entirely closed by closing the
flap A.
The advantage of this invention is that, apart from the sound orifices opening
automatically on the raising of the front flap, an extremely convenient music rest
is provided and the penetration of dust into or interference with the interior
of the piano is prevented. The cottage piano is thus made more to resemble
a grand piano because the tone can better reach the player as in the case of grand
pianos, whilst otherwise the sound is too much shut in in cottage pianos.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
A piano so arranged that, on the opening of the front flap A, the latter together
with its rear flap B may be pushed backwards, whereby the hinged front of the
piano is opened by a lever E and the lid D of the piano case by means of the front,
and these parts are prevented from falling down again automatically by a catch k
engaging the rear flap B, a bar a¹ being arranged on the front flap A forming,
when the piano is opened, a convenient rest for the music, all substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 18th day of August 1803
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.