Improvements in Machines for Covering Pianoforte Hammers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 6th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Covering Pianoforte Hammers.
I, MARTIN KOENIGES of Main Street Dolgeville, in the County of Herkimer,
and State of New York in the United States of America, Architect, do hereby
declare the nature of the said 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 has reference to machines for applying the felt to the mouldings of
pianoforte hammers.
In all the machines or presses of this character heretofore known, the felt turning
After each operation
dies form a fixture of the press frame and are not removable.
of applying the felt to the hammer moulding, the press must retain the felt under
pressure in the dies for a considerable time (at least five hours) to permit the glue
to set, or become dry, and consequently the press cannot be used during this time.
This long interval of time between operations necessitates the employment of a
correspondingly large number of presses.
My invention has for its object to adapt a single machine for use repeatedly
This object I accomplish by
without being obliged to wait for the glue to set.
constructing the machine with a removable moulding clamp and with a removable
felt die, so that after each operation the moulding clamp and felt die together with
the enclosed hammers can be removed and set to one side; the said die being con-
structed to lock when closed against the felt and thus retain the latter under
pressure against the hammer moulding after removal from the machine.
It will be seen that by this construction I require but one machine for operating
the clamps and dies, and a corresponding number of clamps and dies to accomplish
the work of many complete machines of the old construction.
The particular construction of my improvements I will proceed to describe in
connection with the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1. represents a vertical section in the plane x, x, Figure 3. of a machine
embodying my invention.
Figure 2. is a vertical section of the same in the plane y y Figure 3.
Figure 3. is a plan or top view.
Figure 4. is a plan view of the felt die with part broken away; said figure being
drawn to a larger scale than the preceding figures.
Figure 5. is a sectional end elevation of the moulding clamp and felt die in
juxtaposition.
Figure 6 is an end view showing the felt die closed upon the hammer moulding.
Figures 7 and 8 are sectional top views illustrating the devices for locking the
felt die.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 are detail views illustrating the felt die as provided with
adjustable and movable severing devices.
Figure 12 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of apparatus for operating
the moulding clamp and felt die.
Similar letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
views of the drawings.
Referring at present to Figures 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings for a description of
5 the felt die and the moulding clamp, which two constitute the chief features of my
invention, the letter D designates the felt die, constructed to turn the felt over and
to force it under pressure against the hammer moulding H, which latter has been
previously coated with glue or other suitable cement in the usual manner.
This
felt die consists of a central part d, to which are hinged at the movable side
.

page_text: sections or wings d', d¹. The cheeks or bearing faces of the several sections of the
die are made of the proper shape to conform to the desired contours of the
hammers.
C, is the moulding clamp in which the hammer moulding, cut into the usual
sections or handles, is secured either by lateral pressure in the usual manner, or
else as here indicated by end pressure superinduced by a set screw a (Figure 2) at
the end of the clamp.jaw: Said clamp is formed with. a. lock of any suitable con-
struction that will engage and retain the movable, die sections d' when the die is
closed. In this example (Figures 6 to 8), I have shown the same consisting of sets
of barbed catches b, pivotted at: 6' on opposite sides of the upper part of the clamp
and adapted to engage with arms d³ projecting from the respective movable sections
of the die. Suitable springs 6 hold the catches b normally closed, but when the
arms d' engage with the catches, the latter are forced apart to admit the arms and
then closed about the same by the action of the springs b³.
Assuming the parts to be in the position indicated in Figure 5, it will be seen
that if the clamp C is made to descend and bring the hammer moulding H down
upon the felt ff and the die sections. d at the same time caused to turn upwardly,
about their pivots d'; the felt will be laid upon the moulding, and when the sections
are completely closed the arms d³ will be locked by the catches (Figure 6). In
this state the moulding clamp and felt die together with the enclosed hammers
under pressure can be removed from the machine and placed to one side for the
glue to set,, while a new. moulding clamp and felt die can be inserted into the
machine.
I will now proceed to describe a machine adapted for removable moulding clamps
and felt dies, reference being had to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings.
In these figures the letter A designates a frame suitably constructed to support
the operating; parts of the machine; e are vertically placed toothed quadrants
arranged at suitable distances apart and having their upper faces made of the
proper shape to support the felt die D. The quadrants are guided to turn about
centres coincident with the pivots of the die sections d¹ by curved flanges e¹
fitted to ways e formed in the brackets esecured to the frame. The clamp head B,
adapted to be moved toward and from the quadrants e is provided with a longi-
tudinal groove for the reception-of a correspondingly formed projection g on the
top of the moulding clamp, so that the latter can be readily slid into the clamp head.
The clamp head is secured by a series of adjusting bolts to racks E'corresponding
in number to, and placed above the quadrants e; said racks.being guided to move
in vertical ways in a cross piece g¹.
F designates the main shaft. of the machine which is supported' in suitable
bearings at the top of the frame and 'driven by a pulley and belt connection i.i with
a suitable countershaft.(not shown). Since the shaft F is intended to make a com-
plete revolution and then stop, the same is provided with means to cause the belt to
be shifted to the loose pulley on the countershaft after each revolution. Any well
known means may be employed for this purpose, such for instance, as the cam²
connected with the rod of the belt shifting mechanism. The shaft is geared by
bevel wheels with two shafts F1 F1 at opposite sides of the frame,, which latter
are provided with cranks l'connected by rods with rack frames G at opposite
sides of the frame; each of said rack frames being provided with as many racks m
as there are quadrants. The rack' frame is guided in suitable. ways m¹ in the frame
of the machine. The racks are arranged to engage with segments n mounted on
shafts n' and provided" with teeth' n engaging with the quadrants. The motion of
the segments n. is transmitted to the racks E of the clamp,head; by gears o mounted
on shafts o¹ and engaging the said racks, eccentric gears p, having their pivots pl
connected with arms o² projecting, from the gears o and rigidly connected thereto
and gears pengaging the teeth. n³ of segment .n.
In Figure 12 I have shown a differently constructed machine for operating the
moulding clamp and felt dié. In this example the die is closed by the downward'
motion of the clamp head. Referring to the said 'figure; the letters · P'designate
•

page_text: discs mounted eccentrically on shafts. I' and adapted to support the felt die D.
The clamp head B' is reciprocated by a crank shaft F' and rod E'. If now the
clamp head is moved toward the felt die D, the hammer moulding H is brought
into contact with the felt ff' and compresses the same somewhat, since the discs I
are restrained from turning until the requisite pressure is obtained by springs I'
which hold the same against stops I³. When the felt is sufficiently compressed,
tappets C projecting downwardly from the moulding clamp C, engage with the
die and carry it downward between the discs I, which latter turn: about their
shafts and force the die sectious d¹ together. When the die is closed it is locked
as before, and can be removed from the machine together with the moulding, clamp
and enclosed hammers.
It is evident that other machines could be constructed to actuate the moulding
clamp and felt die, consequently I do not wish to restrict myself to the particular
constructions herein described. I would also state here that the; means for
locking the felt: die under pressure need not be automatic or be placed on the
clamp, since it is evident that they could be applied directly to the felt die, or the
felt die could be locked by hand after being closed by the machine; of course by
having an automatic lock, the operation is expedited.
In order to avoid trouble incurred in removing the glue pressed out upon the
hammer moulding, as well as in removing the superfluous felt by hand, I provide
the felt die with knives k applied to the terminal faces of the hinged sections d' of
the same, so that when the die sections close, the knives sever the felt along the
required lines, the latter being so set that they just touch the hammer moulding.
After the hammer moulding has been inserted in the moulding clamp, the same is
inverted and a strip of tin is bent to bring its edges along the required terminal
lines of the felt. The portion of the moulding above this line is then coated with
tallow or other equivalent substance which will prevent the glue that is pressed
out between the felt from binding on the hammer moulding.
As an additional means of insuring the severing of the felt, the knives may have
longitudinal motion imparted thereto at the time that they enter the felt. This
may be accomplished as shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 by securing to the opposite
ends of the clamp C, taper abutments s adapted to be engaged by the bevelled
ends s' of the two knives as the sections of the felt die close.
The knives in this case are secured by suitable studs t extending through slots
in the knives to permit a longitudinal movement, and are retracted after each
movement by springs u. u.
To adjust the knives with respect to the moulding any suitable adjusting devices,
such as the screw rods w and nuts wol may be used, the said adjusting devices being
located at suitable intervals along the die sections and arranged to engage with
slots in the knives.
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 a machine of the character specified, a removable felt die and moulding
clamp, and means for locking the felt die when closed, substantially as described.
2. In a machine of the character specified, a removable felt die and moulding
clamp, and a device on the clamp for locking the felt die, substantially as
described.
3. The removable felt die herein described, having two hinged sections, and a
moulding clamp provided with a locking device arranged to engage the sections of
the felt die when closed, substantially as described.
4. The removable felt die herein described, having a stationary central part,
two sections hinged thereto, and arms projecting from said sections; combined
with the moulding clamp provided with locking devices arranged to engage
with and automatically lock the sections of the felt die when closed, substantially
as described.j

page_text: 5. In a machine of the character specified, a removable felt die and means for
locking the same while under pressure, substantially as described.
6. In a machine of the character specified, a reciprocating clamp head, a
moulding clamp adapted to be inserted into the same, a removable felt die, means
for closing the same upon the felt, and a locking device for locking the die while
under pressure substantially as described.
7. In a machine of the character specified, a felt die provided with hinged
sections and severing devices secured to said sections, substantially as described.
8. In a machine of the character specified a felt die provided with hinged
sections, severing devices secured to said sections and means for moving said
severing devices longitudinally, substantially as described.
9. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with the moulding
clamp and the felt die provided with movable sections, of reciprocating racks and
intermediate gear connections between said racks and the moulding clamp and
felt die for operating the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
HORT HAITAT
BAIRAT.
MARTIN KOENIGES,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.