Improvements in Upright Piano Actions.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
Improvements in Upright Piano Actions.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from Louis Charles Merkel, Piano Maker, of 1303 South
13th Street, and Frederick Clements Mersman, of 1600 Mississippi Avenue, both in
St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, one of the United States of North America,)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The purpose of this invention is to so modify the grand piano action as to
make it applicable to upright pianos, and to accomplish this a number of novel
features have been introduced, which will be set forth in the claims.
Figure I is a side elevation of the action in normal position.
Figure II is a side elevation of the same in position for rapid repetition of
the note.
11.
1 is the inner portion of one of the piano keys. This has the usual fulcrum
support at 2. 3 is a cushion upon which the inner end of the key rests when in.
normal position. At the inner end of the key is an adjusting bracket 4 having
central bearing upon the key and an adjusting screw 5 at each side of the bearing,
by which the bracket is secured to the key. 6 is the lifting rod, whose lower end
is hinged to the bracket and whose upper end bears against a cushion 7 at the
underside of the action supporting lever 8. The lever 8 is fulcrummed to a.
standard 8ª upon a horizontal rail 8° extending across the piano. The lifting rod
has a horizontal projection 9 engaging a cushion 10 at the underside of a block 10
pivotted at 11 to a bracket 12 upon a fixed rail 13 extending across the piano. The
pivotted block has preferably pieces 14 of metal let into it to increase its weight.
The weight of the block causes its descent as soon as relieved from the upward
pressure of the projection 9, which takes place on descent of the inner end of the
key. 20 is a piano string against which the damper rests when in normal position,
see Figure I. The shank or lever 17 of the damper is pivotted to a bracket 18
upon a fixed rail 19 extending across the piano. The lower end 17" of the damper
shank enters a rounded recess 10° of the pivotted block passing through a small
opening at the top of the recess. The construction is. such that when the block 10
is thrown upward by the projection 9, the damper is moved from the string, and
when the block settles back into its normal position, the damper is pressed against
the string. 22 is a spring acting to press the damper against the string as the
block 10, by its gravity, acts upon the damper in the same way as the spring 22;
the latter may be dispensed with if desired.
23 is the jack hinged to the free end of the action supporting lever 8, and
normally bearing against the cushion 24 at the underside of the hammer block or
butt 25 that is hinged to the bracket 18 and carries the hammer 26 on the rod 27.
28 is a rod extending horizontally forward from the hammer block or butt and
carrying a head 29, whose weight tends to carry the hammer away from the string
into its normal position, see Figure I.
Near the fulcrum end of the lever 8 is the check 30 having a cushion 31,
and elevated some distance above the lever 8, so the upward movement of
the lever carries the check forward. 32 is a curved downward extension of
the head, whose inner side comes in contact with the cushion of the check as the
hammer is leaving the string and before the key 1 returns to its normal position, so
as to check the motion of the hammer. The head has a cushion 33 that prevents
noise when the head impinges on the top of the check, which it does as the parts

page_text: reach their normal position. 34 is the repeating lever fulcrummed to a standard 35
upon the lower lever 8. 36 is a forward projection upon the lever 34 carrying a
screw 37, whose lower end has a cushion 38 that impinges upon a projection 39 of
the standard 35 to limit the upward movement of the free end of the lever 34. The
free end of the lever is raised by a V formed spring 40 having central bearing in
the standard 35, and whose ends bear respectively against the lower side of the
lever 34 or of a pin carried thereby and a projection 41 at the front side of the jack.
The spring, in addition to lifting the lever 34, tends to carry the jack into its normal
position beneath the cushion 24 of the hammer butt, see Figure I and broken lines
Figure II. The upper end of the jack passes through an aperture in the lever 34,
and the jack is limited in its oscillation by cushions 42 at the ends of the aperture.
As the lever 8 is thrown upward the cushion or knob 43 upon a projection 44 of the
jack, impinges against a head or cushion 45 at the lower end of a screw 46 aud
throws the upper end of the jack from beneath the cushion 24, so as to allow the
hammer to fall away from the string. The screw 46 works in the rail 19. As long
as the key 1 is fully depressed, tho upper end of the jack is held out of contact
with the cushion 24 but the spring 40 sustains the lever 34, and the cushion 24 rests
upon the lever and this, together with the check 30, prevents the hammer falling
back to its normal position and keeps it in the position shown in Figure II ready
for a rapid repetition of the stroke. As the key 1 rises a little distance, the
lever 8 drops and removes the cushion 43 of the jack from the head 45 of the
screw 46, and the spring 40 carries the upper end of the jack beneath the
cushion 24, when another pressure upon the key causes a quick repetition of
the note, the hammer being in close proximity to the string 20. 47 is a screw
working in the bracket 18, and 48 is a cushion upon the end of the lever 34, which
impinges on the end of the screw as the lever rises and thus forms a limit to its
ascent, the screw 37 limiting the ascent of the free end of the lever 34, (us has
been already said) except when the lever is in its uppermost position.
I will briefly set forth some differences between this device and the piano actions
before known.
The weighted rod or arm 28, 29, dispenses with the bridle strap generally used
heretofore to draw the hammer from the string.
The back check being upon and elevated above the lever 8, gives it the required
backward and forward motion to engage and release the head 29.
The use of a weight to draw the hammer from the string gives a uniform touch
to the keys as the weight is unchangeable, while the springs are liable to vary in
strength.
There is no lost motion between the key and the hammer, as the hammer is
supported by the action in its normal position, instead of by a fixed rail as in some
cases.
There is a ready and efficient device for regulating the movement of the damper.
All the adjusting screws can be reached from the front without the removal of
any of the actions.
Having now particularly describéd 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. The combination, in an upright piano action, of the lover 8 supporting the
jack 23, and the repeater lever 34 of the check 30 standing upon the lever 8, and
a hammer having a weighted arm or rod 28 with head 29 adapted to rest on the
check when in normal position and having a projection 32 adapted to engage
the check when the parts are in the position for repetition of the note, substantially
as set forth.
2. The combination with the lifting rod 6 having a projection 9, of the pivotted
gravitating block 10, and the damper 21 having its lever or shank 17 connected
with the gravitating block, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination, in an upright piano action, of the hammer 26 with arm 28.
1

page_text: having a head 29, the lever 8 with check 30 thereon adapted to arrest the.
downward movement of the hammer, substantially as set forth.
4. The described construction of the levers 8 and 34, the jack 23, the spring 40,
the hammer having weighted arm or rod 28 with head 29, and the check 30 upon the
lever 8, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In an upright piano action, the combination of the lifting rod 6 connected
with the key and having projection 9, the lever 8, check 30, hammer 26 with
shank 27, and arm 28 with head 29, the gravitating pivotted block 10, and the
damper 21 with shank or lever 17 connected with the gravitating block, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1892.
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.