IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTE ACTIONS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES SEMPLE of 7 North Park Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTE ACTIONS" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of pianoforte
" actions."
In constructing the action of a pianoforte according to my Invention, the back
or inner end of each finger key is formed with a horizontal notch or groove into
which is loosely fitted a tail piece formed on the oscillating piece known as the
"butt." The "butts" are carried as usual on a rail, and at the inner end of each
the hammer is inserted. The pianoforte wires are arranged horizontally below
the action, and extend from front to back where the wrest pins or tuning pins are
placed immediately behind the hammers. When the finger keys are depressed in
playing the tail piece of the corresponding "butt is raised and the hammer
which is fixed in the end of the butt is brought down sharply on the wire below
and immediately the finger key is relieved the hammer rises again, the connection
between haminer and key being direct, and the key being balanced and weighted
as usual at the back end to keep up the hammer. A perfect repeating action
"
is obtained, and also a complete check action or preventing of vibration of the
hammer; and what is known as "blocking" or failing to bring back the hammer is
avoided. The hammer is covered with cloth in the usual way and the groove in
the key in which the tail piece fits is bushed with cloth. The dampers which
are formed of the usual soft felt or cloth, are attached to the under side of the
keys near the back end with screw pins or similar devices by which they may be
adjusted to come directly into contact with the wires immediately the finger keys
rise after being struck, a damper being provided for each key.
In pianos in which the wires are stretched vertically at the back of the action
the hammers are fixed in the upper side of the butt instead of in the end, and take
the form of a bell crank instead of a straight lever.
Dated this Third day of January 1884.
BREWER & JENSEN,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES SEMPLE of 7 North Park Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow in the County
of Lanark, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTE ACTIONS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
⋅
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of pianoforte
"actions " and is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings in which Figure 1 is
a sectional side elevation and Figure 2 a plan of a modification of my improved
piano action, and parts of the piano frame, as adapted for use in cases in which the
wires are fixed horizontally in the pianoforte; and Figure 3 is a sectional side
elevation of a modification arranged to act on vertical wires.
In constructing the action of a pianoforte according to my Invention, the back or
inner end of each finger key A is formed with a horizontal switch or groove a into
which is loosely fitted a tail piece b formed on the oscillating piece B known as the
butt." The "butt" B are carried as on a rail C, and at the inner end of each
the hammer D is inserted.
In the modification illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the pianoforte wires W are
arranged horizontally below the action, and extend from front to back where the
wrest pins or turning pins P may be placed immediately behind the hammers D.
When the finger keys A are depressed in front in playing the tail piece b of the
corresponding "butts" B is raised, and the hammers D which is fixed in the end of
the "butt" is brought down sharply on the wire W below, and immediately the
finger key A is relieved the haminer D rises again, the connection between hammer D
and key A being direct, and the key being balanced on the rail A¹ and weighted
as usual at the back end to keep up the hammer as shewn. A perfect repeating
action is obtained, and also a complete check action or preventing of vibration of
the hammer, and what is known as "blocking or failing to bring back the
hammer is avoided. The hammer is covered with cloth or leather in the usual
way, and the groove a in the key A in which the tail piece b fits is bushed with
cloth or leather the dampers E which are formed of the usual soft felt or cloth are
attached to the underside of the keys near the back end with screw pins or similar
devices by means of which they may be adjusted to come directly into contact with
the wires W immediately the finger keys rise after being, struck, a damper E being
provided for each key A.
"
In pianos in which the wires are stretched vertically at the back of the action as
in Figure 3 the hammers D are fixed in the upper side of the butt B as shown
instead of in the end, and the butt and hammer take the form of a bell-crank
instead of a straight lever, the dampers E being in this case attached to butts B.
As means for raising the dampers out of contact with the wires, to give increased
volume of sound or "swell" while playing certain notes, an oscillating bar F is
carried on centre pins on a part of the framing G and is so placed that when
oscillated "As edge presses on the hammers D and raises the dampers E off the
wires W. The bar F is oscillated by a lever L which is placed in the front of the
piano so that it may be acted on by hand or by the knees, and is connected to
the bar by a cord 7 passing round a guide pulley M to a hook on the bar F.
pull on the cord is counteracted by a spring S connected to the bar F and to the
framing G the spring serving to keep the bar F in position out of action.
The

page_text: 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,
First The arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved
pianoforte action herein described described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second: The combination with the piano keys A, of the butts B, hammers D
and the dampers F arranged to act on horizontal or vertical wires, substantially as
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this Nineteenth dor of Tulu 1001