IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Harrington at the Office of the
.Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1877. A communication from
abroad by Charles Edward Rogers, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, in
the United States of America.
.
JOHN HARRINGTON, of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight.
FORTES."
88
IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
A communication from abroad by Charles Edward Rogers, of Boston, in
the State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America.
D
The Invention relates, firstly, to improvements in the mode of mounting the
strings of a pianoforte, whereby facility is afforded for tuning the same, and all
possibility of the strings running back prevented. For this purpose one end of
each wire is passed through a hole in the hub or boss of a separate worm wheel,
and then wound thereon, and so arranged that the strain of each string draws the
corresponding worm wheel down upon a hardened steel screw or worm in such, a
manner as to keep the gearing of the worm and worm wheel always in good con-
dition, and making it stronger with the strain-upon-it.
-
The worm wheels and screws, or worms for each note, are mounted in a metal
frame, which is simply hooked on to the top of an iron frame, on which the wires
are stretched, and can be easily detached.. By these means the strings are held
firmly in position, and are not liable to get out of tune by heavy playing, or by
any change of temperature. By turning the worm or screw the piano can be tuned
much more easily than by the means hitherto in use. The iron frame is so braced
as to meet the strain of the wires, and also the diagonal strain of the bass strings.
The frame and braces are all one solid casting, and do not require wood timbers at
the back for support, which timbers can meet the strain in one direction only. By
this part of the Invention the use of the wood pin block ordinarily employed is
entirely dispensed with.
The Invention relates, secondly, to improvements in the actions of upright piano-
fortes. According to this part of the Invention the action for each key is all
combined in one metal "flange." These "flanges" are all fastened to a single iron
action rail by means of one bolt or screw to each "flange." Each "flange" is
easy of access, and can be taken out, and every part of the action can be adjusted
Price 2d71

page_text: without removing the action frame from the case. The action rail is fixed on swinging
brackets, so arranged that the action frame can be swung forwards so as to allow
access to the wires.
The parts of the action are arranged as follows:-To the outer end of each
flange" is pin-jointed a lever piece, which extends under the "flange" forwards
in a downwardly inclined direction, and is acted upon at its lower end (which is
suitably padded with cloth) by a sticker or jack set in motion by the key; a wire
from the sticker or jack passes through a projecting portion of the cloth on the end
of the said lever piece to guide the sticker or jack.
"C
The escapement lever which acts on the hammer butt, and thereby gives motion
to the hammer, is pin-jointed to the first-mentioned lever piece, and is provided
with a tail piece which, on the key being depressed, comes into contact with a
button fixed on a pin screwed through the flange." The upper end of the
escapement lever is connected to the hammer butt by a piece of cloth, and a spring
acts upon the escapement lever to return it to its normal position, with its nose
under the hammer butt on the liberation or rising of the key. By these means the
escapement is ensured, a freedom of repetition is obtained, and blocking is entirely
prevented. A screwed pin passing through the hammer butt, and provided with a
button at its lower end, is employed to act in combination with the lever piece so
as to obtain a secure check close to the string. The damper butt is pin-jointed to the
flange," and a screwed pin passing through such butt, and provided with a button
at its lower end, is acted upon by a projection on the lever piece to remove the
damper from the string, whilst a spring connected to the damper butt and to the
lever piece acts to return both of the latter to their normal position, another spring
on the damper butt acts against the hammer butt to return the latter to its position
of rest.
"
To the action rail are cast or otherwise fixed studs or posts to carry the loud
and soft pedal rails; the former is hinged to the posts or studs, and the latter to
the loud pedal rail, and a spring or springs act to keep the pedal rails bearing on
the pedal rods.
The use of the loud pedal does not make the touch either lighter or heavier, as
in other pianos.
The pedal action is so arranged that the pedal rods, which are of iron, pass
directly to the pedals without the use of the complicated wood levers used in other
pianos. The pedals are set in an iron frame, on which the ends of the pedals rest,
which prevents the settling of the pedal rods, and this frame is screwed to the bottom
of the case and can be easily removed.
The key bottom is braced and fastened to the iron frame by an iron brace, which
prevents it from settling or springing, thereby preventing any change in the dip of
the keys.