Improvements in Vertical Pianoforte Actions.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vertical Pianoforte Actions.
I JULIUS BLÜTHNER of Plagwitzerstrasse 2 Leipzig in the Empire of
Germany, Pianoforte Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to the action of a vertical pianoforte and is intended
principally to be employed in small pianofortes or pianettes.
The improvements relate more especially to the dampers, the means for supporting
them and the means for the simultaneous raising of all the dampers by the "forte
or sostenuto pedal.
66
"
The principal feature of the improvement lies in a metallic pivot bar which
supports the pivot holding blocks or pieces of the separate damper levers, the said
bar being arranged below, instead of above the damper levers as has been usual in
vertical pianoforte actions of the type in which the dampers are arranged above the
hammers. This metallic pivot bar is carried by the two end frames of the action
the latter being also of metal having the feet supported on the heads of two
appropriate screws acting as pillar bearings and screwed into the frame of the
pianoforte at suitable places at each end at the back of the key board.
This metallic bar and framing enables the pianoforte action to withstand effects
of tropical climates, transport and rough usage and the position of the said bar
below the damper levers permits of the easy adjustment or replacement of the
said levers or any of them without disturbance of the others or removal of the bar.
The lifting bar which is suitably mechanically connected to the "forte" pedal is
arranged above the damper levers instead of below them. It comprises a cross bar
of metal in the form of a flat plate cushioned or covered with felt above and below.
The connection is made with the damper levers by providing each of the latter
with a hook catching over the edge of the lifting bar. By turning these hooks
backwards the damper levers may be disengaged from the bar which may then be
swung upward upon the arms which support it the said arms being pivoted at or
near the aforesaid pivot bar. The lifting bar may thus be disengaged, after
removing the end pins which limit its usual play of movement, to obtain access to
the damper levers.
The dampers are connected to the levers as follows; each lever has a downwardly
projecting wooden tongue and from the back of the holder which contains the pad
which constitutes the damper projects a metal pin which passes through a hole in
the lower end of the said tongue. The pin passes loosely through the tongue but
is securely fixed in the position given to it therein, by a screw passing laterally
through the tongue the passage way of the screw slightly intersecting the passage
way of the pin at right, augles thereto. The screw is provided with an annular
recess about midway of its length so that when screwed to a certain distance
through the tongue this recess coincides with the passage way of the pin of the
damper. In this position the pin may move freely in its passage way, the pin is
however tightened and gripped by the edge of the annular recess in the screw when
the latter is screwed more or less so as to bring the recess out of exact coincidence
with the passage way of the damper pin.
The same contrivance may be applied in other places where pins have to be held
in wooden blocks or pieces so as to avoid the splitting of the wood which may so
easily occur with the ordinary set screw the end of which bears on the inserted pin.
Dated this 13th day of June 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vertical Planoforte Actions.
I, JULIUS BLÜTHNER, of Plagwitzerstrasse 2, Leipzig, in the Empire of
Germany, Pianoforte Manufacturer, 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 relates to the action of a vertical pianoforte and is intended
principally to be employed in small pianofortes or pianettes.
The improvements relate more especially to the dampers, the means for supporting
them and the means for the simultaneous raising of all the dampers by the "forte
or sostenuto" pedal.
66
The principal feature of the improvements lies in a metallic pivot bar which
supports the pivot holding blocks or pieces of the separate damper levers, the said
bar being arranged below, instead of above the damper levers as has been usual in
vertical pianoforte actions of the type in which the dampers are arranged above the
hammers. This metallic pivot bar is carried by the two end frames of the action
the latter being also of metal having the feet supported on the heads of two
appropriate screws acting as pillar bearings and screwed into the frame of the
pianoforte at suitable places at each end at the back of the key-board. This
metallic bar and framing enables the pianoforte action to withstand effects of
tropical climates, transport and rough usage and the position of the said bar below
the damper levers permits of the easy adjustment or replacement of the said levers
or any of them without disturbance of the others or removal of the bar.
The lifting bar which is suitably mechanically connected to the "forte" pedal is
arranged above the damper levers instead of below them. It comprises a cross bar
of metal in the form of a flat plate cushioned or covered with felt above and below.
The connection is made with the damper levers by providing each of the latter with
a hook catching over the edge of the lifting bar. By turning these hooks back-
wards the damper levers may be disengaged from the bar which may then be swung
upward upon the arms which support it, the said arms being pivoted at or near the
aforesaid pivot bar. The lifting bar may thus be disengaged, after removing the
end pins which limit its usual play of movement, to obtain access to the damper
levers.
The dampers are connected to the levers as follows:
Each lever has a downwardly projecting wooden tongue and from the back of the
holder which contains the pad which constitutes the damper projects a metal pin
which passes through a hole in the lower end of the said tongue. The pin passes
loosely through the tongue but is securely fixed in the position given to it therein,
by a screw passing laterally through the tongue the passage way of the screw
slightly intersecting the passage way of the pin at right angles thereto. The
screw is provided with an annular recess about midway of its length so that when
screwed to a certain distance through the tongue this recess coincides with the
passage way of the pin of the damper. In this position the pin may move freely in
its passage way, the pin is however tightened and gripped by the edge of the
annular recess in the screw when the latter is screwed more or less so as to bring.
the recess out of exact coincidence with the passage way of the damper pin.
The same contrivance may be applied in other places where pins have to be held
in wooden blocks or pieces so as to avoid the splitting of the wood which may so
easily occur with the ordinary set screw the end of which bears on the inserted
pins.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a cross section of the action.
Fig. 2 a plan view of so much of the action as is necessary to explain the con-
struction before referred to. Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof.
Fig. 4 is a section showing the damper raised.
Fig. 5 is a section on a larger scale showing the damper in contact with the
string,
Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the lifting bar raised and swung backward.
Figs. 7 and 9-are sections illustrating the method of fixing the damper carrying
pin in the tongue of the lever.
Figs. 8 and 10 are similar views illustrating the same method of fixing as applied.
to the limiting pins of the lifting bar.
Fig. 11 is a section illustrating for the sake of contrast the known construction
for which the improved construction is more particularly intended to be
substituted.
A represents one of a series of levers each of which carries a downwardly
projecting tongue m in a cross hole in which the pin carrying the damper k is.
fixed by the screw n. In place of pivoting the lever A from above as at a in
Fig. 11, this lever is pivoted at q upon or between lugs or blocks below the lever
and carried upon a cross bar B below the lever, the said bar being carried by the
frames D D. F is the lifting bar which is placed above the levers A being shaped
for engagement of hooks such as g fastened in each lever A and projecting over the
lifting bar F which is padded on both faces with felt as at h. The lifting bar is.
carried by arms i pivoted in the same axial line as the pivots g of the levers A and
in its normal position it rests upon supports, parts of the frames D, its lifting
movement away from the said supports being limited by pins F1 screwed into the
supports aforesaid. These pins pass through holes in the ends of the lifting bar or
elsewhere throughout their length where ever intermediate frames D, if any, are
placed. On removal of the pins F1, the lifting bar F may be swung back into the
position shown in Fig. 6, the hooks y having also been previously turned as in this.
figure.
.
l
The screws used for fixing the pins or F1 or any like pins are more particularly
shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10. The cylindrical cavities (whether screw threaded or
otherwise) for receiving respectively the fixing screw and the pin to be fixed pass
each other tangentially but with a slight amount of intersection and this intersection.
is represented in the screw n by an annular recess o. When the central circular
line of this recess is in the plane of the axis of the cylindrical cavity for the pin to
be fixed, the latter pin is free to be adjusted; a slight turn of the screw n in either
direction will suffice to nip the pin and secure it in its position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is;
In a vertical pianoforte action ;-
-
1) The combination with the damper carrying levers A of lags or blocks b
supporting the pivots thereof from below and a cross bar under said levers carrying
said lugs or blocks substantially as described.
2) The combination of a series of damper levers A with a lifting bar F above
the said levers and a series of hooks g for connecting said levers and bar substan-
tially as described.
3) The combination of a series of damper levers A, a cross bar B carrying pivot
blocks for said levers and situated under the latter, a lifting bar F above said
levers and connected thereto by detachable hooks 9, and arms i supporting said
lifting bar and pivoted in the axial line of the pivots of the damper levers for the
purpose set forth.
4) The method of securing the damper pins, the lifting bar limiting pins and

page_text: other pins passing into or through wooden or other blocks, by means of screws with
annular recesses inserted in reference to the cavity occupied by the pin substan-
tially in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
Dated this 11th day of March 1893.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.