IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-ACTIONS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincolns Inn Fields, in the county of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PIANO-ACTIONS a communication to me from abroad by Wilhelm Fischer, of
Leipzig, Saxony, piano-forte manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This invention consists in certain improvements in the action of pianos, which
enable the player to repeat notes with greater rapidity than heretofore, and by
means whereof the action is rendered more simple and durable than those usually
employed.
In the ordinary piano actions the key-lever acts on the hammer-butt or stem by
a jack or hopper, which comes out of engagement with the hammer every time a
note is sounded, and which does not reengage with it before the key-lever has
returned to its position of rest; hence a note cannot be repeated until time has
been allowed for the full rise of the key.
According to the present invention the jack is pivoted, or otherwise flexibly
connected with its upper end to the stem or butt of the hammer, while it rests
with its lower end on the end of the key-lever, means being employed for
preventing the jack from shifting laterally on the said lever. The jack is made of
two parts jointed together and normally maintained in a straight line by a
stationary bar against which a spring draws the jack, or by means of two lugs or
shoulders arranged on the parts of the jack close to their joint, and which abut
against each other when the jack is drawn straight by the spring. Moreover the
lower jack-part is provided on the side towards which it can bend or deflect, with
an arm, and above this arm there is a stop.
When the key of the action thus arranged, is touched, the impulsion imparted
through the medium of the jack to the hammer, will cause the latter to fly towards
the string; but a little before the impact with the string takes place, the arm on
the lower jack-part comes in contact with the stop above it, whereby the jack is
bent in its joint and the power of the spring partly thrown on the hammer. The
hammer then, in consequence of the momentum imparted to it, finishes its course
so as to sound the string, while it at the same time lifts the jack. But the hammer-
stem may also be made somewhat elastic, so that when it encounters resistance

page_text: from the jack, it will bend during the latter part of the motion of the hammer-
head. After percussion has taken place, the hammer is speedily retracted, either
by the pull of the jack-spring or by the rebounding of its stem; but it recedes a
small distance only, so long as the key-lever remains raised at its back end, the
position of the hammer being, under the said condition, determined by the jack in
its bent state resting on the raised key. If thereupon the end of the key-lever is
allowed to descend by so much only as that the arm of the jack will come free of
the stop, the jack will be drawn straight again by its spring, and is then ready
to transmit a renewed motion of the key to the hammer. For repeating a note it
is thus not necessary that the key should, in the interval, return to its position of
rest. In consequence, any note may be repeated by means of this action more
rapidly than otherwise.
If preferred, the jack may be pivoted with its lower end to the key, instead of
being brought in relation thereto in the manner stated above; but this arrange-
ment necessarily requires the hammer-stem to be elastic. Moreover a check for
catching the hammer as it flies back from the string subsequent to its action, may
be fixed to one of the jack-parts.

page_text: I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-ACTIONS," and in
what manner the same is to be performed, a communication to me from abroad by
Wilhelm Fischer, of Leipsic, Saxony, piano manufacturer, to be particularly
described in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in improvements in piano-actions, which enable the
player to repeat notes with greater rapidity than has heretofore been possible, and
by means whereof the action is rendered more simple and durable than those
usually employed.
In the ordinary piano-actions the key-lever acts on the stem or butt of the
hammer by a jack or hopper which comes out of engagement with the hammer
every time a note is sounded, and which does not reengage with it before the
key-lever has returned to its position of rest; hence a note cannot be repeated
until time has been allowed for the full rise of the key.
On the annexed one sheet of drawings are represented two different piano-
actions involving my improvement. Fig: 1 is an action for pianos with horizontal
strings, the parts being shown in their position of rest. Fig: 2 represents the
same action with the parts in two other positions, and Fig: 3 a modification of a
portion thereof. Fig: 4 is an action for an upright piano.
In all the figures b is the hammer, c the key-lever, and k the string.
From the key-lever c motion is imparted to the hammer b by means of a jack or
hopper made of two parts, a and a¹, jointed together at a³, and the upper one
whereof, a, is pivoted or otherwise flexible connected to the stem of the hammer,
while the lower one, a rests on the key-lever, means being employed for preventing
the jack from shifting laterally on the said lever. Preferably the part a is loosely
inserted with its foot, having a piece of felt d attached to it, into a hole drilled
into the key-lever, and at the bottom of this hole there may be an adjusting
screw C. The two jack-parts are normally maintained in a straight line by means
of a spring i and a stationary bar h, provided with a smooth and soft facing, the
spring drawing the parts against the bar. Instead of using this bar, lugs or
shoulders m, such as are shown in Fig: 4 and one of which is also fitted with a
facing of soft material, may be arranged on the two jack-parts close to their joint;
the said lugs or shoulders abutting against each other when the jack is drawn
straight by the spring. On the side towards which the jack can bend or deflect,
its part a is provided with an arm a³, and at a certain distance above this arm
there is a stop g having a piece of felt or leather attached to it.
When the key of the action thus arranged, is touched, the impulsion imparted
through the medium of the jack, in its straight state, to the hammer, will cause
the latter to fly towards the string; but before the impact of the hammer against
the string takes place, the arm a² on the lower jack-part comes in contact with the
stop g; see Fig: 2. The jack is thereby bent in its joint a³, which moves in a
lateral direction, so that the impulsion of the jack upon the hammer ceases.
hammer, however, in consequence of the momentum imparted to it, flies onward
and finishes its course, so as to sound the string, the jack not offering any
The
ر

page_text: :
opposition to this motion, as the connection between the part a and the key-lever is
sufficiently loose to allow the hammer, in pulling through the part a¹ on the part a,
to raise the latter by as much as may be required. If preferred, the stem of the
hammer may also be made elastic to such a degree that if it incounters resistance
from the jack, it will bend during the latter part of the motion of the hammer-
head. After percusion has taken place, the hammer rebounds from the string;
but it recedes a small distance only so long as the key-lever remains raised at its
back end, the position of the hammer being under the said condition determined
by the jack in its bent state, provided always that the spring i bo of sufficient
strength to prevent the hammer, in rebounding, from bending the jack beyond the
proper limit. Preferably, however, a felt cushion o is attached to the bar f and
arranged to keep the jack part a from being deflected too far, and a hammer-
check is with advantage provided, which catches the hammer as it rebounds. If,
while the hammer and the jack are in the position stated, the end of the key-lever
is allowed to descend by so much only as that the arm a³ of the jack will become
free of the stop g, the jack will be drawn straight again by the spring i, and is
then ready to transmit a renewed motion of the key to the hammer. This position
of the hammer and the key is shown in dotted lines in Fig: 2. For repeating a
note it is thus not necessary that the key should, in the interval, return to its
position of rest. In consequence, any note may be repeated by means of this
action more rapidly than otherwise.
As shown by Fig: 3 the jack may be pivoted at its lower end to the key,
instead of being brought in relation thereto in the manner stated above; but this
arrangement necessarily requires the hammer-stem to be elastic. n is a piece
screwed to the key-lever and provided with a regulating screw for adjusting the 2
jack.
8
In the action for an upright piano shown by Fig: 4, the jointed jack acts on the
foot w of the hammer-stem, and the hammer when flying back from the string, is
caught by a check s attached to the jack-part a and so arranged that the end of the
hammer-foot w will come in contact with it at the proper moment. In all other 3
respects the jack, its arm a², the spring i, and the stop g are alike to the
corresponding parts of the action described above and operate in like manner.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
1. In a piano-action the combination with the hammer b and key-lever c, of a
jack or hopper consisting of two parts a and a¹ jointed together and connected with
the stem of the hammer and the key-lever as described, the arm a² on the
jack part a, the spring i and the stop g, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The combination in a piano-action of the hammer b, key-lever c, jointed
jack a a', arm a², spring i and stop g the two jack-parts being provided with the
lugs or shoulders m, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3
4
3. The combination in a piano-action of the hammer b, key-lever c, jointed
jack a a¹, arm a³, spring i and stop g, the lower jack-part a carrying a hammer- 4
check 8, as hereinbefore set forth.