Year: 1899

page_text: I, THOMAS CHRISTOPHER Lewis, of 10, Stockwell Park Walk, Stockwell, London,
S.W., Organ Builder and Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:.
My invention relates to pianofortes, and applies both to those which are
styled "grands," and "uprights," and consists of an improved action, which in
a simple combination provides a good touch, and a quick repitition, and a
mechanism easily regulated.
In order to accomplish this I construct the hammer-butt with a prolongment
or tail, arranged in such a way as to cause the repeat at the proper time, and to
dispense with any other check than is provided by this tail to the hammer-butt
acting in combination with the sticker or jack, and its associated mechanism,
I also construct the lever, which is acted on by the key, with an added shoulder-
piece or block to form a rest for the jack, and against which the jack is held by
a small spring until the setoff button acts, and as the restpiece is baized there is
no noise on the return of the jack, this restpiece on the lever is used in the
action for the "grands."
The action for the "uprights" I construct on the same simple method, the
hammer-butt having a like prolongment or tail, acting as a check, no other
check being needed. By the methods in general use for "uprights," the set off
button has been arranged so as to cause the tip of the jack or sticker to come
forward after it has thrown up the hammer by striking on the butt or pushing
it upward. My improved action is constructed to reverse this, and acts to throw
the sticker's tip, or jack's tip, inwards under the hammer-butt, a recess being
provided to receive it, there is also a restpiece provided on an upper rail, the
method by which I accomplish this inward throw is by causing the lifting lever,
that is in contact with the pianoforte key, to carry the setoff button and to act
by pressing under the sticker arm or jack arm, tilting it up at the proper instant
for repitition, so that the striking tip or point falls inward into the recess,
instead of coming outward as in the ordinary way, and by my improved action a
very sensitive repitition is obtained. particular advantage in the relation of
the setoff button to the jack or sticker arm is that on account of the difference
of the length in the centering of the button pin from that of the centering of
the sticker or jack on the lever, the longer leverage at the button end causes
the button to travel quicker to meet the arm, and thus the two work together
without friction.
In consequence of the selfsustaining provisions of my improved action, any key
or keys can at any time be readily taken out without fear of causing the least
derangement in the action, which is a point of great practical advantage, since
in the "uprights" there are no attachments, and in the "grands" no projecting
checkwires, thus every key remains perfectly free, both in "grands" and in
uprights."
66
The fewness of the parts, and the simplicity of the movements, enable my

page_text: improved actions to be made at a cost much less than that of any other in the
market, and since the regulating needs are reduced to attention to one screw,
and one button, the saving of time to tuner and regulator, is a consideration
which is of very real importance to the trade.
T
f Hauch 1900
Improvements in Pianofortes.
I, THOMAS CHRISTOPHER LEWIS, of 10, Stockwell Park Walk, Stockwell, London,
S.W., Organ Builder and Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in pianofortes and is applicable both
to horizontal pianos, ordinarily known as "grands," and to vertical pianos,
ordinarily known as "uprights," and consists in an improved action, which, in
a very simple and most easily regulated arrangement, in which the hammer and
the jack or sticker, are adapted to directly coact as an effective check, ensures
a most sensitive finger touch and power of rapid repetition entirely avoiding
any liability of the hammer blocking the string, and, among other advantages,
dispenses with any separate check wires or other additional check details
customarily employed in existing actions, considerably reduces the number of
parts composing the action as compared with the most perfect existing actions,
avoids the present tedious and laborious process of regulating the same, and
materially reduces the cost of manufacture, and, moreover, obtains the very
considerable practical advantage of enabling the keys to be removed without
any derangement of the adjustment of the action.
To this end, the invention consists in an improved action characterized by
the formation of the hammer-butt with a prolongation or tail adapted to meet
and co-act directly with the jack or sticker as an effective check, upon the
jack (on having advanced the hammer until it is just upon the point of striking
the pianoforte string) being thrown by the set-off button from off the hammer-
butt part on which it acted in advancing the hammer, the advancing jack being
then met by the oppositely advancing hammer-butt tail and forming therewith
an effective and complete check, preventing any recoil or second stroke of the
hammer or blocking of the string, and arresting the parts in position to allow,
upon the slightest release and re-depression of the key, of the jack effecting a
repeat action of the hammer, and so ensuring the utmost delicacy of finger
touch and a perfect repeat action while avoiding all customary additional check
details; and also, as regards upright actions, characterized, conjunctively with
the aforesaid arrangement, by the set-off button being applied to a prolongation
of the jack carrying lever beyond its connection to the jack and underlying the
jack arm so as to cause the jack to set off from the hammer-butt leather roll
into a recess in the hammer-butt between the roll and the hammer-butt centre-
pin, thus reversing the operation of all existing upright actions and giving to
upright actions a sensitiveness to finger touch and power of rapid repetition
hitherto only obtained in grand actions.
On the accompanying drawings;-
Figures, 1, and 2, represent, in sectional elevation, the application of the
invention to a grand pianoforte action; and

page_text: Figs. 3, and 4, represent, in like view, the like application to an upright
pianoforte action.
Referring to the action represented in Figs. 1, and 2, the tail end of the
key, a, acts through a baize protected adjustable screw, a', on a horizontal
lever, b. The lever is pivotally supported at b, and, at 63, pivotally supports
the jack, c, and also carries a baized jack rest, 63, and a looped spring, 64, which,
normally, (Fig. 1,) retains the jack against the jack rest with its tip in contact
with the leather roll, d', of the hammer-butt, ³, in readiness for actuating the
hammer, d, (Fig. 2,) upon the key being depressed. The jack is formed with an
arm, e, adapted to engage with an adjustable set-off button, e, (carried by the
hammer-rail, f,) at the moment aforesaid when it is desired to throw off the jack
tip from the hammer-butt roll. The hammer-butt is formed with a leather
covered recess, d, between the roll, d', and its centre-pin, d³, and, beyond the
recess, with the aforesaid prolongation or tail, d, which is baized at de, and
is, at such part and at the time aforesaid, adapted to meet the advancing jack
and to co-act therewith as a complete check, vide Fig. 2. The hammer-butt is
also acted upon by a balancing-spring, g, which lightens the touch, gradually
becoming weaker in its action until such time as the jack is set-off from the
leather roll; and it also carries a pin, d', adapted to engage with a baized slot, 65,
in the jack rest, and to support the action when not supported by the key, so
permitting of the removal of the latter without derangement of the adjustment of
the action.
Referring to the action represented in Figs. 3, and 4, the parts are similarly
arranged to the arrangement above described, excepting that the jack rest, 63, is
independent of the lever, b, and carries the jack-retaining spring, b; the set-off
button, e, is adjustably applied to a prolongation, 66, of the lever, b, beyond
the pivotal connection, 2, of the jack to the latter, and extending under the
jack arm, c; the jack tip is looped, at 3, to the hammer-butt for returning the
hammer; and a guide pin, i, engages with a slot, ct, in the jack, and serves to
support the action when not supported by the key. The prolongation, 66, of
the lever, b, in this action, beyond the pivotal connection of the jack to the
latter and under the jack arm, in conjunction with the application of the set-off
button to such prolongation, is operative in causing the button to travel more
quickly than the jack, and, at the desired moment, to set off the jack tip from
the leather roll into a recess, , between the roll and the hammer-butt centre-
pin, which, as aforesaid, is effective in giving to the action a sensitiveness of finger
touch and power of rapid repetition equal to that of grand actions; and entirely
foreign to existing upright actions, in which latter, the jack, when set off from the
part of the hammer-butt on which it acts, shifts away from the hammer-butt centre-
pin, and, consequently, requires a larger extent of finger motion to effect a repeat
action than the improved upright action requires. The attachment of the
loop, 3, to the jack and hammer-butt in the peculiar relation shown, is also
operative in effecting with certainty the return of the hammer, owing to the
loop tightening as the hammer advances to strike its blow, in contra-distinction
to slackening at such time as in existing arrangements in which a loop connecting
such parts is used. j, is a wire leading from the jack arm to the damper action;
the lever, b, can be extended if under dampers are required.
The operation of the improved action is thus as follows:-On the depression
of the pianoforte key, its tail rises, and through the screw, a', operates the
lever, b, lifting therewith the jack, c, causing it, by pushing on the hammer-
butt roll, to raise the hammer until, upon the hammer head nearly reaching the
pianoforte string, the jack arm and the set-off button meet, which causes the
jack tip to be thrown from off the hammer-butt roll into the advancing
recess, d, so as to cease to operate the hammer; at the same moment, the
hammer-butt tail and the advancing jack meet, (Figs. 2, and 4) and the parts
are so arrested as to prevent any recoil or second action of the hammer, and as

page_text: to allow, upon the slightest release and re-depression of the key, of the jack
effecting a repeat action of the hammer.
Owing to there being but two points of regulation (namely, the key-screw and
the set-off button,) in the improved action, a considerable saving of time to
tuners and regulators is effected, which is a consideration of very real import-
ance to the trade. Moreover, the fewness of its parts enables the improved action
to be made at a cost much less than that of any existing action and, withal, with
a positive increase of efficiency, and with the obtainment of the advantage of
enabling any key to be removed without liability of causing any derangement
in the adjustment of the action.
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:-
1. A pianoforte action characterized by the formation of the hammer-butt with
a prolongation or tail occupying such a relation to the jack and its associated
mechanism as to meet the jack when set off from the leather roll of the hammer-
butt and to co-act therewith as a direct and perfect check, as set forth.
2. A pianoforte action for upright pianofortes characterized as stated in
Claim, 1, and by the set-off button being applied to a prolongation of the jack
carrying lever beyond its connection to the jack and underlying the jack arm so
as to cause the jack to set off from the hammer-butt leather roll into a recess
in the hammer-butt between the roll and the hammer-butt centre-pin, as set
forth.
3. In pianoforte actions for upright pianofortes, applying the set-off button
to a prolongation of the jack carrying lever beyond its connection to the jack and
underlying the jack arm so as to cause the jack to set off from the hammer-butt
leather roll into a recess in the hammer-butt between the roll and the hammer-
butt centre-pin, as set forth.
4. The improved combination of parts constituting the improved grand action
herein before described with reference to Figs. 1, and 2, of the drawings.
5. The improved combination of parts constituting the improved upright
action herein before described with reference to Figs. 3, and 4, of the drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July 1899.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.