US2258286A - Fall-board structure for pianos or the like - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 7, 1941. P. M. GAZLAY FALL-BOARD STRUCTURE FOR PIANOS OR THE LIKE Filed March 19, 1941 WEI-L Er" P401. /7. GAZLAV.

Patented Oct. 7, 1941 FALL-BOAHD STRUCTURE FOR PIANOS OR THE Paul M. Gazlay, Chicag0,]]l.

Application March 19, 1941, Serial No. 384,059

3 Claims,

My invention relates to musical instruments such as pianos, organs, or the like and particularly to improved full board structure for such instruments.

In instruments of the type referred to, a fall board structure is usually provided for covering the keys when the instrument is not in use. Such fall boards usually comprise a board or body for extending :across the top of the keys between the side walls of the keyboard, and having a depending lip along its front edge for seating against the front rail of the keyboard structure. A usual practice has been to hinge the fall board with a continuous hinge between the rear edge of the fall board and the front edge of the horizontal ledge extending over therear ends of the keys in front of the top panel of the instrument casing so that the fall board could be swung back with its top surface resting on the ledge and its lip projecting upwardly alongside of the top panel. With this prior arrangement, the under or inner side of the fall board structure had to be highly finished and polished so as to present a neat appearance when the board was swung into its open upside down position, and furthermore when thus swung to open position, the hinge structure was fully exposed to view to present a more or less unsightly appearance.

An important object of my invention is to provide improved hinging arrangement for the fall 2 board so that the board will not have to be turned upside down when swung to its open position, but may be bodily raised and swung through an arc to be seated on top of the horizontal ledge in front of the casing top panel into open position parallel with its closed position and with its lip resting on the cove strip extending along the rear ends of the keys.

A further object is to eliminate the continuous hinge and to utilize a comparatively small number, preferably three, simple hinge units for adapting the board for the opening movement described.

The various features of my invention are incorporated in the structure shown on the draw- I ing, in which drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of the front portion of a piano showing my improved fall board arrangement; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on plane II-II I;

Figure 1.

On the drawing, it indicates the side walls of the piano casing having the cheeks I i projecting forwardly therefrom between which extends the keyboard structure l2, having the front rail l3.

The key bars 14 extend into the keyboard and terminate in keys [5 above whose rear end the cove bar it extends between the cheeks ll. Over the key here behind the cove bar It extends the horizontal ledge board I! between Whose rear edge and the front edge of the casing top 18 extends the inclined top panel H9.

The fall board structure comprises a body 20 which may be a plain board of a length to-ex-tend between the cheeks H above th keys, and a lip 21 depending from the front edge of the board for seating against the keyboard rail 1 3 when the fall board is in closed position, A number of double hinge units H are provided, three being preferable, as shown on Figure "1. Each hinge unit comprises the end hinge plates 2-2 and 23 connected by hinge joints 24 and 25 with the re spective endsof an intermediate plate part 26. This intermediate plate part 25;may be a single plate, or, hinge plates of two ordinary hinge units maybe welded together as indicated at -21 to form a comparatively long intermediate hinge part 25 of the double hinge unit H.

The hinge plates 22 of the units H are secured against the underside of the ledge board I! with the hinge joints 24 at the front lower edge of the board, while the hinge plates 23 of the units are secured against the underside of the fall board 28 with the hinge joints 25 in a line a distance forwardly of the rear edge of the board 20. The intermediate plate part 26 of each hinge unit H is bent longitudinally along a transverse line adjacent to the rear edge of the fall board 20 so that the inner portions 26 of the parts 25 are inclined and the outer portions of the parts 26 are horizontal so that, when the fall board is closed, its body 20 will be in a horizontal plane and the lip 2: will rest against the rail [3, the board 29 being in a horizontal plane a distance below the plane of the ledge board l1. When it is desired to open the fall board, it is raised bodily and swung rearwardly with the hinge joints 25 following an are centered at the hinge joints 24, as indicated by the dot and dash lines in Figure 2, until the board 20 comes to rest on top of the ledge board H, as shown by the full dotted lines. Suitable grip members such as knobs or buttons 28 may be provided on the fall board so that it may be readily lifted and swung, and on the underside of the board adjacent to the rear end thereof rubber buttons 28 may be provided for engaging the ledge board 21, the lip 2| resting against the cove bar l6 when the fall board is in its open position. The location of the hinge joints 25 on the board 20 is such that when the board is moved to its opened position, the rear edge of the board will be against the top panel l9, and preferably the rear edge 30 of the board 20 is inclined to the same angle as the panel [9 so as to fit closely against the panel when the board is in its opened position. The front edge 3| of the ledge board I! may also be beveled to the same angle as the edge 30 so as to make way for the inner portion 25 of the hinge intermediate parts 25 when the fall board is moved to its opened position, as indicated by the full dotted lines on Figure 2.

As the fall board is not inverted when it is moved to its open position, the expense of highly finishing and polishing the inner side of the fall board is eliminated. When the board is in its closed position, only portions of the hinge joints 25 of the hinge units are visible, the arrangement thus presenting a neater appearance. When the fall board is in its open position, the hinge structures will be entirely hidden and the unsightly appearance of a long length of continuous hinge used in prior structures will be eliminated.

I have thus produced a simplified and more efficient fall board arrangement and operation for pianos or the like which will materially reduce the cost of manufacture of instruments of this type. I have shown a practical and efiicient embodiment of my invention but I do not desire to be limited to the exact construction, arrangement and operation shown and described, as changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as follows:

1. In a piano having a casing provided with a forwardly extending horizontal ledge board, a fall board normally positioned extending horizontally and forwardly of said ledge board to cover the keys of the piano, and means to provide for movement of said fall board rearwardly to sit horizontally on said ledge board and uncover the piano keys, said means comprising a plurality of double-hinge units with each unit comprising a first hinge plate on the under side of said ledge board at the front lower edge thereof, a second hinge plate on the under side of said fall board and remote from the rear edge of said fall board, and a connecting plate hingedly connected at its ends to said first plate and to said second plate, respectively.

2. In a piano having a casing provided with a forwardly extending horizontal flat ledge board, a flat fall board extending horizontally and forwardly of said ledge board to cover the keys of the piano, and means to provide for movement of said fall board rearwardly to sit horizontally on said ledge board, said means comprising a plurality of double-hinge units with each unit comprising a first hinge plate secured against the under side of said ledge board with its hinge joint at the front lower edge of the board, a second hinge plate secured against the under side of said fall board with its hinge joint close to the longitudinal median line of the fall board, and an intermediate plate hingedly connected at its ends to said first and to said second plates, respectively, the portion of said intermediate plate adjacent said first plate being bent for engaging against the forward edge of said ledge board when the fall board is seated on said ledge board.

3. In a piano or the like having a casing provided with a forwardly extending ledge board, a fall board normally extending horizontally and forwardly of said ledge board for covering the piano keys, and means to provide for movement of said fall board rearwardly to a horizontal position above said ledge board, said means comprising bars disposed below said fall board and hinged at one end at the front edge of said ledge board and hinged at the other end to the fall board at a point forwardly of the rear edge of said fall board.

PAUL M. GAZLAY.

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