US3696699A

US3696699A - Hammer flange mounting structure for use in piano

Info

Publication number: US3696699A
Application number: US139676A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hiroki Tachida
Original assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Priority date: 1970-05-08
Filing date: 1971-05-03
Publication date: 1972-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1989-10-10
Also published as: JPS4916134Y1

Abstract

A hammer flange having a hammer shank rotatably attached to one end thereof is mounted on the cut-out portion of a flange rail. A plate spring fixed to the flange rail is extended over the hammer flange and is biased toward the hammer flange, the plate spring having a threaded hole at that part thereof facing the hammer flange. A screw means is screwed into the hole, exerting a pressure on the hammer flange under the biasing force of the spring, so that the hammer flange is securedly mounted on the flange rail.

Description

United States Patent Tachida [5'4] HAMMER FLANGE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN PIANO [72] Inventor: Hiroki Tachida, Hamamatsu, Japan [73] Assignee; Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, l-lamamatsu-shi, Japan 22 Filed: May a, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 139,676

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 8, 1970 Japan ..45/44606 [52] US. Cl. ..84/251 [51] Int. Cl. ..G10c 3/18 [58] Field of Search ..84/236-237, 239,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS A 1/1971 Klaiber ..s4/2s1 1451 Oct. 10,1972

831,176 9/1906 McCall ..84/252 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [57] ABSTRACT A hammer flange having a hammer shank rotatably attached to one end thereof is mounted on the cut-out portion of a flange rail. A plate spring fixed to the flange rail is extended over the hammer flange and is biased toward the hammer flange, the plate spring having a threaded hole at that part thereof facing the hammer flange. A screw means is screwed into the hole, exerting a pressure on the hammer flange under the biasing force of the spring, so that the hammer flange is securedly mounted on the flange rail.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUBOI 10 I972 FIG.

FIG. 2

HAMMER FLANGE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN PIANO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a piano action, and more particularly to a hammer flange mounting structure, especially for use in a grand piano.

The hammer flange mounting structure of a grand piano generally consists of a hammer flange rail having a cut-out portion formed in the upper surface and a large number of hammer flanges fitted to the cut-out portion so that they are arranged in parallel with each other and correspond to the keys of piano. The fitting of the hammer flange to the hammer flange rail has heretofore been effected by passing a screw through the holes bored in the flange and rail from the former to the latter for secure attachment to each other.

It is essential for a piano action that each hammer strikes the corresponding string correctly and evenly. For this purpose, the hammer flange having a rotatable hammer shank must be mounted on a correct position of the flange rail, and it is also required to precisely adjust the relative positions of the hammer flange and flange rail and to correct the lateral inclination of the hammer flange relative to the flange rail. Such adjustment and correction have usually been carried out by pasting a sheet of sized paper at the prescribed part of the underside of the hammer flange contacting the hammer flange 'rail.

With the aforementioned conventional hammer flange mounting structure, the adjustment is performed, while observing the direction in which the hammer runs and the condition under which the hammer strikes the string, by drawing out a screw joining the rail and flange for their disengagement, pasting a sheet of sized paper on the desired part of the surface of the hammer flange, and joining both members again in the original condition.

As described above, the adjustment between the hammer flange and flange rail in the prior art action assembly requires a great deal of time-consuming work, for example, the removal and tightening of a screw. Repeated work of adjustment causes the joint between the rail and flange gradually to cease to be as firm as at the initial stage, resulting in the erroneous operation of the action assembly as a whole. Further, the prior art hammer flanges are mechanically weak because of the perforation of the screw holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a hammer flange mounting structure enabling hammer flanges to be firmly fitted to a hammer flange rail and both members to be separated and joined with great ease in adjusting the relative positions thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hammer flange mounting structure eliminating the necessity of forming screw holes in the hammer flanges and in consequence protecting the flanges from being mechanically weakened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a piano action mechanism provided with a hammer flange mounting structure according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the hammer flange mounting structure of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a hammer flange included in the hammer .flange mounting structure as taken from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, there are provided brackets, one of which is indicated at 11. To the rear ends of the brackets is connected a supporting rail 12, and to the forward ends thereof an elongated hammer flange rail 13 of metal. A plurality of wippen assemblies, one of which is indicated in FIG. 1, are disposed on the supporting rail 12. Each of the wippen assemblies includes a wippen 14 pivoted on the rail 12, a repetition lever 15 rotatable on the wippen and a jack 16 also rotatable on the wippen. Hammer shanks 17 are respectively arranged above the wippen assemblies. The forward ends of the hammer shanks 17 are rotatably mounted on hammer flanges 18 respectively, and hammers 19 are connected to the rear ends of the shanks 17. To the hammer flange rail 13 is fixed by screws 20 a regulating wooden rail 21 having a plurality of regulating buttons 22.

There will now be described by reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 a hammer flange mounting structure according to this invention which firmly couples hammer flanges to a metal hammer flange rail. In that part of the upper surface of the rail 13 which faces a string (not shown) is formed a cut-out portion 23, onto which there is mounted the base end of each hammer flange 18. On the bottom of the cut-out portion 23 is formed an elongated projection 24 running along the lengthwise direction of the flange rail 13, and on the end wall thereof a recess 25. Further, in the un-derside of the base end of the hammer flange 18 is formed a notch 26 extending laterally thereof so as to engage the projection 24. To the upper surface of the hammer flange rail 13 is attached one end of a resilient plate member 28 such as a plate spring made of, for example, steel by proper means (in this invention by screws 20 supporting the regulating wooden rail 21). The member 28 is divided by slits 29 into a plurality of separate plate spring pieces 30. Each separate piece 30 of the resilient member 28 extends over the cut-out portion 23 and is biased downward, that is, toward the hammer flange, by the resilient force thereof. The separate pieces 30 face the corresponding hammer flanges 18 disposed below. The separate resilient piece 30 has a slightly raised portion formed at the center, through which there is bored a threaded hole 31. Into the hole 31 is inserted an adjusting screw 32, the bottom end of which abuts on a contact plate 33, thereby causing the contact plate 33 to press the hammer flange l8 downward when the screw 32 is tightened. The force with which the contact strip 33 presses the hammer flange 18 is provided by the biasing force of the plate spring 30.

The fixing of the hammer flange 18 to the hammer flange rail 13 is carried out by placing the base end of the flange 18 on the cut-out portion 23 of the hammer flange rail 13 so as to cause the notch 26 of the base end to engage the projection 24 formed on the bottom of the portion 23 and thereafter by tightening the adjusting screw 32 securely to attach the flange 18 to the rail 13 under the downwardly biasing force of the resilient piece 30.

Adjustment of the relative positions of the hammer flange and flange rail and correction of the lateral inclination of the flange are performed as follows. The adjusting screw 32 is loosened and the forward end of the plate spring 28 is pushed up by a tool like a driver to disengage the hammer flange 18 from the rail 13. On the right or

left portion

35 or 34 of the bottom side of the hammer flange 18 is pasted a sheet of sized paper with a suitable thickness. The flange 18 is again placed between the plate spring 30 and cut-out portion 23 so as to be secured in place.

As mentioned above, the hammer flange mounting structure of this invention permits easy adjustment of the relative positions of the hammer flange and flange rail and correction of the lateral inclination of the flange. Since the hammer flange and hammer flange rail need not be perforated with fitting bores as in the prior art device, both members can be easily manufactured with no possibility of being mechanically weakened.

What I claim is: 1. A hammer flange mounting structure for use in a piano comprising:

a hammer flange rail (13) having a cut-out portion hammer flanges (18) placed on said cut-out portion (23) and each carrying at one end a hammer shank (l7) pivotally mounted thereon,

resilient means (30) attached to said hammer flange rail (13) and extending over respective hammer flanges (18), each of said resilient means (30) having a threaded hole (31) therein and exerting a biasing force toward the corresponding hammer flange, and

screw means (32), each being screwed in respective threaded holes (31) and pressing the corresponding hammer flange (18) toward said flange rail (13) under the biasing force of said resilient means (30) to secure said hammer flanges to said hammer flange rail.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient means include plate springs.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises an elongated plate member divided by slits into a plurality of separate plate spring strips.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein said elongated plate member is fixed to said hammer flange rail by means of screws for attaching a regulating rail to said hammer flange rail.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hammer flange rail has an elongated projection formed on said cut-out portion, said projection running along the lengthwise direction of said flange rail, and said hammer flange has a notch extending laterally thereof, said notch being engaged in said projection.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a contact plate member interposed between each of said screw means and each of said hammer flanges.

Claims

1. A hammer flange mounting structure for use in a piano comprising: a hammer flange rail (13) having a cut-out portion (23), hammer flanges (18) placed on said cut-out portion (23) and each carrying at one end a hammer shank (17) pivotally mounted thereon, resilient means (30) attached to said hammer flange rail (13) and extending over respective hammer flanges (18), each of said resilient means (30) having a threaded hole (31) therein and exerting a biasing force toward the corresponding hammer flange, and screw means (32), each being screwed in respective threaded holes (31) and pressing the corresponding hammer flange (18) toward said flange rail (13) under the biasing force of said resilient means (30) to secure said hammer flanges to said hammer flange rail.