Music – Instruments – Stringed
Patent
1992-05-15
1993-12-28
Roskoski, Bernard
Music
Instruments
Stringed
84247, 84253, G10C 316
Patent
active
052729508
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a striking mechanism for a piano, grand piano or similar string instrument, essentially comprising, for each string or set of strings, a hammer butt journalled swingably about a horizontal axis and having a hammer shank carrying a hammer at the free end; a power transmission device acting between the hammer butt and the rear end of the associated key in the keyboard of the instrument for momentarily causing the hammer to strike the string when the key is pressed down; and a check device serving to stop and temporarily retain the hammer during rebound when said hammer has struck the string once.
In conventional power transmission devices of this type the connection between the key and the hammer is interrupted before the hammer strikes the string, and then the swing movement of the hammer continues by means of the added kinetic energy alone. The connection is also interrupted when just the key is released, and in both cases all the parts incorporated in the power transmission device must be returned to their starting position to be ready for a succeeding strike. However, this takes time and prevents rapid repetition of the strike.
The U.S. Pat. No. 1 071 801 discloses a striking mechanism which has a power transmission device with means comprising i.a. a repeating arm for restoring the power transmitting connection between the hammer and the key immediately after the rebound thereof has commenced. This provides a better repetition, but it is not possible to control the individual or repeating strikes fully.
It is common to the known striking mechanism that they do not enable the pianist to utilize the possibilities of the instrument fully, and the object of the invention is therefore to provide a striking mechanism of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph which has better playing properties than known before.
This is achieved in that the power transmission device of the invention consists of a rod system preferably movably arranged in the swing plane of the hammer, said rod system comprising a lower rod downwardly resting against an abutment on the key and swingably journalled in a fixed instrument part by means of a rearwardly extending arm; an upper rod upwardly swingably connected with the hammer butt; as well as at least one intermediate rod swingably connected with the other rods and having, at the rod system deflection side at striking, a first curve boss or roller supported by a first curve guide during the striking movement, and on the opposite side a second guide boss or roller supported by a second curve guide during the rebound movement; and that the first curve guide is arranged movably in the plane of the rod system on a fixed base member in the instrument, said base member being formed with a locking means to releasably lock the curve guide in a first, advanced position in which the rod system is capable of causing the hammer to touch the string, said striking mechanism having a release means for releasing the locking means by continued depression of the key such that the curve guide is pressed back to a second, retracted position by the first guide boss or roller in which it is not possible for the rod system to cause the hammer to touch the string, as well as a device to return the curve guide to its first advanced position upon cessation or sufficient reduction of the depression force applied to the key. The connection between the key and the hammer is therefore never released, and this entails that the pianist obtains an improved keyboard touch or feel and is capable of controlling the strike better. Further, the strike can be repeated from practically all hammer and key positions. It is therefore possible to repeat the strike in strict accordance with the pianist's intensions and also very quickly. Quick and short passages are less tiresome to play than when using conventional striking mechanisms.
In an advantageous embodiment of the striking mechanism of the invention the striking mechanism may be constructed such that the first curve guide is swingably journ
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Donels Jeffrey W.
Dunn Michael L.
Roskoski Bernard
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