Friction at the jack and knuckle interface in a grand piano eliminated

• US 20050284279A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Wroblewski
• Original Assignee: Richard Wroblewski
• Inventors: Wroblewski, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,129,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/239
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/22 specially adapted for grand pianos
• CPC Class Codes: G10C 3/24 Repetition [tremolo] mechanisms

Abstract

A grand piano action the jack having a projection acting against the knuckle dependent from the hammer shank carrying the piano hammer by a counter weight carried by the jack eliminating the spoon and the regulating button and the jack spring pressing against the jack causing the traditional excessive friction at the jack and knuckle interface. Friction is totally eliminated from the conventional grand piano action by the capstan screw on the piano key lifting the wippen lever near the pivot of the jack. Patents relating to the problem of excessive friction. Finholm U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,868. Steinway U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,511,454-5,911,167. Bladwin U.S. Pat. No. 6,232,537.

Claims

1. A grand piano action comprising a flange carrying a hammer shank carrying a piano hammer and a knuckle;

a jack being carried by a wippen lever;

a capstan screw on the piano key supporting said wippen lever;

an arm of said jack opposing an escapement let off buttons a vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever carrying a double ended spring;

said wippen lever carrying a regulating screw, the first end of said spring supporting said repetition lever, the second end of said spring being in a hole along said regulating screw;

the top of said jack having a projection, said projection acting against said knuckle by a counter weight carried by said jack.

2. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said capstan screw on said piano key supporting said wippen lever near the pivot of said jack.

3. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said projection being an insert carried by said top of said jack.

4. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said projection being integral to said jack.

11. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said capstan screw on said piano key supporting said wippen lever close to the distal end of said wippen lever.

12. The grand piano action according to claim 11 wherein said capstan screw supporting said wippen lever being on a stage adjustable along said piano key.

13. The grand piano action according to claim 3 wherein said insert on said top of said jack being at an angle.

14. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said counter weight carried by said jack being a screw.

20. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said projection passing through an opening in said hammer shank.

21. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said projection acting against said knuckle being carried by the back side of said jack.

22. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said counter weight carried by said jack being adjustable.

23. The grand piano action according to claim 1 wherein said projection acting against said knuckle being a flat spring means attached to the back side of said jack;

said flat spring means having a hole for a regulating screw, said regulating screw being in a threaded hole in said jack regulating position of the lifting surface of said jack under said knuckle by said projection acting against said knuckle effected by said counter weight carried by said jack.

5. A grand piano action comprising a flange carrying a hammer shank carrying a piano hammer and a knuckle, said knuckle resting on a repetition lever, said repetition lever being carried by a vertically oriented portion of a wippen lever, said wippen lever carrying a jack and a spoon, a regulating screw passing through said jack carrying a button, said button adjoining said spoon, said wippen lever including a regulating screw having a hole along said regulating screw, a spring in said hole adjoining the underside of an arm of said jack, said regulating screw regulating tension of said spring about an abutment dependent from said wippen levers said wippen lever including a second regulating screw having a hole along said regulating screw;

said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever carrying a spring, the first portion of said spring supporting said repetition lever, the second portion of said spring being in said hole along said regulating screw, said regulating screw regulating tension of said first portion of said spring supporting said repetition lever, a capstan screw on the piano key supporting said wippen lever.

6. The grand piano action according to claim 5 wherein a convoluted spring means connecting said jack to said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever effectuating said button to act against said spoon.

7. The grand piano action according to claim 6 wherein said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever including a regulating screw having a hole along said regulating screw, the straight portion of said convoluted spring means being in said hole, the end being bent over the end of said regulating screw, the end of the convoluted portion being formed into a hook passing through a hole in said jack.

8. The grand piano action according to claim 5 wherein said regulating screw passing through said jack including an adjustable lead weight between said jack and said button carried by said regulating screw effectuating said button to act against said spoon.

9. The grand piano action according to claim 8 wherein said jack including a second regulating screw as a weight effectuating said button to act against said spoon.

10. The grand piano action according to claim 9 wherein said second regulating screw carrying several screw nuts acting as weights effectuating said button to act against said spoon.

15. A grand piano action comprising a flange carrying a hammer shank carrying a piano hammer and a knuckle, said knuckle resting on a repetition lever, said repetition lever being carried by a vertically oriented portion of a wippen lever;

said wippen lever carrying a jack at the distal end of said wippen lever;

a first end of a traditional spring carried by said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever supporting said repetition lever, the second end of said traditional spring supporting said jack;

a capstan screw on the piano key supporting said wippen lever at a selected point between the traditional appendage and said distal end of said wippen lever;

the greater the distance between said appendage and said capstan screw the greater the leverage of said wippen lever the lesser the friction at the jack and knuckle interface.

16. The grand piano action according to claim 15 wherein said capstan screw being on an adjustable stage on said piano key to adjoin said selected point on said wippen lever between said traditional appendage and said distal end of said wippen lever.

17. The grand piano action according to claim 16 wherein said wippen lever including a platform extending from said traditional appendage to said distal end of said wippen lever;

said capstan screw adjoining said distal end.

18. The grand piano action according to claim 15 wherein said jack including a regulating button acting against a spoon carried by said wippen lever by a convoluted spring means connecting said jack to said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever.

19. The grand piano action according to claim 18 wherein said vertically oriented portion of said wippen lever including a regulating screw having a hole along said regulating screw;

a straight portion of said convoluted spring means being in said hole, the end being bent over the end of said regulating screw, the other end of said convoluted spring means being attached to said jack.

25. The grand piano action according to claim 15 wherein said distal end of said wippen lever carrying said jack including an appendage, said capstan screw on said piano key supporting said appendage.

24. In a conventional grand piano action the jack carried by the wippen lever including a projection acting against the knuckle dependent from the hammer shank carrying the piano hammer, said projection being a flat spring means attached to the back side of said jack, said flat spring means having a hole for a regulating screw, said regulating screw being in a threaded hole in said jack regulating position of the lifting surface of said jack under said knuckle by said projection acting against said knuckle effected by the conventional jack spring biasing said jack.