Pianoforte instrument, in particular a piano, with a housing on bearing points

Abstract

A pianoforte instrument, in particular a piano, has a base. Several bearings serve to support the pianoforte instrument on a floor. A height adjuster is also provided, which permits a height adjustment of the slide element relative to the base and/or a console. A device that facilitates transport is preferably provided on each of the bearings. The device that facilitates transport has a slide element, which permits sliding on the floor.

Claims

1. A pianoforte instrument with a base (12) forming a soundbox and including a soundboard and strings within the base, a keyboard arranged at a front of the base and the base having four bearings (21) for support on a floor (20), hereby characterized in that two of the bearings (21a) are fixed height bearings, the fixed height bearings (21a) being located at a rear of the base, in that two of the bearings (21b) are adjustable height bearings each equipped with a height adjuster (32), the adjustable height bearings (21b) being located at the front of the base facing the keyboard, and in that each height adjuster (32) enables a height adjustment of the respective bearing (21) relative to the base (12) and/or to a console; further characterized in that a device (30) that facilitates transport is provided on each of the bearings (21); and in that the device (30) that facilitates transport has a slide element (31) in each case, which permits sliding on the floor (20); wherein the two adjustable height bearings (21b) cooperate with the fixed height bearings to permit adjustment of a uniform load onto all four bearings (21), to prevent deformities of the sound box, and to improve tuning stability in spite of floor unevenness; further characterized in that the device (30) includes a recess containing a majority of a main block of the slide element (31); wherein the slide element (31) has a substantially uniform geometry, lacking projections therefrom.

2. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 1, further characterized in that each slide element (31) is provided with a layer of polyoxymethylene.

3. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 1, further characterized in that each height adjuster (32) has a threaded bolt (33) and an adjusting nut (34), wherein rotation of the adjusting nut (34) effects height adjustment of the respective bearing (21) relative to the base (12) and/or to a console.

4. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 2, further characterized in that each height adjuster (32) has a threaded bolt (33) and an adjusting nut (34).

5. A pianoforte instrument comprising: a base forming a soundbox 40 and including a soundboard 42 and strings 44 within the base; a keyboard 11 arranged at a front of the base 12; and four weight bearing assemblies supporting said base on a floor, wherein two of said weight bearing assemblies are fixed height weight bearing assemblies located at a rear of the base, and wherein two of said weight bearing assemblies are adjustable height weight bearings assemblies each equipped with a height adjuster, the adjustable height weight bearing assemblies being located at the front of the base facing the keyboard, each height adjuster enabling a height adjustment of the respective adjustable height weight bearing assembly relative to the base, each of said weight bearing assemblies including a bearing element that facilitates transport, and a slide element received on the bottom side of said bearing element which permits sliding on the floor; wherein said two adjustable height weight bearing assemblies cooperate with said two fixed height weight bearing assemblies to permit adjustment of a uniform load onto all four bearings, to prevent deformities of the sounds box and to improve tuning stability in spite of floor unevenness; wherein each beating element includes a recess containing a majority of a main block of the slide element; wherein each slide element has a substantially uniform geometry, lacking projections therefrom.

6. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 5, wherein each slide element is provided with a layer of polyoxymethylene on an outer surface of said respective slide element.

7. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 5, wherein each height adjuster has a threaded bolt extending from the respective bearing element, and each height adjuster has an adjusting nut, wherein rotation of the adjusting nut (34) effects height adjustment of the respective bearing (21) relative to the base (12) and/or to a console.

8. The pianoforte instrument according to claim 6, wherein each height adjuster has a threaded bolt extending from the respective bearing element, and each height adjuster has an adjusting nut.

9. A pianoforte instrument comprising: a base forming a sound box 40 and including a soundboard 42 and strings 44 within the base; a keyboard arranged at a front of the base; and four weight bearing assemblies supporting said base on a floor, wherein two of said weight bearing assemblies are fixed height weight bearing assemblies located at a rear of the base, and wherein two of said weight bearing assemblies are adjustable height weight bearing assemblies each equipped with a height adjuster, the adjustable height weight bearing assemblies being located at the front of the base facing the keyboard, each height adjuster enabling a height adjustment of the respective adjustable height weight bearing assembly relative to the base, each of said weight bearing assemblies including a bearing element that facilitates transport, and a slide element received on the bottom side of said bearing element which permits sliding on the floor; wherein each slide element is provided with a layer of polyoxymethylene on an outer surface of said respective slide element; wherein each height adjuster has a threaded bolt extending from the respective bearing element, and each height adjuster has an adjusting nut; and wherein said two adjustable height weight bearing assemblies cooperate with said two fixed height weight bearing assemblies to permit adjustment of a uniform load onto all four bearings, to prevent deformities of the sounds box, and to improve tuning stability in spite of floor unevenness; wherein each beating element includes a recess containing a majority of a main block of the slide element; wherein each slide element has a substantially uniform geometry, lacking projections therefrom.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in detail below on the basis of a sketch. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of n embodiment of a piano according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detail from FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic section through the detail of FIG. 2; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of a piano according to the invention such as the one shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Shown in FIG. 1 is a piano 10 with a keyboard 11 and a body with top frame, bottom frame, and base 12, in which, among other things, the soundboard 42 and the strings 44 are located, which cannot be seen as such in the illustration.

(7) The piano 10 rests on an uneven floor 20 and is supported on it by four feet or bearings 21. As may be imagined, only three of the feet carry the entire weight of the piano 10 onto the floor 20, whereas the fourth foot 21 or the fourth bearing is ultimately suspended free of pressure just above the floor 20.

(8) On account of the substantial weight of the piano 10, this leads to the piano 10 being somewhat distorted, in contrast to FIG. 1, which is detrimental to the sound.

(9) This problem is aggravated when the piano 10 is to be transported and hence the feet or bearings 21 are to be pulled over the floor 20. If the feet 21 in this case are equipped conventionally with brass casters, the latter scrape over the floor and have problems in carrying the weight onto the floor 20.

(10) According to the invention, therefore, the feet or bearings 21 are instead equipped with other forms of bearing elements 30. Each of these bearing elements 30 is equipped with a slide element 31. Two of these bearing elements 30 are additionally equipped with a height adjuster 32. FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of an embodiment of a piano according to the present invention such as the one shown in FIG. 1. The soundbox 40 contains the soundboard 42 and the strings 44. The piano has a keyboard 11 extending from its front side. The piano is supported by four feet or bearings 21. These four bearings 21 include two fixed height bearings 21a and two adjustable height bearings 21b. The two fixed height bearings 21a are located toward the rear side, and the two adjustable height bearings 21b are located toward the front side. The provision of two of the four bearing points with a height adjuster enables overall compensation for any floor unevenness. In this way, it can be ensured that the weight of the pianoforte instrument 10 is carried via all four bearing points (including the two fixed height bearings 21a and the two adjustable height bearings 21b) uniformly onto the underlying surface, that is, onto the floor 20 or other contact area. This uniform loading prevents the sound box 40 from deforming to an extent that the tensile forces in the set of strings would shift.

(11) A corresponding cutout can be seen in FIG. 2, in which the region of a foot 21 with a bearing element 30 can be seen enlarged. It can be seen that the bearing element 30 has a slide element 31 and, in addition, a height adjuster 32, by means of which the slide element 31 can be moved upward and downward.

(12) Moreover, the slide element 31 is covered with a layer that is particularly low-friction and abrasion-resistant. In this case, polyoxymethylene is preferred as the material.

(13) The height adjuster 32 has a threaded bolt 33, which can be used for height adjustment of the bearing element 30 relative to the base 12 by means of an adjusting nut 34.

(14) Shown in FIG. 3 is the bearing element 30 with the slide element 31 and the height adjuster 32 in sectional view.

(15) It is not illustrated in the figure that the keyboard 11 is additionally supported via consoles (not illustrated). The consoles extend to the left and right of the user from the keyboard downward to the floor. These consoles can also be provided on their bottom end with bearings, with the feet 21 drawn in FIG. 1 then being replaced by these bearings 21 beneath the consoles. The consoles can be joined to the base 12 by a toe rail or a foot.