WARREN C KENNEDY
Engineering in Feura Bush, NY

5537862, Jul 23, 1996

Nov 1, 1994

8/333057

Henry A. Scarton - Troy NY
Warren C. Kennedy - Feura Bush NY
John F. Yungman - Delmar NY
Paul N-J. Liang - East Brunswick NJ

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy NY

G01N 342, G01N 300

73 82

A method for measuring dynamic hardness of elastic materials is applied particularly to determining the state of tonal quality for a piano hammer. The method includes selecting a piano hammer of predetermined type from a set of piano hammers, causing the selected piano hammer to strike against an impact surface having the form of a piano string or string grouping appropriate to a piano hammer of the predetermined type, measuring one or more elements of force and motion of the piano hammer striking the impact surface, e. g. force, determining, e. g. , the cut-off frequency of the power spectrum for the selected piano hammer striking upon the impact surface, and comparing the determined cut-off frequency of the power spectrum for the selected piano hammer against a predetermined range of cut-off frequencies of power spectrum acceptable for piano hammer of the predetermined type. An apparatus for testing is also described.

5423241, Jun 13, 1995

Oct 5, 1992

7/957883

Henry A. Scarton - Troy NY
Warren C. Kennedy - Feura Bush NY
John F. Yungman - Delmar NY
Paul N-J. Liang - East Brunswick NJ

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy NY

G10G 702, G01N 348

84454

A method for measuring dynamic hardness of elastic materials is applied particularly to determining the state of tonal quality for a piano hammer. The method includes selecting a piano hammer of predetermined type from a set of piano hammers, causing the selected piano hammer to strike against an impact surface having the form of a piano string or string grouping appropriate to a piano hammer of the predetermined type, measuring one or more elements of force and motion of the piano hammer striking the impact surface, e. g. force, determining, e. g. , the cut-off frequency of the power spectrum for the selected piano hammer striking upon the impact surface, and comparing the determined cut-off frequency of the power spectrum for the selected piano hammer against a predetermined range of cut-off frequencies of power spectrum acceptable for piano hammer of the predetermined type. An apparatus for testing is also described.

5183955, Feb 2, 1993

May 18, 1990

7/525468

Salvadore J. Calabrese - Clifton Park NY
Henry A. Scarton - Troy NY
S. Frank Murray - Clifton Park NY
Christopher M. Ettles - Glenmont NY
Warren C. Kennedy - Feura Bush NY
Saim Dinc - Troy NY
Bessem Jlidi - Troy NY
William Strong - Stamford CT

Renselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy NY
Steinway Musical Properties, Inc. - Waltham MA

G10C 312

84437

A piano key cover is formed of synthetic material pigmented to resemble natural ivory and having a top playing surface with a random orientation of peak-to-valley texture and a multiplicity of fine pores replicating natural ivory. The key cover is formed by providing a mold, engraving a surface of the mold with a randomly-oriented pattern of peak-to-valley texture replicating natural ivory, placing in the mold a composition of suitable synthetic material pigmented to resemble natural ivory and filler, the filler having the characteristic of being removable from a molded article by further treatment, forming the piano key cover within the mold, and treating the piano key cover to remove the filler thereby causing the surface of the paino key cover to define a plurality of fine pores replicating the surface of natural ivory. A piano including the key cover of the invention, and formed by the above method, is also described.

5265515, Nov 30, 1993

Aug 14, 1992

7/930487

Salvadore J. Calabrese - Clifton Park NY
Henry A. Scarton - Troy NY
S. Frank Murray - Clifton Park NY
Christopher M. Ettles - Glenmont NY
Warren C. Kennedy - Feura Bush NY
Saim Dinc - Troy NY
Bessem Jlidi - Troy NY
William Strong - Stamford CT

Steinway Musical Properties Inc. - Waltham MA
Renesselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy NY

G10C 312

84437

A piano key cover having a body of synthetic material pigmented to resemble natural ivory defines a top playing surface having a random orientation of peak-to-valley texture and a multiplicity of fine pores to replicate a surface of natural ivory. A multiplicity of the pores have diameters generally in the range of 0. 0002 to 0. 0012 inch (0. 005 to 0. 030 mm). The synthetic material is selected from the group consisting of acrylic polymer, polyurethane, epoxy and the like. A method for forming such a piano key cover and a piano having key covers of the invention are also described.

5509344, Apr 23, 1996

Dec 22, 1994

8/361715

Salvadore J. Calabrese - Clifton Park NY
Henry A. Scarton - Troy NY
S. Frank Murray - Clifton Park NY
Christopher M. Ettles - Glenmont NY
Warren C. Kennedy - Feura Bush NY
Saim Dinc - Troy NY
Bessem Jlidi - Troy NY
William Strong - Stamford CT

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - Troy NY
Steinway Musical Properties, Inc. - Troy NY

G10C 312, A41G 102, B22C 922

84437

A piano key cover having a body of synthetic material pigmented to resemble natural ivory defines a top playing surface having a random orientation of peak-to-valley texture and a multiplicity of fine pores to replicate a surface of natural ivory. A multiplicity of the pores have diameters generally in the range of 0. 0002 to 0. 0012 inch (0. 005 to 0. 030 mm). The synthetic material is selected from the group consisting of acrylic polymer, polyurethane, epoxy and the like. A method for forming such a piano key cover and a piano having key covers of the invention are also described.