IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, FRANK GREENWAY FAIRFIELD of Knowle in the County of Warwick
Pianoforte Tuner, and Musical Instrument Dealer do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES as aforesaid to be as follows:-
One or more moveable Panels in the front or top of Pianofortes; these Panels
to be made to be opened at discretion by means of a Pedal or Lever, to be worked
by the foot or kneo of the Player, or kept tightly closed by means of springs.
When these Panels are opened (see Drawing "AB" in plans and sections) the
whole Volume of the Tone producable by the Piano, will have free egress forth
into the room, resulting in a greatly increased powerfulness of Tone, in some degree
similar to the increase of light producable in a room by opening out Venetian
Blinds proviously closed up; and when the Panels are kept closed the Tone of the
Pianoforte will again become subdued.
So that the advantages claimed for the Invention are:-
First The means of bringing out the Full Tone of the Pianoforte when desired
free and un-subdued, and so increasing its powerfulness, than hitherto.
Second-The enabling the Player, by opening or closing the Panels, to produce
loud and soft gradations of Tone in a greater degree than hitherto, and so
extending the varieties of effect attainable in Pianoforte playing.

page_text: I, FRANK GREENWAY FAIRFIELD of Knowle Station, Warwickshire Pianoforte
Tuner & Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The Invention consists of one or more moveable Panels or Shutters in either or
each of the front, top, back, or sides of Pianofortes, these Panels or Shutters
being made to be opened (as shown in Drawing A. B) by means of a Pedal or
Lever to be worked or moved by the Player (by the foot or knee or otherwise);
or to be kept tightly closed (as shewn in Drawing C. D.) by means of springs in
any case, at the discretion of the Player. When these Panels or Shutters are
opened the whole power of Tone producable by the Pianoforte will have free egress
into the room, causing increased powerfulness of Tone (In some degree similar to
the increase of light producable in a room by "opening out" Venetian blinds
(previously "closed up")-and while the panels would be kept closed the Tone
would be subdued (as hitherto)-This apparatus will facilitate the production of
more "crescendo" and "diminuendo than hitherto, at the Player's discretion,
& will also promote a purer quality of Toue, by allowing the Hammer-Felts to be
made softer than hitherto when (with the immoveable-panel-case) the Tone is so
"closed up" & confined that the Hammer-Felts have to be kept hard in order
to produce a fair quantity of Tone: as altho' unsoftened Felts promote a loud
Tone, they also cause a harshness of Tone: & the softer the Felts are, the purer is
the Tone.
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Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
Fitting swell shutters in the panels of Pianofortes for the purposes and in the
manner hereinbefore described and illustrated.
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