Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Loft 18th Aug 1907. Accunced 18th Sent
1907
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH BENN, of 167 Lorrimore Road, Kennington in the County of
London, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention for improvements in stringed musical instruments has for its
object to render it possible to obtain the effects of the guitar, mandoline, bells and
the like from an ordinary piano, and consists in mounting a tin or other vibrator
on a spring in front of each string or compound string, in fixing the springs on a
beam, and in operating the beam from a spring pedal or the like, so that the
vibrator can at pleasure be inserted or withdrawn from between the hammers and
the strings so that on striking the key of the instrument in the ordinary manner
it forces the vibrator on to the string. If desired the vibrators may be divided
into sets each set being operated from a different pedal.
Dated this 21st day of December 1896
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
improvemer
Stringed Musical Instruments.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH BENN, of 167 Lorrimore Road, Kennington in the County of
London, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and escertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention for improvements in stringed musical instruments has for its
object to render it possible to obtain the effects of the guitar, mandoline, bells and
the like from an ordinary piano, and consists in mounting a tin or other vibrator
on a spring in front of each string or compound string, in fixing the springs on a
beam, and in operating the beam from a spring pedal or the like, so that the
vibrators can at pleasure be inserted or withdrawn from between the hammers and
the strings so that on striking the key of the instrument in the ordinary manner
it forces the vibrator on to the string. If desired the vibrators may be divided
into sets each set being operated from a different pedal.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation
of the pianoforte actions to which this invention has been applied and Fig. 2 is a
front elevation of the same.
In the front of each string a of the pianoforte is a tin piece b fixed on the upper
end of the spring e secured to a beam d, the pieces 6 being normally just below

page_text: the hammers e. The beam, d is connected by the adjustable side rods f to arms g
on a shaft h supported in bearings . The shaft h is provided with another arm
connected by the link m to the piece n sliding in the bars o and adjustably fixed
by the nut to the pedal lever r that is kept in the raised position by the spring s.
On depressing the lever by the foot, the rods f move in the direction of the
arrows and cause the tin pieces b to take up the position shown in dotted lines
between the hammers c and the strings. On striking the finger keys the
hammer e is forced against the piece b and forces it against the string a.
According to the particular octave to which the tin pieces a are applied so are
the different effects produced. If desired the tin pieces for each octave or for any
set of notes may be operated by a separate pedal. Instead of a pedal a stop or
finger knob may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a pianoforte a set of metal pieces, one for each note mounted in front of
the springs, and adapted to be raised together between the hammers and the
strings at the will of the operator.
2. The improvements in stringed musical instruments, substantially as described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of August 1897
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.