Improvements connected with Mechanical Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Mechanical Musical Instruments.
We, MAX OTTO CLAUS Manufacturer THEODOR BRUNO PUTTMANN Manufacturer
and HANS EUGEN CURT FELIX, Merchant all of Leipzig-Gohlis, in the Kingdom of
Saxony, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to an apparatus for damping before and after the sound in
mechanical musical instruments. If strings or tongues are brought into vibration
they generally continue to oscillate for some time and they are also easily brought
into vibration by shock or jar of any kind and the strings or tongues not intended to
be played sound easily in company with the others which are played. By means of
this invention a string or tongue when it is to be played is damped twice, that is once
shortly before it is played and once at a shorter or longer interval after it is played
according to the desired duration of the sound. This is effected by using two special
dampers for each string or tongue or by one damper which is operated twice for each
sound.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed drawings show such damping apparatus for
stringed instruments. Each of the two dampers D'.and D2 is operated by a special
toothed wheel R and R. Fig. 3 shows the wheel R' and its preliminary damper D'.
One tooth of the wheel has slid over the projection 6' of the damper D so that the
damper touched the string and has receded therefrom before the key A was pressed
against the string S, as shown in Fig. 3. After the string has been released from this
pressure and has sounded for some time, the damper D2 is carried by the tooth
wheel R2 (Fig. 1) by means of its projection against the string S and the latter is
again damped.
The damper D may also be arranged between the two wheels R' and R2. Instead
of the toothed wheel R there might also be operated directly from the music sheet N
a damper H with pallet M as shown in the Figs. 4 or 5.
In Figs. 6 and 7 there has been used one damper for damping before and after the
sound. The toothed wheel R has for this purpose longer and shorter teeth, which are
operated by corresponding projections upon the music sheet M. First the short
projection d' as will be seen from Fig. 6 operates the longer tooth Z and hereby the
damper D is conducted against the string S, shortly before the key. A touches
the string. On playing the string the damper D is again made free. After a certain
time the short projection d' on the music sheet is followed by a longer one d², as will
be seen from Fig. 7, the short tooth Z2 is operated and the damper D is again pressed
against the string, without the key A being operated because now a short tooth of the
wheel R passes over the key and is not of sufficient length to touch and compress
the key.
Figs. 8 and 9 show a before and after damping for stringed instruments, in which
the wheel R has equally long teeth and the damper D is provided with two projec-
tions and 6. Fig. 8 shows the apparatus when the short projection d' of the music
sheet N operates a tooth of the wheel for the preliminary damping by means of
the projection b' and for the thereon following playing of the string by operation
of the device A. In Fig. 9 is shown how the long projection d of the music sheet N
touches the same tooth and turns the wheel R further for the after damping over the
projection of the damper D, so that a tooth thereof remains between the two
damper projections 61 and 6 for a new operation.

page_text: Fig. 10 shows the application of a damper D with two projections 61 and 6 for
application to vibrating tongues which damper is operated by the wheel R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
In mechanical musical instruments :--
1. The combination with vibratory sound producers and dampers therefor, of means
for applying such damping devices severally to each sound producer before and after
it is vibrated.
2. The combination with a vibratory sound producer, of a before damper and
an after damper each operated by a special wheel or one of them or both directly
by the music sheet.
3. The combination with a vibratory sound producer and a key for setting it in
vibration, of a damper and a wheel for operating the damper and key, said wheel
having alternately short and long teeth whereby the damper is operated by each of
the teeth but the tune key only by the longer tooth.
4. The combination of a vibratory sound producer and a wheel for vibrating the
same with a damper provided with two projections to be operated by the wheel so
that it is operated twice for each sound and a music sheet having alternately short
and long projections for operating said wheel.
Dated this 8th day of June 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for Applicants.