Improvements in or relating to Pianoforte Hammers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
Improvements in or relating to Pianoforte Hammers.
I, CHARLES VANDELEUR BURTON, of 33, Queen's Road, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, Doctor of Science, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to pianoforte hammers, its object being the construction
of a compound hammer, comprising as a principal feature an elastic metallic
member or members.
Hammers as hitherto usually constructed of felt upon a wood support or
backing need to be manufactured by specially skilled workmen in order that the
instrument in which they are used may produce, in practice, the intended musical
result, and even when skilfully made they cannot be given a striking face which
possesses in combination in appropriate ratio the qualities of softness and
elasticity which would enable a hammer to produce from a wire a full, clear tone
at any moment throughout a considerable period of time; moreover the ordinary
type of hammer, even if it be adjusted initially to have the desired form of
surface contact with the wire, has the amount of that contact rapidly altered
by the beating down of the felt, and so varies the character of the note emitted
by the wire on which it acts.
According to the present invention the principal feature of the improved
hammer is a metal spring or springs so curved or shaped as to form a striking
head of the desired curvature; this preferably has felt or other yielding materia
cemented or otherwise secured upon it to effect the actual contact with the wire,
and also, if desired to line the interior of the curve or bend of the head of the
hammer. The spring is provided with damping-pieces, say of felt, secured
between its adjacent surfaces, and also between the surfaces of the spring, and
those of a retainer or gripping device therefor secured upon the head of the
hammer-shaft or stick.
The felt upon the striking face of the hammer is in general less in thickness
than that which constitutes the striking-portion of the ordinary hammer; its
object is merely to act as a transmitter to the wire of the blow of the spring,
the stiffness or flexibility of which latter, rather than the character of the felt
facing, is the main determinant of the quality of the blow delivered.
A convenient construction of the improved hammer is one in which a strip
of metal is bent at the middle of its length in an easy curve, to constitute a head,
the ends of the strip being brought together side by side to form a tang in a
jaw or holder on the stick the two ends of the spring which form the tang may
have a damping-piece of felt between them, and may be gripped at their
extremities by a small gripping device; strips of felt or other damping-material
inserted between the jaw or holder and the tang serve to damp out any vibrations
which the impact of spring and wire might set up in the former, so that a full
and mellow note comes from the wire and there is no emission of unpleasant sound
from the compound hammer or the metallic element thereof.
1
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: камолотче пашшего.
I, CHARLES VANDELEUR BURTON, of 33, Queen's Road, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, Doctor of Science, 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 pianoforte hammers, its object being the construction
of a compound hammer, comprising as a principal feature an elastic metallic
member or members.
Hammers as hitherto usually constructed of felt upon a wood support or
backing need to be manufactured by specially skilled workmen in order that the
instrument in which they are used may produce, in practice, the intended musical
result, and even when skilfully made they cannot be given a striking face which
possesses in combination in appropriate ratio the qualities of softness and
elasticity which would enable a hammer to produce from a wire a full, clear tone
at any moment throughout a considerable period of time; moreover the ordinary
type of hammer, even if it be adjusted initially to have the desired form of
surface contact with the wire, has the amount of that contact rapidly altered
by the beating down of the felt, and so varies the character of the note emitted
by the wire on which it acts.
According to the present invention the principal feature of the improved
hammer is a metal spring or springs so curved or shaped as to form a striking
head of the desired curvature; this preferably has felt or other yielding material
cemented or otherwise secured upon it to effect the actual contact with the wire,
and also, if desired to line the interior of the curve or bend of the head of the
hammer. The spring is provided with damping-pieces, say of felt, secured
between its adjacent surfaces, and also between the surfaces of the spring, and
those of a retainer or gripping device therefor secured upon the head of the
hammer-shaft or stick.
The felt upon the striking face of the hammer is in general less in thickness
than that which constitutes the striking-portion of the ordinary hammer; its
object is merely to act as a transmitter to the wire of the blow of the spring,
the stiffness or flexibility of which latter, rather than the character of the felt
facing, is the main determinant of the quality of the blow delivered.
A convenient construction of the improved hammer is one in which a strip
of metal is bent at the middle of its length in an easy curve, to constitute a head,
the ends of the strip being brought together side by side to form a tang in a
jaw or holler on the stick the two ends of the spring which form the tang may
have a damping-piece of felt between them, and may be gripped at their
extremities by a small gripping device; strips of felt or other damping-material
inserted between the jaw or holder and the tang serve to damp out any vibrations
which the impact of spring and wire might set up in the former, so that a full
and mellow note comes from the wire and there is no emission of unpleasant sound
from the compound hammer or the metallic element thereof.
The accompanying drawing illustrated in side elevation one construction of a
pianoforte hammer according to this invention.
A is a hammer shaft or stick supporting a holder B attached to it in any con-
venient way. The holder B is slotted as at B and into the slot are passed the
ends of a metal spring strip C bent at about the middle of its length into an easy
curve. A layer of felt or other damping material D) is placed around the metal
strip C and fills the spaces between the walls of the slot B₁ and the contained
portions of the spring. A lining piece D¹ of felt is provided within the curved

page_text: portion of the strip C, and a second layer D2 is placed outside that portion, being
cemented or otherwise secured to the first layer D. Between the two portions of
tlie spring which form the tang of the striking head another piece of felt D³
is placed to act as a damper. A small gripping device E is provided having a
slot to accommodate the extremities of the strip C and serving to give them a
wider bearing and prevent cutting or crushing of the felt packing. The jaws of
the holder B are shown bound round by means of fine cord as at F, but other
devices, such for instance as a metal sleeve, may be used for this purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. A pianoforte hammer having a striking head formed of spring metal.
2. In a pianoforte hammer a striking head formed of a curved metal spring
having its striking face covered with yielding material.
3. In a pianoforte hammer the combination with a slotted holder of a spring
forming an elastic striking head substantially as described.
4. The complete pianoforte hammer substantially as described or illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of Jaunare 1900
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents fo the Applicant.