Improvements in Planofortes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1897--Accepted, 12th Mar., 1898
Improvements in Planofortes.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddun & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me from abroad by Baldomero Cateura, Jose Gimenez,
and Louis Izabal, all of Barcelona, in the Kingdom of Spain, Manufacturers), 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 a sordine, which is intended for producing in pianos the
effect known in music under the name of "pianissimo" in a degree of perfection
which the cleverest artistes have not been able to attain until now.
This sordine is composed of a specially constructed screen of thin hide, felt, fabric,
or any other suitable material; placed between the bammers, which strike the strings
of the piano, and these strings themselves in order to secure the desired effect.
The thickness of the screen must diminish gradually from the extremity corres-
ponding to the bass strings towards the extremity corresponding to the treblo
strings.
The bammers must strike the strings when the sordine operates, at certain points
in relation to the border of the skin, felt, or fabric, which constitutes the sordine;
that is to say, that the hammera inust strike the strings at the points of intersection
of the border of the sordine with the strings, or nearly at these points.
By fulfilling these two conditions one obtains only a slight vibration of the strings
because the strings themselves are stricken with little intensity in consequence of
the interposition of the sordine, which does not entirely prevent the vibration of the
strings for the latter are stricken partly by the hammers; it follows therefrom that
the sounds are produced with a clearness, but with more weakness than usually. The
gradual diminution of the thickness of the screen causes the vibrations to be softened
in a measure corresponding exactly to their vibratory force; there results an absolute
perfect evenness of sound throughout the register.
For operating this sordine a system of levers is put into movement by means of a
pedal. In this manner the pianist can easily operate the sordine, and can combine
its application with that of the celeste pedal or that of the forte pedal the three
pedals united produce then effects of sonority which have hitherto never been
obtained in pianos.
The pedal for operating the sordine can be locked in order to maintain the operation
of the sordine during a determined time.
A method of construction is shown in the annexed drawing where Fig. 1 is n
vertical section of the mechanism in a vertical pianoforte frame Fig. 2 is a plan view of
part of the mechanism, Fig. 3 an elevation and Fig. 4 a plan view in section of
another part. AA (Fig. 1) is the screen which is placed between the strings and
the hammers; it is connected with the wooden rod B B connected with the levers C
and C. The lever C is provided with a spring D, which obliges it to rise when the
Bordine is out of operation. With the lever CT there is articulated a rod E connected
by its other ond with a lever L seen in plan in Fig. 2. This lever Lis attached to the

page_text: rocking bar F, which carries at its other end the lever M, Been equally in plan in
Fig. 2. This lever M is connected with the pedal H by means of a rod E. By
pressing on the pedal the screen A A is lowered and by letting go the pedal the
screen rises under the action of the spring D, and the sordine ceases to operate.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal projection of the bar F with the two levers L and M which are
connected to it. To lock the pedal H the hole N through which the pedal H passes
has a part N' (Figs. 3 and 4) lower than the other part. The pedal can have a slight
lateral movement to the right and when depressed can be put into the part N¹; then
the pedal remains depressed until the monent when another movement to the left
given by the foot of the pianist, brings the pedal again into the part N and the said
pedal rises and ceases to operate the sordine.
The sordine can be applied to horizontal pianos with the modifications corresponding
to the mechanism.
The above described mechanism is only given as an example, one might use many
other combinations in order to arrive at the desired result without passing beyond the
scope of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination with the hammers and strings of a pianoforte of a sordine
composed essentially of a screen of soft material, diminishing gradually in thickness
from the bass to the treble side and adapted to be interposed between, the strings and
the hammer which strikes them in such a manner, that the bammers strike the
strings at or near the points of interposition of the border of the screen with the
strings, the operation of the screen being at the disposal of the pianist.
2. The combination with the haminers and strings of a pianoforte of a sordine
comprising a strip of soft material decreasing from the bass to the treble side, a pedal,
means connecting said pedal and sordine for causing the depression of the pedal to
bring the sordine into anch position that its edge lies along the line of points where
the strings are struck by the hammers, and means for retaining said pedal in depressed
position.
100k