A DOUBLE- GRADUATED DAMPER FOR SOFT OR "CELESTE" PEDAL ACTION IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1886

page_text: I, THOMAS EVANS HARLEY, of No. 2 Upper Hulton Street, Moss Side, Man-
chester, Collector, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A DOUBLE-
GRADUATED DAMPER FOR SOFT OR "CELESTE" PEDAL ACTION IN PIANOFORTES'to
be as follows :—
An improvement in the Soft or "Celeste" Pedal, arrangement in Pianos, the
object of which improvement is to enable the player to gradually soften or reduce
the sound of the notes, from the loudest sound the. Piano is capable of, down to the
softest sound possible; and to gradually increase the sound of the, notes, from the
softest sound possible, up to the loudest sound the Piano is capable of, allowing
the player to maintain any degree of loudness or softness between the two
extremes.
The proposed improvement is to be accomplished by means of a Damper made of
felt or other suitable material, graduated in thickness vertically (as well as longi-
tudinally, as at present existing), and attached to the damper bar or lath and
worked by pedal in the ordinary existing way. The Damper to gradually
diminish in thickness longitudinally (as it does at present) from the bass end to
the treble end, and also to gradually diminish in ithickness vertically from the
bottom to the top edge. The top edge of the Damper to be of such suitable
thinness as shall give only a very slight reduction of sound when the action is first
brought into play; and as the pedal is further pressed down and the Damper
further raised, there shall be a gradual reduction of sound till the softest sound
possible is reached.

page_text: A Double-graduated Damper for Soft or Celeste Pedal Action
in Pianofortes.
I, THOMAS EVANS HARLEY, of No. 2 Upper Hulton Street, Moss Side, Manchester,
Collector, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for A DOUBLE-GRADUATED
DAMPER FOR SOFT OR "CELESTE" PEDAL ACTION IN PIANOFORTES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
An improvement in the Soft or "Celeste " Pedal arrangement in Pianofortes, the
object of which improvement is to enable the player to gradually soften or reduce
the sound of the notes, from the loudest sound the Pianoforte is capable of, down
to the softest sound possible; and to gradually increase the sound of the notes,
from the softest sound possible, up to the loudest sound the Pianoforte is capable
of allowing the player to maintain any degree of loudness or softness between the
two extremes.
The proposed improvement is to be accomplished by means of a Double-
Graduated damper made of felt or other suitable material, graduated in thickness
vertically (as well as longitudinally, as at present existing), and glued to the
damper lath (otherwise called the "Celeste" rail), and worked by pedal in the
ordinary existing way. The damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) to
gradually diminish in thickness longitudinally (as it does at present) from the bass
end to the treble end, and also to gradually diminish in thickness vertically from
the bottom edge to the top edge.
The top edge of the damper (otherwise called the "Celeste " felt) to be of such
suitable thinness as shall give only an exceedingly slight reduction of sound when
the action is first brought into play; and as the pedal is gradually further pressed
down and thereby the damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) gradually
brought further into play, there shall be a gradual reduction of sound till the
softest sound possible is reached.
The bottom edge of the damper (otherwise called the "Celeste " felt) to be of
such suitable thickness as shall reduce the sound to the softest possible when
the action is fully brought into play; and as the pressure is gradually taken off
the pedal and thereby the damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) gradually
taken out of play, there shall be a gradual increase of sound till the loudest sound
the pianoforte is capable of is reached.
The width of the damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) would vary in
different constructions of pianofortes, but a general width would be about 11 to
3 inches above the damper lath (otherwise called the "Celeste" rail). In the
accompanying drawings the width is shewn as 3 inches. The length of the
damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) would be the same as at present
existing.
The damper (otherwise called the "Celeste" felt) to be supported (if necessary)
in its vertical position by means of wire pins fastened upright to the damper lath

page_text: (otherwise called the "Celeste" rail) and to the damper (otherwise called the
"Celeste" felt) and placed at convenient distances (as shewn in the accompanying
drawings) and so as not to interfere with the strings of the pianoforte.
Take notice that I do not claim the whole of that which I have described above,
but having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) The Vertical Graduation of the felt or other material to be used for the
object as described.
Dated this 21st day of October 1886.