Year: 1898

page_text: I, THOMAS HAWKINS, of 18, Oldham Road, Miles Platting, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Dealer in Pianofortes, &c, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows
My invention relates to improvements in pianofortes and the object of my
improvements 18 to enable a more continuous and sustained volume of sound to be
produced from the instrument when desued, in a more simple and inexpensive
manner than heretofore
In carrying out my invention I employ a shaft to which an intermittent or con-
tinuous rotary motion is given by a foot pedal or treadle at such times as it 18
desired to produce a sustained volume of sound, ou this shaft is mounted a cam or
two or more cams which are arranged to oscillate a bai or rail made in one piece,
or in sections, carried upon arms mounted on a pivoted 1od, and the rail passes
near a series of spring hammers
When the notes of the piano are depressed whilst the shaft is 1otated the corres-
ponding ordinary hammers actuate their sping hammers which coming into con-
tact with the oscillating bar o bars are thereby vibrated continuously and so
produce the sustained volume of sound desued
Dated this 7th day of June 1898
HB BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant
I, THOMAS HAWKINS, of 18, Oldham Road, Miles Platting, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Dealer in Pianofortes, &c, do hereby declare the nature of
thus invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement..
My invention relates to improvements in pianofortes and the object of my
improvements is to enable a more continuous and sustained volume of sound to be
produced from the instrument when desired in a more simple and inexpensive
manner than heretofore
In carrying out my invention I employ a shaft to which au intermittent or con-
tinuous rotary motion is given by a foot pedal or treadle at such times as it 18
desired to produce a sustained volume of sound, on this shaft is mounted a cam or
two or more cams which are anlanged to oscillate a bar or rail made in one piece,
017

page_text: or in sections, carried upon arms mounted on a pivoted rod and the rail passes
near a series of spring hammers
When the notes of the piano are depressed whilst the shaft is rotated the colles-
ponding ordinary hammers actuate then spring hammers which coming into con-
tact with the oscillating bar or bars are thereby vibrated continuously and so
produce the sustained volume of sound desired
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings-
Fig 1 (drawn partly on Sheet 1 and partly on Sheet 2) is a sectional end eleva-
tion of a pianoforte to which my improvements have been applied
Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation of the upper part of Fig 1
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the lower part of Fig. 1
Fig. 4 18 a plan of the gearing for driving the oscillating bar
Fig 5 18 a sectional elevation of the gearing taken on the plane of the line A A
Fig. 4
Fig. 6 is a plan of the front end of the treadle
In these views,-1 denotes the frame of the piano, 2 a key and 3 one of the rods
of "hoppers" for actuating the ordinary hammers 4 of which three only are
shown To each ordinary hammer is connected by a flexible coupling 5, a
hammer 6 carried on a plate spring 7 secured in a rail in front of the piano
wires 8.
The series of spring hammers 6 have near them the oscillating bar 9 which
may be a continuous bar running the full length of the action on may be formed
in any convenient number of sections. The bar 9 is carried by arms 10 fixed on
a shaft 11 supported in bearings in brackets on the frame.
A plate spring 12 or other suitable form of spring holds the bar 9 normally in
the position shown in Fig. 1 until the bar receives its oscillating motion by means
of a spring piece 13 or its equivalent from a vibrating lever 14 fulcrumed at 15
and actuated by an elbow lever 16 fulcrumed at 17 and connected by a rod 18 to
a lever 19 fulcrumed at 20 The other end of this lever 19 is forked and in the
arms of the fork 18 pivoted a wheel 21 the periphery of which is preferably
covered with indiarubber or other suitable material to prevent noise and jarring.
The wheel 21 lies upon a double lift cam 22 fixed on or formed with a shaft 23
which is supported at each end on a pair of rubber faced wheels 24 or is otherwise
suitably supported.
On the shaft 23 18 secured a flywheel 25 the boss 26 of which is also preferably
rubber coated and is driven by a fiction wheel 27 with a suitably covered or
prepared surface and carried in bearings in a frame 28 pivoted on the rod 20.
The frame 28 has a spring 30 connected to it which keeps the fiction wheel 27
normally out of contact with the friction boss 26 The friction wheel 27 18
diven by a cord or equivalent 31 which is connected at one end to a coiled
spring 32 secured to the frame 1, and the cord 31 passes over a guide pulley 33
carried by the pivoted frame 28, thence once or twice round the boss of the
friction wheel 27 where it is made fast and at the other end the cord 31 18 at-
tached to a lever 34 fulcrumed at 35 and connected by a link 36 to a treadle
lever or pedal 37 on the front end of which 18 preferably mounted an anti-friction
roller 38
The notes of the piano can be struck and played in the ordinary way without
bringing the spring hammers into action
When however it is desired to produce the sustained volume of sound the treadle
lever or pedal 37 18 reciprocated (being alternately depressed by the foot of the
player and raised by the coiled spring 32) thereby actuating the cord 31 which
each time the treadle lever 37 is depressed draws down the frame 28 and rotates
the friction wheel 27 which is at that time in contact with the fiction boss 26
so that the shaft 23 is also rotated and by the cam 22 the forked lever 19 is oscil-
lated and this movement is transmitted through the connections already described
to the oscillating bar 9. When therefore, any key 2 18 depressed (whilst the
shaft 23 16 being 1otated) and its corresponding ordinary hammer 4 is actuated

page_text: and allows its connected spring hammer 6 to spring into the position indicated
by dotted lines in Fig. 1 the said hammer 6 coming into contact with the oscil-
lating bar 9 18 thereby vibrated continuously and continues to strike its wire or
wires 8 thus producing the sustained sound desired so long as the shaft 23 18
rotated and until the player's finger is taken off the key 2 when the ordinary and
spring hammers return to their normal positions
In stead of the double lift cam 22 I might employ a cam with a single lift or
with three or more lifts if desired
I wish it to be understood that I am aware that so-called "organo
" attach-
ments have been previously applied to pianos in order to sustain the sound of the
notes and that do not claim broadly the invention of mechanism 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 I declare that what
I claim is
―
The combination with the ordinary hammers, their keys and the connected
spring hammers, of the oscillating bar or bars 9 and the means described or
equivalent means for actuating the same.
2 In combination, the ordinary and spring hammers, the oscillating bai (01
bars) 9, its connections to the forked lever 19 the latter carrying the wheel 21,
the cam 22 and means for actuating the same substantially as herein set forth
3. The combination with the oscillating bar or bars 9 and connections to the
lever 19 carrying the wheel 21, the cam 22, its shaft 23 supported on the pairs
of wheels 24 and the friction boss 26, of the friction wheel 27 carried in a pivottil
fiame 28 and actuated by suitable connections from a treadle lever or pedal 37,
substantially as herein set forth
4 The general combination and arrangement of parts substantially as herem
described with reference to the accompanying diawings
Dated the 10th
Tl
HB BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant, 17, St Ann's Square, Manchester.
HB BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant, 17, St Ann's Square, Manchester.