Year: 1886

page_text: I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings; Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:→
This invention relates to an appliance to pianofortes for the purpose of
graduating their tones by reducing their strength, and of silencing them altogether
while a performer practises execution on the keys. For this purpose a thin slip of
deadening material is extended across but just clear of the strings near where the
hammers strike them, and this slip can at pleasure be moved so as to become
interposed between the hammers and the strings. The slip if it is required
for entirely silencing the tones may be of wood or metal covered with felt.or
equivalent material, fitted in slides, and moved by handles or knobs to or from its
two positions.
If it is required for graduating or reducing strength, the slip may be of fabric
more or less soft and thick so as to deaden more or less the blows of the haminers.
A convenient arrangement is to employ a sheet of suitable fabric and a rollér, likê
a blind, and attach it to springs so that it can be interposed between the hammers
and the strings when the roller is turned in the one direction and withdrawn
when the roller is reversed. This sheet,may vary in thickness and consistence in
successive parts of its length so that the tones may be graduated according as one
part or another is interposed between the baminers and the strings.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Appliance. to Pianofortes for Graduating and Silencing
their Tones.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southamption Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 appliance to pianofortes for the purpose of
graduating their tones by reducing their strength, and of silencing them altogether
while a performer practices execution on the keys. For this purpose a slip or strip
of deadening material is extended across the strings where the hammers strike
them, this slip being so mounted that it can at pleasure be interposed between the
hammers and the strings or removed from that position. The slip is of fabric such
as soft felt, thick where it faces the heavy bass strings and thinner where it faces
the treble strings.
Apparatus for this purpose is shown in the accompanying drawing which
represents a part transverse section of a piano having vertical strings with a
silencing appliance according to this invention. S represents part of one of the
strings and H the hammer which strikes it. In front of the strings is mounted a
spindle A which may be of wood extending across the whole width of the sound
board and pivotted at each end to the framing. On this spindle is fixed a strip of
felt F, which is preferably made of tapering thickness, thin where it faces the
treble strings, and considerably thicker where it faces the bass strings. Instead of
using tapering felt, several thicknesses may be used where greater thickness is
desired. At one end of the spindle A is a pinion gearing with a rack C that is
connected to a pull P near the end of the keyboard within convenient reach of
the performer's hand. Usually the pall P is in the position shewn, the strip of
felt F hanging clear away from the strings. When it is desired to silence or
nearly silence the instrument, the pull P is pulled raising the strip of felt nearly
or quite to the position F' and thus interposing it between the hammers and the
strings. The stroke of the hammer being thus more or less deadened produces
little or no sound.
Obviously, instead of employing a rack and pinion for turning the spindle A,
a cord and pulley or other convenient mechanism may be applied to effect the
movement described.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An appliance to pianofortes for graduating and silencing their tones, consisting
of a slip of felt or other suitable deadening material extending across the range of
strings and mounted on a spindle which can at will be turned so as to interpose
the slip between the strings and the hammers that strike them, substantially as
herein described.