Improvements in Piano Attachments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Piano Attachments.
1, JESSE HECHLER MOYER, of Temple, in the County of Bell, and State of
Texas, United States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
an attachment
My invention relates to piano attachments, and particularly to that class of
devices employed in connection with upright pianos for producing harp, mandolin;
zither, and analogous tones, and the object in view is to provide
having an improved construction of strikers, whereby the tone is slightly softened
without depriving it of its metallic ring, and whereby impact of each striker is
positive and uniform for all of the unison strings encountered thereby, to avoid
the rebound common to those strikers upon which the head or face consists of a
metallic block or strip, or transversely elongated object, attached to the extremity
of the tongue; to provide means for attaching the tongues of the strikers to a
tongue-bar whereby they are capable of adjustment longitudinally of said bar to
suit the scale of the instrument to which the attachment is to be applied; to
provide means for securing angular adjustment of the tongues to suit the
inclination of the strings in the different registers of the piano; and to provide
simple and efficient means for facilitating the adjustment of the means employed
for producing said tones, and for locking said means in operative position.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following
description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
appended claims.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a front view, partly broken away, of a piano to which is applied an
attachment constructed in accordance with my invention, the pedal which is
employed for operating the tongue bar being secured in its depressed or operative
position.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the piano-action showing the position of the
attachment with relation thereto.
Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the striking mechanism
detached.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the tongues detached.
Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the pedal lock detached.
Fig. 6 is a rear view of the same.
Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective of the pedal-lock stop detached.
Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
the drawings.
1 designates a tongue-bar which is adapted to be arranged within a piano
contiguous to the plane of the strings 2 to carry flexible tongues 3 for arrangement
in the paths of the hammers 4 of the instrument, whereby when in use the device
causes the production of a metallic tone instead of the usual soft tone produced
by the impact of felted or clothed hammers.
The scales or intervals between the strings, of different pianos vary according
to the make, and hence attachments having the general functions above described
have beretofore been constructed with special reference to the instruments upon
which they are to be used in order to secure correspondence between the spacing

page_text: of the tongues and the intervals between the strings. Hence, except when an
attachment of this class is applied to an instrument when manufactured, the
adaptation of an attachment to an instrument involves the preparation of a plan
showing the spacing of the springs. In order to avoid this inconvenience I
provide adjustable means for securing the tongues to the tongue-bar, and, in the
construction illustrated in the drawing, said means consist of an independent
securing device for each tongue, as for instance, a bolt 5 engaging a round opening
in the tongue and extending through a slot 6 in the bar. When the nut with
which said bolt is fitted is loosened the tongue may be adjusted longitudinally of
the bar, and those tongues which are to be co-operate with inclined strings may
be disposed at an angle. Washers or pressure plates 7 are preferably arranged in
contact with the tongues to span the slot and receive the pressure of said nuts.
Hence, an attachment constructed in accordance with my invention may be
applied to a piano by an unskilled person, irrespective of the scale of that piano,
the adjustment of the tongues being accomplished simply by the successive
loosening of the securing devices and the movement of the tongues to such
positions as will bring their free or lower extremities into operative relation with
the strings to be struck. Spacing blocks 8 are preferably arranged at intervals in
the slot to maintain the latter at a uniform width, said blocks being preferably
arranged contiguous to the usual braces 9 of the instrument, and in practice these
spacing blocks will be secured in place by glue or other means subsequent to the
application of the attachment to the instrument in order that said blocks may be
disposed with respect to the braces.
In order to insure the immediate movement of the strikers from the wires and
prevent the same from being caught between the strings, I employ a stop-rod 10
arranged parallel with and depending from the tongue-bar in rear of the tongue,
and in construction illustrated said stop-rod consists of a spring wire formed in
sections to correspond with the lower, intermediate and upper registers of the
instrument, each section having upturned extremities attached to the bar.
In devices of this class, the construction of the head or face of the striker is of
vital importance, owing to the fact that upon this feature depends the character of
the tone to be produced. I have found in practice that devices of this class
heretofore constructed have been open to the objection, first, when a metallic face
is employed, of producing a tone having a disagreeable ring; and second, when
the metallic face is covered or clothed, of rebounding too quickly from the
strings and not being so balanced as to strike all of the unison strings uniformly.
The reason for the latter objection resides in the fact that a head consisting of a.
short rod or tube of a length equal to the width of a tongue, is enclosed in a
sheath formed by folding the extremity of the tongue upon itself, and therefore
the weight of the head is wholly at the extremity of the tongue and a sharp blow
of the operating hammer is liable to deflect the head and cause it to approach the
unison strings in an inclined rather than a directly perpendicular direction. In
order to overcome this objection, I employ a flat rectangular strip or plate which
is inserted in a kerf formed by bifurcating the lower extremity of the tongue
transversely, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. In other words, the extremity of the
tongue is split in the plane of its side surfaces and between the same, and the flat
plate forming the head or weight of the striker is introduced between the sides of
the bifurcation and is secured in place by means of glue, or its equivalent whereby
the side and lower edges of the head or weight are exposed.
Thus both of the flat surfaces of the head or weight are covered or clothed for
contact respectively with the strings and with the hammer and in addition to
softening the tone the shape of the head arranges the centre of gravity of the
same at such a distance above the extremity of the tongue as to avoid the
objectionable twisting above mentioned.
A further advantage of this construction of striker resides in the fact that
inasmuch as the side and lower edges of the head or weight are exposed the
metallic portion of the striker is free to vibrate after having struck the strings

page_text: and thus produce the desired volume of tone without the sharp impact or blow
incident to the use of a head of the same weight, but of more concentrated form..
In other words, the distribution of the weight accomplished by the use of a flat
and comparatively thin plate with its edges exposed is preferable to a more.
concentrated head, such as those heretofore used.
The means for moving the tongue-bar to bring the tongues into the paths of the
hammers, include a pedal 11 located preferably between the usual sustaining and
soft pedals 12 and 13, and operatively connected with the tongue-bar, whereby the-
depression of said operating pedal has the effect of depressing the tongue-bar and
bringing the tongue into the paths of the hammers for engagement respectively,.
thereby. These connections may be of any suitable construction and include for
instance, levers 14 held yieldingly in their normal positions by springs 15, and
terminally connected to the tongue-bar by rods 16 and to the pedal by push-.
bars 17.
Arranged in operative relation with the pedal 11 is a pedal lock 18 pivoted, as-
at 19, to the pedal-guard 20, and adapted to swing over and occupy a position in
the path of the operating pedal when the latter is depressed to bring the tongue-
bar into operative position. This pedal-lock consists of a plate having a beveled
lower edge 21 to bear upon the npper surface of the pedal, and corresponding in
inclination with the latter when the pedal is depressed to avoid abrading the surface
of the pedal; and at one side of the plate or body portion of the lock is arranged!
a releasing-ear 22 for lateral pressure by the toe of the operator's foot when it is-
desired to disengage the lock from the pedal. It will be understood that the toe.
of the foot by which the pedal is depressed is located contiguous to the plane of
the outer surface of the body portion of the pedal-lock, whereby a slight lateral
movement to the left of the toe is sufficient to swing the lock out of the path of
the pedal and thereby allow the latter to resume its normal or elevated position.
The opposite corner 23 of the body portion or plate of the pedal-lock is rounded
and beveled, whereby when the pedal-lock is swung to the left sufficiently to bring
Baid beveled corner into contact with the pedal, the lock is fully displaced by the
upward pressure of the pedal against said rounded or beveled corner. Hence,
when it is desired to release the pedal a slight lateral displacement of the lock is
sufficient. It is unnecessary, by reason of the above described construction, to-
move the pedal lock entirely out of the path of the pedal.
In order to limit the swinging movement of the pedal-lock toward the right, or
toward its engaging position, I employ a stop 24 which may be provided as
illustrated in the drawings, with an angularly disposed base-plate 25 arranged.
beneath or otherwise permanently secured to the pedal-guard, said stop being
provided with suitable padding in the path of the pedal-lock to avoid jarring when
said lock reaches its operative position in engagement with the pedal.
When it is desired to bring the tongue-bar into operative position, it is simply
Decessary to depress the operating pedal. The lock automatically engages the
pedal and holds it in its depressed position until it is desired by the operator to
return the tongue bar to its normal or elevated position, when a slight lateral touch
applied to the pedal lock will displace it and allow the pedal to return.
Various stages in the form proportion and the minor details of construction may
be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages.
of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a device of the class described, a flexible striker having a tongue which is
split or bifurcated transversely at its lower extremity to form front and rear faces,.
and a flat rectangular metallic weight interposed between said faces and exposed at.
its side and lower edges, substantially as specified.
2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tongue-bar of

page_text: tongues mounted for longitudinal adjustment upon the bar, and means for securing
the tongues at the desired adjustment, substantially as specified.
3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a longitudinally slotted-
tongue-bar, and tongues provided with securing devices engaging said slot and
adapted to be adjusted to bring the tongues into the desired positions with relation
to the strings of the instrument, substantially as specified.
4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a longitudinally slotted
tongue-bar, tongues carried by the bar, and securing-bolts engaging, the tongues
respectively and extending through the slot in the tongue-bar, whereby the tongues
may be adjusted longitudinally upon the bar, substantially as specified.
5. In a device of the class described, a tongue-bar having a longitudinal slot,
flexible tongues depending from the bar and provided near their upper extremities
with round openings, securing bolts extending through the slot and said openings,
respectively, in the tongues, and wear-plates interposed between the tongues and
the nuts for securing said bolts at the desired adjustment, whereby the tongues may
be adjusted longitudinally and angularly upon the bar, substantially as specified.
6. The combination with a tongue-bar mounted for movement into and out of
operative position, of a pedal, connections between the pedal and tongue-bar
whereby movement of the former may be communicated to the latter, and a lock
arranged in operative relation with the pedal to secure the latter in its depressed
or operative position, substantially as specified.
7. A piano-per al adapted to be pivotally mounted contiguous to a pedal within
reach of the toe of the operator's foot, substantially as specified.
8. The combination with a pedal, of a pivotal lock mounted to swing thereover
and provided with a projection accessible by the toe of a foot arranged upon the
pedal, substantially as specified.
9. The combination with a pedal, of a pivoted pedal-lock contiguous to and
adapted to swing over the pedal when the latter is depressed, and a releasing ear
projecting forwardly from the pedal-lock and adapted to receive pressure to displace
the lock, substantially as specified.
10. The combination with a pedal, of a pedal-lock pivotally mounted contiguous
to the pedal and adapted to swing thereover and hold the pedal in its depressed
position, said pedal-lock having a base-plate or body-portion provided with a beveled
or rounded corner to facilitate the displacement of the lock by the upward pressure
of, the pedal, substantially as specified.
11. The combination with a pedal, of a pivotal pedal-lock mounted contiguous
to and adapted to swing over the pedal to secure it in its depressed position, and a
stop arranged in the path of the pedal-lock to limit its swinging movement,
substantially as specified.
1000
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.