Improvements in Pedal Pianos.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pedal Pianos.
We, LAWRENCE ALONZO SUBERS, of Phoebus, Elizabeth City County, State
of Virginia, United States of America, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, and
SAMUEL BRITTON COUGHLIN of 207, South 5th Street, Philadelphia, Penn-
sylvania, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of my invention is to provide musicians with a piano constructed for
being played by means of pedal keys and available for use either alone or in com-
bination with an ordinary piano or organ, so that the performer has the same
facilities for pedal practice as though playing upon an expensive pedal organ, my
improved pedal piano, when used in connection with an ordinary instrument, also
supplementing and enriching the tone of the same.
In the accompanying drawings:-
:-
Figure 1, is a perspective view of my improved pedal piano, looking at the front
of the same;
Figure 2, is a perspective view, on a smaller scale, illustrating the rear of the
pedal piano and showing the same in position for use in connection with an ordinary
piano;
Figure 3, is a transverse section of my improved pedal piano, on a larger scale
than Fig. 1;
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section on the line 1-2, Figure 3, but on a smaller
scale;
Figure 5, is a longitudinal section illustrating in elevation the sounding board,
metal frame and string scale of the piano ;
Figure 6, is a plan view of the pedals and concentrating mechanism employed in
connection therewith;
Figures 7 and 8, are detached views illustrating certain minor features of the
invention, and
Figure 9, is a plan view illustrating a special construction of the pedals with the
view of effecting economy
in space.
My improved pedal piano consists essentially of an upright casing A having a
sounding board B and metal frame D, the latter having the usual pins for the wire
strings of the scale, all the strings, however, from treble to bass, running in the
same direction, and both frame and strings extending diagonally from one of the
lower corners of the casing to the opposite upper corner of the same, as shown in
Figure 5, so as to insure the maximum length of string compatible with the desired
limited height of the instrument.
The hammer action may be substantially similar to any of these ordinarily
employed in pianos, the lifter pins a however, being somewhat longer than
usual, owing to the fact that they extend down to the base of the instrument,
which distance is somewhat greater than that between the upper portion of the
action and the keys of an ordinary piano.
The means for operating the damper-lever roller 6 whereby the dampers are
removed from contact with the strings for prolonging the note and the means
for moving the hammer rail d so as to vary the stroke of the hammers are
also somewhat different from the devices employed for like purposes in an
ordinary piano, that is to say, the roller bis connected to an arm bª which
projects through an opening in the front of the casing A and has at the outer
end, a handle b, as shown in Figure 7, and the lever d¹ which acts upon the
hammer rail d is likewise connected to an arm d³ which extends through-an

page_text: opening in the casing, and has, beyond the same, a handle d'each of the arms b¹
and having a catch lug c serving to retain the arm when it is pushed
inward. By this means both the dampers and the hammer rail are under direct
control of the performer seated upon the stool F at the front of the casing so
that the prolonged notes and loud and soft pedal effects can be produced as
readily as upon an ordinary piano.
The seat F is hung to a strip F1 on the front of the casing A and when
extended is supported by swinging brackets F hinged to the front of the casing
and located adjacent to the ends of the stool, but when these brackets are
folded in against the front of the casing the stool can be lowered so as to occupy
but little space.
The pedal frame G is preferably independent of the casing of the instrument,
although it may form part of the same, if desired, and the pedals G' are hung
by hinges on a transverse bar f¹ on this frame and are acted upon by springs f
tending to elevate their outer ends, the pedals being otherwise similar to those
of an ordinary pedal organ, the pedals shown in the present instance comprising
a full pedal scale of thirty notes.
The inner end of each pedal carries an adjustable pin 9, which acts upon one
arm of a lever H hung within the projecting base A' of the instrument, and
this lever acts upon a second lever H' which carries the usual rocker for the
lower end of the lifting pin a. The adjustment of the pins 9 serves to com-
pensate for any irregularity in the alignment of the pedals due to irregularities
in the floor, or other causes.
The object of using the intermediate system of levers H H is to permit of the
concentration of the action at one side of the instrument and within considerably
less compass than the width of the pedal frame, the levers H H' being angularly
disposed in respect to the pedals, as shown for instance in Figure 6, hence the
strings may be disposed diagonally within the casing so as to insure the maximum
length of string compatible with the height of the instrument, as before described.
-A single spring hacts upon each lever H, and serves to elevate the meeting
ends of both of the levers H, H¹.
Instead of using the interposed levers H H' as a concentrating device, I prefer
in many cases to provide the inner end of each of the pedals with a right angled
bar i whereby it is connected to a finger properly disposed in respect to the action,
these concentrating bars i being of different lengths as shown in Figure 9.
The front part of the pedal frame G carries a frame J which projects in front of
the frame G and has guides for two pins k so disposed that when the pedal frame is
placed in front of an ordinary piano these pins will be in position to act upon the
usual damper and hammer bar pedals k' of the same, as shown by dotted lines in
Figs. 3 and 9, this device thus not only serving as a means for operating said pedals
of the ordinary piano, but also as a means of centering the pedal frame in respect
to said instrument so that the middle C pedal is in line with the middle C key of
the piano key board, and the pedals will occupy the same relative position to the
performer as those of a pedal organ, as it is essential that they should in order to
provide the performer with facilities for correct pedal practice.
The tops of the pedals form a radiating scale being arranged on a curve having
its lower point at the centre of the series and its highest point at the ends of the
same so that the end pedals are within as convenient reach of the performer as
those in the centre, and for the same reason the tongues or projections m of those
pedals which represent the sharps of the scale vary in length, those at the centre
being shortest, and those at the ends longest, as shown in Figures 1,6, and 9.
By placing the frame, string scale, action and main casing of my improved pedal
piano in the rear of the player's bench, not only am I enabled to conveniently use
said pedal piano, in connection with an ordinary piano or organ for the purpose of
pedal practice or for enriching the tone of the main instrument, but I insure
compactness in the pedal piano itself, considered as a separate instrument.
The strings of the scale of the pedal piano are arranged reversely as compared

page_text: with those of ordinary pianos, that is to say, when the scale is viewed from the
front, the treble strings are at the left hand side of the scale and the bass strings at
the right hand side, this arrangement being due to the fact that the instrument is at
the rear of the performer, while the pedals are in front and are arranged in the
same way as those of an ordinary pedal organ, that is to say, with the treble notes
at the right hand and the bass notes at the left hand of the performer.
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. A pedal piano having, in combination, strings inclined from one lower corner
of the instrument to the opposite upper corner, a hammer action concentrated at one
side of the instrument, and pedals having concentrating devices whereby each pedal
is caused to act upon its proper element of the hammer action, substantially as
specified.
2. A pedal piano in which are combined the pedals, the hammer action, and a
string scole having the treble notes at the left hand side, and the bass notes at the
right hand side of an observer facing the instrument, substantially as specified.
3. A pedal piano having a casing enclosing the string scale, its frame, and the
hammer action and located at the rear of the performer's seat, and a pedal frame
and pedals located in advance of said seat, substantially as specified.
4. The combination in a pedal piano, of the frame and strings inclined from one
lower corner of the instrument to the opposite upper corner, a hammer action
concentrated at one side of the instrument, the pedals and a bar extending from
each pedal to its corresponding lifter pin, and serving to transmit the movement of
said pedal to its proper element of the hammer action, said bars being angularly
disposed in respect to the pedals, substantially as specified.
5. A pedal piano comprising a casing containing the string scale, frame and
hammer action, the pedals in advance of said casing, and a performer's stool secured
to the front of the casing substantially as specified.
6. The combination of the pedal piano, with a frame secured to and projecting
beyond the pedal frame and having pins for acting upon the damper and hammer
pedals of an ordinary instrument in front of which the pedal piano is placed,
substantially as specified.
7. The within described radiating pedal scale for pianos and organs, said scale
having the tops of the pedals arranged on a curve rising from the centre towards
each end of the series substantially as specified.
8. The radiating pedal scale having tongues of graduated length upon the
pedals representing the sharps of the scale, the tongues being shortest at the
centre of the series and gradually increasing in length towards each end of
the series, substantially as specified.
9. The combination of the string frame, with the scale having all the strings
from treble to bass running diagonally in the same direction from the lower to
the upper portion of the frame, substantially as specified.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1891.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.