AN IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery.
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the In-
vention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTES."-A communication'
from abroad by Milton Waldo Hanchett, of Syracuse, in the
County of Onondaga, and State of New York, United States of
America.
:
COMPLETE.SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 2nd September 1874, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, ›
Patent Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “AN IMPROVEMENT
✓ IN PIANOFORTES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for

page_text: the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been com.
municated to me from abroad by Milton Waldo Hanchett, of Syracuse,
in the County of Onondaga, and State of New York, United States of
America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a mechanical attachment suited to all kinds,
styles, and patterns of pianofortes, whereby it is designed to enable a
performer to sustain or permit the continuance of the sound of a single
one, two, or more strings or unisons after a key or keys, by which the
vibrations were produced, have returned to their place of rest.
The attachment consists, as represented in this example, in which it
is adapted to square pianos having the so-called over-dampers of a bar
or rod of wood or other material suspended near the ends of the
dampers, so as to swing towards and from them, and having a series of
any desired number of tongues or jacks of metal or other material
attached to it, said tongues projecting towards the dampers and placed
the same distances apart as they are, and the bar being connected with
a pedal, so that after the dampers have been raised they may be caught
by the tongues (one or more) and held off the strings after the keys go
back by causing the bar to swing forward by the pedal and swing the
tongues under the dampers, and when the bar is allowed to swing back
the tongues will withdraw and leave the dampers unaffected by them.
The tongues are also hinged to the bar, so as to swing upward and
allow the dampers to rise and fall under them without obstruction while
holding other dampers up.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion
of a piano shewing the application of the attachment; Figure 2 is a
side elevation; and Figure 3 is a cross section of the tongue or jack
bar. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A, represents the dampers; B, the strings; C, represents the bar;
and D, the tongues or jacks of the attachment; E is an arm or crank,

page_text: by which to attach a rod F for connecting the bar with the pedal for
working it. This bar is suspended from pivots G by arms H, so as, to
swing toward and from the dampers. The pivots are on arms I
projecting from a stand J supported by rods K. The jacks are hinged
to the bar at L, so as to swing upward readily, but they rest on
shoulders M, which maintain them at the proper height for catching
and holding the dampers.
The tongues may have a sliding motion instead of swinging if made.
to work independently of each other, but they will probably work
easier and with less wear by swinging. The object of the swinging
motion of the bar is that the tongues will swing low down under the
dampers, so as not to strike against them.
The apparatus is so arranged and adjusted that while at rest the
dampers may pass the ends of the tongues freely. When the bar is
moved forward only such dampers as are already up are caught or
retained by the tongues. The dampers at rest allow the tongues to pass
above them, and if while the tongues are forward a damper is lifted the
tongue immediately over it is free by reason of its joint or hinge to be
carried up with it, and in this position it will not catch or retain the
damper. Thus while a lifted damper is being held up by one of the
tongues other dampers are free to act.
The improvement is most desirable and effective whe applied to the
tones of the piano below what is known as the middle C. A bass or
fundamental tone may thus be continued after being sounded, while
at the same time both hands are at liberty to perform upon other keys; ·
in effect giving a pedal note to lighter harmonies being played on other
parts of the instrument. To produce this result a key is struck and its
damper thrown up from the string. The foot is then pressed on the
pedal connected with the bar and the bar is thrown forward causing a
tongue to catch and retain the uplifted damper, while the key is allowed
to assume its former position by removal of the 'hand. The string is
thus left free to vibrate and its sound to continue until vibration ceases
or the damper is allowed to drop by the removal of the foot from the
pedal.
The apparatus may also be used to sustain as many of the dampers
at one time as the number of the tongues attached to the bar by first
lifting all the dampers by means of the forte or damper pedal, and then

page_text: swinging the tongues under them. Thus the effect of a divided pedal
may be produced. This pedal does not in any way interfere with or
impede the action of the ordinary pedals. Other beautiful efects may
be produced with this improvement by skilful performers.
-
In the practical construction of the apparatus, the form, construction, 5
and arrangement will be varied to adapt it for use in any kind or
style of piano. It is proposed to call this improvement a "Sostenuto
attachment."
This apparatus or improvement may be so arranged or placed in a
pianoforte that the tongues will catch or act upon the damper lifters, 1
levers, keys, or connections, as may be required, by the peculiar form
or construction of a pianoforte or its action, or differing from the piano'
as here described.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to 1
secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The pianoforte attachment herein described, consisting essen-
tially of a series of tongues hinged or otherwise attached to a moveable
bar C, and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before set forth.
Secondly. In combination with the damper lifters, levers, keys, or
connections of a pianoforte, the series of tongues D and moveable
bars C, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the
purpose described.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have 2
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in.
the year of our Lord One' thousand eight hundred and seventy-.