A NEW OR IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOFORTES
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent do bereby declare the nature of said invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOFORTES" (a communication to me from abroad
by Frederic Rummel of Antwerp Belgium) to be as follows:-
This invention refers to the application of an independent pedal action arrangê-
ment to pianos with simple keys and the construction is such that the pedal may
be folded up into the body of the piano and then the piano has the form and
appearance of an ordinary upright or cottago piano,
The treadle key which is at the base of the instrument when depressed or struck
acts on a balanced lever which latter is raised at its opposite end and causes the
hammer to strike the string; the pedal mechanism is put in communication with
the dampers of the piano mechanism by a rod which pushes a bar or lever under
the keys to which another rod passing through the key board is connected and
operates the rod of the piano action so that the dampers serve for the two actions
at one and the same time. The pedal forms an integral part of the lower panel of
the piano it consequently does not take up room and when it is not required to be
used it is folded up under the key board frame about hinges provided for the
purpose and the whole apparatus is hidden from view,
In pianos with lower dampers the mechanism is made to draw instead of to
push. The rod which is acted on by the tail of the balanced lever (whether that be
directly or indirectly through the intervention of other lovers) pushes against a pad
glued to the bar or lever under the keys. Between the panel and the pedal there
is a key point and small spring under the balanced lover whereby the latter is
compelled to assume its normal position after the pressure of the foot is removed,

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, EDWARD GRIFFith Brewer of 33 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of said invention för "A NEW OR
IMPROVED PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOFORTES" (a communication to me from abroad
by Frederic Rummel of Antwerp Belgium) and in what manner. the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention refers to the application of an independent pedal action arrange-
ment to pianos with simple keys and the construction is such that the pedal may
be folded up into the body of the piano and then the piano has the form and
appearance of an ordinary upright or cottage piano.
%
The treadlo key which is at the base of the instrument when depressed or struck
acts on a balanced lever which latter is raised.at its opposite end and causes the
hammer to strike the string; the pedal mechanism is put in communication with
the dampers of the piano mechanism by a rod which pushes a bar or lever under.
the keys to which another rod passing through the key board is connected and
operates the rod of the piano action so that the dampers serve for the two actions
at one and the same time. Tho pedal forms an integral part of the lower panel of
the piano it consequently does not take up room and when it is not required to be
used it is folded up under the key board frame about hinges provided for the
purpose and the whole apparatus is hidden from view.
In pianos with lower dampers the mechanism is made to draw instead of to push.
The rod which is acted on by the tail of the balanced lever (whether that be
directly or indirectly through the intervention of other levers) pushes against a pad
glued to the bar or lever under the Keys: Between the panel and the pedal there
is a key point and small spring under the balanced lever whereby the latter is
compelled to assume its normál position after the pressure of the foot is removed.
In order that the Invention may be fully understood I will now proceed to describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shows in vertical longitudinal section a key piano fitted with
independent pedal action according to this Invention; when the pedal a ia pressed
down with the foot the balance lever b descends and brings with it the rod 5
connected to it by the pivot 6 whereby the small hammer 2 at the top of the rod 5
is carried towards the string 8 and sounds it; this small hammer is put in motion
by the escapement 3 fixed by an axis 4 to the rod 5.
Figure 2 shows the arrangement for pushing instead of drawing. By pushing
on the pedal h of the pedal action the balance, lever i rises at the point R and
pushes the rod against the balance lever g which causes the escapement m to rise
which pushes the hammer 2 towards the string 8 and makes it speak. The
damper a operated by means of the wire b fixed to the rod c which is in its turn
fixed to the point d to the balance lever g being secured below the frame fƒ of the
key board to the point g': This same balance lever g also serves to give the
octave by the bands; when the keys is pressed down the small rod causes
the lever g to oscillate so that the small hammer 2 strikes the string.
"

page_text: The mechanism described may be employed for grand pianos (see Figure 3) by
pressing on the pedal and the oscillating pedal b rises at the point c and pushes the
small hammer d against the string. Another important point of the Invention
refers to the pedal arrangement, when it is not used it can be folded and assume a
vertical position against the piano so that it does not occupy any space and the
instrument has an elegant appearance as a piece of furniture. This result is
obtained by applying a hinge at the point of contact of the pedal arrangement
with the piano (see Figure 1).
This Invention gives an independent pedal action in such manner that the
performer can play on the key board alone or with the pedal arrangement and key
board combined. The Inventor is aware that there is already in existence a kind
of piano with pedals but the system is completely different from this Invention.
A piano having an independent key board has been known for some years but the
construction has not been successful.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim as the Invention communicated to me is
•
First In pianos having combined pedals and key boards the mechanism
employed, to render the pedals and key board independent of one another sub-
stantially as shown and described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying drawings.
Second: The small hammer and escapement substantially as shown and
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
Third: The application of these Improvements in combined pedal and key
board pianos to grand pianos substantially as described and shown with reference
to Figure 3.
Fourth-The independent pedal capable of being folded when necessary so as
to give pianos the appearance of ordinary pianos when only the key board is used
substantially as described and shown with reference to Figure 1.
Dated thi- 09th day of 100K