Improvements in Striking or Harmonic Devices or Attachments for the Strings of Musical Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Striking or Harmonic Devices or Attachments for
the Strings of Musical Instruments.
I, JOHN ALBERT WESER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 423 West
43rd Street, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Pianos, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to string instruments, such as pianofortes, and to har-
monic devices therefor.
Heretofore in pianofortes, either with or without the well known tone modi-
fying mechanism, such as the damper lifter, the movable haminer rest and the
muffler, it has been customary to use additional harmonic devices in the form of
strikers movable into the path of the hammers to be driven by the latter against
Various devices
the strings to produce peculiar and distinctive tonic effects."
either resonant or metallic, or non-resonant, as felt, have been employed in this
connection, the object being to increase the scope of the instrument and permit
modifications of the tone to correspond to the requirements of the composition
being executed, or to develop effects resembling those obtainable from other
musical instruments, or simultaneously obtainable from a number of different
instruments.
My present invention aims to provide an improved device or attachment for
string instruments which can be advantageously used either as a striker, in the
path of the hammer, or as a vibrator in vibratory proximity to the strings to be
vibrated by the vibration thereof, and which is especially advantageous for the
former purpose, and an attachment of this character which shall be more effective
in use to create the desired tonic effect than have been those heretofore employed,
and which will not impair the striking faces of the hammers when used
therewith.
To this end in carrying out my present invention in its preferred form as
adapted for a striker for pianofortes, I provide a striker consisting of a resonant
or metallic, and non-resonant cushioning or felt, portions, opposing the metallic
portions of the striker to the strings to contact therewith at two separated points,
and disposing the felt portion to contact with the strings at one or more points,
preferably intermediate of the metallic points on the string side of the striker,
and to receive the major portion of the blow from the hammer on the hammer side
of the striker; and I preferably form the striker of substantially annular form,
and of elastic metal under tension, as for example of a double coil or convolution
of spring metal, the axis of which is at right angles or approximately so to the
strings, inserting the felt between the convolutions of this coil to obtain the
desired tortional strain thereon, and to connect the parts together, and enclosing
an additional felt pad within the coil at the hammer side thereof. I also provide

page_text: certain other features of improvement which will be hereinafter more fully set
forth.
According to my present invention the striker itself is provided with various
features of improvement, and the character of striker is preferably also varied
for different portions of the instrument.
The preferred construction of striker consists of an active portion and a sup-
porting portion. The supporting portion is preferably non-resonant, and consists
of a strip of felt or other suitable material, extending from the top to the bottom
of the striker, and attached near its upper end to the rail. The striking portion
is preferably formed of a resonant member of substantially annular contour,
having two striking points, and intermediate connecting portions, within which
portions is a hollow or space within which is located some suitable cushioning or
non-resonant material, preferably the face of the strip. The resonant member
is an elastic spiral wire, between the convolutions' of which the lower end of the
strip is grasped, so that the spiral is under elastic tension proportioned to the
thickness of the strip, and its convolutions on each side of the latter are sub-
stantially parallel, being joined by the angular portion of the wire, near which
the end of each convolution is a free end. The axis of the resonant member is
substantially at right angles to the strings. If desired, the striker-may be used
as thus described with either face toward the strings and the other. toward the
hammers, but I prefer to employ an additional cushion at the hammer side: of
the striker, preferably constructing this cushion of a flat disk of felt fitting within
the space in the wire, glued to the strip, and projecting outwardly slightly beyond
the wire. This cushion receives the blow from the hammer, and saves the felted
face thereof 'from direct or violent contact with the hard or metallic part of the
striker, while it also suffices to bulge the face of the strip outwardly toward the
strings under the pressure of the hammer blow, and thus gives a muffling or
dampening effect on the action of the striker against the strings.
The striker as thus constructed acts on the strings with the effect of having
two striking points which when its hammer face is arranged nearly in direct line
with the blow of the hammer, and as it is moved by the latter toward the strings,
will assume an inclined position by reason of either the action of the hammer on
it, or the swing of the pendent strip, so that the one striking point will first
touch the strings, the other will then be almost simultaneously thrown against
the strings, and instantly the force of the hammer against the pad will cause
the felt face to bulge inwardly into contact with the strings. Immediately the
rebound of the hammer will permit the return of the striker, but during the
peculiar combination and nature of contacts incident to its action on the strings,
the striker as thus constructed will have produced an effect most peculiar and
satisfactory for an attachment of this kind, and well suited to production of
tone effects in imitation of other instruments. The striker described has been
used most successfully for producing not only imitations of mandolins, zithers
and guitars, but also for producing imitations of the harp, and of violin tuning,
the imitations being so true as to be very effective.
If desired the strikers of this character may be used throughout all or any
portions of the instrument, but I prefer to vary the striker for different portions
of the instrument, and to employ for example a different form for the treble or
a part of the treble strings. In this form the striker consists of a strip of felt,
and a striking portion, the latter having a metallic or resonant striker, and a
non-resonant or cushion striker. The striker is a narrow bent metal plate
having an outwardly bent striking face and inwardly bent ends, which latter
pass through the cushion and are flush with the inner face thereof, both being
there connected to the strip by being glued thereto. The cushion is a disk of
felt having a slight hollow in its outer side at which point the striker is exposed.
In this construction the hammer strikes the rear face of the strip, and in swinging
the-striker toward the string, the cushion contacts first at bottom with the string,
then at top therewith, and then as the cushion is compressed the metal piecé

page_text: strikes the string. The point at which the metal piece shall strike the string
will be determined by the outward adjustment of this piece toward the outer
face of the cushion.
When different constructions of strikers are employed, they will be differ-
entiated according to the instrument with which they are used, or the results
desired.
I may use a construction of striker designed to give a double striking and
peculiarly cushioned effect. In this construction, which in other respects is
identical with that first described, another pad of felt is located within the cavity
at the string side of the coil, so that this pad will first strike the strings or will
exert its damper effect carlier than would be the case if the adjacent face of the
strip were relied on.
The improved strikers can be arranged in any suitable manner, for attachment
to an instrument, and can be applied thereto to be operated as strikers in the
path of the hammers, or to be operated as any other harmonic provision by
bringing them into suitable relation to the strings.
It will be seen that my invention provides improvements which, can be readily
and advantageously availed of, and it will be understood that the invention is
not limited to the particular details of construction, arrangement or use herein
set forth as comprising its preferred form, since it may be availed of according
to such modifications as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the
art may dictate, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Dated this 9th day of November, 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Striking or Harmonic Devices or Attachments for
the Strings of Musical Instruments.
I, JOHN ALBERT WESER, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 423
West 43rd Street, in the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America, Manufacturer of Pianos, do hereby declare the nature of the said inven-
tion 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 string instruments, such as pianofortes, and to har-
monic devices therefor.
Heretofore in pianofortes, either with or without the well known tone modi-
fying mechanism, such as the damper lifter, the movable hammer rest and the
muffler, it has been customary to use additional harmonic devices in the form.of
strikers movable into the path of the hammers to be driven by the latter against
the strings to produce peculiar and distinctive tonic effects. Various devices,
either resonant or metallic, or non-resonant, as felt, have been employed in this
connection, the object being to increase the scope of the instrument and permit
modifications of the tone to correspond to the requirements of the composition
being executed, or to develop effects resembling those obtainable from other
musical instruments, or simultaneously obtainable from a number of different
instruments.
My present invention aims to provide an improved device or attachment for
string instruments which can be advantageously used either as a striker, in the
path of the hammer, or as a vibrator, in vibratory proximity to the strings to

page_text: be vibrated by the vibration therecf, and which is especially advantageous for
the former purpose, and an attachment of this character which shall be more
effective in use to create the desired conic effect than have been those heretofore
employed, and which will not impair the striking faces of the hammers when
used therewith.
To this end in carrying out my present invention in its preferred form as
adapted for a striker for pianofortes, I provide a striker consisting of resonant
or metallic, and non-resonant cushioning or felt, portions, opposing the metallic
portions of the striker to the strings to contact therewith at two separated points,
and disposing the felt portion to contact with the strings at one or more points,
preferably intermediate of the metallic points on the string side of the striker,
and to receive the major portion of the blow from the hammer on the hammer
side of the striker; and I preferably form the striker of substantially annular
form, and of elastic metal under tension, as for example of a double coil or
convolution of spring metal, the axis of which is at right angles or approximately
so to the strings, inserting the felt between the convolutions of this coil to obtain
the desired tortional strain thereon, and to connect the parts together and
enclosing an additional felt pad within the coil at the hammer side thereof. I
also provide certain other features of improvement, which will be hereinafter
more fully set forth.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain adaptations of my
present improvements,
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a pianoforte showing the strings
and action, and the preferred form of my improved attachment in the act of
striking the strings;
Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the attachment raised to the inactive position
and the haminer retracted;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the strings and attachment
in front elevation, the latter being in the depressed or active position, the view
being cut on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a view of the string face of the preferred form of attachment shown
as employed for the bass strings, Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof, and Fig. 6 is
a vertical section thereof;
Fig. 7 is a view of the string face of the preferred form of attachment shown
as employed for the treble strings of the instrument, Fig. 8 is an edge view
thereof, and Fig. 9 is a vertical section thereof;
Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the metallic portion of the striker shown in Fig.
4, and Fig. 11 is a side elevation thereof;
Fig. 12 is a horizontal section of the striker shown in Fig. 7;
Fig. 13 is an edge view of a modified form of striker, and Fig. 14 is a vertical
section thereof.
Referring to the drawings, let A represent a musical instrument, B and B
the bass and treble strings thereof, C and C₁ the strikers thereof, D a striker
bar or movable frame carrying the strikers, E the side bars of this frame, F
guides for these bars, G action posts, H guide pins thereon, I guides connecting
the striker frame to these pins, J the hammers, K the action frame, and L the
hammer rest.
In their general features these parts are of well known construction and opera-
tion, the parts shown being taken as examples, for which any other known or
suitable parts may be substituted. As usual in pianofortes, the strikers C, C
are pendent objects movable into and out off the path of the hammers, and
arranged when in that path to be struck by the corresponding hammer, and
thereby moved against the corresponding string to give the desired effect from
the latter. When the strikers are removed from the path of the hammers they
are inactive, and the instrument can be used independently of them. They can
be moved into and out of action at will by raising or lowering their frame or
1ail D as usual, and they can be as an attachment removed from or applied to

page_text: the instrument by disconnecting or connecting their rail D to the rods E, or in
any other suitable manner as heretofore.
According to my present invention the striker itself is provided with various
features of improvement, and the character of striker is preferably also varied
for different portions of the instrument.
The preferred construction of striker is shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 10
and 11, and at the left-hand side of Fig. 3, and is shown in the active and inactive
positions in Figs. 1 and 2. In this construction the striker consists of an active
portion M and a supporting portion N. The supporting portion is preferably
non-resonant, and consists of a strip of felt or other suitable material extending
from the top to the bottom of the striker, and attached near its upper end to the
rail D. The striking portion is preferably formed of a resonant member of
substantially annular contour, having two striking points a and b, and inter-
mediate integral connecting portions c and c¹, within which portions is a hollow
or spaced within which is located some suitable cushioning or non-resonant
material, preferably the face e of the strip N. The part is shown as an elastic
spiral wire, between the convolutions of which the lower end of the strip N is
grasped, so that the spiral is under clastic tension proportioned to the thickness
of the strip, and its convolutions on each side of the latter are substantially
parallel, being joined by the angular portion c¹ of the wire, nean which the end
of each convolution is a free end f. The axis of the resonant member is sub-
stantially at right angles to the strings. If desired, the striker may be used as
thus described with either face toward the strings and the other toward the
hammers, but I prefer to employ an additional cushion P at the hammer side of
the striker, preferably constructing this cushion of a flat disk of felt fitting
within the space d in the wire, glued to the strip N, and projecting outwardly
slightly beyond the wire. This cushion receives the blow from the hammer,
and saves the felted face thereof from direct or violent contact with the hard or
metallic part of the striker, while it also suffices to bulge the face e of the strip
outwardly toward the strings under the pressure of the hammer blow, and thus
gives a muffling or dampening effect on the action of the striker against the
strings. This bulging is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6.
The striker as thus constructed acts on the strings with the effect of having two
striking points which when its hammer face is arranged nearly in direct line
with the blow of the hammer, and as it is moved by the latter toward the strings,
will assume an inclined position by reason of either the action of the hammer
on it, or the swing of the pendent strip N, so that the one striking point will
first touch the strings as shown in Fig. 1, the other will then be
almost simultaneously thrown against the strings, and instantly the force
of the hammer against the pad P will cause the felt face e to bulge in-
wardly into contact with the strings. Immediately the rebound of the hammer
will permit the return of the striker, but during the peculiar combination and
nature of contacts incident to its action on the strings, the striker as thus con-
structed will have produced an effect most peculiar and satisfactory for an
attachment of this kind, and well suited to production of tone effects in imitation
of other instruments. The striker described has been used most successfully
for producing not only imitations of mandolins, zithers and guitars, but also for
producing imitations of the harp, and of violin tuning, the imitations being so
true as to be very effective.
If desired the strikers of this character may be used throughout all or any
portions of the instrument, but I prefer to vary the striker for different portions
of the instrument, and to employ for example the form shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9
and 12, and at the right hand in Fig. 3 for the treble or a part of the treble
strings. In this form the striker lettered C consists of a strip N1 of felt, and a
striking portion M¹, the latter having a metallic or resonant striker 01, and a
non-resonant or cushion striker Q. The striker O' is a narrow bent metal plate
having an outwardly bent striking face g and inwardly bent ends h, which latter

page_text: pass through the cushion Q and are flush with the inner face thereof, both being
there connected to the strip N by being glued thereto." The cushion Q is shown
as a disk of felt having a slight hollow in its outer side at which point the
striker 01 is exposed. In this construction the hammer strikes the rear face
P of the strip, and in swinging the striker toward the string, the cushion con-
tacts first at bottom with the string, then at top "therewith, and then 'as the
cushion is compressed the metal piece O strikes the string. The point at which
the metal piece shall strike the string will be determined by the outward adjust-
ment of this piece toward the outer face of the cushion.
:
When different constructions of strikers are employed, they will be differ-
entiated according to the instrument with which they are used or the results
desired.
Figs. 13 and 14 show a construction of striker designed to give a double strik-
ing and peculiarly cushioned effect. In this construction, which in other respects
is identical with that shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, another pad of felt P is located
within the cavity at the string side of the coil 0, so that this pad will first
strike the strings or will exert its damper effect earlier than would be the case if
the adjacent face of the strip were relied on.
The improved strikers can be arranged in any suitable manner for attachment
to an instrument, and can be applied thereto to be operated as strikers in the path
of the hammers, or to be operated as any other harmonic provision by bringing
them into suitable relation to the strings.
It will be seen that my invention provides improvements which can be readily
and advantageously availed of, and it will be understood that the invention is not
limited to the particular details of construction, arrangement or use herein set
forth as comprising its preferred form, since it may be availed of according to
such modifications as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art
may dictate, without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. For string instruments, a harmonic device consisting of a flexible support
and a striker having a plurality of resonant striking portions carried thereby
for contacting with the strings of an instrument, and an integral connecting part
uniting said striking portions.
2. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a support and a
ring-like striker carried on and with its flat side toward said support, having
separated resonant striking portions and an intermediate non-resonant portion
for contacting with the strings of an instrument.
3. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of a swinging
support, and a ring-like striker, having a plurality of striking portions spaced
apart, and connected together by an integral part, for contacting with the strings
of an instrument, said portions disposed to successively contact with such strings
when moved there against.
4. A harmonic device for string instruments, having an angular swinging
striker, having its axis coincident with its direction of swing, and a flat striking
portion for contacting with the strings of an instrument.
5. A harmonic device for string instruments, having an elastic ring-like
striker, having its axis at right angles to the strings, and having a striking
portion of resonant material for contacting with the strings of such instrument.
6. A harmonic device for string instruments, comprising the combination with
the strings of the instrument, of a convolution of spring wire in proximity to
such strings, and means supporting the wire in position to strike the strings of
such instrument.
"
7. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of two convolutions
of wire, and a support therefor passing between said convolutions.

page_text: 8. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of two convolutions
of spring wire and a flexible support compressed between said convolutions.
9. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of a resonant strik-
ing portion and a support therefor, said striking portion having two separated
points for contacting with the strings of an instrument, an intervening part con-
necting and integral with said points, and an intermediate space between said
points.
10. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of a resonant part
having projecting points for contacting with the strings of an instrument, an
intervening part connecting and integral with said points, a depression between
said points, a non-resonant portion between said points for contacting with the
strings, and means for supporting said parts.
11. A harmonic device for string instruments, consisting of a flexible strip
having on one face in the path of the hammer a plurality of hard striking portions
separated and spaced apart and permitting said strip to flex between them, adapted
to contact with the strings, and having on its other face a soft cushioning portion
between said striking portions and adapted to receive the blow from the hammer
and thereby to bend said strip, outwardly between said striking portions and
against the strings.
12. A striker for pianofortes, consisting of a felt strip, a metal ring or disc
thereon with its axis angular to the longitudinal extension of the strip, and a
cushioning pad thereon.
13. A striker for pianofortes, consisting of a flexible strip suspended in front
of the strings and having on its face adjacent thereto two striking portions, the
one annular and surrounding an axis angular to the longitudinal extension of
said strip, and the other within said annular portion, one of said portions being
resonant and the other non-resonant.
14. In pianofortes and the like, a harmonic device suspended opposite the
strings of the instrument and consisting of a plurality of ring-like objects con-
tacting with the strings to modify the tones produced thereby, said objects differ-
entiated in construction for different strings of the instrument.
15. In pianofortes and the like, the strings, a striker rail, and means for
moving it, in combination with a plurality of strikers C and carried by said
rail opposite the strings, the striker C acting against certain of the strings and
having resonant portions first striking the latter and non-resonant portions subse-
suently contacting therewith, and the strikers C₁ acting against other of the
strings and having each a non-resonant portion first striking the strings and a
resonant portion subsequently acting against the latter.
16. The improved striker for pianofortes and the like, substantially as shown
and described with reference to Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
17. The improved striker for pianofortes and the like, substantially as shown
and described with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9.
18. The improved striker for pianofortes and the like, substantially as shown
and described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14.
100%
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.