Improvements in Pianofortes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pianofortes.
We, RUDOLPH MALDIFANI, Merchant and CARLO BOZZA, Engineer, both
of 101, Shaftesbury Avenue, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
The object of our invention is to enable a performer on the pianoforte to sustain
the sound so long as a key or keys is or are held down without employing
additional hammers and also to enable the performer (if desired) to gradually
increase the sound from pianissimo to fortissimo or vice versâ or to change from
pianissimo to fortissimo or vice versa instantly.
According to our invention we provide a means whereby the ordinary hammers
are brought into contact with the wires but on depressing a key or keys the
hammer or hammers connected with the depressed key or keys is or are released
to a small extent and have a rapid vibrating motion imparted to them so long as
the keys are held down. We also provide a means whereby the change from an
ordinary to a sustaining piano is made instantly. The vibrating action is actuated
by a special pedal or other suitable means so that if the vibration action is put out
of operation and the hammers held up to the wires the piano may be played on as
an ordinary one but the sound therefrom is inaudible in the next room to that
in which the piano is placed but such sound may be gradually increased when
desired similar to the swell of an organ or the piano may be played in the ordinary
way.
And in order that our invention may be the better understood we will proceed to
explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings in
which
Fig. 1 represents a side view of the hammer mechanism of an upright or
cottage piano and Fig. 2 a front view of the pedal connections of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are details hereinafter alluded to.
Same letters denote same parts in all the figs.
a is the piano wire & hammer c key d the ordinary piano action e a projecting
piece to which is attached a ribbon or flat band f. 9. is a metal ring to which is
attached one end of a spring h the other end of which is fastened to an
oscillating strip or rail i pivotted at j to the support. k is a guide pulley / a cord
attached at one end thereof to the rail i and at the other end to the lever m. n is a
vibrating piece of wood or other suitable material pivotted to the hammer rail o,
and actuated by means of a cord or catgut string p attached at one end to the
pin p" and at the other end to the piece q pivotted to the vibrating or oscillating
lever 7.
The piece n hereinafter called the "vibrator" is made in two (or more)
portions so as to enable the bass to be played with the sustaining action while the
treble is played as on an ordinary piano or vice versa. The hammers have on the
fronts thereof a projections against which the vibrator bears when in action. tis
a cord attached at one end to the pin " and at the other to the pivotted lever u for
the purpose of regulating the amptitude of the vibration of the vibrator n and vis
a pivotted bar made in sections preferably two connected by a cord ¹ to the
lever m.
are rotating cams operated by cords y y' attached to the pedal
connections 22. A A' are springs for returning the cams xx¹ to their normal
position. The lever is vibrated by means of a crank and connecting rod as
shewn and may be driven by a belt and fly wheel not shewn actuated by a pedal
or by other suitable means. The lever is furnished with two pieces q. q' hinged
thereto connected by the cords B. B' to the pedal rods z z¹.
"

page_text: CC are springs. DEFGH guide pulleys.
The operation is as follows. When it is desired to put the sustaining gear into
action, say for the bass the pedal attached to the piece is depressed and motion
given to the lever by means of the fly wheel or otherwise.
20
On depressing the pedal the piece assumes the position shewn in dotted lines
Fig. 2 thereby tightening the cord p and causing the vibrator n to oscillate. The
hammers are also brought up to the wires by means of the cam & raising the free end
of the lever m and depressing the end to which is attached the cord t acting on the
lever i, the same movement also raises the bar v preventing the keys from being
depressed to their full extent.
The first portion of the movement of the pedal also depresses the lever u by
means of the projection" on the cam and the further downward movement
of the pedal allows the said lever to rise increasing the amptitude of vibration of
the vibrator which is controlled by the said lever through the cord t.
When a key is depressed the pin at the back of the key raises the ring g
thereby allowing such key to be acted on by the "vibrator."
The swell effect is obtained by depressing (by means of the pedal) the lever u to
its fullest extent and by a still further depression of the pedal allowing the said
lever to rise again as herein before mentioned the lever m being unaffected by
reason of the shape of the shaded portion of the cam a. The piano may be played
in the ordinary way as long as the pedals are not depressed.
When the sustaining action is in operation, a clear note is produced of the same
nature throughout.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent respectively back view of a portion of the "vibrator
and section of same.
"
The vibrator has attached thereto a series of metal tongues K K capable of
adjustment nearer to or further from the vibrator by means of the screws L. These
tongues act on the projections S on the hammers b. there being a tongue for each
hammer and the tongues are adjusted by means of the screws L till the hammers
just touch the wires or stand at equal distances therefrom so as to keep the tone
even.
The treble portion of the pianoforte is actuated by means of the pedal piece z¹
cam ' and levers u' and m' in the same manner as hereinbefore described for the
bass portion, the cord p' being tightened by means of the piece q' whereby the
motion of the lever r is transmitted to the treble portion of the "vibrator"
The
This invention is applicable to existing pianofortes the whole of the levers
cams and pulleys shewn in Fig. 2 being mounted on a suitable frame for that
purpose.
Our invention may also be applied to grand pianofortes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
I. In a pianoforte the vibrator n substantially as described and shewn for the
purpose specified.
II. In a pianoforte projecting pieces e and s attached to the hammers for the
purpose stated.
III. In a pianoforte the pin or wire e¹ for the purpose stated.
IV. In a pianoforte the vibrating lever having a cord tightening device
attached thereto for the purposes stated.
V. In a pianoforte the combination of the cams x and x¹ with the levers mm¹
u and u¹ substantially as described and shewn for the purposes stated.
VI. In a pianoforte the combination of the vibrator with a means of regulating
the amptitude of the vibrations thereof substantially as described.
VII. In a pianoforte the combination of the ribbon or band fring g and spring h
with movable rail i substantially as described and shewn for the purpose stated.
VIII. In a pianoforte. the movable bar or rail v for the purpose stated.

page_text: IX. The improved sustaining and swell action operating with the ordinary
nammers for pianofortes substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 17th don of Ion 1801
BROWNE & Co.,
60, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for Applicant.