Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
We, ELLIS PARR of 16 Long Lane in the City of London, Pianoforte Importer,
and WILLIAM Down, of 28 Archway Road, Highgate, in the County of Middlesex,
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to produce, in a more efficient and practical manner
than heretofore, a continued vibration, for any length of time, of the wires or strings
of the pianoforte, after they have been struck by the hammers, so that the full effect
of sustained notes may be obtained.
Instruments of this class are known as melo-pianos, and the desired effect is
produced by the use of auxiliary hammers attached to springs carried by a
continuously rocking or oscillating bar, the said hammer being held away from the
strings by suitable means until a note is struck, when the auxiliary hammer of that
particular note is released, and it continues to strike the string so long as the key is
held down.
Now, according to our invention, the whole of the auxiliary hammers, in their
normal condition, remain at rest, motion being communicated to them only when a
note is struck.
In carrying out our invention, the spring hammers may be secured to a rigid bar
or rail, or to rockers pivotted thereto, and they may be caused to vibrate either
direct, or through the rockers, by means of pushers or draw rods, actuated by a
continuously rocking or oscillating bar.
when one or
In their normal condition, the ends of these pushers or draw rods will rest in
line with the axis of the rocking. bar, so that they will have no movement, but
more of these pushers or draw rods are raised, say, by means
of rods in connection with the keys, or by a prolongation of the damper
wires, or wires actuated in a manner similar to damper wires, so that their
ends are some distance above the line of the axis. Motion will be communi-
cated to them by the rocking bar (due to the increased radius), in proportion to

page_text: the amount of oscillation given to the rocking bar, and this movement will be com-
municated to their respective auxiliary hammers so long as their keys are
depressed.
Our invention is equally applicable to grand pianos as to upright pianos.
The oscillation of the rocking, bar may be effected by means of a cam, acting on
a lever attached to the rocking bar, and set in motion by a train of toothed or
friction gear actuated by a weight.
This cam may be mounted on a shifting axle, which may be shifted by means of
a knee pedal or other suitable means, and the bearing face of the cam may be
tapered, so that as the cam, with its shaft, is shifted laterally, more or less motion will
be communicated to the rocking bar.
Data: 041 x Tan1000

page_text: Improvements in Pianofortes.
We ELLIS PARR of 16 Long Lane in the City of London, Pianoforte Importer,
and WILLIAM DOWN of 28 Archway Road, Highgate, in the County of Middlesex,
Draughtsman, 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 produce, in a more efficient and practical manner
than heretofore, a continued vibration, for any length of time, of the wires or
strings of the pianoforte after the have been struck by the hammers, so that the
full effect of sustained notes may be obtained.
Instruments of, this class are known as melo or organo pianos, and the desired
effect is produced by the use of auxiliary hammers attached to springs carried by a
continuously rocking or oscillating bar, the said hammer being held away from the
strings by suitable means until a note is struck, when the auxiliary hammer of that
particular note is released, and it continues to strike the string so long as the key is
held down.
Now according to our invention, the whole of the auxiliary hammers, in their
normal condition, remain at rest, motion being communicated to them only when a
note is struck.
In carrying out our invention, the spring hammers may be secured to a rigid bar
or rail, or to rockers pivotted thereto, and they may be caused to vibrate either direct,
or through the rockers, by means of pushers or rods actuated by a continuously
rocking or oscillating bar or rotary cam shaft.
In their normal condition, the ends of these pushers or rods will rest in line with
the axis of the rocking bar, or below the shaft, so that they will have no movement,
but when one or more of the pushers or rods are raised (say, by means of rods in
connection with the keys, or by a prolongation of the damper wires, or wires
actuated in a manner similar to damper wires), so that their ends are either some
distance above the line of the axis of the bar, or in line with the axis of the shaft,
motion will be communicated to them by the rocking bar or rotary shaft (due to the
increased radius), and this movement will be communicated to their respective
auxiliary hammers so long as their keys are depressed.
Our invention is intended specially for application to upright pianos with under
dampers, and the mechanism is arranged so that the auxiliary hammers will strike the
strings on the same side as the main hammers, or on the outside, and between the
main hammers and the bridge, but the mechanism may also be applied to upright
over dampers if desired, and also to grand pianos. In the latter, the auxiliary
hammers will still strike on the outside of the strings, and nearer the bridge than the
main hammers, but owing to the construction of the instrument, the main hammers
will strike on the opposite side of the strings, or underneath. The mechanism will
also require a slight modification, which will be obvious to any competent
workman.

page_text: One great advantage of our arrangement is that, being on the outside of the strings,
it can be readily applied to, and removed from the piano, without interfering with the
action, and the mechanism may be carried by a single rail, which can be attached to
the frame of the piano with facility.
In most of the pianos of the kind hitherto introduced, the mechanism has been
placed behind or below. the strings, or below the main hammers, which necessitates
an entire removal of the action, and in some cases the strings, to get it in position,
or to repair any broken or injured parts.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Fig. 1 shows in sectional elevation the action of an upright under damper piano,
with our repetition movement applied thereto, and
Fig. 2 shows a slight modification in the manner of actuating the repetition
movement.
It will be unnecessary to describe the action of the piano, which may be of any
well known construction, and we will only mention those parts to which special
reference will be made hereafter; thus, A represents the keys, B the jacks, C the
main hammers, D the under dampers.-E is the bridge, and the piano strings.
G represents the uprights of the action frame, and H is a cross rail, which is secured
to, and supported by G, and carries the repetition mechanism.
a are bearings secured to the under side of the rail H, and to which the
rockers are pivotted. These rockers carry the spring auxiliary hammers c, which
are returned to their normal position by light springs d, carried by the rail H,
acting on the rockers be are pushers or rods which are pivotted at one end to the
rockers b, and each pusher is provided at the other end with a bowl e¹.
The pusher, near, its rear end, works in a vertically moving guide f, which is
pivotted to a link g, pivotted to a bearing carried by the rail H.-The guide fis,
connected to a rod", which projects downwards and through the jack B.-A washer
or nut is screwed on the rod f, and rests on the jack, so that when the key is
depressed, the jack will be raised, and with it the rod and guide f, for the purpose
to be presently explained.
I is an oscillating or rocking bar, which is suitably mounted in brackets carried
by the uprights G. This bar is cut away for about half its width and more than
half its depth, and is thus L shaped in cross section, at will be seen from the drawing,
and against this bar, and in line with its axis of motion, the bowls e¹ of the pushers e
rest, when in their normal position. In this position the rocking of the bar I will
will have no effect, but if the bowl ends of the pushers e are raised (by the depression
of the keys) above the line of the axis of the bar, so that the radius be increased, the
pushers will be actuated more or less, and the rockers will be rocked, the hammers c
being thereby caused to give a rapid succession of blows on the strings. The rocking
of the bar I will be effected by a suitable motor, as in apparatus of the kind now in
use, or in any other convenient manner.
In place of the rocking bar I, we may employ a cam shaped shaft II, as shown in
Fig. 2, the rotation of this shaft being effected by means of a suitable treadle action
and fly wheel, or other suitable motor or appliance.
We may also dispense with the link g, and provide a fixed guide rail secured to
the rail H, the guides being held in position by pins projecting upwards from the
guides, and working in holes in the guide rail.
The hammers c, instead of being attached to rockers b, may be secured direct to the
rail H, in which case the pushers e will rest against, and act directly on the springs of
the hammers c.
In order to regulate the stroke of the hammers c for the purposes of expression,
we employ a rest, which is hung on pivots attached to the uprights G.-This rest is
provided with a laterally extending arm i, which is connected, by means of a rod i
and suitable bell cranks, to a knee pedal (not shown). As the position of this rest is
changed by the player working the knee pedal, the stroke of the hammers c will be
increased or diminished, as the case may be, and expression can thus be given to the
repetition. The same effect may be produced by attaching the hammers c to a

page_text: pivotted bar or rail, the movement of the bar being produced in a similar manner by a
knee pedal.
Means will be provided for throwing all the repetition mechanism out of action
when required, such, for instance, as the tappets on the rods f', which overlie a
rail or bar carried by pivotted arms, and raised or lowered by means of a suitable
organ stop conveniently placed, or in any other convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what wo
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination with an upright under damper piano, of repetition or sound-
prolonging mechanism arranged to act on the strings at a point between the main
hammers and the bridge, and on the same side as the main hammers, as herein shown
and described.
2. In a melo or organo piano, the combination with the keys of the piano, of a
separate repetition mechanism or action to each key, and an actuating mechanism
common to all the repetition actions, as shown and described.
3. The arrangement of repetition or sound-prolonging mechanism or actions herein
shown and described.
.
4. In a repetition mechanism for melo or organo pianos, in which a number of
auxiliary hammers are employed, the use of a separate pusher for each auxiliary
hammer, and an actuating device common to all the pushers, as set forth.
Dated this 9th day of November 1888.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.