US164054A - Improvement in piano attachments - Google Patents

Description

2 'Sh-eets--Sheett A. STEINWAY.

Piano Attachments. 910,164,054, Patented1une1,1875.

wmwsses. A 1414021600.

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTOLITH.39&41PARK PLACE,N.Y.

v 2Sheets--Sheet2. A, STVEINWAY.

Piana Attachments.

N0, 164,054, Patentedjune1,875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica ALBERT STElNAY, F NEWT YORK, N. Y,

IMPROVEMENT IN PlN@ ATTHMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1514,05@ dated June l, 1875; application filed May 15, m75.

To all whomt may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT STErNw/lv, of the city, county, and State ot' New York, have invented a new and Improved Attachment to PianonFortes, which invention is fully set forth in the following speeication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l. represents a transverse vertical sec tion when the action is at rest. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical section when one of the dampers is sustained by my attachment.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of piano-forte attachments which l have described in Letters Patent No. 156,388, granted to me October 27, 1874, and which consists, essentially, of a movable frame, sup porting a wire, cord, or strip of iiexible or rigid material running parallel to the ends of the damper-levers, in combination with a pedal which serves to operate said frame, so that when one or more dampershave been raised, and the frame is caused to move in the proper direction, said damper or dampers are caught and upheld by the wire or strip of the frame after the corresponding key or keys have returned to their position of rest.

My present improvement consists in a rockshait, which is mounted in brackets secured to the frame carrying the damper-levers of a piano-forte, and from whichr extend two or more arms, which support a cord, wire, or strip of flexible or rigid material, in combination with hooks or noses secured in the damper-levers, in such a position that when one of the damper-levers is raised by the action of the corresponding key, and the rock-shaft is turned in the proper direction, the cord, wire, or strip supported by the arms of said rockshait catches in the hook of said damper-lever, and holds the damper-lever up from its string after the appropriate key has returned to its position of rest. One or more of the damperlevers and dampers can be held up by the cord, wire, or strip, and while this is done the performer is enabled to play with one or both hands, as may be desirable. A pedal provided for this purpose serves to impart to the roekshaft the required motion, while the ordinary loud pedal acts on the damper frame, and

serves to raise all the dampcrs contained in said frame from their strings independent of the rock-shaft and of the cord, wire, or strip connected to the same,

In the drawing, the letters A A designate the keys of a piano-forte, which act on the hammers B B by any suitable intermediate action, while the inner end of each orP said keys, when such key is depressed, acts on a rod, a, the upper end of which is situated beneath the end of the appropriate damper-lever C, which carries the damper-head Dfso that when, by the action of a key, one ofthe strings is struck, the corresponding damper is lifted up from said string, and the string continues to vibrate for some time, until the key is released and the damper permitted to fall back. rlhe sev eral damper-levers are contained in the damper-frame E, from which extends a lever, F, that rests upon a rod, G, and this rod connects by any suitable intermediate mechanism with the ordinary loud pedal, so that by pressing on said pedal the damper-frame is caused to swing up, and all the dampers contained in said frame are raised from their strings. 0n the damper-frame E are secured brackets or journal-boxes b, which form the bearings for a rock-shaft, c, and from this rock-shaft ex` tends a lever, d, the bifurcated end of which catches between the two collars secured on a vertical rod, H, that extends down through the bottom of the case ofthe piano-forte, and is exposed to the action oi' a separate pedal, which l generally arrange in the lyre between the two pedals usually employed in a pianoforte. The weight of the rod H retains the rock-shaft c in the position shown in Fig. l, and, if desired, this weight may be assisted by a spring. From said rock-shaft extend two or more arms, c, which support a cord, wire, or strip, f, of iiexible or rigid material, and in the dam per-levers C are secured hooks g, which are so situated that When the rock-shaft c is in its normal position, and one or more of the damper-levers are raised by the action of the appropriate keys, the hook or hooks ofthe damper or dampers thus raised will clear the cord, wire, or'strip f,- but if one of the dampers is raised from its string by the action of its key, and the rock-shaft cis turned by stepping on the pedal actuating the rod H, the

cord, wire, or strip j' catches beneath the hook oi' the damper-lever which had been raised, and the damper is upheld after the corresponding key has been permitted to return to its position of rest. One or more dampers can thus be upheld by the cord, wire, or strip f, and the corresponding strings can be permitted to continue theirlvibrations, while the performer is at liberty to play with one or both hands. The motion of the rock-shaft c is so adjusted that when one or more of the dampers have been caught by the cord, wire, or strip f, the hooks of the remaining damperlevers, when said levers are raised bythe action of their keys, will not come in contact with said cord, wire, or strip. At the same time, by stepping on the loud pedal, all the dampers contained in the frame E can be elevated from their strings.

B y this arrangement my attachment can be easily applied to the upper damper-levers of a piano-forte.

I disclaim distinctly the combination of a pedal or equivalent device and the damper of a piano with a swinging bar or intermediate mechanism to uphold the dampers, so that while the pedal is pressed only those dampers are upheld which correspond with the keys pressed by the performer, since such combination of parts is already well known, and I further disclaim everything shown and dcseribed in my Patent No. 156,388.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The rock-shaft c, mounted on the damperframe E, and provided with arms which support a cord, wire, or strip of flexible or rigid material, in combination with hooks g, secured in the damper-levers C, and with a pedal which serves to impart to said rock-shaft the required motion, when said parts are constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of May, 1875.

ALBERT sTErNwAY. lL. s]

Witnesses:

W. Hamm, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

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