US291528A - Piano-forte-damper action - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. W. NEILL. PIANO FORTE DAMPER ACTION.

Patented Jan. 8, 1884.

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GEORGE lYASHIXGTOX NEILL, OF BOSTOX, llL\SS.-'\(l-llfSEl"lS.

PlANG-FORTE-DAMPER ACTiON.

SPECIFICATION forming To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE \Vi-rsruxtxrox NEILL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Forte-Damper Actions; and I do here by declare the same to be described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piano key and damper, and the operative lever of the latter,as provided with my invention, the nature of which is defined in the claims hereinafter presented.

In Fig. 1 the parts are shown in the position they have when the damper is down upon the string; but in Fig. 2, which is a view similar to that of Fig. l, the damper is exhibited as held in a raised position by means of the retainer and latch, to be hereinafter described, the key being shown as fallen back upon its rest.

The invention is to support the damper in a raised position relatively to its string in order that there may be a prolongation of the sound emitted by the string, or more or less vibration of such string immediately after the string may have been struck by the hammer of the action, and such hammer may have fallen back upon its rest. The invention is independent of the usual pedal and mechanism for raising all the dampers at once oft the strings, and is to effect the elevation of one or more of them, as circumstances may require.

In the drawings, A denotes the key; 13, the damper, and O the operative lover of such damper, the damper-rod a at its lower part being pivoted to the lever, and such lever being projected over and upon the key in manner as represented. The fulcrum of such lever is shown at I). Arranged over the lever is the retainer D, which is a bar wedged shaped or otherwise properly formed in transverse section. It extends along over each of the damper-levers, and at each of its ends and at its middle is supported by an arm, 0. By means of such arm it is movable in a short are of a circle,and between two stationary stops, (Z and e,'arranged as represented. The movement upward of such retainer is to be effected by a pedal suitably connected with one or each of part of Letters Patent No. 291,528, dated January 8, 1884.

Application filed June 5,1853. X0 model.)

the said arm, and arranged in a convenient position for a player on the piano to operate it (the said pedal) by his foot.

Between the retainer D and the j oint-piece d of the damper-rod there isalatch, E, which. shaped as shown, is pivoted to the damper lever and drawn forward or toward the retainer by means of a spring, 0, connected to the said lever and latch. The upper part or head of the latchis beveled or inclincd,as represented, and there is screwed through the shank of the latch a wire, f, provided at its ends next to the retainer with a button or stop,

7, to bear against a stop or abutment, g, of

the damper-lever. On striking the key, the damper-lever and damper will be operated in the ordinary manner,provided the pedal is not depressed by the performer; but should the pedal be operated so as to cause the retainer to be forced up against the upper of its stops, and the hey be struck, the latch, while the damper-lever may be in motion upward, will be borne in contact with the retainer and be moved so as to catch or hool; upon it and with it hold the damper up ofi' the string after or before the hand of the performer may have left the key and while the retainer may be in its elevated position.

Although the latch is shown in the drawings as pivoted to the damper-lever, it may, in some cases, be pivoted to the jointpiece d,- but I preferto connect it directly with the said lever.

lVith my invention important advantages are attainable in the playing of the piano forte, for with it any one or more of the damp ers may be held raised relatively to the string or strings while the keys of other dampers maybe in the act of being played; and, be sides, by having the latch to operate as de scribed with the retainer, there is no danger of injury to the damper-lever or to the retainer, that is liable to follow when the retainer is arranged opposite to and parallel with the ends of the damper-levers, and provided with mechanism for forcing it toward and underneath such levers, and the pedal is moved a little out of true, so as to force the retainer against the ends of the levers.

I. claim 1. The combination, with the movable retainerto be elevated by a pedal, and with the damper and its operative lever, of the latch by a pedal and to operate with the latch, suband its actuating-spring, and means for arstantially in manner and for the purpose as 1c resting the forward movement of the said latch, explained.

as explained.

2. The damper-lever provided with the GEORGE ASHIBGTOA EEILL' abutment and the latch, its operative spring, lVitnesses: and adjustable stop, in combination with the R. H. EDDY,

damperand also with the retainer tobe moved I E. B. PRATT.

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