US4948A - Improvement in combining metallic reeds with piano-fortes - Google Patents

Description

lhviTnn STaTns FaTnNT OFFICE.

MOSES OOBURN, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINING METALLIC REEDS WITH PIANO-FORTES.

Specification forming partot Letters Patent No. 419941.@ dated February l, 1847.

.To allan/bom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mesas COBURN, of Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State ot' Georgia, have invented a new and useful Attachment to the Piano-Forte; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe principle or character that distinguishes it from all other things bei'ore known, and et' the manner ot' making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a top plan, with the top of the ease removed. Fig. 2 is a section taken at the line X X, Fig. l.

rlthe same letters indica the iigures.

The nature of my invention consists in combining with a piano-forte ot' any known construction a set ot' metallic reeds similar to those used in aecordions and other instruments ot' like character, said reeds being tuned to the strings ot' the pianoforte and being played by the saine keys, so as to produce the coinbined effect ot' a wind and stringed instrument. It will be obvious that there are various modes of combining the two into one instrument. rlhe one I have essayed is shown in thedrawings, the palts et which are designated by letters of reference.

rlhe case a ol" the instrument is like that of any ordinary piano, except that a little more space is allowed above the strings. Z; are the strings, c the keys, and d the hammers. Above the strings I place a long narrow box, c, that extends the whole length of the keys. In the te like parts iii all bottom of this box the reeds j" are situated, lying close to the springs, with suih cient space for vibration, Sac. Above each reed there is a valve, 71, that opens into the box c above named, and when opened forms a communication between the box and reed. At each end of the box there is a communication, t, made down to a pair of bellows, 7s, placed under the case. are worked by treadles placed beside the ordinary pedals ofthe piano, acted on by the foot of the performer. When the wind is forced into the box c, either of the reeds can be made to speak by means of the connection ot its appropriate key with the valve 7L over the reed. This connection is made by awire, fm, that extends up from the rear end of the key to the valve, so that when the front end of the key is depressed and the rear end elevated by the performer, the string is struck by the hainmer in the ordinary way, and the connectingwire m at the same time raises the valve and causes the reed which is tuned to the string to speak. The valves h are kept closed by a spring, n, attached to the box inside and resting on it. v

What l. claim as my invention, and desire4 to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of a series of metallic reeds tuned to the strings of a piano-forte, in combination with said strings, so as. to be played upon by the same keys that act on the strings ofthe piano and at the same time, the Whole being constructed as above set forth, or in any other manner substantially the saine.

MOSES COBURN. lVitnesses:

Gno. YV. VVYLLY. DANL. N. LAIN, R.' RAIFORD.

rlhese are of ordinary construction, and

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