US86747A - Jacob greener - Google Patents

Description

'thereby causing a diminution of the vibrations of the tat-e5- @wat JACOB GREE NER, OF

ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

Letters .Patent No. 86,747, dated February 9, 1869.

SOFT-PEDAL ATTACHMENT POR PIANO-PORTES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J ACOB GREENER, of Elmira, in the county of Chemung, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Soit-Pedal Attachment to Piauo-Foites; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexaet description thereof', which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- -V Figure 1 represents a plan or top View of my improved attachment to pianos.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3is a plan view of a piano-forte flame, provided with my improved attachment.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is to doaway with the pads which are now used on piano-fortes, to muiile the sound, said pads'being introduced between thestrings and hammers, by means of the pedal-action.

These pads did not only mufde the sound, but changed also the nature of the same, as they were foreign elements, whose vibrations`, however slight, diiiered from those of the strings, so that sounds of another character were produced as by the strings alone.

My invention consists in the applica-tion of an upaud-down mljustable rail, which is connected with the pedal, and which, when raised, will mise the hamniels in such manner that their strokes will be reduced,

strings.

The advantages of this arrangement are manifold.

By not interposing any foreign substance between the string and haunnr, the character of the sound produced will always be the same, to whatever degree the vibration may be diminished.

The motion of the elevating-rail can be regulated at will, so that the strokes ofthe hammer may be shortened more or less, to produce just the required reduction of sound.

By not having the pedal-action above the strings, more room is obtained, allowing a better bracing of the sounding-board, and preventing any parts of the action from coming in contact with such sounding board.

` B B are the keys.

C C, the hammers.

D D, the strings.

All these parts, as well as the action, bridging, and trame-work of the piano-forte, are of suitable construetion, and do not form part of my invention.

E is a wooden or other bar, extending under all the Shanks, u, ofthe hammers.

It is fastened to the ends of two which are pivoted to suitable lu the flame.

From these bars F, or from the rail E, project, down-A ward, rods c c, which rest with their lower ends on the ends of levers G, which are pivoted to the under side of the bottom, .A, as is clearly shown in fig. 2.

These levers are connected to another pivotcd lever, H, as shown by dotted lines in lig. 1, and also in fig 2, andthe lever-H is connected with the pedal in snitable manner.

Therrail E may, however, be connected with the pedal in any other manner than that hereiubefore described.

Wheu the pedal is moved, the rail E will be elevated so as to raise the hammers, and to bring them nearer to the strings. When the hammers are played, their strokes will be reduced, and they will'conseqnently strike the strings with so much less force that the vibra-tions will be diminished, and, with them, the sound.

To prevent the bridge E from being raised too high, a stationary stop, d, is provided.

It will, from the foregoing, appear that the performer can, by a slight and almost imperceptible motion of the foot, operate the pedal, so as to increase or diminish the sound in such a graceful and harmonious manner as to produce the most perfect crescendo and diminuendo.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pateut- The up-aud-down movable rail E, when connected with the pedal of a pianoib1te,ibr the purpose of elevating the hammers, substantially as herein shown and described.

JACOB GREENER.

or more bars, F F, gs l1, projecting from Witnesses ROBERT STEPHENS,

A, in the drawing, represents the bottom board of a piano-forte frame. v

W. L. MULLER.

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