US2975665A - Piano attachment - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 M. RoTHMAN ET AL PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed May 13. 1958 Y INVENToRb 727% lefma, um; @B'wn 51A/472131 ATTORNEY M HMMHHMMHMMHMMU MH WMMMHHAMHHW a ao a ea Y www@ .Q sw 1% @LETS Martin Rothman, 2895 Grand Bernstein, "1240 Walton Ave.,

This invention -reIteStO'gfa piano 'attachment and more particularlylto va 'device vfor lmodifying the normal tone PIANO ATTACHMENT Concourse, and VIrving 'both 'of Bronx, N.Y.

Filed May` 13, 1958, Ser. No. 734,938 y2' Claims. (Cl. 84`-"224') of the piano.

It'has been known in `the 'past 'to `provide a piano attachinent wherein a tone changing, or a muling device 'rposed 'be'twejen the `hammers of the `Wh`envmling was desired, the device comprised afabric strip, generally of felt or the 'When it was ydesired to provide different tone is optionally inte piano and the strings.

like.

effects, the device comprised a fle gral hanging strips lat Vthe ends buttons or the like which Vare str which, in turn, struck the strin walls rods permits'the 'deviceto bei the rod in place. therefrom is the fact that the or horizontally shifted as de modify the tone ,-pr Wishes to produce or lower or later g bodily so that the hanging strips.v

achieve in prior d one position.

A most important object of this invention is also the provision of hanging strips which are instable in accordance with the the hammers of an permits installation xible back having inte` of which were metallic uck by the hammer and gs to lproduce a varying ype have been `objectionable in pecially formed and installed in y event, were incapable of satisfactory In most cases, thenstallation was mechanie and 'was generally required to be done at In "regard t'o`the`va'r'ying tone devices, once inability 'to adju/stthe same became a probe, whereas the hammers of a piano might warping or the like, the tone modifying strips n their preset position so notes lwould not be varied and the device became therefore defective or ind, we have devised a piano ply installed in most pianos Thus, 'we have devised the ying device in combination trolled holder which may be engaging the opposing side of the piano. The spring 'action of the telescoping nstalled vby simply depositing 'A particular advantage to be derived `rod can thus be vertically sired in order to further oduced. In v'other words, if theplayer different effects he can simply raise ally adjust the tone changing device hammer strikes different portions ofthe This result has been impossible to evices which were preset in substantially individually adpositioning or location of y particular piano. Thus, our device of the device in any suitable piano, and also permits the strips to be shifted in accordance with the individual spacing of the hammers in any such piano, oldor new. A most importa structure is that if the positions o due to aging and warping of the suppo the individual strips of this invention shifted accordingly in order to meet the tions.

Thus, it will be recognized that nt advantage of such f the hammers shift rting structures, may simply be changed condiour device not '2,975,665 Patented Mar. 2l, 1961 L only adapts the piano attachment for'simple installation in most pianos but even improves an original installation in that the hanging strips can be shifted in accordance with structural changes in the piano pursuant to aging or the like.

The invention will be further understood from the following `description and drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary view of the-upper portion of an upright piano with the front removed to expose the upper portions of the strings, the tone modifying iat--` takenv the device when employed as to 3, the .piano illustrated-is 10 and 11, as well as a top wall 12 which is generally hinged at the back to provide access to the interior of the piano. The eighty-eight notes of the piano are produced through strings 13 which are secured by conventional means `to the piano back 14.

1 I t will be understood that the pianoconstruction per se is purely conventional including the inclination of Some of the strings and arrangement of others in groups. A series of conventional felt hammers normally strike the strings 13 so as to produce the tones. Our attachment is interposed between the series of hammers and the strings as will hereinafter be made clear.

The main body of our device comprises an elongated, collapsible and extensible rod. In the form shown, it comprises a telescopic tube having a central section .15 and two telescoped end sections 16 and 17. - End sections 16 and 17 may be solid or tubular. They are provided at their outer-ends with tips or heads v18 ofsoft rubber or the like which are frictionally secured thereover.

Disposed within the respective ends of central section 15 are coil springs 19 which have their inner ends seated against or slightly coiled about stops 20. lStops 20 may simply be an annular collar Vindented in the body of the tube portion 15. End sections 16 and 17 are connected to and bear against the outer ends of springs 19 so that said end sections are normally outwardly directed. The

connection involves simply the hooking of the spring outer end into a hole in the Vend section so thatthe end section is prevented from liyin'g outwardly pursuant to the spring action. When it is desired to install the device in a piano, ' sections 16 and 17 are telescoped or collapsed inwardly against the action of vsprings 19 and the device is placed in position whereupon the end sections l16 and 17 will be urged outwardly by springs 19 into rm contact with the inner surfaces of side walls 10 and v11.

Suspended over tube sections 15, 16 and 17 are exible strips 21 having metallic or otherwise rigid buttons 22 disposed at the free, lower ends thereof. Strips 21 may be of fabric such as canvas, or may be of cotton fabric coated with rubber. The strips are formed wit-h a circular or annular top portion designed to embrace and effect rm frictional Contact with tube sections 15-17, although slidable thereon to permit horizontal adjustment. A clip 23, which may be an ordinary staple, serves to determine the size of the top, circular end of strip 21. Strip 21 further comprises a downwardly depending arm 24 at the free end of which is secured the button 22. Button 22 may be a metal clip folded around the lower end of the strip as is well known.

The device is employed by threading the strips 21, usually eighty-eight of them, over the three tube sections 15-17 and simply installing the tube sections between sidewalls and 11 as above set forth. Buttons 22. will bev interposed between the piano hammers 25 and the strings 13 as illustrated in Figure 3. Each piano hammer 25 must strike one of the strips Z1, in most cases exactly broadside. Accordingly, the strips 21 are individually horizontally shifted until each one is in correct position relative to each of the hammers 25. The individual strips 21 permit such adjustment regardless of the individual variations in the hammers of different pianos. Further, if a hammer varies in spacing, by accident or aging, the strips can nevertheless be easily shifted to meet any such conditions. The strips, through their frictional engagement with the tube sections to 17 will remain in any set position. The action of the hammers instriking the buttons have substantially no effect upon the positioning of the strips because the depending portions 24 are very ilexible and do not transmit forces from the button 22 tothe upper circular portions. Accordingly, the strips will remain in their preset position.

It will be noted that the entire device can be shifted vertically in accordance with the arrows 26 (Figures l and 3). This is an important factor because a player might wish to vary the extent of coaction between the hammers 2.5 and the buttons 22. Thus ,he may prefer the entire buttons to be struck or only a portion thereof. The vertical variation is easily effected and the rod will remain as set due to the frictional engagement of the rubber heads 1S as urged outwardly by the springs 19. Furthermore, the device may be shifted horizontally as indicated by the arrows 27 to vary other factors such as the amplitude and the tone. In addition, the strips can be shifted to strike less than all of the group of strings constituting a note for further varying the eiects.

It can be seen from the foregoing that our device not only makes possible the use of the attachment in substantially all upright or similar piano with the utmost simplicity of installation but improves the results secured as a whole regardless of such simplicity.

In Figure 4 we show how the tube sections 15-17 may be used with a tone muffler 28. Mutller 28 has a top tubular portion encircling the tubes and a depending portion which is interposed between the hammers and the strings just as are the flexible strips. Muffler 28 has cut-outs 29 in order to accommodate structural formations (the cross-bar pins) in most pianos as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. The form of the muffler 28 is not, of itself, new. The spring-actuated, telescopic nature of the tube sections permit tion of the muffler With both horizontal and vertical adjustability in accordance with the players desire. Further,lour device makes the mufer 28 easily replaceable since it need merely be threaded over the rod.

As examples of desirable dimensions, but without any limitations of this invention, we point out that a suitable dimension for the central section 15 of the rod is 50 inches while the end sections may be l0 inches. Collars or stops the simplified installal 20 may be 13% inches from the ends of section 15 and the normal length of springs 19 may be 13 inches. It is also feasible, as will be obvious, to divide section 15 into two sections of 25 inches each, this expedient being useful in facilitating transportation or shipping.

We have shown what are considered to be preferred embodiments of our invention but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

l. A piano attachment for use in 'a piano having two opposing side walls, said attachment comprising an elongated composite, tubular rod formed from a plurality of tubular sections, spring means enclosed within at least one section and acting on a succeeding section for normally longitudinally extending said sections relative to each other, frictional engaging heads secured to the respective outer ends of the composite rod whereby the rod may be suspended pursuant to said spring means between said two opposing side walls, a plurality of individual ilexible strips suspended from said rod and rigid buttons disposed on the lower ends of said strips, said buttons being adapted to be interposed between the hammers and the strings of a piano, each of said strips being individually horizontally adjustable on said rod, said strips being formed with annular top portions which frictionally embrace the rod and are slidable thereon.

2. The combination with an upright piano having an upper string and hammer section within opposing side walls of the piano, of a tone modifying attachment, said attachment comprising a collapsible and extensible elongated rod, spring means acting on said rod for normally extending it longitudinally, frictional engaging heads on the respective ends of said rod frictionally suspending the rod from said opposing side walls, and tone modifying means suspended from said rod and disposed between the strings and the hammers of said piano section, said rod being freely movable along said side walls to vary the position of said tone modifying means, said tone modifyving means comprising individual flexible strips each independently slidable over said rod for horizontal adjustment thereon and adapted to be interposed between each hammer and associated string, said strips being formed with annular top portions which frictionally engage said rod.

. Y References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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