USRE3184E - Lafaye - Google Patents

Description

@w- 5mm 1 r5 din-ital LAFAYETTE Louis, or BoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 35,528, dated June'li), 186

2; waste No. 3,184, dated November 10, 1868.

Division A.

mPnovnMnu-r m PIANOS wrrn unLobnoN Ann anemone-ATTACHMENT.

The Schedule referred to'in these Letters Patent and making part of the name.

in the county of Sufi'olk, and State of Massachusetts,

(formerly of Buffalo, New York,)have invented'new'and useful Improvements in Piano-Fortes, with Mclodeon and Tremolo-Attachment; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a vertical cross-section of a piano-forte, including the combination and arrangement of my improvements therewith. A

Figure 11 is a plan of the same, with sound-board removed.

Figure 111- is a vertical cross-section, taken on line a b of Fig. I.

Figure IV isa section to'repr'esent more fully the construction of. the compound rotary bellows.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of my invention relates primarily to the arrangement of .melodeon-tube boa-rd, reeds, and swell above the keys and below the sounding-board of. a piano-forte, in a manner banks of keys, .or two separate. instruments played at the same time.

Also, to the arrangement of three or more octaves of melod'eon-reeds, in connection with the treble-part of the piano-forte key-board, for the purpose, and so as to secure a new musical efi'ect, viz, a wind and legato melody, in combination with a piano and staccato ac- 'compauiment.

Also, to the combination and arrangementof a conducting-tube or hollow shaft, through which the wind passes, and lever for lifting, with a melodeon-tube board and pian forte, whereby the performer is enabled instantly, and at'pleasure, to connectthe melodeon-tube board to and disconnect it from the piano-forte, thereby restoring the original touch of the-piano when disconnected. I

Also, to placing the melode0nattachment in such relation to the piano-forte keys, as that, by striking singlet keys, octaves will be produced, viz, each not'e' of the melodeon-attachment sounding one octave lower than the note of the piano.- 9

Also, to connecting the bellows placed under the piano with the melodeon-tube board placed over the piano-.keys, by means of a conducting-pipe or tube passing from the bellows to the tube-board.

Also, the combination of a tremolo-attachment with the melodeon-tube board and piano-forte.

A represents a cross-section of the bottom of a pianoforte of common construction.

B is the key-frame, and b guide-pins. G represents one key of a piaucribrte, all the keys of which would ,be constructed and arranged in the same manner.

to obtain the effect of twov between the d), hammer; 1), jack, hinged to the key, as shown at D", and projecting upwardly to lift the hammer when the key is struck; d spring. These parts bl'B COIDlIl0};- and well known. D, back-rest; S, sound-board.

E represents a melodeon-tube board, wl1ich,'when constructed and used according to my improvements, should contain air-chamber and reeds to the extent of three or more octaves. I

This tube-board is hung upon a shaft or journals, upon. which it oscillates as a centre. One of the journals, marked E, is hollow, and forms a wind-tube, or a portion of the wind-passage from the tube-board to the bellows. One end of this hollow journal opens into the air-chamber of the melodeon-tube board, and the other into the air-tn H, all of which is shown in fig. 3. The'other journal is made of smaller size, and is supported upon the standard 3 as shown at e. The tube bcard will turn upon these journals as ace-ntre, whenever it is'dcsired to disconnect the tube-board and piahmkeys. This is accomplished by means of a rod or lever, e", hinged to the tube-board, and dropping down through'the bottom of the piano, andconnecting with a treadle, or otherwise. The thrust of this rod upwardly will lift that part of the tube-board which connects with the} piano-keys, entirely free from the piano-keys, (the melodeon-tube board turning upon its journals, as before described) and thereby aconnectionor a disconnection between the two instruments is instantly efi'ected at the will of the performer, theoriginal touch of the piano being instantly restored, when the two instruments are disconnected.

J is one of the push-pins which form the connection two instruments. These pins are supported by. the plate J one end of the pin touching the piano-key, and the other end is in such near proximity to the melodeon valves, that, by striking the piano'key, this pin is thrust upwardly, in a manner to open the valves of the melodeon-reeds, thereby producing simultaneously a string or piano-tone, and a wind or melodeon-tone, the melodeon-tonesounding one'octave lower than the piano-tone. This' forms a coupling of octaves, which is believed to be new, and which produces the-effect, in some passages of music, of two performers upon two instruments.

F, swell F and F arelevers connecting the swell with treadles under the piano, for opening the swell.

G, tremolo, in ,combination with the melodeon-tube board. (A'tremolo was patented by me, November 18,

1856, to which reference may be had.)

G, tremolo-wheel; G, tremolo-valve. and valve are upon the shaft g At 9 is shown an orifice, which opens from the external air into the tremolo; and at g is shown an orifice which opens out of the tremolo into the air-chamber of the tube-board, so that the inwardfpassing of the air The wheel will revolve the wheel.

At- 9 is represented avalve,which covers the orifice provement y. This valve is operated by means of the lever g,

which connects with the trea'dle under the bottom of the piano. By this arrangement,-the air may be let in or shut otf from the tremolo at pleasure,

H represents a hollow standard or tube, which-connects with the hollow-journal E of the tube-board, and forms a journal-bearing therefor. There is also a cross or continuation-tnbe, H, which leads from this to the hollow hanger H. The bellows-shaft M is also made hollow at its ends, but solid at its centre, so that the air cannot pass directly through the bellows-shaft, butis drawn-in at one end of the shaft by suction, and fills the bellows, and is discharged at the other end by pressure, so that there is a complete air-passage from the tube-board through the bellows, as hldicated by the arrows in Figtlll, p

I represents a hanger, made fast to the" bottom of the piano, and dropping down, for the support of one end of the bellows-shaft. The other end of the bellows-shaft is supported in the hollow hanger H, which also, and in a similar manner, is made last to the bottom of the piano.

The hanger-I has an aperture, in conjunction with the open end of the bellows-shaft, for the escape of the air from the pressure-side of the bellows.

I represents a valve or'stop, which covers this aperture, and I is a lever for operating the valve. This valve or stop is so placed and arranged that the performer may partly or fully open and close the aperture at pleasure: When it is closed, so that the'air cannot freely escape, the force of the weights upon the bellows is neutralized, and when opened for a free escape of the air, the force of the bellows isrestored, and hence full power of air'upon the melodeon-reeds. This imgives me entire control of the air-power of the bellows, and enables me so to combine and use the suction and pressure-principles as to produce a new musical effect, viz, a perfect crescendo and diminuendo.

L is a lever, which connects with ahinged lever, U,

which also has an arm, I projecting at light angles thereto, and passesunderthe piano-hammers, and in close proximity thereto, so that the piano-hammers may be raised simultaneously, to the extent of three or more octaves, by an upward thrust of the lever L, thereby preventing the hammers from striking the strings, while, at the same time, the same number of melodeon-reeds remains to be actuatentby the pianoforte keys, thus enabling the performer to play with the right hand a wind-n1elotly exclusive of piano, and with the left hand, a piano-accompaiiilncnt exclusive- .of the wind-tone.

The bellows has rigid arms ,'which are divided into two parts or air-chambers, S and T, by thepartition R. Ingress and egress-air valves are made in these rigid arms, as shown at V and W, the valves .V connecting "with the suction-part of the bellows, andthe valves The flap which is falling towards the stationary arm and the flap which is is pressing or forcing'the airout, falling from the stationary arm is sucking the air in, and these two principles must act simultaneously and equally, forthey are connected by the weighted bar Z.

air in: the pressure-part of the Hence, confining the bellows, by means of the valve I, will prevent or retard the pressure-flap from falling towards the stationary arm, and at the same time prevent orretard the suction-flap from falling late the quantity of tone, at will. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of a melodeon-tube board (including reeds and swell) above the keys and below the soundingin the manner, and for the pur-- by means of a tube.

LAFAYETTE LOUIS.

Witnesses i Us 0. DIOKERMAN, 'Fnasors GOULD.

by pedal and crank, orby; by other appropriate and from the stationary arm, and thereby neutralize the power of the weights, and regu-

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