Improvements in the Construction of Mechanism for Securely Holding the Tuning Pegs of Stringed Instruments.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 25th Jan., 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Mechanism for Securely Holding
the Tuning Pegs of Stringed Instruments.
I, CARL SALOMON, trading under the style or firm of "Carl Uhl & Co." of Brunswick
in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement -—
This invention relates to an improved construction of mechanism for securely holding
the tuning pegs of stringed instruments so as to prevent all loss of tone from the said
pegs giving way.
My improved mechanism consists preferably of a bell crank lever to the one arm of
which the wire or string is attached whilst the other arm is slotted to allow the tuning
peg or pin to pass readily through the same.
The base of the bell crank lever is preferably made in the form of a knife edge and
is arranged either in a cavity or recess in the tuning peg rail or against a stud or
projection on the said rail.
The tension of the wire or string exerts a strain on the one arm of the lever
and the threaded part of the tuning pin which is screwed into the tuning pin rail and
passes through the elongated slot of the second arm of the said lever, enables the
tension to be increased or decreased by operating the said screw by means of a tuning
Instead of
key as in pianos or other stringed instruments of ordinary construction.
employing the recesses in, or the studs or projections on the tuning pin rail, the same
can be hinged or pivotted to suitable lugs or bearings fixed to or made of one piece with
ihe said rail.
Figure 1 is the side view of the mechanism with the parts of a pianoforte in section.
Figure 2 is a top view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the improved mechanism on an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is the top view of one of the bell crank levers of the improved mechanism.
Figures 5 and 6 are side views of the details of the improved mechanism representing
a modified arrangement of the bell crank lever.
The wires or strings s hitched onto the hitch pins t, t, run over the bridges R, S, and
are attached to the one arm ; of the bell crank lever d which are preferably so

page_text: constructed that the lower part d', forms a knife edge which either abuts against the
studs or projections F on the rail e (Figures 1, 2, and 3) or rests against the side of a
recess e, of the rail e (Figure 6).
:
The studs or projections F can be attached to or made of one piece with the said
rail e. The second arm d, of the bell crank lever d is formed with an elongated slot ^,
(Fig. 4) to allow the passage of the screw tuning peg a, the collar a', of which is in
direct contact with the arm d³, of the bell crank lever d. If the tuning peg a, is
screwed in the rail e by means of the key A the collar a', will force the arin d³, of the
bell crank lever d downwards whereas the arm will be forced to make a corre-
sponding movement and thus put the wire or spring attached to the same under greater
tension and thus the tone of the wire or string will be raised.. If the tuning peg a is
turned in the opposite direction the reverse action will ensue. According to the modi-
fication as represented in Figure 5 the bell crank lever d is pivotted at d, to one or two
lugs or bearings e², attached to or made of one piece with the rail e so that the said
lever d can turn on the pivot or axis d³.
Figure represents a further modification according to which the lower knife edge
like part d', of the bell crank levers are arranged in cavities or recesses e, in the rail e
so as to permit of the ready motion of the said lever d on the knife edge d'. The
advantages of this improved system will be immediately evident to all persons
connected with this branch of industry as the action of the screw on the wire or string
is direct, perfectly equable and absolutely sure. The screw retains the tension of the
wire or string more constant than is possible with any other system as the friction of
the male in the female threads is so great that it is impossible to loosen the same by
playing or even during ordinary transport.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The construction application and employment of a mechanism for holding the
tuning pegs of stringed instrument consisting of a bell crank lever d to the one arm
of which the wire or strings is attached whereas the other arm is held and operated
by the tuning peg a, substantially as described in the foregoing specification and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The bell crank lever d provided at its base or oferior part with a knife edge d', for
itself alone or in combination with the studs or projections F or recesses or cavities e²,
on or in the rail e into which the tuning pegs a are screwed, substantially as described
in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
3. The modification as represented by Figure 5, substantially as described in the
foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. The tuning peg a with collar a', and the elongated slot d', of the bell crank
lever d, substantially as described in the foregoing specification and shown in the
accompanying drawings.
5. The general construction of the parts of the improved mechanism, substantially
as described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.