IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUNDING BOARDS FOR PIANOFORTES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JAMES HENRY DUNKLEY of 3 Middle Street Yeovil in the County of
Somerset Pianoforte Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUNDING BOARDS FOR PIANOFORTES". to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the making of an improved sound board for any given
scale, and for any shaped piano, containing the full scale, with top and bottom
bridges placed upon the same sounding board.
Second-The suspension of the said sounding board containing both top and
bottom bridges, not being sufficiently strong or able to be made sufficiently strong
to bear the required pressure, without detriment to the tone of the piano.
My invention also consists in placing upon the bridge or bridges, what is
commonly known in the trade as studs, upon an improved principle, which is
specially adapted to the requirements of the case and hereafter explained.
The said stud as hitherto known is provided with what is known as the "up
bearing" or rest for the string on one side only-either at the front, or at the back,
as the case may require, whereas my addition and improvement consists in
placing the before mentioned "up bearing" immediately on both sides of the stud,
front and back; the effect being to counteract the pressure of the strained string,
which pressure was formerly all on one side but by my improvements is now
conveyed also to an "up bearing" immediately on the opposite side of the stud,
thereby making it self supporting.
The requisite bearing is thus obtained instead of conveying the said string to a
firmer part of the piano known as the Wrest plank-where also a permanent rest
is also given to the said spring.
The effect of this arrangement is to give a more powerful and better quality
of tone, from the same outlay, than before obtained, also greater sustaining
vibratory power. My improved stud is applicable for, being used upon any or
upon all of the said bridges.
:
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page_text: Improvements in Sounding Boards for Pianofortes.
I, JAMES HENRY DUNKLEY of 3 Middle Street Yeovil in the County of
Somerset Pianoforte Manufacturer 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 the making of an improved sound board for any given i
scale and for any shaped piano with top and bottom bridges placed upon the same
sounding board. And in order that this part of my invention may be clearly
understood and readily carried into practice I will proceed to describe the drawings
hereto annexed Figure 1 of which shows a sounding board for a pianoforte
arranged and constructed in accordance with my improvements.
It will be seen that the top bridge a a is fixed upon the sounding board the
usual place being upon the wrest plank and the improved position of the top
bridge a can only be obtained by the application of my improved stud d thereto
as shown separately by Figure 2.
I find it advantageous to make my improved stud d in one part as shown but it
may be made in separate parts if desired.
•
The suspension of the sounding board containing both top and bottom or bass
and bent bridges b c is not sufficiently strong or able to be made sufficiently strong
to bear the required pressure without detriment to the tone of the piano.
My invention also consists in placing upon the bridge or bridges a b c what is
commonly known in the trade as studs formed upon an improved principle which
is specially adapted to the requirements of the case and hereafter explained.
The stud e as hitherto known is provided with what is known as the " up
bearing" or rest e¹ for the string on one side only either at the front or at the
back as the case may require whereas my addition and improvement consists în
placing the before mentioned "up bearing" d' immediately on both sides of the
stud d as shown by Figure 2 which shows a section of my improved form and
construction of combination stud as applied to the bridges of pianofortes showing
down and up bearings on either side of the stud d front and back, the effect being
to counteract the pressure of the strained string, which pressure was formerly all
one side but by my improvements is now conveyed also to an "up bearing"
immediately on the opposite side of the stud thereby making it self supporting.
The requisite bearing is thus obtained instead of conveying the said string to a
former part of the piano known as the wrest plank ƒ where a permanent rest is
also given to the said string.
The effect of this arrangement is to give a more powerful and better quality of
tone in consequence of the top bridges producing tone in the same manner as the
lower bridges whereas usually it is simply a bridge to carry the strings.
A sounding board constructed as previously described will retain its form and
will not be liable to alteration.
By this means greater sustaining vibratory power is obtained without additional
cost. My improved stud d is applicable for being used upon any or upon all of
the said bridges a b and c

page_text: 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 improved arrangement of the bridge a. and sounding board in com-
bination with the improved form and construction of bearing stud d substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described and represented in the drawings
annexed.
2. The improved form and construction of the bearing stud d for pianofortes
having a bearing for the strings at the front and back and whether made in one or
more parts substantially as described and represented in the drawings annexed.
D
1
1
1000