Improvements in Pianos.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896-
Improvements in Pianos.
A communication to me from JOHANN MATHIAS FRIEDRICHS, of 3, Lindenstock,
Gummersbach, in the Empire of Germany, Piano-maker.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the Firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement, and
accompanying drawings, that is to say :-
The invention represented in the accompanying drawings has for its object
improvements in pianos by which a more melodious tone is obtained by means of a
suitable arrangement of the various parts, and by properly proportioning the size
of these parts.
For this purpose the bass-strings are separately arranged from those of the
treble, in connection with special sound-boards, which are placed at different levels
and partly cover each other. Above these sound-boards, a strong iron frame is
arranged, which serves for fixing the strings and for carrying the tuning
apparatus.
The sound-boards are represented in the Figures 1-4 on Sheet I of the accom-
panying drawings, which are in illustration of the invention. The sound-board
intended to serve for the bass-strings is composed of two parts A and A', shewn in
Figure 1, and in both the side-views represented by Figures 2 and 3. These two
parts are connected to each other by ribs a, which serve also to strengthen them.
The said ribs are attached to an outer frame or casing B, which is held firmly in
its normal position by cross-beams B B, serving as supports to longitudinal
pieces B, the upper surface of which forming an inclined plane is situated slightly
higher than the edge of the frame B, so that the ribs a become slightly bent.
Above these ribs are placed the sound-boards A A', which are fixed by means of
long metal strips b and screws & upon the said pieces B2, which stay the outer
frame B. The bridge c is arranged upon the sound-board of the bass-strings and
serves as a support to the latter.
The top sound-board A2 for the treble-strings is represented in Figure 4; it is
attached in a similar manner to that already described for the other sound-board,
by means of long metal strips to the casing or outer frame B, for which purpose
also a wooden frame B, shewn in Figures 1 to 3, is arranged upon these strips.
One part of this frame B is directly fixed to the iron frame C, which is arranged
above it. The manner in which this fastening is effected can be seen on Sheet II,
in Figure 6, which represents a section along line - Figure 5. The sound-
board A2 is placed between the iron frame C and an iron rail d. By screwing
these two parts together by the screws d', they are maintained firmly in position.
By means of this fastening, the sound-board A is forced to fit the inclined surface
of fame C, and being thus upwardly bent, it forms a flat vault, so that its
resistance against the side-pressure directed towards the bridge c' is greatly
increased.
The frame C is constructed in the shape
arrangement of the strings. It is represented on
the side views Figures 7 and 8 on Sheet II.
mounted upon the outer frame B.
suitable and appropriate to the
Sheet I in Figure 4, and in both
By means of the screws C it is

page_text: The arrangement of the strings is shewn in Figure 5 on Sheet II, as well as in
the cross section Figure 6. The bass-strings are attached to pins e beneath the
iron frame C; they pass over the bridge c; and above the sound-boards A and A',
and their extremities are then fixed in the usual way to the tuning device of the
frame C, by means of suitable stretching screws e. For stiffening the frame
against the tension of these strings, metal pipes DD are provided. They are
shewn in Figure 4 on Sheet I and in Figure 6 on Sheet II. These pipes are
arranged parallel to the bass-strings, on both sides of them, and are connected at
both ends with the iron fraine C.
The treble-strings-forming the so-called "even set of strings"-are attached
to the tuning device of the iron frame C by means of pins f. They run, though on
a different level to the bass-strings and crossing the latter, above the sound-
board A and bridge c', and are stretched by passing round pins fixed upon the
frame C. Each variety of thickness of these strings, is long enough to comprise
the stringe for abont & tones or notes. The various strings for these 8 tones are
made each of one and the same piece of wire, which runs alternately over the
pins and those, to which it is connected by winding it round them once or
more, it being only attached to them at its starting point and at its end. By this
means it is rendered possible for the tuning of these strings of equal thickness to be
done by means of a common device, shewn on a larger scale in Figures 9 and 10.
This device consists of a pressing-plate E, which is provided with a bulb-like
projection E which engages in a suitable concave recess in the usual tuning plate.
By turning the screws g, another bulb-like projecting rib E at the bottom of the
plate E is caused to press against the strings and by this pressure the strings are
more or less stretched and may be tuned nearly up to their proper tone. The
perfect or final tuning is then performed by means of the screws g, in the bottom
end of which a pin is freely inserted, it embracing the strings like a fork or
being provided with a suitable hole, through which the string passes, in such a
manner that it does not turn round with the screw.
Between the several plates E, the upper part of the usual tuning plate is stiffened
by ribs e, in order to increase its power of resistance, aud consequently the corners
of the plates are omitted at these points. In the case illustrated, the number of
the strings to be tuned simultaneously by means of a pressing plate as described is
supposed to be equivalent to eight different notes, whilst in Figure 5 only 5 strings
are shewn worked by means of the same plate; this is on account of the smaller
scale of the figure.
The improved hammer- and pedal-arrangement is shewn in Figures 11-13 ou
Sheet II, Figures 11 and 12 being side-views, the first corresponding to the
bass-side, the second to the treble side, and Figure 13 representing in a front view
the part of the arrangement, where the bass-side is met by that of the treble.
As will be seen, the hammers for the bass are arranged in a quite different
manner, to those for the treble. The line formed by the touching points of the
bass-hammers, and therefore the whole hammer- and pedal-arrangement, is at a
higher level than that of the treble. This is also indicated in Figure 5 on Sheet II
by dotted lines Z-Z, and the arrangement fits well into the frame C. The
bammer-butt F of the bass-hammers G is attached to, and free to turn round, the
upper part of the longitudinal rail H of the hammers, and works in the usual
manner, being actuated by the pushing piece J, the lever K turning round its
pivot h. Simultaneously with this working, the lifting from the strings of the
damper M fastened to the lever L is eflected by means of the arm N.
The treble hammers G' and damper M' are worked in the same manner, the
pivots of the latter being fixed to the longitudinal rail H' of the bammers. The
simultaneous lifting of all the dampers of the bass-strings is effected by means of a
rail turning round pivot i, and through the lever P and one of the pedals. In
a similar and corresponding way the lifting of all the treble dampers is effected by
means of a rail O' turning round pivot and worked through lever and the
other pedal. The distance between the hammers and the strings is determined by

page_text: the lever Q at the bass-side aud by the lever Q at the treble side, the path taken
by the hammer being shortened by its raising and turning round pivot K or K¹
respectively, whereby the musical "piano" is produced during playing,
The position of these levers is altered or influenced by the pedals R and R'.
The arrangement of both these latter is shewn in Figures 14-17 on Sheet III.
Figure 14 is a plan,
Figure 15 a longitudinal section, along the line -
Figure 16 a cross-section along line y-y,
Figure 17 a section along line 2-2.
The pedals are free to turn round the horizontal pins and respectively; these
pins having their bearings in forked supports m and m', which are attached by
screws or pins and n' to the piano-frame in such a manner, that the supports are
free to turn in a horizontal plane. Springs o and o', (Figures 14 & 15) which
press upon the forked supports, are provided for keeping the pedals more or less
asunder. The extreme position of the pedals is shown in Figure 14.
By pressing down the pedals, the levers S S and T T respectively are
simultaneously caused to move, but levers S and T being placed at a higher level
than those S and T', both the pedals must be of different construction, as may be
seen by comparing Figures 16 and 17. Pedal R is slightly bent in an upward
direction and its pivot is also placed at a higher level, than that of pedal R which
is arranged in a straight line. The transmission of pressure from the pedal R¹ to
the lever T or T respectively, is a direct one, their ends being arranged directly
beneath the pedal, and held in their extreme or highest position by springs p and pl.
These are guided on pins and t, which at the same time serve for limiting the
lifting of the levers. From the pedal R, the transmission of pressure to the
levers S and S takes place through the screw-pins or bolts r, to which a cross-
plate is attached by nuts v', the ends of the levers being engaged with this
plate 2. Another plate is arranged for securing the nuts by means of a
screw, which, when screwed down, presses upon the plate v2, and thereby maintains
the nuts in position. The pedals S, S', are lifted by the springs s and a the
pins 9 and 1 of which serve as guides, limiting at the same time the raising of the
levers.
Levers S S and T T are free to turn round binge-like bolts S2 S3 and T2 T3,
so that, when the pedals are pressed down, the other extremities of the said levers
are lifted. By rods U U' and V V respectively, these levers are connected with
the levers P and P¹ or Q and Q' respectively, as shewn in Figures 11 to 13, viz. -
T
DHSS-Site is WOTE
levers S and T.
vers
The drawings shew the pedals in a position, in which by pressing down the pedal R¹,
one end of the lever T' is pressed down, whilst the other end causes the rod V¹ to
rise. The latter being connected with the lever P (Figure 12), which turns round
the pivot i causes, as described above, all the dampers to be lifted from the treble-
strings, therefore in this position the musical "forte" is produced. In the same
mauner, by pressing down the pedal R, the rod U is raised, anu being connected
with the lever Q produces the musical "piano" at the bass-side. As said before,
the pedals are arranged in such a manner that they can be easily turned aside. It
will, therefore be easy to remove pedal R by the pressure of the foot from lever S
to that S, and pedal R' by a similar pressure from lever T₁ to that T. The
extremities of the levers beneath the pedals form each a step and are covered with
felt, by which means the turning aside of the pedals may be limited. When the
pedals are brought into the last inentioned position, the levers S' and T respectively
are caused to raise the rods U and V respectively, that is to say, to move the

page_text: levers Qand P (see Figures 11 and 12) therefore at the bass-side "forte" is
produced, and at the treble-side, "piano."
In ense, however, the pedals are not turned to their extreme position-but are
only brought into a centre position-each of them simultaneously causes two levers
to be pressed down. By pressing upon the pedal R, the levers S and S are caused
to move downward, so that in this case "piano "will be produced both on the
bass-side, and on the treble-side. In the same manner, when the pedal R' is pressed
down, the levers T and T are caused to act, and at both sides-the bass and the
treble-a full "forte" will be produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what 1
claim is
1. An arrangement for pianos, in which the bass-strings and the treble-strings
are set at different levels, the bass-strings crossing the treble ones, and the
appliances for the hammers and those for the dampers being worked independently
from each other, substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In a piano constructed according to the first claim, the method of arrangement
by which the sound-board for the bass-strings and that for the treble-strings are
disposed at different levels, partly covering each other, whereby the sound-board
beneath belonging to the bass-strings is divided into two parts A and A', substantially
as described and illustrated.
3. The piano-frame or casing B, of such shape, that it may be made use of for
fixing sound-boards arranged as described in Claim 1, substantially as described
and illustrated.
4. The iron frame mounted upon the said piano-frame, and so constructed that it
includes all the strings, and is adapted for attaching and stretching both the bass-
strings and the treble-strings, which are arranged at different levels, and also for
placing and fixing the upper sound-board A, allowing at the same time the
arrangement of the stop or touching-line of the bass-hammers at a higher level,
than that of the treble-hammers, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The method of staying the iron frame for producing sufficient resistance to
the tension of the bass-strings-by means of metal-pipes D connected to the said
frame C and arranged at both sides of the bass-strings, substantially as described
and illustrated.
6. The method of fixing the sound-board A' upon the iron frame C, so that the
sound-board A' is pressed by means of screws d' and plates d against the iron frame C,
and is therefore made to fit against the oblique shape of the same, thus taking a
curved form, whereby its power of resistance against side-pressure is considerably
increased, substantially as described and illustrated.
7. The tuning device, connected with the iron frame C and consisting of a
peculiarly shaped plate E pressing upon a set of strings, which by this common
pressure are simultaneously roughly tuned, whilst the final or exact tuning of each
string is done by means of special screws g' in which moveable pins are inserted,
substantially as described and illustrated.
8. The arrangement of the strings in continuous lengths, so that they can be
roughly tuned by means of a plate common to them, the strings being only con-
nected to their stretching devices and respectively at their starting points and
at the ends-passing at their middle part freely round such devices, substantially
as described and illustrated.
9. The arrangement of the pedals, so that they are not only moveable up and
down, but also to a certain extent to the right and left-so that it is possible by
using one of the pedals, in combination with suitable levers and rods-to operate
the dampers of the bass-strings and those of the treble-strings-although these
dampers are arranged independently of each other-either for each side of the
piano separately or for both sides of it at the same time, whilst the other pedal
controls the hammer arrangement in a similar manner, it being thereby possible to

page_text: produce any desired combination of the musical "piano" or "forte" at the bass
and at the treble side of the piano, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1896.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, Loudon, Agents for the Applicant.