Improvements in Pianofortes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pianofortes.
I, RICHARD Howson, of 2 Exchange Place, Middlesborough, in the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
In upright pianos, as ordinarily constructed, the strings are so arranged as to
exert a down-pressure on the bridge which is fixed to the sound-board, and in order
to withstand such pressure, the sound-board is more or less cambered or arched.
Now according to my invention the strings are so mounted as to cause no down-
pressure or as little as practicable, the sound-board is not arched, and in order that
the tone produced may possess the necessary firmness and brightness the sound-
board is provided not only with vertical bars crossing the grain of the wood as
usual but also with additional bars arranged at right angles or approximately so to
the vertical bars, and along the grain of the wood, in such a manner as to impart
the requisite strength to the sound-board longitudinally as well as vertically.
These longitudinal bars need not be of great strength; it is even admissible in some
cases to substitute for them a series of gussets fixed into the angles between the
vertical bars and the sound-board. Although I have described the nature of my
invention with reference to upright instruments it is equally applicable to
instruments of the horizontal or "grand " type.
Dated this 9th day of December 1893.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pianofortes.
1, RICHARD Howson, of 2 Exchange Place, Middlesborough, in the County
of York, Engineer, 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 :-
In upright pianos, as ordinarily constructed, the strings are so arranged as to
exert a down-pressure on the bridge which is fixed to the sound-board, and in order
to withstand such pressure, the sound-board is more or less cambered or arched.
Now according to my invention the strings are so mounted as to cause no down-
pressure or as little as practicable, the sound-board is not arched, and in order that
the tone produced may possess the necessary firmness and brightness the sound-
board is provided not only with vertical bars crossing the grain of the wood, as
usual, but also with additional bars arranged at right angles or approximately so
to the vertical bars, and along the grain of the wood, in such a manner as to impart
the requisite strength to the sound-board longitudinally as well as vertically.
These longitudinal bars need not be of great strength; it is even admissible to
substitute for them a series of gussets fixed into the angles between the vertical
bars and the sound-board.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are back elevations showing three different constructions of
sound-boards according to this invention.
Figs. 4 and 5 show, to a larger scale, sections on the lines A B and C D
respectively of Fig. 1.
Figs. 6 and 7 sections on the lines E F and G H respectively of Fig. 2, and
Figs. 8 and 9 sections on the lines J K and L M respectively of Fig. 3.
Referring to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, v are the ordinary vertical bars secured to the
sound-boards across the grain of the wood as usual, and are the additional
horizontal bars, which are of less strength than the former.
The sound-board represented in Figs. 2, 6, and 7 is provided with gussets /¹ in
lieu of the horizontal bars h, these gussets being fixed into the angles between the
vertical bars and the sound-board s. Each vertical bar v may be furnished on
each side with a series of gussets, as shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7 or with a single
continuous gusset h³ at each side as shown in Figs. 3, 8, and 9.
Although I have described the nature of my invention with reference to upright
pianos, it is equally applicable to instruments of the horizontal or "grand " type.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a pianoforte, a flat sound-board strengthened by additional cross bars
fixed thereto at right angles, or approximately so, to the ordinary vertical bars,
or by gussets fixed in the angles between the ordinary vertical bars and the sound-
board, substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
2. My improved sound-boards for pianofortes, constructed as herein before
described with reference respectively to and shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5; in Figs. 2,
6 and 7; and in Figs. 3, 7 and 8 of the drawings annexed.
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For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.