Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1886
Complete Left, 18th June, 1887
Complete Accepted, 19th July, 1887.
RESERV
THOMAS JAMES BRINSMEAD of the firm of John Brinsmead and Sons of
18 Wigmore Street in the County of Middlesex Pianoforte Manufacturers, do hereby
doclare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My Invention relates first to the construction of iron framed horizontal and upright
pianofortes; and has for its object to obviate the necessity for severing the belly
bridge to make room for the bars of the frame and thereby avoid the inequality of
tone or break in the scale which results from the division of the bridge into separate
portions. With this object the bars have sometimes been arched to enable them to
cross the bridge so as to permit of a continuous bridge being used, but the weakness
inherent to the arched form has necessitated such an increase in the sectional
dimensions of the bar at this point in order to ensure adequate strength as seriously to
interfere with the action. This part of my Invention consists in a mode of
strengthening the arched portion of the bar whereby this objection is avoided. To
this end, I cast lugs on the bar which form continuations of the arch at the opposite
side of the bar and project therefrom through holes in the sound-board and between
this pair of lugs or abutments I insert a distance piece after the sound board has been
fixed in place, the said distance piece being at the back or under side of the sound
board, so that the strain is about equally divided between the arch and the distance
piece.
My Invention relates secondly to the use of a solid metal wrest plank without the
use either of wood bushings, or the usual wood backing, to receive the wrest pins.
This wrest plank which is preferably inclined backwards so as to reduce the friction of
the strings against the down pressure bar is thicknessed at the back, and in it are
bored or cast holes which are lined with linen or some similar textile fabric, and into
the holes thus lined are driven the ordinary wrest-pins. It is preferred that both the
holes in wrest plank and the wrest pins should be slightly tapered. By means of this

page_text: lining the necessary grip of the pin and the desired steadiness of its motion are
effectually ensured.
My Invention relates thirdly to the damping action particularly of horizontal
pianofortes; and it has for its object to ensure the more effectual damping of the
vibration of the strings. And it consists in a double damper formed by the 5
combination with the ordinary damper of a second damper pressing on the string in
the opposite direction to the first, and at a point at such a distance therefrom as to be
most effectual for the purpose of checking the vibration of the string and also
preventing the harmonics which accompany the usual mode of damping. This second
damper is carried by a lever fulcrumed upon the belly rail or other suitable support, 1
the lever being jointed to an adjustable clamping block fixed by a set screw upon the
wire stem of the ordinary damper by which it is oporated and which is thereby
maintained in its proper position without requiring the usual socket.
1, THOMAS JAMES BRINSMEAD of the firm of John Brinsmead and Sons of
18, Wigmore Street in the County of Middlesex Piano-forte Manufacturers, 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 :-
My Invention relates, first to the construction of iron framed horizontal and upright 2
piano-fortes; and has for its object to obviate the necessity for severing the belly-
bridge to make room for the bars of the frame and thereby avoid the inequality of
tone or break in the scale which results from the division of the bridge into separato
portions. With this object, the bars have sometimes been arched to enable them to
cross the bridge, so as to permit of a continuous bridge being used, but the weakness 30
inherent to the arched form has necessitated such an increase in the sectional
dimensions of the bar at this point, in order to ensure adequate strength, as seriously
to interfere with the action. This part of my invention consists in a mode of relieving

page_text: the arched portion of the bar of part of the strain whereby this objection is avoided.
To this end, I cast lugs on the bar which form continuations of the sides of the arch
and project froin the side of the bar nearest the sound board through holes in the
sound board, and between this pair of lugs or abutments, I insert a distance piece
after the sound board has been fixed in place, the said distance piece being at the back
or underside of the sound board, so that the strain is about oqually divided between
the arch and the distance piece.
My Invention relates, secondly, to the use of a solid metal wrest plank, without the
use either of wood bushings or the usual wood backing, to receive the wrest pins.
This wrest plank, which is preferably inclined backwards so as to reduce the friction
of the strings against the down pressure har, is of extra thickness where the pins are
inserted and in it are bored or cast holes which are lined with linen or some other
textile fabric and into the holes thus lined are driven the ordinary wrest pins. It is
preferred that both the holes in the wrest plank and the wrest pins, should be very
slightly tapered. By means of this lining, the necessary grip of the pin and the
desired steadiness of its motion are effectually ensured.
My Invention relates, thirdly, to the damping action of horizontal pianofortes; and
it has for its object to provide a more simple form of double or harmonic damper than
any heretofore used. It consists in a double damper formed by the combination with
the ordinary damper of a second damper pressing on the string in the opposite
direction to the first and at a point at such a distance therefrom as to be most effectual
for the purpose of checking the vibration of the string and also preventing the
harmonics which result from the usual mode of damping. This second damper is
carried by a lever jointed to the wire stem of the ordinary damper.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, wherein Figure 1 is a front view of the cast iron frame of an upright
pianoforte, embodying the first and second improvements of this invention. Figure 2
is a side view (drawn full size) of the arched portion of one of the bars with the
distance piece inserted, and Figure 3 is a view of the corresponding part of the roar
side of the sound board, shewing the lugs and distance piece as they appear when in
place. Figure 4 is a cross-section of the so-called "wrest plank" of the aforesaid
iron frame represented in figure 1, the section (which is drawn full size) being taken
through one of the wrest pin holes and shewing the second improvement. Figure 5
illustrates one of the double dampers.
Referring to figures 1, 2, and 3, A is the "wrest-plank" being the part of the
cast-iron string frame in which the ordinary wrest pins are inserted. Bare the bars
which support the strain due to the tension of the strings. bis the arched portion of
the bar B where it passes over the continuous belly-bridge c; all being, so far, much
as usual in similar instruments. d are lugs cast on the bar B forming continuations
of the sido members of the arch band projecting from the rear or underside of the
bar B. They pass clear through holes bored in the sound-board or belly C, at opposite
sides of the bridge and project at the rear or underside thereof, as shown. D is the
distance piece which is wedged tightly between the lugs d after the sound board is
fixed in place but before the frame is strung, so that the bridge and a portion of the
belly on which it is fixed, pass through a closed eye formed by the arch on one side
and the distance piece and lugs on the other. This distance piece is of metal or hard
wood having its ends hollowed so as to fit and remain in place between the lugs d
which are of circular section and slightly conical, in order that the distance piece inay
be driven tightly between them. It occupies a position as nearly as possible
symmetrical to the arch with regard to the line of strain passing through the bur B.
In figure 4, A is the metal wrest-plank" cast in one with the frame as before,
and a is one of the ordinary wrest pins driven into the hole bored or cast in the wrest
plank for its reception, the hole having been first lined with linen a' or other textile
fabric, which is drawn in as usual in inserting ordinary pianoforte action bushings,
and the pin then driven in.
Referring to figure 5, E is the ordinary top damper carried by a wire stem e rising
from a butt e¹. F is the second damper pressing against the string S in the onnosita

page_text: direction to the damper E at a point nearer the middle of the string, preferably at
one-fourth the length of the string from the wrest plank bridge, so that the string is
gripped between the two dampers and its vibration is quickly and effectually checked.
This supplementary damper is carried by one arm of a lever G centred at 9 on a
small block g¹ received in a slot in the lever and screwed to a panel on the belly
rail H or other convenient support, and its other arm is jointed at i to a block ¹
secured adjustably to the stem e of the principal damper E, by a set screw, so that
the pressure of the supplementary damper F on the string may be regulated by sliding
the block up or down on the wire e. The lever G, through which the damper F
receives its motion from the damper stem e, also serves as a guide for maintaining the
latter in its proper position without the use of the nsual guide socket for the wire e to
slide through. The butt e¹ of the ordinary damper is jointed at e' upon a short lever I
centred at in a fork fixed to the pedal rail L, the lever traversing a slot in the
butt e¹ and projecting in position for the tail end of the finger key K to take under it
and raise the damper E in the usual manner. By the action of the lever G, the extra
dampers are removed from and applied against the strings at the same time as the
ordinary dampers E whether the latter be operated individually by the corresponding
keys, or collectively by the raising or lowering of the pedal rail L which is fixed to
arms at its ends working on centres in the ordinary way. The extra damper F is
applied especially to the strings at the bass and middle rogister of the instrument and
may be omitted towards the treble, or it may be applied to all the strings to which the
ordinary damper E is applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1st. In a metal piano-forte frame in which the bars are arched to pass over the
belly bridge, the combination with the arched portion of the bar, of lugs thereon
passing through holes in the sound board and of a distance piece inserted between the
lugs at the back of the sound board, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. In a metal pianoforte frame in which the wrest pins are inserted in holes in
the metal, the use of a lining for the said holes, of linen or other textile material, as
and for the purpose specified.
3rd. The combination with the ordinary damper for checking the vibration of a
pianoforte string, of a second damper applied to act against the string in the opposite
direction to, and simultaneously with, the ordinary damper the extra damper being
connected by a lever, to the stem of the first or ordinary damper, so as to be operated
thereby and servo as a guide therefor, snbstantially as specified.
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