Improvements in Pianos and other Musical Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left 9th Apr. 1898-Accepted, 8th July, 1898.
:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pianos and other Musical Instruments.
HENRY BROOKS, 231, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W., Piano Fittings
Manufacturer, and ALFRED SQUIRE, 6, Wrotham Road, Camden Road, London,
N.W., Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:- -
፡
To increase the sweetness & power of tone & we accomplish it in the following
manner.
The first part of our invention relates to a number of steel plates (cast steel
being prefered) which are magnetic & which are not painted or in any way
coated but are left as from the roller or polished bright & either tuned to the
same pitch as the instrument or not according to the circumstances of placing
or fixing.
In some cases they are merely hung so to vibrate in sympathy which we call
echo plates. When they are fixed to soundboard back or front by sound post
they vibrate by induction like the back of a violin. All the before mentioned
plates are controlled by means of a damping action so to stop the vibration at
will.
$6
The second part of our invention relates to the magnetizing of the before
mentioned plates which is a newly discovered fact that is found to render them
more susceptible to vibration, more sympathy & of greater power. It is well
known that in the immediate vicinity of the magnet there exists a halo or atmo-
sphere usually termed a magnetic field" which is inseparable from the magnet
& which although we cannot see or satisfy ourselves by touch of its presence, we
know to be present that it must occupy a space & to do so a proportionate bulk of
air must be displaced; it follows that the halo or magnetic field is more dense than
the ordinary atmosphere or the former could not displace the latter. By applying
this principle to our invention it introduces into a piano or other musical instru-
ment a considerable "magnetic field" which is distributed when the instrument
is played upon, the disturbance varying according to the length & thickness of
plates for the moment acted upon, for the quantity of magnetism which in every
case depends upon the capacity & guage of the plates. When by the act of
playing upon instrument the plates are agitated corresponding disturbances are
caused in the various "magnetic fields" which in turn act upon the ordinary
atmosphere creating sound waves increased in volume & softened in tone, increased
in volume because the atmosphere is not acted upon directly by the plates but
by indirect action through the before mentioned "halo" surrounding them &
which forms a cushion between the plates & the common atmosphere the plates
are rendered less liable to oxidize from atmosphere causes by virtue of the mag-
"
"

page_text: netism. Can also be applied to the steel comb or plate of a musical box by
magnetizing the before mentioned comb.
8th July 1897
HENRY BROOKS.
ALFRED SQUIRE.
Improvements in Pianos and other Musical Instruments.
HENRY BROOKS, 125/127, Euston Road, N.W., late of 231, Shaftesbury Avenue,
W.C., & ALFRED SQUIRE, 6, Wrotham Road, Camden Road, 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:-
The object of our invention is to increase the sweetness & power of tone & we
accomplish it in the following manner. The first part of our invention relates to
a number of steel plates (cast steel being prefered) which are magnetized &
which are not painted or in any way coated but are left as from the roller or
polished bright either tuned to the same pitch as the instrument or not according
to the circumstances of placing or fixing. In some cases they are merely hung so
to vibrate in sympathy, which we call echo plates. When they are fixed to sound
board back or front by sound posts they vibrate by induction (like the back of a
violin). All the before mentioned plates are controlled by means of a damping
action so to stop the vibration at will.
The second part of our invention relates to the magnetizing of the before
mentioned plates which is a newly discovered fact that is found to render them
more susceptible to vibration, more sympathetic & of greater power.
It is well known that in the immediate vicinity of the magnet there exists a
halo or atmosphere usually termed a magnetic field which is inseparable from
the magnet & which although we cannot see or satisfy ourselves by touch of its
presence, we know to be present and that it must occupy a space & to do so a
proportionate bulk of air must be displaced, it follows that the halo or magnetic
field is more dense than the ordinary atmosphere or the former could not displace
the latter. By applying the principle to our invention it introduces into a piano
or other musical instrument a considerable magnetic field which is disturbed when
the instrument is played upon, the disturbance varying according to the length
& thickness of plates for the moment acted upon; for the quantity of magnetism
in every case depends upon the capacity & guage of the plates. When by the
act of playing an instrument the plates are agitated corresponding disturbances
are caused in the various magnetic fields which in turn act upon the ordinary
atmosphere creating sound waves increased in volume & softened in tone, increased
in volume because the atmosphere is not acted upon directly by the plates but
by indirect action through the before mentioned "halo" surrounding them &
which forms a cushion between the plates & the common atmosphere, the plates
are rendered less liable to oxidize from atmospheric causes by virtue of the
magnetism. Can also be applied to the steel, comb or plate of a musical box by
magnetizing the before mentioned comb.
What we claim is:

page_text: Secondly is the steel plates being permanently magnetized & controlling the
ibrating by means of dampers.