IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Albert Banger at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd November 1882.
ALBERT BANGER of the City of Worcester
INSTRUMENTS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL
According to this invention I construct a musical instrument with a central
sound board or chamber and two sets of wires one on either side of it. The set on
one side is for the higher notes and on the other aide for the lower notes. The
wires and sound board or chamber are contained within an oblong rectangular frame
which can stand upwards in a vertical position and which is closed in on its two
sides by side plates. The side plate on each side is in two parts and an opening is
left between them to admit of the person playing upon the instrument to readily
finger the wires and as the instrument stands in a vertical position the player can
readily use both of his hands for fingering the wires. The central sound board or
chamber forms a central division across the centre of the frame. The lower ends of
the wires are secured to the bottom of the frame preferably they are passed
through holes in the bottom and secured to screws or pins on one side of the row of
holes. A wire being laid along between the holes and the screws so that the wires
may not cut into the wood of the frame. The wires at their upper end are attached
to pegs carried by an inclined bar which extends across the frame one such bar on
each side of the sounding board or chamber.
Holes are formed through the side plates of the case opposite the end of each peg
to admit of the pegs being readily turned by a key for the purpose of tuning.
Each set of wires is carried over a bridge which projects out from the sound
board near the bottom of the frame.
A horizontal roller is mounted between the bridge and the bottom of the frame
the roller has standing out radially from it a pair or pairs of short pins or studs.
By turning the roller the pins or studs can be brought against such of the wires as
are required to be tightened to change from one key to another. The pins or studs
may be adjustable either by being screwed more or less into the barrel or other
means of adjustment might be used.
The roller might have two or more sets of studs on different radial lines so that
CD 0.11

page_text: by turning the roller into different positions the instrument could be quickly
changed from any one key to another.
One such roller is used for each set of wires or two or more rollers one below
Wires for the half notes might be inter-
the other might be used for each set.
mediate of the wires for the notes and in a different plane nearer to the sound board
or chamber. Or the wires for the half notes might be opposite a different part of
the sound board to the wires for the notes.
A single central sound board may be used but preferably I use two sound boards
with a hollow space or chamber between them-an opening may in this case
be made through one or other of the sound boards to permit of the freer escape of
sound.
In place of the two sets of wires and central sound board or chamber one set of
wires with sound boards or chambers on either side of it might be used. An
opening in this case has to be left in each sound board to permit of a person when
playing the instrument to finger the wires as when playing upon a harp.