A METHOD. OF KEEPING IN TUNE VARIOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BY MEANS OF AN APPARATUS
Year: 1802

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
LITHERLAND, of Liverpool, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, Watch Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty did, by His Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March
last, give and grant unto me; the said Peter Litherland, His especial licence
that I, the said Peter Litherland, during the term of years: therein men-.
tioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A METHOD.
OF KEEPING IN TUNE VARIOUS MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS BY MEANS OF AN APPARATUS ;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Peter Litherland, under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same may more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the, said
Peter Litherland, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in
mauner following, that is to say -
The utility of my Invention is to keep perpetually the tension. of the strings
to all kinds of inusical instruments strung with wire, gut, or any other mate-
rial, so that the same tones will be produced at all times, notwithstanding the
expansion and contraction of the strings by heat and cold, or from atmospherica 1

page_text: variations with respect to moisture and dryness, or any alteration that should
take place in the figure of the instruments from those causes.
My method of effecting this is by springs. I take any elastic substance,
simple or compound, that is sufficiently hard, and capable of being bent, cut,
cast, or otherwise formed into a curve, and I make the same into springs, helical,
spiral, straight, or otherwise, as best suits my purpose, for keeping strings of
instruments to their tension. There are several kinds of springs which may be
applied to the purposes of keeping in tune stringed musical instruments, but as
the helical spiral spring is in my opinion the best, I shall first describe its
construction and application.
Figure 1 represents one of these springs, which are made in the following
manner: They are formed generally from steel wire, as it produces the
greatest elastic force when properly tempered. This wire I coil round a
cylinder of such size as I intend the springs to be of, and when it is coiled
to a sufficient length I bend outwards about half a turn at each end for a loop.
My method of tempering them is as follows:-I make them rather more than
what is usually termed a blood-red heat, and then immerse them in oil. If
they are hard, I lay them on a plate of iron with as much oil as will nearly
cover them, so as to make them so hot as to turn them of bright brown colour.
I find this to be the best method of tempering springs of every kind, and if it
is properly attended to they will never lose their elastic force.
As the application of springs to guitars, violins, and violincellos, &c. is very
simple, I shall first describe the mode of attaching them.
On the bridge of such instruments may be fixed a roller under each string,
acting on a steel centre to take off the friction. I then, for the guitar, apply
the noose at one end to the hook at the head as usual, and hook the other
noose to one end of the spring, immediately behind the bridge. When all the
springs are attached thus, I pass the ends of each through as many holes in a
brass or metal plate or tail piece, fixed at the end of the instrument, the holes
just raised above the level of the belly, and run a steel piu through the
other hooks of such springs, then draw them up with the key as usual,
the springs occupying the space between the bridge and tail piece. The
violin, violincello, double bass, or Spanish guitar, harp guitar, lute, or any
other such instrument, may be tuned this way; or, by having the head
lengthened, the springs may be applied between the top of the finger board
and the pins or screws which draws the springs up. In this case, a small
loose or fixed roller should be placed at the top of the finger board, under
each string, to bring the springs freely into action. For such instruments
as the Spanish guitar, in which there is already room for the springs in
the head, I should prefer applying them there, only shifting the tuning

page_text: pegs higher up, so as to admit of springs of sufficient length. For the
application of springs to a grand piana forte, as there are many ways, I shall
give a Drawing representing a small section of it. The part A, B, C, D,
(Figure 2) I call the pin board, or rest plank; E, the keys; F, F, the front
bridge; G, G, the cover for the dampers; H, the belly bridge; I, the long
sloping side of the instrument; a, b, c, d, e, f, the tuning pegs. For new
grand pianofortes, harpsichords, &c., the pin board or rest plank A, B, C, D,
(Figure 2) may be extended in width, so as to admit room for the springs to
range one behind the other two, as the strings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, do; but, as in
old grand pianofortes, harpsichords, &c., there is no space, particularly in the
bass, between the bridge (F) and the front of the pin board, which runs in
about the direction of the dotted line (X, X,) in such case the pin board may
be brought forward in a sweep, the two extreme parts (C, D,) projecting over
the keys (E) about four inches and an half, and the center of the arch about
two inches and an half. This method will allow springs in the bass, of about
three inches or more, to range as the springs 7, 8, 9, do. The method of fixing
the springs and strings is as follows:-Let the string 1 be the one to be
applied. I secure one noose to the pin 10 on the long sloping side of the
instrument (I), pass the string as usual over the pins in the belly bridge (H)
and the front bridge (F); then I make another noose, leaving about an inch
between it and the bridge, and hook this noose to the spring (1). I secure a
wire to the other hook of the spring, and wrapping it round the turning
peg (a), draw up the string to the note required with the tuning hammer, as
usual. As the string is wound the spring opens out 'till the elastic force
it possesses is sufficient to the string to the required pitch. If the string
should have a tendency to expand in warm or contract in cold weather, the
spring, by collapsing or opening, counteracts such effect, and keeps the string
so nearly to the same tension that no error will arise, provided the friction
from the bridge (F) and it's pin is not so great as to prevent the springs
acting. As there is not only a great angle formed by the string after passing
the bridge (F), but also a considerable pressure on the bridge itself, I shall
occasionally apply small wood or metal rollers 11, 12, 13, &c. behind the
bridge (F), as shewn in the Drawing. These rollers may be just high enough
to lighten the downward pressure of the string on the bridge. Small round
pieces of metal, or hard wood, may be substituted instead of the rollers just
described, and laid loose on the bridge (F) just behind the springs, which
entirely remove the friction from the bridge. Having fixed the string 1 in
the manner just described, I apply the same process to the unison string 8,
the spring of which ranges parallel to the spring 1, and at about an equal

page_text: distance from the bridge (F); but as there are three unisons to such note of a
grand pianoforte, and they lie, too close to admit of the springs ranging abreast
each other, I can fix the middle unison (2), as seen in the Drawing, behind
the other two, it's spring passing between them.
I have another mode of diminishing the friction, by substituting a kind of
hook pin, with a polished under surface, on the bridge (F), and letting the
string pass under it, and after passing it, instead of forming the usual side
angle, let it proceed in the same right line, only forming a small ascent from
the hook pin to the tuning peg; the string in this case not touching the bridge
at all, and taking its tone from the hook pin. This method may be better
understood by Figure 3, where 1 represents the bridge; 2, the hook pin; and
3, the tuning pin; (a, a,) the string; (it is thought unnecessary to insert the
spring).
Another method is as, follows:-I fix rollers, like those on the guittar or.
violincello bridge before described, under each string on the bridge (F), or I
lay them loose on it, then let the string pass in a right line like the strings
4,5, 6, (Figure 2). Another set of rollers 14, 15, 16, are then fixed on the
pin board, behind the bridge, and press the strings downwards in the angle
required. All the friction in this case would be between the two rollers. The
second set of rollers would be unnecessary in new instruments, as the pin block
might be placed so much below the bridge (F) that the string, in passing
from the roller to the tuning pin, might form a slope downwards sufficient
to give the tone wanted. In order to get longer springs into the same space,
the springs (1 and 2) may range as in the Drawing, and the spring of the
middle unison be placed behind the belly bridge (H) and hooked on the
pin (10). This arrangement would allow the springs (1 and 3) to just double.
the length, shewn in the Drawing. The middle string in this case should pass.
such a hook pin as before described, fixed in the belly bridge (H). Instead
of applying one spring behind the belly bridge, as just described, I can, if
found necessary, apply two, or all three, in that place, in which case one of
the pins on that bridge must be removed, and a roller placed under the string,
but the front of the instrument need not be at all-altered.-
I have two methods of applying springs to the small pianoforte, viz., either
behind the belly bridge, or behind the hammers on the pin block. For old
pianofortes I prefer the former. I hook one noose of the spring to the pin
behind the dampers as usual, and pass it over the pin of the belly bridge, and
hook the other noose to one hook of the spring, to the other hook of which a
wire is attached, and wrapped round the tuning pegs, as described in men-
tioning the grand pianoforte. Or, in new small pianofortes, the instruments

page_text: may be extended in breadth, so as to admit of the springs between the
bridge and back of the instrument. In either case pins- or, rollers, such as
before described, may be applied on or near the bridge: Polished steel guile
pins, instead of brass ones, would facilitate the sliding of the springs; or small
hollow cylindric rollers, made to fit and roll on the pins, would also diminish
the friction. Whenever loose rollers are used, they may be strung together by
thread or wire, so that if the string breaks, the roller will not fly from the
instrument.
The manner of applying springs to the harp is as follows:-A, B, C,
(Figure 4) is the head of the harp, which is lengthened a few inches according
to the spring intended to be used. I take the string 1 and pass it over the
guide pin 2 as usual, then attach one hook of the spring 3 to it, and to the
other hook secure another piece of gut, &c., which, being wound round the
tuning pin, is drawn up as usual. A cylindric roller may be placed over each
guide pin to diminish the friction.
i-
Another mode is, to let the string 5 pass the guide pin 6 as usual to the top.
of the harp head, on which a small bar may be placed, equal in length the thick-
ness of the top of the harp. This bar, one end of which is seen. at 7, is_
centered in the harp top, and has a groove which receives the harp string at 7,
which, after passing over the top of the harp at right angles with the strings,
passes down down on the other cheek of the harp, and the spring ranges on
the side opposite to the spring 3. But this method would require the tuning
pegs to be removed, which might be inconvenient.. Short springs may also be:
passed through the harp head, and by the addition of a fusee (whose operation;
is well understood) they might have all the effect of longer springs. Straight
springs may be applied in all the above cases where I choose to adopt such-
method. They may be driven into the pin board, as (Figure 5), where 1
represents a straight spring driven into the pin board. This spring has a slit
in the head (2), in which a screw (3)
(4) may fit, and the
string be drawn up with a suitable key. Perhaps brass helical springs may
be of sufficient strength to apply to the springs of an ollian harp, and may.
occasionally be applied. When I choose to apply the screws and nuts to draw
up the string, instead of the common tuning pegs, I shall choose such as
shewn (Figure 6), where 1 shews the standard to be driven into the pin board;
the screw 2 passes into a slit in this standard, and the string is drawn up or
let down by turning the square nut 3.
with a. knot
There may be some instruments, which are not hercin mentioned, to which
the springs may be applicable, but I deem the foregoing description quite full
enough to be direction in all other cases.

page_text: The following table shews the proportions of springs for different instru-
ments, which may, however, be deviated from when found necessary.
The first column shews the instrument: The second points out the part of
the instrument, as the treble and bass often require very different springs.
The third column shews what thickness of wire the springs should be formed
of. And the fourth shews what diameter the cylinder should be, round which
such springs should be coiled. The length of the springs is not particularly
stated, as I must be guided in that particular by circumstance, as the longer
the spring the more expansion it affords; and wire of any given number coiled
round a small cylinder is stronger than if coiled round one of larger diameter.
TABLE of the Average Dimensions of the Springs for different Instruments:
Extry in Chancery.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of September,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Peter Litherland came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor_of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of September, in the year above written.