An Improved Apparatus to Facilitate the Tuning of Equally Tempered Musical Instruments.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 17th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus to Facilitate the Tuning of Equally
Tempered Musical Instruments.
ALFRED ALLAM 81 Leverton Street Leighton Road Kentish Town London N.W.
Cabinet Maker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A tuning apparatus for the use of persons desirous of tuning their own pianofortes,
or other stringed instruments. By means of a wheel or disk. And a new mode of
getting the equal temperament of the octave. A single wire (or gut) is made to give
And the unison of the octave to each note by simply
It will also give several chords. And once tuned
the 12 notes of the octave.
tuning the wire to a single note.
will remain in tune for a long time.
In form it is a flat oblong box circular at one end. A wheel or disk is fixed at this
end, in an horizontal position, so as to revolve freely, and a wire (or gut) is passed
around the wheel, and fixed parallel and at equal lengths at the other end. One
portion of the wire is then tuned to a convenient note. And the pressure being equal
on both sides, brings both portions of the wire into perfect unison. A bridge at each
end running at an angle of 45 degrees across the apperatus reduces one portion of
the wire by half, the reduced portion of the wire being exactley half the length of the
longer portion will give the same note, but an octave higher. And by striking the
two portions of the wire at the same time, the unison of the octave is produced.
New mode of getting the equal temperament of the octave. If the wheel or disk be
five inches in width then will the longer portion of the wire be 20 inches, and the
shorter portion be 10 inches.
Take the longer portion of the wire at 20 inche between the bridges. Divide it
exactley in the centre, and strike of 10 inches at right angles from the centre, this
line passing across the shorter portion of the wire, will divide that in the centre in
And the point were the 10 inches terminates will be found to be
in a direct line with both bridges, mark of 10 inches; in a line with left hand bridge,
the same way.

page_text: towards the end of the wire. And from this point mark a line across to the centre of
the longer portion of the wire. This line must be divide into 12 equal spaces, formed
by 13 lines running across it, including the line of the bridge, and the line running
at right angles from the centre of the wire. And all must meet at one point. Then
wereever these lines cross the wire they will indicate the position of a note.
Small brass bridges are placed on these lines so that by pressing the wire onto one
of these bridges it will reduce the vibrateing portion of the wire, to the length necessary
to sound the note requird.
A steel spring is used to span the octave, and shifting backwards and forwards will
press the wire down on any of the bridges while the note is struck.
The body of the instrument is made of thin wood.
ALFRED ALLAM,
81, Leverton Street, Leighton Road,
Kentish Town, London, N.W.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus to Facilitate the Tuning of Equally
Tempered Musical Instruments.
I ALFRED ALLAM 81 Leverton Street Leighton Road Kentish Town London N.W.
in the County of Middlesex, Cabinet-Maker 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 this invention is to enable professional pianist, and others so disposed,
to tune their own pianos or other stringed instruments.
1
It takes the form of a flat oblong box circular at one end. A wheel or disk is fixed
at this end in such a manner that it will revolve freely in an horizontal position.
And a single wire or gut is passed round the wheel and fixed by means of pegs,
parallal and at equall lengths at the other end. The action of the wheel keeps the
two portions of the wire always in unison as no strain can be put on the wire without
both portions being equally affected by it. And if one portion is drawn up to the
pitch of any particular note, the other will give out the same.
A bridge is fixed at each end of the apparatus running at an angle of 45 deg's,
one being higher than the other. This reduces one portion of the wire by half its
length, this will continue to give the same note, but it will be an octave higher. And
if the two portions are struck at one time in the same way that the strings of a harp
are struck they will sound the octave. A series of frets or small metal bridges are
placed under each portion of the wire, the first series give the twelve semitones of
the octave. And the second, the same notes an octave higher the whole giveing a
compass of two clear octaves, the position of these frets are got by a method which
assures the perfectly equall temperament of the octave. A brass spring with extending
arms long enough to span both portions of the wire is used to press the wire unto the
vairious frets thereby reducing it to the necessary length to give out the note required.
By pressing the spring in the centre the two arms are lifted off the wire, it can then
be moved to any position a grove being made in the body of the apparatus to allow it
to pass up and down. And on being released it will again press the wire unto the
frets.
In order that the invention may be better understood I proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 represents a plan of the
apparatus showing the wire passing round the wheel the two portions of which are
marked A and B. And the spring is shown pressing the wire unto the frets. F and
g represents the bridges running across each end of the apparatus. And the small
lines, the two series of frets. Fig. 2 shows the front elevation Fig. 3. the end section,
showing construction of spring. And Fig. 4. shows my method of getting the equall
temperament of the octave, which I shall proceed to explain. The size of the
wheel used, rules the size of the apparatus. And if the diameter of the wheel be
inchs, the longer portion of the wire (A) must be 20 inchs, and the shorter portion (B)
be 10 inchs between the bridges F. g. I take the exact half of wire A. which is

page_text: 10 inchs. And from here I carry a line at a right angle 10 inchs in length, the
point were this line terminates A A. will be found to be in a direct line with the
bridge F. I measure 10 inchs up this line, and from here I carry line D. across to
the centre of wire A. This line I divide into twelve equall parts. And from A A. I
carry a line across each of these divisions and wherever each of these lines pass under
the two portions of the wire A and B. they indicate the exact lengths of the segments
which will sound all the semitones of the octave, and the octave to each note. The
frets are placed on these lines, and on the wire being pressed unto them, and the
vibrating portion struck with the finger it will give the note required. Or if the two
portions of the wire be pressed down at the same time, the two notes can be sounded
together. Such as chords.
The apparatus can be tuned in any key by simpley pitching one portion of the wire
to the key note. And should the wire get flat each note is affected equally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. A new method of tempering the octave as herein described, and illustrated in
drawings.
2. The use of a wheel or disk as a means of keeping two portions of a wire in
unison so that octaves and chords may be sounded from a single wire or gut.
3. The use of a spring as a means of pressing the wire unto the various frets, and
thereby allowing any note to be fixed as long as it is required to be.
Natal thin 10th day of Annil 1987