IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-FORTES, AND IN ACTION OR MECHANISM TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hermann Richard Schreiber, of Neumeyer Hall, Hart
Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-FORTES, AND IN ACTION OR MECHANISM TO BE
EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hermann Richard Schreiber
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1880.
HERMANN RICHARD SCHREIBER, of Neumeyer Hall, Hart Street, Bloomsbury,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-FORTES, AND IN ACTION
OR MECHANISM TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in stringed instruments, whereby the
fulness or richness and clearness of the tone of the same is greatly increased, and
in action or mechanisin to be employed in connection therewith.
According to the first part of my Invention the wires are arranged in a novel
and peculiar manner; they are strung crosswise, so that the full power of the
sound board is utilized, whereas the wires in ordinary pianofortes are strung in an
almost vertical position.
To avoid the disadvantages necessarily attending the system formerly in vogue
trials were made by crossing the lower or bass note wires id est; the said lower
wires were so strung that they laid above and across the remaining wires in order
to attain greater length of the said wires for the lower notes. In spite of the
marked improvement which resulted from this said crossing of the wires many
imperfections in tone still existed, and especially in the upper bass and tenor notes.
After making inany experiments I have succeeded in utilizing the entire vibratory
power of the sound board, and have attained a fulness and richness of tone never
attained by any system known up to the present time. In all other systems
inequality of tone, and especially weakness in the tenor notes, was perceptible,
whereas by employing my said system a perfectly equable tone throughout the
entire instrument is attained.
In order to effect my purpose I employ quadruply crossed wires, by means of
which the entire surface of the sound board is utilized, or I still further divide the

page_text: said number of wires and cross the same five, six, or more times; but I have
obtained most admirable results with quadruply crossed wires. The said wires are
strung with their upper ends the ordinary distance apart, whereas the lower parts
of the said wires are placed much further apart, which necessitates an increased
length of the bridge. The object of this great length of bridge and the repeated
crossing of the wires, as well as placing the lower ends of the said wires further
apart than at the upper ends is to cause the entire, or almost the entire, surface of
the sound board to vibrate, as through the vibration of an increased surface of tho
said sound board the richness and fullness of tone is also increased.
The fanlike arrangement of the wires and the lengthening of the bridge so as to
set the entire surface of the sound board in vibration is of the utmost importance,
and can never be attained by employing any of the known systems.
The bridge is not of one piece as heretofore, but consists of the chief bridge and
three or more smaller supplementary bridges.
The chief bridge is of solid wood, and is generally thicker at the upper than the
lower end, whereas the supplementary are so formed that they only rest on the
sound board at certain intervals in order that the vibratory power of the said sound
board may not be impeded in the least degree.
The second part of my said Invention relates to improvements in the con-
struction of the action or mechanism of pianofortes or other like instruments to
increase the repeating power of the same, and to render it impossible that the
hopper or jack should refuse to act on the haminer.
This I attain by an altered arrangement of the parts of the action and the
employment of a strip or piece of elastic, felt, india rubber, or other suitable
material.
This said strip or piece of elastic, felt, or other suitable material is attached to
the hopper stop, so that the said hopper or jack can be operated by the key as
rapidly as it is possible.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hermann Richard Schreiber in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1881.
HERMANN RICHARD SCHREIBER, of Neumeyer Hall, Hart Street, Bloomsbury,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, AND IN ACTION
OR MECHANISM TO BE EMPLOYED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH."
This Invention relates to improvements in pianofortes whereby the fulness or
richness and clearness of the tone of the same is greatly increased, and in action
or mechanism to be employed in connection therewith.
According to the first part of my said Invention the wires are arranged in a
novel and peculiar manner, they are strung crosswise, so that the full power of the
sound board is utilised, whereas the wires in ordinary pianofortes are strung in an
almost vertical position.
To avoid the disadvantages necessarily attending the former system trials were
made by crossing the lower or bass note wires id est; these lower wires were so
strung that they laid above and across the remaining wires in order to attain
greater length of wires for the lower notes.
In spite of the marked improvement which resulted from this crossing of the wires
many imperfections in tone still existed, and especially in the upper bass and tenor
notes. After many experiments I have succeeded in utilising the entire vibratory
power of the sound board, and have attained a fulness and richness of tone never
hitherto attained. In all other systems inequality of tone, and especially weakness
in the tenor notes, is perceptible, whereas by employing my new system of stringing
a perfectly equable tone throughout the entire instrument is obtained.
In order to effect my purpose I employ quadruply crossed wires, by means of
which the entire surface of the sound board is utilised; or I still further divide the
number of wires and cross the same five, six, or more times; but I have obtained
adinirable results with quadruply crossed wires. By quadruply crossed wires I
desire it to be understood that four sets of wires are crossed, as shown by the
letters B, C, D, E. These wires are strung with their upper ends the ordinary
distance apart, whereas the lower parts of these wires are placed much further
apart, which necessitates an increased length of bridge.
The object of this great length of bridge and the repeated crossing of the wires,
as well as placing the lower ends of the said wires further apart than at the upper
end is, to cause the vibration of the entire or almost the entire surface of the sound
board, as it is through the vibration of an increased surface of the sound board that
the richness and fulness of tone is increased.
The fan-like arrangement of the wires and the lengthening of the bridge so as to
set the entire surface of the sound board in vibration is of the utmost importance,
and possesses advantages which can never be attained by employing any of the
known systems.
The bridge is not of one piece as heretofore, but consists of the chief bridge and
three or more supplementary bridges. The chief bridge is of solid wood, and is
generally thicker at the upper than at the lower end, whereas the supplementary
bridges are so formed that they only rest on the sound-board at certain intervals in
order that the vibratory power of the said sound-board may not be impeded in the
least degree.
Fig. 1 is a diagram shewing the position of the wires and bridges in a pianoforte
constructed according to the present Invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of
the short bridges. A, B, C, D, E, show the various crossings of the wires. A are
the wires for the upper notes; B, the wires for the tenor notes; C, D, E, are the
wires for the lower or bass notes; F is the chief bridge over which the upper and

page_text: tenor wires are strung. The tenor wires are spread fanlike over the lower part of
the chief bridge, but the upper wires are arranged as usual.
The lower or bass note wires are also spread after the manner of the ribs of
a fan.
G, H, I, are three short bridges which act as a prolongation of the chief
bridge F. These bridges are formed as shewn at Fig. 2, and they only rest at
intervals on the sound board, so that the vibration of the latter is not in the least
degree injuriously affected.
Instead of crossing the wires as above mentioned only four times, the same can
be crossed five or six times without departing from the nature of my Invention.
The second part of my Invention relates to improvements in the action or
mechanism of pianofortes and other like instruments to increase the repeating power
of the same, and to render it impossible that the hopper or jack should refuse to
act on the hammer.
This object I attain by a novel arrangement of the parts of the action, and the
employment of a strip or piece of elastic, felt, india rubber, or other suitable
material, as shewn in Figures 3 and 3ª, both of which Figures relate to ono and
the same action, that part of the action marked Fig. 3º being the ordinary damper
arrangement, which is shown by the side of instead of above the hainmer on account
of want of space.
a is the strip or piece of elastic, felt, or other suitable material attached to a
prolongation of the hopper stop b, and by means of which the hopper or jack c will
be returned promptly to its position under the butt of the hammer, thereby per-
mitting of the same key being operated many times consecutively with great
rapidity. In any case the hopper will always return instantaneously to its seat
under the butt of the hammer.
Having now described the nature of my Invention for "Improvements in
Pianofortes, and in Action or Mechanism to be Employed in connection therewith,"
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,—
First. The application to and employment in pianofortes of the arrangement of
the strings or wires, substantially as herein shewn and described, whereby the
greatest possible length of bridge is obtained, for the purpose set forth.
Second. The employment of the supplementary bridges constructed as herein
described, so that the same will rest at intervals only on the sound-board, and
that to a small extent, in order that the vibration may not be hindered, in combi-
nation with four or more sets of wires laid crosswise, as set forth.
Third. The application and employment of the piece of felt or other suitable
material a for the purpose of assuring the accurate operation of the repeating
action, substantially as herein shown and described.
Fourth. The combination of the piece of felt or other suitable material a with
the hopper stop b and the hopper c, substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hermann Richard Schreiber, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witnesses,
F. NEUMEYER.
EDWIN S. BRYDGES.
HERMANN RICHARD SCHREIBER. (L.S.)