Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 21st Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May, 1889
апа H
I, ARTHUR JOHN CRESSWELL of 12 Hucknall Road, Carrington, in the Borough
of Nottingham, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for straining the wires of pianofortes and to the
wires used therein and it has for its object the improved construction and arrangement
of apparatus for facilitating the process of tuning and retaining the wires at their
proper tension, and the production of a superior tone to what has been possible
heretofore.
In carrying out this invention each wire is stretched by a separate lever placed over
a beam or bar preferably constructed of inetal which I use instead of a wrest plank, it
is formed of any suitable section with preferably a flat top with a raised ridge or knife
edg
dge near the front to form a fulcrum for the levers.
The levers are formed with a boss at one end to which the wires are attached, and a
slot or jaw at the other through which a screw is passed and screwed into the beam.
On the underside of each lever and near the centre is formed an opening or notch
which when the levers are in position rests on the ridge or fulcrum on the beam and
by the action of the screws depressing their inner ends the outer ends of the levers are
raised to the desired extent.
The wires I prefer to form flat in section, of any suitable thickness and width and
they may be graduated so as to produce the different notes; by this means I obtain
more body in the tone of the piano. The wires may be attached to the lovers by
placing the end in a radial opening in the boss and then passed round the boss one or
more times.
By the foregoing arrangement by means of which flat wire of any suitable width
and thickness may be stretched to the required tension the necessity of having so many
wires to each note is done away with and the consequent difficulty in tuning.
Uated this 21st day of June 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching the Wires of Pianofortes
and in the Wires therefor.
I, ARTHUR JOHN CRESSWELL of 12 Hucknall Road, Carrington, in the Borough of
Nottingham, Mechanic, 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for straining the wires in pianofortes and to the
wires used therein and it has for its object improvements in apparatus for facilitating
the process of tuning, and the production of a superior tone to what has been possible
heretofore.
It will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of the apparatus ;
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, Fig. 5 a front elevation and Fig. 6 a plan of a modification
thereof, and Figs. 7 and 8 are elevation and plan respectively of a lever showing
method of attaching the wires.
In carrying out this invention I employ a beam or bar A preferably constructed of
metal and of a hollow section in place of an ordinary wrest plank; it is formed of any
suitable section with a preferably flat top with a raised ridge or knife edge B near the
front to form a fulcrum for the levers, or a stop to prevent the levers from slipping
forward when the fulcrum is formed on the levers.
On the upper side of the beam A I arrange side by side a number of levers C
preferably provided on their undersides with notches which fit on the knife edge B of
the beam A and keep them in position, they are formed with bosses C" at their outer
ends to which the wires are attached and a slot or jaw C at their inner ends through
which a bolt or screw D is passed and secured or screwed into the beam A and by
means of which the inner end of each lever C is depressed and its outer end raised and
the wires strained.
In a modification I arrange a number of levers E provided preferably with a fulcrum E'
bearing against the raised ridge B of the beam A, the inner ends E of which levers
are depressed by a bolt or screw F passing through a slot in the lever and the beam A.
Above each lever E I arrange preferably two additional levers G provided with
bosses G¹ to which the wires are attached and a slot or jaw G at their other ends
through which a screw or bolt H is passed and screwed or secured into the levers E.
The bosses G¹ of the levers G bear against a raised portion E³ of the levers E at their
outer ends which prevents the levers G from slipping forward and as their inner ends
are depressed by the bolts or screws H the wire is wound on the bosses and so
tightened.
By this arrangement when two wires are employed to each note they can both be
tightened at once by depressing the inner end E of the lever E or each wire may be
adjusted in tune with the other by raising or depressing the inner ends of the levers G
which is a finer adjustment; also by this arrangement greater accomodation is obtained
than by one lever.

page_text: I employ wires which are flat in section and of any suitable width and thickness and
they may be graduated so as to produce the different notes; by this means I obtain
more body in the tone of the piano with less wires to each note. The wires I may be
attached to the ends of the levers C and G, (see Figs. 7 and 8) by placing the end in
a radial opening G³ in the boss G' and then passing round one or more times, I also
preferably form the bosses hollow so that the wire H as it is tightened may close the
radial opening G on the wire.
By the employment of flat wires special effects may be obtained by the use of an
additional set of dampers which may be operated by a pedal or in any well known
manner, or the ordinary dampers may be held on the wires instead of being raised by
the keys; in the latter case the dampers may be thrown out of operation with the key's
by moving the bar or rail or any desired part of it carrying the vertical wires which
raise the dampers forward thus moving the vertical wires out of contact with the
dampers which would remain on the wires instead of being raised in the usual manner
when the keys were depressed; the bar or rail or that part of it which it is desirable
to operate may he attached to suitable levers and operated by an additional knee or
foot pedal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) The employment of flat wire to produce the musical notes in pianos substantially
as described.
(2) In a piano the combination with a beam such as A of levers such as C
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(3) In a piano the combination with a lever such as E of a lever or levers such as G
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
(4) The combination with a beam such as A of levers such as E and G substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(5) The method of attaching wires to the levers C or G by inserting the end of the
wire in the radial opening G³ and then turning it round the boss G' substantially as
described and illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.
Dated this 20th day of March 1889.