Improvements relating to Pianofortes, Harps, and other Stringed Musical Instruments.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th May, 1894-Accepted, 30th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Pianofortes, Harps, and other Stringed
Musical Instruments.
I HENRY AUGUSTAIN DE CRAWSHAW of 16 Strattan Street Leeds in the
County of York, retired Tradesman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
The invention consists of doing away entirely, with, the iron tuning peg as now
used in the tuning of pianofortes, harps, &c.; and substituting therefor a metal
plate A, (hard brass preferred) a quarter of an inch in thickness from back to
front of plate A and one eighth of an inch thick on the top A' cast and made
from a model made to fit the face and the top of, and extending over the entire
front surface and one inch on the top of, what is now known as the wrest plank or
peg block P and P'; the said metal plate A having a gallery or projection B
projecting five eighths of an inch from surface of plate A, and three eighths thick,
from top to underside of gallery B; the top surface of gallery B to be planed true
and smooth for brass nuts N to turn upon; the said gallery B running from end
to end of metal plate A, obliquely or level, (as the original construction of the
instrument determines). The metal plate A, with gallery B, to be cast all in solid
metal in one casting, being then affixed to wrest plank or peg block P, by
2 inch screws, or bolts, if fixed from face of plate; by screws S every 3 inches
apart along the whole length of plate, A, and also by screws inch long through
top of plate into peg block from the top downwards P¹.
The said metal plate to be reduced one eighth of an inch in thickness and
extending seven eighths of an inch from bottom edge upwards on the back of plate,
to enable it to be firmly bedded to peg block; see ✗; the top screws S₁ to be
placed 2 inches apart more or less, as the nature of the material may demand.
The said gallery B, having holes H, drilled through it to receive shanks F, of
loops L; holes to be of an inch in diameter, the said holes H to be drilled
straight through gallery B at right angles to its top planed surface B'.
I then take a piece of cast steel wire of an inch in diameter and two and a
half inches long and file away half its diameter from one end for g of an inch up
the wire Z, and heat it to redness and turn it round shank F, to form the loop L
and tag G, I then put on a screw thread, on shank F to within of an inch of
loop L, of 32 threads to the inch. I then harden it, and let it down to a straw
color.
square
I then make a brass nut N, from a piece of brass wire 3 of an inch in diameter,
and half an inch long, I then drill a hole through it a bare eighth of an inch in
diameter and screw tap it to suit and travel on or down shank F, I then file
the four sides of nut N, halfway down its length, to fit tuning key K, I then insert
shank F of loop L through hole H in gallery B from underside, and screw on
nut N on the top of shank F.
By placing key K, on nut N, and turning to the right, the shank F with loop L,
and string T attached is pulled up through N, and is thus tightened to any tone
required, and when key K, is removed the wire will remain at the same tension for
all time.
The object of tag G is to prevent loop L and its shank F from turning round
with nut N, when nut N, is turned round by key K.
Dated this 30th day of August 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Pianofortes, Harps, and other Stringed
Musical Instruments.
I, HENRY AUGUSTAIN DE CRAWSHAW of 16 Strattan Street, Leeds, in the
County of York, Chemist, 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 refers to an improved construction and arrangement as hereinafter
described of tension devices for the wires or strings of pianofortes, harps, and the
like. My said improvements relate to that class of tension devices, where the
wires or strings are secured to the lower ends of wrest pins or screwed spindles,
arranged say vertically and passing freely through a fixed support and provided
with nuts upon their upper ends whereby the pull on the strings is effected in a
direct line with the axes of the spindles.
Now according to my invention I provide a metal plate having a continuous
flange projecting therefrom and extending the whole length of the musical
instrument. This flange is formed or drilled with holes through which the screwed
spindles are passed, and I form the lower ends or heads the spindles each with an
arm projecting therefrom of sufficient length to take against the metal plate and
prevent the spindles being rotated when the tightening nuts thereon are turned for
adjusting the tension of the wires.
My invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings. Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a pianoforte, with my
invention applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of same.
Figure 3 is a detail view of a spindle detached, Figure 4 is a similar view of a
modified construction of same, and Figure 5 a plan view of a part of the continuous
flange.
A is the metal plate which I attach to or form with the frame A¹ of the musical
instrument, and on this plate A I provide the continuous projecting flange B
running parallel, or approximately so, to the bridge A2 of the instrument. Along
the whole length of the said flange B, I drill or otherwise form holes C, preferably
at equal distances apart, and through each of the holes C in the flange B, I pass
my improved wrest-pins, each consisting of a screwed spindle D, each spindle being
provided with a nut E, which nuts E work in contact with the upper surface of the
fixed flange B. The lower end of each spindle D, clearly shown at Figure 3, has
an enlarged part or head D', through which I form a hole F, say at right angles to
the axis of the spindle, and I cut or form a groove G, through which to lead the
wire H to the hole F; D2 is the projecting arm extending from the head D¹ in a
direction about at right angles to the axis of the spindle D, its use, as aforesaid,
when in position, Figure 1, being to prevent rotation of the wrest pin by taking
against the plate A.
The end of each string H, after passing the bridge A2 is firmly fixed to the
enlarged part D₁ of the spindle D, by passing the said wire up in a line with the
axis of the pin D through the groove G, through the hole F, and afterwards
bending and finally twisting the end round as shown in the drawing Figures 1
and 2.
Instead of providing the enlarged heads D¹ to the pins D as at Fig. 3, I may
simplify the construction and cheapen the manufacture of the said pins D by
forming the latter with a looped end D' as shown at Figure 4, the laterally
extended part forming the projection D² and the string being attached to the
loop D'.
In tuning a musical instrument having the wrest pins arranged and constructed
according to my invention, the tuning key is passed on to the square part of the
.

page_text: nut E, and by turning such key to the right, the said spindle D with its string H
is pulled directly upwards or in a line with the axis of the string and spindle, the
arms D' effectually preventing the rotation of the spindle.
Apparatus constructed as above described is equally applicable to a three
stringed or trichord instrument, in which case the screwed spindles D and nuts E
may be arranged as shown at Figure 5.
By my invention I am enabled to obtain a greater degree of accuracy (as for
example by planing) as well as ease of fitting by the employment of the continuous
supporting flange B, and the projecting arms D' on the spindles effectually prevent
rotation of same and obviate the necessity of weakening the screw threads of the
spindles by forming flat surfaces on same, or unduly lengthening the spindles and
cutting spaces in the framework to take the lengthened parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In tension devices for pianofortes, harps and the like, the screwed spindles D
(having nuts E) with projecting arms D at the ends thereof, adapted to take
against an abutment and prevent the spindles being rotated when adjusting the
tension of the wires which are attached to the ends or heads of such spindles
substantially as described and illustrated with special reference to Figures 3 or 4
of the accompanying drawings.
2. In tension devices for pianofortes, harps and the like wherein the wires or
strings are secured to the ends of screwed and nutted spindles or tension pins, the
combination therewith of a plate A carried by the framework of the instrument
and formed with a projecting continuous flange B at right angles to the said plate,
drilled with holes to receive the tension spindles substantially as and for the
purposes herein described.
3. In tension devices for pianofortes, harps, and the like, consisting of screwed
spindles having the wires fixed to one end, passing through a support and nutted at
the opposite ends, such tension devices being distinguished by the combination of
a metal plate A fixed to the frame with a continuous projecting flange B having
holes C to receive the screwed spindles, each of the latter having projecting
arms D² taking against the metal plate A and preventing the rotation of the
spindles substantially as set forth.
4. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts composing
my improvements relating to pianofortes, harps and other stringed musical
instruments all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
ה והני
CM1004
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for Applicant.