Improvements in or relating to Resonators for Stringed Instruments.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896
Complete Sonnification Loft 23rd Oct 1906 Accented
401h Don 1806
Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Loft, 23rd Oct, 1906 Accepted, 12th Dec., 1905
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Resonators for Stringed Instruments.
I, DANIEL MAYER of 18 Great Marlborough Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to resonators for stringed intruments and more particularly
to the method of connecting the resonator with the frame of the instrument to which it
is applied. Hitherto, these resonators have been more or less rigidly connected to
the frames of the musical instruments, particularly pianofortes, but I find that the
tone is sometimes apt to be spoilt by jarring if these fastenings become loose.
In carrying out my invention 1 obviate the difficulty above referred to by making
a spring connection between the resonator. and the frame of the musical instrument.
A convenient way of carrying the invention into effect is to rivet or otherwise secure
upon or to the resonator, which is usually made of metal, a screwed rod or stud which
passes through a bridge or saddle of any suitable material, say brass or steel, which
may be screwed or otherwise fastened to the appropriate part of the musical
instrument, and to place around this screwed bolt or stud a spring of any suitable
description say for instance a bowed plate-spring, the nut which is screwed on to
the stud bearing upon the spring. By this means while the spring may be made
strong enough to admit of sufficient pull or strain being placed upon the resonator,
it obviates any jarring as the spring itself will accommodate itself to any variation
in tension.
In some cases I find it convenient to form a recess in a portion of the frame-work
or sound-board of the instrument and to bridge this over by a plain piece of metal
or equivalent which may be screwed to the wood, thus providing the bridge to carry
the spring connection.
Any required number of these spring connections may be employed with one
resonator or two connections may be made to one bridge either by separate screwed
bolts and separate springs or the same spring, or by employing a single bolt and
spring, and carrying the separate connections from it.
Means other than those described may however be employed for the purpose.
For example the screwed stud or bolt may itself form the spring, or the bridge may
form or be connected with the spring:
Dated this 25th day of January 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
proveme
relating Resonators
Stringed
I, DANIEL MAYER, of 18, Great Marlborough Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte 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:-
This invention relates to resonators for stringed instruments and more particularly
to the method of connecting the resonator with the soundboard or other portion of the
ונ |

page_text: instrument to which it is applied. Hitherto these resonators have been more or less
rigidly connected to the frames of the musical instruments particularly pianofortes,
but it is found that the tone is sometimes apt to be spoilt by jarring when this is
the case.
In carrying out this invention the difficulty above referred to is obviated by
making a spring connection between the resonator and the frame or soundboard of
the musical instrument. One convenient way of carrying the invention into effect is
to rivet or otherwise secure upon or to the resonator, which is usually made of metal, a
screwed rod or stud which passes through a bridge or saddle of any suitable material
say iron or steel, which may be screwed or otherwise fastened to the appropriate part
of the musical instrument and to place around the screwed bolt or stud a spring of
any suitable description say for instance a bowed plate-spring, the nut which is screwed
on to the stud bearing upon the spring. By this means while the spring may be
made strong enough to admit of sufficient pull or strain being placed upon the
resonator, it obviates any jarring as the spring itself will accommodate itself to any
variation in tension.
Another method of carrying the invention into effect is to place spring devices in
tension between the soundboard and the resonator.
In the accompanying drawings ;-
Fig. 1, is a view of the underside of a grand pianoforte provided with a resonator
connected to the frame of the instrument in the manner hereinbefore described;
Fig. 2, is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a resonator and soundboard connected by
one form of spring connection according to this invention.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The resonator A is of a type which is provided with vibratory tongues or gongs A³,
strings D which enter holes A in the tongues being in tension between these
tongues or gongs and the soundboard C but the invention is not limited to application
to this particular type of resonator. There is a clearance H between the resonator
and the frame in the examples illustrated.
With reference first to Figs. 1 and 2,
Each of the yielding fastening-devices for connecting the resonator A to the
frame E comprises a perforated yoke G and bolt F together with a nut F which
latter is inside the yoke and does not bear directly thereupon, a plate spring I
being introduced between the nut F¹ and the yoke G.
In some cases particularly in an upright or cottage pianoforte, I find it convenient
to make use of the recesses in the frame at the parts where the resonator is to be
connected to it and bridge these recesses with metal bars which serve as the before
described yokes to be used with the springs I.
Any required number of the spring-connections may be employed with one
resonator or two such connections may be used in conjunction with one bridge
either by separate screwed bolts and separate springs or by employing a single bolt
and spring, and carrying the separate connections from it.
Means other than these described may however be employed for the purpose. For
example the screwed stud or bolt may itself form a spring or a bridge may form
or be connected with the spring, or instead of plate springs any other convenient
form of spring may be employed.
With reference now to Fig. 3, the resonator A is connected to the soundboard C
by a series of steel springs D and loops D preferably-of silk or gut. The spring is
6ixed to the soundboard and connected to one end of a silk loop the latter being
connected at its opposite end to an eye A' or hook on the resonator A. The springs
are so formed or arranged that they tend always to contract and therefore will always
keep the loops D taut; this is of importance as the tone of the instrument would
suffer in quality if any slackness occurring in the silk were not taken up. Instead
of silk other material may be employed for the loops or the loops may be dispensed
with and a spring-connection elastic throughout its length can be extended between
soundboard and resonator to connect them both.

page_text: The spring D or its equivalent can be of any desired form and if desired be
provided with nuts or other means enabling its tension to be adjusted in the
instrument.
This type of spring connection can either be employed alone or in combination
with devices such as are hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
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 a musical instrument the combination with a resonator, of spring connections
such as described between the resonator and the frame or soundboard.
2. In a musical instrument the combination with a resonator, of an adjustable
spring connection between the resonator and the frame or soundboard.
3. In a musical instrument the combination with the body or frame, of a resonator,
extensions such as F therefrom, and a yoke or bridge such as G the latter serving as
or being provided with a spring, substantially as described.
4. In a musical instrument the combination with the soundboard of a resonator
and a tension device such as D D' connecting them together.
5. The combination with a grand pianoforte of the complete resonator attachment
substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of Ontahan 1806
DANIEL MAYER.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.