IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Howson of Middlesbrough on Tees, in the
County of York, Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
FORTES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Howson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th December 1883.
RICHARD HOWSON of Middlesbrough on Tees, in the County of York, Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
"
My invention has for object improvements in pianofortes.
In the ordinary construction of pianofortes the soundbridge is glued on to the
soundboard, which consists of a table of thin wood strengthened on the opposite
side by longitudinal bars. The object of these bars is to bear the down pressure
of the strings, and prevent the soundboard from yielding and becoming flabby.
Now according to my invention the bridge is fixed to a series of bars separate
from the soundboard and having their ends bolted to the iron frame or wooden
truss of the instrument. These bars constitute a skeleton frame which is made
sufficiently strong to bear the pressure of the strings, so that the soundboard itself
has less need of great strength, and in fact may answer its purpose very well
without bars. It remains to put the skeleton frame and the sound-board into
communication. This I do by means of a series of contact pieces such as pegs,
blocks, or wires, fixed at one end to the frame and at the other to the sound-
board.
•
In order to obtain a crescendo and diminuendo effect of the same character as
that described in the specification of my former patent dated January 13th 1880,
No 143, I, according to my present invention, allow the above named contact
pieces to pass through holes in the soundboard without touching the latter, but
capable, by pedal mechanism, of being pressed into contact therewith. The pedal
is attached to a rocking shaft on which are a series of levers having their ends
connected with the ends of the contact pieces by means of wires or trackers. It
will thus be understood that when the pedal is depressed, the contact pieces are
brought into communication with the soundboard, which then responds to the

page_text: vibrations: when the pedal is released, the contact pieces are also released and the
soundboard is silent. It will be also clear that the action of this mechanism may
be reversed if thought proper.
In order to improve the quality of tone, I fasten a wooden block between every
pair of strengthening bars. The general course of these blocks is from bar to bar
running in the direction of the bridge. They must not however overlap both
edges of the bridge, but only that edge which leads to the waste part of the strings.
The sounding edge of the bridge must project beyond the blocks a limited distance,
which is optional, but as a rule it should be more at the bass end of the scale and
less as the treble end is approached.
As is obvious my improvements may be applied either in whole or in part in
pianofortes of various constructions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Howson in the Patent Office on the 7th June 1884.
RICHARD HOWSON, of Middlesbrough-on-Tees in the County of York, Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
My invention refers more particularly to those parts of pianofortes the function
of which is the propogation of sound.
In the ordinary construction of pianofortes the sound bridge is glued to the
sound board, which consists of a table of thin wood strengthened on the opposite
side by longitudinal or vertical bars. The object of these bars is to prevent the
sound board from yielding under the down pressure of the strings. Now according
to my invention the sound bridge is fixed on to a skeleton frame or series of bars
of suitable strength, the whole being entirely separate from the sound board, and
attached to the iron back or wooden truss of the instrument.
Referring to the drawings hereto annexed.
Fig 1 shews the skeleton frame looking from behind with the sound board
removed as well as those other parts of the instrument which are not essential to
illustrate the invention.
Fig 2 is a cross section of the same.
The bridge A follows the ordinary curve and is attached to a thin piece of
wood B which in this case is shewn fixed by means of screws to an iron back.
The bars C are shewn taking a vertical direction and the upper ends of them are
screwed fast to the iron back either with a strip of wood intervening as shewn
or not.
The bars may vary in number and their position and direction may also vary
For instance Fig 4 shews a modification in this respect in which the bars take a
direction at right angles or thereabout to a tangent to the curvature. I do not
adhere to any particular length of bars, as it is obvious that their length will
depend in a great measure upon their strength. They may in fact be cut off level
with the edge of the bridge provided they are strong enough, in which case they
will not require to have their upper ends fixed. A skeleton frame is thus
constituted sufficiently firm to stand the down pressure and side strain of the
strings, while the soundboard itself has no need of great strength, and may in fact
answer its purpose without any bars at all. It remains to put the bridge and the
sound board into communication so that the instrument may acquire its due
resonance, and this I do by means of a series of contact pieces or fingers fixed to
the frame at one end and to the sound board at the other. One of these fingers is
shewn at D Fig 2 and is supposed to be made of wood, but it may be made of
metal or other material It should be light and rigid. I do not confine myself to
any particular number or to any particular distance apart of the fingers or to their
exact position. For instance the one in Fig 2 is shewn as attached to the bar
while in Fig 3 it is shewn attached to the strip which carries the bridge with an
extra one higher up on the bar itself, shewn in dotted lines. The position and
number in fact of these connections is optional but I may mention that I consider
it desirable they should not be much more than 6 inches apart measured along the
line of the bridge.
In order to modify or improve the quality of tone at any part of the scale
where it is desirable, I adjust a wooden block E between each two bars. The
sounding edge of the bridge must in all cases project beyond these blocks. It is
their distance in fact from that edge which determines the quality of tone, and
such distance is optional, but as a rule it should be greater at the bass end of the
scale and smaller as the treble end is approached.

page_text: I have so far described my invention as arranged for the production of the
ordinary pianoforte effects, but it is also specially applicable to the production of
crescendo and diminuendo effects such as are described in the specification of my
former patent dated 13 January 1880 N° 143. The modified mechanism for this
-purpose will be understood by reference to Fig. 3. In this case the fingers D are
not fixed to the soundboard but are allowed to pass through holes in the same
without touching, capable however of being pressed into contact therewith. The
pedal (not shewn) is attached to a rocking shaft F on which are a series of short
levers Ġ having their ends connected with the ends of the fingers by means of
wires or trackers H. It will thus be seen that when the pedal is depressed the
fingers being more or less elastic aře made to touch the sound board which then
responds to the vibrations, and when the pedal is released, the fingers are also
released and the sound board is silent.
It is clear that this action may be reversed if thought proper, and also that the
arrangement may be modified within wide limits while still preserving the essential
feature that the pedal acts upon the fingers to depress or raise them or work them
laterally or wedge them in such a manner as to effect a communication between
the bridge and the sound board and interrupt such communication at the will of
the performer.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and the manner of performing
it I would remark that as will be evident it may be applied to many different
constructions of pianofortes whether horizontal or vertical or whether the string
frame is of wood or of metal.
What I claim as new and secured to me by the Letters Patent first hereinbefore
in part recited is :-
1. In a pianoforte fixing the sound bridge on to a skeleton frame which is
independent of the sound board substantially as described.
2. In a pianoforte making communication between the sound bridge and the
sound board by means of a series of contact pieces and fingers as described.
3. In a pianoforte the arrangement whereby fingers such as referred to in claim 2
are allowed to pass through the sound board free from touching the same, but
capable of being forced into contact therewith by the pedal mechanism described,
or its equivalent.
In Witness whereof I the said Richard Howson have hereunto set my hand and
seal this sixth day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty-four.