Improvements in Pianos.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pianos.
I, GEORGE STECK, of 1066 East Boulevard, in the City and State of New York,
United States of America, Gentleman, 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 that class of pianos, in which the sound is produced by the
vibration of a metal spring or tongue and not by a string.
The objection to these instruments has heretofore been, that the tone was impure,
deficient in volume and not harmonious.
By the tongues that are the subject of the present invention, a powerful, pure and
pleasing tone is produced.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1. is a back plate of an upright piano, provided with tongues of my improved
construction.
Figs. 2 and 3 are details of the two kinds of tongues employed.
A is a metal plate which carries the tongues and which is secured within the piano
case, directly in the rear of the hammers.
The high and deep tones are produced by tongues of different construction. All
tongues however are struck by the hammers on one and the same line, viz., the
line x, x, Fig. 1.
The tongues that produce the high notes are composed of a spring a soldered at
its upper end upon a block a¹. The spring a is longer than the block a¹, so that the
lower or vibrating end of the spring is free and unobstructed (Fig. 2). While the
length of the springs a increases with the depth of the tone, or from right to left,
the length of all the blocks a' may remain the same.
A clear and powerful tone is obtained, if the spring a is made of steel and the
block al is made of brass.
The tongues are attached to the plate A by screws a³.
With the lower notes, the length and weight of the tongues, when free at one end,
would produce objectionable by-notes, and therefore the instrument could not be
properly tuned.
Hence I support the tongues that produce the lower notes, at both ends and construct
them in the following manner :
A steel spring rod b is embraced at both ends by perforated posts c that are screwed
into back plate A.
The rods b project beyond the posts and have threaded ends b¹ for the reception of
nuts d. When the nuts are tightened up or relaxed, they change the tension to
which the rods are subjected and thus the rods can be readily tuned.
The surface of the bore within the post c that receives the rod, is made of conical
form, to reduce the contact plane or seat between post and rod to a minimum. A set
screw e presses the rod against this seat and prevents rattling within the post, when
the rod is struck by the hammer.
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. A piano provided with tongues that are composed of springs a and of blocks a¹,
made shorter than the springs, substantially as specified.

page_text: 2. The combination of rods 6 having projecting threaded ends 61, with posts c and
with nuts & on the projecting ends of the rods, substantially as specified.
3. The combination of posts c having conical seats, with the rods 6 and set screws e,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 16th day of September 1890.
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.