Improvements in Attaching Pianoforte Wires to the Bridge of Sounding Board.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1992
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Attaching Pianoforte Wires to the Bridge of
Sounding Board.
A communication by F. KAIM & SON, of Kirchheim u/ Teck, in the Empire of
Germany, Pianoforte Manufacturers..
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide means so that, when the strings of a
pianoforte are struck, particularly those of the higher octaves, in other words, the
shorter ones having a greater number of vibrations, a clearer and longer enduring
tone may
be produced, and this end is attained by making the limitation of these
wires take place on the sounding hoard bridge in the direction of the hammer
contact, instead of, as hitherto, by means of limiting pins, in which case the wires.
are only firmly held sideways.
The form and method of this mode of fastening the wires on the sounding board
bridge will be best described by aid of the accompanying sheet of illustrative
drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a general view, showing the application of the invention, and
Figures 2 to 7 hereinafter fully described.
The essential point of the invention is that the length of the wire which passes
over the sounding board bridge of the instrument vibrates up and down in a vertical
direction instead of, as heretofore, horizontally, that is, to and fro between two
pins on the bridge, the length of the wire which so vibrates being limited by means
of what may be called "cut offs," formed by means of clasps a, sharp edged blocks b
or in any other suitable manner.
Through the holes of the clasps a, which are sharply conical towards both sides,
cut offs are formed in the middle of the holes in which the strings are supported
when drawn through the holes of the clasps. The wires, consequently, only rest
sharply at these single points, and, thereby, the friction of the same whilst vibrating
is reduced to a minimum at the points of support, whereby an alteration, if only a
small one, in the length of the wires takes place. In the longer wires, that is,
those of the middle and lower octaves, this comes less, or not at all, into considera-
tion, on the other hand, in the shorter wires, that is, in the upper two to two and a
half octaves, where the vibrations are quickly repeated, the duration of the vibration
by this method of attaching the wires is essentially extended and the tone is produced
much purer and more vividly.
The limitation may be produced in various ways, for instance, by means of clasps
in front, and resting the wires on the sounding board bridge, Figures 2 and 3, or
by means of blocks 6 in front and by pressing down the wires behind through
clasps a, Figure 4, or blocks and clasps may be formed in one piece c and this
latter attached to the sounding board bridge by means of a screw.
In this case,
the clasps may be placed before or behind, Figures 5 and 6.
Two clasps may also be employed, whereby the wires may be presssed up or
limited between the same by means of a little ledger over the sounding board
bridge, as in Figure 7. Blocks may also be screwed on, on both sides, and the
wires pressed down by a clasp placed in the middle of the same, and thus the
limitation may be produced.
Various other methods of limitation may naturally also be employed, it is only

page_text: essential that the limitation of the length of vibration of the wires against the
sounding board bridge take place by cutting off, by means of clasps, blocks or
other suitable means, and that the limitation takes place, not in the direction of
the plane of the wires, but vertically thereto, or in the direction of the hammer
contacts, or approximately so.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
The improvements in attaching the wires on the sounding board bridge of
pianofortes substantially as hereinbefore described, which consist in so attaching
the same that the limitation of the length of the vibration takes place by means of
cut offs, formed of blocks or clasps, and such limitation of the wires being in the
direction of the hammer contact or approximately so, that is, vertically to the plane
of the wires, instead of, as formerly, in the same direction, that is sideways.
Deted this 10th day of Februar 1905
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.