Improvements in or relating to Pianofortes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Pianofortes.
We, JOHN NOBLE, Pianoforte Agent, and FREDRICK RICKARDS BENNETT, l'iano-
forte Tuner, both of 110, High Road, Willesden Green, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of piano-
forte frame wherein the strain of the wires is central and equally distributed
between both sides of the frame, thereby rendering braces and supports for the
latter unnecessary and consequently improving the tone of the instrument.
According to our invention, the frame may be of wood or metal or both, prefer-
ably the bottom plank and uprights or side supports are made from one length of
metal bent to the required shape and cased with wood. The wrest plank carried by
the uprights or side supports is top pinned, that is to say the wrest pins are
arranged vertically in the top face thereof in lieu of horizontally in the side face
as is usual. Disposed centrally within the frame are the bridge and straining bar.
The central strung wires after leaving the bridge diverge and pass to the wrest
pins, some over one side face of the wrest plank and a like number over the
other side face thereof, the effect being to cause an equal tension on both sides
of the frame and a resulting central strain. The wrest plank would
preferably be enclosed in a metal casing and the bridge may be secured to the
former in any suitable manner, for example the ridge carrying body of the bridge
may enter a central longitudinal slot in the wrest plank and may be secured therein
by bolts or otherwise.
Our improved frame may be equally well applied to either upright or horizontal
pianos the shape of the frame being suitably modified.

page_text: 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 follow-
ing statement:-
1
This invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of piano-
forte frame wherein the strain of the wires is central being equally distributed
between both sides of the wrest plank thereby rendering vertical braces or supports
for the latter unnecessary and consequently improving the tone of the instrument
owing to the fact that the "belly" is not encumbered.
According to our invention, the frame may be of wood or metal or of both, prefer-
ably the bottom plank and uprights or side supports are made from one length of
metal bent to the required shape and cased with wood. The wrest plank carried
by the uprights or side supports is top pinned, that is to say the wrest pins are
arranged vertically in the top face thereof in lieu of horizontally in the side face
as is usual. Disposed centrally within the frame are the bridges and straining
bar. The central strung wires after leaving the top bridge diverge and pass to
the wrest pins, some over one side face of the wrest plank and a like number over
the other side face thereof, the effect being to cause an equal tension on both sides
of the wrest plank and a resulting central strain.
Our improved frame may be equally well applied to either upright or horizontal
pianos the shape of the frame being suitably modified.
We will now more particularly describe our invention and the manner of per-
forming the same having reference to the annexed drawings in which similar
letters refer to like parts in both figures, and wherein :-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the wrest plank of a pianoforte frame
constructed according to our invention, and,
Fig. 2 is a like view of a slightly modified arrangement.
Referring to Fig. 1, a is the wrest plank carried by the side supports or up-
rights of the pianoforte frame and having wrest pins inserted vertically in its
top face.
Bolted to the bottom face of the wrest plank u are the iron brackets d
between which is inserted the iron plate e extending centrally from end to end
of the wrest plank and secured in position by the bolts f. This plate e carries the
usual pressure bar 9 and the top bridge h and its upper portion, together with the
brackets, is preferably enclosed in a wood casing i. The wires k for one note
after leaving the top bridge h pass behind the pressure bar and over one side face
of the wrest plank to the vertically disposed wrest pins e whilst the wires k for the
next note after leaving the top bridge h through a hole 7 in the plate e and over the
opposite side face of the wrest plank to the vertical wrest pins, and so on, the result
being that the strain of the wires is central being distributed between both sides
of the wrest plank. oo are iron bars having rounded faces which are secured to
the edges of the wrest plank a in order to enable the wires to ride easily over the
same.
In the modification, Fig. 2, the iron plate e is of less depth, and in lieu of the
pressure bar
and top bridge being carried thereby they are carried by the iron
bridge plate e secured to a wood plank m extending across the back of the piano.
n are stay pieces disposed between the plates e and e, said stay pieces being
arranged between the back wires k. In this, as in the first described arrangement
the wires for one note pass to their wrest pins over one side face of the wrest plank
whilst the wires k for the next note pass to their wrest pins over the opposite side
face of the wrest plank and so on with the same result.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
:-
1. A pianoforte frame having a top pinned wrest plank and centrally strung
wires of which latter some after leaving the top bridge are led to their wrest pins
over one side face of the wrest plank whilst others are led to their wrest pins over

page_text: the opposite side face of the wrest plank, substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
2. A pianoforte frame constructed and arranged substantially as described with
reference to and illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this 20th day of Avos 1808
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.