Improvements in Harps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
Improvements in Harps.
I, GEORGE BUCHANAN DURKEE, of 664 Washington Boulevard Chicago, in
the County of Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanic, 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:-
The object of this invention is to improve the quality and quantity of tone in
the lower register of the musical scale.
It is a fact well understood now, and in all probability appreciated by harp
makers long ago, that the tone in the lower register of the harp is deficient both in
quality and quantity, and I attribute this imperfection to the lack of a proper
sounding board. It may easily be demonstrated that the present construction of
sounding board is lacking in efficiency by a comparison of the width of the sounding
board with the length of the strings at various points. For example, the upper
end of the sound board is usually made of a width equal to the length of the
string at that point-say, three inches, while the lower end of the sound board is
in width, less than one-fourth of the length of the string at that point, or-say-
fourteen inches in width while the string is over five feet long. It may also be
demonstrated that the proper width for the sound board at any given point is a
trifle more than half the length of the string, which indicates that the sound
board at its base should be, to obtain the best results, nearly three feet in
width.
A practical difficulty arises, however, because of the fact that the base of the
body of the harp is now as wide as considerations of convenience and appearance
will permit, and if made wider the spread of the pedals would be so great that they
could not be reached by the performer.
By my invention 1 materially increase the width of the sound board in the
lower register of the scale without increasing the width of the body, and this I do
by a mechanical construction which does not detract from the appearance of the
instrument or disturb the arrangement of the pedals.
My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a harp having a sound board of my improved
construction and shown in proper relation to the performer.
Figure 2 is a cross section through the body of the harp near its base, showing
my improved sounding board.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the lower portion of the body of the harp,
showing the arrangement of the pedale.
Figure 4 is a broken perspective view of the front of the harp, ready to receive
the sound board:
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the lower portion of the harp with my
improved construction and a desirable configuration of the body thereof and the
result of an experiment to determine vibrations thereof.
Figure 6 is a perspective detail, showing the construction of the sides to receive
the sound board.
In the drawings, A indicates the base and B the body of the barp. In my
construction I attach to the sides of the body the side flanges or sound board
extensions C, along the edges of which are secured strips or cleats D, and upon the

page_text: latter the main sound board E is secured, said sound board being extended or
projected to correspond with extensions C, thus increasing the effective width of
the sound board.
In Figure 6 the body is shown separately, and in Figure 4 it is shown in that
stage of construction where the ribs F, side flanges C and cleats D are applied.
In order to secure the side extensions and the cleats properly to the body, the
latter is notched or cut away on its upper edges, as shown at b, and the upper,
narrow ends of the extensions C are fitted into this upper cut away portion so that
the upper edges of the cleats are flush with the surfaces of the upper edges of the
body portions. The extensions C are secured to the body, preferably by means of
the metal strips G and the fastenings g.
I prefer to make the extensions or side flanges C of soft wood, while the cleats D
may be made of harder wood.
Referring, particularly, to Figure 2, it will be understood that that portion of
the extensions C which are outside of the plane of the body are effective as a part
of the sounding board, the space enclosed between their upper surfaces and the
lower surfaces of the main sounding board E being adequate to provide a proper
.sound box. Thus the effective width of the sound board is increased very
materially. All those portions outside the dotted lines are added by my
invention without any corresponding increase in the width of the body.
While I have shown and described the preferred construction, it is obvious that
modifications may be made in the structural features, and therefore I do not limit
my invention to such details of construction, except as hereinafter indicated in the
claims.
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 harp, the combination with a body, of side extensions secured to the
body and projecting beyond the plane of the sides thereof, and a sound board also
projected beyond the sides of the body and secured to the extensions thereof near
their outer edges, substantially as described.
2. In a harp, the combination with a body having its upper edges recessed, side
extensions fitted to such recesses and projecting beyond the planes of the sides of
the body, cleats secured to the margins of said extensions and a sound board
mounted upon said cleats and having its edges projected to correspond with the side
extensions, substantially as described.
3. In a harp, the combination with a body, of side extensions secured to the
lower portion thereof and projecting beyond the planes of the sides of the body
and adapted to serve as a sound board, cleats secured to the outer margins of said
extensions and the sound board secured to the upper part of said body and to said
cleats and projecting over the side extensions, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.