IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAND PIANOFORTES AND OTHER SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS WITH DOUBLE TONE AND TWO TREBLE BRIDGES
Year: 1885

page_text: ments with Double Tone and Two Treble Bridges.
I WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 115 Cannon Street in the City of London Consulting
Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAND PIANOFORTES AND OTHER SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS WITH
DOUBLE TONE AND TWO TREBLE BRIDGES" & communication to me by Herrmann
Wolfframm of Dresden, Saxony, Germany, 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 improvements in grand pianos or pianofortes, pianinos
and other similar instruments with double tone and two treble bridges the object
of which is to produce a fuller, more flowing, richer and voice like tone, to prolong
the sounding of the higher notes and avoid the short sounding of the same as is
caused with the present prevailing inode of building such instruments by employing
my novel arrangement of two treble bridges.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents the ordinary construction and
is given in order to better demonstrate the novel features of my said invention in
which said figure a is the tuning peg or pin to which the one end of the wire is
attached b the bridge on the tuning peg or sound board plank or plate over which
the wires run.
c are the bridge pins in the bridge on the sound board.
b to c is that part of the wire which is caused to produce a tone under the blow
of the hammer.
c¹ is the pin in the bridge for preventing the wires rattling.
c¹ to d is that part of the wire which according to the present system of building
does not sound and in consequence is up to the bitch pins d called the dead wire.
Figure 2 represents the profile of my new system of two treble bridges with the
ordinary hitch pins.

page_text: w is the tuang peg
or plate, c is the pin in the first bridge-b-c the first length of wire which
produces tone.
c is the pin in the bridge for preventing the wires rattling.
e is the bridge pin of the second bridge.
c¹ to c² is the second sounding length of wire.
cs is the pin in the second bridge.
d is the hitch pin.
The double tone consists therein that the tone proper id est that part of the
wire which has hitherto been employed for producing tone is supplemented by a
second sounding length of wire by increasing the length of the said wire over the
first bridge to the second bridge whereby the said wire is guided by means of
bridge pins, half round brass wire with inserted bridge pins or suitable clasps.
The waves of sound always possess the tendency to extend themselves over the
entire length of the wire in which manner the second length of wire is brought
to tone.
The bridge must be regarded as the point from whence the tone is transmitted
to the sound board so that by applying a second bridge and a second sounding or
toning length of wire two points for the transmission of sound to the sound board
are attained and consequently the utilization of the sound board in its entire
breadth must be much greater than with the present system of construction as a
greater part or portion of the sound board is brought into operation-The doubly
transmitted waves of sound are stronger and the tone gains in volume and richness.
It is true that double tones have been produced but only the so called part tones
(partialmensuren) the same did not however produce the fundamental tones but
part tones such as fifths, sixths, dominants etcetera and were not provided with a
second bridge for increasing the action of the sound board as the same were
supported on the hitch pin plank or plate.
By means of my novel arrangement the same fundamental tone is produced in
both lengths of wire and both of these said lengths of wire will in tuning give the
same harmonic tone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it
understood that I am aware that Letters Patent were granted to W. F. Collard,
bearing date the 8th day of March-A.D. 1821, N° 4542, and that I inake no claim
to anything covered or claimed in the Specification of the said Letters Patent, but
I declare that what I claim is
In grand pianos, pianinos and other similar instruments the arrangement and
application of two treble bridges on the sound board with double lengths of wire
for simultaneously producing the same fundamental tone substantially as and for
the purpose described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying
drawings.