Improvements in connection with Attachment Pegs and Appliances for Tuning Stringed Instruments.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1898
Improvements in connection with Attachment Pegs and Appliances
for Tuning Stringed Instruments.
I, GUSTAVE FRANTZ LYON, of 22, Rue Rochechouart, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a tuning appliance for use with attachment pegs in
stringed instruments such as harps, pianos and the like, in which a screw,
arranged in the attachment-peg below the attachment hole and ratchet mechanism
permit of the tuning appliance being accurately moved and adjusted. This
tensional tuning appliance has the further advantage that, in using the same,
only one single hole need be made in the table or sounding board for the purpose
of fixing its different parts therein.
According to my invention the attachment peg proper is formed in two parts,
an outer or upper portion with the attachment-hole for taking the string which
terminates in a square head for receiving the tuning key of the operator, and a
lower or inner part. These two parts are formed with ratchet teeth where they
face each other, the movement or elongation of one from the other being regulated
by a screw which connects them together. The said screw, which may be solid
or hollow, is fixed in the internally screw-threaded outer part of the attachment
peg but passes loose through the inner part of the said attachment-peg, its
longitudinal movement being limited by its head abutting against a seat or
shoulder provided in the inner part of the peg.
The said inner part of the peg terminates at its base in a bevel edge which rests
in a curved part or hook formed or bent in the lower part of a plate (made pre-
ferably of brass) which is flat over its larger portion, and formed with a widened
part at its upper end where it is pierced with a circular hole, by which it is sus-
pended from an upper screw threaded piece hereinafter described. The lower part
of the said plate forming the curved part or hook enters an opening provided in
the base of the attachment peg.
The upper screw threaded piece, which is also preferably of brass, is provided
with a flattened screw head and is fixed by screwing into the table or sounding
board. Besides being screw threaded externally the said upper piece is made
hollow and provided with internal screw-threads for receiving an upper peg
which passes through a hole or elongated slot provided in a shoulder or attachment
piece projecting from the inner part of the attachment peg. This upper peg is
furnished with a stop or shoulder against which bear the side portions of the
aforesaid hole or elongated slot and terminates in a square head or end.
When in use the string or wire fixed to the lower attachment peg first has a
preliminary tension imparted to it, by winding the string or wire over the outer
part of the said attachment peg. Any recoil movement is prevented by the teeth
of the ratchet mechanism and longitudinal displacement is adjusted by more or

page_text: less tightening the screw which holds the two parts of the attachment peg
together.
After this preliminary tension of the string the further gradual adjustment
of the same required for 'tuning to a particular note is then obtained by acting
upon the head of the upper peg. The shoulder or attachment piece of the attach-
ment peg is thus moved forward or moved away from the table or sounding board,
whereby the tension of the string is modified.
During this movement, the bell crank lever formed by the attachment peg and
its shoulder or attachment pivots on its bevel edge against the inside of the hook
or lower bent part of the suspended plate. Previous to any tension being applied
to a string, the hook serves to hold the various parts of the tension tuning
appliance and attachment peg in position.
Dated this 28th day of December 1897.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in connection with Attachment Fegs and Appliances
for Tuning Stringed Instruments.
I, GUSTAVE FRANTZ LYON, of 22, Rue Rochechouart, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Engineer, 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 a tuning appliance for use with attachment pegs in
stringed instruments such as harps, pianos and the like, in which a screw
arranged in the attachment peg below the attachment hole, and ratchet mechanism,
permit of the tuning appliance being accurately moved and adjusted. This
tensional tuning appliance has the further advantage that, in using the same,
only one single hole need be made in the table or sounding-board for the purpose
of fixing its different parts therein.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will describe the same
in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus.
Figure 2, a section on line A B, Figure 3.
Figure 3 is an end view of the apparatus.
The attachment peg 1, 2 is formed in two parts, an outer portion 1, with the
attachment hole 17, for the string, which terminates in a square end 18, for
receiving the tuning key of the operator, and a lower or inner part 2. These two
parts are formed with ratchet teeth 20, where they face each other, the movement
of one from the other being regulated by a screw 3, which connects them together.
The said screw, which may be solid or hollow, is fixed in the internally screw
threaded part 1, but is loose in the part 2, its longitudinal movement being limited
by the head 4, abutting against a seat or shoulder 5 provided in the part 2.
The part 2 terminates at its base in a bevel edge 6 which rests in a curved
part 10, formed in a plate 7, made preferably of brass, which is made flat over its
larger portion, and is formed with a widened part 8 at its upper end where it is
pierced with a circular hole, by which it is suspended from a screw threaded
piece hereinafter described. The lower part of the piece 7 is bent to form the
curved part or hook 10 which enters an opening 11 provided in the base 2 of the
attachment peg.
The screw-threaded piece 9, which is preferably of brass, is provided with a

page_text: flattened screw head 12 and is fixed by taking into the internal screw threads
formed in the table or sounding-board. The piece 9 is hollow and besides being
screw threaded externally is also provided with internal screw threads, for receiving
a peg 13.
The peg 13 passes through a hole or elongated slot 14 provided in a shoulder
or attachment piece 15 of the part 2 of the attachment peg and is furnished with
a stop or shoulder 16, against which bear the side portions or cheeks 15 of the
aforesaid hole or elongated slot 14. The peg 13 terminates in a square end 19.
When in operation the string or wire fixed to the lower attachment peg 1, 2,
first has a preliminary tension imparted to it by winding the string or wire over
the part 1 of the said attachment peg. Any recoil movement is prevented by the
teeth 20 of the ratchet mechanism and longitudinal displacement is adjusted by
more or less tightening the screw 3 as aforesaid.
After this preliminary tension of the string the further gradual adjustment of
the same required for tuning to a particular note is then obtained by acting upon
the head 19 of the screw 13. The shoulder or attachment piece 15 of the peg 1, 2,
is thus moved toward or moved away from the table or sounding-board, whereby
the tension of the string is modified.
During this movement, the bell-crank lever formed by the attachment peg and
its shoulder or attachment, pivots on its bevel edge 6, against the inside of the
hook 10 of the piece 7. Previous to any tension being applied to a string, the
hook 10 serves to hold the various parts of the tension tuning appliance and
attachment peg in position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. In tuning appliances or apparatus for use with attachment pegs, a plate
suspended at one end over the screw of the tension device and terminating
at its other end in a hook for receiving the base of the attachment peg so that the
said peg is fixed by means of a single perforation in the table or sounding-board
substantially as described.
2. An attachment peg and tuning appliance formed by the combination of
the following parts: two parts 1, 2, forming together a ratchet mechanism 20,
the receding movement of these two parts from one another being limited by a
seat or shoulder 5 carried by the piece 2 meeting the head 4 of a screw 3 fixed
in the piece 1, the attachment peg being movable or pivotting on its lower bevel
edge 6 abutting against the interior of the hook 10 of a plate 7, suspended from
a screw-threaded piece 9, fixed in the single internally screw-threaded part of the
table or sounding-board, through which screw threaded part passes the peg 13,
the shoulder 16 of which, acting upon the cheeks 15 of the attachment portion
of the piece 2, regulates the tension of the string, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dl this 8th day of duct 1898
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.