IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Frederic Philippi, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline,
Paris, Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 23rd July 1867, and dated the 4th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Frederic Philippi
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the-
4th February 1867.
I, JEAN FREDERIC PHILIPPI, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline, Paris, Empire of
France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the construction of pianofortes refer to those instru-
ments having vertical and oblique strings, but it is in the application to grand
pianos that the improvements are more especially applicable.
The Invention consists in the employment of an iron frame cast in one
piece in place of wood as heretofore used to support the strings and to bear
the tension thereof. The parts receiving the strings are kept at any desired
distance by strong bars with ribs also made of cast iron.
is fixed after the cast-iron frame by screws so as to leave the table free to
The sounding board

page_text: vibrate according to the force and number of vibrations communicated to the
strings, and it is in no way strained since it has only to support the bridge on
which the strings rest.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Frederic Philippi in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN FREDERIC
PHILIPPI, of 2, Rue Ste. Appoline, Paris, Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jean Frederic Philippi, Her special licence that I, the said Jean Frederic
Philippi, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jean Frederic Philippi, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
1, the said Jean Frederic Philippi, my executors or administrators, by au
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Frederic Philippi, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
In pianofortes the tension of all the strings is considerable, which is
resisted or supported by the framing; this tension only taking place on one
side of the framing tends to cause it to yield, a counter tension has certainly
been employed, but then the sounding board receives a pressure so con-
siderable that it loses in a very short time its vibratory properties and the

page_text: piano only produces heavy and disageeable sounds. With the view of over-
coming these great defects I have applied to grand pianos a frame wholly of
cast iron, the parts of which receiving the strings are kept at any desired
distance apart by strong ribbed bars also of cast iron. The sounding board is
fixed after the cast-iron frame by screws so as to leave it free to vibrate in
proportion to the force and number of vibrations communicated to the strings,
and it is in no way strained since it has only to support the bridge on which
the strings rest. The good and very remarkable results that I have obtained
have induced me to apply the arrangement to upright pianos having vertical
and oblique strings, and I have obtained equally good results both for por
and beauty of tone.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a front view of a frame cast in a
single piece for an upright piano with oblique strings; Figure 2 is a section
taken through the line 1 and 2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a simple transversé
section of one of the bars taken through the line 3 and 4; and Figure 4 is a
second section taken through the line 5 and 6, also of Figure 1.
The frame is formed of a sort of framework as at a, which surrounds the
vertical sides and the base of the said frame so as to allow it to fit into the
case of the piano; a part 6 receives the string pins which are placed where
indicated by the dotted line c; this part is united to the upper part d by
ribbed bars e; other bars f also hold the top of the frame. to a strong pro-
jection g, on which the strings rest; this upper part receives the support of
the pegs, where they are held always in wood, and the support itself is held to
the said frame by screws and bolts. Although the projection 9 and supports
may be cast with the frame they may also be made separately and united
thereto by screws, rivets, or otherwise. The sounding board is also secured by
screws, and the strings being laid in the ordinary way pass points secured to
the frame on the line c, and are wound round the pins held by the upper
support. I may here observe that the cross pieces e, f, inclined here in
the direction of the strings are placed vertically when the strings are vertical,
and that these cross pieces are much more inclined when the strings are, for
they ought to lie parallel with the strings of the piano; although these cross
pieces are ribbed in order to afford increased resistance with less material, I
would observe that the strings are placed so that while vibrating they cannot
touch; thus, in Figure 3, which represents a transverse section taken perpen-
dicularly to one of the cross pieces e or f, the strings which are at rest
extend to very near the points i, which enable them to vibrate without at the
same time being able to touch the metal of the said cross pieces; besides, the
position of the cords is such that the tension takes place very near the middle

page_text: of the thickness of the frame, whereby all counter tension is dispensed with
and consequently the framing is prevented from yielding to the tension of the
strings at front or back.
The advantages of these improvements are that the cast iron is much less
bygrometric than wood, consequently pianos made according to my Invention
will keep in much better tune and last better and for a longer time than those
which are made with wood framing; moreover, these instruments possess
grant advantage over others in that they are suitable for use in all climates,
but especially for those exposed to great hygrometric changes.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the particular class of instrument to which my Invention is applicable,
whether it be to a grand, upright, or other piano, although I consider it to be
very applicable to upright pianos with vertical or oblique strings, but I claim
the employment in pianos of an iron frame cast in one piece in place of a
wood framing as heretofore used, the said frame being constructed and acting
substantially in manner herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jeau Frederic Philippi, bave hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
J. F. PHILIPPI.
(L.8.)