Improvements in Grand Pianos.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Grand Pianos.
I, ERNST EUGEN KAPS, of 20 and 22, Seminarstrasse, Dresden, Germany,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Conse-
The lid of a grand piano as constructed hitherto does not aid in strengthening
the sound for the reason that it is prevented because of its construction and of
its layers of veneer on both sides from vibrating to the requisite extent.
quently, when closed, it acts more as a damper of sound than as a strengthener
thereof. Now the present invention has for its object to construct the lid of a
grand piano in such a manner that, in addition to fulfilling the object of closing
the box or body against dirt, it shall also act as a second sounding-board, and thus
assist considerably in strengthening the sound.
For this purpose, the lid of a grand piano is not made, as hitherto, of thick
wood, with a layer of veneer on each side, on account of which construction it
is not suitable for transmitting sound, but of thin sounding-board wood, which is
provided with a frame or border extending around its under side. Its under side
is provided with ribs, which are cut off at their ends in accordance with their
length. A lid so constructed is caused by the sound to vibrate in the same
manner as the sounding-board which rests on the bridge below the strings,
whereby the said lid acts to transmit the sound in the same manner as the said
usual sounding-board situated under the strings. Fig. 1 of the accompanying
drawings shows a grand piano according to this invention in vertical section on
the line A B of Fig. 2 which represents it in plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical section
on the line C, D.
The bridge or rest a, the sounding-board 6 resting upon it, the tuning piece c,
also the suspending plate d, together with the struts f are not different in any
way from the ordinary mode of construction. But the lid g is constructed, as
regards that part which lies at the back of the lid portion which opens out to
support the music-stand, of thin sounding-board wood, having its longitudinal
fibres arranged at right angles to the ribs h. h¹ is a border of thicker wood to
strengthen the lid.
The ribs are more or less tapered or reduced by cutting off at the ends, in
the same manner as in the case of a lower sounding-board. This cutting off at
the ends, which is shown in Fig. 3, has for object to render the ribs elastic, so
that they will be caused to vibrate with the sound, together with the entire sound-
ing surface formed by the lid. The upper surface of the lid is then polished in
the usual manner.
The result of this arrangement is to effect a further considerably strengthened
production or transmission of sound in a grand piano, with a closed lid.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A grand piano having a lid constituted by a sounding board which is pro-
vided with ribs and with a strengthening border extending around it substan-
tially as described.
2. A grand piano lid constructed and arranged to act as a sounding board
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in the draw-
ings annexed.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.