US365412A - Geoegb steck - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. STEGK.

. PIANO. v No. 365,412. Patented June 28,1887,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE STEOK, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,412, dated June 28, 1887.

Application filed July 31, 1886. Serial No. 209,641. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE STEoK, of the city of New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Piano, of which the following specification is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a musical instrument operated by keys similar to a piano.

The invention is designed to enable beginners and students to practice upon an instrument operating and having the same tones as the piano, but without having the intensity of such tones.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the plan of part of a square piano with my improved arrangement. Fig. 2 is a crosssection at line as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at line y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section at line z, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section at f line w, Fig. 1.. Fig. 6 shows a modification.

Figs. 7 and 8 are plan and side views of the metal plate 70. p

The letter a represents the frame of a musical instrument built similar to a piano forte and provided with keys I) and with an ordi- ,nary grand or square action which throws hammers c upward and against the sounders. These sounders are attached to the sounding board (I and overlap such soundingboard at its rear edge, so as to be accessible to the hammers. I prefer to employ four different classes of sounders-one for the highest notes, two for the central notes, and one for the bass notes.

The sounders of each class vary in length, so

as to produce the different notes. The highest notes are produced by metal (preferably steel) plates 6, of rectangular form and straight, and perforated at two places for the admission of two headless pins, f, projecting upwardly from sound-board d. Buttons or pads 02, of a soft material, are placed around these pins between the sounding-board d and the metal plates 6. Upon these pins f the plates eare free to move upand down.

In order to prevent plates 6 from being thrown beyond the upper edge of the pins, I employ two check-rails, 9, attached to sounde, it is simply necessary to unfasten check-rails y, when all the plates 6 may he slipped off pins f.

The second class of notes are produced by flat metal bars h, bent or twisted in a peculiar way. These bars are twisted upon themselves,-

so that the front section, h, stands at right angles to the rear section, if. The rear sections are, moreover, of greater width than the front section. These bars h are secured to the sounding-board in the manner hereinafterdescribed and in such a way that such front sections lie flat or parallel with the sound-board, while their rear sections stand at right angles thereto. In this way the bars It may be placed closely together and still their rear or sounding sections,h",will possess sufficient body for the production of arich tone. The hammers c strike bars h directly in front of the twisted portion that is, on the rear end of front or horizontal section, h, and thus asuflicient surface for contact between hammer and bar is established.

The third class or baritone notes are produced by bars 13, the after parts of which form spiral springs of uniform diameter from end to end, but of different length. These bars are attached to the sound-board at their front end, as will be hereinafter described, while their rear or spiral end is free or unsupported, thus permitting free vibration.

The fourth or bass class of notes are produced by bars m, the after parts of which are bent similar to helical springs, and are attached with theirstraightshanksmtothesound-board, as shown. These bars are struck by the hammers preferably directly in front of the coils. The connection between the sound-board d and the bars h, i, m, and o is produced by a small intermediate metal plate, is, slotted at one edge, W, for the admission of inner ends or shanks of the bars h, i, m, and i), which are soldered into said slots. At right angles to such slots two screw-holes, 7c, are made in plate k, through which theserews are passed, by in cans of which the plate is secured to sounding-board d. I have found that by the use of these plates It the vibration of bars h, i, m, and v is considerably augmented.

Fig. 6 shows a metal bar, 22, bent backward and forward upon itself. This bar may possibly be employed for producing some of the lower notes.

By substituting metal bars for the usual strings in a piano I produce an instrument which while giving the exact tones desired has not the intensity of sound, and is therefore particularly adapted for beginners, students or for practice.

I am aware of Patent No. 166,635, granted \Vitnesses:

Ro'n'r. II. For"; HENRY I0. ROE-DER.

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