US3279298A

US3279298A - Combination string plate and string tension maintaining mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3279298A
Application number: US250814A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert A Brocato
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-01-11
Filing date: 1963-01-11
Publication date: 1966-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-18

Description

Oct. 18, 1966 R. A. BROCATO 3,279,298 COMBINATION STRING PLATE AND STRING TENSION MAINTAINING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 18, 1966 R. A. BROCATO 3,279,298

COMBINATION STRING PLATE AND STRING TENSION MAINTAINING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 11, 1963 2 Sheets-5heet 2 INVENTOR Fofizr/ 4 fir'dca/o United States Patent 3,279,298 COMBINATION STRING PLATE AND STRING TENSION MAINTAINING MECHANISM Robert A. Brocato, 2213 Fairfield Ave., Shreveport, La. Filed Jan. 11, 1963, Sex. N0. 250,814 Claims. (Cl. 34-208) This invention is concerned with string plates and string tension maintaining mechanisms. This invention is an improvement especially important to pianos.

In conventional pianos there is a piano string plate and pin-block. In the invention to be discussed the string plate has been drastically modified from the conventional type which has been used unchanged for years. This invention is a piano string plate which is so designed that the tension of the strings will be maintained without the use of a pin-block or the heavy wood beams that lie behind the plate. Elimination of the beams would result in a lighter piano and a shorter piano depth by about seven inches in the vertical types, and a corresponding smaller thickness in the horizontal types. The invention will be especially adaptable to very small or portable pianos where the size and weight are inherently important. Another advantage of the invention is that the tension maintaining mechanism will not have the pitfalls of the conventional pin and block arrangement. In the invention there will be no tuning pins to slip, and the process of tuning the piano will be greatly speeded up. The invention has not only an application to pianos, but it may be used in other musical instruments that use strings. The invention would be especially adaptable to harps.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings of the string plate and tension maintaining mechanism. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vertical piano which is utilizing the invention described herein. Part of the piano case has been cut away to show the tension maintaining mechanism more clearly.

FIG. 2 is a front view on an enlarged scale of a detailed section of the top of the piano string plate invention. This is the part of the plate which is designed to maintain string tension.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of the detailed section of the string plate.

FIG. 4 is a side view on an enlarged scale of the detailed section of the string plate.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, FIG. 1 is especially drawn for the sake of illustration so that only one string is visible in the drawing. It can be observed here in FIG. 1 that the piano plate that is proposed herein is identical with an ordinary plate except on the top portions where the conventional pin-block was located. The proposed piano string plate has at the extremities of the strings, a U-beam or trough-like construction 4, the trough running along the outer edge of the plate. In vertical pianos, the trough 4 will be at the top of the string plate 1. The trough or channel 4 will have at the outermost side a flange or wide rim 7. A hole is drilled between the sides of the trough in which a bolt 6 is placed. Bolt 6 has a hole drilled transversely directly through the head, similarly to an eyebolt. The diameter of the hole is such that it is just larger than the diameter of the piano string 2.

Because there is not now any type bolt used in piano plate construction, bolt 6 does not have an accepted name. Here bolt 6 will be called the final or concert tuning bolt.

The hole in trough 4 for the final or concert tuning bolt 6 has been carefully positioned so that string 2 will line up with the conventional piano action 8 in a correct manner.

Bolt 5 located in a hole drilled in flange 7 will be called the primary or rough tuning bolt. The construction of primary tuning bolt 5 can best be seen in FIG. 2 where one of the primary tuning bolts 5 is drawn out of its hole. It will be noticed that the primary tuning bolt 5 has a hole drilled in it just underneath the bolthead. The hole is perpendicular to the bolt and of diameter just larger than that of string 2. Primary tuning bolt 5 is located in a hole in flange 7. String 2 passes transversely over the inner side of trough 4 through the hole in the head of final tuning bolt 6, over the outer side of trough 4 and through the hole in primary tuning bolt 5. Since the string goes completely through the primary tuning bolt 5, the tension of the string may be adjusted by turning primary tuning bolt 5, similarly to the conventional piano tuning pins. The tension on the string should be only slightly taut. Then the nut on primary tuning bolt 5 is tightened. This presses the bolthead upon the string 2 against the flange 7, thereby maintaining a mildly taut tension on the string. At this stage the nut on final tuning bolt 6 is tightened until the desired concert tension of the string is reached. The tension of the strings is easily adjusted in this manner because final tuning bolt 6 has only a small component of tension pulling on it, and also the adjustment by means of the final tuning bolt is not at all a critical one.

When the string is once in correct adjustment at the factory all subsequent tunings will be done by adjusting final or concert tuning bolt 6. Primary tuning bolt 5 will probably never have to be loosened again unless is is to replace the string.

In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 is illustrated a detailed section of the tension maintaining device of the piano plate. In most pianos all of the keys, except the bass keys, strike three strings tuned in unison. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the three strings of one note being held in tension. It can be observed from FIG. 2, the front view of the device, that the final tuning bolts 6 are not in a straight line but are staggered. Also the primary tuning bolts can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 to be accordingly staggered along the flange of the trough. This is to assure proper clearance for a socket wrench to fit on the bolts, as the strings in FIGS. 2 and 3 are very close together in conventional pianos.

The proposed invention completely eliminates the need for a pin-block. The heavy wooden back beams may be eliminated also, but the piano string plate should have several ribs runnnig in the same direction as the strings, on the front side of the plate, and several inches in depth in such a manner that the piano string plate will not have a tendency to become bowed in the absence of the back beams. A plate strengthening rib 3 can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

Several embodiments of the invention have been described, but changes and modifications can be made without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a musical instrument having strings, an apparatus to adjust the tension on the strings consisting of a U-beam, trough or channel with bolt holes through the bottom of the U-beam, trough or channel, eyebolts constructed so that the eye or opening of the eyebolt is slightly larger than the diameter of the strings, said eyebolts being placed in the bolt holes of the U-beam, trough or channel so that the eye is in the valley between the sides of the U-beam, trough or channel and so that the ends opposite the eyes pass completely through the bottom of the U-beam, trough or channel and a nut is screwed on each eyebolt, adjustment of the string tensions being made by turning the nuts on said eyebolts.

2. In a musical instrument having strings, an apparatus to hold the strings in tension and attain precise tuning of the strings consisting of; an elongated or strip-like flat plane located at one end of the strings, the elongated or strip-like flat plane has bolt holes built in it, the arrangement of the bolt holes is such as to conform to the desired alignment of the strings, in the bolt holes fit special bolts so constructed such that there is a hole or opening passing transversely through the body of the bolt directly beneath the bolt head, the diameter of this hole or opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the strings, a nut is fastened on the bolt against the side of the elongated or strip-like flat plane opposite the bolt head, each string is connected to the appropriate special bolt by passing that string completely through the hole or opening beneath the head of the bolt so as to coil the string, to some extent, around the body of the bolt, the tension is attained by turning the special bolt so as to tighten or slacken the string and the nut is tightened on the bolt in this position to maintain the tension; means to attain precise tuning of each string utilizing a U-beam, trough or channel mostly under the string array, in a transverse manner to the strings and between the said elongated or strip-like flat plane and the string ends opposite to those which terminate at the said elongated or strip-like flat plane, the U-beam, trough or channel has eyebolts passing through holes in the bottom of the U-beam, trough or channel and substantially perpendicular to the U-beam, trough or channel so that the eye is on the concave side of the U-beam, trough or channel and a nut is fastened to the eyebolt on the other side of the U-beam, trough or channel, precise adjustment of the string tensions being made by turning the nuts on the eyebolts.

3. In a musical instrument having strings, an apparatus to hold the strings in tension and attain precise tuning of the strings consisting of; an elongated or strip-like flat plane located at one end of the strings, the elongated or strip-like plane has bolt holes built in it, the arrangement of the bolt holes is such as to conform to the desired alignment of the strings, in the :bolt holes fit special bolts so constructed such that there is a hole or opening passing transversely through the body of the bolt directly beneath the bolt head, the diameter of this hole or opening is slightly larger than the diameter of the strings, a nut is fastened on the bolt against the side of the elongated or strip-like flat plane opposite the bolt head, each string is connected to the appropriate special bolt by passing that string completely through the hole or opening beneath the head of the bolt so as to coil the string, to some extent, around the body of the bolt, the tension is attained by turning the special bolt so as to tighten or slacken the string and the nut is tightened on the bolt in this position to maintain the tension; means to attain precise tuning of each string utilizing a U-beam, trough or channel mostly under the string array, in a transverse manner to the strings and positioned near the ends of the string, in very close proximity to the said elongated or strip-like flat plane in such a manner that the said elongated or strip-like flat plane lies in a longitudinal direction to the sides of the U-beam, trough or channel and in sequence along the strings such that the said elongated or strip-like flat plane is nearer to the closer ends of the strings than the U-beam, trough or channel, the U-beam, trough or channel has eyebolts passing through holes in the bottom of the U-beam, trough or channel and substantially perpendicular to the U-beam, trough or channel so that the eye is on the concave side of the U-beam, trough or channel and a nut is fastened to the eyebolt on the other side of the U-beam, trough or channel, precise adjustment of the string tensions being made by turning the nuts on eyebolts.

4. In a musical instrument having strings, a string tension maintaining apparatus comprising a U beam having a flange extruding outwardly from one side thereof, eyebolts passing through holes provid-ed in the web section of said U-beam, the eyes. of said eyebolts being on the concave side of said U-beam, a nut for each eyebolt on the opposite side of said connecting web section, special bolts extended through said extruded flange, each special bolt having a transverse opening through the body thereof directly beneath the head portion, said special bolts lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said extruded flange, nuts threadedly engaging said special bolts, each of the above-mentioned bolts being aligned with the strings so that a single string will pass through an eyebolt and through the opening of one of the special bolts, a rough tension for tuning being made by rotating the special bolt and securing its nut, and the final and precise tension for tuning being made by adjusting the height of the eyebolt with respect to the connecting web of said U-beam.

5. In a musical instrument having strings which are held firmly at one end, means for adjusting the tension of the strings comprising an elongated strip lying mostly transversely to the strings at their opposite ends, bolt holes in said strip, said bolt holes in spaced alignment with said strings, special bolts positioned through said bolt holes, each of said special bolts provided with a head and a threaded shank portion, a transverse opening through each bolt directly beneath the head, the opening in each of said special bolts adapted to receive an end of one of said strings, each string being adapted to coil itself around the shank of said bolt upon rotation of the head thereof for the tightening and loosening of the tension on said string, a nut for each bolt threadedly engaging the shank portion thereof and adapted to secure the bolt to said strip against rotation and consequently to maintain the string at any chosen tension.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1892 Felldin 84-208 4/1901 White 84208 FOREIGN PATENTS 37,401 11/1886 Germany.