US3415151A - Grand piano construction - Google Patents

Grand piano construction Download PDF

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Publication number
US3415151A
US3415151A US602049A US60204966A US3415151A US 3415151 A US3415151 A US 3415151A US 602049 A US602049 A US 602049A US 60204966 A US60204966 A US 60204966A US 3415151 A US3415151 A US 3415151A
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United States
Prior art keywords
braces
construction
metal frame
piano
inner rim
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Expired - Lifetime
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US602049A
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English (en)
Inventor
Noda Haruhisa
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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Publication date
Application filed by Nippon Gakki Co Ltd filed Critical Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10C—PIANOS, HARPSICHORDS, SPINETS OR SIMILAR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ONE OR MORE KEYBOARDS
    • G10C3/00—Details or accessories
    • G10C3/04—Frames; Bridges; Bars

Definitions

  • This invention relates to the construction of pianos and more particularly relates to the construction of an improved grand piano capable of generating a well-balanced sound over the entire scale of the piano.
  • the basic framing of a grand piano consists of a wooden inner rim wherein several wooden braces are disposed and which rim is connected at both ends by a cross block, and a cast metal frame mounted above this rim-brace wooden assembly.
  • the cross block which connects the both ends of the inner rim.
  • T o the cross block are connected for example four radially extending braces as well as a single treble side brace which extends from a portion close to the treble side end of the cross block to an inwardly curved portion of the inner rim, said radially extending braces extending from a slightly bass side portion with respect to a central portion of the cross block radially toward the inner surface of the inner rim.
  • Such radially extending braces are connected to a beam which extends over the length between the inner opposing surface of the inner rim in a direction parallel to the cross block.
  • braces are arranged at such locations and in such number that are optimum in view of the theory of structures. It is known that the braces on the other hand play an important role in transmitting the vibrations produced by piano strings to the entire structure of the piano to produce a sound of good tonal quality.
  • the treble side brace is mounted separately from the other braces, the transmission of vibration becomes non-uniform between the sound produced in the bass and middle regions and that produced in the treble region of the piano, and this results in nonuniformity in tones of the entire scale.
  • the metal frame connected to the braces also contributes to the generation of a high tonal sound because of the fact that the vibrations of the braces are transmitted thereto, the vibrations of the braces are not sufficiently transmitted to the metal frame due to the attenuation of vibrations between them since the metal frame is secured to the braces by screws received in screw holes formed in the upper surfaces of the braces.
  • the primary object of this invention is to provide an improved grand piano construction wherein braces and associated wooden structure are so arranged as to be fully utilized for the transmission of vibrations.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide an improved grand piano construction wherein braces are so arranged that the vibrations of sounds over the entire scale can be uniformly distributed and transmitted.
  • Still another object of this invention is to provide a grand piano construction wherein the metals of braces and a treble side brace are selected such that the volume and quality of tones in the treble region which tend to have been insufiicient may be improved and also that the generation of sound by improving the volume and quality of higher harmonic components of bass tones may be improved.
  • a further object of this invention resides in the provision of a grand piano construction wherein the vibration transmitting characteristic between a metal frame and braces is improved, thus generating sounds of sufiicient volume and of excellent quality.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a grand piano with a sounding board, etc. removed to illustrate the arrangement of braces in accordance with this invention
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a sounding board and a metal frame mounted above the braces shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing another example of the connection of the brace and the metal frame according to this invention.
  • an inner rim 1 which substantially defines the shape of the piano has a cross block 2 which is connected at both ends to said inner rim 1 at portions somewhat inwardly retracted from the ends of the rim.
  • One end of radially extending braces 3, 4, 5, and 6 is reinforcedly supported by metal fitting 7 and connected thereby to cross block 2 at a position slightly left of the central portion thereof (the bass side of the piano).
  • the other ends of said braces are extending and connected to the inner surface of the inner rim 1.
  • a brace 8 for the treble region of the piano.
  • a beam 9 extends obliquely from the inner left-hand side surface of the inner rim 1 to a portion close to the right-hand end of the cross block 2, so that the beam may intersect the braces 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 approximately at central portions of the lengths thereof and form a fiat upper surface when the beam 9 is fitted into recesses formed in the respective braces at such intersecting portions.
  • the beam may be rigidly secured to the braces by means of an adhesive and/ or screw threaded bolts.
  • the braces consist of a wooden square rod which is 65 mm. in width and mm. in height, respectively, and the beam consists of a wooden board having a width of 65 mm., a thickness of 15 mm.
  • the beam 9 is arranged to pass or intersect all the braces at their intermediate points as near to central points as possible of length, since when the braces are vibrated due to the vibrations of piano stirngs the amplitude of vibration is maximum at the central portions thereof so that the beam 9 connected to such central or intermediate portions is capable of most effectively transmitting the vibrations to the other braces. It has been found that the transmission of vibrations can be most efiiciently carried out when the beam is made of a hard wooden material, such as birch, hickory or maple.
  • a grand piano of the above mentioned wooden frame construction will have such an excellent sound effect that every sound of the scale of the piano can be balanced in volume and quality with any other sound of the scale.
  • This effect may be attained by the action of the beam 9 connected to the braces 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 by intersecting substantially central points thereof and which beam uniformly distributes vibrations including those of the sounds produced in the bass and middle regions and which are transmitted mainly to the four radially disposed braces, and those of the sound produced in the treble region of the piano and which are to be transmitted to the treble region brace 8.
  • the beam of the above arrangement is disposed obliquely with respect to the cross block and the inner rim, so that these components may form a triangular structure, which is considered to be very rigid in the sense of the theory of structures.
  • the beam was arranged to lie in a direction parallel to the cross block within a space defined by the opposing portions of the inner rim, so that only a limited number of braces, say three, were connected to the beam, with the result that the vibrations of all the braces could not be balanced or averaged.
  • the volume and quality of the sounds of the treble region can be greatly improved when the treble region brace 8 is made of maple, birch, hickory or the like known as a hard wooden material.
  • maple, birch, hickory or the like known as a hard wooden material.
  • beech it has been the practice to exclusively use beech for the braces for reasons of mechanical strength and assemblage.
  • Such materials have a good transmission characteristic with reference to vibrations of the sound (several hundred cycles per second) in the middle region of the piano, but they do not show a good result when transmitting vibrations of the sound (several thousand cycles per second) produced in the treble region.
  • the vibrations of the sounds in the treble region having less vibratory energy are not sufficiently transmitted to the braces or the metal frame, there being a tendency that the sounds of the treble region are weak when compared with those in the bass and middle regions.
  • the vibrations of treble sounds can be transmitted through the beam to the braces of the other regions and to the inner rim, thus generating treble sounds of sufiicient volume and ample quality and further improving the sound generation of higher harmonic components of bass tones. It is believed that before this invention no attempts had ever been made to discuss the material of the braces in the light of acoustics. According to this invention, it has been experimentally found that while maple is the most suitable material for the treble region brace and the beam 9, birch and hickory as well serve to remarkably improve treble sounds.
  • FIG. 3 shows a plan of a sounding board and a metal frame which are disposed above braces which are used in a middle size grand piano and are arranged in the manner similar to that shown in FIG. 1.
  • the sounding board 11 is secured above the braces with a small spacing therebetween and the metal frame 12 is disposed above said sounding board 11.
  • the metal frame 12 is rigidly secured at its peripheral portion to an inner rim 1 by means of screw threaded bolts 13 in such a manner that it will not contact the sounding board 11 and a bridge 14 bonded on the sounding board.
  • the metal frame 12 is further connected to the treble region brace 8 (as shown in FIG. 1) by a bolt which penterates through a hole formed in the sounding board 11.
  • brace 8 The manner of connecting the metal frame 12 and the brace 8 in the above example is shown in detail in FIG. 4. As shown, on one side surface of the treble region brace 8 is rigidly secured a metallic bolt receiving member 15 by a bonding agent and/or screw threaded bolts 16, the bolt receiving member 15 having a threaded bore extending substantially in a vertical direction.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a modification of the bolt receiving member. This modified structure is substantially identical with that shown in FIG. 4 with the only exception that the bolt receiving member 19 is secured on the upper surface of the treble region brace 8.
  • One or a plurality of the bolt receiving members may similarly be placed at suitable places of the cross block and the braces including the treble region brace and connected to the metal frame 12 by bolts 17.
  • the receiving members acting on the treble region are preferably metallic ones while wooden members should preferably be used for the bass and middle regions.
  • the bolts are closely engaged with the inner threaded surface of the bore formed in the receiving member, the connection between the wooden structure and the metal frame can be positively maintained without being loosened under the influence of temperature and/ or humidity. Unintentional relative rotation of the bolt receiving member and the bolt may be more positively prevented, if necessary, by adopting a further nut on the bolt in order to firmly couple the bolt and the bolt for receiving member which structure is usually called the lock nut structure.
  • a grand piano construction including an inner rim, a cross block connected within said inner rim, a plurality of braces, and a metal frame, said construction comprising a beam extending from the inner surface of said inner rim to said cross block and connected to said braces while intersecting them nearly at central portions thereof.
  • one of said braces which is located in the treble region of the piano is made of a wooden material harder than that of the other of said braces.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)
  • Stringed Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Building Environments (AREA)
US602049A 1965-12-20 1966-12-15 Grand piano construction Expired - Lifetime US3415151A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP7846065 1965-12-20
JP1050566 1966-02-08
JP1319366 1966-02-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3415151A true US3415151A (en) 1968-12-10

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ID=27278992

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US602049A Expired - Lifetime US3415151A (en) 1965-12-20 1966-12-15 Grand piano construction

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3415151A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE1285280B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1507397A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1103687A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL6617812A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3507336A (en) * 1965-12-20 1970-04-21 Nelson Mfg Co Inc L R Traveling irrigation sprinkler
US4693159A (en) * 1984-06-08 1987-09-15 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Wooden frame for a grand piano

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CZ301847B6 (cs) * 2009-05-29 2010-07-07 Petrof, Spol. S R. O. Kovový rám klavíru a zpusob jeho zhotovení
DE102014118010A1 (de) 2014-12-05 2016-06-09 Enzenauer Flügel-Manufaktur GmbH Rahmen für einen Flügel oder Piano sowie Verfahren zur Verbesserung eines solchen Rahmens

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US204106A (en) * 1878-05-21 Improvement in grand piano-fortes
US1026466A (en) * 1908-12-17 1912-05-14 John Wanamaker Metal piano-brace.

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US204106A (en) * 1878-05-21 Improvement in grand piano-fortes
US1026466A (en) * 1908-12-17 1912-05-14 John Wanamaker Metal piano-brace.

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3507336A (en) * 1965-12-20 1970-04-21 Nelson Mfg Co Inc L R Traveling irrigation sprinkler
US4693159A (en) * 1984-06-08 1987-09-15 Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha Wooden frame for a grand piano

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1103687A (en) 1968-02-21
NL6617812A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1967-06-21
DE1285280B (de) 1968-12-12
FR1507397A (fr) 1967-12-29

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