US3459091A

US3459091A - Arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly in a piano

Info

Publication number: US3459091A
Application number: US602610A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hanzo Taguchi
Original assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nippon Gakki Co Ltd
Priority date: 1965-12-23
Filing date: 1966-12-19
Publication date: 1969-08-05
Anticipated expiration: 1986-08-05
Also published as: GB1126830A; DE1497794A1; NL6618119A; FR1510245A

Description

5, 1969 HNzo TAGucHl ARRANGEMENT FOR FITTNG A SOUNDING BOARD ASSEMBLY IN A PIANO Filed Dec. 19, 1966 United States p Patent O ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An arrangement for fitting asounding board in a piano comprising a rim for supporting the sounding board, lthe rim having a cutout into which vis installed a rim plate which is limited to the treble portion of the piano and which has an upper surface which .is flush with the upper surface of the rim. The rim plate is preferably made out of special woods Isuch as maple, birch or hickory.

FIG. l is a plan view illustrating an ordinary arrangement for fitting a sounding boardassembly into a piano;

FIG. 2 is a-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1; p v f y FIG. 3 is a 'plan view of an arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly into a grand piano in accordance with the present invention; l

FIG. 4 is a sectional view take along line IV--IV 0f FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 with the sounding board assembly dismounted;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another form of the arrangement according to the invention as applied to an upright piano; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6.

This invention relates to an arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly in a piano, and more especially to an arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly to the end of the treble portion of a piano.

An ordinary arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly in a piano, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, consists of a sounding board 1, rib 2, a bridge 3 bonded to the top surface of the sound board 1, and a shoulder rim 4 o which is bonded to the periphery of the sounding board 1 at an L-shaped inner rim 4a thereof, and a front rim 5. Such an ordinary arrangement has been found disadvantageous because the sounding board 1 is not fully driven in the treble portion A with the result that the piano fails to sound with full volume and full tone in the treble portion. More particularly, in the adjacent end of the treble portion, the length of the sounding board has different distances from the bridge 3 to the hammer-side (corresponding to the under side in FIG. 1 or the left side in FIG. 2) edge and from the bridge 3 to the antihammer-side (Corresponding to the oblique right side in FIG. 1 or the right side in FIG. 2).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sounding board assembly consisting of a sounding board, ribs, and a bridge as above described, said sounding board assembly being provided at its treble portion with a rim plate bonded between the top surface of an inner rim and the sounding board in such manner as to facilitate the vibration of the sounding board, thereby to increase the volume of the treble portion and improve the tone of the piano during performance.

3,459,091 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 Another object of the invention is to provide a sounding board assembly provided at the end in the treble p0rtion with a rim plate bonded between the top surface of an inner rim and the sounding board in such manner as to facilitate the vibration of the sounding board, thereby to increase the volume of the treble portion and improve the tone of the piano during performance without substantially changing the sounding area of the sounding board.

According to the present invention, an arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly consisting of a sounding board, ribs, and a bridge in piano is characterized in that a rim plate is bonded between the top surface of an inner rim and the sounding board in the treble end portion ofl the assembly, the side edge of said rim plate being disposed in substantially symmetrical position to a hammer-side edge of the sounding board with respect to the fitting line of the bridge of the assembly.

Also, according to the present invention, an arrangement for fitting a sounding board assembly consisting of .a sounding board, ribs, and a bridge in a grand piano is characterized in that a rim plate is bonded between the top surface of an inner rim and the sounding board in the treble end portion of the assembly, the side edge of said rim plate being disposed in substantially symmetrical position to a hammer-side edge or front edge of the sounding board with respect to the fitting line of the bridge to the sounding board.

Further, according to the present invention, an arrangement for fitting va sounding board assembly consisting of a sounding board, ribs, and a bridge in an upright piano is characterized in that la rim plate is bonded between the front surface of la rirn and the sounding board at the back in the treble portion of the assembly, the side edge of the rim plate being disposed in the substantially symmetrical position to a hammer-side edge or upper edge of the sounding board with respect to the fitting line of the bridge of the sounding board assembly.

The present invention will now be described in more detail in connection with various embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, `specifically to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 which illustrate a sounding board assembly according to the invention as applied to a grand piano, reference numerals 1 through 5 designate the same parts as in FIGS. l and 2, 1 being a sounding board, 2 a rib, 3 a bridge, 4 a rim, 5 a front rim, and 6 a rim plate which characterizes the present invention. Below the sounding board 1 of the treble portion A of the sounding board assembly, the side edge 6a of said rim plate 6 and the hammer-side edge of the sounding board 1 (corresponding to the part fixed to the front rim 5 in FIG. 3) are disposed substantially symmetrically to each other with respect to the fitting line of the bridge 3. In other words, the rim plate 6 is disposed in the treble portion A in such relationship as a1=,a1, azT-,az and so forth in FIG. 3. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the top surface of an inner rim 4a is cut to a depth equal to the thickness of the rim plate 6 at the portion where the rim plate 6 is to be disposed and the rim plate 6 is bonded in position by adhesives such as glue, the rim plate 6 being flush on the top surface with the top surface of the rest of the inner rim 4a (i.e., the plate has a inlaid relation with the rim). In the figure, numeral 6b indicates one of the grooves formed on the top surface of the rim plate 6 like the grooves 4b of the inner rim 4a in which ribs 2 previously bonded to the back of the sounding board 1 are positioned when the sound board assembly is bonded with glue or other adhesives at its periphery to the top surfaces of the inner rim 4a, the rim plate 6 and the front rim 5.

With the construction described above, the present invention is advantageous because the fitting line of the bridge 3 is in such position that the rim plate 6 is provided in the treble portion A whereby the sounding board 1 can be easily driven for giving adequate sound volume and tone. Further the rim plate 6 is a plate having a thickness of to 20 mm., so the portion of the sounding board 1 bonded with the rim plate 6 may be vibrated, which means that the radiation area of the sounding board 1 is not lessened. It should be noted that from a View point of driving, the sounding board 1 is supported by the rim plate 6 so that the bridge 3 is located substantially in the center of the driven or free-vibrating portion of the sounding board 1 and that from a view point of sound radiation the area of the sounding board itself or the radiation area is maintained at original magnitude. In addition, the rim plate also vibrates to serve as a sounding radiating plate.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown another embodiment of the invention as applied to an upright piano. In these figures, numeral 1 indicates a sound board, 2 ribs, 3 a bridge, 7 a rim, 8 wooden frames, and 6- a rim plate which characterizes the present invention. Below the sounding board 1 of the treble portion A of the sounding board assembly, the side edge 6a of the rim plate 6 and the hammer-side edge of the sounding board 1 (corresponding to the upper part B in FIG. 6) are disposed substantially symmetrically to each other with respect to the fitting line of the bridge 3. In other words, the rim plate 6 is disposed in the treble portion A in such relationship as ali-al1', 1211. a2', and so forth in FIG. 6. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, the rim plate 6 is worked in such way that the top surface of the rim 7 is cut off and the rim plate 6 is bonded thereto to form a top surface substantially flush with the top surface of the other part of the rim 7 and then the sounding board assembly is bonded thereto.

Most satisfactory results were obtained when rim plates of the invention made of maple, birch and hickory, 15 mm. in thickness, were that in grand pianos.

What is claimed is:

1. A piano comprising a sounding board assembly having a treble portion and including a sounding board having a hammer-side edge, ribs on said board, and a bridge across said ribs and generally at an `angle to said edge, a curved inner rim for supporting said board in said piano, said inner rim having a top surface, a rim plate curved in correspondence with said rim and bonded between the top surface of said inner rim and the sounding board in the treble portion of the assembly, the rim plate having a side edge disposed in substantially symmetrical position to the hammer-side edge of the sounding board with respect to said bridge, said rim plate having a top surface provided with spaced grooves to receive selected of said ribs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,605,239 11/1926 Johanson 84-192 2,538,801 1/1951 Schneider 84-192 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner J. F. GONZALES, Assistant Examiner