US551868A - Sounding board for pianofortes - Google Patents

Description

( L) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.- C MAND SOUNDING BOARD FOR PIANOFORTES.

No. 551,868. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

KNEW lRAHAM. PIOTO'UTHOVWASMINGTON DC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL MAND, OF COBLENTZ, GERMANY.

SOUNDING-BOARD FOR PIANOFORTES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,868, dated December 24:, 1895. Application filed November 19, 189 1. Serial No. 529,268. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL MAND, of Coblentz, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, have invented an Improved Sounding-Board for Pianofortes and other Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a sounding-board for pianos and other stringed musical instruments, which is of increased strength and is corrugated in a peculiar manner, so as to harmonize with the sound-waves.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of my improved sounding board; Fig. '2, a cross-section on line B B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section on line S S, Fig. 1; Fig. l, a cross-section through one of the ribs A; Fig. 5, a bottom view of a sounding-board with broad and narrow corrugations and provided with the ribs Fig. 6, a top view of the same; Fig. 7, a section on line N N, Fig. 5 and Fig. 8, a section on line M M, Fig. 5.

My improved sounding-board is of a size and configuration to correspond to the size and form of the grand piano, upright piano, or other instrument into which it is to be placed. The surface of the sounding-board is made undulating or corrugated, it being composed of the alternate elevations and depressions B and C. The corrugations are smaller and are placed nearer together at the high strings than at the bass strings, so as to harmonize with the sound-waves.

The undulations B 0 give to the sounding'board an increased stability, an increased area of sounding-surface, and a greater beauty and fullness of tone. the upper surface of the sounding -board, Fig. 6, while I secure reinforcing-ribs A to its lower surface D, Fig. 5, such ribs being preferably T-shaped in cross-section.

It will be seen that by its configuration and the use of the reinforcing-ribs the soundingboard is greatly strengthened, so that it can more effectively withstand the tension of the strings. In this way the instrument will be able to hold its tone far better than the sounding-boards heretofore in use, which were apt to become bent or otherwise injured by the enormous strain produced by the strings. Moreover, the peculiar shape of the sounding-board renders it particularly sensitive to receive and propagate the tone-waves, which are thus greatly strengthened and beautified.

WVhat I claim is- A sounding board for stringed musical instruments, provided with a corrugated surface, the corrugations being smaller and placed nearer together at one end, than at the other end, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL MAND.

Witnesses FRITZ SOHRoDER, L. RINAU.

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