US582569A

US582569A - Upright piano

Info

Publication number: US582569A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1914-05-11

Description

(NO Model) 0. WISSNEB. UPRIGHT PIANO.

vN0. 582,569. Patented May 11,1897,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO VISSNER, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

UPRIGHT PlANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,569, dated May 11, 1897.

Application fil d February 20, 1897. $eriul No. 624,364. No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO ISSNER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Upright Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to effect certain advantageous arrangements of pianobridges; and the invention resides in the novel features of construction set forth in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of piano strings and bridges. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 1.

The piano-strings 1 extend from studs 2 on string-plate 3 between the pins 4: on bridge 5, attached to the front face of sounding-board 0. From pins 4 the strings extend under the lower bridge 7 and thence forwardly and upwardly over bridge 8. The wrest-plank 9 has pins 10, about which the strings are wound in the usual manner.

The upper bridge 8 extends from or forms part of an angle-

plate

11 and 12, the part 12 of which overlaps or extends past an edge of the wrest-plank 9. The hammer 13 strikes the string 1 below bridge 7, and this bridge is placed close to the hammer or hammer path, the side or bridge-face let which lies toward the hammer being curved or formed to correspond to the swing or motion of the hammer, and also to the hammer shape.

The sounding-board 6 extends to or abuts against the lower edge of wrest-plank 9, and said sounding-board is secured to the overlapping part 12 of the angle-

plate

11 and 12. Screws or fastenings 15 serve to secure the sounding-board. This angle-plate sustains the bridge 8 clear of or below the wrest-plank, and no strain from the bridge Sis brought to bear on the sounding-board, thus leaving the sounding-board free and unobstructed in its vibration by any strain from the bearing or pressure of the strings on the upper bridge 8.

An advantage of having the hammer 13 strike close to the bridge '7 or pass close by the bridge-face 14 is that thereby a brilliant tone can be secured under certain circumstances, as, for example, at the treble-strin gs.

By having the sounding-board extended up to the wrest-plank or pin-block 9 and secured to angle or plate part 12 an increased sounding-board surface or vibrating surface is obtained, imparting to the tone of the piano much greater volume and purity.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A piano or stringed instrument provided with a lower bridge engaging the front faces of the strings above the hammers, a wrestplank, an upper bridge engaging the rear faces of the strings and having an an gle-plate made to overlap the wrest-plank and to sustain the upper bridge clear of or below said wrest-plank, and a sounding-board extended beyond said bridges and secured to the overlapping part of the bridge-plate substantially as described.

2. A piano or stringed instrument provided with a lower bridge engaging the front faces of the strings above the hammers, a wrestplank, an upper bridge engaging the rear faces of the strings and having an angle-plate made to overlap the wrest-plank and to sustain the upper bridge clear of or below said wrest-plank, and a sounding-board extended beyond said bridges and secured to the overlapping part of the bridge-plate, said lower bridge being placed close to the hammer and having its hammer facing side curved or rounded to correspond to the swing and shape of the hammer substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO WISSNER.

\Vitnesses:

F. H. KING, E. F. KAsTENHL'BER.