US595037A - Robert s - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. S. BOWEN.

PIANO.

No. 595,037. Patented Dec.'7, 1897.

Witnesses 5% Invent/ 074 W Swab: um, (/q'fiorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. BOWEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OI-IIOKERING & SONS, OE NEIV YORK, N. Y.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,037, dated December '7, 1897.

Application filed September 13, 1897. Serial No. 651,400. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S.BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The said drawing shows in plan a plate for pianos with a small number of strings applied thereto, the said plate containing the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As in the case of the invention which is presented in a companion application for patent filed on the same date herewith, the general aim or object of the present invention is to meet the demand which exists in the market for a small grand piano. In working to attain this aim or object I have sought to reduce the number of square feet of floorspace to be occupied by an instrument, and also sought to give to the widest portion of the instrument a minimum of width in order that the most prominent or extreme outer portion of the casing of the instrument shall project to a minimum extent from the wall-line of the room containing the instrument when the instrument is placed against the wall.

Both the present case and the companion application aforesaid relate to the same general invention, which latter in the present in- Stance, briefly stated, relates more particularly to the string-support or plate, the strings which are applied thereto, and the agraffes, and comprises an improved construction and arrangement whereby I am enabled to reduce the proportions and dimensions of the plate, and thereby reduce the proportions and dimensions of the casing, as well as maintain the length or width of the projecting portion of the instrument at the minimum, and thus am enabled to effectuate the general aim or object aforesaid. The present case covers a specific form or embodiment of the said general invention and consists, therefore, in the plate of improved construction which I now will proceed to describe fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, after which the distinguishing characteristics of the present invention will be particularly pointed out and distinctly defined in the claim at the close of this specification.

In the drawing, 1 designates the plate in its entirety. The strings which in practice are applied to the plate are omitted for the greater part for the sake of clearness, but the arrangement thereof will be obvious to those who are skilled in the art. The said strings are divided into four groups, as customary, herein designated 2, 3, 4, and 5. As customary also, three of the said groupsnamely, those which are designated 3, 4, and 5ex tend usually from front to rear in one horizontal plane, while the fourth group of stringsnamely, that designated 2-is arranged in a different horizontal plane above the others, this group crossing the direction of the others more or less obliquely that is to say, being overstrung. This group last mentioned comprises the bass strings. An advantage incident to having the bass strings overstrung is the fact that it enables the strings of the remaining three groups to be spread or distrib uted more widely over the bridge therefor, (not shown,) thereby giving freer tone. The overstringing of the bass strings is adopted or resorted to for the purpose of enabling the bridge therefor (not shown, but fitting in practice within the opening 6 in the Web 7 of the plate 1) to be brought or located somewhat tuning-pins for the said remaining strings be ing designated 11. Oustomarily the plate is so constituted and the strings are so applied thereto and disposed thereon as to locate the striking-points of all the strings in the four groups in one straight line extending across the front portion of the piano and parallel with the front end of the piano-that is to say, the keyboard end. As is well known, the respective strings of a piano vary in length, those of the highest pitch being the shortest, while the length increases as the pitch lowers, except that the very lowest or gravest are reduced in length by being loaded. As is well known also, the striking-point of each string is at a point in its length that is proportional to its length, such point varying from a position at about one-fifteenth in the case of the treble to a position at one-seventh in the case of the bass. It follows from the variation in the positions of the striking-points on the strings that when all the striking-points are kept in one straight line that is continuous across the piano from one side thereof to the other the agraifes must occupy positions at various distances to the front of such straight line of strikingpoints-that is to say, the line of agraffes must curve or incline away from the line of striking-points in proceeding from the treble end to the bass end. fact the line of agraffes does project to a considerable extent in the usual grand piano to the. front. of the line of striking-points at the portion thereof to which the bass strings are applied. It will be borne in mind that in addition the. tuning'pins are located to the front of the agraffes. Then the group of bass strings is caused to occupy an oblique position, this position of said strings requires some of the agraffes for such strings to. be located farther out to one side than the end of the. line of striking-points, and also requires. the, corresponding tuning-pins to be located out farther to. the same side than the end of the, series of agraffes, thereby causing a. lat.- eral projection of the series of agraffes and a still further lateral projection of the series of tuning-pins for the bass strings beyond the end of the line of the striking-points. Moreover this. oblique position of the bass. strings necessitates in addition a wider spacing apart of the agraffes therefor in a piano in which the striking-points on the strings are kept in a straight line across the piano, inasmuch as the greater the extent to. which the strings are inclined with relation to. the line, of agraffes the, closer will the, strings be brought to each other. Inother words, when the line of agraffes extends at right angles across the group of bass strings the latter will be spaced at a distance apart corresponding with the spacing of the agraffes throughout the whole length of the parallel portions of the strings. The greater the angle at which the line of agraffes crosses. the group of strings the closer together will the parallel portions of the strings become, assuming the spacing of the agraffes to remain as at first. Hence when the bass strings are given an inclined or oblique position it has been found necessary to space apart the agraffes, 850., more widely than before in order to separate the strings. to. the extent which is required for the attainment of the best results. The greater the obliquity of the bass strings with reference to the other strings the greater has had to-be the increase in the length of the line of striking-points.

From the. foregoing it will'be perceived that the proportions and dimensions of the front portion of the plate of a grand piano having In point of "of practical importance.

the striking-points of the strings disposed in a straight line across the same are increased by overstringing the bass strings, that the dimensions of the corresponding part of the case are likewise increased, and that the increase is proportionate to the obliquity of the bass strings, this following in part from the fact that the strings require to be spaced apart more widely than before on the line of the striking-points, and also in part from the fact that the oblique position of the wires compels the line of agraifes to be extended past the end of the line of striking-points and the series of tuning-pins to be extended past the end of the series of agraffos.

In carrying my invention into effect I departv from the established principle of main- 1 taining the striking-points of the wires in one Q line across the piano. of strings, as 2, relatively to the remainder, i butI dispose the striking-points of these. over- I strung strings 2 in a line which is inclined at an angle to the line in which the. striking- I overstring one group points of the remaining strings are arranged.

;. In order to effectuate this, I arrange the line 1 or series of agraffes S pertaining to the over- 1 strung strings 2 in a position ata corresponding inclination or angle relatively to the line 1 or series of agraffes 1O pertaining to the rc maining strings 3, at, and 5, the said line or series of agraffes 8 being disposed approximately at right angles across the groupof f strings 2, and I arrange the tuning-pins 9 for such overstrung strings 2 in a correspond in gly-inclined series-that is to say, at an angle t0 the series, of tuning-pins pertaining to the strings. 3, 4, and 5, and also approximately at right angles to the group. of strings 2. Thereby I bring the striking-points of the strings 2 in a line which crosses the group composed of such strings approximately at right angles.

From the foregoing flow various advantages Thus the strings are spaced at the requisite distances apart with a minimum separation of the agraffes. 8,

850., from one another, which enables the line or series of said agraffes to be. reduced to the 1 minimum length. This follows from the fact that a line crossing the. group of strings 2 at or approximately at right angles measures less in length than any line crossing such group at a greater obliquity or inclination, and the further fact that the divisions of the former line produced by the intersections of the; strings 1 are less in length proportionately than those to be reduced permits the transverse length of the front end of the plate or string-support. to be reduced correspondingly beyond- I what would be possible otherwise with an obliquely-disposed group of strings, thereby allowing a corresponding reduction to be made in the transverse length of that portion of the would be advantageous ordinarily. WVith my invention applied this may be effected without adding to the length of the front end of the plate or string-support, whereas under the preexisting construction and arrange ment the said length would be increased to an undesirable extent. I am thereby enabled to locate the bridge for the overstrung strings and the opening 6 therefor on the web 7 of plate 1 in a most central position relatively to the sounding-board, which is a highly important advantage. The increased obliquity of the overstrung strings, moreover, enables the rear portion of the instrument to be reduced in dimensions transversely, while the length of the instrument from front to rear at the treble end of the keyboard is greatly reduced.

In carrying the foregoing portion of the invention into effect I form the respective keylevers of the series pertaining to the overstrung strings of progressively -increasing lengths, beginning at the higher-pitched end of the series of strings 2 and proceeding toward the lowest or gravest strings, thereby enabling the rear ends of such key-levers to be located adjacent the inclined line of striking-points. This is illustrated in the corn panion case aforesaid. To enable the said key-levers to coact properly with hammers, &*c., of usual character, Iform certain thereof with bends, as shown in said case, which bends locate the rear ends of the respective levers in proper position relative to the correspond ing strings. This obviates any complication or difficulty with the hammers and adjacent parts.

I construct the plate 1 of the three webs or web portions 7, 71, and 72, The last mentioned constitutes the front portion of the plate and has the agraffes 8 and 10 and the tuning-pins 9 and 11 mounted thereon. The web or web portion 7 constitutes the principal portion of the rear part of the plate, it having the hitch-pins 20 and 21 mounted thereon. The proximate ends of the webs or web portions 7 and 72 are joined or connected together by the bar 73. The inclined or oblique web or web portion 71 connects or joins together the divergent ends of the webs or web portions 7 and 7 These three webs or web portions inclose the central space 74, which is clear or free of crossing or intersecting struts, braces, and the like. The web or web portion 71 is stiffened or strengthened by the rib 7 5, the latter extending longitudinally of the said web or web portion and along close to the inner edge thereof. The webs or web portions 7 and 72 are formed with the inwardly-extending ribs 7 6 76, at the inner ends of which are the holes 77 77, through which in practice are passed bolts which connect with the skeleton (not shown) or interior framework on which the plate is mounted.

I claim as my invention- The improved string-support or plate comprising the webs or web portions 7, 71, and 72, and having the central unobstructed space 7 4-, also having the strings applied to the webs or web portions 7, 72, with one portion overstrung with relation to the remainder, and also having the agraffes for the front por tions of the said strings mounted on the Web or web portion 72 with those for the overstrung strings disposed in a line or series at an angle to the line of agraffes of the remaining strings and approximately at right angles to the group of overstrung strings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT S. BOWEN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, WM. A. MAOLEOD.

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