US743672A - Elastic piano-support. - Google Patents

Description

No. 743,672. PATENTED NOV. 1,0, 1903. J. BAEUMLE. ELASTIC PIANO SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12,1903. H0 KODEL.

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A TTORNE m UNITED STATES Patented November 10, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELASTIC PIANO-SUPPO RT.

SIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,672, dated November 10, 1903.

Application filed January 12 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that 1, JOHN BAEUMLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of W'isconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elastic Piano- Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to improve the tone and power of a piano, organ, or other similar musical instruments.

It is a well-known fact that the power of a piano and other similar musical instruments is largely in proportion to the vibration of the case or body of the instrument in which the strings or reeds are located and that the tone of such instruments, which would otherwise be full and clear, becomes muffled and deadened by contact with anything which interferes with the freest vibratory movement of such parts. Numerous comparative tests and experiments made by me demonstrate the fact that when a piano or similar instrument rests directly upon a floor or carpetits natural vibratory movement is seriously arrested. Its tone is muffled and deadened thereby,.and when the same instrument is supported free from contact with the floor or carpet upon a resilient metallic cushion capable of supporting the instrument without interfering with its vibration the power of such instrument is greatly increased and its tone greatly improved, and instruments of comparatively inferior grade are when thus supported made equal or superior in tone to the more expensive and higher grade.

The construction of my invention is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents avertical section of one of the resilient supports upon which the piano or other similar instrument is adapted to rest, a plurality of such supports being provided for each instrument, which are preferably, but not necessarily, located beneath the supporting-casters of the same. Fig. 2 represents a top view, and Fig. 3 a side view, of

the device shown in Fi 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters throughout the several views. A is a heavy metallic spring, which is preferably made spiral in form, comprising aplu- Serial No. 138,689. (No model.)

rality of coils B, withintervening spaces 0 between them, which spaces are suchas to permit-of the vibratory movement of the spring without contact of the opposing surfaces of springs A is such as to support the heaviest instrument with which they are used without permitting the coils of the springs being brought in contact thereby. The respective springs A are supported free from contact with the door by the metallic base-plate D, which is preferably provided with upwardprojecting annular collars E, which serve to hold the spring A in place thereon. The lower side of the base-plate D is preferably provided with a downward-projecting annular collar F, which is adapted to rest upon the floor. The casters of the piano or other similar instrument are supported from the upper coil of such spiral spring A in the concaveconvex supportingplate G, which plate is provided at its periphery with an annular horizontal flange H, which rests upon the upper coil of the spring. It will be understood that owing to the shape of the upper surface of the plate G the castersl of the instrument, which rest therein, will be brought by the gravity of the instrument to the center of said supporting-spring and that owing to the convexity of the contact-bearing surface of the caster upon such plate the contact between such surfaces will be slight, while owing to the resiliency of the spring A it will vibrate freely with the vibratory movement of the piano or other instrument, and that consequently the vibratory movement of the instrument supported on such spring will not be arrested, as it would otherwise he were it brought in direct contact with the floor or other stationary support, but instead the vibratory movement of such instrument will be augmented by the action of such resilient support;

To provide for modifying the vibratory movement of the spring when the piano is subjected to excessive pressure or action by the player, 1 preferably provide the convex central bearing-plate G with a downwardprojecting bracket J, which is of such length as to come within close proximity to the up- ,per surface of the base-plate D, whereby the coils, while'the weight of the several such downward pressure upon theinstrument is resisted by contact of the bracket J with the upper surface of the base-plate D.

While I have shown and preferably employ a plurality of single spirally-Wound springs for supporting a musical instrument as described, I do not wish to confine or limit myself to the peculiar construction of such resilient support, as I am aware of the fact that the construction of such resilient support may be modified and varied in a great variety of ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A resilient support for musical instruments, comprising a metallic spring, the separate coils of which arerectangular in crosssection, stationary floor-plate, adapted to be interposed between the floor and the lower coil of said spring, su pporting-cap or hearingplate of greater diameter than the diameter of said spring, adapted to rest upon the upper coil of said spring and provided with a downward-projecting flange, adapted to engage the periphery of the upper coil thereof, and means for limiting the compression of said spring substantially as set forth.

2. In a resilient support for musical instruments, the combination of a metallic spiral spring; a base, pr floor plate provided on its upper surface with a vertical spring-retaining flange inclosing a portion only of the periphery of the lower coil of said spring; a supporting cap or plate,having a concavo-convex central portion for the reception of the caster or other support of the instrument, and means interposed between the convex surface of the central portion of the cap and the base-plate, for limiting the compression of said spring, and a horizontal bearing portion adapted to rest upon the upper coil of said spring.

3. In a resilient support for musical instruments, the combination of a metallic spiral spring; a base, or floor plate provided on its upper surface with a vertical spring-retaining flange inclosing a portion of the periphcry of the lower coil of said spring; a supporting cap or plate, having a concavo-convex central portion for the reception of the casterorothersupport of the instrument, and a horizontal bearing portion adapted to rest upon the upper coil of said spring; a bracket J, interposed between the lower surface of the convex surface of the supporting plate or bracket, and the upper surface of the baseplate and adapted to limit the vibratory "movement of the instrument, all substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

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

JOHN BAEUMLE. Witnesses:

J AS. B. ERWIN, N. Z. TAUGHER.

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