. G. P. T. STBINWAY, Assignor, by means assignmenm'to himself and W. Smmwu.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Piano Forte.

No. 9,431. Rei ssued' oct. 26, I880.

figure J.

um/g 0 m PATENT OFF r. THEODOR STEINWAY, or new, mini, N. 1:, Assrcnon, BY ess s ASSIGNMENTS, To HIMSELF AND WILLIAM STEINWAY.

"PIANO.-

SI'ECIFICATION forming part of Beissued. Letters Patent 9,431, dated October 26, 1880.

FORTE.

Original No, 127,39 8, dated May 28, 1872. Application for reissue filed J une 17, 1880.

have invented certain Improvements in Piano- Fortes, which are described in the subjoined specification and illustratedin the accompa nying drawings.

.My improvements are especially designed for employment in grand piano-fortes, but most of them are also applicable to upright and square piano-fortes.

These improvements relate, first, to the con struction of the bottom or bed-plate of the case; secondly,to the construction of the metal frame, thirdly, the mode of supporting the metallic frame, whereby a larger area of the soundin g-board is left uncovered and the metal frame 'iskept out of contact with the sounding-bo'ard, and hence does not interfere with its freedom of vibration; fourthly, to a mode 'of combining the metal framewith the wooden frame of a piano, whereby the wooden frame is made to contribute to the rigidity of the iron frame; fifthly, to the combination,with the iron frame, of a metallic wedge or stretcher which may be removed for the purpose of allowing free access to the iron frame for the application of the treble-strings, and may be afterward inserted for the purpose of strengtlr ening theiron frame and increasing its capacity to resistthe pull of the strings.

In the accompanying drawings,which represent my improvements embodied in a grand piano-forte, Figure 1 is-a top view of the iron frame and the parts upon which it rests. 'Fig. 2 is a view of the under side of the soundingboard and of the wooden frame of the pianoforte. Fig. 3 is a transverse section, through the line '0 v on ,Fig. 2, of one of the wedgebraces, which serves to transmit to the iron frame the support of the wooden 'frame. Fig. 4

' is'a vertical section of the piano forte-through- ,the line w w on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view of the under side of a portion of the metal-frame.

Fig. 6 is a top view'of the bed-plate of the case. i Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of thesame through the line a: w on Fig. 6, Fig. Sis asec- 'tion' of the sounding-board through the line 3 y ou Fig.1, showing the 'constructioujot' the sounding-board bridge; Fig. 9 is a. transverse section of the sounding-board through the line z .2 on Fig. 8.

The drawings represent the wooden case A of a grand piano-forte of the usual form, supported by the legs B. The bottom or bed-plate O of the case, as will be seen, is constructed of two layers of wood, the lower layer consisting of two strips, a and a, extending the entire length of the bottom upon its sides, and connected at their opposite ends by transverse strips fastened between them, upon which are glued the superposed transverse end strips, 1) and b',which extend across the two side strips, 0 and a, as shown in Fig. 6.

An intermediate transverse strip, c,'is fastened upon the lower longitudinal strips a and a, and abuts at one end against the superposed longitudinal strip d,which is the lower longitudinal strip a.

Between the parallel transverse strips 1) c and c b, respectively, are placedthe superposed side strips, up a c, and in addition 1 connect the transverse strips 1) and c by parallel longitudinal strips f ff, the spaces between the lastnamed strips being filled out by the panels 0 I I !l- This construction of superposed strips of wood glued together affords a bed-plate of-superior lightness and strength.

, The construction of the wooden frame of my case will be best understood by referring to Fig. 2, in which it will be seen that the rim of the case is composed of the shorter side timber, h, and the longer side timber, 72, the inner ends of which are respectively united to the opposite ends of the sinuated side i, which is, by preference, built up of a. number of superposcd layers or veneers of wood, glued upon each other and pressed into the desired form. The wrest-plank D is fastened to the parallel sides, which are also united to the cross -tiinber E,- thc top' of which,together with the top glued upon of the rim, forms the support of the soundingof the case bythethree longitudinal braces j, k, I

and l, two'of which, k and l, converge toward and meet upon the cross-timber E, as shown in Fig. 2, while the third, j, extends from the cross-timber-to the curved part of the rim, I00

where it meets the back end of the brace k. With these longitudinal braces and the rim are combined two or more cross-braces, m m.

The sounding-board Fis fastened'to the top of the rimm, in other words, the edge of the case A-and the top of the cross-timber E, by means of glue, or in any other desirable man-- ner, and it is exposed to the action of the compressing-screws 0 Q o o,inserted into the end :0 of the sounding-board, as shown in Fig. 1, and having their heads bearing outwardly against themetallic bridge G, extending from the crosstimber E to, one of the cross-braces m.

My metal frame H consists of a suitablyribbed front cross-plate, whichrests upon the sounding-board, and which is united by the bars owl v o and o with the web P, the outer edge,p, of which is downwardly curved and provided with 'the horizontal "flan ge q, conforming in shape with the sinua-ted part of the .rim. This flange is provided upon its under surface with projections 1', which bear upon the upper ends of the dowel-pins r, inserted into the rim of the case A and extending upward through and slightly above the soundin g board. By this mode of construction the metal frame is kept out of contact with the sounding-board, which is thus left free to vi-.

. brate without obstruction.

o It has heretofore been customaryto secure the'ironjfratme either directlyto the upper surface of 'the sounding-board or to' a strip of wood extending around the outer edge of the sounding-board. By supporting .the. iron 5 frameat intervals upon supports extending g. upward abovetthe soundingboard, a larger "portion of the sounding-board is left free-to wibrate, unobstructed by the pressure of the ame, and the singing qu'ality of the tone is thereby much improved.

v The dowel-pins are arranged in pairs close to the ends of the ribs t of the sounding-board, and they add to the strength of the connection between the sounding-board and the case A.

By'means of these dowel-pins the metal frame can be supported uniformly at all points, because the dowel-pins can be readily varied in length, and thus adapted to fit any variation in the form of the flange q of the metal frame.

Theframe isfastened to therimby the screws u.

On .the under surface of the front plate of the metal frame I provide one or more projecting brackets, 10, one of which is shownin metal frame 11 of a piano-forte, substantially as set forth.

wooden braces k and l of the case meet. By

Fig. 2, which,vit will be. seen, is immediately opposite the point at which the converging inserting a metallic wedge, a, between the edge of the bracket wand thecrosstimber E, V the metal frame --is materially strengthened against the tension ofthe strings.

The iron frame it will be -seen, is slightly arched in longitudinal section, and mayv be: considered as a flattened arc of 'a circle. By theiutrodpction of the wedge a between the end of the bracketw and the cross-timber. E,'the wooden frame is made to occupy the relation of a chord to the arc of the iron frame,

under the tension of the strings is resisted by terially increased, and the tone of the instrusecure, a large tone of sounding-board, is separated therefrom by and any tendency of the iron frame to spring the wooden frame, which, being in the position of the chord of the arc, holds its ends apart.

0n the treble end of my metal frame least two lugs, 1P1), for the reception, respectively, of the opposite ends of the wed ge-'oar c, which is driven into place fter the treble-strings have been aflixed,'and serves to strengthen this portion of the .metal frame against the tension of the strings.

The object of this treble-wedge is the same as .that of my treblebar described in my Patcut No. 97,982, and forming the subject of the third claim of the said patent; but by the sub stitution of my loose wedge-bar in place of the permanent y-atfixed treble-bar described in my said patent I am enabled to more con- "eni'ently adjust thetreble-strings on the hitchpins. 'lhe strings, in crossing from the hitchpins to the tuning-pins, bear upon. the sounding-board bridge I, which is provided with a strip, d, of brass or other metal, (see Figs. 8 and 9,) which may be secured toeither side or to the top of the bridge, or maybe let into the bridge, as shown. Aflat strip of metal or a strip of metal wire may be used for this purpose. By the presence of this strip of 5 metal the capacity of the bridge to transmit the vibrations of the strings to the-entire sounding-board, or to that portion of the sounding-board upon which the bridge rests, is mament is improved. v The strings s of my piano-forte are supported between the agrafies j" andthe tuning-pins and between the bridge-pins g and the hitchpins by the bridges h which are termed the nodal bridges, and which are respectively adjusted at points corresponding-to one of the 'nodes of the strings.

- By this general construction I am enabled to reduce the size of the instrument, and yet 1 1o superior strength and brilliancy.

I claim as my-invention- 1. The bed-plate O for the case of a pianoforte, constructed of the longitudinal bottom 11 5 strips, 0. and'a', t h e transverse strips b and b and c, and the longitudinal top strips, 11 c 6 cc,

and the strips f, all combined in the manner shown and described.

2. The arched edge 19 and flange q on the 3. The downward projections fr from the flange q offthe metallic frame, substantially as described. p 4. The combinationof the sounding-board of a piaiio-forte with an iron frame, the edge of which, superposed upon the edge of the supports extending above the sounding-board 1 c and arranged atsuitable intervals, whereby a larger portion of thesoundingboar'd 'is left uncovered and is unobstructed in its vibrations, substantially as described.

1o toned are formed 5. The supporting-dowels r r, secured in the rim of the wooden case A, incombinationwith the metal frame and sounding board of a piano-forte, substantially as described.

6. In a piano-forte with an arched iron frame, a wooden frame fastened to one end of the ll'Ol'l frame and wedged apart from the other end 1 of the iron frame, whereby the wooden frame, occupying the position of a chord to the flatby the longitudinal section -.of the iron frame, resists. the tendency of the ends of such are to spring inward under the tension of the strings.

'7. The bracket w and wedge a, in combination with-the metal frame 11, and with the r 5 converging braces k l of the wooden case A, substantially as described.

8. The treble-wedge c' and lugs b upon and in combination with the-bar v and outside border, of the frame fl substantially as de- 20 scribed.

0. F. THEODOB STEiNWAY.

' Witnesses: v

- CHARLES F. FBETBAB,

PHILIP? BURKARD.