USRE9237E - Piano-string bridge - Google Patents

Description

W.r C.. ELLIS.y Piano String and Bridge.A

VIIIl-IIII Reissued June 8, 1 880.

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, UNITED STATES OFFICE-.- e

WILLIAMU. ELLISfoF woEoES'rEE, MASSACHUSETTS,

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l"To all'whom it ma/yconcern: A Be it known that I,WILLrm C. ELLis, of Worcester, in the county of Worceste'rfandl Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain' 5 Improvements in Piano Forte Bridges, of

which the following is a specification.

Fi ure 1-ofv the accompanying drawings is a top vlew, Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section on the .linez' z, and Fig. 3 a vertical transverse resection on the line a: y, of my improved pianolforte' bridge. My invention consistsjin the combination of '--a piano-string bridge having a non-metallic face, a superposed clamp having a non-mer5- tallic face, and piano-stringsL interposed bebetween the two, the severalparts-be'ing ar- 'ran ed so that the strings will bebound at opf tepomts betweentneower surface ofthe.

clamp and the upper surface of the bridge, and 2 contactjof metal with the strings at the bind-v in -points avoided. A 1 y invention also consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, all of'which 1 will no w proceed to describe.

In. the drawings, A `represents thewrest- .plank orpin-block of a pianofforte', vprovidedwith PinsB, to which are Vattached strings C.

The pin-blockl A may be cut away on the fr-- .ward part, as shown. to receive glass or other resonant supportsD to a wooden bridge, E, that extends throughout the scale, or the wooden bridge E'may be placed directly on the pinblock, inwhich case the latter is not cut away -on the front.- The-bridge E is recessedon the ,3:5' bottom to receive a nut or metallic plate, F,

L formed with screw-holes to receive 'screws G, that extend through the bridge. Krepresents the clamp, which forms the chief portion of vmy-inVentiOn. Ths clamp is 4o la rigid bar of metal, adapted to bear upon the strings O and bind the latter tightly between its under surfaee and-the upper surface of the bidg'e E.. The clamp is provided with holes to receive the'screws G, and each screw is pro 'fvded with a head, .G', bearing upon the npper surfaceofthe clamp,fso that byturning the screws in onedirection or the other the clamp willbeforced down upon and caused to 4. bind the strings tightly .or raised. and caused 1.o to release the strings. ach screw is provided latere D by screws H, or maj' be otherwise se- 'advantage over the so-called agraife 7 method,

fis al so produced in this case by the two bear- .fvith a sem, G", to feel-ve a tuning-hamm or otherv suitable wrench,'or screws may be adapted tofbeturned by any other means. The bridge E is held to the .block A or insucured.)A l In the methods heretofore adopted of holding the lstrings by pins, twobearings, a side one and a downward one, are produced', thereby cramping ,the strin g at a certain poi` `and 6ol lcausing an unequal tension between the tun .ing-pin andthe sound-board bridge, besides,-

in tuning, the wear. of the string against the bridge-pin renders it liable to break at this point. Moreover, the blow of the hammer from underneath. forces the string from its bearing, 4thus throwing it out of tune. .These objections are obviated bythe temployment manner thateach strin g draws straight from the tuning-pin to the sound-board bridge, and the holding-pressure is on the top of the strings, holding them firmly in resistance to the upward blows of the hammer. The means provided for forcing down the clamp upon the strings enables the clamp to hold the strings with great firmness and prevent any possi bility o'f their becoming loosened. The clamp, being also adapted to be raised, enables the strings to be released when the piano is being 8otuned, so that thestrings can render easily on the bridge, which presents no point of wear:

By means of the clamp K and under plate, F, held by the screws G, a pressure is induced on the top and under side of the bridge, 85 which givesjsolidity to'it and prevents absorption--of tone and lessons the liabilty yof the strings getting out of tune.

The clamp lalso presents obvious points of in whichzan upward and downward bearin g on the strings are produced, which brings a great strain on the string at the eye of the agrae, thus rendering 'the string liable to break at this point. An unequal tension on the string ings, and the string is apt to 'be thrown ont of tune. `In most cases the agraife is only used through a p ortiouof the scale, thus producing au uneven quality and quantity of tone in roc comparison to a bridge-of one material.

rIn order'to avoid' the contact of metal with metallic'strings, (whichl contact is objectionable, because it impairs the quality of tone,) I

` provide the clamp K with wood or other nony fing the quality of the tone by direct .[5.

-by the bridge, 'and contact vsire to metallic material between the strings yand the Vmetallic portion of the lamp; land to attach the wood or other material to the clamp I prefer to providcfrecesses in the nnder surface of the: latter. extending in the direction of the strings, and insert the wood or other non-metallic material into said recesses in the forni vof blocks or strips d. By this constructionl'obtain a clamp having the qualities of strength, stiffness, and rigidity of metal, without injur-` contact of I netal withthe strings.

Having-thus f ull5r described my improvements, what I claim as my inventiomand dehave seured Ato me by Letters Patent, lsi f y 1. 'Thecombination of a piano-string bridge havinga nonmetallic face, a superposed clamp having a non-metallic face, piano-strings interposed between thetwo, and means for binding the strings between them, the -several parts beingA arranged as described, whereby the strings will be bon'nd. on one side by the clamp, and on the other side, under the clamp, of metal with the formed with screw-holes, and on the bottom` with recesses lled with wood or other nonmetallic material, substantially as set forth. 4, In a. piano-forte, a -Inetallic clamp, K,v

A having recesses in its under surface andwood or other non-metallic material fitted into said recesses,-forming bearings for the strings, as set fort-h. i v V 5. The combination of the clamp K, bridge E, metallic plate F, and screws G, as set forth. 6. The combination ofa pin-block or wrest plank, A, insulators D, bridge E, plate or nut 5o F, clampK, and strings C, asset forth.V

WILLIAM o. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL MAC KINNY, C. F. BROWN.

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