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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
A Sketch of British Pianoforte Inventions,
CURIOUS AND CRAZY INVENTIONS.
A Study of Some Old British Pianoforte Patents.
THE FIRST ENGLISH MUSICAL PATENT—TUMPE'S
ENHARMONIC PIANO—PARCHMENT INSTEAD
OF SOUNDING BOARDS—RYI,EY 'S TRANS-
POSING PIANO —LOESCHM ANN'S
KEYBOARD — GUNTHER 'S
DOUBLE SOUNDING-
BOARD.
ROLFE'S SELF-ACTING PIANO—WOLF'S CURIOUS
SOUNDING-BOARD—FISCHER'S CROSS-STRUNG
PIANO—WHEATSTONE'S STRINGING SYS-
TEM—DANIEL HEWITT'S ABSURDI-
TIES—NICKEL'S COMBINATION
INSTRUMENT — BAIN'S
INTRODUCTION OF
ELECTRICITY,
ETC.
t
{Continued from last week.)
MONG the many historic instruments in
piano shape exhibited by Broadwood &
Sons, at the International Inventors' Exhibi-
tion, London, in 1887, was a novel square made
in 1767, by Johann Zumpe, the author of that
form of instrument. It is the oldest square
known. This piano—at present in the posses-
sion of the Broadwood firm—contains seventeen
keys to the octave instead of the normal twelve,
and the action is, therefore, Very complicated.
Zumpe doubtless produced this instrument
while experimenting. He never patented it, how-
ever, a proof that he was not much impressed
with the result of his labors in that direction.
The Broadwoods also put on exhibition a
transposing piano made by Edward Ryley in
1801. Ryley, it seems, sold the right of his in-
vention, for which he was granted a patent
November 28th, in that year, to Broadwood &
Sons. It was brought out with considerable
faith in its usefulness and working success ;
yet it never paid itself, and was discarded after
some years. Ryley's system, however, yielded
good results and was very effective ; but the
public never took kindly to it. Meantime the
idea of transposing keyboards has since that
period been tried with varying success in vari-
ous countries. Up to the recent system, in-
vented and patented by James & Holmstrom of
New York, which is very successful, Ryley's
invention was not of so much importance to the
professional pianist or singer, as it was intended
to assist the ordinary performer to adapt any no-
tation to the key of C, or some equally familiar
one. I may remark that Broadwood & Sons
brought out transposing uprights in 1845, which
contained rather eccentric features. For in-
stance, instead of effecting transposition by a
movement of the keyboard independent of the ac-
tion, they had a plan by which the body of the
piano moved to either side on wheels, working
in a groove, while the keyboard arid action re-
mained stationary. These were merely experi-
mental instruments and were never patented,
for the good sense of Broadwood & Sons always
guided them to refrain from seeking established
protection for ideas until they had first thorough-
ly tested their value. A wild scheme was that
of George Woods, patented June 28th, 1803,
through which he hoped to employ Erard's
harp system in the piano, by raising or lower-
ing the whole set of strings at once through a
mechanical arrangement, an arrangement nec-
essarily full of futile complications without re-
sulting in any point of advantage. But by far
the most noteworthy of all these early patents,
is that granted David Loeschmann, July 26th,
1807, for an harmonic pianoforte in which " by
means of six pedals that cause the hammers to
act on twenty-four distinct sets of strings, per-
formers can play in thirty-three perfect keys."
Imagine this awful scheme ! Twenty-four sets
of strings and six pedals, all for the purpose of
getting over the necessity for tuning ordinary
keyboard pianos according to the equal temper-
ment method ! If it were possible to construct
an action upon Loeschmann's plan, one should
maintain a tuner on the premises to keep it in or-
der. I cannot say what happened Loeschmann 's
invention. That he possessed a very good knowl-
edge of the musical system cannot be gainsaid ;
but his mechanical ideas were utterly imprac-.
ticable.
West 41st Street, New York,
The first British patent recorded in the de-
ers in New York partment devoted to musical instruments, and
We refer to
and neighbor
all the princi-
their belongings, for an idea relating to the im-
hood
pal Piano Mak-
provement of ordinary piano wire, was one issued
to William Bundy, April 24th, 1811, for " bass pi-
anoforte strings covered with plat ma, or other
metal, to produce powerful sounds by vibration ;"
and a development of an aspiring genius named
William Simmons, namely, a "barrel piano."
SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR
Following these came a patent granted to John
Day, November 14th, 1816, for a piano contain-
Piano Manufacturers,
ing a '' frame of musical glasses played separate-
Action Machinery,
ly or in combination with the piano." In 1817,
String Spinning Machines, Isaac Mott introduced a "Sostinente Piano."
By this he aimed at producing sustained tones
Shafting, Pulleys and Hangers.
"through the strings being vibrated by a re-
volving roller by means of silken lines attached
ENTIRELY NEW PROCESS FOR to them." Mott's idea was put into operation
and considerable capital was expended upon it,
BORING PIANO PLATES.
but with obvious consequences.
(Continued next week.)
Ouri.Iacnine will bore twice as much as two of the best
P. PRYIBIL,
555 to 567
Woad * Working * Machinery,
men ; a bny runs it and works more uniform.
THE
Sterling Company,
/}n Old l/iolin.
Behold this rare Cremona ! Master it;
'Twill sing as 'twere an angel, but to hands
Unskilled 'tis but for mantel rubbish fit—
Old, worth so much. One reads and under-
stands
'Twas wont to shake men's hearts, as when the
wind
Sets all the leaves a quiver. Now it lies
With all its sweet soul mute and undivined.
Prioed at so much. A soul lor sale—who buys !
One says, 'tis scratched and ugly, gummed and
stained ;
He can buy handsomer for less. No doubt!
Another spies a crack or real or feigned ;
A third notes fraud, is pleased to point it out.
Endure, endure, thou master's child ! Even so
Are noble spirits carped at, all unknown.
While in their hearts divinely swell and flow
The harmonies which genius hears alone.
MANUFACTURERS OF
JAMES BUCK in Albany Argus.
A TORONTO gentleman has taken out a patent
for a new brace for piano key-bottoms. This
brace has a vertical member shaped at its lower
end as an inverted truss and having on its face
FACTORY :
a longitudinal rib, a horizontal member integral
with the upper edge of the vertical member ex-
DERBY, CONN.
tending over the rib, which is adapted for en-
It is admitted by all that no- piano ever put upon the gagement with the under face of the key-bottom,.
market has met with such success as THE STERLING the horizontal member engaging with its
and thousands will testify to their superiority of work- upper face. With this improvement the key-
bottom of an upright piano may be constructed
manship and durability. Why ? Because they are made
of wood and the bottom preserved in perfect
just as perfect as a piano can be made.
form, being effectually prevented from warping,
THE STERLING ORGAN has always taken the lead, and while the brace is light in weight, strong,
the improvements made this year puts it far ahead of quickly applied, and does not interfere with the
keyboard or the action.
all others. J£§^" Send for Catalogue. -
Pianos and Organs,
Hal W Davis Pianos
GRAND, SQUARE AND UPRIGHT.
Indorsed by Liszt, Gottschalk. Wehli. Bendel, Straus, Soro, Abt,
Paulus, Titiens, Heilbron and Germany's Greatest Masters.
Established over Half a Century.
BOSTON, MASS.