Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
This invention relates to improvements in
musical instruments, and relates more particu-
larly to means for varying the volume of the tone
of a piano or similar instrument; the object be-
ing to provide a simple means whereby a per-
Conducted and Edited by Wm. B. White.
former on the instrument may by foot pressure
I am in receipt of an interesting little booklet wherein even 12 fixed points are secured by such vary the position of a movable part of the casing,
as, for instance, a lid, to open or close the same,
from an old and honored colleague, H. H. Rich, simple means."
of the Cornish Co., Washington, N. J. The title
Mr. Rich, at the close of his most valuable or vary the position of a sound deflecting board
is "The Tempered Scale of Twelve Equal Di- little treatise, propounds three queries, which he whereby the sound may be muffled or permitted
visions in an Octave; What and Why Is it and proceeds to answer forthwith. They are as fol- to freely escape toward or away from the audi-
ence.
How Obtained?" This is a supplement to "Thirds lows:
and the Tempered Scale," by the same author,
A further object of the invention is to provide
"1. When and how did the tempered scale
which I had occasion to review in these columns originate?
mechanism for raising or lowering the lid and
in the year 1905.
"2. When did the five extra semitones (shown tilting it in either direction, so that the sound
No one is more sensible than myself of the by the five black keys of the piano or organ) waves will be deflected in the desired direction
by the lid.
value that such treatises have for everyone in come into use?
the trade, especially when the author is himself
MUSIC-ROLL MARKING DEVICE. Issued May 19,
"3. How did the Greeks tune their early tetra-
a practical man, and therefore not liable to the chords, with three semitone locations, and their 1908, to Philip Wuest, Jr., of Philadelphia, Pa.,
charge of being merely a theorist. In the present later full octave and eight-stringed lyres, having assignor to the Auto-Manual Piano Action Co.,
case I know Mr. Rich's attainments and reputation seven scales at will?"
of Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Feb. 5, 1908. Patent
well enough to be ready to say that anything
The answers to these very interesting and im- No. 888,290.
which comes from his pen is prima facie, good. portant questions must be looked for in Mr. The invention is intended to afford means for
And a reading of the. little booklet serves only Rich's booklet itself. Suffice it to say that they marking a series of isolated dots or other sym-
to strengthen the notion. I wish not only to call are most ingenious and plausible.
bols, upon the perforated sheet, commonly
the reader's attention to this excellent record of
It is indeed, as I remarked before, a most termed a music-roll, employed in self-playing in-
Mr. Rich's further studies, but to quote some of laudable trait in a practical piano or organ man struments, the marks being automatically im-
his more pregnant statements.
that drives him to the close investigation of such pressed at predetermined intervals in the
His definition of the tempered scale is worth intricate matters. Among those who from time longitudinal direction of the sheet, but the loca-
repeating: "The tempered scale is an adjust- to time communicate with this department there tion of the marks transversely upon the sheet
ment, or a fitting of continuous non-octave chords are several whose lives have been largely spent being under the manual control of the operator.
to their octaves, that they may keep pace with in the study and investigation of the many ob-
PIANO CASE. Issued May 19, 1908, to E. E.
or march, with each other—not unlike pedes- scurities connected with the musical scale and Walter, of Chicago, 111. Filed April 8, 1907. Pat-
trians increasing or limiting their natural speed the subject of temperament. The value of their ent No. 888,209.
to hold with a leader." (Page 2.)
work can best be recognized when one considers
MEANS FOR REPAIRING THE FELTED HEADS OF
Again he says, also most aptly: "The very the immense amount of trashy talk that is pub- PIANO HAMMERS. Issued May 19, 1908, to Robert
best-tempered scale is but the outcome of what lished on the subject—talk that continually be- R. Bode, of Honolulu, H. I. Filed Aug. 3, 1907.
may be called close ear-mechanics, by means of trays the utter, or almost utter, misconception Patent No. 888,141.
the wrench, file, scraper or hammer of the tuner, which the average tuner appears to have con- This invention relates to certain improvements
the ear in this case acting as the eye or touch cerning the whole subject. But as long as men in means for repairing the felted heads of piano
like Mr. Rich, Frederick Hart, of New Bruns- hammers and has for its purpose the obviation
does in other fittings." (Page 1.)
This latter sentence shows very aptly indeed wick, N. J., and J. C. Miller, of Lincoln, Neb., are of the disadvantages of the present methods of
the work of the ear in the art of tempering the on deck the cause of scientific accuracy will not repicking or refelting worn or hardened ham-
mers, which methods are now universally re-
scale of piano or organ, and although the lan- altogether languish.
guage might have been a little clearer we must
As a last word on this subject, I would like to sorted to, although both tedious and expensive,
not quarrel with our author for that.
point out that Mr. Rich writes me that he will when it is desired to reduce the metallic sound
Mr. Rich mentions also the fact of his having mail postpaid to anyone both this new booklet which is produced by hardened or worn ham-
tuned two sets of two reeds each, from a fixed and the 1905 edition "Thirds and the Tempered mer heads.
and equal low pitch, one of the first set twelve- Scale," which treated the subject more particu-
The invention is founded upon the discovery
fifths up and the other seven octaves up, and larly with reference to thirds, for 10 cents.
that a strip of suitable soft material, such as
one of the second set twelve-fourths up and the
As this is such a ridiculously small price, I felt or rubber, when applied to such worn heads,
other five octaves up. These reeds Mr. Rich has strongly recommend every one to take advantage will act to restore the original tonal qualities,
been good enough to leave in my charge, and I of it and secure copies of these most interesting and the invention, therefore, consists in such
can state from actual trial that they are most and valuable contributions to the literature of means for the purpose specified, and also con-
remarkable justifications of the theoretical tuning and the musical scale.
sists in certain peculiarities in the construction
axioms laid down for the student of musical
thereof whereby the same may be most readily
The Valve-System in Players.
acoustics in all works on the subject. The
Just at present there seems to be quite a good and easily applied to and removed from the head.
amount of careful and patient labor required to deal of heart-searching on the part of player
PIANO KEY-BOARD. Issued May 19, 1908, to
carry out even so simple appearing a work as manufacturers over the relative value of single F. Kuba, of New York. Filed Sept. 5, 1907.
this is immense, and the pure and disinterested and double valve systems in players. For some Patent No. 888,100.
love of science which will cause a man to un- time after the introduction of these devices it
PIANO PLAYING MECHANISM. Issued May 19,
dertake such a task is worthy of all praise.
seemed to be conceded that the double valve sys- 1908, to Rufus B. Fowler, of Worcester, Mass.
It will be understood that the object of tuning tem, wherein were employed both primary and Filed July 14, 1906. Patent No. 888,152.
the four reeds in this way was audibly to demon- secondary valves, was far superior to the other.
The present invention relates to that class of
strate the actual pitch differences known to exist Of late, however, more than one manufacturer automatic pianos which comprise a pneumatic
between the tone produced from five or seven has taken it into his head to experiment with mechanism for actuating the individual note
octaves built one on another and the other nomi- the single valve, and the results have been so en- producing mechanism, constituting what is
nally but not actually equal pitch produced from couraging that we are likely to see much more known as the piano action, and the object of the
twelve-fourths or twelve-fifths, all being started of this simplified mechanism in the near future. invention is to provide means controlled by the
from the same basis.
I would like to say to readers that this interesting keys or manuals in the ordinary keyboard of
Mr. Rich also has some very interesting and subject is worthy of their attention, and in some the piano whereby the expression of each of the
important remarks to make concerning the par- articles which I purpose writing I shall bring up note producing mechanism can be varied at will
tial tones of nature's scale in comparison with this matter and discuss it with some thorough- by the operator through the medium of the keys
ness. Meanwhile, if any readers care to say any- or manuals of the keyboard.
the scales used in practical music.
Again, he gives us a very interesting little thing as to their experiences along these lines I
CAPO D'ASTRO BAR. Issued May 19, 1908, to C.
talk on the history of the diatonic scale, tracing shall be glad to hear from them.
C. Chickering, of Chicago, 111. Filed April 12,
its origin from Egypt to Greece, and thence,
1907. Patent No. 888,065.
after its evolution at the hands of Pythagoras, to
The iron frames for pianos are cast to the de-
Communications for this department should be
ourselves.
addressed to the Editor, Technical Department, sired form to afford a support for the strings.
When he has spoken of the method recom- The Music Trade Review.
This frame is a metallic web to which the wrest
mended by himself for temperament laying, he
plank is secured, which, with intermediate bars
continues: "This interesting compromise ap-
and brace bars, tends to afford rigidity. Se-
DEPARTMENT OF PATENTS.
pears to the writer to be simply a web of 12 keys,
cured upon the iron frame along the inner edge
created by twining their tonics, fifths and
ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT FOR MUSIC ROLLS. Issued of said web above the wrest plank, is an iron bar,
fourths, whereby the second and fourth partials, May 19, 1908, to C. Freborg, of De Kalb, Illinois, sometimes called the capo tasto bar, which exerts
which are tonics, are used as the fifths of other assignor to Melville C. Clark, of Chicago, Illi- pressure on the strings downward and must,
keys, yielding a new tonic. Then this in turn nois. Filed March 17. 1906. Patent No. 888,395. therefore, sustain an upward pressure of several
is used as the fifth of another tonic, and so on
BALANCED SWELL FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. tons when the strings are drawn to pitch. Cast
to close the circle, or more usually the half- Issued May 19, 1908, to Sarah Wood Clark, of frames have often proved weak in resisting this
circle, meeting half-way for test of accuracy. New York, N. Y. Tiled Jan. 19, 1907. Patent upward tension of the strings against the capo
Truly, a remarkable and puzzling result, No. 888,307.
tasto bar, and the opposite pressure exerted oa