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THE
MUSIC TRADE! REVIEW
11
It can easily be seen how convenient this wedge
is when one has to get in between closely-
crowded hammer shanks. The beveled slit makes
it easy also to mute the middle string.
Another very useful tool is the Brophy felt
Conducted and Edited by W m . B. White.
picker, doubtless named after the ingenious gen-
TECHNICAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE PIANO mer are the leading matters of interest. The tleman who invented it. It is a curved handle
music roll controls all these switches through with an individual base for each of the three
EXHIBITION.
extra marginal perforations, which are in turn needles which it contains, and is made sufficiently
arranged from the original record made by the short to work well on upright hammers without
Third Article.
M. Welte & Sons, of New York and Freiburg, artist. The recording machine is in Germany the necessity of pulling out the action, while it
is stout enough not to cramp the hand which
exhibited at Richmond a very interesting collec- and details of its operation are not available.
• * * *
holds it. Altogether a very useful arrangement.
tion of their automatic musical instruments.
In a great many ways the Richmond Exposi-
In every way the Tuners' Supply Co. are to be
From the point of view of this department, the
Welte piano-player was naturally the most at- tion was a tremendous advertisement of the suc- congratulated on this, their latest offering, and 1
tractive of the various instruments shown by cess which has attended the Auto-Pneumatic Ac- have no hesitation in telling my readers that
the famous German firm. The Welte, as is well tion Co.'s products. The Autopiano, as the ac- this house makes mighty good tools. I have used
known, belongs to the class of "reproduction- tion of this house is so generally called, was to them personally for years and still have the
player-pianos," and is perhaps the most entirely be found in about one-half of the player-pianos Hale hammer wherewith I b?gan my first pain-
successful yet seen in this country. It is a curi- exhibited by various firms; a matter, no doubt, ful studies in tuning.
* * * *
ous fact that German and American ingenuity for self-congratulation on the part of this enter-
Communications for this department should
in player-piano design have gone in quite oppo- prising house, but rather tending to monotony,
site directions. The Germans have devoted a technically speaKing. A few words about this be addressed to the Editor, Technical Depart-
ment, The Music Trade Review".
very great part of their energy to the perfection highly popular action will be in order.
Generally speaking, and in accordance with the
of reproduction mechanisms; that is to say, to
devices for recording and reproducing the actual rough classification that was suggested in the
play of a musician. We, in this country, have first of these articles, the Autopiano action may
neglected this field in favor of devices for indi- be said to belong to the "steady-bellows" school. Information Regarding Cost and Methods of
vidually controlled mechanical playing. Of the That is to say, it is provided with powerful bel-
Securing Patents in France and Hungary.
two scnools it is hard to decide which is lows units, best adapted for even and steady
(Special to The Review.)
healthier. But one can say that for the benefit pedaling. It has an elaborate and ingenious
Washington, D. C , June 6, 1910.
of music itself it seems almost better to devise system of tension regulators for expression and
The Bureau of Manufactures has issued the
perfect technic-machines controllable by the in- tempo. The expression regulator is handled by
dividual music-lover than merely to provide him a finger-lever which works a gate-valve, while following information regarding patents, their
with reproducing mechanisms for hearing others' two pneumatics, one at each side of the piano, cost and methods of securing them, in France
playing. For, after all, we learn by doing ac- above the hammer-rail, lift either half of the and Hungary, taken from Consular reports:
In view of the many requirements of the
tively rather than by absorbing passively. Nor latter, under the control of two buttons. The
can the most perfect reproducer fail ultimately Autopiano action may safely be called one of the French authorities, those desiring to obtain a
to become monotonous and lose its interest for reliable, standard types which is setting an ex- patent usually make application (as in the United
those who hear it. Nevertheless, the Welte player ple, in its own direction, to other manufacturers. States) through an expert, whose fees are not.
A very good feature is the motor. This has large and most of whom correspond in English.
and others of its type have their own distinct
uses, not the least of which is their capacity for five single-units and is very well made. It is Moreover, if the inventor does not reside in
remarkably steady in operation, although all the France, it is necessary, in order to comply with
storing up, as it were, the "tone-autographs" of
artists for the instruction and delight of pos- models I noticed were rather slow in speed. The the regulations, that he have either a fixed ad-
terity. What would we not give to-day if we expansion springs on the motor tension regulat- dress or an attorney. An agent, correspondent
had such records of Chopin's, Liszt's, Von Bulow's ing bellows were of a design which I do not very or representative is a sine qua non. It is not
much approve of; that is to say, were half- necessary, however, that an article patented in
or Rubinstein's playing?
France be manufactured in that country in
The Welte player which I examined in Rich- springs, instead of the full fan-tail shape.
I found that the pedaling of this type of ac- order to secure protection.
mond was incorporated with a Steinway upright
The duration of a French patent is five, ten
piano. The mechanism of the player is all placed tion presents some difficulties until one becomes
above the piano proper, so that the height of the entirely used to the steady footwork and accent or fifteen years, at the option of the inventor,
case is increased some two feet. The case is, of lever manipulation. Personally, I rather favor the cost being $96.50, $1.93 and $289.50, respec-
course, built to contorm with this increased the sensitive bellows, but this is merely a matter tively. These amounts are usually paid in in-
stalments of $19.30 per annum, in advance.
height, and looks quite well, although the gen- of opinion.
(To be continued.)
Failure to pay forfeits the patent, though the
eral effect is somewhat top-heavy, reminding one
inventor or owner is accorded three months'
of old European upright pianos as one sees them
grace, with an extra tax. Original documents
in pictures of the middle Victorian era. The SOME NOVELTIES IN TUNERS' TOOLS,
certifying to the issuance of the patent are de-
object of putting the player mechanism entirely
A new supplement to the general catalog of
above the piano was apparently to secure an the Tuners' Supply Co., Winter Hill, Boston, has livered without extra charge; copies cost $4.82.
absolute separation of one element from the ji.at reached my desk. As usual there are quite Designs must be made by, or at the expense of,
other, which, in the circumstances, is doubtless a number of really interesting devices described. the patentee. Foreigners may obtain patents in
Hungary only through representatives residing
desirable. Moreover, with such an arrangement The ingenious gentlemen who are at the head of
in that country, and patents expire 15 years
the player and piano actions are each equally this house are never tired of devising new and
accessible.
convenient additions to the tuner's budget. Some from date of granting.
An inventor may have his device patented
One very annoying feature of this arrange- of these are better than others, of course, but
ment, however, is that there is no room between what a comfortable thing it is to know that one without having manufactured it prior to the date
the tuning pins and the upper part of the case firm, at least, is sitting up nights thinking out of application. The owner of a Hungarian
for the tuner to use an ordinary hammer. 1 ways and means to make the tuner's path patent is required to manufacture or make prac-
noticed a tuner at work during the exposition smoother and his pocket heavier.
at this Steinway-Welte, and he was obliged to
One of the new designs is what is called a
use a T-hammer; neither an easy nor a conveni- "gang mute." This is a set of thirteen rubber
ent thing to do on a modern instrument with its v/tdges or mutes, arranged vertically in a line,
heavy wire and strong wrest-plank.
with a rubber backing to hold the set together.
and
The more intimate mechanical details of the Thus arranged the complete set may be inserted
Welte player are not, unfortunately, accessible Instantly between the strings of an octave of
to the technical inquirer. Suffice it to say that
semi-tones. This is a very valuable assistance
the pneumatic mechanism itself is not distin- to tuners who are accustomed to wedge up the
guished by any secret devices. Hammer rail
entire octave when tuning the temperament.
lifts, a rheostat to control the energy of the elec-
Another wedge device is intended for use in
tric motor which blows the exhaust bellows, and
the upper treble. It consists of a light rubber
various pneumatic switches to actuate the for-
tapering wedge, with a beveled slit half way up
it, the whole attached to a flexible steel handle.
TUNERS BUY ON SIGHT ^ ^ ^ ^
REGARDING FOREIGN PATENTS.
Hammer Head
Butt Borer
Bridle Ribbon Inserter
Patent applied for'
M
• No other tool will no
,
ly inse t bridle rib-
J \
hors without remnv
/
NL J r-f.
in K the hammer he-1 (
R •j*r-\
BOSTON TUNER'S
or butt. Our catalog
]
fT
OUTFIT co.
wlll show you many
L—-c2^ \ yl
•uch Inventions and [/Oil \
j)
Depi. M. R.
oar prices will in- V U ^ U
//
,-, Common & Washington
{i
t er««t you.
=z^
Streets. Boston. Mass.
<^I2r^"—^^
King's Automatic Tuning Pin and
String Polisher
Cleans every pin and string coil
in worst rusted piano In thirty
minute 1 ?. Work done easily, quickly and thoroughly.
Will pay for Itself on one rusted Instrument.
Price. $3 50 Cash with Order.
Express Prepaid.
J. M. MITCHELL PIANO TOOL CO.,
- MARION, IND.
Send for descriptive
catalog Free.
TUNERS SUPPLY CO.
Winter Hill District
BOSTON