Music Trade Review
Issue: 1892 Vol. 16 N. 18 - Page 8
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3 8o
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 1 SOUNDING BOARDS—RYLEY '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.
{Continued from last week.)
3 ^ ANIEL HEWITT whose conception of the
CS**J~ acoustics of the piano was evidenced in
the patent referred to, in a a previous paragraph,
took out another patent several years later for
a perfectly crazy invention. Edgar Brumsmead
says that Hewitt lost twelve thousand pounds
($60,000) in a few years through attempting to
introduce it permanently. Hewitt's scheme
consisted of a method through which he pro-
posed to " affix the wrest plank and bent side "
to the brick or stone wall of an apartment, so as to
avoid the necessity for constructing costly
framework. In his wild prospect the sounding-
board was supposed to go between the bracing
and wall, etc. Hewitt, however, never again
troubled the British Patent Office.
H. Gauntlett brought forward an improve-
ment—so-claimed—of the Bain electrical idea in
1852, for playing an organ from the keyboard of
the piano in conjunction with the latter. About
the same time H. Russell attempted to intro-
duce flattened strings as a substitute for the
ordinary kind of wire. Another attempt to
produce sustained tones was recorded May 3,
^Si, by H. Hughes and W. Denham. Their
scheme consisted of two sets of hammers brought
successively into action. The same year R.
Riist took out a patent for an alleged improve-
ment consisting of " sound-holes in the sound-
ing-board with metal tubes passing through
hollow bars inserted." Rust's system was
worth nothing on the face of it and it effected
nothing. The double-sounding board idea re-
ceived another '' improvement'' at the hands of
W. Owen in 1856, and Loescbmann's Enhar-
monic Keyboard was "improved" upon by J. and
E. Shaw about the same period, but with re-
sults similar to those attendant on the experi-
ments already treated.
Here is an extract from the specification of a
patent granted to J. C. Hadden, Dec. 1, 1856,
" Framing and loading the bass strings with
buttons. The button placed upon the strings
so as to obtain deep notes with short lengths of
string. The strings are galvanized or tinned to
prevent them from oxidation, etc.'' The central
ideas in the foregoing are intelligent, but they
yielded nothing.
Avoiding mention of a number of inventions
of lesser interest in the history of pianoforte in-
vention, I come to an adaptation of Dodd's
patent (1840), the author of which was C. Glass-
barrow. Glassbarrow, like Dodd, tried two sets
of strings, one in front and the other behind the
sounding-board, which he patented August 15th,
1859. He succeeded in attracting considerable
attention in Paris, but the impracticability of
the whole scheme, and the absence of any ad-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
vantage over accepted methods killed it. Pape,
of Paris, whom I have already commented on as
a strange compound of the experimentalist and
practical piano maker, brought out a bijou up-
right in i860, the height of which was only two
feet six inches. In this instrument the hammer
heads were constructed after the plan of Hewitt's
first patent, somewhat. Like the majority of
Pape's inventions, it turned out to be a mere
experiment. To give a summary of a few other
British patents of the class referred to through-
out, I must mention Cotter's scheme for pluck-
ing piano strings by a harpsichord mechanism,
in addition to the ordinary percussion action
(1861), Worton's "Tyro-piano" (1861), a com-
bination of harpsichord and piano also ; Knoll's
plan for making the action strike behind the
strings instead of in front (1862); Thompson's
'' Enharmonic Scale and Shifting Keyboard ''
(1862); Brockbank's perforated metal plate
placed between the sounding-board and the strings
(1862); Mackintosh's scheme for augmenting
tone by means of a trumpet-shaped instrument,
and Hazeltine's piano containing four strings to
each note, in which two separate actions were
employed. There were several other ideas also
patented subsequently of a like impracticable
nature, too modern, however, to be of much in-
terest. Meantime, I find that, like history,
patents repeat themselves, so to speak, for
almost every one of the inventions given have
been many times patented in other forms.
Nearly every part of the piano, as we know it,
has been trifled with—with an excellent purpose
no doubt—and among these attempts at im»
provement were velvet-covered hammer heads
in lieu of felt (1868) ; alabaster, glass, gypsum
or mother-of-pearl for covering keys instead of
ivory (1874); ornamental metal frets (1873) ;
forked dampers (1874) ; improved (?) method of
key adjustment (1872); placing " cellular boxes
within the piano to augment tone " (1877), and
a host of other ideas of similar character. One
cannot help remarking the manifestations of
activity and desire to improve the piano, which
all these experiments and patents represent—
they are in that light commendable—but one
cannot also avoid remarking the ignorance pre-
vailing among these inventors regarding the
scientific and mechanical principles which un-
derlie the art of piano making.
Retires.
ROOSEVELT ORGAN WORKS,
Park & Lexington Aves., 131st & 132d StB.,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
NEW YORK, November 15th, 1892.
HAVE the honor to announce my inten-
tion to close the Roosevelt Organ Works,
and retire from the business of manufacturing
organs. The work now on hand will be com-
pleted about January 1st, 1893, and after that
time no organs will be built under the name of
Roosevelt.
It is my pleasure to further announce that I
have completed negotiations with the Farrand
& Votey Organ Company of Detroit, whereby
the exclusive right to the use of all the patents
and systems controlled by me passes to them.
It is their intention to incorporate their various
specialties with my own, and as they have also
secured the services of a number of my depart-
ment foremen, and other leading men, they
should be now in a position to produce instru-
ments of great perfection.
The Farrand & Votey Organ Company intend
to establish offices in New York and Chicago.
The New York office will be located in this
building, and will be in charge of Mr. John W.
Heins, who has been connected with my office
for many years. Mr. Heins has secured the
services of some of my best tuners, and conse-
quently will be equipped to properly care for our
organs. The Chicago office will be located at
No. 269 Dearborn street, and will be in charge
of Mr. W. J. Davis, at present my western repre-
sentative.
I can recommend all interested to correspond
with the Farrand & Votey Organ Company, as
I am convinced that they will endeavor to main-
tain the present high standard of organ building
in the United States.
FRANK ROOSEVELT.
ZIMMERMANN AT DOLGEVILLE.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
240 NORTH 2D STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Nov. 26, 1892.
Please take notice that I have sold my busi-
ness, heretofore carried on at above address, to
the C. F. Zimmermann Company, of Dolgeville,
N. Y., who assume all assets and liabilities.
Bespeaking for my successors the good will
shown to me for the past ten years, I remain,
Respectfully yours, C. F. ZIMMERMANN.
DOLGEVILLE, N. Y., November 26th, 1892.
Referring to the above, we beg to state that
we shall henceforth be able to fill all orders for
the C. F. Zimmermann patented autoharp, and
C. F. Zimmermann's publications of his new
system of '' Notation of Music,'' promptly.
Our large and well equipped factory at Dolge-
ville, N. Y., will enable us to increase the pro-
duction in accordance with the daily growing
demand.
Having concluded arrangements with Mr.
Alfred Doige to act as sole agent for the sale of
the C. F. Zimmermann patented autoharp and
the C. F. Zimmermann publications, all orders,
remittances and correspondence should be ad-
dressed to Mr. Alfred Dolge, 122 East 13th
street, New York. Respectfully yours,
C. F. ZIMMERMANN CO.
Ttye Dol^ev/ille ll/ool?p Qo.
Dolgeville Woolen Co. has been incor-
§ HE porated.
The capital is $30,000, divided
into 600 shares. The object is to manufacture,
market, deal in and sell woolens and other
cloths and textile fabrics in Dolgeville. The
trustees are Hugo Dolge, Ottoman Jessnitzer,
Karl Fink, Ludwig Cavalli and Edmund R.
Wanckell.
On Monday afternoon the directors met in
the office of Edward A. Brown and elected the
following officers for the ensuing year: Hugo
Dolge, president; Ottoman Jessnitzer, secre-
tary and treasurer; executive committee, L.
Cavalli and Karl Fink.
Fifty per cent, of the capital stock of the
company has already been paid in. The plant
of this new industry is now nearly ready for
business. The machinery has been set up.—
Dolgeville Herald.
A brass band has been organized at Ovid, N.
Y. Le Roy C. Pitcher, president; W. J. Hause,
secretary ; M. J. Fenton, treasurer; A. Hodg-
son, leader.
The Jr. O. U. A. M. Cornet Band has been
organized at Jersey City, N. J., by members of
the order. Geo. Eldridge, leader. Prof. Otto
Vogler, instructor. Will practice in Library
Hall.
A new band has been organized at Lancaster,
Pa. President, B. F. Singer; vice-president, J r
C. Palmer; secretary, W. G. Singer.
3 8o
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 1 SOUNDING BOARDS—RYLEY '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.
{Continued from last week.)
3 ^ ANIEL HEWITT whose conception of the
CS**J~ acoustics of the piano was evidenced in
the patent referred to, in a a previous paragraph,
took out another patent several years later for
a perfectly crazy invention. Edgar Brumsmead
says that Hewitt lost twelve thousand pounds
($60,000) in a few years through attempting to
introduce it permanently. Hewitt's scheme
consisted of a method through which he pro-
posed to " affix the wrest plank and bent side "
to the brick or stone wall of an apartment, so as to
avoid the necessity for constructing costly
framework. In his wild prospect the sounding-
board was supposed to go between the bracing
and wall, etc. Hewitt, however, never again
troubled the British Patent Office.
H. Gauntlett brought forward an improve-
ment—so-claimed—of the Bain electrical idea in
1852, for playing an organ from the keyboard of
the piano in conjunction with the latter. About
the same time H. Russell attempted to intro-
duce flattened strings as a substitute for the
ordinary kind of wire. Another attempt to
produce sustained tones was recorded May 3,
^Si, by H. Hughes and W. Denham. Their
scheme consisted of two sets of hammers brought
successively into action. The same year R.
Riist took out a patent for an alleged improve-
ment consisting of " sound-holes in the sound-
ing-board with metal tubes passing through
hollow bars inserted." Rust's system was
worth nothing on the face of it and it effected
nothing. The double-sounding board idea re-
ceived another '' improvement'' at the hands of
W. Owen in 1856, and Loescbmann's Enhar-
monic Keyboard was "improved" upon by J. and
E. Shaw about the same period, but with re-
sults similar to those attendant on the experi-
ments already treated.
Here is an extract from the specification of a
patent granted to J. C. Hadden, Dec. 1, 1856,
" Framing and loading the bass strings with
buttons. The button placed upon the strings
so as to obtain deep notes with short lengths of
string. The strings are galvanized or tinned to
prevent them from oxidation, etc.'' The central
ideas in the foregoing are intelligent, but they
yielded nothing.
Avoiding mention of a number of inventions
of lesser interest in the history of pianoforte in-
vention, I come to an adaptation of Dodd's
patent (1840), the author of which was C. Glass-
barrow. Glassbarrow, like Dodd, tried two sets
of strings, one in front and the other behind the
sounding-board, which he patented August 15th,
1859. He succeeded in attracting considerable
attention in Paris, but the impracticability of
the whole scheme, and the absence of any ad-
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
vantage over accepted methods killed it. Pape,
of Paris, whom I have already commented on as
a strange compound of the experimentalist and
practical piano maker, brought out a bijou up-
right in i860, the height of which was only two
feet six inches. In this instrument the hammer
heads were constructed after the plan of Hewitt's
first patent, somewhat. Like the majority of
Pape's inventions, it turned out to be a mere
experiment. To give a summary of a few other
British patents of the class referred to through-
out, I must mention Cotter's scheme for pluck-
ing piano strings by a harpsichord mechanism,
in addition to the ordinary percussion action
(1861), Worton's "Tyro-piano" (1861), a com-
bination of harpsichord and piano also ; Knoll's
plan for making the action strike behind the
strings instead of in front (1862); Thompson's
'' Enharmonic Scale and Shifting Keyboard ''
(1862); Brockbank's perforated metal plate
placed between the sounding-board and the strings
(1862); Mackintosh's scheme for augmenting
tone by means of a trumpet-shaped instrument,
and Hazeltine's piano containing four strings to
each note, in which two separate actions were
employed. There were several other ideas also
patented subsequently of a like impracticable
nature, too modern, however, to be of much in-
terest. Meantime, I find that, like history,
patents repeat themselves, so to speak, for
almost every one of the inventions given have
been many times patented in other forms.
Nearly every part of the piano, as we know it,
has been trifled with—with an excellent purpose
no doubt—and among these attempts at im»
provement were velvet-covered hammer heads
in lieu of felt (1868) ; alabaster, glass, gypsum
or mother-of-pearl for covering keys instead of
ivory (1874); ornamental metal frets (1873) ;
forked dampers (1874) ; improved (?) method of
key adjustment (1872); placing " cellular boxes
within the piano to augment tone " (1877), and
a host of other ideas of similar character. One
cannot help remarking the manifestations of
activity and desire to improve the piano, which
all these experiments and patents represent—
they are in that light commendable—but one
cannot also avoid remarking the ignorance pre-
vailing among these inventors regarding the
scientific and mechanical principles which un-
derlie the art of piano making.
Retires.
ROOSEVELT ORGAN WORKS,
Park & Lexington Aves., 131st & 132d StB.,
NEW YORK, N. Y.
NEW YORK, November 15th, 1892.
HAVE the honor to announce my inten-
tion to close the Roosevelt Organ Works,
and retire from the business of manufacturing
organs. The work now on hand will be com-
pleted about January 1st, 1893, and after that
time no organs will be built under the name of
Roosevelt.
It is my pleasure to further announce that I
have completed negotiations with the Farrand
& Votey Organ Company of Detroit, whereby
the exclusive right to the use of all the patents
and systems controlled by me passes to them.
It is their intention to incorporate their various
specialties with my own, and as they have also
secured the services of a number of my depart-
ment foremen, and other leading men, they
should be now in a position to produce instru-
ments of great perfection.
The Farrand & Votey Organ Company intend
to establish offices in New York and Chicago.
The New York office will be located in this
building, and will be in charge of Mr. John W.
Heins, who has been connected with my office
for many years. Mr. Heins has secured the
services of some of my best tuners, and conse-
quently will be equipped to properly care for our
organs. The Chicago office will be located at
No. 269 Dearborn street, and will be in charge
of Mr. W. J. Davis, at present my western repre-
sentative.
I can recommend all interested to correspond
with the Farrand & Votey Organ Company, as
I am convinced that they will endeavor to main-
tain the present high standard of organ building
in the United States.
FRANK ROOSEVELT.
ZIMMERMANN AT DOLGEVILLE.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
240 NORTH 2D STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Nov. 26, 1892.
Please take notice that I have sold my busi-
ness, heretofore carried on at above address, to
the C. F. Zimmermann Company, of Dolgeville,
N. Y., who assume all assets and liabilities.
Bespeaking for my successors the good will
shown to me for the past ten years, I remain,
Respectfully yours, C. F. ZIMMERMANN.
DOLGEVILLE, N. Y., November 26th, 1892.
Referring to the above, we beg to state that
we shall henceforth be able to fill all orders for
the C. F. Zimmermann patented autoharp, and
C. F. Zimmermann's publications of his new
system of '' Notation of Music,'' promptly.
Our large and well equipped factory at Dolge-
ville, N. Y., will enable us to increase the pro-
duction in accordance with the daily growing
demand.
Having concluded arrangements with Mr.
Alfred Doige to act as sole agent for the sale of
the C. F. Zimmermann patented autoharp and
the C. F. Zimmermann publications, all orders,
remittances and correspondence should be ad-
dressed to Mr. Alfred Dolge, 122 East 13th
street, New York. Respectfully yours,
C. F. ZIMMERMANN CO.
Ttye Dol^ev/ille ll/ool?p Qo.
Dolgeville Woolen Co. has been incor-
§ HE porated.
The capital is $30,000, divided
into 600 shares. The object is to manufacture,
market, deal in and sell woolens and other
cloths and textile fabrics in Dolgeville. The
trustees are Hugo Dolge, Ottoman Jessnitzer,
Karl Fink, Ludwig Cavalli and Edmund R.
Wanckell.
On Monday afternoon the directors met in
the office of Edward A. Brown and elected the
following officers for the ensuing year: Hugo
Dolge, president; Ottoman Jessnitzer, secre-
tary and treasurer; executive committee, L.
Cavalli and Karl Fink.
Fifty per cent, of the capital stock of the
company has already been paid in. The plant
of this new industry is now nearly ready for
business. The machinery has been set up.—
Dolgeville Herald.
A brass band has been organized at Ovid, N.
Y. Le Roy C. Pitcher, president; W. J. Hause,
secretary ; M. J. Fenton, treasurer; A. Hodg-
son, leader.
The Jr. O. U. A. M. Cornet Band has been
organized at Jersey City, N. J., by members of
the order. Geo. Eldridge, leader. Prof. Otto
Vogler, instructor. Will practice in Library
Hall.
A new band has been organized at Lancaster,
Pa. President, B. F. Singer; vice-president, J r
C. Palmer; secretary, W. G. Singer.
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