Music Trade Review
Issue: 1899 Vol. 29 N. 24 - Page 6
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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
the trust would be of advantage, provided
men were selected for their ability and ex-
pert knowledge of the particular business
to which they should be assigned.
Piano manufacturers have been afforded
considerable opportunity to sift the trust
matter to the bottom and while some of
them have been led into the serious con-
sideration of pooling their interests, a great
majority of them, like the mice in the
fable, discovering the familiar outlines of
the old cat in place of the bag of meal,
are not desirous, particularly when prosper-
ous times are now with us, to dispose of
their well-earned independence.
""PHE rising tide of prices is up to the
publisher now who has problems of
his own as well as the piano manufacturer.
The price of paper has been rapidly ad-
vancing. Last week we called for a num-
ber of bids on an eight hundred to a thou-
sand ream order, for it should be under-
stood that The Review orders are always
placed at the mill months in advance. The
very lowest point that could be gained
was an advance of one and three-quarter
cents per pound on our former rates. It
only requires a little figuring to show that
the newspaper man has troubles of his own
in the matter of adjusting his business to
the upward march of prices.
f"* 1 EN. Appraiser Tichenor would like to
see a reduction of the number of pro-
tests filed by importers against the rulings of
the Custom House officials. This, he thinks,
could be accomplished by the Government's
exacting a fee of $i for each protest. This,
in Colonel Tichenor's opinion, would not de-
ter the importer from filing a protest when-
ever he might feel that he had a good case,
but would discourage the "customs law-
yer " from urging the importer to take pro-
ceedings on a mere triviality. If the
charge of $i per protest would tend to
hurry up the Board in rendering decisions
few importers would object to paying it.
They would probably be willing to reim-
burse the "customs lawyer " if the latter
should lay out the amount. Hence, how
would the dollar fee tend to discourage the
lawyers from urging importers to file
protests ?
A S reported in another part of The Re-
view, the Supreme Court of the United
States decided, by a unanimous opinion, on
Monday that all trade combinations en-
gaged in inter-state commerce which by
concerted action prevent competition and
enhance prices beyond a reasonable limit,
thus restricting trade, are unlawful and
subject to the penalties of the Sherman
Anti-Trust law. The decision is, as the
Solicitor-General says, "highly important
and far-reaching."
S.
[Prepared especially for The Review.]
Washington, D. C., Dec. 5, 1899.
Musical Instrument. John A. Weser,
New York. Patent No. 638,082.
This invention relates to the class of mu-
sical instruments employing pedals—such
as pianofortes, for example; and it com-
prises improvements in the pedal mechan-
ism of the instrment.
The object of the invention is in part to
provide the pedal with a simple locking
and releasing device, which may be ap-
plied at a moderate cost to the ordinary
pedals of any piano, and in part to the
mounting and connections of the pedal-
levers, whereby they may be conveniently
adjusted, both at the fulcrum and at the
coupling points, and whereby lateral play
or looseness of the pedals is measurably
avoided.
Piano Tuning Pin. Levi Walker, Chat-
ham, Can. Patent No. 638,154.
This invention relates to tuning pins in
pianos and its object lies in the construc-
tion of a tuning-pin which is capable of
resisting the increased strain exerted there-
on over and above the normal strain and due
to the contraction of the string, such con-
struction being the result of years of study
as to the mode of obviating the tendency
of the pin to turn under said increased
strain. In this Mr. Walker claims to have
succeeded, first, by making the milled
shank of tuning-pins of greater diameter
than that of the pin commonly used, and,
like it, of uniform diameter throughout;
secondly, by reducing the leverage of the
string on the pin to nil, and this he does by
providing the pin with a winding throat of
slightly less diameter than that of the shank
and having the usual tapering squared head
for the tuning-hammer with this very im-
portant exception, that he provides be-
tween the said head and throat a cylin-
drical portion of substantially the same
diameter as the shank, and instead of bor-
ing the string-hole squarely through the
said throat or in a plane at right angles to
and intersecting the longitudinal axis of
the pin said hole is bored through the en-
larged cylindrical portion above the throat
and about midway of the length of said cy-
lindrical portion and form a helical channel
extending from one end of said hole to the
point of junction of said cylindrical portion
with the throat of the pin. It is evident
that the shank of uniform but greater dia-
meter than that of the shank of the tun-
ing-pin generally used will afford a cor-
respondingly greater hold on the wrest-
plank. It is furthermore evident that
by passing the string in a helical direc-
tion from its hole in the enlarged por-
tion of the pin above its throat and com-
mencing the winding of said string at
the point of junction of the throat with
the enlarged portion, the leverage of the
string on the pin is reduced to practically
nothing, and as the throat is of about the
same diameter as that of the tuning-pin in
common use, danger of breakage is of
course avoided, as the pin itself is in no
manner weakened, while a considerable
portion of the strain is sustained by the
enlarged portion above the throat, and that
strain may be said to be exerted in the di-
rection of the longitudinal axis of the pin,
but instead of outwardly or toward the
head, as in the lever-pin hereinbefore re-
ferred to, it is exerted inwardly or toward
the wrest-plank, tending to more firmly
hold the pin therein.
Mr. Walker says further: To satisfy my-
self that the object of my invention has
been attained by a pin of the construction
described, I tested the same by having a
piano equipped with these pins and sub-
jected first to a freezing temperature and
then immediately to the influence of a
midsummer sun, and after reducing the
temperature to normal by placing the
piano in a store-room and allowing it to
cool I tested it and found that none of the
strings were out of tune. This test if ap-
plied to a piano equipped with the tuning-
pins in general use would have left every
string out of tune.
Musical Instrument. B. E. Benhardus,
St. Olaf, Minn. Patent No. 638,000.
This invention relates particularly to a
roller-organ wherein the keys which oper-
ate the valves oi the reed-box are actuated
by a roller or cylinder; and the objects in
view are to provide simple and efficient
means whereby the roller or cylinder may
be mounted and dismounted with facility
to enable the same to be changed when de-
sired, to provide means whereby the roller
or cylinder may be axially adjusted and
held at the desired adjustment to vary the
composition by varying the positions of
the projections thereon with relation to the
keys, and also to provide means for con-
trolling the volume of sound and the differ-
ent sets of reeds which are included in the
reed-box.
Button for Keys for Musical Instruments.
O. W. Snedeker, Chicago, 111. Patent No.
637,75 6 -
This invention relates to improvements in
the manufacture of buttons or heads for the
keys of musical instruments, such as are used
on violins, guitars, mandolins, and banjos.
The object is to provide buttons of the
above-named character which shall be
simple and inexpensive in construction,
strong, durable, and attractive in appear-
ance, and which by reason of their peculiar
construction will be more durable and less
liable to become detached from the keys
than the buttons heretofore in general use.
25th Anniversary.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the
wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Ira N. Goff,
Providence, R. I., was the occasion of a
large gathering at their home in that city
last week. Mr. Goff is the head of the
house of Goff & Darling and is highly re-
spected by his competitors as well as by all
who have come in contact with him in a
business and social way.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
the trust would be of advantage, provided
men were selected for their ability and ex-
pert knowledge of the particular business
to which they should be assigned.
Piano manufacturers have been afforded
considerable opportunity to sift the trust
matter to the bottom and while some of
them have been led into the serious con-
sideration of pooling their interests, a great
majority of them, like the mice in the
fable, discovering the familiar outlines of
the old cat in place of the bag of meal,
are not desirous, particularly when prosper-
ous times are now with us, to dispose of
their well-earned independence.
""PHE rising tide of prices is up to the
publisher now who has problems of
his own as well as the piano manufacturer.
The price of paper has been rapidly ad-
vancing. Last week we called for a num-
ber of bids on an eight hundred to a thou-
sand ream order, for it should be under-
stood that The Review orders are always
placed at the mill months in advance. The
very lowest point that could be gained
was an advance of one and three-quarter
cents per pound on our former rates. It
only requires a little figuring to show that
the newspaper man has troubles of his own
in the matter of adjusting his business to
the upward march of prices.
f"* 1 EN. Appraiser Tichenor would like to
see a reduction of the number of pro-
tests filed by importers against the rulings of
the Custom House officials. This, he thinks,
could be accomplished by the Government's
exacting a fee of $i for each protest. This,
in Colonel Tichenor's opinion, would not de-
ter the importer from filing a protest when-
ever he might feel that he had a good case,
but would discourage the "customs law-
yer " from urging the importer to take pro-
ceedings on a mere triviality. If the
charge of $i per protest would tend to
hurry up the Board in rendering decisions
few importers would object to paying it.
They would probably be willing to reim-
burse the "customs lawyer " if the latter
should lay out the amount. Hence, how
would the dollar fee tend to discourage the
lawyers from urging importers to file
protests ?
A S reported in another part of The Re-
view, the Supreme Court of the United
States decided, by a unanimous opinion, on
Monday that all trade combinations en-
gaged in inter-state commerce which by
concerted action prevent competition and
enhance prices beyond a reasonable limit,
thus restricting trade, are unlawful and
subject to the penalties of the Sherman
Anti-Trust law. The decision is, as the
Solicitor-General says, "highly important
and far-reaching."
S.
[Prepared especially for The Review.]
Washington, D. C., Dec. 5, 1899.
Musical Instrument. John A. Weser,
New York. Patent No. 638,082.
This invention relates to the class of mu-
sical instruments employing pedals—such
as pianofortes, for example; and it com-
prises improvements in the pedal mechan-
ism of the instrment.
The object of the invention is in part to
provide the pedal with a simple locking
and releasing device, which may be ap-
plied at a moderate cost to the ordinary
pedals of any piano, and in part to the
mounting and connections of the pedal-
levers, whereby they may be conveniently
adjusted, both at the fulcrum and at the
coupling points, and whereby lateral play
or looseness of the pedals is measurably
avoided.
Piano Tuning Pin. Levi Walker, Chat-
ham, Can. Patent No. 638,154.
This invention relates to tuning pins in
pianos and its object lies in the construc-
tion of a tuning-pin which is capable of
resisting the increased strain exerted there-
on over and above the normal strain and due
to the contraction of the string, such con-
struction being the result of years of study
as to the mode of obviating the tendency
of the pin to turn under said increased
strain. In this Mr. Walker claims to have
succeeded, first, by making the milled
shank of tuning-pins of greater diameter
than that of the pin commonly used, and,
like it, of uniform diameter throughout;
secondly, by reducing the leverage of the
string on the pin to nil, and this he does by
providing the pin with a winding throat of
slightly less diameter than that of the shank
and having the usual tapering squared head
for the tuning-hammer with this very im-
portant exception, that he provides be-
tween the said head and throat a cylin-
drical portion of substantially the same
diameter as the shank, and instead of bor-
ing the string-hole squarely through the
said throat or in a plane at right angles to
and intersecting the longitudinal axis of
the pin said hole is bored through the en-
larged cylindrical portion above the throat
and about midway of the length of said cy-
lindrical portion and form a helical channel
extending from one end of said hole to the
point of junction of said cylindrical portion
with the throat of the pin. It is evident
that the shank of uniform but greater dia-
meter than that of the shank of the tun-
ing-pin generally used will afford a cor-
respondingly greater hold on the wrest-
plank. It is furthermore evident that
by passing the string in a helical direc-
tion from its hole in the enlarged por-
tion of the pin above its throat and com-
mencing the winding of said string at
the point of junction of the throat with
the enlarged portion, the leverage of the
string on the pin is reduced to practically
nothing, and as the throat is of about the
same diameter as that of the tuning-pin in
common use, danger of breakage is of
course avoided, as the pin itself is in no
manner weakened, while a considerable
portion of the strain is sustained by the
enlarged portion above the throat, and that
strain may be said to be exerted in the di-
rection of the longitudinal axis of the pin,
but instead of outwardly or toward the
head, as in the lever-pin hereinbefore re-
ferred to, it is exerted inwardly or toward
the wrest-plank, tending to more firmly
hold the pin therein.
Mr. Walker says further: To satisfy my-
self that the object of my invention has
been attained by a pin of the construction
described, I tested the same by having a
piano equipped with these pins and sub-
jected first to a freezing temperature and
then immediately to the influence of a
midsummer sun, and after reducing the
temperature to normal by placing the
piano in a store-room and allowing it to
cool I tested it and found that none of the
strings were out of tune. This test if ap-
plied to a piano equipped with the tuning-
pins in general use would have left every
string out of tune.
Musical Instrument. B. E. Benhardus,
St. Olaf, Minn. Patent No. 638,000.
This invention relates particularly to a
roller-organ wherein the keys which oper-
ate the valves oi the reed-box are actuated
by a roller or cylinder; and the objects in
view are to provide simple and efficient
means whereby the roller or cylinder may
be mounted and dismounted with facility
to enable the same to be changed when de-
sired, to provide means whereby the roller
or cylinder may be axially adjusted and
held at the desired adjustment to vary the
composition by varying the positions of
the projections thereon with relation to the
keys, and also to provide means for con-
trolling the volume of sound and the differ-
ent sets of reeds which are included in the
reed-box.
Button for Keys for Musical Instruments.
O. W. Snedeker, Chicago, 111. Patent No.
637,75 6 -
This invention relates to improvements in
the manufacture of buttons or heads for the
keys of musical instruments, such as are used
on violins, guitars, mandolins, and banjos.
The object is to provide buttons of the
above-named character which shall be
simple and inexpensive in construction,
strong, durable, and attractive in appear-
ance, and which by reason of their peculiar
construction will be more durable and less
liable to become detached from the keys
than the buttons heretofore in general use.
25th Anniversary.
The twenty-fifth anniversary of the
wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Ira N. Goff,
Providence, R. I., was the occasion of a
large gathering at their home in that city
last week. Mr. Goff is the head of the
house of Goff & Darling and is highly re-
spected by his competitors as well as by all
who have come in contact with him in a
business and social way.
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