Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 63 N. 2 - Page 49
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
INVENTS TALKING MACHINE RECORD FOR PIANO-TUNING
Cylinder Containing the Various Tone Intervals in the Piano Scale Devised by Laura C. Hahn,
Which Will Enable Tuners to Do Their Work With Precision and Accuracy
An important patent, and something dis-
tinctly novel, is No. 1,185,311, secured this
week by Laura C. Hahn, of Sturgeon Bay,
Wis., who has invented a sound record adapted
to assist in tuning pianofortes, or similar keyed
musical instruments which employ the modu-
lated or equally tempered scale, having audible
representations of the modulated tone intervals
corresponding in tone frequency and in the
proper order or progression followed in tun-
ing the instrument to the modulated or equally
tempered scale. The purpose of the patent is
set forth as follows:
"In the tuning of a pianoforte, or similar
keyed musical instrument, to produce equal
temperament, it is necessary that the tone in-
tervals, namely, thirds, fourths, fifths and
sixths, shall bear certain relations to each other,
not only with reference to pitch, which is de-
termined by the frequency and length of sound
vibrations of the respective tones, but with ref-
erence to the frequency and length of "beats"
or waves of sound which are distinguishable by
the human ear, and which are due to the simul-
taneous occurrence or agreement at intervals of
certain vibrations constituting said tones, or, as
they may be termed, the nodal points of the
two tones forming the particular tone interval
which is being sounded.
"By taking advantage of the fact that these
beats, which are distinguishable to the ear, when
a given tone interval is sounded, must have a
certain frequency in order to produce in the
complete circle an equal temperament, it is
possible to tune the circle of a keyed instrument
by progressively sounding and justifying the
tone intervals, and it is the object of this inven-
tion to provide a device by means of which these
several tone intervals are sounded, or may be
reproduced consecutively in the proper order of
progression through the circle, to serve as a
definite and invariable guide to the tuner of a
musical instrument.
"Assuming a pitch for small E and sounding"
therewith small C, major third below, the beats
perceptible to the ear should agree with the
ticks of an ordinary good movement watch,
while said E sounded with small G sharp above,
should produce beats at the rate about one-third
faster.
"With one-lined C tuned smooth or with-
out perceptible beat with small C, and tested
with G sharp, the tenth below one-lined C and
which, if correct, will be smooth or without per-
ceptible beat, there is established a basis for the
further tuning of the circle,- wherein the tone
interval G sharp-—one-lined C will produce a
beat one-third faster than the tone interval
small E—G sharp. The interval small C sharp
—G sharp— in practice, should then be tuned a
smooth or perfect fifth, so that the tone inter-
vals small C sharp—E will beat the same as
small E—G sharp, and then this fifth should be
contracted by raising small C to an extent suf-
ficient to cause a two-beat reduction in the inter-
val small C sharp—E, as compared with small
K—G sharp.
"In the same way, small C should be tuned
a smooth fourth with small F, so that the tone
interval small C sharp—F will have a beat of the
same rate as small C—E, whereupon the fourth
should be expanded by raising small F to sub-
stantially the same extent as the former fifth,
small C sharp—G sharp, was contracted, and by
proceeding progressively through the circle in
this way, contracting the fifths and expanding
the fourths, a circle of equal temperament can
be produced. .
"In carrying out this invention, there has been
prepared a sound record having means, such as
grooves, indentations or undulations, adapted
when in use to reproduce respectively and con-
secutively these tone intervals, as for example,
small C and E, small E and G sharp, small G
sharp (or A fiat) and C, small C and one-lined
MATERIALS,
TOOLS AND
SUPPLIES
FOR
PIANO MANUFACTURERS
HINGES, BUTTS, CASTERS, PEDALS, FELTS,
CLOTHS, PUNCHINGS, SWINGS, HANGERS,
KNOBS, LOCKS, ETC., AND A FULL LINE OF
TOOLS USED IN TUNING, REGULATING AND
REPAIRING. CORRESPONDENCE INVITED.
HAMMACHER, SCHLEMMER & CO.
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
i
4th Ave. & 13th St.
47
C (octave) with lower G sharp (tenth), small C
sharp and G sharp, small C sharp and E, small
E and G sharp, small C and F, small C sharp
and F, and so on through the circle, each of the
tone intervals as reproduced representing the
correct frequency of beats for the guidance of
the tuner. The record of these tone intervals,
or the grooves, indentations or undulations of
the sound record may be produced in any suit-
able or well-known manner, as by recording
devices of any of the well-known types, exposed
successively to sustained productions of the re-
spective tons intervals produced by any instru-
ment, or combination of instruments, tuned to
the proper temperament, and in the accompany-
ing drawing there is shown in—-
"Figure 1 a phonographic record cylinder
wherein appear record grooves, each of
which extends continuously around the cylin-
der, and each of which represents a given
tone interval, whereby, when the needle of a
reproducer is actuated thereby, the correspond-
ing tone interval is sounded; Fig. 2 a diagram
of a portion of a chart representing certain of
the tone intervals represented by the record.
"In practice, it is only necessary to adjust
the speed of rotation of the record, to produce
the desired pitch of sound for small octave E
of the initial tone interval, after which the con-
secutive use of the tone records will result in
a reproduction of the several tone intervals
occuring in the circle, and after the completion
of the circle, the instrument under manipulation
can be tuned therefrom in both directions as to
octaves, which, as in the ordinary instrument,
may be shaded more or less to give the desired
brilliancy to the upper registers and sonority
to the lower registers."
TESTS FOR THINNER IN VARNISH
A report entitled, "The Determination of
Volatile Thinner in Oil Varnish," has been is-
sued as Technologic Paper No. 76 by the
United States Bureau of Standards. With sam-
ples of varnish containing turpentine or "min-
eral spirits" (light petroleum oil), methods
based (1) on steam distillation, (2) on evapora-
tion of the thinner from a film at 115 degrees
C, and (3) on evaporation of the thinner from
a very thin film at room temperature, were all
found to be sufficiently accurate for practical
purposes. Copies of the paper may be ob-
tained from the Bureau of Standards, Wash-
ington, D. C.
NEW MACHINERY FOR G. W. MOORE
BOSTON, MASS., July 3.—A number of new ma-
chines will be installed in the George W.
Moore capstan screw factory at 44 Farnsworth
street, during this month, in order to relieve
the congestion which has been caused by an
unprecedented demand for Moore's patented
capstan screws. The factory is at present
working to its fullest capacity and advance or-
ders are in hand which will keep it running
that way for several months. At the present
time the factory output is approximately 2,000,-
000 screws per month.
Richardson Piano Case Co.
Manufacturers of
Upright— W\9
Cases
&£ : riano
i
EatablUhm* 18B1
LEOMINSTER
t:
n
MASS.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
INVENTS TALKING MACHINE RECORD FOR PIANO-TUNING
Cylinder Containing the Various Tone Intervals in the Piano Scale Devised by Laura C. Hahn,
Which Will Enable Tuners to Do Their Work With Precision and Accuracy
An important patent, and something dis-
tinctly novel, is No. 1,185,311, secured this
week by Laura C. Hahn, of Sturgeon Bay,
Wis., who has invented a sound record adapted
to assist in tuning pianofortes, or similar keyed
musical instruments which employ the modu-
lated or equally tempered scale, having audible
representations of the modulated tone intervals
corresponding in tone frequency and in the
proper order or progression followed in tun-
ing the instrument to the modulated or equally
tempered scale. The purpose of the patent is
set forth as follows:
"In the tuning of a pianoforte, or similar
keyed musical instrument, to produce equal
temperament, it is necessary that the tone in-
tervals, namely, thirds, fourths, fifths and
sixths, shall bear certain relations to each other,
not only with reference to pitch, which is de-
termined by the frequency and length of sound
vibrations of the respective tones, but with ref-
erence to the frequency and length of "beats"
or waves of sound which are distinguishable by
the human ear, and which are due to the simul-
taneous occurrence or agreement at intervals of
certain vibrations constituting said tones, or, as
they may be termed, the nodal points of the
two tones forming the particular tone interval
which is being sounded.
"By taking advantage of the fact that these
beats, which are distinguishable to the ear, when
a given tone interval is sounded, must have a
certain frequency in order to produce in the
complete circle an equal temperament, it is
possible to tune the circle of a keyed instrument
by progressively sounding and justifying the
tone intervals, and it is the object of this inven-
tion to provide a device by means of which these
several tone intervals are sounded, or may be
reproduced consecutively in the proper order of
progression through the circle, to serve as a
definite and invariable guide to the tuner of a
musical instrument.
"Assuming a pitch for small E and sounding"
therewith small C, major third below, the beats
perceptible to the ear should agree with the
ticks of an ordinary good movement watch,
while said E sounded with small G sharp above,
should produce beats at the rate about one-third
faster.
"With one-lined C tuned smooth or with-
out perceptible beat with small C, and tested
with G sharp, the tenth below one-lined C and
which, if correct, will be smooth or without per-
ceptible beat, there is established a basis for the
further tuning of the circle,- wherein the tone
interval G sharp-—one-lined C will produce a
beat one-third faster than the tone interval
small E—G sharp. The interval small C sharp
—G sharp— in practice, should then be tuned a
smooth or perfect fifth, so that the tone inter-
vals small C sharp—E will beat the same as
small E—G sharp, and then this fifth should be
contracted by raising small C to an extent suf-
ficient to cause a two-beat reduction in the inter-
val small C sharp—E, as compared with small
K—G sharp.
"In the same way, small C should be tuned
a smooth fourth with small F, so that the tone
interval small C sharp—F will have a beat of the
same rate as small C—E, whereupon the fourth
should be expanded by raising small F to sub-
stantially the same extent as the former fifth,
small C sharp—G sharp, was contracted, and by
proceeding progressively through the circle in
this way, contracting the fifths and expanding
the fourths, a circle of equal temperament can
be produced. .
"In carrying out this invention, there has been
prepared a sound record having means, such as
grooves, indentations or undulations, adapted
when in use to reproduce respectively and con-
secutively these tone intervals, as for example,
small C and E, small E and G sharp, small G
sharp (or A fiat) and C, small C and one-lined
MATERIALS,
TOOLS AND
SUPPLIES
FOR
PIANO MANUFACTURERS
HINGES, BUTTS, CASTERS, PEDALS, FELTS,
CLOTHS, PUNCHINGS, SWINGS, HANGERS,
KNOBS, LOCKS, ETC., AND A FULL LINE OF
TOOLS USED IN TUNING, REGULATING AND
REPAIRING. CORRESPONDENCE INVITED.
HAMMACHER, SCHLEMMER & CO.
NEW YORK SINCE 1848
i
4th Ave. & 13th St.
47
C (octave) with lower G sharp (tenth), small C
sharp and G sharp, small C sharp and E, small
E and G sharp, small C and F, small C sharp
and F, and so on through the circle, each of the
tone intervals as reproduced representing the
correct frequency of beats for the guidance of
the tuner. The record of these tone intervals,
or the grooves, indentations or undulations of
the sound record may be produced in any suit-
able or well-known manner, as by recording
devices of any of the well-known types, exposed
successively to sustained productions of the re-
spective tons intervals produced by any instru-
ment, or combination of instruments, tuned to
the proper temperament, and in the accompany-
ing drawing there is shown in—-
"Figure 1 a phonographic record cylinder
wherein appear record grooves, each of
which extends continuously around the cylin-
der, and each of which represents a given
tone interval, whereby, when the needle of a
reproducer is actuated thereby, the correspond-
ing tone interval is sounded; Fig. 2 a diagram
of a portion of a chart representing certain of
the tone intervals represented by the record.
"In practice, it is only necessary to adjust
the speed of rotation of the record, to produce
the desired pitch of sound for small octave E
of the initial tone interval, after which the con-
secutive use of the tone records will result in
a reproduction of the several tone intervals
occuring in the circle, and after the completion
of the circle, the instrument under manipulation
can be tuned therefrom in both directions as to
octaves, which, as in the ordinary instrument,
may be shaded more or less to give the desired
brilliancy to the upper registers and sonority
to the lower registers."
TESTS FOR THINNER IN VARNISH
A report entitled, "The Determination of
Volatile Thinner in Oil Varnish," has been is-
sued as Technologic Paper No. 76 by the
United States Bureau of Standards. With sam-
ples of varnish containing turpentine or "min-
eral spirits" (light petroleum oil), methods
based (1) on steam distillation, (2) on evapora-
tion of the thinner from a film at 115 degrees
C, and (3) on evaporation of the thinner from
a very thin film at room temperature, were all
found to be sufficiently accurate for practical
purposes. Copies of the paper may be ob-
tained from the Bureau of Standards, Wash-
ington, D. C.
NEW MACHINERY FOR G. W. MOORE
BOSTON, MASS., July 3.—A number of new ma-
chines will be installed in the George W.
Moore capstan screw factory at 44 Farnsworth
street, during this month, in order to relieve
the congestion which has been caused by an
unprecedented demand for Moore's patented
capstan screws. The factory is at present
working to its fullest capacity and advance or-
ders are in hand which will keep it running
that way for several months. At the present
time the factory output is approximately 2,000,-
000 screws per month.
Richardson Piano Case Co.
Manufacturers of
Upright— W\9
Cases
&£ : riano
i
EatablUhm* 18B1
LEOMINSTER
t:
n
MASS.
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