Baldwin Piano & Organ Company

D. H. Baldwin Company

Other

Harold A Conklin, Jr

Pieter W Van Nuis

Tuning pins that provide adjustable torque, mount directly onto the string plate of a piano, and require no wrest plank. The pins have threaded cores that resemble conventional tuning pins except for coarser threads, and have coaxial collars intermediate their length. Torque is adjusted with a locknut that is also used to mount the pin. Torque is developed by lubricated friction interfaces. Each lubricated friction interface comprises a stationary friction element, a friction element that turns with the pin, and a film of lubricant material between the two. The lubricant material may be hydrodynamic fluid or solid. One or more compliance elements, assembled onto the core, provide compensation for wear and vernier adjustment of torque. In the preferred embodiments the compliance elements are Belleville type spring washers that also act as friction elements. Cores can be made with integral collars, or the collars can be separate parts that are secured to the core. Cores can be made by re-threading conventional tuning pins.

Tuning pin for pianos

An augmented bass hammer striking distance is provided in both upright and grand pianos. At least those strings in the bass section having an optimum striking distance (d) to speaking length (L) ratio (d/L) of a value greater than 1/7 have their hammers located at a striking distance (d) along their lengths as determined by their optimum d/L value. The hammers of all of the bass section strings can be so located. Alternatively, the hammers of those bass section strings having an optimum value of d/L of 1/7 or less can be conventionally located at the same striking distance (d) determined from a preselected d/L value falling within the range of 1/7 to 1/9, or can be incrementally varied. When the lowest few strings of the bass section appear to have subjectively less apparent fullness of tone, the striking distance of the lowest few strings can be shortened string-by-string toward the low end of the bass section by amounts which will modify their subjective d/L - dependent pitch in 100-cent increments. When it is desired to have a rapid and smooth transition from a first group of strings in the bass region having d/L values greater than 1/7 to a second group of strings in the bass section having d/L values of 1/7 or less, the highest few strings of the first group can have their striking distances (d) shortened string-by-string toward the high end of the bass section by amounts which will modify their subjective d/L - dependent pitch in 100-cent increments.

Augmented bass hammer striking distance for pianos

A small mass having a weight within the range of from about 50 grams to about 200 grams is utilized in an upright or grand piano to minimize or eliminate a difference in tonal amplitude and/or decay rate between at least two notes produced by playing at least two adjacent piano keys. The difference in tonal amplitude and/or decay rate may occur in a small group or region of notes produced by adjacent keys, or at those notes of adjacent keys located at certain natural scale 'breaks'. The mass is affixed to that soundboard bridge on which the note demonstrating the greatest amplitude and/or decay rate terminates vibrationally and is located adjacent the at least one string of that note.

Tone compensator for piano soundboards

Wrapped strings for musical instruments having a predetermined speaking length, wherein the wrapping wire is wound on the core wire to provide uniformly spaced helical convolutions spaced from each other by a distance at least as great as the diameter of the wrapping wire, the wrapping wire having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the core wire, said wrapped strings being so wrapped only within the speaking lengths of the strings.

Space-wrapped strings for musical instruments

Means for adjusting the touch force required to depress the keys of a piano within the range normally preferred by pianists, comprising a plurality of spring member means having a relatively small spring constant (low stiffness). Each spring member means is connected at one of its ends to one of piano keys near the fulcrum thereof. Each spring member means is connected at its other end to a beam located above the keys and extending transversely thereof the full length of the keyboard. At least one of the connections of each spring member means is adjustable. The beam may be a single continuous member, or it may be made up of segments corresponding to groups of adjacent keys. In the initial adjustment each spring member means is typically prestressed by means of its adjustable connection to set the static touch force of its respective key to the desired value.

Touch force adjustment means for a piano

A sound reflector for use with a grand piano to reflect sound from the underside of the soundboard toward the rear side of the instrument, the reflector comprising a large panel of sound reflective material underlying the soundboard at an inclined angle with its uppermost side edges adjacent the undersurface of the front side wall of the instrument and with its lowermost side edge at floor level; the reflective panel may be planar or its sound reflecting surface may be convex in cross-section in one or more directions; brackets may be provided to detachably mount the panel to the front side wall of the case or the panel may be permanently attached to the case, as by means of hinges; and means may be provided to suspend the panel so that its lowermost side edge will clear the floor when the piano is moved.

Sound reflector for grand pianos

A piano key frame assembly comprising a rigid metal frame, preferably formed from aluminum tubing, for supporting the piano keys and action, the frame having a front rail, an intermediate balance rail and a back rail, the back rail mounting adjustment means for leveling the keys, the key frame having adjustable feet by means of which it is positioned and leveled within the piano case, the conventional key bed being replaced by relatively narrow key bed brackets extending along the opposite sides of the case on which the adjustable feet are supported, means being provided to align and maintain the key frame on the key bed brackets.

Piano key frame

An apparatus for wrapping strings for musical instruments in which the various parameters influencing the quality of the string are accurately controlled, the apparatus comprising an elongated track mounting an opposing pair of heads having rotatable shafts to which the opposite ends of a core wire are fastened, the shafts being rotated in unison by a pair of electronically controlled stepping motors, means being provided to tension the core wire between the heads, the wrapping wire being fed into contact with the core wire by a vertically disposed feed arm suspended from an overhead carriage traveling lengthwise of the track member, the wrapping wire being fed to the feed arm from a source of supply and, as an incident of such feeding, a predetermined tension is applied to the wrapping wire, the feed arm including means for controlling the rate at which the feed arm advances and means for controlling the angle between the wrapping wire and the core wire, the track member also mounting adjustable anvils for forming flats at the opposite ends of the portion of the core wire being wrapped, together with indicia for accurately positioning the operating components of the apparatus relative to the core wire being wrapped.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Harold A Conklin, Jr