US 4,377,102 AGranted

Piano construction

AssigneeCurrier Piano Company, Inc.

InventorRobert J. Mayerjak

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

In a piano a panel, which takes the place of the usual cast iron string plate or frame, is provided for supporting the strings. The panel is a sandwich construction making it exceptionally strong and capable of withstanding the string loads without bending or otherwise yielding and without requiring auxiliary support such as the massive wooden backs or trusses to which cast iron string plates are usually attached. The string panel has a relatively thick low modulus of elasticity core layer, a portion of which is made of laminated hard wood to serve as a pin block, and relatively thin layers of high modulus of elasticity material, such as steel, bonded to the core layer. If desired the string panel may be used as the main frame of the piano to which other major components, such as the soundboard, key bed, side cheeks, housing and feet, are directly attached.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A piano string panel assembly for carrying the strings of a piano, said panel assembly comprising a panel to which panel all of the ends of such strings may be anchored, said panel having a near face and a far face opposite and generally parallel to said near face, said panel also having at least one opening therein extending through its thickness between said near and far faces for accommodating the bridge or bridges of an associated soundboard, said panel throughout substantially all of its extent as surrounded by its outer peripheral edge comprising a relatively thick core layer of relatively low modulus of elasticity material having near and far faces, a near relatively thin face layer of relatively high modulus of elasticity material bonded to said near face of said core layer, and a far relatively thin face layer of relatively high modulus of elasticity material bonded to said far face of said core layer;

and means for connecting all of the strings of a piano to said panel so that each string is supported at both of its ends by said panel for extension adjacent and parallel to said near panel face and so that each string extends over one of said at least one opening in said panel for cooperation with a bridge of the associated soundboard.

In a piano, the combination comprising:

a string panel with generally parallel near and far faces,
a soundboard located adjacent and in generally parallel spaced relationship to said far face of said string panel,
a plurality of strings extending over and adjacent to said near face of said string panel and having their opposite ends connected to said panel, and
at least one bridge engaging at least some of said strings and said soundboard and extending from said strings to said soundboard,
said string panel having an opening therein accommodating said bridge,
said string panel throughout substantially all of its extent as surrounded by its outer peripheral edge comprising a relatively thick core layer of relatively low modulus of elasticity material having near and face faces, a near relatively thin face layer of relatively high modulus of elasticity material bonded to said near face of said core layer, and a far relatively thin face layer of relatively high modulus of elasticity material bonded to said far face of said core layer, and
means for connecting a plurality of strings to said panel so as to be supported by said panel for extension adjacent and parallel to said near panel face and so that each of such strings extends over said opening and engages said bridge.

4 more elements

In a piano, the combination comprising:

a string panel with generally parallel near and far faces,
a soundboard located adjacent and in generally parallel spaced relationship to said far face of said string panel,
a plurality of strings extending over said near face of said string panel and having their opposite ends connected to said panel, and
at least one bridge engaging at least some of said strings and said soundboard and extending from said strings to said soundboard,
said string panel having an opening therein accommodating said bridge,
said string panel throughout substantially all of its extent as surrounded by its outer peripheral edge comprising a relatively thick core layer of material having near and far faces, a near relatively thin face layer of metal bonded to said near face of said core layer and a far relatively thin face layer of metal bonded to said far face of said core layer;
and
means for connecting a plurality of strings to said panel so as to be supported by said panel for extension adjacent and parallel to said near panel face and so that each of such strings extends over said opening and engages said bridge.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.