So what does all that mean? A sad excuse for a cut-off bar? Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phillip Ford" <fordpiano@earthlink.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 8:32 PM Subject: Re: Stwy B boards > > Perhaps a point of interest. > > I'm currently putting boards in 2 Stwy Bs. One is a 20's piano & the > > other an 1895ish. Any one who has looked at the bottom of the B has seen > > no cut off bar but some amount of ribs that are whittled done > > significantly in the bass corner with a flat maple stick running between > > them. It has printed on it pulsator bar. patent 1878. No one has ever > > been able to explain what the thing is for & in my mind promotes a > > significant loss of stiffness. > > I've always wondered what it was really for but in my mind it is > > useless. for any reason I can see or hear. > > Sacrilege. CFT must be rolling over in his grave. In Patent 204,110 CFT > refers to it as a sustaining-bar. 'Pulsator bar' must have come from the > marketing department. According to CFT: > > 'The invention consists, first, in the combination, with a piano-forte > sounding-board, of a sustaining-bar (one or more) arranged crosswise with > relation to the ribs, and connected to the sounding-board, either above or > below, at a distance from the bridge equal or nearly equal to the distance > of the bridge from the opposite edge of the sounding-board, for the purpose > of preventing the sounding-board from warping without disturbing its proper > vibrations, and also forming a limit for the vibration; secondly, in the > combination, with the sounding-board, of two coincident sustaining-bars, > which are arranged crosswise to the ribs, and are fastened to said board, > one above and the other below, at a distance from the bridge equal or > nearly equal to the distance of the bridge from the opposite edge of the > sounding-board the upper bar being metallic, and supported by cushions of > wood, or other suitable material, for the purpose of preventing lateral > movement of the ribs, and to increase the duration and strength of the sound.' > > He goes on to say: > > 'By the action of the sustaining-bar C the sounding-board is prevented > from warping without disturbing the vibrations, and this effect is still > further increased by the employment of the sustaining-bars C D, one above > and the other below. Furthermore, by the metallic sustaining-bar D, the > duration and strength of the sound are materially increased. > My invention enables me to increase the area of the sounding-board > without incurring the danger that such sounding-board will bulge up or sag > down. I have found that by running the sustaining bar or bars out to the > edges of the sounding-board the beneficial effect of the same is reduced.' > > Which would seem to indicate that he felt that turning this into a full > cutoff bar would not be as 'beneficial' as having a 'sustaining-bar'. > > The illustration of the patent shows the metal bar above the board and a > wooden bar below the ribs, although I have never actually seen a piano that > looked like that. The patent does not mention or illustrate cutting down > the ribs in the corner. > > Phil Ford > > > Oddly the older board had 14 ribs with the extra one in the treble end, > > It had only 3 whittled down ribs & appeared to me from a design point of > > view the stiffer idea. The 20's one had 5!! ribs whittled down with only > > 13 ribs total. I suspect this board has been flat a really looonngg time. > > The 1911 B & it's board I just sold & delivered was made without the > > whittled down ribs. I ran the ribs full length to the bass corner with > > the usual scallop. I have to say the sound was as good as any I've ever > > heard & am convinced the extra crown support is far more important than > > the devices purpose which is unknown & apparently unheard. > > Cheers > > Dale > > > > > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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