Talk:Cross-stringing
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The Babcock credit is nonsense. It says as much in the Babcock article and it's also the same invention Hipkins misconstrues for having a strut. It seems no printed specification to the patent is available but the U.S. Patent Office has a picture and handwritten copy of it that you can download. It is X5995, Alpheus Babcock, Stringing Pianos, May 24 1830. It illustrates three examples of bichord unisons on an iron frame for a square piano, and he describes,
- "My invention and improvement consists in having the two strings of each note formed of the same unbroken wire, which is secured at each end on the tuning pin block in the ordinary way, passes over the sounding-board bridge, on which the two strings which it forms are kept asunder by a small pin and is then twisted once or more, or the two strings are made to cross each other, so as in either case to form a loop or eye. This loop or eye is then made to double round, or hook upon a pin on the pin block, or on the metallic plate which in some pianos advances from the pin block towards the sounding board bridge, or otherwise the loop or eye is passed over and fixed on a hook made in the end of a rod or stout heavy wire of metal which is fastened at the other end into the pin block, or into the metallic plate (above spoken of) and projects to within a short distance of the sounding board bridge, so that the strings have the same line of direction from the pin block to the tuning pins."
He also describes the advantages of this arrangement:
- "1. The strings are less liable to get out of tune, in as much as the part of them beyond the bridges, is by this mode of stringing greatly shortened...
- "2. The sounding board bridge is relieved from the lateral strain, which in the common piano is occasioned by the strings changing their line of direction, after crossing it...
- "3. The false tones, to which all ordinary pianos are more or less subject produced by the vibration of the string between the bridge of the sounding board and the pin block, are obviously prevented by this improvement, and the tone of the vibrating part of the string is left clear and brilliant."
