Bridal Straps Married (Wornum, history - slighly offtopic)

[Clark]

atonal@telusplanet.net wrote:

> ... Time to revise the teaching!!...

Robert Wornum was more like the kindy patron of the bridle tape, never holding a
patent for it (according to Rosamond Harding, the honor goes to Herman
Lichtenthal, 1832 pat # 583). The 1826 Patent was for the hopper (escapement) and
two checks (and for a pizzicato pedal) (from
http://www.uk-piano.org/history/patents.html). This action is illustrated on p231
of _The Piano-Forte._ A second patent was granted in 1828 for a check acting on
the back part of the lever in an English Sticker-type action (p232). Harding
gives the date for the Tape-check grand action as 1838, and the upright version
as 1842 (p246) with a down-striking version in 1844 (p263). It is interesting to
note that all three of the later actions seem to use nearly identical parts, in
diagrams at least.Wornum also held a patent for an equal tension string-scale.
His grand designs seem to point toward an interest in modifying the shortness of
tone common to the time, and he helped popularize the upright and smaller pianos
in general.

Sorry,

Clark