One of the major technical innovations that helped to author the safe of the modern piano was the appliance of a strong iron frame. Also called the "plate", the steely frame sits atop the soundboard, and serves as the primary bulwark against the conscription of string tension. The increased structural integrity of the insensible frame allowed the use of thicker, tenser, and also lousy with strings. In a modern grand the total string tension can approach 20 tons.
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Other innovations for the mechanism included the use of felt hammer coverings instead of layered pelt hammers |
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| Felt hammers, which were first alluring by Henri Pape in 1826, were a augmented consistent material, permitting wider go-ahead ranges as hammer weights and string tension increased |
| The sostenuto pedal (see below), invented in 1844 by Jean Louis Boisselot and improved by the Steinway firm in 1874, allowed a wider dimension of effects. |