CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1826

page_text: WORNUM'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WORNUM, of Wigmore Street, Cavendish Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Maker, send greeting:
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing,' date
at Westminster, the Fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and'
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Robert Wornum, His especial
licence that I, the said Robert Wornum, my exors, admors, and assigns,> or
such others as I, the said Robert Wornum, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and -the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
FORTES
in which said 'Letters Patent is contained a proviso, fobliging-me,
the said Robert-Wornum, by an instrument in writing under my shand and
seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention;
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same
to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same; référence "being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
Robert Wornun, do hereby declare that, the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in improvements in the upright pianoforte, which
I denominate the " professional pianoforte." These improvements relate
entirely to the action, and are divided into three kinds, namely, one single
action and two double actions. The novelties in the single action are, a
new hopper, the tongue of which is centred and bushed with cloth, and a
mortoise, also bushed, for the regulating pin to pass through (see 1, Drawing
one); next, an arm projecting from the sticker, to which arm is fixed a button
for the damper wire, which passes through a bushed socket to the damper,
(see J, I, C, Drawing one); further, and lastly, a pedal, called the pizzicato
pedal. It is a third pedal introduced between the two common pedals, com-
municates in the usual way by cranks, and moves a block or artificial side at
the bass end of the damper rail, by which the dampers are cleared from the
wires, and in play a most pleasing effect of pizzicato results: (see a, b, and
n, o, p, q, r, number one). The novelties in the first double action are,
a hopper on the plan above explained but reversed in position (see m,
Drawing two); upon the hopper a button is rested, with a wire passing
through a socket and entering into a small sticker, which sticker is fixed to
a lever above, and employed in fixing and lifting the damper wire and check.
The whole of this action being amply exhibited in Drawing number two,
further explanation here is unnecessary. The pizzicato pedal is the same as
in the first action. The novelties of the second double action are, a double
hammer rail, to which are fixed both hammers and hoppers; the butt or lever
of: the hopper is centred to the lower part of this rail, and the regulating pin
passes through the hopper mortoise into the middle part of it; the sticker is
centred to the lower part of the hopper lever, and the hopper spring is fixed
in the sticker. In the sticker also is fixed a bent. wire for lifting the check
lever; the end connected with the sticker is tapped, and a hole being drilled,
it is pressed in at the left side; the other end is put into a busked hole in the
check lever; the check and damper wire the same as in the first double
action. From the right side of the hopper a spring, called a dog, is projected,
and passes to the front at the lower part of the hammer shank, by-which the
hammer is prevented from dancing after the hand is off the key; it must be
regulated to be in advance when down of the hammer shank of only one-
sixteenth of an inch. This action being also fully exhibited in Drawing three,

page_text: further explanation here is unnecessary. The pizzicato pedal is the same as
in the first action. The Drawing four exhibits the shifting movement of the
second double action, and is sufficiently clear of itself to render explanation
unnecessary.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Wornum, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.