CERTAIN NEW IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ACTION AND CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1798

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SOUTHWELL, of Broad Court, in the Parish of St. Martin in the Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did,, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighth day of November, in the thirty-ninth year of His
reign, give and grant unto the said William Southwell, His especial
licence, that I, the said William Southwell, during the term, of years
therein mentioned, should, and lawfully might use, exercise,, and .vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Inven-
tion of "CERTAIN NEW IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ACTION AND CONSTRUCTION OF
PIANOFORTES AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;" in which said Letters, Patent
there is contained a proviso, obliging.me, the said William Southwell, by an
instrument, in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular
description; of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner, the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within one. calendar, month next after the, date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in, and by the same (relation being thereunto, had) may
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Southwell, do hereby declare that my said Invention of certain new
improvements on the action and construction of pianofortes and other
musical instruments, is described, in the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof, as follows (that is to say):-

page_text: A, the instrument at large; B, the section or front view of the inside;
C, C, C, is a frame that the hammer and leader are fastened to, which leader
is fastened to the hammer with a leather joint or any other material; by this
means the leader so connected with the hammer has a tendency by its weight
to bring back the hammer after the stroke is given, and for the convenience
of putting on strings &c., the before-mentioned frame C, C, C, turns down
over the keys with hinges marked D, D; a further description of the hammer
and damper of the above instrument is described by a side view, begin
letter E, which is the key; F, is a button screwed in the key to regulate
the stroke of the hammer; G, the before-mentioned leader to the hammer;
H, the socket for do.; I, the hammer; K, the strings it strikes; L, the
damper; M, a plank of wood about thick, goes quite across the instrument
under the strings and connects with the sound board; N, in the above
Drawing, is a piece of wood glued over all on the direction of the strings,
which is intended as a further strength; by this means a bottom or back
is not necessary except to preserve the inside work. O is where a hole is
made for the damper to go through; P is a button screw in the key, and
in its operation strikes against the wedge of the damper Q, which gives its
proper motion from the string; R is a spring to bring it back; S is a small
wire fasten'd to the leaver T.
A further description of a new method of adding additional notes to
square or horizontal pianos. The key is marked U, which goes through
the back of the instrument where letter U is marked, and raises a leader
of wood W, which leader has a leather or other joint fastened at the tale
end of the hammer X, and of such a weight as to bring up the hammer
without springs; Y is a guide pin drove in the back, and goes through a
long hole in the leader. Fig. 14 is the key of a new action of an upright
piano; 15, the leader to the hammer, and hangs to it at Fig. 16; 17 is
the leader to the damper; 18 is the damper, which is hanged to the belly
piece; 19, the belly piece; the strings, 20; 21, the rest piece; 22 is the
piece where the hammers are fastened, and slides with the hammer to one
string without the keys; 23 is to slide forward to disengage it from the
hammer, and by putting your feet on the peddal to raise the damper, then
you may take out the key as in common instruments.
Description of a new invented harp, described by Fig. 1, is the sound
beard; 2 is the bridge, which has holes board for the strings to pass
through, and is board on a different direction so as to make the string
fast in the whole; 3 is a row of ivory pins for the string to fasten to;
4 is the turning pins; No. 5 is the hooks connected with the mechanical

page_text: work to produce the half notes; 6 is the peddals; No. 7, a door that opens
to get to the springs and other parts of the iron work; 8 is a side view of
the work of one peddal; 9 is where the end of the peddal turns on a centre
to keep it to the half notes; 10, the spring; 11 is a straight bar or slip of
brass, where the different cranks for producing the half notes is connected;
12 is one key, leader and hammer, shewing the above may be played with
keys; 13 is the centre on which the entire keys, &c., turn round, so as to
play the harp as usual, or can be taken off.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Sixth day of December,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Southwell came before
5 our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and everything therein contained in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Sixth day of December, in the year above written.