IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Russell, of the City of Norwich,
Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
FORTES."
Sealed the 13th May 1853, and dated the 17th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Russell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th November 1852.
I, HENRY RUSSELL, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES" to be as follows: _
The improvement consists in employing flattened wire or strings
in the form of tapes instead of round or cylindrical ones, as is
usually the case.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 17th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY RUSSELL, of the City of Norwich; Pianoforte Maker, send
greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Russell, Her
special licence that I, the said Henry Russell, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Russell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Russell, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Russell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
Pianofortes have heretofore been usually strung with round or
cylindrical wires; and in order to obtain the requisite volume of
tone it is necessary that two or more strings or wires should be
combined together, so that, when they are simultaneously struck
with the hammer of the instrument, all the wires belonging to one
note may give out the same tone with sufficient power. The
employment of two or more wires or strings to produce one note
necessarily increases the cost of the instrument, and the time and
labour of tuning, as well as the liability of the instrument to get
out of tune. The object of my Invention is to obviate these objeċ-

page_text: tions, and at the same time increase the power of the instrument
and improve the quality of the tone. This is effected by employing
flattened wire or metallic tapes instead of round or cylindrical
strings as is usually the case. The method I employ for carrying
out my Invention is shewn in the accompanying Drawings, in which
Fig. 1, is a front view of the interior of a pianoforte strung upon
the improved plan; and Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section of
the same. a, a, is a metallic string plate, secured in the ordinary or
any convenient manner to the framing of the instrument. The
strings b, b, b, b, it will be seen are in the form of tapes or flat
bands, and one end of these tapes or bands is twisted into
the form of a loop, and properly secured by binding wire at
1. The looped ends of the bands b, are placed on the "hitch
pins" c, c, c, c, and the bands pass through horizontal slots in the
studs d, d, d, d, which are screwed or otherwise fixed in the belly
bridge e; these studs d, d, are shewn detached in Fig. 7. The
bands b, b, pass over, and are forced down upon another set of studs
ff, by the pressure bar g. The studs ff, are screwed into the
wooden framing of the instrument, and the pressure bar is made
to bear upon the tapes or bands by means of the screws h, h, which
are also fixed in the wooden framing, but may be tightened up as
may be required. The upper ends of the metallic tapes or bands
b, b, are clamped or held between the jaws of lever clamps i, i, one
of which is shewn detached, and upon an enlarged scale, at Figure 3.
Fig. 4, is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 5, is a plan view of
the same as seen from above; and Fig. 6, is an end view of one of
these lever clamps which arc fastened at their inner ends on the top
of the wooden framing by means of screws j,j, as shewn at Fig. 2,
a little play, however, being allowed them for the purpose hereafter
explained. The outer ends of these lever clamps project over the
wooden framing, and lic between projecting pieces of the guide rack
k, k, Fig. 1. 1, 1, Figures 3, 4, and 5, are moveable steel jaws, the
faces of which are roughened like the face of a file, as shewn in the
detached view, Fig. 3. These jaws are inserted in a slot made in the
lever clamp, and are prevented from falling out by horizontal cross

page_text: pins, which rest on the top of the clamp, as shewn in Figures 4, 5,
and 6. The bands b, b, are drawn up between these steel jaws, which
are forced tightly against it by means of the clamping screw m, for
the
purpose of preventing it from slipping when tension is applied
during the operation of tuning. In order to tune the instrument
it will only be necessary to turn the vertical screw n, which bears
against a steel or metal bar o, on the top of the framing, and as the
screw n, is turned it will of course raise that end of the lever clamp i,
and increase the tension of the metallic bands to any desired extent,
the opposite ends of the lever clamps being only loosely secured to
.the framing in order to admit of a little motion in a vertical
direction.
Having now described my Invention, and the best means with
which I am at present acquainted for carrying the same into effect,
.I would here observe that I do not mean or intend to confine my-
.self to, the plan herein shewn of securing the flat bands or tapes and
.of tuning the same, as various other contrivances may be devised for
effecting the same object without departing from the nature and
object of my Invention. In conclusion, I claim the use and
application to pianofortes as herein shewn of flat metallic tapes or
bands instead of round or cylindrical wires as has heretofore been
the case.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Russell, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
ISAAC SPRING ALL,
of St. Simon and Jude,
in the City of Norwich.
HENRY RUSSELL. (L.S.)