IMPROVE- MENTS IN METALLIC-ACTION FRAMES FOR PIANOFORTES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henri Adrien Bonneville, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 10, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in tho
County of Middlesex, and 18, Ohaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the
Empire of France, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METALLIC-ACTION FRAMES FOR PIANOFORTES."-A communication
from Theodore Steinway, residing at New York, in the County and
State of New York. United States of America. Manufacturer
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henri Adrien Bonne-
ville at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th January 1869.
I, HENRI ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent
5 Offices, 10, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
and 18, Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC-ACTION FRAMES FOR PIANOFORTES," a communication from
Theodore Steinway, a person resident at New York, in the County and

page_text: State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists in a metallic-action frame for pianofortes,
which is secured to the wrest plank and composed of metallic hangers
or standards provided with holes to receive metallic traverses. These
traverses are flanged or otherwise constructed so that they are not liable
to turn in their sockets, and they are strengthened in their position by
intermediate plates. The action frame is adjusted by means of screws,
which serve to secure the same directly to the wrest plank, and the
hangers or standards of the action frame are provided with segmental
or spherical ends fitting into corresponding steps, so that they can roll
and accomodate themselves to the action of the adjusting screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henri Adrien Bonneville in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRI
ADRIEN BONNEVILLE, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 10,
Sackville Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, and 18,
Chaussée d'Antin, Paris, in the Empire of France, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of January, in the year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, Her special licence
that I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, 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 METALLIC-ACTION FRAMES FOR PIANOFORTES," a communi-
cation from Theodore Steinway, a person resident at New York, in the

page_text: County and State of New York, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henri
Adrien Bonneville, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the 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 Henri Adrien Bonneville, do hereby
declaro the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This Invention consists in the arrangement of a metallic-action frame
or a metallic frame supporting tho action of an upright or other
pianoforte, said frame being secured directly to the wrest plank, and
composed of hangers or standards, perforated with holes to receive
metallic traverses in such a manner that the derangement of the action,
due to the expansion or contraction of the wooden rail generally used
for supporting the action, is avoided and a firm unchangeable support
for the several parts constituting the mechanism of the action is
obtained.
The Invention consists further in the arrangement of flanged metallic
rods or flanged metallic tubes filled with wood and forming traverses
connecting the metallic hangers or standards of the action framo in
such a manner that a firm and unchangeable connection for said hangers
or standards and also a convenient and safe support for the various
parts constituting the mechanism of the action, is obtained.
The Invention consists also in the arrangement of intermediate metallic
braces perforated with holes to receive the flanged traverses and hangers
or standards in such a manner that the various traverses are united and
made to support each other mutually and that the strength of the frame
is materially increased.
This Invention consists further in the arrangement of an adjusting
screw provided with a square end and jam nut in combination with.
cach of the hangers or standards of the metallic-action frame in such a
manner that by means of said screws the distance of the hangers or

page_text: standards from the wrest plank, and consequently the position of the
hammers in relation to the strings, can be regulated with the greatest
nicety.
The Invention consists, 'finally, in the arrangement of segments or
spheres at the ends of the standards or hangers of the metallic frame
so that said ends can roll in their steps. while the hangers are being
adjusted by set screws.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Fig. 1 represents a transverse section of this Invention; Fig. 2 is a rear
elevation thereof; Fig. 8 is à detached face view of the intermediate
supporting plates.. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.
A represents one of the hangers or standards of my metallic-action
frame. These hangers or standards are secured at convenient distances
apart directly to the wrest plank by screws F or any other suitable
fastenings, and they are provided with a series of holes for the traverses B.
These traverses are either made of solid metal or of tubes fitted with
wood, and they are provided with flanges or ears 6 so that they form a
convenient and firm support for the various parts which constituto
the mechanism of. the action. In practice I use by preference tubular
traverses filled with wood as shown in the Drawings, since said tubes
when filled with wood obtain the required stiffness, and at the same
time common wood screws can be used in fastening the various parts
of the action to the same. When solid metal traverses are used the
holes for receiving the screws have to be bored and tapped and the
screws have to be manufactured expressly for this purpose. The
flanges of the traverses serve to retain the various parts of the action
fastened to the traverses firmly and rigidly in position and prevent
them from getting displaced accidentally, at the same time by the
flanges the stiffness and strength of the traverses is materially increased.
Instead of making the traverses with flanges b, however; they might
be made with suitable grooves or with ribs or indentations so as to give
a firm hold to the parts fastened thereto. The traverses are strengthened
in their position by intermediate plates C which are interposed between
the hangers or standards A at convenient distances. By the use of niy
metallic-action. frame the, chief causes of derangement inherent to the
action, particularly of upright pianofortes as heretofore constructed, are
successfully removed.. Usually the several parts of the action are:
.

page_text: scrowed, and fastened to a wooden rail from two to three inches wide,
and these rails, being liable to expansion.and contraction through.moist
and dry atmosphere, throw the parts of the action out of their proper.
position. Furthermore said rails are generally fastened. to wooden
cheeks or frame pieces constituting together the so-called action frame,
and this frame is again fastened to either the key frame or the sides
or walls of the instrument, thus creating a liability of derangement
as well in the several parts of the action as in the position of the
hammers to the strings, said strings being fastened to the wrest plank.
The metallic-frame being fastened to the wrest plank and made of
metal is not liable to such derangement and an action frame is obtained
which is safe and durable. The screws F, which serve to. secure the
metallic-action frame to the wrest plank, are fitted into suitable
eyes of
the hangers A and they are clamped thereto by jam nuts o. The ends
of said screws are made square or of such a shape that they provide a
hold for a wrench or key, and by releasing the jam nuts and turning
the screws F the action frame can be adjusted closer to or further from
the wrest plank, and the position of the hammers in relation to the
strings can be adjusted with the greatest nicety. The ends p of the
hangers opposite the screws F are made segmental or spherical, and they
aro intended to fit into caps or grooves in the heads or screws rising
from the main frame of the pianoforte, so that when the screws Faro
screwed in or out said segmental or spherical ends will roll in their steps
and retain their position.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner of carrying the same into effect, what I claim and wish to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
1. A metallic-action frame for pianofortes, said frame being secured
to the wrest plank and composed of metallic hangers or standards A
provided with holes to receive the metallic traversés B, substantially as
shown and described.
2. The flanged traverses B, constructed substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. The intermediate plates O provided with holes to receive the flanged.
traverses B, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The adjusting screws F provided with a square end and jam
nut o, in combination with the hangers or standards A, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
'

page_text: 5. The segmental or spherical ends p of the hangers fitting into
corresponding steps and operating in combination with the screws F,
substantially as and for the purpose-described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henri Adrien Bonneville, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.