IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PHILLIPS PARKER, of No. 48, Lime Street, in the City of London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS, in consequence of a communication made to me by certain
Foreigners residing abroad, I am in possession of a new Invention, being
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES." And whereas Her
most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent under the
Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of May, in the twelfth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Phillips Parker, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William
Phillips Parker, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of them, by myself
and themselves, or by my and their deputy and deputies, servants or agents,
and such others as I, the said William Phillips Parker, my exors, adñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter 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, and also within the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also within all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, the said Invention. And whereas, in the said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso requiring that I, the said William Phillips

page_text: Parker, shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Phillips Parker, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion consists in the changing at will the tone of the piano by the application
of weights or heavy pieces of metal upon the strings of the instrument at the
point where they pass over the crooked bridge on the sounding board, or by
pressure on the sounding board otherwise obtained. And in further com-
pliance with the said proviso, I, the said William Phillips Parker, do hereby
describe the manner in which the said Invention is to be performed by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing annexed, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, similar letters being used to denote
similar parts in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan of the Invention, Figure 2 a sectional elevation of the
same, and Figure 8 the weights and frame drawn to a large scale. The parts
marked W are a series of weights made of any ponderous substance, and of
any convenient shape (they are made by me of the form shewn in the Draw-
ings, and of lead cased ornamentally in brass). These weights are arranged
directly above the crooked bridge B, B, which is attached to and forms part
of the sounding board of the instrument, and to cach weight there is attached
an arm or lever marked g, which projects horizontally from them. And one
method of constructing and working this apparatus is as follows:-The ends
of the arms or levers 9 are secured to a cross bar e, e, forming part of the
frame P, P, the cross bar being pivotted at its extremities upon upright
supports G, G, these supports, G, G, being secured to the metallic plate or
frame (so called) of the piano. By this mode of construction, which I consider
the best one, the cross bar e, e, and the curved bar P, P, form one frame,
P, P, R, e, e, the arms of the weights, passing through the front bar P, P,
and being secured into the rear bar e, e, the object of this frame being merely
to support and steady the movement of the weights. The weights are moved
to and from the crooked bridge B (upon which they are intended to operate
by pressure) by a pedal under the piano through the means of the rod H,
Figure 2, which passes from beneath to any part of the front bar P, P,
through the instrument, and by means of lever I and a rod J is connected with

page_text: the pedal K, it being necessary, in the ordinary use of the piano, to keep the
weights from touching the bridge B. This is effected by a spring S, which
keeps the long arm of the lever I depressed, and holds the other end of it with
rod E, and the superincumbent frame P, P, R, e, e, raised until the pedal is
brought into action. To enable the weights to operate on the bridge to the
best advantage, and to regulate conveniently each one's independent action, I.
fix into the bridge directly under the centre of each weight screw x,
Figure 2, which can be raised or lowered in adjustment of the weight
over it.
Now whereas in the above arrangement it will be seen that the pressure
required is produced by the use of weights, but whereas weights are not
absolutely necessary, as substitutes for them may be made of wood and other
material, and pressure effected by a spring below, or by the pressure of the
foot with greater or less force upon the pedal, the rod H in that case being
attached to the frame P, P, R, e, e. But to secure equal and uniform pressure,
and a correspondent effect upon the tones of the instrument, weights arranged
according to the plan above specified I consider best. Nevertheless I do not
limit myself to the number of weights shewn in the Drawing; neither do I
limit myself to the application of weights to the crooked bridge. I merely
adopt this plan, believing it to be the most convenient way of producing
pressure upon the sounding board, of which the bridge is an integral part;
but I propose, if more convenient, to apply the weights direct to the sounding
board near the place occupied by the bridge. And I do not limit myself
either to the peculiar mechanical detail herein set forth and described for sup-
porting, raising, and depressing the weights, intending to use any well-known
mechanical apparatus applicable for that purpose; but I claim as the Invention
aforesaid the application of weight or pressure on the sounding board of the
piano forte, either indirectly upon the crooked bridge thereof, or directly upon
the sounding board itself, whichever plan may in the end prove the most con-
venient mode of applying the said weight or pressure to the sounding board
for the purpose of producing a change in the tone of the instrument, thereby
extending its musical capabilities. And such said Invention being, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new and never before used within
that part of Her said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, Her Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
nor in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, nor in any
of Her said Majesty's Colonies or Plantations abroad, I do hereby declare
this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe this my
said Specification doth comply in all respects fully and without reserve or

page_text: disguise with the proviso in the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
contained: wherefore I hereby claim to maintain exclusive right and privilege
to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Parker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of November, in the year 5
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
to the said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Parker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of November, in the year 5
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.