IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Mathias Laboissière and Charles Léonard Daujon,
of Boulevard Saint Denis, 1, at Paris,. Manufacturers, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Mathias Laboissière
and Charles Léonard Daujon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 12th August 1881.
JOSEPH MATHIAS LABOISSIÈRE and CHARLES LÉONARD DAUJON, of Boulevard
Saint Denis, 1, at Paris, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOS."
The improvements which form the subject of this Invention have reference to the'
construction of pianos and to their "action" or mechanism, the principal objects
being to simplify the instruction and thereby reduce the cost of manufacture, and
to cheapen the mechanism or "action," and at the same time make it quicker so
as to facilitate "repetition."
We arrange the whole body of the piano, that is to say, the sound board, the
string plate, the framing, and other parts in a cast iron frame made in one piece.
This frame comprises a general frame with stays or bracing which carries the
devices for receiving the screws which secure the woodwork or case of the piano;
the upper part of the frame is in the form of a dovetail sheath to receive a board
or plank which slides longitudinally into it; it is this board which receives the
upper studs or pegs for the strings; the lower studs are rivetted to a plate cast
with the frame.
We arrange the "action" or mechanism as follows :- -The hammer is held in its
butt behind the ordinary position in order to give more weight to act on the
hopper. The hopper engages at bottom directly with the tail of the key, which is
formed as a sort of escapement with two steps, so that if one of these steps escapes
the other will not fail to act on the hopper. The damper is mounted on a rail
which is pivoted and is entirely under the action of the "forte" pedal; the rail is
supported by arms screwed at the back to the hammer ruler. A fixed block or
rail forms the support of a spring which forces back the dampers against the
strings. By this arrangement the damper not only deadens the sound at the
required moment, but it also presses by re-action on all the mechanism which
facilitates the repetition of the notes. The hammer butt is jointed to the hammer
rail, and there is a fixed rail carrying the regulating buttons.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Mathias Laboissière and Charles Léonard Daujon in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th January 1882.
JOSEPH MATHIAS LABOISSIÈRE and CHARLES LÉONARD DAUJON, of Boulevard
Saint Denis, 1, at Paris, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOS."
The improvements which form the subject of this Invention have reference to
the construction of pianos and to their "action" or mechanism, the principal
objects being to simplify the construction and thereby reduce the cost of manu-
facture, and to cheapen the mechanism or "action," and at the same time make it
quicker so as to facilitate." repetition."
t
Our improvements are represented in the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
We arrange the whole body of the piano, that is to say, the sound board, the
string plate, the framing, and other parts in a cast iron frame made in one piece,
shown separately in Figures 1 and 2. This frame comprises a general frame a, a,
with stays or bracing b, b, carrying the devices c, c, for receiving the screws which
secure the woodwork or case of the piano; the upper part of the frame is in the
form of a dovetail sheath d, d, (see the enlarged sectional view Figure 5) to receive
the board or plank which slides longitudinally into it; it is this board which
receives the upper studs or pegs for the strings; the lower studs are rivetted to
the plate g cast to the frame.
Figures 3 and 4 show the frame enclosed by the woodwork which forms the body
or case of the piano.
We arrange the "action" or mechanism as seen in Figure 6. The hammer i is
held in its butt j behind the ordinary position in order to give more weight to act
on the hopper . The hopper engages at bottom directly with the tail of the key 7,
which is formed as a sort of escapement m with two steps, so that if one of these
steps escapes the other will not fail to act on the hopper. The damper n is
mounted on a rail n' which is pivoted at o, and is entirely under the action of the
"forte" pedal; this pedal acts through the intermediation of a rod p on the pin pp'
in the direction of the arrow; the rail n' is supported by arms n² screwed at the
back to the hammer ruler q. A fixed block or rail r formis the support of a
spring which forces back the dampers against the strings. By this arrangement
the damper not only deadens the sound at the required moment, but it also presses
by reaction on all the mechanism which facilitates the repetition of the notes. The
hammer butt is jointed by the piece s to the hammer rail t; u is the fixed rail
carrying the regulating buttons v. The hammer i, shown in Figure 6, is for the
large strings; it has a single covering a. The hammer for the small strings is
shown at z, Figure 7; it has likewise a single covering y.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim as our "Improvements in
Pianos,"
-
First. The construction of a frame in one piece of cast iron and forming the
whole body of the piano. substantially as represented in Figures 1 to 4 and

page_text: Second. The construction or arrangement of the "action" or mechanism
substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 6 and 7.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Mathias Laboissière and Charles
Léonard Daujon, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of
January. One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
ALBERT CAHEN,
Civil Engineer,
JOSEPH MATHIAS LABOISSIERE. (L.S.)
CHARLES LEONARD DAUJON.
(L.S.)
of Boulevard Saint Denis, 1,
at Paris.