A NEW GRAND PIANO FORTE, WITH A SPRING KEY TOUCH, GERMAN FLUTE, AND HARP
Year: 1790

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CRANG HANCOCK, of Wych Street, in the Parish of Saint Clement Dancs, in
the County of Middlesex, Organ Builder, 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 Thirteenth day of April, in the thirtieth year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said John Crang Hancock, His special licence,
full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Crang Hancock,
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the Kingdom called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "A NEW GRAND PIANO FORTE, WITH A SPRING KEY TOUCH,
GERMAN FLUTE, AND HARP;" in which Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said John Crang Hancock, under my hand and
seal, to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
His Majestie'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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in pursuance of and compliance with the said recited
proviso, I, the said John Crang Hancock, do hereby declare that the nature
of my said Invention of a New Grand Piano Forte, with a Spring Key
Tonch, German Flute, and Harp, is described and ascertained in the Plans
thereof drawn in the margin of these Presents, and the references thereto here-
after set forth, that is to say:-
A, a represents the instrument when complent. B, b represents the hammer
which, when lifted up by c, the lifter, which is fastened to the end of the key,
strikes the string and produces the tone. C, c represents the lifter which raises
the hammer for the above purpose. D, d represents the spring of the lifter,
which is made of brass wire, one end of which being fixed in the key, the
round end thereof declines against the lifter and keeps it in its proper place.
E, e represents the spring of the key, and is made of steel wire, one end of
which being fixed in the middle of the key, the round end thereof is placed
under and presses against the spring rail which runs across the instru-
ment, as represented by Figure O, and by that means a much lighter touch
by the finger of a player is requisite to produce a tone. F, represents the
backwell which strikes the sticker, Fig. 9, which opens the palate to the pipes,
and letting the wind therein produce the tone of the flute, which goes only to
the Letter G, the compass of the violin. G, g represents the sticker, which,
when struck by the backwell, presses down the palate at the bottom of the
pipes and letts in the wind, which, with the assistance of the bellows, Fig. H,
produces the tone of the flute. H represents the bellows, which does not vary
in any particular from the common bellows. I represents the pipes of this
instrument, which are contained in a case under the piano forte, properly
ranged together, with the bellows, the sticker and part of the backwell.
K, K represents the pedals, which take off the flute and piano forte tones in
the usual manner. L represents the foot pedal for blowing the bellows, which
is effected by the usual means. M, m represents the dampers, which are
fixed in the piano forte in the usual way. N, n represents the slider which
runs across the sounding board, and has small pieces of leather fixed to it at
such distance from each other that each leather is between the strings when
the player does not play on the harp stop, and which slider, by being moved
by the usual micans by the handle, Fig. n, brings each leather between one of
the strings and the hammer, the leather being so thick as to prevent the
hammer striking both strings, and striking the leather which is under one
string only; the leather strikes that one string, and by that means produces
the harp tone. O represents the spring rail, which is a plain piece of wood

page_text: xed across the inside of the instrument at such a distance from the keys as
admit of the head of the spring of the key under it.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Crang Hancock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Tenth day of May, in the thirtieth year of the
reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God
of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith,
and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and ninety.
Inrolled the Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and ninety.

page_text: The summer which when apna by c me Lifter which is fastened to the end of
the Key Strikes the string and produces the Tone
Represents the Lifter which raised the Hammer for the above purpose.
Represents the Spring of the Lifter which is made of Brass Mice. : one end of which being fixid.
in the Key the round head there of declined against the Lifter and keeps it in its proper place
Represents the Spring of the key and is made of Steel Where one and of which being
-fixed in the middle of the key the round and thereof is placed under and presses &
against the Spring Rail which runs across the Instrument as represented by Fig: 0. and
by that means a much lighter touch by the Finger of a Player is requisite to produce
a Tone ..
Represents the Backwell which strikes the sticker fig I which opens the palate to the
pipes and letting the wind therein produces the Tone of the Flute which
goes
only to the Letter Of. the compous of the violin....
Represents the Sticker which when struck by the Backwell presoes down the palate
at the Bottom of the pipes and letts in the wind which with the assistance of the
Bellous Fig: II. produces the Tone of the Flute.
Represents the Bellows which does not
Bellows ..
vary
in
any particular from the Common
Represents the pipes of this Instrument which ure contained in a Case under
the piano
Forte property ranged together with the Bellows the Sticker and part of
the Backwell..
Represents the pedals which take off the flute and piano forte Tones in the usual
manner...
Represents the fort pedal for blowing the Bellows which is effected by the usual means.
Referesents the dampers which are fixed in the Piano Forte in the usual
way..
Represents the slider which runs across the Sounding Board and has small
pieces of Leather fixed to it at such distana pom each other that each leather is between
the strings when the player does not play on the Harp Stop and which stider by being
mooul by the usual minns by the handle fig: brings each Leather between one.
1. of
the things and the hammer the Leather being so thick as to prevent the haminer, stikmy
both Strings and Striking the Leather which is under one. thing only the Leather strikes
String and by that means produces the Harp Tone . -
Represents the
that me
Spring
n
Rail which is a plain price of Wood fixed across the inside
of the Instrument at such a distance from the heps as to admit of the Secul of
"the Spring of the Key under it..