IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Winter Jones, of the City, County, and State
of New York, in the United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES." - A communication from Maurice
Verques, residing at the City of New York aforesaid.
-
Sealed the 7th October 1864, and dated the 4th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Winter Jones at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th July 1864.
I, JOHN WINTER JONES, of the City, County, and State of New York, in
the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements on pianofortes having horizontal
strings and the action placed immediately beneath the keys, so that the
hammer may strike downwards on to the string instead of upwards from
beneath as is usually the case, at the same time the action is brought more
forward and occupies less space than heretofore. The keys have their pins
or fulcra placed along the back rail of the "key frame," and when depressed
are returned to position by means of strips of india-rubber secured to the
under side of the "key frame." The "hammer rail," to which the hammers
are hinged, is attached to the under side of the front rail of the "key frame."
The hammers are operated by means of "hoppers" attached to the under side
of the key near the front end. These "hoppers" are of somewhat similar

page_text: construction to those in general use, but in place of the usual regulating screw
a small silk cord, secured at one end to the front or moveable part of the
hopper," and at the other to a small pin in the back or fixed part of the
"hopper," is used to regulate the action of the hopper, the cord being wound
up or slackened by turning the pin in its bearing. In order to bring the
hammer back to its place after striking a blow and to sustain it there, a small
cord of india-rubber or other elastic material is used, the cord being connected
to the butt of the hammer and to a regulating screw in the front rail of the
key frame. To "check" the hammers for the purpose of "repetition," a
small cushion is placed on the hammer shank at the shoulder. This cushion
strikes against the "hopper" and prevents the hammer from rising more than
about half way until the finger of the performer is removed from the key.
The dampers are placed below the hammers and are secured to levers pivoted
to the "damper rail" by means of small "key pins." The tail end of these
Jevers coming directly under the front rail of the key frame, they are depressed
by means of pins passing down from the under side of the keys, and the
dampers raised; they are again restored to their normal position by small
springs of india-rubber. A roller having a cam-shaped longitudinal projection,
and capable of being rocked by the pedal, is used to act upon the tail ends of
the levers, and thereby to raise all the dampers simultaneously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Winter Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WINTER JONES, of the City, County, and State of New York, in the United
States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Winter Jones, Her special license that I, the said John Winter
Jones, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Winter Jones, 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,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES," being a communication from Maurice Vergnes, a person residing
at the City of New York aforesaid, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Winter Jones, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 John Winter Jones, do hereby declare
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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The objects of this Invention are to improve the action, to have the hammer
strike down upon the string, to bring the works forward or under the key-
board, and to have them occupy but little space.
The Figure of the accompanying Drawing shews the action in vertical
section in the line of the keys. A represents one of the line of keys; B, the
pivot pin of the key; C, a gum elastic spring attached to the heel of the key
and to a fixed point on the framing for the purpose of restoring and holding
the key to its position; D is a stem set beneath the key; E is a silk coupling
thread, one end of which is wound around a wire or pin E¹, set in the lower
end of the stem D, and the other is attached to the hopper F, for the purpose
of regulating the action. G is the hammer, the butt of which is cushioned as
usual to receive the hopper, and H is the sub-cushion; on the hammer I is a
spring of gum elastic for sustaining the hammer in its elevated position; K is
the damper; L, a wire extending down from the key A to the lever M of the
damper; N is a spring for keeping the damper on the strings, and O is a
cord leading down from the rock shaft P (which lifts the dampers out of
action) to the pedal movement. In order the more effectually to reduce the
space occupied by the action, the head of the hammer rises into a notch or
recess cut in the under side of the key, which here needs very little strength.
The other parts are so arranged that only four inches space is required
beneath the key for a full-sized instrument. The vertical stem D beneath
the key has the wire or pin E¹ screwed into its lower end, so that in order to
regulate the action of the hopper F it is only necessary to turn the pin to the
right or left and so wind up or unwind a portion of the silk thread. The
object of placing on the hammer butt just below the shoulder the sub-cushion
I is to check the hammer in rising after the stroke and while the finger is

page_text: still retained on the key. The arm of the hammer rises from the stroke to a
horizontal position, and in case of roulades the repetition is facile, the hammer
having only half distance to move to repeat the note. If the finger is taken
from the key (except in case of roulades) the hammer rises to its elevated
position, as shown. This is effected by the elastic cord I attached to the heel
of the hammer, and extending outwards to the front of the pianoforte, where
it terminates in a wire with a screw and nut on the end, by turning which
the hammer is held firmer or freer, as desired.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Pianofortes,” as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
Firstly, arranging the action in the contracted space beneath the keys and
in the front part of the instrument in such a manner that the hammers will
stick down upon the strings as described.
Secondly, regulating the action by means of the tension thread and wire as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Winter Jones, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
OWEN G. WARREN,
No. 40, Laight St.,
J. D. STURTEVANT,
No. 40, Laight St.
JOHN WINTER JONES. (L.S.)