IMPROVEMENTS IN UPRIGHT PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Brockbank, of Crawley Street,
Oakley Square, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufac-
turer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UPRIGHT PIANO-
FORTES."
Sealed the 8th January 1853, and dated the 1st October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry
Brockbank at the office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his petition, on the 1st October 1852.
I, GEORGE HENRY BROCKBANK, of Crawley Street, Oakley Square, in
the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UPRIGHT
PIANOFORTES to be as follows:-
Heretofore it has been usual to get strength to the framing by thick
upright bars of wood, and in some cases it has been attempted to
o employ metal bars in front of the sound-board, similar to grand piano-
fortes. This Invention consists of applying an additional rest-plank in
front of the ordinary one, together with metal bars, and causing the
rest-pins to pass through and rest within the additional rest-plank
(which it is preferred should be of metal), and fix in the ordinary rest-
plank, as formerly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Henry Brockbank, in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 30th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
GEORGE HENRY BROCKBANK, of Crawley Street, Oakley Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of October in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said George Henry Brockbank, Her special licence
that I, the said George Henry Brockbank, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Henry Brockbank, 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 UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,
the said George Henry Brockbank, 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 George Henry Brockbank, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
Heretofore it has been usual to get strength to the framing by thick
upright bars of wood, and in some cases it has been attempted to
employ metal bars. in front of the sounding-board, similar to grand
-pianofortes.-This-Invention-consists-of-applying an additional wrest
plank in front of the ordinary one, together with metal bars, and
causing the wrest-pins to pass through and rest within the additional

page_text: Figure 1, is a front view of the wrest-plank, through which the
wrest-pins pass, and Figure 2, is a transverse section of the two wrest-
planks; a, is the ordinary wrest-plank into which the wrest-pins are
placed, b, is the additional wrest-plank through which the wrest-pins
pass, and within which they rest, as is shown; c, c, are metal bars to
receive and resist the pressure of the additional wrest-plank b.
I would remark, that I have not thought it necessary to show a
complete upright pianoforte, as a workman will, from the description
above given, aided by the drawing, readily understand the Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details or forms of the parts, as they may
be varied without departing from iny Invention; but what I claim is,
the application of an additional rest-plank in front of the ordinary
wrest-plank, together with metal bars, and causing the wrest-pins to
pass through and rest within the additional wrest-plank, so that the
strings pass between the two wrest-planks.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Henry Brockbank, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
00
GEORGE HENRY BROCK BANK.
(L.S.)
Witness, FRED HARRIS.