IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Williams, of Bath, in the County of Somerset,
Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 13th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Williams at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
February 1862.
I, WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Pianoforte
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates in the first place to horizontal grand pianofortes,
and consists in arranging the strings on the sounding board diagonally, that
is to say, inclining towards the right hand in proceeding from the tuning pins
to the back instead of in the ordinary manner at right angles to the line of
keys. By this means the length of string in proportion to the length of the
case is increased, so that for a given amount of power the instrument may be
shortened, and its form and general appearance improved or for a given length
of instrument the power may be increased.
My Invention relates in the second place to horizontal pianofortes generally
and consists in arranging tho bammers so that they may be caused to strike

page_text: down upon their respective strings underneath the back parts of the keys,
which communicate with the hoppers for working the hammers, thereby
increasing the length of vibratory action of the strings by allowing the
bridge on the rest plank to be placed under the front parts of the keys, and
reversing the action of the hammers.
My Invention relates in the third place to vertical pianofortes, and consists
in adapting and applying to tho rest plank in which tho tuning pins are fixed
a plate of angle iron or other metal one side of which is screwed into the
front of the rest plank, and the other side into the upper end of the brace,
also in adapting and applying to the lower end of the brace a plate with a
projecting rib fitting against a shoulder formed in the brace, such plate carrying
the holding pins round which the strings are passed. By this arrangement
the length of string between the tuning pins and the holding pins, and also
the strength to resist the strain caused by the tension of the strings will be
increased. The above described plate of angle iron, or other metal is also
applicable to the rest plank of other pianofortes besides the vertical.
And my Invention consists in the last place in forming that portion of the
case of grand or semi-grand pianofortes, which is behind the action of less
depth than that in which the action is enclosed. The means of constructing
the case in this manner results from the strings being arranged with the action
over them instead of under them as usual.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Williams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILLIAMS, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, Pianoforte Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Williams, Her special license that I, the said William Williams,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Williams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: 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 PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Williams, 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 William Williams, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by tho
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of "Improvements in Pianofortes" relates in the first place
to horizontal grand pianofortes, and consists in arranging the strings on the
sounding board diagonally, that is to say, inclining towards the right hand in
proceeding from the tuning pins to the back instead of in the ordinary manner
at right angles to the line of keys. By this means the length of string in
proportion to the length of the case is increased, so that for a given amount
of power the instrument may be shortened, and its form and general
appearance improved, or for a given length of instrument the power may be
increased.
And my Invention relates in the second place to horizontal pianofortes
generally, and consists in arranging the hammers so that they may be caused
to strike down upon their respective strings underneath the back parts of the
keys, which communicate with the hoppers for working the hammers, thereby
increasing the length of vibratory action of the strings, by allowing the bridgo
on the rest plank to be placed under the front parts of the keys, and reversing
the action of the hammers.
"
The keys instead of resting on the key board as usual are supported on
pieces of wood or metal, which I call "key rests" working on wires as centres
of motion supported by the key board. The front end of each " "key rest
has a saw cut in it, which admits of the tightness of the key pin being adjusted
by means of a screw for the purpose of giving the required freedom to the
key instead of by enlarging the mortice as usual.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the

page_text: aid of the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a Diagram representing
a plan of a horizontal grand pianoforte with the octave strings arranged
diagonally, as above referred to.
6.2.
A, A, is the edge of the case; B is the sounding board; C is the ordinary
metallic plate in which the hitch pins are inserted D is the bridge for the
covered bass strings; E is the bridge for the uncovered strings; .F, F, are the
ordinary studs through which the strings are passed; G is the tuning block,
over which the keys are placed. It will thus be seen that the strings by being
arranged diagonally, as shewn, are increased in length, and that the form of
the instrument is thereby rendered more compact by obviating the necessity of
forming the case with a straight side at right angles to the keys at the left-
hand, as usual.
:
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1.
mi
...
Fig. 2 represents in elevation my improved action applicable to horizontal
pianofortes generally. H is the key, which is raised at the back part, as
shewn, in order to leave room for the action of the hammer underneath it;
I is the hopper; K is the hammer lever hinged to a fixed rail L; M is the
hammer rail; N is the hammer; O is the damper; P is the middle rail of
the key board; Qis the front rail thereof; R is the "key rest;" S is the
pivot or centre of motion thereof; T is the line of strings. It will thus bo
seen that on the front of the key being pressed downwards, the back part of
the same being on the opposite side of the pivot S will be carried upwards and
through the connection of the hopper I, and the hammer lever K will cause
the hammer N to strike down upon the string T underneath the back part of
the key. Fig. 3 represents a plan or horizontal view of the "key rest" R,
showing the saw cut in the front end thereof, and the sorew for adjusting the
tightness of the pin X, which is fixed in the front rail of the key board, and
is passed through the mortice in the "key rest."
:
:
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and' in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as
of my Invention is,―
First, the application to horizontal grand pianofortes of the mode described
of arranging the strings diagonally, for the purpose of increasing the length of
the strings, and forming the cases of such pianofortes in such a manner as to
obviate the necessity of a straight side as usual at the left-hand end of the
key board.
And, secondly, the arrangement of the parts applicable to horizontal piano-
fortos generally, by which the hammer is caused to strike down on the string
underneath the back part of the key, as described, the front end of the key

page_text: rest being adjustable in the manner described for the purpose of giving the
required freedom to the key.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Williams, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM SPENCE,
50, Chancery Lane,
Patent Agent.
W. WILLIAMS. (L.S.)