IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brinsmead, of Wigmore Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the Invention of
T
3
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brinsmead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th March 1868.
I, JOHN BRINSMEAD, of Wigmore Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved action for pianofortes, and the
object is mainly to obtain a repeat.
My improvements consist in a particular position and action of a
spring and loop, and in forming the sticker or hopper with an incline
at the top which presses on the front of the notch after escapement
has taken place. I connect a spring to the lower part of the sticker,
carry it up, and form it at the top into a hook; from the hook I carry

page_text: a loop through a slot in the sticker or at the sides of the sticker,
and I connect the loop to the butt under the notch. The loop and
spring combined act as a tie leather, never allowing any great space
between the sticker and the notch, the ordinary tie leather or tape
being dispensed with. The position of the loop and spring allow the
hammer to drop freely, answering at the same time the purpose of
keeping the sticker on the cushion at rest, the spring being at its
least tension.
I do not confine myself to the particular mode described of fixing
the loop and spring; sometimes I fix the spring to the butt and the loop
to the sticker, which latter then escapes backwards by the motion
of the lever, and depends for its cushion on a loop fixed to the beam
passing through a hole in the sticker and fastened to an eye.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Brinsmead in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BRINSMEAD, of Wigmore Street, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Sixth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Brinsmead, Her special licence that I,
the said John Brinsmead, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Brinsmead, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION
OF PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Brinsmead, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said

page_text: 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 Brinsmead, 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 the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to an improved action for pianofortes and the
object is mainly to obtain a repeat.
My improvements consist in a particular position and action of a
spring and loop and in forming the hopper or sticker with an incline
at the top which presses on the front of the notch after escapement
has taken place. I connect a spring to the lower part of the hopper,
carry it up and form it at the top into a hook. From the hook I
carry a
loop through a slot in the hopper or at the sides of the
hopper, and I connect the loop to the butt under the notch.
My Invention will be fully understood by the accompanying Drawings
and the following description thereof. Figure 1 represents my improved
action applied to an upright pianoforte the parts being in the position
they occupy when at rest; Figure 2 is a similar view with the parts
in the position they occupy when the hammer strikes the wire; Figure 3
is a similar view with the parts in the position they occupy when
the hopper has moved out of the notch and the hammer has moved
partly back before pressure is removed from the key; Figure 4 is a
view the same as Figure 1, but on a larger scale with some of the
parts in section; Figure 5 is a front view of the hopper detached.
a is the key; c, the key sticker or prolonge; d, the lever; e, the
bracket; f, the beam; g, the damper lever; h, the damper; i, the wire;
j, the hammer; k, the butt; l, the notch of the butt; m, the rail; n, the
hammer rest; o, the check; p, the check wire; q, the escapement; and r,
the cushion for the hopper; all these parts are of the ordinary consruc-
tion. 8 is the hopper which is inclined at the top, the incline pressing
on the front of the notch 6 after escapement has taken place as seen in
Figure 3; is a spring connected to the lower part of the hopper s
and bent at the upper end into a hook u; v is a loop or cord carried
through a slot two in the hopper and connected to the butt k under the

page_text: notch; I prefer to carry it through the butt as shewn in Figure 4
and fix it at the back thereof. The loop and spring t combined act
as a tie leather, never allowing any great space between the hopper
8 and the notch 1, the ordinary tie leather or tape being dispensed with.
The position of the loop and spring t allows the hanmer j to drop
freely, answering at the same time the purpose of keeping the hopper
8 on the cushion at rest, the spring t being at its least tension.
Figure 6 represents my Invention applied to a grand pianoforte.
Letters of reference the same as those in Figures 1 to 5 indicate corres-
ponding parts, this Figure will therefore be understood without further
explanation.
I do not confine myself to the particular mode described of fixing
the loop and spring, sometimes I fix the spring to the butt and the
loop to the hopper as shewn in Figure 7; t is the spring fixed to the
butt k, and is the loop attached to the hopper s; in this case the
hopper escapes backwards by the motion of the lever d and depends
for its cushion on a loop x fixed to the beam through a hole in the
hopper and fastened to an eye y.. The other letters in this Figure
indicate the same parts as corresponding letters in Figures 1 to 5.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as
my "Improvements in the Construction of Pianofortes," the employ-
ment of a spring (t) and loop or cord (v) in combination with an
incline at the top of the hopper or sticker (s), all arranged and acting
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described
and represented in the accompanying Drawings
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brinsmead, have hereunto
set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
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