A NOVEL INSTRUMENT FOR EXERCISING THE THIRD FINGER, AND THEREBY FACILITATING THE PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Prangley, of Salisbury, in the County of
Wilts, Professor of Music, for the Invention of "A NOVEL INSTRUMENT
FOR EXERCISING THE THIRD FINGER, AND THEREBY FACILITATING THE PLAYING
UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 8th April 1856, and dated the 16th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Prangley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1856.
1, WILLIAM PRANGLEY, of Salisbury, in the County of Wilts, Professor of
Music, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for A NOVEL
INSTRUMENT FOR EXERCISING THE THIRD FINGER, AND THEREBY FACILITATING THE
PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for increasing the mus-
cular power of the third finger of the human hand, and thereby to economize
the time and patience of pianoforte players by rendering unnecessary so much
practice on that instrument as is now required to attain a given amount
of proficiency in fingering. To this end 1 construct a forked shield or frame,
and fit it on the back of the hand, holding it firmly there by means of strap
or band which passes round the wrist, and by passing the second and fourth
fingers through loops or cots attached to the forked extremities of the shield.
Upon this shield or frame I mount a spring lever (which I prefer to form. with

page_text: a helical termination at its fulcrum end), and to the forward end of this lever I
attach a loop to receive the third finger. The contractile power of the spring
will have the effect of raising the third finger, (which is naturally the weakest,)
whilst the second and fourth are kept down by the shield; and the player by
alternately drawing down the third finger, and letting it rise with the spring
lever, will be able to keep the muscles in motion while pursuing any indifferent
occupation, and thereby ultimately to obtain great facility in fingering.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Prangley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PRANGLEY, of Salisbury, in the County of Wilts, Professor of Music, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Prangley, Her special license that I, the said William
Prangley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Prangley, 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 "A
NOVEL INSTRUMENT FOR EXERCISING THE THIRD FINGER, AND THEREBY FACILITATING
THE PLAYING UPON MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Prangley, 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 Prangley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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) :-

page_text: The object of this Invention is to provide a means for exercising the third
finger of the human hand, so as to increase its muscular power, and economize
the time and patience of pianoforte or harp players, by rendering unnecessary
so much practice on those instruments as is now required to attain a given
amount of proficiency in fingering. To this end I construct for both the right
and left hand a forked shield or frame to fit over the back of the hand, and
cover the knuckles of the second and fourth finger. By means of a strap or
band which passes round the wrist I secure the shield or frame in position.
The two prongs of the forked frame carry each a metal loop or ring, to which
cots are attached to receive the second and fourth fingers, which further assist
in keeping the frame in position on the hand. Upon this shield' or frame I
mount a spring lever (which I prefer to form with a helical termination at its
fulcrum end), and to the forward end of this lever I attach a loop to receive
the third finger. The contractile power of the spring will have the effect of
raising the third finger, (which is naturally the weakest,) while the second and
fourth are kept down by the shield; and the player by alternately drawing
down the third finger and lettting it rise with the spring lever will be able to
keep the muscles in motion while pursuing any indifferent occupation, and
thereby ultimately to obtain great proficiency in fingering.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel
instrument; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is an end view.
a, a, is an arched frame of metal padded on its under side to fit close to the
back of the hand. At its forward end this frame has two prolongations b, b, to
each of which is jointed a ring c, carrying a cot or tube of leather to receive
respectively the second and fourth fingers. Rigidity is thus imposed on these
fingers, while the third finger is left free. Rivetted to the back of the frame
is a bracket bearing d, which is intended to carry a spring lever e. This lever
at its outer end is furnished with a series of holes to receive a pin for attaching
a ring thereto. The lever terminates at its rear end in a coil, which is con-
nected (see the detached view, Fig. 4) with a cam piece or boss 9 affixed to a
centre pin, which is itself fixed in the bracket bearing d. A strap h, attached
to the frame, laps round the wrist for the purpose of securing the frame in
position. In this strap eyelet-holes are made, which take on to a fixed pin i
on the frame, and thus allow for fitting the instrument to various sizes of
hand. The third finger, which I have mentioned as being left free, is inserted
into the ring f, (shewn detached at Figs. 5,) carried by the spring lever, and
the lever having a tendency given to it to retain an elevated position, it will
put an upward elastic pressure on the finger contained in the ring.
It will now be understood, that a person desirous of increasing the strength

page_text: or muscular freedom of action of the weak finger of either or both hands, will,
while engaged in any indifferent or mental occupation, be enabled by the use
of this construction of instrument to exercise such finger or fingers, it only
being necessary to depress or draw down the weak finger by the action of the
muscles to the dotted position of Fig. 1, and then, allow it to be raised by the
elastic force of the spring-to the drawn position. A repetition of this action
for five, ten, or fifteen minutes daily, for a few weeks, will enable a performer
to strike the keys of the pianoforte with firmness and precision, equally with
one finger as the other. I would remark, that it is not absolutely necessary to
use a metal spring lever for raising the finger to be exercised, as a spring of
vulcanized india-rubber, or a pendent metal spring, might be employed with
like effect;. a suitable point of support being provided for such spring on the
frame attached to the performer's hand.
Having now set forth the nature and object of my Invention of a novel
instrument for exercising the third finger, and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim the means herein described, or any mere modi-
fication thereof, for offering an elastic resistance to the action of the muscles of
the third or weak finger of either hand, and thereby imparting. increased
mechanical facilities to performers on certain kinds of musical instruments.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Prangley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
G6, Chancery Lane.
WM PRANGLEY. (L.B.)