CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, of Glossop, in the
County of Derby, Musical Instrument Makers, for the Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Shaw and Edwin
Shaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 9th October 1856.
We, JOHN SHAW and EDWIN SHAW, of Glossop, in the County of Derby,
Musical Instrument Makers, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to procure two separate and distinct sounds,
a flat and a sharp, by the tooth of each of the black or semitone keys of
pianofortes, organs, harmoniums, &c. This is effected by using in organs two
pipes, in harmoniums two reeds, and iu pianofortes two strings (unisons being
counted as one) for each black or semitone key. These two pipes, reeds, or
strings, are tuned one a little "sharper" than the other, so that one pipe, reed,
or string, will be a sharp" to the white note or natural next below it, and
the other pipe, string, or reed will be a "flat" to the "natural" above.
Now, our Invention .consists in the application, employment, or use of

page_text: certain suitable mechanism adapted to effect the above purpose, which.
mechanism (when the improvement applied to harmoniums and other like
instruments) consists of an arrangement of levers in connection with a
horizontal rod or rods, upon which are secured certain stops or fingers, which
are brought down upon (or underneath if so preferred) the "- tongues" or
"reeds" of either the sharps and flats when not required to sound. by means of
a pedal or other projection actuated by the knees, hands, or feet. When
applied to pianofortes, this combination of rod and stops are not employed, as the
"hammers" in such instruments are caused to move so as to strike the extra
strings by an arrangement of the ordinary "pedal motion;" or the like result
may be obtained by other equivalent means, by which all the black or semi-
tone keys can be put in connection with either of the two pipes, reeds, or
strings aforesaid, so that at pleasure, by the movement of a pedal, &c., all the
black or semitone keys may be made to elicit all "flats" or all " sharps."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th April 1857..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
SHAW and EDWIN SHAW, of Glossop, in the County of Derby, Musical Instru-
ment Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by: Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of October; in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, Her especial license that we, the
said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, our 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 ex-
pressed, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES,
ORGANS, HARMONIUMS, AND OTHER SIMILAR KEYED INSTRUMENTS," upon the con-
dition, amongst others, that we, the said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, by an
instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: 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 we, the said John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention is to procure two separate and distinct sounds,
a flat and a sharp, by the touch or pressure of each of the black or semitone
keys of pianofortes, organs, harmoniums &c. This is effected by employing
in organs two pipes, in harmoniums two reeds, and in pianofortes two strings
(unisons being counted as one) for each black or semitone key. These two
pipes, reeds, or strings are tuned one a little "sharper" than the other, so that
one pipe, reed, or string will be a "sharp" to the white note next below it,
and the other pipe, string, or reed, will be a "flat" to the natural note next
above it.
Now, our Invention consists in the application, employment, or use of
certain suitable mechanism adapted to effect the above purpose, which
mechanism (when the improvement is applied is applied to harmoniums or
other like instruments) consists of an arrangement of levers in connection with
a horizontal rod or rods, upon which are secured certain stops or fringes, which
are brought down upon (or underneath if preferred) the "tongues" or "reeds"
of either the sharps or flats when not required to sound by means of a pedal
or other projection actuated by the knees, hands, or feet. When applied to
pianofortes, this combination of rods and stops are not employed, as the
"hammers" in such instruments, are caused to move so as to strike the extra
strings by an arrangement of the ordinary "pedal motion;" or the like result
may be obtained by other equivalent means by which all the black or semitone
keys can be put in connection with either of the two pipes, reeds, or strings
aforesaid, so that at. pleasure, by the movement of a pedal, &c., all the black or
semitone keys may be made to clicit "flats" or all "sharps." In order that
these improvements may be better understood and explained in detail, we have
bereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about the real sizo.
Fig. 1 is illustrative of the application of this Invention to upright piano-
fortes; the tuning pins and strings of one octave, from C to C inclusive, are
therein shewn, there being, as herein-before mentioned, strings for both flats
and sharps, making five more strings or unisons in the octave than usual, but
only the usual number of hammers are employed. In Fig. 1 the upper line
extending from A to A represents in section the positions of the hammers on

page_text: the strings when playing in sharps; when the hammers are moved to the right
(by a similar arrangement of mechanism to that employed for the soft pedal
motion in ordinary pianofortes, they will then occupy the lateral position
indicated by the lower line extending from B to B, and will then play in flats.
The faces of the hammers striking the sharps and flats are narrower than those
'for the natural notes, so that the narrower hammers can be transferred from
sharp to flat or from flat to sharp, while the broader hammers still strike the
same natural notes. All the strings in unison will require to be as close
together on the bridges as they can be placed without touching each other in
'vibration.
.
Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are illustrative of the application of this improvement to
harmoniums, in which Figures the same letters of reference indicate the same
parts. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reeds or vibrators of one octave, C to C
inclusive, as they appear when the instrument is opened for the purpose of
tuning, &c. Fig. 3 shews two of these reeds, G# and Ab, in section, and also
that part of the harmonium in which they are enclosed and into which the
wind from the bellows has free access; this view also shews the manner in
which communication with the black keys is transferred from the sharps to
flats, and vice versa. The stoppers A, A, are formed of wood covered on the
sides next the reeds with leather, and having also small pieces of leather
between the stoppers and small cylinders B, B. C, C, is a moveable wooden
'frame, extending all the way round the inside of the case, and kept in its
place by clasps. Into the sides of the frame C, C, are inserted coiled wire
or other springs S, S, which pass through the cylinders B, B, and have a
tendency to spring them upwards, so as to keep the stoppers A, A, closed on
the reeds to prevent them sounding. E is a metallic rod or shaft, extending
the whole length of the case, and oscillating or rocking in steps or bearings
fitted to each end of the wooden frame C, C. The wire arms D, D, are firmly
secured on to the upper side of the roller E, and bent at the ends, so as to hook
over the springs S, S. Each harmonium constructed upon this plan will
require as many of the stoppers A, A, and the apparatus attached as there are
black or semitone notes on the instrument. The tappets F, G, are firmly fixed
on to the lower side of the rod E, into the ends of which tappets the screws
H, I, are inserted. The metallic rod J, J, projects through the front of the
case, and passes transversely to the inside back of the case, and is kept in its
place by the collar K; this rod is furished with horizontal tappets or arms at
right angles and in opposite directions at L, T; on the projecting end of this
rod is fixed the lever M, M, which is placed conveniently to be worked by the
knee of the player. N, N, is the case enclosing the reeds and the mechanism

page_text: employed therein. O, O, is the wind passage from the reeds; and P, P, are
the lever and valve, which are arranged as in the ordinary construction of har-
moniums. Fig. 4 is a plan view, shewing part of the mechanical apparatus
shewn in section in Fig. 3. The lever M being moved to the right by the
knee, the extremity of the arm L will be elevated, which touching the screw H
elevates the arm F, also the arm D, until the hook at the end thereof quits the
spring S in connection with the stopper to Ab, allowing the stopper to rise under
the reed Ab, thus preventing the Ab reed from sounding; the other end of the
arm D being at the same time depressed, the hook at its extremity catches the
other spring S, depressing the stopper from the reed G, allowing it to sound
when the proper key is touched. When the lever M is moved to the left, the
arm T will be elevated, the whole process will be reversed, causing the
Greed to be closed and stopped from sounding, and the Ab again opened and
allowed to sound.
Figs. 5 and 6 are illustrative of the adaptation of this Invention to organs.
The organ is to be furnished with two pipes for each black or semitone key, as
before mentioned; such keys may be connected with either the flats or sharps
by having two rows of keys, one directly over the other, the lower row being
connected with the valves of the organ, and having as many keys as there are
different sounds, the keys for each natural note being the same breadth as the
two keys employed for a sharp and flat together. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of
the two rows of keys, taken about the middle of the semitone keys, each of the
natural keys of the upper row having a pin projecting downwards (as shewn),
and each semitone key in the same row to have two such pins, one a little
behind the other (as shewn in Fig. 6), the upper row of keys to be so fitted
as to slide a little from left to right and back again, so that the pins on the
black keys can be made to press either on the sharp or flat keys below. The
ends of the lower semitones overlap each other, and are cut into inclined
planes, as in Fig. 6, so that the pressure of any black key can be transferred
from flat to sharp, or vice versâ, while the black key is held down. In Fig. 5
the upper or playing keys are represented as moved to the left extremity, the
pins of the upper natural notes being over the left edges of the natural notes
below, and the front pins in the upper semitone keys bearing upon the sharps
below, the keys being in position to play in sharps. On the upper keys being
moved to the right, the pins in the upper natural notes will bear on the right
edges of the naturals below, and the back pin of the upper semitone key will
bear on the flat below, the keys being then in position to play in flats.
We would hero remark, first, that we do not confine ourselves to any number
of black or semitone keys, whether affected or unaffected by a pedal or pedals,

page_text: so that the same effect is produced, and also that in harmoniums the reeds may
be so placed that the sharps, flats, and naturals may be separated and enclosed
within compartments, the connection being transferred by a mechanical
arrangement similar to that employed in the stops of ordinary harmoniums,
and which may be, actuated by the hand, knee, or foot of the player.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, we wish
it to be distinctly understood, that we claim as our Invention the changing of
the sounds elicited by the touch or pressure upon the black or semitone keys of
pianofortes, harmoniums, organs, &c., from flats to, sharps and vice versa, by
means of pedals or other convenient mechanism, as herein-before described, or
any slight, modification; or variation of the same arrangement.
In witness whereof, we, the, said, John Shaw and Edwin Shaw, have here-
unto set our hands, and seals, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN SHAW.
9
(L.S.)
EDWIN SHAW. (L.S.)