IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Nicholson Wornum, of Store Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
FORTES."
Sealed the 10th October 1862, and dated the 19th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th April 1862.
I, ALFRED NICHOLSON WORNUM, of Store Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in pianofortes. Horizontal
pianofortes are usually considered to be in many respects preferable to upright
pianofortes, but they have the disadvantage of occupying a much larger space.
Now, according to my Invention, I furnish a horizontal instrument with axes
or trunnions about which it is balanced. The frame receives these axes or
trunnions in suitable bearings, and it is so constructed that the instrument
may be turned about on its trunnions either to bring it into a horizontal
position for use, or to place it in a vertical position, so that when out of use it
may occupy even less space than an ordinary upright instrument.

page_text: My Invention also consists in an improvement on the horizonial pianoforte
action described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and
dated 11th July 1856 (No. 1644.) In this action the key gives motion to
one arm of a bell-crank lever, to the other arm of which the fly or hopper
which acts on the hammer butt, and actuates the hammer, is jointed; the
damper is actuated by a rod passing from the extremity of the arm of the
bell-crank lever, which carries the fly over and above the hammer to another
bell-crank lever, carrying the damper which is thus actuated.
My present improvement consists in bringing the damper action between
the hammer and the string, which I am able to do by attaching a pro-
jecting piece to the bell-crank lever, which is actuated by the key; this pro-
jecting piece is carried by the under side of that arm thereof on which the key
acts, and when the key is depressed it comes in contact with another projecting
piece on a straight lever mounted on a centre at one end and carrying the
damper at the other. The projecting piece on this lever being acted on as
above described, causes the lever to turn on its centre and the damper to be
raised:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Létters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
NICHOLSON WORNUM, of Store Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, 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 Alfred Nicholson Wornüm, Her 'special licence that I, the
said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, my executors, administrators, 'and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, 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 PIANOFORTES," upon
the condition (amongst others)- that I, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum,

page_text: 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 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 Alfred Nicholson Wornum, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in pianofortes. Horizontal
pianofortes are usually considered to be in many respects preferable to upright
pianofortes, but they have the disadvantage of occupying a much larger space.
Now, according to my Invention, I furnish a horizontal instrument with axes
or trunnions about which it is balanced. The frame receives these axes or
trunnions in suitable bearings, and it is so constructed that the instrument
may be turned about on its trunnions, either to bring it into a horizontal
position for use, or to place it in a vertical position, so that when out of use it
may occupy even less space than an ordinary upright instrument.
My Invention also consists in an improvement on the horizontal pianoforte
action described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and
dated 11th July 1856 (No. 1644). In this action the key gives motion to
one arm of a bell-crank lever, to the other arm of which the fly or hopper
which acts on the hammer butt, and actuates the hammer, is jointed; the
damper is actuated by a rod passing from the extremity of the arm of the bell-
crank lever, which carries the fly over and above the hammer to another bell-
crank lever carrying the damper, which is thus actuated.
My present improvement consists in bringing the damper action between'
the hammer and the string, which I am able to do by attaching a projecting
piece to the bell-crank lever, which is actuated by the key. This projecting
piece is carried by the under side of that arm thereof on which the key acts,
and when the key is depressed, it comes. 'in contact with another projecting
piece on a straight lever mounted on a centre at one end and carrying the
damper at the other. The projecting piece on this lever being acted on as
above described, causes the lever to turn on its centre and the damper to be
raised.
And in order that my said 'Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view of a horizontal pianoforte; it is, according to the
first part of my Invention, mounted on axes or trunnions; so that when out of
use it can be turned up into a vertical position, so as to occupy but a very
small space; Figure 2 is a front view of the same instrument; Figure 3 is
a side view of a horizontal pianoforte action constructed according to the
second part of my Invention. This Figure, on account of its length, is shown
divided into two parts, which are drawn on different Sheets.
The action shown at Figure 3 is that which I prefer to employ in the
pianoforte shown at Figures 1 and 2, in which latter Figures a, a, is the frame,
consisting of a base and two uprights; these uprights have metal bearings a
let into them to receive the axes of the instrument case: The bearings a¹ are
conveniently U-formed pieces of metal, with covering pieces hinged on to
them at one end; and at the other capable of being fastened down by a screw.
The axes or trunnions are metal pins fixed on plates of the same material,
which are attached by screws to the sides of the instrument case b, which is
thickened to receive them if requisite.. The case of the instrument is con-
structed like that of an ordinary square pianoforte; when prepared for use it
occupies the position shown in full lines in the Drawing resting on the front
rail a of the frame, and it is there secured by sliding bolts of ordinary con-
struction placed one on each upright of the frame, and which shoot out into
holes in the sides of the case.
The dotted lines in the Drawing shew the case placed vertically, into which
position it may be turned when out of use. c is the pedal for holding off the
dampers from the strings when required; it is connected by a wire d with
the lever e, which turns on a centre at e¹, and has at its further end a
screw f; this, when the case is turned into a horizontal position, projects up
through a hole in the bottom thereof, and comes in contact with the lever g
within the case; this turns on a centre at g¹, and is connected with the damper
rail in a manner herein-after described:
In Figure 3, a is a finger key; b, a bell-crank lever, on which it acts when
depressed; c, the fly or hopper which is thus actuated, and communicates the
motion to the hammer d; e is the string which the hammer strikes. All these
parts correspond with the description given in the Specification of my former
Patent before referred to, except that the wrest plank is now placed in the
position formerly occupied by the hitch pin block, and vice versa. To this, how-
ever, I make no claim, this part of my Invention applying solely to the method of
arranging the dampers, which I will now describe fully. h is a projection from

page_text: the bell-cranked lever b; i is another projection from the damper lever j; this
turns on a centre j' at one end and at the other carries the damper ³, which is
attached at the end of a wire stem j³. When the finger key is depressed the
projection is brought in contact with the projection i, which is thus moved,
and with it the lever j and the damper which it carries is thus raised from
the string just before the hammer strikes it, and the weight of the damper.
lever carries the damper again down on to the string immediately the finger
key is again allowed to rise. The projections h and i are both covered with
soft leather so that no noise may be made by their striking together. By
this arrangement the damper and its lever are brought between the hammer
and the spring, which renders the action very compact. k is a lever mounted
on a centre k at one end; it runs from side to side of the instrument under
the stems of the dampers. At its end furthest from its centre it rests on
the sticker, which is itself supported by the lever g, so that as before-
mentioned, when the treddle c is depressed, the dampers are all lifted.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, hath hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
ALFRED NICHOLSON WORNUM. (L.s.)