IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Brinsmead, of Rathbone Place, in the
County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Brinsmead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
December 1866.
I, HENRY BRINSMEAD, of Rathbone Place, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the "action"
of upright pianofortes, the object of the Invention being to ensure the
escapement of the hammer from the string immediately after the blow is
struck, and prevent it from "blocking" or stopping the vibration of the string
and at the same time to check the hammer and prevent it from vibrating
and repeating the blow as sometimes occurs. With slight modifications the
Invention may be also applied to pianofortes of the horizontal construction.

page_text: In constructing a new "action" on my improved principle I dispense with the
hopper" and allow the lower end of the "sticker" to rest on the rear end
of the key. The upper end of the "sticker" works against a notch
formed in the "butt" of the hammer, and thus the depression of the forward
end of the key throws the hammer forward against the key. From the
"butt" of the hammer projects a forked or slotted finger which embraces a
screwed wire projecting from the "sticker" near the upper end thereof, which
wire is furnished with an adjustable nut or stop. The instant that the
hammer strikes the string the slotted finger comes against this nut or stop
and withdraws the upper end of the sticker from the notch of the "butt"
and allows a spring to draw back the hammer out of the way of the string,
at the same time that an adjustable check or stop (also fixed to the "sticker,"
but on the other side) comes against the lower end of the "butt" and stops
the vibration of the hammer, thus preventing the possibility of its repeating
the blow, however slightly.
In adapting my improved escapement mechanism to the ordinary "action
instead of attaching the slotted or forked finger to the "butt" of the hammer
I attach it to the end of the lever, which is interposed between the lower end
of the "sticker" and the "hopper" in such a manner that it extends down-
wards and embraces a screwed wire passing through the hopper, the said
wire being provided with an adjustable nut or stop, against which the finger
comes at the instant that the hammer strikes the string and thus withdraws
the "hopper" from beneath the lever and allows the hammer to fall
back.
There is also an adjustable check or stop to prevent the vibration of the
hammer after it has fallen back, as in the preceding case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Brinsmead in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BRINSMEAD, of Rathbone Place, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the year of our.
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Henry Briusmead, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Brinsmead,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry 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 Henry Brinsmead, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par.
ticularly 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 Henry 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of the "action"
of upright pianofortes, the object of the Invention being to ensure the
escapement of the hammer from the string immediately after the blow is
struck and prevent it from "blocking" or stopping the vibration of the string
and at the same time to check the hammer and prevent it from vibrating
and repeating the blow, as sometimes occurs. With slight modifications the
Invention may be also applied to pianofortes of the horizontal construction.
In constructing a new "action" on my improved principle I dispense with
the "hopper" and allow the lower end of the "sticker" to rest on the rear end
of the key. The upper part of the "sticker" works against a notch formed
in the "butt" of the hammer, and thus the depression of the forward end
of the key throws the hammer forward against the string. From the "butt"
of the hammer projects a forked or slotted finger, which embraces a screwed
wire projecting from the "sticker near the upper end thereof, which wire
is furnished with an adjustable nut or stop. The instant that the hammer.
strikes the string the slotted finger comes against this nut or stop and with-
draws the upper end of the sticker from. the notch of the "butt" and allows
a spring to draw back the hammer out of the way of the string, at the same
time that an adjustable check or stop (also fixed to the " sticker," but on the
other side) comes against the lower end of the "butt." "and stops the vibra-.

page_text: tion of the hammer, thus preventing the possibility of its repeating the blow,
however slightly; or the adjustable check or stop may be fixed on the finger
and act against the upper end of the "sticker."
"
In adapting my improved escapement mechanism to the ordinary "action
instead of attaching the finger to the "butt" of the hammer I attach it to
the end of the lever, which is interposed between the lower end of the
"sticker" and the "hopper" in such a manner that it extends downwards
and embraces or acts upon a screwed wire connected to the hopper, the said
wire being provided with an adjustable nut or stop, against which the finger
comes at the instant that the hammer strikes the string and thus withdraw the.
"hopper" from beneath the lever and allows the hammer to fall back;
there is also an adjustable check or stop to prevent the vibration of the
hammer after it has fallen back, as in the preceding case.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in the Construction of Pianofortes "I will now proceed to describe more in
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect. And in order that the same may be distinctly understood
I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing is a side view of my improved piano-
forte action, as I propose to arrange it when making a new instrument.
a, a, is the key lever, upon the rear end of which the lower end of the
sticker b, b, rests (the intermediate hopper being dispensed with as before
mentioned), the upper end of the said sticker b, b, works against a notch
formed in the butt of the hammer c, c, and thus the depression of the forward
end of the key a, a, with the finger (or otherwise) throws the hammer c, c,
forward, and causes it to strike the string d, d. Simultaneously with this
movement the slotted finger e, e, attached to the butt of the hammer c, c,
comes against the adjustable nut or stop f on the screwed wire g attached near
the upper end of the sticker 6, b, and withdraws the upper end of the said
sticker from the notch in the butt of the hammer c, c, and allows the
spring h, h, to instantaneously withdraw the hammer from the string into the
position shown in dotted lines, so as to allow full vibration to the string d, d,
at the same time that the adjustable check or stop i, i, attached to the
finger e, e, comes against the upper end of the hammer c, c. On removing
the finger from the key a, a, the several parts immediately fall into their
original position, the spring k, k, drawing the upper end of the sticker b, b,
under the notch in the butt of the hammer c, c.

page_text: Figure 2 in the annexed Drawing shows the way in which I propose to
adapt my Invention to existing pianoforte actions.
a, a, is the key; b, b, the sticker; c, c, the hammer; d, d, the string; e, e,
the finger; f, the adjustable nut or stop, and i, i, the adjustable check; as the
upper end of the sticker is jointed to the butt by a piece of chamois leather
in the usual manner the springs h and k are not required. The lower end of
the sticker rests upon a lever l, l, which is interposed between it and the
hopper m, m, the said hopper being connected to the rear end of the key
lever a, a, in the ordinary manner. In this case instead of attaching the
finger e, e, to the butt of the hammer c, c, I connect it to the lever 1, 1, (as
seen in Figure 2) and I connect the check stop i, i, with the hopper. In all
other respects the construction and action of this arrangement are the same
as described with reference to Figure 1.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
Improvements in the Construction of Pianofortes," together with the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the improvements in the construction of pianofortes, substantially as abovo
described and represented by the Drawings annexed, and especially I claim
the arrangement for securing the immediate escapement of the hammer
from the strings, and for checking the hammer and preventing its re-
bounding.
In witness whereof, I, the said Heury Brinsmead, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
HENRY BRINSMEAD. (L.S.)