Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
Шапцал
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I, JOHN EDWARD MINNS, of 32, North Street, Taunton, in the County of
Somerset, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to pianofortes and the like, and has for its object to
provide an instrument of this class which shall be suitable for performing or
practising organ music, and which shall be capable of producing a considerable
variety of tone.
The chief obstacles to the use of an ordinary pianoforte for the performance
or practise of organ music, are formed on the absence; first, of a second manual,
so that a performer cannot play a solo on one keyboard, and accompany it on
another with a different quality of tone, and, secondly, of the pedal clavier or
keyboard on which the bass is played, the music for which is usually written on
a separate staff below the ordinary treble and bass staves. In order somewhat to
meet these difficulties a set of pedals, similar to organ pedals, have been con-
nected to the keys of an ordinary pianoforte, and by this means an instrument
which is suitable enough for the mere mechanical practice of some technical
studies, is obtained.
Organ music cannot, however, be performed on these instruments in a manner
to afford pleasure to any cultivated car, or with anything like a correct rendering,
because of the difficulties already named, and furthermore because the notes
which are played by the pedals are produced from the ordinary pianoforte string,
and will in general be an octave higher in pitch than the composer intended, or
otherwise coupled to notes an octave below the proper position.
My new invention consists of two manuals or keyboards for the notes, and one
pedal clavier or keyboard, and each of the three keyboards has its separate and
independent set of strings tuned to correspond with those of an ordinary pipe
organ. Each keyboard has its distinct action, and I provide couplers by means
of which the two manuals can be coupled together, or either or both can be
coupled to the pedals. By means of a stop the pedals can be easily detached from
their own independent sixteen feet scale, and can then be coupled to the lower
manual for a pedal solo" of eight feet pitch and accompanied on the swell or
upper manual. The two sets of strings for the manuals are arranged parallel
to each other, and in the case of an upright pianoforte one set will be at the back
and the other at the front of the soundboard or soundboards.
"
The set of strings for the pedals, I prefer to locate in the same plane as one
of the sets for the manuals, so that one soundboard only is required for two sets
of strings, but a third soundboard specially arranged for the pedal strings may
be provided if desired. By this means, a musical part can be played
on the
pedals altogether independent of the manuals and of the proper 16 feet pitch.
In order to obtain a reliable coupling of the manuals to the pedals, and an
absolutely firm note from the pedals even in the most rapid use, I have devised
an improved resilient mechanism for use in the pedal clavier action, the couplers,

page_text: "
and other movements; the main feature of which consists in making the back-
falls or keys etc. act through a spring, either preferably by slitting their sub-
stance or by adding a metal or other elastic spring, and then so arranging the
centres of the actions that a very small movement of the pedal-key or coupler,
suffices to sound the note, the remainder of its action being lost motion. By
the use of three sets of strings I can obtain great variety and brilliance of
tone, and I further provide for a considerable crescendo or diminuendo effect by
using a combination of the "Venetian" swell device common in pipe organs with
a modification of the "Celeste soft pedal device common in upright pianofortes.
In carrying this out I enclose the set of strings belonging to one of the manuals.
which may or may not include the pedal strings also, in a swell box and also
provide a strip of felt for interposing between the hammers and the strings.
The louvres or flaps are opened and shut, by means of a suitable swell pedal, and
at the same time, the strip of felt is moved from, or, interposed between the
hammers and the strings. This arrangement can also be applied to the other
manual if desired, being operated by a separate second swell pedal. The strip
of felt is made of gradually varying thickness, so that the force with which the
strings are caused to vibrate depends on the position of the strip with reference
to the hammers. By this means when the swell box is shut and the strip of
felt interposed an extreme pianissimo effect can be produced, and the sound can
be made louder by very radual stages, until when the manuals are coupled
together and the swell box fully opened an exceedingly loud tone is obtained.
It will be seen therefore that by the use of the combined swell and "Celeste
effects, the range of the instrument is very considerably increased, and the instru-
ment is enabled to be used not only for adequately practising organ music, but
also for performing the same in an artistic manner.
"
11
201
.
1000
I, JOHN EDWARD MINNS, of 32, North Street, Taunton, in the County of
Somerset, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
My invention relates to pianofortes and the like, and has for its object to
provide an instrument of this class which shall be suitable for performing or
practising organ music, and which shall be capable of producing a considerable
variety of tone.
My new instrument consists of two manuals or key-boards for the notes.
and one pedal clavier or key-board, and each of the three key-boards has its
separate and independent set of strings tuned to correspond with those of an
ordinary pipe organ.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed
to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of my instrument.
Figure 2 is a detail view shewing the action of keys, including the "swell
to great" coupler,

page_text: Figure 3 is a detail view of the mechanism operating the lower end of the
jack of the "great" action at the back.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the pedal action back fall.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the "great" soundboard and framing on which
the strings for the notes of the pedals are independently arranged.
"
In Figure 1, A is a key of the lower or "great" manual, while B is a key
of the upper or swell manual as in the ordinary pipe organ. The key-tail of
the swell key B operates the jack C of the ordinary piano check section D,
for the strings E which are arranged on the "swell" soundboard F supported
by the iron framing G.
ول
The "great" soundboard is in the case of an upright pianoforte conveniently
arranged at the back as shewn at F, Figure 1, and parallel to the "swell
soundboard, the space between the two soundboards, separated by the bracing H,
forming a sound chamber. The "great" soundboard F is secured in the usual
way, to the bracings H, and the strings El are arranged upon it, adjacent to
the ordinary piano check action 1 operated by the jack C which is worked from
the "great" key A in, the following manner: The end of a pivoted lever I rests
on the end of the key-tail of the "great" key A, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2,
and to said lever I is attached the great action tracker the lower end of
which operates one of the co-operating splayed backfalls K, L, causing the
sticker M resting on the back end of the backfall L to actuate the jack C¹. The
manner in which the jack C is actuated by the sticker M is clearly shewn in
Figure 3. The end of the sticker M slides in the register N, its motion therein
being limited by the wood collar fastened on said sticker, and the adjustable
screw on the register N. The end of the free lever Q rests on the end of the
sticker M and at the same time supports the lower end of the jack C', whereby
the motion of the sticker is communicated to said jack.
The pedal clavier is arranged as shewn in Figure 1, where R is a pedal of said
clavier. The end of said pedal rests on the cushion $ on the splayed pedal action
back fall T, also shewn in Figure 4, where its back end is shewn divided so as
to form a resilient part U, to which the lower end of the sticker V is attached,
the other end of said sticker being arranged to actuate the pedal action, in the
same manner as the sticker M actuates the "great" action, see Figures 1
and 3.
Figure 5 shews the "great" sound board and framing, upon which the strings
for the 30 notes of the pedals are independently arranged. The total number
of notes on this soundboard is 91, riz. 61 for the five octaves of manual keys C-C
inclusive, and 30 for the pedal clavier CCC to F. The strings are arranged
as follows:
1st. One octave of notes C C C to B B which are used on the pedals only, as
they are an octave below (in pitch) the manual keys. These are not shewn in
Figure 5.
2nd. The notes of pedal and manual are placed alternately until the remaining
18 pedal notes are completed, when the manual strings follow on consecutively in
the usual manner. On Figure 5 the strings of four notes, two of the pedals and
two of the manual, are shewn diagrammatically. Thus after the first octave
(12 notes, with semitones) of the pedal independent lowest octave, which is not
indicated on the figure but would be to the right of those shewn, two strings a
are placed giving the note C C of the pedals, the next two strings d give the
same sound C C but are played only by the manual. Similarly the next two
strings a form the note C C on the pedals only, the next two strings give the
note C C on the manual only and so on until the pedal notes are complete. It
will thus be seen that the ordinary piano check-action used to play the great and
pedal has 91 hammers etc. which are all fitted into one frame in the usual manner
A third soundboard especially arranged for the pedal strings may be provided
if desired. By these means, a musical part can be played on the pedals altogether
independent of the manuals and of the proper 16 feet pitch,

page_text: Each keyboard has its distinct action, and I provide couplers by means of
which the two manuals can be coupled together or either or both can be coupled
to the pedals. W Figure 2 is the "swell to great" coupler, pivoted to the
beam X by means of which it can be thrown "in" and "out" of action. Said
"swell to great" coupler rests on and obtains motion from the lever I, com-
municating motion to the keytail of the key B when inaction under the
block which serves to regulate the motion by means of the screw Z. Figures 1
and 2 shew the "great to pedal" sticker e, on the upper end of which the resilient
part of the great keytail A rests. My improved resilient mechanism may be
applied with advantage to the couplers and other movements as well as to the
pedal clavier action: the main feature of said resilient action consisting in
making the back falls or keys etc. act through a spring, introduced either pre-
ferably by slitting their substance as shewn in Figure 2, or by adding a metàl
or other elastic spring and then so arranging the centres of the actions that
a very small movement of the pedal key or coupler, suffices to sound the note,
the remainder of its action being lost motion. The advantage of the resilient
action may be understood when it is considered that if the " great to pedal"
stickere had an ordinary key tail to act on, and the "swell to great" coupler
were drawn into action, it would not be possible to regulate it so as absolutely
to ensure that the "swell" hammer would strike so as to give the note. By
my resilient arrangement the sticker e moves through a space nearly double that
through which the key can move, and thus gives it such a movement as- takes
up all movements at the centres, want of regulation etc. and the " coupling" is
always certain with a good firm note. The resilient action possesses these
advantages wherever it occurs in my instrument.
By means of a stop the pedals can be easily detached from their own inde-
pendent sixteen feet scale, and can then be coupled to the lower manual for a
'pedal solo" of eight feet pitch and accompanied on the swell or upper manual
In order that the "great or back piano (including the pedal set of strings)
may be tuned from the front. I adopt the arrangement shewn in Figure 1,
where is the wrest plank of the front swell framing and his the wrest plank
of the "great" framing at the back. The wrest plank extends higher than
the front wrest plank so that the wrest-pins ii of the "great" sound board can
extend through to the front of the instrument above the wrest-pins kk of the
swell sound board, their front ends passing through the supplementary plank 7.
It is to be understood that instead of the ordinary piano check actions D, DI,
I may employ electric electro-pneumatic or pneumatic actions, either of which
can be successfully applied where cost is no consideration. By employing the
electrical or electro-pneumatic actions the notes may be sustained as long as the
When the
keys are depressed and perfect uniformity of touch may be obtained.
electrical action is used, an electric motor rapidly revolves a roller, which upon
depressing a key communicates a very rapid reciprocating motion to the hammer
as long as the key is held down, giving the effect of a continuous note. When
the electro-pneumatic action is used the same effect is produced by the rapid
vibration of a pneumatic-motor connected to the hammer that strikes the strings;
an electric motor being employed in this case to supply the wind required. In
these electrical actions, the couplings are effected by the usual forms of electrical
contacts.
By the use of three sets of strings I can obtain great variety and brilliance of
tone and I further provide for a considerable crescendo or diminuendo effect by
using a combination of the Venetian" swell device common in pipe organs with
a modification of the Celeste" soft pedal device common in upright pianofortes.
In carrying this out I enclose the set of strings belonging to one of the manuals,
"swell" box m,
which may or may not include the pedal strings also, in a
Figure 1, and also provide a strip of felt for interposing simultaneously between
the hammers and the strings. The louvres or flaps are opened and shut, by
means of a suitable swell pedal p and at the same time the strip of felt is moved

page_text: from or interposed between the hammers and the strings. This arrangement can
also be applied to the other manual if desired, being operated by a separate
second swell peual. The strip of felt is made of gradually varying thickness,
so that the force with which the strings are caused to vibrate depends on the
position of the strip with reference to the hammers. By this means when the
swell box. is shut and the strip of felt interposed an extreme pianissimo effect can
be produced, and the sound can be made louder by very gradual stages, until
when the manuals are coupled together and the swell box fully opened an
exceedingly loud tone is obtained. It will be seen therefore that by the use of
the combined swell and "Celeste" effects, the range of the instrument is very
considerably increased, and the instrument is enabled to be used not only for
adequately practising organ music, but also for performing the same
artistic manner.
in an
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A pianoforte consisting of two manuals and a pedal clavier, each provided
with a separate and independent action and a set of strings, either with or
without coupling devices for connecting the actions together as and when desired,
substantially as described.
2. In a pianoforte, a manual and a pedal clavier each provided with a com-
plete set of strings arranged on a common sound board, substantially as described.
3. In a pianoforte of the kind described in Claim 1 the combination of a
"Venetian swell device with a Celeste" soft pedal device, substantially as
described.
4. In a pianoforte of the kind described in Claim 1, a resilient mechanism for
use in the pedal clavier action, the couplers and other movements, in which the
backfalls, keys and the like act through a spring, introduced preferably by
slitting their substance, substantially as and for the purpose described.
5. A pianoforte constructed substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 9th dar of February 1900
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.