IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTE ACTIONS
Year: 1885

page_text: WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE of 94 Camden Street Camden Town in the Parish of
Saint Pancras in the County of Middlesex Pianoforte Maker do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for THE IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTE ACTIONS to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to avoid the noise and friction that occurs in the
guides of pianoforte actions by introducing two levers near top of the stickers
or jacks; one double hinged lever is fastened at the back of the sticker in an
upright or verticle position near the top with its upper end fastened to a horizontal
single hinged lever the other end of which is fastened to the hammer rail; at the
underneath part of the horizontal lever I fix an arm sufficiently long to reach the
regulating pin and button, in order to throw the sticker from under the notch of
the butt and relieve the hammer after the hammer has struck the string.
Dated this 28th day of December 1885
I, WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE, of 94, Camden Street, Camden Town, in the County
of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Heretofore the action of a pianoforte has been provided with a rack, or with a
dowel working in a hole bushed in the sticker, to act as a guide to the set-off or
escapement; but experience shews that these cause friction and noise which after
a little time becomes a serious defect.
Now the object of my invention is to construct a guide for the action by which
all friction and noise is avoided. For this purpose I provide two levers, a vertical
lever hinged top and bottom, and a single hinged horizontal lever. The vertical
lever is hinged at the bottom to a block attached to the back of the sticker, and

page_text: hinged at the top to one end of the horizontal lever, the other end of which is
centred on the hammer rail. The said horizontal lever is furnished with an arm
sufficiently long to reach the regulating hopper pin and button in order to throw
the sticker from under the notch of the hammer butt and relieve the hammer after
the string is struck.
•
I will now proceed to explain my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawing which is to be taken as a part of this Specification and read therewith.
The drawing shews the action at rest. The key A is centred on the pin B in
the ordinary way.
When the key A is depressed the sticker C is actuated and pushed against the
hammer butt D in which it works in the usual well known manner. The sticker C
is provided with a spring P fastened to a loop Q attached to the butt. D, which
spring serves to keep the sticker and butt in correct relation one to the other.
When the sticker is actuated the vertical lever E is raised and lifts the horizontal
lever which works on its centre G; by this action the arm H attached to the
lever F is brought forward and presses against the hopper pin and button J..
The hopper pin and button J being fastened to the sticker C throws the said
sticker from under the notch of the hammer butt D and thus relieves the ham-
mer K from any vibration after it has struck the string L, where the said hammer
is held in check by the two projecting arms M and N until the key A is released
when it returns to the ruler rail O and the action resumes its normal position as
shewn in the drawing.
It will be readily seen that for the purposes of this invention it is immaterial
whether the damper action is above or below the hammer, the essential feature of
this invention being the two levers E and F so arranged that they regulate what
is technically known as the set-off or escapement, and avoid all friction and noise
in so doing.
Having now particularly 'described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
. I claim is
The arrangement of the two levers E and F substantially as and for the purpose
specified, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 27th day of Santamber 1886
WILLIAM HENRY SQUIRE.