IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION OR APPLICABLE TO PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, AND HARMONIUMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to "James Ellis, of Bradford, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st March 1875.
I, JAMES ELLIS, of Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of tho said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, AND HARMONIUMS," to be as follows :-
-
The object of this Invention is to construct pianofortes, organs,
harmoniums, and other similar keyed instruments in such manner that
music may be transposed mechanically or without mental effort on
the part of the performer or necessity of writing the piece to be
transposed in the required key. This I effect by mounting the keys on
a keyboard capable of sliding longitudinally or endwise. On the under
side of the keyboard is a stud passing through a slot in one end of a
.

page_text: lever hinged at about its centre, on the other end of which lever is a
catch or tooth capable of entering any of a series of notches formed in a
suitably placed segment plate. The notches in the plate correspond with
the number of keys or notations used in writing music, that for the
natural key or C being by preference in the centre. By moving the
lever a notch in either direction a piece written in the natural key may
be played with the same effect as if written in either D or Bb, and so on
throughout the scale. As it is important that in removing the keys there
should be no obstructions, I obviate the danger of a key being accidentally
put down by means of a bar extending across the keys near to the
"hoppers" from end to end of the instrument, which bar is sufficiently
above the keys not to interfere with them when in position for playing,
but which is caused to bear on the ends thereof as soon as it is attempted
to lift the catch out of the segment plate for the purpose of moving the
keys sideways. I also employ a tightly stretched cord or straight edge
for supporting the hoppers should any breakage take place in that part
of the action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ELLIS, of Bradford, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Ellis, Her
special licence that I, the said James Ellis, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Ellis, 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 OR APPLICABLE TO PIANOFORTES, ORGANS, AND HARMONIUMS,”

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Ellis, 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 James Ellis, 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 and accompanying 2 Sheets of Drawings, that is to
say :-
The object of this Invention is to construct pianofortes, organs,
harmoniums, and other similar keyed instruments in such manner that
music may be transposed mechanically or without mental effort on the
part of the performer, or the necessity of writing the piece to be
transposed in the required key. This I effect by mounting the keys on
a keyboard made either of wood or metal, capable of sliding longi-
tudinally or endwise. On the under side of the keyboard is a stud
passing through a slot in one end of a lever hinged at about its centre,
on the other end of which lever is a catch tooth or stop capable of
entering any of a series of notches formed in a suitably placed segment
plate. The notches in the plate correspond with the number of keys or
notations used in writing music, that for the natural key or C being by
preference in the centre. By moving the lever a notch in either direction
a piece written in the natural key may be played with the same effect as
if written in either D or Bb, and so on throughout the scale. As it is
important that in moving the keys there should be no obstruction, I
obviate the danger of a key being accidentally put down by means of a
bar extending across the keys near to the "hoppers" from end to end of
the instrument, which bar is sufficiently above the keys not to interfere
with them when in position for playing, but which is caused to bear on
the ends thereof so soon as it is attempted to lift the catch out of the
segment plate for the purpose of moving the keys sideways. I also
employ a tightly stretched steel cord or straight edge for supporting the
hoppers should any breakage take place in that part of the action.
In order that this Invention may be more fully understood, I herein give
reference to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings marked with figures

page_text: and letters of reference, the same letters referring to the same parts in
the various views or Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the keyboard of a piano with my
improvements attached; Fig. 2 is a plan view of same; Figs. 3 and 4
details.
A are the keys which are mounted upon the moveable bed B capable
of sliding endwise in the framework C. It will be seen that the frame-
work is longer than the keyboard by an octave, which allows of the
keyboard being moved to that extent. This movement of the keyboard
is effected by means of the lever D mounted upon the stud E fixed under
the framework. In the other end of this lever is a slot F through which
passes a stud G fixed to the keyboard; by turning the lever head in one
direction the keyboard is moved in the opposite one. As it is important
that the keys should be perfectly level during the traverse of the key-
board, I cause the bar H to descend upon the ends of the koys near the
hoppers before the keyboard is moved. To do this I make the lever D
double jointed (the second joint being at d), and fix thereto by arms a
segment or quadrant J which extends over a pulley K attached to a
rod L connected by links M to the bar H. The pulley K is attached by
slotted plate k to the bar L, so that it can be raised or lowered as
required according to the vertical movement of the quadrant. Before
moving the keyboard it is necessary to raise the catch tooth or stop e on
the lever D out of the notched segment plate N, and in so doing the
segment or quadrant J is lowered, depressing the pulley K and rod L,
and bringing down the bar H upon the keys. To prevent this bar
bearing too forcibly upon the keys I fix stop pieces Z to the framework
through which the links M pass, and on these links I place lock nuts a
which can be regulated to the amount of pressure which it is desired to
exert upon the keys. When the handle D is moved endwise the
quadrant J moves over the pulley K in a horizontal plane, keeping the
pulley in the same position throughout the motion.
As soon as
the endwise movement has been effected and the lever replaced in the
proper notch, the pressure upon the pulley K is removed and the bar H
lifted by means of the springs p. The strength of the springs can be
regulated by means of the brackets 6 being moved higher or lower, so
that the bar H may be lifted to the required height above the keys.
Q is a steel cord extending underneath the hoppers and stretched by set
screws n, so that should one of the hoppers become misplaced the cord

page_text: will prevent it from falling and so interfering with the other parts during
a movement. Instead of a cord in some instances a straight edge can
be applied. The signs on the segment plate indicate the key in which
the piano is set, and these signs correspond with those on the plate R.
Or the music may all be written in the natural key and figured from 1
to 12, corresponding with the figures on the plate according to the key
or pitch in which it should be played. In the Drawing the piano is
shewn set in the natural key, which I place in the central position
on the segment plate.
In pianos in which the keyboard is moved by means of the "soft”
pedal I arrange the foundation plate R*, so that it can oscillate upon the
stud r to the extent of the slots S. The lever D being fixed to the plate
moves along with it, carrying the keyboard. The pedal and foundation
plate are connected by the usual levers attached to the arm T of the
plate.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and shewn by
Drawings how the same is to be performed or carried into practice, I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
detail of construction or arrangement as herein shewn and described,
as the same may be indefinitely altered according to the different actions
of the various instruments to which it may be applied, but what I claim
as my Invention and consider to be new is the means or apparatus herein
shewn, whereby the keyboard can be moved longitudinally to the
required distance, together with the apparatus for the prevention of
breakages or obstructions during the process, substantially as shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Ellis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August, in the year