IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Johnson, of Ivy Cottage, Kennington
Oval, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 3rd October 1866, and dated the 5th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th April 1866.
I, BENJAMIN JOHNSON, of Ivy Cottage, Kennington Oval, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a former Patent
granted to me, the said Benjamin Johnson, and bearing date the 31st day
of July, A.D. 1863, numbered 1897, under the title of "Improvements in
Pianofortes," and the prescut Invention consists, first, in combining a flute
sound accompaniment with a harmonium or organ sound accompaniment,
or to combine a flute sound accompaniment in the treble with a pianoforte
accompaniment in the bass.
The following are examples of the means by which the above objects may
be accomplished. To adapt the flute accompaniment to the pianoforte the
bass half of the organ or harmonium action has to be shut off, which may be
eflected by means of a lever and stop worked by hand, the other half of the
organ or harmonium action being left open; then shut off the treble part of
Price 8d.]

page_text: the piano action and you will have the flute sound; or the treble of th
pianoforte action may be left on, and played with a bass accompaniment of
the organ or harmonium; or the two instruments may be played separately,
id est, either entirely as an organ or harmonium, or as a pianoforte, by
disconnecting the two actions from each other simply by the operation of stops
and levers, as above mentioned; or the two instruments may be played
together, the whole operation being performed by the same row of keys.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.
filed by the said Benjamin Johnsou in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
JOHNSON, of Ivy Cottage, Kennington Oval, in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Horself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Benjamin Johnson, Her special licence that the said Benjamin
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigus, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Johnson, iny 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN PIANOPORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Benjamin Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said. Inven-
tion, 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 iiext
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Johnson, 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:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon a former Patent
granted to me, the said Benjamin Johnson, and bearing date the Thirty-first

page_text: day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
three, numbered 1897, under the title of "Improvements in Pianofortes,"
and the present Invention consists, first, in combining a flute sound accom-
paniment with a harmonium or organ sound accompaniment, or to combine
a flute sound accompaniment in the treble with a pianoforte accompaniment
in the bass.
The following are examples of the means by which the above objects may
be accomplished. To adapt the flute accompaniment to the pianoforte the
half of the organ or harmonium action has to be shut off, which may be
effected by means of a lever and stop worked by hand, the other half of the
organ or harmonium action being left open, then shut off the treble part of
the piano action and you will have the flute sound, or the treble of the piano-
forte action may be left on and played with a bass accompaniment of the
organ or harmonium; or the two instruments may be played separately, id
est, either entirely as an organ or harmonium, or as a pianoforte, by discon-.
necting the two actions from each other simply by the operation of stops and
levers, as above inentioned; or the two instruments may be played together,
the whole operation being performed by the same row of keys.
An in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for for carrying
the same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet
of Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures
and letters of reference marked thereon respectively as follows:--
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the case of a pianoforte with my
improvements adapted thereto; Figure 2, a top plan view of Figure 1;
Figure 3, a transverse and verticle section taken through the line A, B, at
Figures 1 and 2. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters
of referçuce to denote corresponding parts in so far as such parts appear
or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, marks the case of the instrument; B, the position of the keyboard;
C, name board; D, hammer rail; E, wind chest or box fixed underneath
the bottom of the keyboard; the pan of this wind chest has a partition
fixed across it, so as to form two distinct and separate chambers therein
are valves covering openings formed through the bottom of the pan, the said
openings communicating with the wind chest beneath. The valves com-
municate with the stops G, G₁, and the epression stop G" each by a lent
lever d shewn at Figure 3, the fulcrum of which is a pin at e. The bottom

page_text: of the lever, when the stops are pushed in, presses down a pin 2, the lower
end of which presses upon a lever 3, which allows the air to lift the valve
and pass from the wind chest into the pan thereof, so as to act upon reeds or
tongues fixed thereto, as in the ordinary harmonium, except that I connect
the pallette of the reeds with the keys of the piano by a lever 5, as at
Figure 3. When the stops are pulled out the spring 4 will close the valves.
I, I, are the fulcra of motion of the bellows or feeders H; and K, K, are
treddles for working the said bellows, as at Figure 1, where L marks the
solid fixed top of the bellows, and M hollow ducts for the passage of air
from the bellows into the wind chest E; the bottom of the wind chest E is
formed with an expanding reservoir N, which as the air is forced thereinto
expands and collapses the spring O, and operates so as to keep up a con-
tinuous of air when the valves are opened. P, P¹, are rocking skeleton
frames of iron, connected by pins or screws at a to pieces of iron 6 fixed
to the hammer rail D, as at Figure 1, the pins or screws a serve as pivots
for the frames P, P1, to rock upon, the upper parts c of the frames P, P,
are covered with cloth or flannel, and are employed to push forward the
hammers R. The haminers are pushed back against the hammer rail Diu
the ordinary way. All the other parts of the action of the pianoforte are
of the ordinary well-known kind.
'I now proceed to describe the action of the stops G, G, G¹¹, Q, Q, as
follows: The stops marked G, G', operate upon the valves 1, 3, in the pan
of the wind chest for opening and closing the same as follows:-By pulling
out the stop G it shuts off the organ or harmonium part to the middle F, by
pulling out the stop Q'it pushes forward the hammers, and shuts off the piano
in the treble, so that by leaving the stop G pushed pushed in, as at Figure 3,
and working the bellows H'a flute sound maybe produced, and be accompanied
by the pianoforte in the bass; or by pushing in the stop Q and pulling out
the stop G the treble of the pianoforte may be brought on and played with a
bass accompaniment of the organ or harmonium; or the two instruments
may be played separately, id est, entirely as an organ or harmonium, or as a
pianoforte, by disconnecting the two actions from each other by the means
above stated, the whole operation being performed by the same row of keys.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improvements in Pianofortes," together with the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and
I claim as follows:-I claim the mechanical arrangements above described
with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings for the purpose of

page_text: combining a flute sound accompaniment with a harmonium or organ sound
accompaniment, or to combine a flute sound accompaniment in the treble with
a pianoforte accompaniment in the bass, as constituting improvements in
pianofortes, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
B. JOHNSON. (L.B.)