IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES AND IN THE MUSICAL SCALE OF NOTES IN USE FOR SUCH INSTRUMENTS; AND ALSO IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE ACTION OF THE FINGERS ON THE KEYS OF PIANOPORTES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
SPEAB, of Gloucester Road, Hyde Park Gardens, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
April, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Spear, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Spear, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Spear, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES AND IN THE MUSICAL SCALE OF NOTES IN USE FOR SUCH INSTRUMENTS;
AND ALSO IN APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE ACTION OF THE FINGERS ON THE KEYS
OF PIANOPORTES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I,

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan of so much of a grand pianoforte as will enable me
to describe the first part of my Invention; Figure 2 shows a transverse section
thereof; Figure 3 a longitudinal section; and Figure 4 an under side view.
a and b are two pedals which I call the swell pedals. 6* is a stick or rod com-
municating the motion of the pedal a to the lever c, which lever gives motion
to the stick or rod d, the upper part of which, coming under the arm 6, fixed
on the axis f, motion is communicated to that axis, on which are affixed a
series of fingers or projections g, g, one to each of the swell boards h, h, by
which the interior of the instrument is capable of being closed, such swell
boards each moving on axes or necks in suitable bearings, as shewn. Hence
it will readily be understood that the performer may at one moment have the
upper part of the piano wholly enclosed or shut, and at other moments," by
the simple pressure of the foot on a pedal, more or less opened, to produce any
degree of swell which may be considered desirable. In like manner, by
another pedal b, the lower or under part of the instrument may be opened or
allowed to remain closed. i is a stick or rod acted on by the pedal b, such
rod, at its upper end, coming under the lever j, the other end of such lever
entering into a recess formed in the front end of one of the swell boards k, k,
which boards move on hinges screwed to the under side of the pianoforte; and
as all the swell boards k, k, are combined by the bar l, by the projections m
and screw pins n, any action of the pedal 6 on one will affect the whole, and
the performer, by the simple act of pressing on the pedal 6 more or less, will
cause the swell boards k to be more or less opened. At other times the swell-
boards will be all closed by the springs o, one or more to each swell board.
The upper and lower swell boards may, according to the judgment and taste of
the player, be used either separately or together, by which very varied effects
of swell may be obtained: p is the ordinary top cover of the instrument. I
have not thought it necessary to shew the whole of the parts of a pianoforte,
as the doing so is not necessary to the full understanding of my Invention ;
and although I have only shewn this part of my Invention as applied to a
grand pianoforte, a workman will readily apply the same to other forms of
pianoforte.
b
The second part of my Invention consists in applying a smooth metal lining
to pianofortes, in order to obtain therefrom greater clearness of the notes of
such instruments. I am of opinion that the comparative softness of the
surfaces of wood constituting the interior surface of a pianoforte have the
effect of damping or absorbing the notes; and I find that, by applying smooth
metal surfaces as a coating to the interior of the case of a pianoforte, a con-

page_text: siderable improvement is effected; for this reason I line the interior surfaces
with smooth sheet metal; and I prefer for such purpose the employment of
sheet metal such as is employed for organ pipes; and I prefer that the swell
boards before described should have their inner surfaces covered in like
manner with metal.
carry out
The third part of my Invention has for its object the prevention of jar or
noise between the moveable parts of the cases of pianofortes; and I
this part of my Invention by fixing thin strips of india rubber (which should
be vulcanized or converted) between the various moving surfaces of the
cases of pianofortes, by which all noise from such moveable surfaces will be
avoided.
The fourth part of my Invention has for its object the preventing vibration
or sound from the under surfaces of the keys of a pianoforte, and for giving
additional resistance. This part of my Invention is shewn at Figure 3, where
p is an air chamber into which air is to be pumped by a small syringe or
pump not shewn in the Drawing, but fixed at any convenient position, so as to
pump air into the close chamber p. The air in the chamber p is to have free
access to the tube or bed g, which I prefer to be of vulcanized india rubber,
which is fixed under the keys of the pianoforte in such manner as to open
into the chamber p. By this arrangement the under surface of the keys will
be on an elastic air bed, more or less hard or resisting as the air is more or less
condensed, and according as the player may prefer to have the resistance to
the touch more or less strong; and, if desired, springs may also be used above
the keys towards the further ends thereof. And in order to prevent vibration
between the inner surfaces of the holes in the under parts of the keys and the
pins entering therein, I line the holes with vellum, and rough the same with a
file; or other soft lining may be employed.
The fifth part of my Invention consists of applying a reflector near where
the music is placed before the performer. This will be understood by reference
to Figures 1 and 8, where x* is a looking-glass capable of adjustment as to posi-
tion, in which the perforiner will see the keys below at the time of looking at
the notes of music about to be played.
The sixth part of my Invention consists of applying a platform acting as a
sound board for a pianoforte to stand on, combined with pedal apparatus to
damp the effect of such sound board. This part of my Invention is shewn at
Figures 2 and 3, where is a raised platform which acts as a sound board,
having on the under part a damping board s, covered with woollen cloth or
other soft material to act as a damper. This boards moves on an axis, and
is counterbalanced, as is shewn; and t is a pedal apparatus by which the

page_text: damping board may be raised and caused to press against the under surface
of the sound board r.
The seventh part of my Invention is effected by doing away with the bass
clef, and substituting merely an elongation of the present
scale in the
now is, but
It may be
lower, as shewn at Figure 10. This becomes one scale for the two hands, in
which the position of the notes is scarcely varied from what it
with a most important simplification in the sense and meaning.
no advantage to the advanced scholar who has vanquished the difficulty of
reading two contradictory scales; but this study puzzles the beginner, who
needs no additional embarrassment. It is a mistake to suppose that the base
scale is in any respect necessary to express the bass on the piano. It does
not.profess to give fundamental bass, and there can be no difficulty in writing
it down in the
&
clef for the far greater facility of the beginner.
The eighth part of my Invention consists of improvements in apparatus to
facilitate the action of the fingers on the keys of pianofortes. Figure 5 shews
a plan, and Figure 6 a section, of apparatus called a silent pianoforte, for
exercising the fingers; and Figures 7, 8, and 9, shew an additional instrument
for exercising the third finger, and thus enabling it to become more free and
independent of the action of the other fingers. The instrument shewn at
Figures 5 and 6 consists of several of the keys of a pianoforte, which are
acted on by springs in such manner that the strength of touch required to
overcome them may be varied, which will be found very desirable in exer-
cising the fingers, as, by practice on such keys, and by progressively encreasing
the force required, the fingers become more capable of strong independent
action; and in order that the third fingers may be brought more fully and
effectually into action, there is bar on which those fingers can rest, and which
can be raised and set at any required position, so that the whole of the other
fingers can at any time be fingering the keys without the third fingers. v, v,
are the keys; u is a bar above the back ends of the keys. This bar can be
raised and lowered by means of set screws w, w; and between the bar u and
each key there is a spring, and the key will resist the touch, more or less, as
the bar u is more or less lowered by the screws.
moves on necks or axes in the frame ³, and is capable of being set at any
position by the set screws a³, as shown by the dotted lines. The frame a³ is
fixed by sliding bolts a³, as is shewn, there being several holes in the frame of
the instrument to receive the ends of the bolts. y is an air tube or bed under
x is a cranked bar which

page_text: the keys, which, if desired, may be alone used as the means of regulating the
pressure required; or the springs at the ends of the keys may alone be used.
z is a sliding frame carrying a bar for supporting the wrist of the per-
former, and the bar z¹ is capable of being raised or lowered by the nuts and
screws The instrument, Figures 7, 8, and 9, consists of two parts A and B
hinged together, and capable of being made to separate by means of the screw
and link C and D, as shewn. E are strings to attach the instrument to the
hand. The third finger is to rest on the surface A, the other surface B resting
on the other fingers, by which the third finger may be separated from and held
to any required angle to the other fingers, by which greater independence of 1
the fingers will result. The person may wear this instrument for any length
of time; but what I recommend is, that it should be worn at night during
sleep.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details shewn, so long as the peculiar character of either
part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,―
First, the mode of varying the swell of pianofortes, as herein described.
Secondly, I claim the application of smooth metal linings to pianofortes.
Thirdly, I claim the application of india rubber between the moveable parts, 2
of the cases of pianofortes.
Fourthly, I claim the application of an elastic air tube or bed to the keys
of pianofortes; also the application of springs, and also the application of
vellum or other suitable soft material in the holes of the keys, as herein
described.
1 2
.
Fifthly, I claim the application of a reflector; so as to shew the keys of a
pianoforte at the time of looking at the notes of music about to be played.
Sixthly, I claim the construction of a sound board r, combined with
damping apparatus worked by pedals, as described.
Seventhly, I claim the mode of constructing a scale for the music of piano- s
fortes; and,
Eighthly, I claim the mode of combining apparatus for facilitating the
practice of fingering the keys of pianofortes, as described in respect to
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Spear, have hereunto set my s
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
JN° (LS.) SPEAR.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid John Spear came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.