MAKING AVAILABLE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE PIANOFORTE KIND A MUCH LIGHTER FRAME THAN IS AT PRESENT USED BY APPLYING A NEW SYSTEM OF STRINGING & A NEW ACTION, WITH NOVEL ARRANGEMENTS AS TO THE KEYBOARD, AND ADAPTING THIS FRAME, TOGETHER WITH A NEW KIND OF HINGE AND AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR OBTAINING HARMONICS MECHANICALLY (& ALSO FOR MAKING JACKS), AND THE ADAPTATION OF THE CONCERTINA FINGERBOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CONNEXION WITH ANY STRINGED INSTRUMENT
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Charles Ward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 5th November 1875.
I, JOHN CHARLES WARD, of "The Retreat," Haverstock
Hill, N.W., in the County of Middlesex, Professor of Music,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "MAKING
AVAILABLE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE PIANOFORTE KIND A
MUCH LIGHTER FRAME THAN IS AT PRESENT USED BY APPLYING A NEW
SYSTEM OF STRINGING & A NEW ACTION, WITH NOVEL ARRANGEMENTS
AS TO THE KEYBOARD, AND ADAPTING THIS FRAME, TOGETHER WITH A
NEW KIND OF HINGE AND AN IMPROVED APPLIANCE FOR OBTAINING
HARMONICS MECHANICALLY (& ALSO FOR MAKING JACKS), AND THE
ADAPTATION OF THE CONCERTINA FINGERBOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
CONNEXION WITH ANY STRINGED INSTRUMENT," to be as follows:―
ap
The frame may be of any form and shape, from that of a T
square flat board, with or without strengthening bars on each fr
side (which bars should preferably be of T shaped metal placed
H
&

page_text: lacing one another anu
frame "boxed in" with sound boards on both sides and forming
a covered resonant chamber, with or without sound posts; or
the bracings of the frame themselves may be made hollow to
form sound chambers, and the flat sound board or sound boards
Wrest plank may be dispensed with; but the wrest plank is made to allow
and pins.
of stringing on both sides, either by one set of pins passing
right through the plank, and being provided each at the
farther end with a hole for taking the wire or string, as in the
harp, or by both sets being fitted into their respective sides of
the plank in the usual way.
The strings.
of stringing.
The instrument is strung on both sides, by which means a
balance of tension is obtained, resulting in the frame being
kept from bending over either way, and preserved in that
position in which its standing powers are utilized in the
Hitch pins maximum degree. One hitch pin fixed in the middle of the
and method back edge of the frame is made to take a string passing round
from wrest plank to wrest plank, or where separate wires have
to be used they are both looped on to the same pin, and when
necessary the same bitch pin is made available for two or more
strings on each side, and the number so attached should be
equal. The object of all the foregoing arrangements being to
obtain a balance in the strain exercised by the strings when
in tension wherever practicable, both in respect of the frame as
a whole or of any part thereof.
Balance of
tension, the
object.
Pianofortes
on this
principle.
The "com-
plex key
action.'
Varieties
thereof.
Koys of
different
lengths.
In adapting this frame to the construction of instruments
having the pianoforte keyboard, with or without the enhar-
monic scale, the one manual is made to reach the actions on
both sides of the frame by various methods grouped together
under the heading of "the complex key action."
1. The frame is placed above or below the keyboard, and
short keys are used to effect the action on the nearer side of
the frame, and long ones are employed to reach that apper-
taining to the farther side; and to the keys, or to levers
affected thereby, are attached any kind of pianoforte action at
present in use, whether up striking, down striking, common,
or check action, which may best serve the purpose.

page_text: principle.
passing over or under they pass through holes in the sound-
board or soundboards, or rollers, on the principle of those used The "roll
in the organ action, are used to pass either through holes as
aforesaid, or over or under the frame, their connection with
the keys being effected in any of the ways in vogue in organ
building where requisite.
sides.
actions
3. The preferable method is to place the frame above or Best meth
below the keyboard, and to dispose a row of levers hinged on
alternate sides of the centre of the upper, or, as the case may
be, the lower edge of the frame (or in other order if requisite)
but so arranged that when pressed in the direction of the body Duplicate
koys wor
of the frame at a given line, say, over the centre of the edge of ing on
the frame, they will give on either side the same amount of alternate
"throw." At the given line a rise is made in each lever,
preferably formed of a wheel or roller let into the lever so as to
project a little. To these levers are attached, with the inter- Ordinary
vention of rollers where requisite, any suitable pianoforte action, attached
giving a down blow or up blow, accordingly as the frame may
be disposed below or above the keyboard. In the latter case
the ends of the keys placed underneath come so as to press
against the projections (or rollers) on the levers, & in the former
case the keys will preferably be suitably centred by screws,
fastening them at the farther end, and they will press the levers
down when used. In either case the keys may press either
directly upon the projections, or with the intervention of stickers
with or without suitable escapement.
thereto.
The keyboard is made shifting for purposes of transposition, Key boa
and removable for the purpose of taking less space in packing.
shifting,
lute fran
Wrest P
"The harmonic seraphlute" is constructed with a frame, as The sera
before described. The wrest plank forms the upper side of the
triangle, and the strings (of metal preferred) pass round hitch & pins.
pins fixed on the back edge of the frame, as before described.
Strings
hitch pi
studs.
The keyboard is placed for convenience just below the wrest Keyboar
plank & midway across. It consists of four or more rows of Concerti
studs arranged similarly to those of the concertina. The studs One kin
communicate with hammers to strike, or "jacks" to pick, the action.

page_text: The hammer butt, save when the disposition of the strings How
may allow of the pianoforte system being adopted, works
between two brass standards bushed with cloth, and fastened
into a rail or platform facing the strings. A pin passes through
holes bored in the standards, and is either rivetted to the latter
(the butt working free on the pin) or is made fast in the butt
itself, working free in the standards. In the former case the
pin hole is made so as to bring the pin to work against the wire
of the hammer stalk for durability.
india
Jacks for the harmonic seraphlute are formed by drawing Jack
loops of india-rubber cord or band through holes bored in keys
made to pass by the side of the strings, the loop end forming a
surface not unlike that of the human finger.
"
moni
A "harmonic bar," consisting of a bar of wood with The
stoppers" of india-rubber suitably adjusted is arranged on
both sides to press upon the strings at the centre, or any other
mode if preferred, by the action of a pedal, so as to produce
harmonics at pleasure. The bars are hinged to the fram at
their one end, and kept in their places at the other end by a
screw passing through a hole in the bar into the frame, and
the screw is so regulated that by a spring pressing upon the
projecting ends of the bars the latter are kept off the string
save when the pedal is pressed, and when this is done the two Harm
said projecting ends are drawn inwards by a cord passing
over pulleys & connected with the pedal, whereupon the
stoppers" come in contact with the strings. The bars may
be made to work by the knees, pressing them together, or the
bar may be fixed on the principle of that of the "general
damper" herein-after described.
66
peda
appli
An improved method consists in providing the harmonic bar Impr
with separate levers for each note with " stoppers" attached, obtai
and by means either of a silken cord, or by a combination of harm
wooden or wire trackers & levers, as the form of the instru-
ment may require, attaching each lever to any part of the
action coming between the hammer and the escapement, and
so regulating the communication that the "stopper" presses
the string just before the blow or pick" of the hammer or
"

page_text: jack is delivered, and rises immediately on the setting off of
the escapement, being the moment its work is accomplished.
This obviates any of the damping effect which is produced by
the stopper when allowed to continue pressing the string.
The harmonic levers are brought under the action of the
keys by means of a pedal employed either to shift the centres
of the levers or to tighten the connecting cords by moving the
bar as required.
"
Stoppers" are formed of india-rubber cord drawn loop-wise
through holes, one for each, pierced through the bars or
through a pair of holes, ono end of the cord only going
through cach hole, & so arranged that the cord forms a bridge
at right angles to the string or strings to be affected. In
either case the "stopper " is regulatable by being drawn out-
ward on either side of the bar as may be required. They may :
otherwise be formed of pieces of india-rubber cord or band
cemented or otherwise fastened to the harmonic bar or fixed to
rd small knobs made to drive or screw into the bar. For polycord
8. instruments wedge-shaped stoppers are preferable.
3
is
The soft pedal in the harmonic seraphlute works a lever a
which moves the padded rest, against which the hammers lie, so
as to bring the latter nearer to the strings and so diminish the
blow, as in Chew's pianoforte, & those of American make.
To obviate wear & tear at the escapement consequent upon the
use of this pedal, springs of requisite power are employed to
depress the board in which the finger studs work, and against
which they rest, so soon as the resistance offered by the many
springs of the key levers is removed. The studs are thus
depressed, & the escapement action is thereby kept close up
to its work.
In lieu of the concertina finger board adaptation the action.
may be formed of a row of upright stickers attached to
hammers or jacks, and either played upon directly or with the
intervention of a single or double row of keys somewhat after
the manner described in reference to pianofortes made with the a
new balanced tension frame. Vulcanized india-rubber is used
for making hinges in lieu of vellum, especially whero clasticity

page_text: is an object. They are made by saw cuts being made in the
wood where the hinge is required and the india-rubber is
drawn therein whilst in a state of tension, the saw cuts being
"sprung open" if necessary during the operation. A superior The best
action to the foregoing is thus constructed.
action.
The key of the seraphlute (or the sticker acted upon by the The key.
key of the pianoforte) consists of a stud of wood or other
material, from the centre of which depends a wire firmly fixed
thercin. The stud is kept in position by a frame, in which it Stud.
works, as in the upper board of the concertina, and the wire Wire.
works in a hole in a lower board of the seraphlute action,
usually the lowest used. (In the pianoforte it will work in the
levers which are pressed down by the action of the key, or
through the levers into an under board.) Immediately Sliding
beneath the stud comes a "sticker" having a hole through
its centre from top to bottom through wh. the wire works
freely.
sticker.
escapemer
Coming between the stud and tho sticker, and preferably, Lever
though not necessarily, attached to the latter, is a lever escape.
ment set off by a screw and button, or simply by a screw, &
kept in its place by a spring. The sticker presses on a lever Key lever
or crank formed of the one end of a piece of wire of requisite
strength turned off as nearly as may be at right angles from
the main length, the other end of which is likewise bent at a
requisite angle, the whole forming a shaft with a lever or
crank at each end. The lever acted upon by the key may be
made in the form of a hook so as to come on both sides of the
stud wire. The shaft is kept in position by bridges of wood or How
other material placed at each end and fastened by staples or
otherwise to a platform, or staples alone may be used.
adjusted.
tiers.
In the seraphlute keyboard the various shafts are arranged Arranged
in as many tiers as may be requisite, the upper ones resting on
bridges which span the lower. The shafts are disposed in the
spaces running parallel between the rows of keys or a "roller Or on a
board as in the organ may be employed. They may be board" 01
disposed otherwise by being so twisted as when in action to otherwise
avoid contact with keys which may be in their way.
"
"roller

page_text: stance
g.
mer
& stalk
ire.
A spring wound round the shaft or otherwise placed presses
the lever under the key up to its proper position.
The hammer head, hammer stalk, and a lever for connection
with the other part of the action is made all in one of a piece
of wire bent at the requisite angles, and working on the
principle of the key lever, the shaft which may be of any
length is held to its place on a platform in the same way, &
the lever from which connection is effected may be formed at
any part of the shaft, so as to bring it opposite to that wh.
comes at the end of the key shaft farthest from the key. The
necting two are joined by a connecting rod of wire having an eye at
each end which interlink with corresponding eyes in the levers,
or a slider of wood may be employed provided with a hole at
each end to receive the ends of the levers. Also trackers
with regulative buttons may be used.
er.
ckers.
iliary
8.
ction of
mers
aterial.
hing.
per rail.
pers.
rato
pers.
Auxiliary levers working vertically, obliquely, or horizontally,
as required, enable the making of a hammer to strike in any
direction desirable. Wherever requisite bushing of cloth or
other material is employed.
The damper rail is attached by a leather hinge to the lowest
platform (i.e. that nearest the strings) by a leather hinge.
The dampers are fixed to wire springs let into the rail.
pedal. The latter is raised at pleasure by the action of a loud pedal,
and the dampers are reached separately by means of levers and
rods similar in make though lighter in material to those used
in connection with the key action already described. They
are arranged either to come under the action of the key at the
bottom thereof, or at that part immediately above the escape-
ment. In the former case a regulative button screwed on to
the end of the wire may be used.
hed.
cral
per.
mon
n.
A general damper in lieu of the above is formed of a semi-
clothed lath of wood (working on a pivot at cach end of one
edge) which presses on the strings by the action of a spring,
and is raised at pleasure by the use of the loud pedal.
A common action for the seraphlute is made of wires fitted
to work on a platform, & fastened thereto by staples, and so

page_text: instruments
available for the strings are on both sides of the frame, or otherwise not on
the same plane where the hammer strikes.
strung on
both sides.
Flexible
binge of
india-rubber.
4. The use of india-rubber for the making of "harmonic
stoppers," jacks, & hinges, and an improved appliance for
Jack & stop- "stopping" harmonics.
per of same
material.
New action
in wirework,
rendering
the position
of the ham-
mer im-
material.
Hammer
5. The construction of an action in which the hammer stalk
& head are made of wire in one piece, the butt being dispensed
with, and in which the communications are effected chiefly by
wirework, and the relative position of the hammer & the key
rendered immaterial.
6. The fitting of a wire hammer stalk & a loop for con-
stalk & butt nection with the action into a hammer butt in one operation.
made in one.
An entirely
7. The construction of a new instrument called "the
new stringed harmonic seraphlute, in which the above novelties are
embodied, together with,-
instrument.
Case and
8 A custom of combining sound boards & ornamental case.