IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Glover Rich, of 9, Chesterford Terrace;
Stanley Road, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 6th April 1866, and dated the 10th October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Glover Rich at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1865....
I, GEORGE GLOVER RICH, of 9, Chesterford Terrace, Stanley Road,'
Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN THE ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES,"
to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to means of operating the under dampers or the
dampers acting below the striking parts of the hammers in upright piano-
fortes. To the lever or a lever acting between the inner end of each key and
each of the stickers for operating the hammers I apply a cranked wire or
other support for a button or pusher, which may be adjustable, and the lower
ends of the damper levers or the levers carrying the. "damper heads

page_text: extended downwards below their axes of motion into position to be acted upon
'by these buttons or pushers. By these means simplicity of construction with
cease and efficiency in use are obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Glover Rich in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
GLOVER RICH, of -9, Chesterford Terrace, Stanley Road, Hackney, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said 'George Glover Rich, Her special licence that I, the said George Glover
Rich, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George. Glover Rich, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN THE ACTION OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Glover Rich, 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 George Glover Rich, 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 thereof, that is to say:
The Invention relates to means of operating the under, dampers, or the
dampers acting below the striking parts of the hammers in upright pianofortes.
To the lever or a lever acting between the inner end of, each key and each of
the stickers for operating the hammers I apply a. cranked. wire or other
support for a button or pusher, which may be adjustable; and-the. lower ends

page_text: of the damper levers or the levers carrying the "damper heads" are extended
downwards below their axes of motion into position to be acted upon by these
'buttons or pushers.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, I will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section of some of the parts of a pianoforte arranged
according to my Invention. a is the key, upon the inner end of which is applied
the hopper 6 for acting upon the lever c, and by the sticker d upon the hammer e.
Upon the lever c is applied the cranked wire f with an adjustable button or
pusher f¹, which is in position to act upon the arm g, forming an extension
downwards of the damper lever for carrying the damper g¹, such damper lever
turning upon an axis of motion g³. The line h indicates the position of a string
or wire. When in use the outer end of the key is depressed by the player,
and the hammer strikes the wire; the damper is for an instant withdrawn
from the wire, as indicated by Figure 2. i represents a bar extending in
front of the lower ends of the damper levers g, and having arms at intervals
with eyes to receive pins ¹, serving as axes of motion for that bar, and this
bar is also formed with an arm in position to be acted upon by the upper
end of a rod j, actuated by a pedal ("the loud pedal") so as to give facility
for the removal simultaneously of all the dampers from the strings or wires
at the same time. Figures 3 and 4 shew parts separately.
When using my improved arrangement of damper I prefer also to employ
the arrangement of soft pedal commonly called the "celeste." By these.
means simplicity of construction with ease and efficiency in use are obtained.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise arrangement shown and described, but what I do claim
is, the mode of operating upon damper arms 9 substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Glover Rich, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
2 C DICHT