AN IMPROVEMENT OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1813

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
HAUCK, of High Holborn, in the Parish of Saint Giles-in-the-Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of March,
in the fifty-third year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Hauck, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Frederick Hauck, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of
years therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso that if I, the said Frederick Hauck, shall not par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent
, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted should utterly

page_text: cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same (relation being
thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Frederick Hauck, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
the following description thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention or improvement is in adding the additional or extra additional
keys, strings, hammers, &c. &c. from one to twelve or more keys and notes, if
required, to old keyed instruments, such as square pianos, grand piano, harp-
secords, &c. The Drawing represents a square piano, where No. 1 is the long
block at the treble end towards the back of the instrument, shewing the piece,
with the pins, where it is fastened or placed for aş.many additional notes as
required. No. 2 shews the part which is cut from the sounding board to
admit the additional hammers to strike the additional strings or notes. In the
treble at the old bridge upon the sounding board is likewise fastened a piece
with as many pins as for the additional notes are required, as seen at No. 3.
No. 4 shews how the additional strings are placed. No. 5, the cloth twisted
between the strings. No. 6, the rest pins where the strings or notes are
fastened. No. 7, on the name or finger board is fastened a circular or round or
any other convenient-formed piece, joined to No. 20, which is termed the check
piece, so that the bass strings may be free. No. 8 shews how the additional
keys, and No. 9, the key frame, are placed or fastened. No. 10, the usual old
key F of the common compass in the treble is made smaller to admit F sharp.
No. 11 represents the heads of additional hammers, which are made higher
than the others, to reach the additional notes from under the sounding board.
Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 shew in what manner the top and flap of the
instrument is parted, in order to admit the additional keys, and how it is fixed
or fastened to the other part of the instrument. No. 19, the old check piece
of the common compass in the treble is removed to No. 20 to admit the
additional keys. No. 22 represents the place of the sounding board, and
No. 26 the cross, block under the sounding board, which is cut off at No. 23,
to admit the name board, and the keys and hammers to act under the
sounding board. The keys No. 8 are made and act as usual. To grand
pianofortes or harpsicords with common compass the improvement is done
in the following manner, viz.:-The additional or extra additional keys,
action, sounding board, and strings are made as usual, and fastened to the
outside at the treble end of the instrument, but the check piece and small
block at the treble end are taken off, so that the keys may be placed uniform

page_text: as other additional keys, and the case of the instrument is formed the same as
other additional grand pianos and harpsicords are.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Hauck, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirteen.