IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brinsmead, of Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 7th August 1862, and dated the 11th February 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brinsmead at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
February 1862.
I, JOHN BRINSMEAD, of Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, in the County
of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to obtain great power from the hammer on
the strings, and also rapidity in the motion thereof, in order to obtain quick
repetition.
My Invention consists in new arrangements of the action, which are set
forth in the accompanying Drawings and following description thereof...
Figure 1 is an end view of the action with the frame removed, showing one
arrangement by which my Invention may be carried into effect. a is the
key-board, free to move about the point b; c is a lever, against one end of
which the key-board a acts; d is another lover fixed to the lever c; e, e¹, are
levers inserted in slots formed in the. lever d, that marked e connecting it

page_text: with the hammer rail f, and that marked e¹ with a rod g in connection with
the butt h of the hammer h. The lever, c. carries at its upper end a "set-off"
button i and a "set-on" button k; lis the .check, and m the damper. The
action is as follows:-Upon depressing in the ordinary manner the outer end
of the key-board a, the lever c rises, and with it the lever e; the button i
presses against the rod.g, and the hammer is quickly and sharply thrown on
the string;-so soon,--however, as the sound issues the button k comes into
action, and withdraws the rod 9, and with it, the hammer h, and so on. The
damper m acts as in ordinary pianos, coming into action so soon as the
hammer leaves the strings.
Figure 2 shows another arrangement, by which the Invention may be con-
veniently carried into effect. a is the key-board, and c is the lever, as before;
i is the set-off, and k is the set-on button; g is the escapement or rod
connecting the hammer butt with the bottom lever d; n is a button on a
rod passing through the lever d, and abutting against another lever o; p is a
button on a rod passing through the lower end of the escapement g, and free to
act against the lever o. As the key, rises, so does the lever c, carrying the
escapement 9 with it, which throws the hammer against the strings; this
done, the button, i presses, against the tail of the escapement, throws it off its
rest q, and the hammer returns. The upper part of the escapement g is
weighted to facilitate the motion. The tail of the escapement is thrown on
to the rest q, ready for another stroke, by the lever o acting against the
button p. The check is in this case placed inside, instead of outside, as in
the previous arrangement. The damper acts from the upper and rear end of
the escapement, the motion of which is regulated by two buttons.
.
I do not limit myself to the precise details lierein-beforo described, as my
Invention might be satisfactorily carried into effect by. other means équivalent
in action-to those shown, which I purpose to fully set forth in .my Final
Specification.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Brinsmead, Her'special licence that I, the said John Brinsniead,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Brinsmead, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Brinsmead, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 imine-"
diately, after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Brinsmead, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being' had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to obtain great power from the hammer on
the strings, and also rapidity in the motion thereof, in order to obtain quick
repetition.
My Invention consists in new arrangements of the action, which are set
forth in the accompanying Drawings and following description thereof.
Figure 1 is a view of the action, showing one arrangement by which my
Invention is carried into effect. a is the key, free to move about the point b;
c is a block on the end of the key a; d is a lever, against one end of which
the block c on the key a acts; e is another or the bottom lever, fixed to the
lever d. The sticker is composed of two levers ff, the lower f of which
is inserted in or passes through a slot formed in the lever e, while the upper f¹
is connected to the hammer butt g. The lever d'carries at its upper end a
set-off" button i and a "set-on" button k; lis the check, and m the damper,
which latter is connected by a rod n to the hammer rail, and this rod extends
downwards, and is acted upon by an abutment o formed on or connected to

page_text: the tail of the bottom lever e. The action is as follows:-opon depressing
the ordinary manner the outer end of the key a, the lever d rises, and with
it the sticker; the button i presses against the lever f¹, which relieves the
tail of the lever f from an abutment on the under side of the bottom lever e,
and the hammer is quickly and sharply thrown on the strings; so soon,
however, as the sound is produced, the button k comes into action, and
withdraws the lever f¹, and with it the hammer, while at the same time the
damper m comes into action through the abutment o on the tail of the bottom
lever.
Figure 2 shews another arrangement by which the Invention may be con-
veniently carried into effect. a is the key, and d is the lever on the block c,
as before; is the set-off and % is the set-on button; f, Figure 3, is the
sticker, made in one piece, and passing through the slot in the bottom lever e,
which is hinged to a rail at back. The set-on button kis connected.to a
rod passing through an arm projecting from the sticker f, and the set-off
button is connected to a rod passing through the lever d. The action is as
follows: As the outer end of the key rises so does the lever d, and the
button throws the sticker f off the block, and the hammer against tho
strings; the button then presses against the head of the lever d, and
the hammer and sticker return to their original positions. The damper acts
in the ordinary manner; m is a spring connected to a loop on the sticker, and
acting against the butt of the hammer, for facilitating the action.
Figure 4 is a view. of another arrangement. a is the key, to, the rear end
of which a block is united, supporting a lever c, passing through a slot
formed in the bottom lever d, which latter is hinged to a block e; f, Figure 5,
is the "sticker" made in one piece, united at its upper end to the tail of the
hammer g, and resting at bottom on the block b after passing. through the
slot in the bottom lever d; h is the set-off and i is the set-on button. This
button is connected to a rod passing through the sticker f, and acts against
an abutments, formed in a piece with or connected to the tail of the bottom
lever d. k is the check block mounted on a rod supported by a lever 1, which
is hinged to a rail m; n is a rod bearing against the under side of the lever 7,
and resting on the upper and outer end of the bottom lever d; o is the damper
rod, screwing into the outer end of the check lever 7, and inserted in the outer
end of the damper lever p, which is hinged to a rail q; r is the damper.
The action is as follows:-When the key a is pressed down, the block b
forces upwards and outwards the lever c, the button h causing the escape of
the "sticker" from the block b, and the hammer g to strike the strings. At

page_text: the same time the upward motion of the tail of the bottom lever d raises the
rod n; lever l, and check k, as well as the damper r, through the rod o and
lever p against the strings all into the sition shewn by the dotted lines. Upon
releasing the key, the set-on lever is pressed by the abutment s projecting
from the bottom lever d, and the sticker is raised on to the escape on the
tail of the block 6, all the parts recurning into the positions shown by the
full lines. t, t, t, are springs, the first acting against the back of the "sticker,"
the second against the tail of the hammer, and the third against the damper
lever p, for facilitating the motion of the various parts.
Figure 6 shews my Invention applied to the action of a grand pianoforte.
a is the key, carrying a block 6, son one end of which a sticker f rests, while
the other end is forked, and receives the tail of the hammer g; d is the
bottom lever, hinged to the rail d', and made with a slot in it, through which
the sticker passes, and with an abutment on one end resting on the block b.
Detached views of the sticker are given at Figure 7. k is the check block,
supported by the check lever, which is itself supported by a forked bracket m,
inserted in and free to move about a pin in the slot in the bottom lever d;
the end of this check lever abuts against a concavity cut in the sticker. n is
a rod, supporting the outer end of the check lever l, with a button at bottom
resting on the outer end of the key a; r is the damper, and o the damper
rod, which rests against the tail end of the key a. On pressing down the
key a, the block throws the sticker f off the escape, and the hammer
against the strings; the bottom lever d moves about its rail d'; the check
lever and check block k, through the rod n, rise, and the damper r acts on
the strings, all as shown by the dotted lines. On releasing the key, the parts
return to the position indicated by the full lines.
i
The arrangements of the action described for the upright pianofortes are
equally applicable to grand and square pianofortes, and that described for the
grand is applicable to the upright.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, anul in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein-before described, for they must be varied to suit the
instruments to which they are applied, but I claim as my "Improvements.
Pianofortes,"
First, the employment in the action of pianofortes of a slotted bottom lever,
Turough which the sticker passes to a block on the key, the said lever being
acted on directly from the key, or through the agency of another lever or
levers, substantially in manner herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.

page_text: And, second, the construction of "stickers" for pianofortes in one piece,'
as herein-before' described and illustrated 'at Figures 3; 5, and 7 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness' whereof, I, the said John Brinsmead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two
JOHN BRINSMEAD: (L:s.)