Year: 1888

page_text: I, ALFRED JOSEPH HARLAND, of 106, Wenlock Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention relates to improvements in pianofortes whereby I increase the power
of the instruments.
In carrying out my invention I employ two separate actions and scales, two sets of
strings, two sounding boards, and a double belly, but use only one set of keys, the two
actions being so arranged that when the keys are struck, both actions are operated to
strike the respective sets of strings. A pedal is provided so as to allow of the back
action being taken off when it is required to make use of the front set of strings
only.
11
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, ALFRED JOSEPH HARLAND, of 106, Wenlock Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in pianofortes whereby I increase the power
of the instruments.
In carrying out my invention I employ two separate actions and scales, two sets of
strings, two sounding boards or double belly, but use only one set of keys, the two
actions being so arranged that when the keys are struck, both actions are operated to
strike the respective sets of strings. A pedal is provided so as to allow of the back
action being taken off when it is required to make use of the front set of strings
only.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can
be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pianoforte constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the front part of the
instrument and shewing the front framing and soundboard, the action being
removed.
Figure 3 is a similar view taken through the back part of the instrument.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of the instrument drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Similar letters in all the Figures indicate similar parts.
a, a' are the two separate actions. 6, 61 are the two sets of strings and c, c¹ the two
sounding boards. d represents the one set of keys to be used by the player for
operating both actions. e, e are the bracings, f,fare the wrest planks and g, g¹ the
string frames, all the foregoing parts being of ordinary construction.
The two actions with their respective frames, wrest planks, and sounding boards are
separated by the bracings e so that a sound chamber is formed between them.as shown
in Figure 4.
The front action a is operated from the keys d in the usual manner and the back
action a¹ is operated simultaneously therewith by the following arrangement of
mechanism :
To the inner ends of the key levers I connect by means of wires i one of the ends
of rocking levers j pivotted to a bar k extending the full width of the piano. The
opposite ends of the levers j carry adjustable pads which bear upon and serve to
depress one of the ends of levers m of similar construction to the key levers h. The
other ends of the levers m support the lifters n' of the back action at the said lifters
being made longer than usual for this purpose.
In order to allow the back set of strings 6' to be tuned I provide each of the lifters n'
with a small key lever o pivotted to a rail p by striking which levers o the strings b¹
will be struck by their respective hammers.
9 is the pedal which I provide to allow of the back action a' being disconnected when
requiring to make use of the front set of strings only.

page_text: For this purpose the pedal o has at its inner end an upward extension r adapted to
raise the bark by means of the middle one of three hinged levers s by which the said
bar k is supported, so that when the pedal q is depressed the pads I on the levers j will
be raised from contact with the levers m.
As the disconnection of the action a' would alter the touch of the instrument by
making it lighter I find it necessary in such case to provide means for increasing the
resistance of the action a.
For this purpose I provide each end of the bark with a rod t adapted to operate one
arm u of a bell crank, the other arm of which then bears against an extension wo on
a pivotted bar and rotates the latter in the direction indicated by the arrow in
Figure 4 whereby a series of springs y on the said bar x is caused to press on the
lower parts of slots 2 in the lifters n of the action a.
The damper rail a³ of the action a is operated from the pedal 6* in the usual manner
as shown and the damper rail of the action a¹ is operated by a lever e³ attached to
one end of a shaft passing from one action to the other. The other end of the said
shaft has a similar lever which is operated by the usual rod g³, lever h³ and pedal d.
The two pedals * and d are placed close together to enable them to be simultaneously
operated by one foot.
For convenience in moving the instrument it is made in two parts A and A¹ which
are held together by means of thumb screws 1.
1 wish it understood that I do not confine myself to the use of the actions constructed
as hereinbefore described nor to the method of operating the same by a single set of
keys as it is obvious that the construction of such actions can be modified and in some
cases I might with advantage arrange each set of actions to be operated by a different
set of keys. In such cases however it would be necessary to provide means for coupling
the two sets of keys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
(1) A pianoforte comprising two separate actions and scales, two sets of strings and
two sounding boards, the said actions being combined with suitable mechanisin such
as that herein described whereby they are adapted to be operated simultaneously, or
whereby one alone can be operated, by playing on one set of keys.
(2) In a pianoforte such as that referred to in Claim 1 the arrangement of
mechanism for enabling the two actions to be operated simultaneously from a single
set of keys, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
(3) In a pianoforte such as that referred to in Claim 1 the combination with
a supplementary pedal of the mechanism for allowing the back action to be disconnected
when requiring to make use of the front action only, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(4) In a pianoforte such as that referred to in Claim 1, the arrangement of
mechanism whereby an increased resistance is given to the front action when the back
action is disconnected, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
(5) The improved pianoforte hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
1000