IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki, Proprietor of the
Firm of J. Brandt and G. W. v. Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer,
of 124, Leipzigerstrasse, Berlin, Germany, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PIANOFORTES." A communication from Gustav Neuhaus, of Kalkar, in
Prussia, German Empire.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von
Nawrocki at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May
1881. 1
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, Proprietor of the Firm of J. Brandt
and G. W. v. Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer, of 124, Leipziger-
strasse, Berlin, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES.' [A communication
from Gustav Neuhaus, of Kalkar, in Prussia, German Empire.]
"
According to this Invention the keyboard of a pianoforte instead of being straight
with parallel keys as heretofore made is curved in the form of a concave circular
arc, with the keys radially arranged converging towards the performer, the keys
being thus made to assume a wedge shape or tapering form. Their width is by
preference made such that on the line where the black keys commence they are of
the same width as ordinary keys, so that the front part of the white keys are
narrower than ordinary keys, whereby the hand is enabled to grasp with facility a
greater number of keys than on the ordinary keyboard, while the width between
the black keys beyond the beforementioned line is greater than in ordinary keys,
thus facilitating the placing of the fingers on such parts of the white keys, which
is a matter of difficulty on ordinary key boards for persons not having pointed
fingers.
In addition to the above advantages, which greatly increase the facility of playing,
the extreme keys of the keyboard are brought within more easy reach of the
performer, so that less motion of the arms and body is required in playing, the keys
being approximately all equidistant from the player, and the motion required of

page_text: the arms approaches more nearly that which they naturally assume, namely, a
circular one round the shoulder, and elbow as a centre.
As the keys diverge towards the strings, more room is afforded at that part for
the mechanism; the strings can be placed farther apart, and the sounding board can
be made of correspondingly greater width, thus affording an improved tone to
the piano.
For upright or cottage pianos, the whole structure, therefore also the strings, the
sounding board, and the bearer carrying the mechanism, can with advantage be
made to follow the curvature of the keyboard, while for horizontal or grand pianos
the bearer for the mechanism is also made with the same curvature.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd November 1881.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI, Proprietor of the Firm of J. Brandt
& G. W. v. Nawrocki, Patent Solicitor and Civil Engineer, of 124, Leipziger-
strasse, Berlin, Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES." A communication
from Gustav Neuhaus, of Kalkar, in Prussia, German Empire.
According to this Invention the keyboard of a pianoforte instead of being straight
with parallel keys as heretofore made is curved in the form of a concave circular
arc, with the keys radially arranged converging towards the performer, the keys
being thus made to assume a wedge shape or tapering form. Their width is by
preference made such that on the line where the black keys commence they are of
the same width as ordinary keys, so that the front part of the white keys are
narrower than ordinary keys, whereby the hand is enabled to grasp with facility
a greater number of keys than on the ordinary key board, while the width between
the black keys beyond the beforementioned line is greater than in ordinary keys,
thus facilitating the placing of the fingers on such parts of the white keys, which
is a matter of difficulty on ordinary keyboards for persons not having pointed
fingers.
In addition to the above advantages, which greatly increase the facility of playing,
the extreme keys of the keyboard are brought within more easy reach of the
performer, so that less motion of the arms and body is required in playing, the
keys being approximately all equidistant from the player, and the motion required
of the arms approaches more nearly that which they naturally assume, namely, a
circular one round the shoulder, and elbow as a centre.
As the keys diverge towards the strings, more room is afforded at that part for
the mechanism; the strings can be placed farther apart, and the sounding board can
be made of correspondingly greater width, thus affording an improved tone to the
piano.

page_text: For upright or cottage pianos, the whole structure, therefore also the strings,
the sounding board, and the bearer carrying the mechanism, can with advantage be
made to follow the curvature of the keyboard, while for horizontal or grand pianos
the bearer for the mechanism is also made with the same curvature.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews the above described arrangement
applied to a grand or horizontal piano; and Fig. 2 shews it applied to an upright
piano. In both cases the line a, a, of the action is a circular arc, concentric with
the curve b, b, at the edge of the keyboard, and a, a, the line of the black keys.
Thus the front portions of the white keys are somewhat narrowed, and their back
portions somewhat widened, and this facilitates the performance, which is farther
facilitated by the easier reach of the extreme keys that is given by the circular
form.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my correspondent, I
claim,―
Making the keyboard of a pianoforte in the form of a concave circular arc with
radial keys, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gerard Wenzeslaus von Nawrocki, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
GERARD WENZESLAUS VON NAWROCKI. (L.S.)