AN IMPROVED METHOD OF SECURING THAT DESCRIPTION OF SMALL PIANOFORTES COMMONLY CALLED SQUARE PIANOFORTES FROM THE INJURIES TO WHICH THEY ARE HABLE FRON THE TENSION OF THE STRINGS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS:
MELVILLE, of Argyle Street, in the City of Glasgow, in that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, Pianoforte Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Fourth, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eighteenth day of January last, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, did give and grant unto me, the said Francis Melville, His special
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Francis
Melville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of them, by
myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said Francis Melville, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF SECURING THAT DESCRIPTION OF SMALL PIANOFORTES COMMONLY CALLED
SQUARE PIANOFORTES FROM THE INJURIES TO WHICH THEY ARE HABLE FRON
THE TENSION OF THE STRINGS;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-

page_text: tained a proviso obliging me, the said Francis Melville, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Melville, do hereby declare that the nature of my Improved Method
of Securing that Description of small Pianofortes commonly called Square
Pianofortes from the Injuries to which they are liable from the Tension of the
Strings, is described and shewn in the Plans drawn in the margin of these
Presents, and the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
Drawing No. 1 represents a square pianoforte case turned on its front side,
giving a view of the apparatus, herein-after more particularly described, applied
to the instrument for the purpose of more effectually resisting the tension of
the strings.
No. 2 represents the form of the back block marked A in the Drawing No. 1,
which back block differs in shape from the back block used in the ordinary
construction of square pianofortes, inasmuch as it is brought farther forward,
and has a projection in front beyond the strings (marked B in the present
Drawing) for the purpose of receiving the bracket (Drawing, No. 8) and
forming a solid butment for the same; whereas the back block in other square
pianofortes is of an angular form, without any projection from the broad or
bass end for the purpose of forming a butment.
No. 8 is a metal bracket fixed to the projection of the block marked B,
Drawing No. 2, as at B, No. 1, and which bracket has a cup or hollow in
front for the purpose of receiving the end of the metal tube, Drawing No. 4,
the position of which cup or hollow is shewn by letter H. This bracket and
the brackets No. 5, No. 6, and No. 9, must have cups or hollows of the
same description, for the reception of the ends of the tubes or rods, No. 4
and No. 8, and placed sufficiently high above the blocks to let the strings pass
freely underneath the tubes or rods.
No. 4 is a metal tube about an inch and quarter diameter, which stretches
across the instrument from the bracket No. 3 to the bracket No. 5 (marked also
No. 3 and No. 5 in Drawing No. 1). This tube has solid metal ends of a
semicircular form, which are inserted into corresponding cups formed in the
brackets No. 3 and No. 5. By this structure of the ends of the tube and
corresponding cups in the brackets moveable centres are formed, and the tube

page_text: is prevented from being thrown out of its parallel direction by any lateral
pressure arising from the tension of the strings. In order to prevent the
necessity of enlarging the case or outer framework of the instrument, and to
give a stronger support to the block C, Drawing No. 1, instead of carrying
the tube to the extremity of the said block C, the bracket for its reception
is placed about five inches from the front of the case or outer framework, and
the pins for the strings of about eight or nine of the bass notes on block C
must be so placed as to give the strings on the pins of the bridge of the sound-
board at D, in Drawing No. 1, a bearing towards the front of the instrument,
by which means a sufficient space is obtained for the insertion of the bracket,
Drawing No. 5, between the strings in the block C, Drawing No. 1. It is
to be noticed, this rod No. 4 might be made of solid metal, but a tube is
lighter and stronger.
No. 5 is the form of the metal bracket last mentioned, which is fixed to
the block C, Drawing No. 1, and which has a cup in front like the bracket
No. 3, for receiving the solid semicircular end of the tube. No. 4. The
hook at the bottom of this bracket, as well as the hook at the bottom of bracket
No. 9, passes under the bottom of the block for the purpose of fixing it more
steadily thereto.
No. 6 is the form of the metal bracket fixed to the back block at E,
Drawing No. 1, in the space usually left between the strings from the inser-
tion of the block which supports the termination of the sound board F, No. 1,
about fifty-six notes from the bass end of the instrument, and is inserted into
an indentation or notch K, Drawing No. 2. This bracket is formed in such
a manner as to be fixed with screws to the front of the back block, as will
readily appear by the Drawing No. 6.
No. 7 is another view of the bracket, Drawing 6.
No. 8 (in the Drawing No. 1, marked I) is a tube of the same form and
description as the tube, Drawing No. 4, but shorter and of less diameter, and
resting in the cups or hollows of the brackets No. 6 and No. 9, placed at E
and G, Drawing No. 1, in the same manner as the tube No. 4 rests in the
cups or hollows of the brackets No. 3 and No. 5.
No. 9 is the metal bracket which is fixed at G, Drawing No. 1, and which
receives the right-hand extremity of the tube, Drawing No. 8. This bracket
is fixed in block C, Drawing No. 1, about forty-four notes counted upwards
from the bass, in a space obtained by a division of the strings, as will be seen
by Drawing No. 1. at the letter G.
No. 10 is the form of the right-hand block marked C in Drawing No. 1.
The letter L shews the notch formed in this block for the reception of the

page_text: bracket No. 9; and the letter M shews the notch formed for the reception of
the bracket No. 5, and which notches, as well as the notch K and the but-
ment B, in Drawing No. 2, are cut down in front of the blocks so as to form
square butments for the tubes and brackets.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Melville, have hereunto set my 5
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.