IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Millward, of Curzon Chambers, Paradise
Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."-A communication
from abroad by Thomas Atkins and Henry Drewer, both of Cincin-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Millward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th June 1872.
I, JOHN MILLWARD, of Curzon Chambers, Paradise Street, Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be
as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to that class of musical instruments operated by
the hands and feet by means of keys and pedals in the same manner as
a pianoforte, but in this Invention the use of strings of any kind is
dispensed with, and tuned hooks of peculiar construction and arrangement

page_text: are used instead, the object being to produce a musical instrument which
will equal the pianoforte in sweetness of tone with an increased variety
of chords, and which will be more durable and less liable to get out of
tune than stringed instruments. The hooks are made of steel or other
suitable metal, and may have one, two, or more prongs each. A primary
form of hook is made in the shape of the letter U, with one of the limbs
prolonged as a shank sufficiently to pass into a metal frame to which the
are used instead, the object being to produce a musical instrument which
will equal the pianoforte in sweetness of tone with an increased variety
of chords, and which will be more durable and less liable to get out of
tune than stringed instruments. The hooks are made of steel or other
suitable metal, and may have one, two, or more prongs each. A primary
form of hook is made in the shape of the letter U, with one of the limbs
prolonged as a shank sufficiently to pass into a metal frame to which the
hooks are fixed.
In another form of hook the shank is central, with a prong on each
side. These prongs may be made of unequal lengths, the one being
tuned one or more octaves higher than the other.
Hooks with three or four prongs may be used, the several prongs
being tuned in octaves. For a four-pronged hook the shank may be
extended upwards and downwards from the point of its fixing, having at
each extremity a pair of prongs. In all cases the shank is fixed at the
mouth of the hook.
In an instrument constructed in accordance with this Invention the
hooks are arranged side by side, either in a vertical position, as preferred,
or in an inclined or horizontal position, and are attached at the shank
end to a metallic frame, suitably supported in the frame of the instru-
ment in a position parallel to the sounding board, and connected there-
with by short sounding posts or stud pieces to transmit the sound. The
metallic frame consists of two bars, bolted together with distance pieces,
or of one bar slotted in such a way as to leave a space or slot into which
the bars or shanks of tlie looks may be inserted and made fast by means
of a set screw or bolt operating in the front side of the frame. A metal
washer or disc and a thin pad of leather or other similar substance should
be inserted between the point of each pin and the shank of the corre-
sponding hook, so as to have the pad against the shank of the hook. The
firmness of the attachment of the hooks in the metallic frame may be
increased by having notches in the back of the shanks of the hooks.
corresponding with a rib running along the inside of the back member
of the said metallic frame. It is necessary that the hooks be rigidly
attached to a suitable metallic plate or bar, which bar must communicate
the sounds produced by the vibrations of the hooks by suitable posts to
the sounding board in order to produce musical tones by the vibrations
of the metal.

page_text: The instrument is operated by the ordinary pianoforte action of keys
and springs actuating hammers with dampers and pedal attachments.
The hooks should be so arranged that the hammers will strike primary
hooks (or those with single prongs) at or near the points of the prongs
or the longer or fundamental prongs of double hooks at a point nearly
opposite the termination of the shorter prongs. When properly protected
against rust the hook will remain in tune for a very long period of time,
and can be constructed to produce tunes equal in sweetness and strength
to those of the best pianoforte.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Millward in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th December 1872.
•
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I JOHN
MILLWARD, of Curzon Chambers, Paradisc Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, send greeting.
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of Junc, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Millward, Her special license, thạt I,
the said John Millward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Millward, 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 vond, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,”
a communication to me from abroad by Thomas Atkins and Henry
Drewer, both of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Millward, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
sanic was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great

page_text: Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Millward, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say :-
This Invention relates to that class of musical instruments operated
by the hands and feet by means of keys and pedals in the same manner
as a pianoforte, but in this Invention the use of strings of any kind is
dispensed with, and tuned hooks of peculiar construction and arrange-
ment are used instead, the object being to produce a musical instrument
which will equal the pianoforte in sweetness of tone with an increased
variety of chords, and which will be more durable and less liable to get
out of tune than stringed instruments. The hooks are made of steel or
other suitable metal, and may have one, two, or more prongs each. A
primary form of hook is made in the shape of the letter U, with one of
the limbs prolonged as a shank sufficiently to pass into a metal frame to
which the hooks are fixed.
In another form of hook the shank is central, with a prong on cach
side. These prongs may be made of unequal lengths, the one being
tuned one or more octaves higher than the other.
Hooks with three or four prongs may be used, the several prongs
being lengthened in octaves. For a four-pronged hook the shank may
be extended upwards and downwards from the point of its fixing, having
at each extremity a pair of prongs. In all cases the shank is fixed at
the mouth of the hook.
°
In an instrument constructed in accordance with this Invention the
hooks are arranged side by side, either in a vertical position, as preferred,
or
in an inclined or horizontal position, and are attached at the shank
end to a metallic frame, suitably supported in the frame of the instru-
ment in a position parallel to the sounding board, and connected there-
with by short sounding posts or stud pieces to transmit the sound. The
metallic frame consists of two bars bolted together with distance pieces,
or of one bar slotted in such a way as to leave a space or slot into which

page_text: the bars or shanks of the hooks may be inserted, and made fast by means
of a set screw or bolt operating in the front side of the frame. A metal
washer or disc and a thin pad of leather or other similar substance should
be inserted between the point of each pin and the shank of the corre-
sponding hook so as to have the pad against the shank of the hook. The
firmness of the attachment of the hooks in the metallic frame may be
increased by having notches in the back of the shanks of the hooks
corresponding with a rib running along the inside of the back member
of the said metallic frame. It is necessary that the hooks be rigidly
attached to a suitable metallic plate or bar, which bar must communicate
the sounds produced by the vibrations of the hooks by suitable posts to
the sounding board in order to produce musical tones by the vibrations
of the metal.
The instrument is operated by the ordinary pianoforte action of keys
and springs actuating hammers with dampers and pedal attachments.
The hooks should be so arranged that the hammers will strike the
primary hook (or those with single prong) at or near the point of the
prong or the longer or fundemental prongs of double hooks at a point
nearly opposite the termination of the shorter prong. When properly
protected against rust the hook will remain in tunc for a very long
period of time, and can be constructed to produce tunes equal in sweet-
ness and strength to those of the best pianoforte.
•
But in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the manner of performing the
same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts throughout all the corresponding Figures.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an instrument embodying
the Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, shewing two methods
of attaching the hooks; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the same;
Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section shewing another method of attaching
the hooks; Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged views of various forms of hooks.
A represents the frame of the instrument; B is the sounding board,
of any suitable form or material; C is the key board, on which are
arranged key movements similar to those of a pianoforte, and operating
the hammers c, c; D, D, are two metallic bars, on the front of which
are arranged either two or more vertical metallic rods E, E, as shewn,

page_text: forming a metallic frame of any form which will fit the contour of the
frame of the instrument, and to which is attached the bar or frame F, F¹,
carrying the sounding hooks, which may be either in one length or in-a
number of sections, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, arranged parallel to the
sounding board of the instrument.
The sounding hooks may be attached by the arrangement shewn on
the right-hand side of Figs. 1 and 2, in which the slotted bar or frame F
has a bend or ridge f, Fig. 3, running along it inside for firmly holding
the hooks at the top of the shank, of which a notch is formed to fit on
to the said bend or ridge. Set pins G, G, screwed through the front bar
firmly secure the hooks, between which and the set screws are placed
metallic washers and pads of leather or other similar substance; the
latter prevent the slotted bar or frame receiving any of the vibration.
Another mode of mounting the hooks is shewn at the left-hand side of
Figures 1 and 2, and in section at Fig. 4, in which the front part of the
slotted frame is done away with and the hooks attached to a single bar F,
cither in one length or in sections, along the face of which bar or bars
is a rib f¹ corresponding with the notches in the shanks of the hooks.
Each hook is secured, as shewn in Figure 4, by means of a set screw G'
acting upon a metallic pad or block g, the under side of which bears
directly upon the bar, and the upper side upon the shank of the hook by
means of an intermediate leather or rubber pad g¹.
In both these modes of attachment the whole of the sound is com-
municated by means of the hook frame to the vertical rods E, E, it is
thence communicated to the sounding board B by means of sounding
posts H, H, made of any suitable material, and placed a little above or
below the bars F, F', and connecting the vertical rods E, E, with the
sounding board. I, I, are the musical or sounding hooks, the vibrations
of the prongs of which upon being struck by the hammers produce the
musical tones of the instrument. They may be made with 1, 2, 3, or 4
prongs cach, and when 2 or more prongs are used they must be tuned
in octaves, so that a chord is produced of two or more octaves.
In Fig. 5 the primary hook is shown. K is the bar or shank, and k
the vibrating prong. When 2 prongs are used (see Fig. 6) the longer
oue is the lower or fundemental prong, and the shorter one is the
secondary, which must be tuned one or more octaves higher.