Grand Pianoforte.
Year: 1799

page_text: The
Grand Pianoforte.-The bracings and extenders or
diameter of which three-quarters of an inch has been found suflicient) are of
metal (instead of wood), and they are placed close under the belly or sounding
board, each end abutting against the moulding of the case to which the belly
is fixed, but so as not to touch the belly or sounding board. Their form and
situation are shewn in Drawing No. 1, but these may be varied according to
the power required of them. The bridge upon the sounding board stands, as it
were, upon the centre of an arch, by tapering away the thickness of the
sounding board on each side of it, see Drawing, No. 2; the belly rail to be
reduced from the inside, about half the length of it, from the treble end, so
as that the belly or sounding board shall not rest upon more than about one-
half of its usual width. The front of the rail projects over five-eighths of an
inch at the treble and runs off to nothing in the middle, notches being cut
through the projecting part for the dampers to work in, see also Drawing No. 2.
Within the under part of the instrument is introduced a drum, tabor, or tam-
bourine, as is shewn in Drawing No. 1, the sticks or beaters of which are
brought into action in various ways, some of which are as follow, viz, by
means of levers and cranks, and may be made to act by a falling off action,
similar to that of an upright grand pianoforte, or by a barrel with cogs, spring,

page_text: and rotchet wheel, on the principle of the operation of the chimes upon bells.
The spring is fastened to an axle which passes through the cog'd barrel,
whereon is placed a rotchet wheel; a chain or catgut is fixed upon the surface
of the wheel, which by a lever is forced partly round and brings with it the
cog'd barrel (which rises the heel of the beater), where it remains until the
check has run back by the force of the spring, in order to make another revo-
lution. If the sticks or beaters are intended to strike downwards upon the
drum, tabour, or tambourine, a spring must be placed to bring it back for
another stroke; but if upwards, the fall of action may be applied.
Amongst the other improvements alluded to in the Patent is that of the
introduction of a triangle into the body of the instrument, which is brought into
action by levers and cranks, in the same manner as the drum, tabor, or tam-
bourine. The Drawing No. 3 shews the rest plank, trussed with wood, and an
arched plate of metal of about thrce-sixteenths of an inch thick and an inch
and half in width let into and screw'd to the same. No. 4 is the front view
of the rest plank, with a plate of metal let in the whole length and screw'd.
No. 5 is the section of the rest plank, representing the plate let into the front.
Small Pianoforte.-The case of this instrument is also braced and extended
with metal in various forms, under the sounding board or belly, but so as
not to touch it, one of which forms will be seen in Drawing No. 6. The thick-
ness of the bracings. may.be, about three-eighths of an inch and the width of
cach bar about one inch; but these may be varied according to the power
required. of them. A drum,, tabor, or tambourine is also introduced into the
under part of this: instrument, similar, to, the grand pianoforte, and acted upon
by the same various..means, see Drawing, No. 7. The triangle in this instru-
ment is placed. (for convenience) in the angle behind the pin block, and is
brought into action in the same manner as in the grand pianoforte. The lid of
the case may be either whole or cut quite across at the place where the flap is
usually divided, so that one part of the lid may be open and the other part
shut and under the larger part of the lid (near to the edge of the flap, when
up) is fixed (by: hinges) a music desk for the performer, which, when the lid
is opened (by putting back a spring bolt that fastens it to the back part of the
lid), falls down and fixes, in a rack let into the cheek pieces, and the flap of
the desk where. the books rest upon is of two thicknesses, to be, occasionally
opened, and in the inside..of..which preludes or instructions to the performer
may be placed,. sce Drawing.No. 8... Thiere is also a smaller desk (for an
accompaniment) placed in the same manner under the lesser division of the lid
to the right.
There is also a small pianoforte upon a construction (in part) entirely new,

page_text: which is that the key frame, with the keys draw out upon-a rabbet, in order
to be played upon, somewhat similar to the keys of an organ, the bridge, the
strings, and the hammers, are reversed from-their usual situation:
Drawings No. 9 & 10.
Sco
There are many parts in this Invention that may be varied, particularly with
respect to the action upon the drum, tabor, or tambourine, and triangle, all
which variations the Patentee claims as being under the principle of his
Patent, although too numerous to be here described..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPII
SMITH, of Castle Street, in the Parish of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of October, in the Thirty-ninth year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Smith, His especial licence, that I,
the said Joseph Smith, during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN NEW IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE INTERNAL BRACINGS OF PIANO FORTES, SO AS TO ADMIT THE INTRODUCTION INTO
THE INTERNAL PART OF THE INSTRUMENT OF A DRUM, TABOE, OR TAMBOURINE, WITH
STICKS OR BEATERS THEREUNTO BELONGING, TOGETHER WITH OTHER IMPROVEMENTS
THEREON;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said Joseph Smith, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
scal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four calendar months after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Smith, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
above Drawings and description thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Smith, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of February, in the
fortieth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the said
Joseph Smith came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the several Statutes made in
the sixth year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary
of England, and so forth, and in the seventeenth, twenty-third, and thirty-
seventh years of the reign of His present Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the day and year last above written.