IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO FORTES
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
DODD, of Glocuster Place, in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventh day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edward Dodd, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Edward Dodd, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such.
others as I, the said Edward Dodd, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO FORTES;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Edward Dodd, shall
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 Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately.

page_text: after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Dodd, do hereby declaro the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
.
In constructing pianofortes, it is well known that, owing to the great strain
of the strings, it has been found very difficult to obtain a construction of
framing which shall not bend or yield to such strain, and it is well known
that various ingenious contrivances have been resorted to in combining the
parts, and such difficulty arises from the circumstance of the strain being on
one side or surface of the framing, having a tendency to draw the frame into the
form of a bow. Now the object of iny. Invention is, so to apply the strings of
pianofortes that the strain on both sides of the frame shall be made equal, or
so nearly equal, as to keep the framing free from any material quantity of
strain on one side more than on the other, (owing to) the strain on one side
being compensated by the strain on the other side, by which the framing will
be rendered capable of bearing a much greater pressure without injury, by the
strain resolving itself into a pressure directly through the centre plane of the
framing. And in order to give the best information in my power, I will
proceed to explain the Drawing hereunto annexed, where, my Invention is
shewn applied to an upright pianoforte, by a description. of which a workman
will readily understand the nature of my Invention, and be able to apply it to
upright as well as to other pianofortes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews a framing of an upright pianoforte, with part of the strings
shewn as applied according to my Invention, in order that the strain produced
thereby shall be equal, or very nearly so, on either side of such framing.
Figure 2 shews a transverse section of the same frame in a case of a
pianoforte, but I have not thought it necessary to shew the action of a piano-
forte, such part being well understood.
Figure 3 shews a back view of the parts shewn at Figure 1 placed in
a case.
Figure 4 is a under side view of the frame Figure 1; and Figures 5, 6, and

page_text: a, a, is a rectangular framing to which the strings are applied, such framing
consisting of the top rail, forming the wrest plank, and the bottom rails a, a,
the two side rails a¹, a', the series of uprights a, a³, and the cross rail a', all
framed securely together. I would, however, remark, that the construction of
the frame a, a, may be varied, the Invention not being for the frame, but for
the mode of applying strings to a suitable frame of a pianoforte. On the
upper or top rail a are applied the tuning and other pins at front and back,
for the two ends of each of the strings, as is shewn...6 is the sounding board
and bridge, and c, c, are bars to the back of the sounding boards. On the
under surfaces of the lower rail a are applied a series of pulleys d, d, on
axes e, e, such axes being sustained by bearings f, affixed to the lower rail a,
and the axes e, e, are retained in their places in the bearings f, by means of
the straps g. h, h, h, are washers applied between each of the pulleys, all
which is clearly shewn in the Drawing. And it will be seen that the strings
are at the back as well as at the front of the frame a, and the strain of the
strings will have a tendency to draw the lower rail a'towards the upper rail a
in a direct line, through the uprights a, a,-in place of the strain having a
tendency, as heretofore, of bending the frame. And it will be further evident,
that in tuning any of the strings in front the strain will immediately be
equalized, or nearly so, on both sides of the frame, and the tendency of the
whole strain will be to crush the frame from end to end in place of bending. The
construction of the frame a, a, offers great convenience in its being independent
of the outer case, and readily transferred from one outer case to another.
In constructing a pianoforte as above explained, it will be seen that the
strings at the back act as a means of counterbalancing the strain of the
strings on the front. In making pianos according to my Invention, I some-
times produce what may be called a double pianoforte, by forming the case in
such manner as to have the requisite action on both sides of the framing a, a;
but in such instances the strings at the front do not pass to the other side, nor
do the strings at the back pass to the front side, but each set has suitable pins
on the top and lower rails a, a, to act as tuning and hitch pins. By this means
there would be the strings of two pianofortes on the same frame a, a, placed
in a case, the strain of one set of strings counteracting the other, and causing
the joint strain to act in the same manner, as above described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise arrangement shewn, as variations may be made, so long
as my peculiar mode of applying strings to pianofortes be retained; but what
I claim is, the mode of applying strings to pianofortes, whereby the strain

page_text: thereof is rendered equal, or nearly so, on both sides of a frame, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Dodd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 6th day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.