IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO- FORTES
Year: 1851

page_text: HOPKINSON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HOPKINSON, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellc it Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Third day of June,
(One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one,) in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Hopkinson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John. Hopkinson, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Hopkinson, my exors,
adiiors, 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, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANO-
FORTES," communicated to me by a certain foreigner; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Hopkinson, shall cause
a particular description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately 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
John Hopkinson, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists of certain means of combining mechanical parts, in
order to communicate motion from the keys to the hammers of pianofortes,
and of clothing the hammers with sponge.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a side view of parts combined according to the Invention.
a is the hammer which is clothed with sponge, that material being found to be
better suitable for such purposes than felt or leather. The hammer a, which
is clothed with sponge, is put in motion by means of the instrument b, which
it will be seen is composed of two parts, and these parts are jointed at b', so
as to allow of movement in the length; c is a stop (faced with cloth or other
suitable material, to prevent noise,) which does not permit the arm or instru-
ment bending but in one direction. The arm or instrument 6 acts on the
hammer, either by a pin joint, as shown at 6, Fig. 1, or by means such as
are shown at Figure 2, or otherwise. Figure 1 shows the instrument 6 com-
bined with other apparatus for relieving and checking the hammer, by which
arrangement or combination of parts greater power, quicker repetition and
certainty of the blow, with a check quick and efficient, are obtained. Figures
3, 4, and 5 show a modification of the combination wherein the check and
relieving apparatus are somewhat altered and simplified, the arm 6 being pin-
jointed, as in the previous apparatus, the stop c being in this case fixed in an
upright on the key. Figures 3, 4, and 5 show the parts of a like arrange-
ment in three different positions. Figure 6 shows a similar combination,
wherein the instrument b, in place of acting directly on the hammer, acts on
an interposed lever. Figure 7 shows a modification of the combined apparatus,
to render it suitable for upright pianofortes.
I would remark that I do not confine myself to the details as herein given,
and the same may be varied so long as the peculiar character of the Invention
is retained. What I claim is the combining mechanical parts herein described,
in order to communicate motion from the keys to the hammers of pianofortes,
and the clothing the hammers with sponge.
In witness whercof, I, the said John Hopkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-onc.
JOHN (L.S.) HOPKINSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of December, in
the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Hopkinson came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.