Improvements in or applicable to Pianofortes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Pianofortes.
We, FREDERICK MANN and ROBERT ADOLPHUS MANN, both of High Street,
Colchester, in the County of Essex, Music Sellers, and THOMAS DAWKINS trading
as Thomas Dawkins & Co. of 17, Charterhouse Street Holborn Circus, in the
County of London, Importer and Manufacturer of Musical Instruments do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the construction and application to pianofortes of a free
reed instrument so arranged that in playing the pianoforte in the ordinary manner
the free reed instrument can be played at the same time, thus providing a combined
piano and free reed instrument, one of the great advantages of the invention being
that our free reed instrument is so constructed that it can be applied to existing
pianofortes of the cottage type without having in any way to alter the piano.
In carrying out our invention we construct the wind chest of our free reed
instrument of such a size and shape that it can be placed on the damper rail of the
treble side of a piano, the wind pipe being arranged so that it extends downwards
inside the end of the pianoforte to the bellows, which bellows are adapted inside the
bottom door of the pianoforte and are operated by a suitably placed foot board, and
a cord or its equivalent passing over a pulley.
To the pallets of the reeds we connect wood stickers which extend downwards to
the keys inside the panel and fall.
By this arrangement it will be obvious that if the piano be played in the
ordinary manner, and the foot board operated to work the bellows, the keys in
being played upon will operate the stickers, and the free reed instrument will be
played as well as the piano. At the same time if it is not wished to play the reed
instrument, it is simply necessary not to operate the foot board, when the piano will
be played in the ordinary manner.
A great advantage of our invention is that it can, as above stated, be applied to
any existing piano of the cottage type, that it is entirely out of sight, and can
always be removed with great facility whenever required without in any way inter-
fering with the piano.
Dated this 13th day of September 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Planofortes.
We, FREDERICK MANN and ROBERT ADOLPHUS MANN both of High Street
Colchester, in the County of Essex, Music Sellers, and THOMAS DAWKINS trading
as Thomas Dawkins & Co. of 17 Charterhouse Street in the City of London,
Importers and Manufacturers of Musical Instruments, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention is more especially designed for the purpose of adapting arranging
and combining a reed or other like wind instrument to ordinary cottage or upright
pianofortes (hereinafter called "pianos" only) so that such reed or the like instru-
ment is mounted and operates entirely within the ordinary case so that no modification
I Drine07

page_text: or alteration of such pianos being necessary our invention can be adapted and
readily applied to most forms of pianos now in existence.
Having applied our said invention-the tone and action of the piano is not
detrimentally affected thereby and same can be played at will either with or without
the wind instrument being played.
And in order that our present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice we will proceed to fully describe same with reference to the
drawings hereunto annexed:-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an ordinary piano having our improvements applied
thereto with the front of the case removed.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1 with our improvements shown in dotted
lines.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the top of the reed box or reed pan as it is termed.
Fig. 4 is an underside view of the detachable lid or cover to such reed pan.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the interior of the reed pan with said lid removed.
Fig. 6 is an edge view of said cover.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
A is suitable bellows actuated in any suitable manner for instance by a cord B
passing over a pulley C and passing down to a pedal D placed as shown outside the
piano case see Fig. 2 and this pedal D and part of cord B are the only parts of our
improvements which are visible outside.
E is wind chest.
F is pipe leading from the wind chest up to the reed pan G.
G is reed pan.
His removable cover thereto.
I is loosely mounted piece of parchment or fabric over perforations in lid H.
Jis button moving in slot in H to throw the "tremulo into action by means of
the projection K on J inside box G closing the valve L and so diverting the wind
from pipe F so as to pass under the vibrating arm M near its bearing or fixture to
the bottom of G and thus give the tremulo action as is well understood.
N are catches to hold lid H on the body of the box G.
The box or reed pan G is mounted on the damper rail or may be mounted on
brackets or other suitable supports just over the damper rail so as not to interfere
with the tone or action of the piano.
P are the uprights rods or "stickers" which are mounted at their lower ends
upon pins or studs (not shown) fixed on the inner ends of the ordinary piano keys.
Qordinary piano keys which when operated in the usual way will raise up the
stickers P.
R are the valves or reed pallets (on the underside of box G) which at the
front ends thereof are pushed up by the rods P so that whichever note (or notes)
may be played on the piano key Q the vertical rod P will operate the corresponding
reed pallet or valve R and so the instrument is operated all the time the piano is
being played all that is necessary to start the playing or sounding of the reed
instrument being to operate the bellows and both piano and reed instrument are
then heard.
S is perforated guide bar for the rods P so as to keep same altogether when
taken out of the machine.
This wind instrument is only intended to be applied to the treble or higher part
of a "piano."
The operation is as follows:-
:--
When the bellows are operated and the piano played every piano note (i.e. of
those having our improvements applied thereto) operates and sounds a corre
spondingly toned reed and so the two instruments (wind and string) work in unison
and harmony so as to produce very striking effects.
All or any of the parts of our improvements can be easily removed for cleaning
or tuning or other purposes as desired.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The combination with a piano of a reed pan such as G arranged and mounted
inside the case and applied on or over the damper rail between the latter and the
piano lid proper and operated by and acting in conjunction with vertical rods or
stickers such as P which are all enclosed within the ordinary piano case substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereiubefore set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.