IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Crawford, of Beaumont Street, Portland'
Place, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 21st November 1862, and dated the 22nd May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Crawford at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
May 1862.
I, GEORGE CRAWFORD, of Beaumont Street, Portland Place, in the County
of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of musical instrument
capable of being played upon by means of keys similar to a pianoforte, and
consists in substituting for the strings hitherto used in pianofortes a number
of metal prongs or " vibrators," somewhat similar to those used in musical boxes,
cr similar to the musical pitch forks, properly tuned and acted upon either by
jacks as in the harpsichord, or by hammers brought into play by a percussive
action on the keys.
Another part of this Invention relates to an improved action which is appli-
cable to pianofortes as well as to my improved instrument, whereby greater
nicety of touch, with increased power of blow and effective check action at a
reduced expense, is obtained.
These improvements consist in making the butts of the hammers bevilled or

page_text: curved inwardly on their under surfaces, and in causing the fly to act directly
upon such butt, thereby dispensing with the use of stickers and levers. The
bevel or curve forms also an efficient check to the fly, preventing it from being
thrown too far forward. One portion of these bevels may be made adjustable
so as to regulate the check action.
According to another modification I propose to attach the shank of the
hammer to a lever hinged to a levér rail at the back, thereby dispensing with
butts and stickers. In this case the ends of the levers may if desired be
shaped on their under sides like the butts in the first arrangement, or they
may be made square.
It is proposed to apply springs to the butts or to the levers for the purposo
of throwing the hammer from off the prong or string after striking.
The fly of the hopper is hinged to a separate piece, let into the key, and
the regulating screw is carried by another separate piece in the end of the key,
in place of making these parts in one piece as heretofore. For any vertical
instrument, exceeding say four feet in height, I propose to use stickers
attached to the butts in the usual way, but connected directly to the keys
without the intervention of a hopper and lever.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Crawford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CRAWFORD, of Beaumont Street, Portland Place, Pianoforte Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said George Crawford, Her special license, that I, the said
George Crawford, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said George Crawford, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon, the condition (amongst others) that I

page_text: the said George Crawford, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great 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 George Crawford, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction of musical instruments
capable of being played upon by means of keys similar to a pianoforte, and
consists in substituting for the strings hitherto used in pianofortes a number
of metal prongs or "vibrators," somewhat similar to those used in musical
boxes, or similar to the musical pitchforks properly tuned and acted upon either
by "jacks" as in the harpsichord, or by hammers brought into play by a
percussion action on the keys.
Another part of this Invention relates to an improved action which is
applicable to pianofortes as well as to my improved instrument, whereby
greater nicety of touch with increased power of blow and effective check
action at a reduced expence is obtained. These improvements consist in making
the butts of the hammers bevelled or curved inwardly on their under surfaces,
and in causing the fly to act directly upon such butt, thereby dispensing with
the use of stickers and levers. The bevel or curve forms also an efficient
check to the fly, preventing it from being thrown too far forward. One portion
of these bevels may be made adjustable so as to regulate the check action. It
is proposed to apply springs under the butts, for the purpose of assisting in
throwing the hammer from off the prong or string after striking, and so afford-
ing a more effectual repeat action, and giving greater elasticity of touch.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in the correspond-
ing Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of a portion of my
improved musical instrument, wherein metal prongs are substituted for the
strings ordinarily employed in instruments of the pianoforte class. In this
Figure I have merely shown a single prong, with one form of the action to be

page_text: used in conjunction therewith, the same principle being applicable to as many
different prongs as may be required, according to the compass of the instru-
ment. a represents one of a series of metal prongs or "vibrators" firmly
secured in sets or simply by means of screws or otherwise to the supporting
bar b, attached to a sound board so as to vibrate freely at their lower ends when
deflected and released. c is a "jack" consisting of a metal pin backed by a
piece of leather or other sound deadening material, for the purpose herein-after
described. This pin c is screwed so as to be readily adjusted in-height by
turning the same into the small hinged piece d, connected by a pin at e to the
lever f, which is hinged at f¹ to the part g of the horizontal lever h, working
on a hinge at i. The under side of the lever h is acted upon by a stud k, on
the top of the inner end of the key, which is centred at m in the usual manner
adopted for pianoforte keys, the key board of this instrument being precisely
similar to that of a pianoforte. n is the rod for working the damper o, which
is hung on a hinge at p; and is provided with a pad q' which bears upon the
prong or vibrator after the release of the key, but is drawn off by the depression
of the key. In striking a key the lever is elevated and the pin or jack
moved forward so as to catch the end of the prong or vibrator, deflect the same,
and then slip off or release it allowing it to vibrate and give forth its sound.
When the key is released or allowed to rise again the lever h descends and
the pin or jack c returns to its original position in front of the prong or
vibrator. This return of the pin or jack c is allowed for by reason of the
hinged piece d, which turns over slightly as the pin c comes against the back
of the prong in its return and so permits it to pass the prong without interrup-
tion or check; the spring r serving to bring the piece d to its vertical position
again. t is a regulating pin for adjusting the distance between the pin or
"jack c and the prong, and u, u, are adjustments for the damper. Any
jarring between the pin or "jack" c and the prong or vibrator when the
jack comes in contact with it at its return movement is prevented by the
backing of leather on the pin herein-before referred to.
"
Figure 2 of my Drawings represents an improved and simplified pianoforte.
action, which is also applicable to my improved instrument herein-before
described. a is the string of an upright piano secured in the usual manner at
b, b; c is the hammer; d the improved hammer butt (shown full size at
Figure 3), which is bevelled or curved inwardly at e, and suitably covered with
leather to prevent noise. The upper end of the fly f bears against the raised
portion 1 of the bevel when striking the hammer forward, and throws off at
the proper time by slipping into the recessed portion or notch at 2. The check
action is obtained by the projection or straight side of the recess or notch at 3,

page_text: coming against the end of the fly as shown in the red lines which represent
the hammer thrown off from the string. This part may consist simply of a
piece of felt glued to the butt, as shown in the Drawing, or it may be made
adjustable so as to admit of the check action being regulated. The lower end
of the fly is hinged at g to a separate piece h let into the key 7, and is provided
with a regulating screw m. In some cases if found desirable I attach a small
spring to the underside of the hammer butt at the part corrosponding to the
raised portion 1, so that the fly will strike against this spring and through it
give the necessary impetus to the hammer. By the use of this spring a better
repeat action and greater elasticity of touch will be obtained. is the ordi-
nary damper, which is worked by a rod n, connected with the butt of the
hammer.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, -
First, the general constructions and arrangements of musical instruments
to be played by means of keys as herein-before described and illustrated by
my Drawings.
Second, the application and use to and in musical instruments of metal
prongs or "vibrators" in substitution for wires acted upon by jacks or pins,
substantially as herein-before described.
Third, the causing the flys to act directly upon the butts of the hammers
in pianoforte actions without the intervention of stickers and levers as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Crawford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
GEORGE CRAWFORD. (L.S.)