IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAND PIANOFORTES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Nicholson Wornum, of Store Street,
Bedford Square, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF GRAND PIANOFORTES.”
Sealed the 26th November 1875, and dated the 16th June 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Nicholson
Wornum at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th June 1875.
I, ALFRED NICHOLSON WORNUM, of Store Street, Bedford Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF GRAND PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:―
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Nicholson
Wornum at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th June 1875.
I, ALFRED NICHOLSON WORNUM, of Store Street, Bedford Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF GRAND PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:―
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
grand pianofortes.
My improvements are applicable more especially to the shorter
instruments where a greater length of string is required than can be
he the methods heretofo
in nee

page_text: "
I construct the "action" so that the "heads" of the "hammers
face the "wrest plank" and the keys, and I arrange the “ damper
action" between the "hammers" and the "wrest plank."
I arrange the "action" so that it may be drawn out from the bass
side of the case and not as heretofore in front, or it may be taken out
from beneath.
I arrange the "keys" so that they may be taken out of the instru-
ment from the front without disturbing the other parts of the "action"
and "damper action."
'
.
I use a metal bridge with an overhanging lip for the upper octaves and
so obtain more space for the dampers.
In order more directly to resist the strain of the strings I employ
iron braces which extend between the strings, so that the strings
lie in a plane, passing between the upper and lower edge of the
braces.
+
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
NICHOLSON WORNUM, of Store Street, Bedford Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, sond greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, Her special
license that I, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Nicholson Wornum, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF GRAND PIANOFORTES,”
"

page_text: •
Figure 1 is a view of a longitudinal section of the instrument passing
through the space between the first and second dampers, shewing the
note A. a is the metal plate for carrying the hitch pins, which plate is
fixed to the case in the ordinary way with screws; b is the wooden
wrest plank; c is an iron pressure bar which is let into the wrest plank, &
it supports the five iron struts (or bracings) which carry the entire
strain of the strings; & is the metal bridge which is cast with a lip d',
and is drilled through at the back in order that the strings after bearing
upon the lip may pass on to the wrest pins. This metal bridge is only
applied to the upper octaves, and when discontinued the strings pass 1
through drilled studs (as in ordinary use) to the wrest pins; e is one of the
cast-iron struts (or bracings) the section of which taken at 1, 1, Figure I.,
is given in Figure 2; it is so shaped that the lower edge of it passes
below the level of the strings, a slot being made in the bridge for that
purpose. There are five struts in all, which are fixed by screws to the 1
wrest plank at one end, and to the metal hitch pin plate a at the
other.
The action is so constructed that the hammers ƒ strike with their
heads facing the wrest plank, they are mounted on a hammer rail g
which is carried by an action frame h so constructed that it may be 2
withdrawn from its position through an opening made in the bass side
of the instrument, which withdrawal enables the regulation of the
"action" to be effected more conveniently than in the usual construc-
tion of grand pianofortes, in which the whole mechanism, including
the keys, has to be withdrawn from the front of the instrument.
The opening in the side of the instrument is fitted with a moveable
panel which is removed when the action is to be taken out. The
retaining screws h¹ are then removed, the action frame is pushed back-
wards or away from the keys for a short distance, and is then drawn out
endwise like a drawer; or the case might be so arranged as to admit of 3
being pushed further back and removed at the bottom.
The action consists of the following parts:-The hammers already
mentioned, the levers i jointed to the hammer rail and the hopper k,
which is jointed to the lever, the hopper being slotted and the lever
passing through it. The lever carries the check which coming into 3
contact with a projection from the hammer butt checks the recoil of the
hammer from the string. The hopper is prolonged beneath the lever

page_text: Fourth. The general arrangement and construction of grand piano-
fortes, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Nicholson Wornum, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.