CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
SMART, of Berners Street, in the Parish of Mary-le-bone, in the County of
Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-three, and in the fourth year of His
reign, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Smart, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Henry Smart, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, during the term of
years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said
Henry Smart, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my.
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an.
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the.
said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby.
granted, shall utterly cease, desermine, and become void, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Henry Smart, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the

page_text: wire. I is the hammer block, centered in the usual way into the hammer rail
K. L, L, L, shews the common damper rail, with the damper working in
the usual way, and assisted by a counterweight of lead. M, M, shews the
position of the hammer; N, a section of the hammer rest; O, the moveable
socket, centered or hinged in the hammer rail. This socket has an oblong
opening or perforation for the lever F, G, to pass upwards through it, and in
or to the end of this moveable socket is fixed a wire, which carries a common
check piece marked P. Q represents a transverse section of the socket rail or
rest, lined in the usual way, to prevent noise. R, a similar section of a wedge
piece or rail, faced with leather, cloth, or buff, in the usual manner, and
extending the whole length of the hammer rail. S, a regulating button, fixed
on the end of a metal screwed wire passing through the upper end of the lever
F, G, which said wedge piece and regulating button are already well known
and in use. T is a snail piece or regulating eccentric button, fixed on the
end of a a metal screwed wire which passes thro' the lower end of the
lever G, by turning of which said snail piece upon its axis, so as to present a
longer or shorter diameter of its curve to the under part of the moveable
socket lever, the exact period of the movement at which the check piece P
performs its office, by catching that end of the hammer block marked V, is
thereby determined. W, W, W, represents one of the wires of a pianoforte.
66
EXPLANATION of the Drawing marked 'Drawing No. 2."
remembered, that the same letters apply to the same
Drawings.)
(And be it
parts in both
When the end
The Drawing No. 2 shews the position of the movement.
of the key marked G is depressed by the finger of a performer the end B is
elevated. The lever F, G, by moving the hammer block I, strikes the
hammer on the string, and raises the damper in the usual way, when the
regulating button S, rising against the wedge piece R, disengages the head
of the lever from under the hammer block, also in the usual way; but at this
period of the action the snail piece or eccentric button T, having just risen
into contact with the moveable socket O, the said socket is thereby raised, and
the check piece P catching that extremity of the hammer block which is
marked V, at the moment when the hammer recoils from the string or wire,
effectually prevents it falling against the rest N, or rebounding against the
string W, W, W. At the same time the hammer block settles upon the
shoulder of the lever at G, from which position the performer may repeat the
blow without suffering the key to rise above half the space or distance hitherto
allowed in lever actions, as the shoulder of the lever at G will propel the

page_text: hammer against the wire, independant of the head or upper extremity of the
When the
said lever being allowed to return under the hammer block.
pressure of the finger is removed from the end of the key marked C, the end
B descends, the spiral or eccentric button T sinks about three sixteenths of an
inch or more below the socketlever O, which settles on the socket rail or rest
Q, the hammer reclines upon the hammer rest N, and the counterweight F
draws the head of the lever again under the shoulder of the hammer block I,
as more distinctly seen by the position of the movement, as shewn at the
hammer against the wire, independant of the head or upper extremity of the
said lever being allowed to return under the hammer block. When the
pressure of the finger is removed from the end of the key marked C, the end
B descends, the spiral or eccentric button T sinks about three sixteenths of an
inch or more below the socketlever O, which settles on the socket rail or rest
Q, the hammer reclines upon the hammer rest N, and the counterweight H
draws the head of the lever again under the shoulder of the hammer block I,
as more distinctly seen by the position of the movement, as shewn at the
Drawing No.
DESCRIPTION of the Marginal or Supplementary Drawing of Detail (which is
placed upon the upper and right-hand corner of the Drawing marked
No. 2).
Figure 1 shews the diameter of and the perforation through the socket lever,
in which the lever marked F, G, in the preceeding Drawings, works, which
perforation or opening is lined on the inside with leather or cloth, to prevent
noise. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, shewing the manner in
which the perforation or opening is widened or bevilled. Figure 3 is a front
view of the metal screwed stud or crutch, with its transverse wire or center of
action, marked 4. Figure 5 shews the lever, which in the preceeding Drawings
is marked F, G; its improved shoulder or projection is marked 6; the upper
regulating button, already in use, is marked 7; the profile of the spiral or
eccentric button is marked 8, a front view or elevation of which is marked 9.
Figure 10 shews the spring notch or opening which is forced over the
transverse wire or center of motion when the lever is placed upon the metal
stud or crutch; and Figure 11 is the counter weight, before described in the
other Drawings, and which is here used in lieu of the wire springs hitherto
used to effect the same purpose, which springs have been objected to on
account of the noise they frequently produce, as well as their inequality of
action.
The size of the different parts, as shewn in the Drawings hereto annexed, is
that which I generally use for my smallest upright pianofortes; but in those
of a larger size the length and dimensions of the different parts must be left
to the discretion of the manufacturer; and I hereby declare that it is my
intention to include in this my Specification my claim to the sole right of
applying this my improved action as well to those pianofortes whose hammers
strike in front of the string or wire as to those in which the blow is given
from the back of the instrument, and which application of my said Invention
may be easily effected by inverting the motion, according to methods well

page_text: known to workmen. And I further declare it is not my intention to claim as
my Invention any of those parts of the action of pianofortes which are already
in use and well known; but I claim as my Invention the improved shoulder
to the lever, also the moveable socket lever, with the adoption of the spiral
snail piece or regulating button; and I hereby declare that the said moveable
socket lever, with its regulating snail piece or eccentric button, and the method
of obtaining a repetition of the blow in lever actions by means of the projection
or shoulder to the lever herein-before described, is, to the best of my know-
ledge and belief, entirely new, and never before used in these Kingdoms; and
I hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same, fully and without
disguise or reserve, to comply with the said herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, whereby it is my intention to maintain an exclusive right and
privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Smart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.