CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL SCALE OF KEYED INSTRUMENTS WITH FIXED TONES, SUCH AS PIANOS, ORGANS, &c.
Year: 1809

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
LOESCHMAN, of Newman Street, in the Parish of Saint Marylebone, and
County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the
forty-ninth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said David Loesch-
man, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
priviledge and authority, that I, the said David Loeschman, my exors, admiors,
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
MUSICAL SCALE OF KEYED INSTRUMENTS WITH FIXED TONES, SUCH AS PIANOS,
ORGANS, &c.;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso,
obliging mc, the said David Loeschman, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being
thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
David Loeschman, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in
and by the Drawings and description thereof hereunto annexed, and in
manner following, that is to say:-
The scale of a pianoforte or organ, on the common principle, having
12 sounds within the octave, I have by my Invention extended to 24 distinct
sounds, which enables the performer to play in 33 perfect keys, 18 major
and 15 minor thirds; and this I have effected by means of six pedals, that
cause the hammers to act upon 24 distinct sets of strings or unisons. Three
pedals bring on the flats to the treble, and the like number bring on the
sharps to the bass. By reversing my mechanism I produce also the same effect,
in which case by three of the pedals the flats are brought on to the bass, and
by the other three the sharps are brought on to the treble. Every pedal has
a separate movement and spring which act independent of the keys. On each
movement are fastened two of the twelve hammers belonging to each octave
throughout the compass, so that a pedal for the flats brings on two additional
flats in each octave, and in like manner a pedal for the sharps brings on in
each octave two additional sharps. When such additional flats or sharps are no
longer wanted, by omitting the use of the pedal, the spring belonging to it
immediately leaves the movement to its former position, or fixed tone of three
sharps, two flats, and seven natural notes in each octave. The mechanism
for the flats and sharps is so constructed, that if more sharps or flats are
wanted than one pedal will produce, a second without the first will be suf-
ficient to bring on two of each in addition. So also, if more sharps or flats
than the second pedal will produce are wanted, the third without the first or
second is sufficient to bring on two of each in like manner. Each pedal is
made to fasten if it should be wanted.
In organs the improvement is effected also by six pedals, and in cach
octave there are 24 distinct sounds from 24 distinct pipes. There is a
separate movement and a spring to every pedal; every fixed key has two
stickers, two backfalls, and two pallets, which act on two pipes of different
sounds. Three of the six movements are fixed in the middle of the front
above the keys, and bring on the sharps to the back of the organ; and
the same number are fixed in the like direction behind, to bring on the
flats towards the front; by fixing all the six movements in the middle of
the front, above the keys, or in the same situation behind, I produce
also the effect desired. By reversing the movements, my mechanism will
admit of bringing on the sharps or flats either to the front or back of the

page_text: organ; or, if wanted, my mechanism will admit having both the sharps and
flats either before or behind the instrument. With regard to the pedals, and
their construction, action, &c., I refer to that part (before described) relative
to such in my pianoforte Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Loeschman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and nine.