Improvements in or relating to Pianoforte Cases
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 22nd Sept.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pianoforte Cases,
I, CLIFFORD ROBERT STEPHEN JOHN HALLÉ, Lecturer and Musician, of 50, Pem-
broke Road, Earl's Court, London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:---
This invention relates to manufacturing or constructing pianoforte cases, 80
that they can be used as cabinets for music books or sheets, or other articles or
things, and thus be made as an ornamental and useful article of furniture instead
of being limited as a piano case only.
The case by my invention is intended chiefly to represent a chiffonnier, a side-
board, or like article of furniture, the principle of construction being in the
shape of an upright grand or cottage piano with lower front cupboard or shelves,
and leaving sufficient middle lower space for the knees of the player and for
manipulating the pedals or knee actions, the upper back part of the case being
provided with a box which collects and concentrates the musical sounds for dis-
tribution into an apartment. This box may be formed by heightening the case
of the piano above the wrest plank and leaving the interior hollow, the box thus
formed being supplied with a hinged door which opens at such an angle as to
direct the sound in any given direction.
The cupboards or shelves preferably form part of the case but they may be
separate and be attached, so that the case is not made unduly heavy.
The cupboards or shelves and also the case are applicable for bearing any art
subject by way of panelling and decoration, and instead of being always and
only a piano, as at present, it may serve as a substantial article of furniture.
Dated this 8th day of November 1899
Improvements in or relating to Pianoforte Cases.
I, CLIFFORD ROBERT STEPHEN JOHN HALLÉ, Lecturer and Musician, of 50, Pem-
broke Road, Earl's Court, London, 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 relates to manufacturing or constructing pianoforte cases, BO

page_text: that they can be used as cabinets for music books or sheets, or other articles or
things, and thus be made as an ornamental and useful article of furniture instead
of being limited as a piano case only.
The case by my invention, and as shown on the annexed drawings, Figure 1,
being a perspective elevation, and Figure 2 a section through the line 1, 1, of
Figure 1, is intended chiefly to represent a chiffonnier, a sideboard, or like article
of furniture, the principle of construction being in the shape of an upright
grand or cottage piano with lower front cupboards a and leaving sufficient
middle lower space b for the knees of the player and for manipulating the pedals c
the upper back part d of the case being provided with a box e which collects
and concentrates the musical sounds for distribution into an apartment a sound-
board fitted therein directing the sound to outside the box e. This box e may
be formed by heightening the case of the piano above the wrest plank g and
leaving the interior hollow, the box thus formed being supplied with a vibrating
soundboard and a hinged door h which opens at such an angle as to direct
the sound in any given direction.
The cupboards and also the case are applicable for bearing any art subject by
way of panelling and decoration, and instead of being always and only a piano,
as at present, it may serve as a decorative and substantial article of furniture.
Figure 2 only shows the case in skeleton, but it will be understood that the
actions are fitted in the usual place, the principal feature of the invention being
a curved soundboard f fitted in the box or canopy e for directing the sound
through the door h, and through between the dentils ; or other openings in the
сапору.
The box or canopy e is shown as overhanging the front of the piano, but it
may be flush with the front if so desired.
In some cases, the lower space b may be enclosed by doors which may be
pushed inwards when desired.
k is a shelf to the cupboards a reaching to near the strings and as such cup-
boards a have no backs, the sound is not boxed in or deadened in any way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination with the case of an upright piano, of a curvelinear vibra-
tory sound board arranged near the top thereof and connected at one end to the
wrest plank of the case, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of a piano case provided with a sound concentrating
chamber at the top thereof, a frame. in the said case and carrying at its upper
end a wrest plank, and a curvelinear vibratory sound board connected at one
end to said plank and extending into said chamber for projecting the sound
therefrom, substantially as herein shown and described.
Thi 9th day of August 1900