A FORM OF KEYBOARD REED INSTRUMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, NICHOLAS BELFIELD DENNYS, Magistrate of Police at Singapore, and now
of No 5 Craven Street, Strand, London W.O. do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for A NEW FORM OF KEYBOARD REED INSTRUMENT to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to (1) Improvements in existing musical instrumenta
played by means of a keyboard; and (2) to Improvements in the fastening and
boxing of harmonium freereeds so as to fit them for being subjected to constant
percussion; the combination being designed to produce a light, cheap and portable
instrument for the purpose of permitting the practice of Piano-forte music, so that
the sound thereof shall only be audible to the player, or others in his immediate
vicinity, and so lessen the annoyance to others caused by learners or inexperienced
players.
It consists essentially of an ordinary pianoforte or harmonium keyboard and
hammer action of simple mechanism (though any known system embracing the
two may be availed of) enclosed in a suitable case, as shewn in elevation Fig. 1.
The hammer A is made to strike a freereed B which is attached to a box I of
double the thickness now in use and of the interior section shewn in Fig. V. The
reed B, instead of being attached to the box by rivets, as is now the custom, is
kept in place by the forked metal stud J. J (Figs VI VII & VIII) through which
passes the screw H both, when applied to the heavy bass reeds, being secured to
the nut K. When applied to the treble, and consequently lighter, reeds, the
screw H is simply tapped and screwed into the reed box as shewn in Fig VII.
But either method can be adopted for the entire range of reeds.
"
The reed boxes are mounted and secured in the usual manner by screws, either
to an ordinary "reed-pan or to a frame LL; the former being well known, the
latter only is shewn in the drawings, the side portion of the frame being shewn
only by dotted lines so as to exhibit the position of the reeds which would be fitted
underneath a pan in the ordinary manner but are secured on top of the frame.
With this latter arrangement a Soundboard C is fitted above the reeds as shewn in
Figs I & II. The pan, or frame, reeds, and that portion of the outer casing
constituting the Soundbox D, can, by means of the hinge O be readily turned back
so as to expose the reeds for tuning or adjustment.

page_text: When in place as shown in Figs. I & II the moveable cover E, which has a
hinge at R can be raised or lowered at will by the under lever G G acting on the
rod FF If the instrument be placed upon a table or other suitable support, with
the keyboard projecting, a piece of cord connected with a foot pedal can be
attached to the lever G G at the keyboard end, so as to allow of the player
obtaining forte and piano effects.
•
I claim an improvement in the construction of freereeds to fit them for subjection
to constant percussion; (1) by increasing the depth of the reed box; (2) by
constructing it of novel shape as regards its interior section; and (3) by fastening
the reed to its box by means of a forked metal stud, secured by a screw and nut,
or by a screw alone, so as to permit of easy fitting and removal substantially as
described.
I also claim an improvement in existing keyboard musical instruments so as to
permit of the practice of pianoforte music in a manner calculated to materially
lessen the annoyance caused to others by the playing of learners or of unskilled
performers, and consisting of an instrument designated the "pianino” substantially
as above described.
Dated at Landon this 97th day of Mórah 1001

page_text: I NICHOLAS BELFIELD DENNYS Magistrate of Police at Singapore and now of
5 Craven Street, Strand, London, W.C do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for A NEW FORM OF KEYBOARD REED INSTRUMENT and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
The object of my invention is the construction and production of a light cheap
and portable keyboard instrument which shall permit the practice of pianoforte or
organ music while the sound thereof shall only be audible to the player or to those
in the immediate vicinity and thus the annoyance caused to others by learners or
inexperienced players is greatly lessened if not entirely removed.
The instrument constructed according to this my invention consists of a series of ⚫
free reeds tuned to give and produce the different sounds or notes required which
sounds or notes are so produced by the percussion or striking of hammers on the
reeds and the hammers are actuated as in pianofortes by the ordinary keys of a
keyboard through any suitable convenient and usual action or mechanism.
In order fully and clearly to explain my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed I refer to the accompanying drawing in which I have shewn one
of the simplest forms or styles of my instrument.
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the instrument shewing an elevation
of one note.
4.
A is the case in which is contained the ordinary or other keyboard and any
convenient or usual system of hammer action or mechanism which I prefer to have
of as simple a type as possible. B is the key of one note and the depression thereof,
actuates the hammer C as is desired. The hammer C is thus made to strike a free
reed D which is attached to a reed box E in the usual and ordinary manner or as
is hereinafter described. The reed box E is mounted and secured either to an
ordinary reed pan in the usual or other convenient manner or as is preferable on
the top of a frame F as shewn in the drawing which is formed to carry the whole
or a part of the series of reed boxes E and a sound box G is formed by the walls H
erected on the frame F in which sound box G is a sound board K while the top of
the said sound box G is formed by the hinged cover L which can be raised and
lowered through the lever M and rod N by any suitable appliance and in any
convenient manner so that forte and piano effects can be produced at will. The
pan or frame aforesaid the reeds with the boxes therefor and the sound box or that
part of the outer casing which may constitute a sound box are preferably hinged to
the case as shewn at P so that this whole apparatus can readily and easily be
turned back to expose the said reeds for tuning or adjustment or for other purposes.
When the case of this instrument is formed as shewn in the drawing it can well be
placed on a table or elsewhere being raised a suitable distance thereabove by the
longitudinal chocks or supports R.
I would state that I consider the forms of my instrument and the various parts
thereof and the methods and details of construction attachment and working or
actuating the same as shewn in the drawing are very suitable, and convenient for
carrying out my object as hereinbefore declared but it is sufficiently obvious that
I do in nowise limit myself to the said forms or to the said methods and details
for I may make this my instrument and the various parts thereof of such forms
and I may use and employ such methods and details of construction attachment
and working or actuating as I may prefer or as may be suitable and convenient.
and useful in each particular case.

page_text: Free reeds as hitherto fitted have not been found capable of withstanding the
continual strain caused by constant percussion and consequently harmoniums or
organs that have percussion action have been constantly getting out of order I will
therefore now proceed to sbew how I fit the reeds so as to enable them to stand the
constant percussion as aforesaid and that they will experience to even a greater
degree in my instrument as hereinbefôre described.
Figure 2 is a plan of a reed box. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of
the same with a reed secured in position. Figure 4 is a',vertical transverse section
of the same. Figure 5 is the apparatus that secures the reed in position.
The reed box is made much deeper than is usual preferably about twice the
thickness of the ordinary boxes and the aperture therethrough S which may be
made of any shape that may be required by the reed is not of the same size
throughout as is usual but is enlarged on one side of the box that is to say the
walls thereof instead of being vertical and rectangular are inclined outwards as
shewn in Figure 4. The reed D is secured in position on the reed box by a forked
stud T instead of the usual rivets and this stud T may either be passed through an
aperture formed therefor in the reed box and secured on the other side thereof by
a screw nut as shewn in Figure 3 or the shank V thereof being separate from the
'cross head W as shewn in Figure 5 may screw into a hole tapped therefor in the
reed box in the proper position and in either of these aforesaid arrangements the
prongs of the cross head W pass through the reed into holes made therefor in the
reed box and thus when the tension is given by the screw nut or the screw as
aforesaid the reed is very firmly and effectively secured in position while it can also
very quickly and easily be released.
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 keyboard reed. instrument constructed and arranged substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described set forth and declared.
2. The reed box of a greater depth and of whose aperture for the reception of
the reed the walls are inclined outwardly substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described and declared.
3. The forked stud by which the reed is secured to the reed box substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and declared.
4. In reed instruments the combination of the deep reed box with an aperture
the walls of which are inclined outwardly the reed which is secured to the said
box by the forked stud and the hammer by which the said reed is struck the whole
being combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and declared.
Dated this 29th day of December 1884.