IMPROVE- SEMANG TAY MYER CONSORIATION OF MILE FRAMEWORK OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomas, Casemaker to Messrs. Nutting,
Addison, & Co., of 16, Osnaburg Street, Regent's Park, in the County
of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
SEMANG TAY MYER CONSORIATION OF MILE FRAMEWORK OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES"
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 8th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
May 1854.
I, GEORGE THOMAS, Casemaker to Messrs. Nutting, Addison, & Co., of 16,
Osnaburg Street, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAMEWORK OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES"
to be as follows:-
"
This Invention relates to an improved construction of the backs or bracings
of upright pianos, whereby a saving of material is effected, and greater strength
and durability obtained than by the mode of construction usually employed.
In place of the upper portions of the bracings being weakened by being
notched out to receive the rest plank, they are dovetailed into the body of the
rest plank, which is composed of two pieces, one being a solid piece of timber,
and the other a thinner piece, which is glued on to the front of the bracings,
and supported by "eleets" glued to the face of the bracings. In order to support

page_text: the plate at the bottom of the instrument, a short cast iron bar is employed,
which is let into a recess in the base end bracing. One end of this bar has a
dovetailed notch formed in it, and is made to bear against the edge of the
plate which fits into the said notch, the bar being-tightened up by a wedge.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Thomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
THOMAS, Casemaker to Messrs. Nutting; Addison, & Co., of 16, Osnaburg
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Thomas, Her special license that I, the said George Thomas, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Thomas, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE FRAMEWORK OF UPRIGHT PIANOFORTES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Thomas, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal,..should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
*cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six.calendar
months next and immediately after the. date of the said Letters Patent..
---NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Thomas, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained. in and by the following state-
.ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures.marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to an improved construction of the backs or
bracings of upright pianos, whereby the instrument will stand in tune better,
and greater strength and durability is obtained than by the mode of construc-
tion usually employed. In place of the upper portion of the bearings being.

page_text: weakened by being notched out to receive the rest plank, they are dovetailed
into the body of the rest plank, which is composed of two pieces, one being a
solid piece of timber, and the other a thinner piece, which is placed on to
the front of the bracings, and supported by "cleets" glued to the face of the
bracings. In order to support the plate at the bottom of the instrument, a
short cast or wrought iron bar is employed, which is let into a recess in the
bass end bracing; one end of this bar has a dovetailed notch formed in it, and
is made to lower against the edge of the plate which fits into the said notch,
the bar being tightened up by a wedge.
And in order that my said-Invention may be more readily understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a front eleva-
tion of a pianoforte back of my improved construction, with a portion of the
sound board fitted in; Figure 2 is a corresponding side or edge view of the
same; and Figure 3 is a transverse section, taken along the line 1, 2, in
Figure 1. The tops of the bracings A are dovetailed at B into the back of
the rest plank in place of being notched or cut away in the ordinary manner.
They are further secured to the rest plank by screws, which are driven in
obliquely through the centre of the dovetails, as shewn at Figure 3. The
bass and treble "linings' or end bracings C and D are also dovetailed
into the rest plank, but in place of being inserted from the back they are let
into the ends sidewise, and may be formed with double dovetail joints E,
Figure 2. The end and intermediate bracings are also similarly dovetailed
into the bottom plank F, the end bracings however being formed with one
dovetail only, as shewn at G, Figure 2. I may observe here that I do not
confine myself to the precise mode of dovetailing shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, as the particular arrangement of such joints will greatly depend
upon the nature of the material employed. The rest plank is composed of two
pieces H and I, the former being a solid piece of timber, the entire depth of
the bracings (with the exception of the parts which are notched to receive
the ends of the bracings), whilst the other portion I is made thinner, but of
harder wood, and is screwed and glued firmly on to the face of the bracings,
and to the front of the other half H of the rest plank. The end bracings are
slightly notched or reversed, as at J in Figure 2, to receive the ends of the
piece I. The pieces H and I are then veneered, as at K, giving the appearance
of one solid rest plank. Two strips Lare glued on to the back of the rest plank
and the bottom frame F, and serve not only to keep the joints of the bracings
secure, but afford a suitable space for the introduction of a moveable wooden

page_text: back, if desirable. M, M, are a number of wooden "cleets," which are securely
attached to the bracings by being glued and screwed thereto; they bear against
the front of the rest plank and bottom frame F, and prevent the great
tendency to overpull of the rest plank, by affording an additional support
thereto. Similar "cleets" N, N, are fitted to the sweep side O, being let into.
notches P, formed in its edge; for that purpose they are glued and screwed on
to the bracings, similar to the "cleets" M. Q is a short cast or wrought
iron bar, which supports the end of the plate R. This bar is let into a
recess in the bass lining, and is formed with a dovetailed notch at S, into
which the edge of the plate rests, and is prevented from springing out by the
peculiar form of such notch. The bar Q is wedged up tight by the aid of the
wedge piece T, the upper face of the bar being inclined slightly for that
purpose. When in its place, the bar Q is secured to the woodwork by
screws, as shewn in the Drawing.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of framing or back for
pianofortes, as herein-before described.
.
Second, the system or mode of attaching and securing the bracings to the
"rest plank" and bottom frame of the back, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of the bar Q, whether of cast or wrought iron,
for the purpose of more securely holding the metal plate in its place, as herein-
,before described.
In witness whereof, -I, the said George Thomas, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
GEORGE THOMAS. (L.S.)