IMPROVEMENTS IN PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Witton of High Street, Stoke Newington, in
the County of Middlesex, for an invention of
PIANOFORTES."
" IMPROVEMENTS
IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Witton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th March 1882.
HENRY WITTON of High Street, Stoke Newington, in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES "
The primary object of the first part of this invention is to secure a certain and
uniform action of the hopper fly, so that when the relative positions of it and the
lever are once properly adjusted the hopper fly must infallibly be brought by the
motion of the key to its correct point of escapement under all possible conditions of
frictional variation.
In the common hopper the fly is brought forward to its escaping point by its
button which bearing upon an extremely limited portion of the surface of the fly,
requires to be heavily clothed with soft material to reduce noise in the return.
Any increased friction which may arise from atmospheric or other influences,
increases the resistance of the fly to the pressure of the button, and the cloths being
thus caused to yield the escapement is not effected. The cloths also yield gradually
to the force of the spring in the return, the general result being a variable as well
as a persistent tendency to "blocking."
This defect arises from the smallness of the button, and as this cannot be enlarged,
it is evident that no cure is possible while the relative positions of the fly and
lever are regulated in the present manner.
I therefore propose to transfer the regulating pin from the hopper to the lever
as hereafter described leaving the fly to rest at all times against the hopper back
supported and acted upon by its entire length. Even were the same cloth used
as for the button, its resisting power would be increased in direct ratio to the
square of its surface, but seeing that the extended surface would permit of a much
firmer texture without producing noise no possible increase of friction would have
any practical effect in retarding the "travel" of the fly. The regulative capability
.מ

page_text: of the "lever" is obtained by forming it of two pieces which are adjustably
connected together so that the nose of the lever can be made to move forward or
backward as may be required. This I effect preferably by means of a right and
left handed screw adjusting pin thereby enabling the parts to be adjusted by a
slight turn of the pin.
Or the entire hopper may be made adjustable for the same purpose.
A modification of the above arrangement intended to adapt it more perfectly to
an under damper for over strung instruments and to secure other advantages
consists in reversing the position of the lever and extending the nose thereof
over the back of the hopper where it is supported by an adjustable button. By
this arrangement I obtain a downward movement of the outer end of the pin
thereby enabling it to be connected to and thereby operate the under damper
whilst at the same time it ensures a better repetition. After the "escapement" the
lever is supported by the button, so that the fly is enabled to recover its position
under the lever with facility, giving a good repetition, and obviating all tendency
to "cling." The friction moreover being distributed over a larger surface the lever
leathers wear considerably longer.
Another modification consists in fixing the hopper to a pivotted lever which
rests on the back end of the key and in dispensing with the hopper fly in which
case I extend the sticker downwards and cause it to rest on the aforesaid pivotted
lever; the hopper in rising is caused first to act upon the lower end of the sticker
thereby causing the latter to move slowly at first, but the parts are so formed that
the motion of the hopper is communicated to the sticker gradually at a higher and
higher point until it strikes against the adjustable button when the sticker is
caused suddenly to fall into a notch in the pivotted lever, a "check" is attached
to the front of the sticker to act against the lever rail. The forward end of the
pivotted lever is extended and caused to act on the under damper. If desired the
pivotted levers may be dispensed with in which case the hopper would be
attached to the key as usual and the sticker would be extended and caused to
rest on the key, the parts being otherwise arranged as above described.
My Invention relates secondly to improvements on the back frames of piano-
fortes fitted with iron fronts. This part of my invention consists in dispensing
with the "bracings" ordinarily employed and in fixing to the back of the "wrest
plank" a thick beam which is connected by a wooden lining or backing to a
similar but smaller beam fixed to the lower part of the iron front.
By these means I obtain a better distribution of the strength of the materials
and entirely obviate the liability of the wrest plank to tilt whilst I obtain a
resonant back and thereby increase the volume of sound.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said. Henry Witton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1882.
HENRY WITTON of High Street Stoke Newington in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES
"
The primary object of the first part of this invention is to secure a certain and
uniform action of the hopper fly, so that when the relative positions of it and the
lever are once properly adjusted the hopper fly must infallibly be brought by the
motion of the key to its correct point of escapement under all possible conditions
of frictional variation. In the common hopper the fly is brought forward to its
escaping point by its button, which bearing upon an extremely limited portion of
the surface of the fly requires to be heavily clothed with soft material to reduce
noise in the return. Any increased friction which may arise from atmospheric or
other influences, increases the resistance of the fly to the pressure of the button,
and the cloths being thus caused to yield, the escapement is not effected. The
cloths also yield gradually to the force of the spring in the return, the general
result being a variable as well as a persistent tendency to blocking.
This defect arises from the smallness of the button, and as this cannot be
enlarged it is evident that no cure is possible while the relative positions of the fly
and lever are regulated in the present manner.
In the accompanying drawings I have represented various arrangements wherel
I obviate the above inconveniences and in the various views a represents the key,
b the hopper, c the hopper fly, d the lever d' the lever rail, e the sticker, f the
hammer the hammer rail, g the string and h the under damper.
According to the arrangement represented at Figure 1 I propose to transfer the
regulating pin i from the hopper b to the lever d as hereafter described leaving the
fly c to rest at all times against the hopper back supported and acted upon by its
entire length. By these meane even were the same cloth used as for the button,
its resisting power would be increased in direct ratio to the square of its surface,
but seeing that the extended surface would permit of a much firmer texture
without producing noise no possible increase of friction would have any practical
effect in retarding the "travel" of the fly c. The regulative capability of the
lever d is obtained by forming it of two pieces d d which are adjustably connected
together so that the nose d³ of the lever can be made to move forward or backward
as may be required.
This I effect preferably by means of a right and left handed screw adjusting
pin thereby enabling the parts to be adjusted by a slight turn of the pin i.
a guide pin d³ or other suitable arrangement is employed to retain the parts d, d² in
correct relative position. In lieu of obtaining the adjustment as above described
I sometimes adopt the arrangement represented at Figure 2. In this case the
lever d is made in one piece as heretofore but the entire hopper is made adjustable
in the following manner. An upright a¹ is firmly connected with the key a; to
the base of this upright a¹ and to the key a the hopper back is attached by means
of a small piece of leather a² and the hopper b is also connected to the said
upright a¹ near the top thereof by a right and left handed screw pin i which acts
upon the two parts a. b. and passes freely through the fly c.
Modifications of the above arrangements intended to adapt this part of my
Invention more perfectly to an under damper for over strung instruments and to
secure other advantages are represented at Figures 3, 4, and 5 and consist in
reversing the position of the lever d and extending the nose & thereof over the

page_text: back of the hopper b where it is supported by a button b¹. In Figure 3 I have
represented the adjustment to be obtained in a similar manner to that shewn and
described with respect to Figure 1 that is to say, by dividing the lever d and
employing a right and left handed screw pin i to act upon the parts and I employ
the outer end of the pin i to operate an under damper h. In Figure 4 I have
represented the adjustment to be obtained by rendering the entire hopper adjustable
in a similar manner to that shewn and described with respect to Figure 2 and in
this case I preferably place the rising button b' on the upright key attachment a¹
instead of on the back of the hopper b in order to obtain a greater extension of
the lever nose d2 and consequent enhanced repeating power and I place an
additional pin ¹ or other projection in the butt of the lever d for the purpose of
operating an under damper. In Figure 5 I have represented the reversed lever d
and pin applied to an arrangement in which the adjustment is obtained by
hinging an additional piece c' to the back of the fly c and employing a right and
left handed screw pin i to cause the parts c. c² to approach or recede from each
other at their upper ends as may be required.
By the above described arrangements represented at Figures 3, 4 and 5 I obtain
a downward movement of the outer end of the pin i or thereby enabling it to
be connected to and thereby operate the under damper h whilst at the same time
I ensure a better repetition. After the "escapement" the lever d is supported by
the button b¹ so that the fly c is enabled to recover its position under the lever d
with facility, giving a good repetition and obviating all tendency to cling, and the
force of the percussion in return being also reduced the necessity for an extremely
soft material in the cushion is still further obviated.
At Figure 6 I have represented another modification intended to provide a check
to the hammer; in this case the hopper back b is fixed to the end of the lever d
which is pivotted to the rail and rests on the back end of the key a, the hopper
fly is dispensed with and the sticker is extended downwards and caused to rest on
the pivotted lever d in the angle formed between it and the hopper back b, the
hopper back b in rising is caused first to act upon the lower end of the sticker e
thereby causing the latter to move slowly at first, but the parts are so formed that
the motion of the hopper back b is communicated to the sticker e gradually at a
higher and higher point until it strikes against the adjustable button e' when the
sticker e is caused suddenly to fall into a notch d in the pivotted lever d,
a check e¹, is attached to or formed on the front of the sticker e to act against the
lever rail which has fixed thereto a piece d³ formed with an inclined face to act
against the part or check e¹ of the sticker e and is formed with slots ɖ³ to guide
and permit of the free rise and fall of the pins es of the adjustable buttons e². The
forward end of the pivotted lever d is extended and caused to act on the under
damper.
In a modification of the last described arrangement represented at Figure 7 the
escapement of the sticker e is regulated by a right and left handed pin operating
upon the sticker and upon an adjustable slip et attached to the lower end of the
sticker e which slip e' is thus caused to assume the angle necessary for the purpose.
Or as shewn in the modification represented at Figure 8 the adjustable slip e
described with respect to Figure 7 may be dispensed with and a similar slip 6' may
form part of the hopper back b and the two parts be adjusted in like manner to the
above by a right and left handed screw pin i which passes freely through a slot in
the sticker e. I then regulate the check by means of a pin j passing through the
lever rail d¹ and carrying a button j¹.
If desired the pivotted lever d may be dispensed with as represented in Figure 9
in which case the hopper back b is attached to the key as usual and the sticker e is
extended and caused to rest on the key a the parts being otherwise arranged as
above described with respect to Figure 7.
My Invention relates Secondly to improvements on the back frames of
piano-fortes fitted with iron fronts and consequently not requiring the numerous
and bulky supports otherwise so indispensable.

page_text: The usual system is to employ a much smaller number of bracings of similar
proportions as a frame work for the wrest plank sounding board and iron front but
these although sufficient as a whole do not afford the equal support so desirable
and are besides cumbersome and anti-resonant. This part of my Invention which
is represented in vertical section at Figure 10 and in back elevation at Figure 11
consists in dispensing with the "bracings" ordinarily employed and in fixing to
the back of the "wrest plank" a thick beam m which is connected by a wooden
lining or backing n to a similar but smaller beam m' fixed to the lower part of the
iron front o. p is the sounding board and q is a bar of angle iron which is fixed
in the position where the greatest strain is exerted on the back frame.
By these means I entirely obviate the liability of the wrest plank to tilt and
I distribute the required substance of material over the entire surface of the
back in the form of a continuous lining of from 3/4 of an inch to an inch in
thickness which is capable of receiving and strengthening the vibrations of the
sounding board to which it is connected. A greatly improved tone is the principle
advantage gained, but besides this and the equal support before mentioned a
reduction in the width of the case is effected and a protection afforded against the
attacks of vermin and the influence of damp.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect I would have it understood that what I claim is
First, The regulation of the escapement by means of a divided lever the two
parts of which are adjustable towards or from each other substantially as herein
shown and described.
Second. The regulation of the escapement by means of a hopper entirely or
partially adjustable substantially as herein shewn and described.
Third. The application of a cloth pad to the whole or greater part of the length
of the hopper back and causing the fly to rest against it without disturbance in
regulating substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fourth. The employment of a reversed lever extending over the hopper back
and provided with a pin or other projection at its front end to operate the under
damper substantially as herein shewn and described.
Fifth. Effecting the escapement and check of the sticker by means of the hopper
back attached to the rear end of a pivotted lever or to the end of the key
substantially as herein shewn and described.
Sixth. Operating the under damper by means of a forward projection of the
pivotted lever beyond the centre thereof substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Seventh. The regulation of the escapement by means of a right and left handed
screw pin substantially as herein described.
Eighth. The improvement in the back frames of piano fortes substantially as
berein shewn and described and for the purpose stated.
In Witness whereof I the said Henry Witton have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fifteenth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.