IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Mountcashel Innes, of Hill House, Hill,
in the Parish of Millbrook, in the County of Hampshire, for the invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 4th August 1863, and dated the 13th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th February 1863.
I, STEPHEN MOUNTCASHEL INNES, of Hill House, Hill, in the Parish of
Millbrook, in the County of Hampshire, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF PIANOFORTES," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists in constructing pianofortes so that by their
mechanism they will enable performers to play any piece of music written in
any key of sharps or flats as if it were written in any lesser number of sharps or
flats, or even in the key of C, the actual key not being changed; but by the
employment of stops a change takes place, and all, or as many as are required

page_text: of the notes of the black keys are produced by the white ones or natural keys,
and the accidentals, if any, can be produced by striking the half note below for
flats and above for sharps, the naturals being played in flat keys as a flat, in
sharp keys as a sharp, accidental sharps & flats as usual. Also a moveable
keyboard which can be shifted at pleasure (to use with or without the afore-
said), raising or lowering as desired the pitch of the music to be played to suit
the pitch of instruments and voices.
The means by which the aforesaid Invention is carried into effect are as
follows: The hoppers instead of being fixed, as at present, are made to travel
in grooves, in which they are brought forward under a double rack, in which
are cranked puppets that strike under brackets fixed against the original
hammers, stops placed in front of the pianofortes connected to longitudinal
bars, to which strings (passing over & under a series of wheels) united to
wires connected with & attached to the hoppers, draw them, the hoppers, out
as required. When the stop or stops are out the hoppers strike cranked
puppets which strike the brackets attached to the hammer of the half note next
above or below, producing a sharp or flat as required, the performer using the
natural or white key or keys. When the stop or stops are let go the hoppers
connected with the aforesaid sharps or flats return to their original position by
springs placed in front of the hoppers.
The means by which the keyboard can be moved to suit the pitch of instru-
ments or voices are by disconnecting the keyboard from the hammer frame,
& then placing the hammer frame upon grooved blocks at each end, in
which it travels when acted upon by the soft pedal. An additional pedal raises
the hammer frame, & then by turning a stop or bar (on part of which is a
cog wheel, & at the end of which bar there is a pin) the keyboard can be
moved higher or lower as required into apertures at each end of the piano-
forte. When the alteration of the keyboard has been made as required, the
cog wheel is disconnected by pushing in the stop or bar, by which movement
the pin at the end of the bar connects the keyboard with the hammer frame
when it has been let down by the pedal.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
MOUNTCASHEL INNES, of Hill House, Hill, in the Parish of Millbrook, in the
County of Hampshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes, Her special licence that I, the said Stephen
Mountcashel Innes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes, my executors, administrators, and
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 PIANOFORTES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes, my executors
or administrators, 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 Stephen Mountcashel Innes, 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 statement thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention consists in constructing pianofortes so that by their
mechanism they will enable performers to play any piece of music written in
any key of sharps or flats as if it were written in any lesser number of sharps
or flats, or even in the key of C, the actual key not being changed; but by the
employment of stops a change takes place, and all, or as many as are required
of the notes of the black keys are produced by the white ones or natural keys,
and the accidentals (if any) in keys from one to five flats, and one to five
sharps, can be produced by striking the half note below for flats and above for

page_text: sharps, the naturals being played in flat keys as a flat, in sharp keys as a
sharp, accidental sharps and flats as usual. For keys of seven flats and
seven sharps the keyboard is moved up half a tone for sharps, and down balf
a tone for flats, the accidental naturals being played on the half note above in
flats and the half note below in sharps. For keys of six flats and six sharps
the keyboard is moved as for seven flats and seven sharps, and the seventh flat
is made natural by pulling out a sharp stop, and the seventh sharp likewise by
pulling out a flat stop. Also a moveable keyboard which can be shifted at
pleasure (to use with or without the aforesaid), raising or lowering as desired
the pitch of the music to be played to suit the pitch of instruments and
voices.
The means by which the aforesaid Invention is carried into effect are as
follows: The hoppers A instead of being fixed as at present, are made to
travel in grooves, in which they are brought forward under a double rack B,
in which are cranked puppets C that strike under brackets D fixed against the
original hammers. Stops E placed in front of the pianofortes, connected to
longitudinal bars F, to which strings (passing over and under a series of
wheels G) united to wires (with wormed ends and leather nuts for adjusting)
connected with and attached to the hoppers draw them (the hoppers) out as
required. When the stop or stops are out, the hoppers strike a cranked
puppet C, which strikes the bracket D attached to the hammer of the half
note next above or below, producing a sharp or flat as required, the performer
using the natural or white key or keys. When the stop or stops are let go,
the hoppers drawn out return to their original position by springs H.
The means by which the keyboard can be moved to suit the pitch of instru-
ments or voices are by disconnecting the keyboard from the hammer frame,
and then placing the hammer frame upon grooved blocks at each end, in
which it travels when lifted by the pedal I or the decagon M; the additional
pedal I raises the hammer frame, and then by turning a stop K or bar, on
part of which is a cog wheel L, and at the end of which bar there is a decagon
M to assist the pedal and prevent the keyboard being moved without the
hammer frame being raised, and to insure the hoppers and hammers being
always in their right places. The keyboard can be moved higher or lower
as required into apertures N at each end of the pianofortes.
For horizontal pianofortes there is a treble rack O with two rows of cranked
and one of straight puppets P which strike angular brackets Q, on the
hammers of a short horizontal hammer frame, the same shape as those used

page_text: in vertical pianofortes. This is the only difference in applying this Invention
to vertical and horizontal pianofortes.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construc-
tion of Pianofortes," and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I
wish it to be understood that I do not intend to confine myself to the precise
construction and arrangement of parts above shewn and described, as they
may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention, but that
which I do claim under the above in part recited Letters Patent is, con-
structing pianofortes in a manner and for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Mountcashel Innes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. A. VERNE,
Capt. Unattached,
Pier View, Freemantle,
Hants.
S. M. INNES. (L.S.)