IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PIANOFORTES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edgar Way, of Norfolk Street, Strand, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PIANOFORTES."--A communication from abroad by
Maurice Vergnes, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 29th August 1865, and dated the 15th June 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edgar Way at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
June 1865.
I, GEORGE EDGAR WAY, of Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements by the original Inventor on two
Patents which were taken on his behalf, bearing date April 20th and July 4th,
::1864, and numbered respectively 992 and 1662.
The chief objects of these Inventions were to reduce the size and improve
the quality of square pianofortes. By the present improvements a good length
of string is obtained for square pianofortes, while the width of the case is little
more than the length of the keyboard. A good repetition action is also secured,
and a simple means of adjusting the touch is provided. In this improved
instrument an open rectangular metal frame is employed to carry the strings,

page_text: and in this frame the wrest planks are fixed. Beneath this frame is the
sound board, which is also made of a rectangular form to fill the space enclosed
by the case or nearly so. No openings are required in this sound board for
the action, the hammer being arranged to strike downwards as in the above-
mentioned Patents. The bridge for the middle and treble strings extends in
a curved line from the further left-hand corner of the sound board to the
right-hand side of the instrument near the treble wrest plank, and the bass
strings cross the middle strings at a sufficient height to be clear of the bridge
passing from the near left-hand corner of the metal frame to a short wrest
plank situate at the further right-hand corner of the frame. As an improve-
ment on the action a back check is introduced, which after the hammer has
been thrown down by the key is brought into action by the further depression
of the key, and caused to arrest the ascent of the hammer after it has delivered
its blow, and when a repetition of the note is required to hold it in the proper
position for quickly repeating the blow. For the purpose of ensuring an
exact adjustment of the hopper it is fitted with a screwed pin, which plays
through a fixed bracket, and receives a button on its outer end; by turning
this button the hopper may be drawn nearer to the bracket, or allowed to
recede therefrom, and thus bear more or less on the shoulder of the hammer
butt. In order to lift the key to its normal position its rear end is connected
by a cord to a fixed metal spring mounted on a back rail. This cord passes
through the eye of a screwed pin set in the end of the key, and by turning
this pin round greater or less tension may be put on the spring at pleasure,
whereby the touch may be adjusted to suit the requirements of the player.
Screw stops set above the keys allow them to rise to a uniform level.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edgar Way in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDGAR WAY, of Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Edgar Way, Her special licence that I, the said George Edgar Way,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Edgar Way, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others; from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 MANUFACTURE OF PIANOFORTES," being a communication to me from abroad
by Maurice Vergnes, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Edgar.
Way, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under.
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Edgar Way, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per--
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements on two Patents which were
taken in the names of Alfred Vincent Newton, dated April Twentieth, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and John Winter Jones, bearing date
July Fourth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and numbered
respectively 992% and 1662.
The chief objects of these Inventions were to reduce the size and improve the
quality of square pianofortes. By the present improvements a good length of
string is obtained for square pianofortes, while the width of the case is little
more than the length of the keyboard, a good repetition action is also secured
and a simple means of adjusting the touch is provided.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews the improved pianoforte in
front elevation with the lid thrown open; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the
same; and Fig. 3 is a plan view, the top of the piano being removed to
shew the construction of the frame for carrying the strings, the arrangement
of the strings, and the extension of the sound board; Fig. 4 is a partial section
taken in the line of the keys, and drawn upon an enlarged scale to shew the
construction of the action.
A, A, is an open rectangular metal frame for carrying the strings, and in
this frame the wrest planks, B, B, are fixed. Beneath this frame is the sound-

page_text: board C, which is made of a rectangular form to fill the space enclosed by
the case or nearly so. No openings are required in this sound board for the
action, the hammers being arranged to strike downwards as in the above-
mentioned Patents. D, D, is the bridge for the middle and treble strings. It
extends in a. curved line from the further left-hand corner of the sound board
to the right-hand side of the instrument near the treble wrest plank, and the
lower bass strings cross the other strings at a sufficient height to be clear of
the bridge D, passing from the near left-hand corner of the metal frame to a
short bridge E situate at the further right-hand corner of the frame, and thence
to the wrest plank B. The bass strings are drawn in red, and the other strings
in blue, the better to distinguish the two groups of strings which have different
bridges. This arrangement of the strings it will be seen not only allows of
their being made of great length when compared with other square pianos of
like exterior dimensions, but it allows of the keys being placed equidistant
from the ends of the piano, and thus giving the instrument a greatly improved
appearance as shewn at Fig. 1. As an improvement on the "action" a back
check is introduced, which after the hammer has been thrown down by the
key is brought into action by the further depression of the key, and caused to
arrest the ascent of the hammer after it has delivered its blow, and when a
repetition of the note is required to hold it in the proper position for quickly
repeating the blow. The improvements in the "action" will be best under-
stood by reference to Fig. 4, where a is one of a series of keys which rock on
pivot stems at their rear ends, carried by the back rail b; c is the hammer rail,
on which is mounted the hammer d. This hammer is held up by a spring, e
connected to the hammer butt, and when at its highest position. it bears
against the under side of the key a. It is operated by a hopper f, which is
jointed to a piece fixed to the under side of the key. This piece also carries
a fixed bracket g, which serves as a guide for a screw pin h, carried by and
projecting horizontally from the back of the hopper. A button on the end of
this screw pin determines the position of the hopper with respect to the
hammer butt, and allows of its nice adjustment. By turning this button the
hopper may be drawn nearer to the bracket, or allowed to recede therefrom,
and thus bear more or less on the shoulder of the hammer butt as desired.
Projecting from the back rail 6 is a fixed bracket i, to which is jointed. the
back check k; this check is padded to receive the hammer, and it is held in
a perpendicular position by a small spring. An arm k¹ of the check carries a
screw pin, to the upper end of which is affixed a button, and this button is. in
contact with a pad on the under side of the key. The depression. therefore
of the key while it causes the hammer to move down rapidly and strike the

page_text: string below it will cause the back check to rock, and present its padded sur-
face to the hammer, and either hold it as it returns towards its raised position
ready to repeat the blow, or retard it sufficiently to check its rebound.
In order to lift the key to its normal position its rear end is connected by a
cord 7 to a fixed metal spring m mounted on the back rail b. This cord passes
through the eye of a screwed pin set in the end of the key, and by turning
this pin round greater or less tension may be put on the spring at pleasure,
whereby the touch may be adjusted to suit the requirements of the player.
Screw stops n set above the keys allow them to rise only to a uniform level.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in the
Manufacture of Pianofortes," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited.
Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the extended sound board, and the arrangement of the strings and
keys as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the Drawing.
Secondly, the mode of adjusting the hopper and the touch of the key as
described.
And, thirdly, the back check constructed and operating as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edgar Way, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
GEO. E. WAY. (L.S.)