IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES.
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Kind, of No. 50, George Grove, Holloway,
in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES.
"
Sealed the 22nd March 1861, and dated the 25th September 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Kind, at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th Sep-
tember 1860.
I, CARL KIND, of No. 50, George Grove, Holloway, in the County of
Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to that class or construction of pianofortes
generally known as horizontal, and consists in the combination and adaptation
of certain mechanism to what is called "the action," for the purpose of render-
ing the same capable of effecting (when desired) a distinct and rapid "repeti-
tion" or succession of blows of the hammer upon the strings of the instrument
with only a small amount of motion or elevation and depression of the
touch end of the key. Also in the combination and adaption of certain
mechanism for acting upon the " damper," so that immediately upon the
touch end of the key being released or permitted to rise (after having been
depressed by the finger for the purpose of striking a note) the damper shall
fall and press firmly upon the strings for checking their vibration and effecting
a more perfect damping action.
The annexed Drawing shews the application of my improvements to one
key or note of a horizontal grand pianoforte. a is the framing on which is

page_text: mounted the key b, moving on a fulcrum at c, (the touch end of the key being
shewn as broken off); d, is the jack or hopper mounted upon the key in the
usual manner; e, the hammer shank, and f, the hammer; g, the check; h, the
hammer rest; i, a check rail; j the damper rail, and k, the damper wire or rod
carrying the damper k, which is shewn as resting upon a string. All the
above described parts are the same as now ordinarily used in such description
of pianofortes. The following parts are those the combination and adaptation
of which form the subject of my Invention; 1, is a rail extending from end to
end of the framing on to which rail is screwed the block 2*, upon which the
escapement m, m, is attached by and moves on a centre at n; 0, 0x, are two
buttons (covered with leather or cloth) fixed upon regulating screws; and p,
a wire spring to assist in keeping the button o* down upon the key; 7, a bent
wire or spring, carrying at its upper end a button q*, faced with leather which
button presses against the hammer butt r; s, is the hammer rail upon which
is screwed the hammer fork t, the hammer rail is sloped or inclined downwards
as shewn, in order to save space in the instrument. On the touch end of the
key being depressed by the finger in the act of striking a note the jack d
raises the hammer butt, and causes the hammer to strike the strings, at the
same instant the button o comes in contact with a wedge shaped block or projec-
tion of upon the jack and forces the jack out of the notch in the hammer butt
while the button q*, being kept (by the spring q) constantly pressing upon
the hammer butt tends to ensure the return of the jack into the notch on the
slightest release of the touch end of the key, and holds it in readiness for an
immediate repetition of the blow upon the strings.
The improved arrangement of damping apparatus is as follows:-u, is a
weighted lever attached to the damper rail by a vellum hinge at u* ; v, a
lever working on a centre. in a fork attached to the damper rail, to which
lever is attached. by means of a regulating screw w, the weighted block a, a,
passing through a slot in the lever u, and having its end. y, faced or covered
with leather; when the touch end of the key is depressed the back end rises
and first lifts the weighted block x, which in its upward passage raises the
lever u, which carries the damper wire, and consequently lifts.the damper
from off the strings; but when the touch end of the key is released, and the
back end falls, the. lever u and. block x also fall, and at the same time
the end of the block falls against the lower part of a button, covered,
with leather and fixed on. the lever u, and effectually prevents the damper
from being lifted or shaken by the vibration of the strings..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Carl Kind, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th March 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CARL
KIND, of No. 50, George Grove, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex,.
Pianoforte Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,.
the said Carl Kind, Her special licence that I, the said Carl Kind, iny executors,.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Carl Kind, 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 PIANOFORTES," upon the condition.
(amongst others), that I, the said Carl Kind, my executors or administra-
tors 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
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Carl Kind, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention has reference to that class or construction of pianofortes.
generally known as horizontal, and consists in the combination and adaptation
of certain mechanism to what is called "the action," for the purpose of
rendering the same capable of effecting (when desired) a distinct and rapid
repetition or succession of blows of the hammer upon the strings of the
instrument with only a small amount of motion; or elevation and depression of
the touch end of the key.
66
"3
And my Invention further consists in the combination and adaptation of
certain mechanism for acting upon the "damper," so that immediately upon
the touch end of the key being released or permitted to rise (after having been
depressed by the finger for the purpose of striking a note) the damper shall

page_text: fall and press firmly upon the strings for checking their vibration and effecting
a more perfect damping action.
.
The Drawing hereunto annexed shews in side elevation (drawn to full size)
the action or mechanism of one key or note of a horizontal grand pianoforte
constructed according to my Invention, the dotted lines representing the
position of the several parts when at rest (in which position they are also shewn
in the Drawing annexed to my Provisional Specification), and the full lines
(colored) representing the positions they will assume immediately after
striking a note, and momentarily before releasing the touch end of the key.
a is part of the framing on which is mounted the key b, moving on a fulcrum -
at c, (the touch end of the key being represented as broken off to save space
in the Drawing); d is the jack or hopper, and d* the jack spring, which are
mounted upon the jack bottom d², screwed upon, the key in the usual manner;
e, the hammer shank, and f the hammer; g, the check; h, the hammer rest;
i, a check rail to prevent the jack being thrown too far backward; ; the damper
rail, and the damper wire or rod carrying the damper k*, which is shewn
by the dotted lines as resting upon a string, and by the full lines as raised
therefrom. All the above described parts are precisely the same as now
ordinarily used, and require no alteration for the purpose of my Invention.
Z is a rail extending from end to end of the framing. across the action of the
instrument, on to which rail is screwed the block 1*; this block passes through
a slot or opening in the rocking or moveable escapement or lever m, m, which
is thereto attached by and moves on a centre at n. A small part of the
escapement m is represented as broken away for the purpose of more clearly
shewing the block * passing through it; o and o* are two buttons (their faces
being covered with leather or cloth) attached by regulating screws upon the
escapement m, m; 02, a wedge-shaped block fixed upon the jack; p, a wire
spring, one end of which is fixed into the block *, and the other end presses
upon the escapement m, as shewn, the object of this spring being to keep the
button o in contact with the key; 9, a bent wire or spring, fixed at its lower
end into the escapement m, passing through a slot or opening in the same, and
carrying at its upper end a button q* faced with leather, which button presses
against the end of the hammer butt r, shaped as represented in the Drawing;
s is the bammer rail, upon which is screwed the hammer fork or flange t; the
hammer rail is sloped or inclined downwards at the part on to which the ham-
mer fork or flange is screwed, as shewn, in order to save space in the instrument.
The operation of this part of the mechanism is as follows:-The several
parts being at rest, as indicated by the dotted lines, the touch end of the key
will, when depressed by the finger (in the act of striking a note), raise the

page_text: back end of the key, and with it the jack d also, and the jack will raise the
hammer butt and throw up the hammer against the strings, and cause a note
to be struck. At the same instant the rocking action or movement of the
escapement or lever m will cause the button o to come in contact with the block
or projection o³, and force the upper end of the jack out of the notch in the
hammer butt, and allow the hammer to fall into the position shewn.by the full
lines in the Drawing, the further fall of the hammer being arrested partly by
the check g, and partly by the pressure of the button q* against the hammer
butt r. On the touch end of the key being allowed to rise, even to a very
small extent, the corresponding depression of its back end allows the button o*
to descend, and with it the rocking lever or moveable escapement m also, thus
withdrawing the button o from contact with the block 0%. At the same time
the jack descends, and its upper end is pressed by the spring d* into the notch
of the hammer butt, and holds the parts in readiness for an immediate repetition
of the blow upon the strings. The pressure of the button q* against the
bammer butt r, retards the downward progress of the hammer, and. enables
the jack to slip more easily and certainly into the notch of the hammer butt.
On the touch end of the key being permitted to rise to its full extent, the parts.
resume the positions shewn by the dotted lines.
Having described the operation of my improved repetition action,. I will
now describe the mechanism for effecting my improved damping action; u is
a weighted lever attached to the damper rail j by a vellum hinge at u* ;
v is a lever working on a centre in a fork or flange v* attached to the damper
rail, as shewn, to which lever is attached by means of a regulating screw w
the weighted block x, x, which passes through a slot in the lever u, the end y
of this block being covered or faced with leather.
The operation of this mechanism is as follows:When the touch end of
the key is depressed, its back end rises, and first lifts the weighted block x,
which in its upward passage comes against and raises the lever u upon which
the damper is mounted, and consequently lifts it from off the strings; but.
when the touch end of the key is released its back end falls, the lever.u and
block also fall, and the end × of the block comes in contact.with and locks
against the lower part of the damper button 2, as shewn by the dotted lines,
and holds the damper down upon the strings. In this (dotted) position the
lever u and the damper cannot rise without being lifted by the block x, and
consequently the damper will not be affected by the vibration of the strings.
The two main features of my Invention, namely, the repetition action
and the damping action may be used or applied either separately or-in com-
bination, but the damping action being especially designed for long and heavy

page_text: bass strings, it may be sufficient to apply it to the first two octaves of the
range of an instrument.
From the description above given a workman will be enabled to adapt a
complete set of keys for a perfect instrument, and I would remark that the
rail is intended to be supported by props or pillars at intervals, as is ordinarily
the case with the hammer rall s, but I prefer to make each prop or pillar
to support both rails by shaping it suitably for the purpose.
A check or
guard A may be applied to each jack to support, it when the other parts
of the action are removed, or this support can be obtained in any other con-
venient manner.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I declare that I claim as my Invention, the constructing
horizontal pianofortes with mechanism or action embracing rocking or move-
able escapements or levers for improving or ensuring the proper motion of the
jacks or hammer lifters.
Also, the constructing such escapements or levers with or mounting upon
them springs pressing upon the hammer butt for retarding the recoil of the
hammers, and thus aiding the return of the jacks under or into the notches of
the hammer butts.
Also, the general construction and arrangement of parts for effecting these
improvements, as above described and represented in the Drawing.
And, further, I claim the constructing the damping action of horizontal
pianofortes with a locking block or movement mounted independently of the
ordinary damping mechanism, for the purpose of locking into or against the
damper button, or other convenient part of the damping mechanism, and for
preventing the damper rising without such locking block or movement being
itself lifted, and so releasing the locking action.
And, lastly, the general construction and arrangement of parts for effecting
my improved damping action, as above described and represented in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said. Carl Kind, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.