AN IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Steedman, of Albany Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN PIANOFORTES."
Sealed the 15th August 1856, and dated the 26th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Steedman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th February 1856.
I, JAMES STEEDMAN, of Albany Street, in the County of Middlesex, Piano-
forte Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the employment of curved or arched bars for the
support of the sounding board and central bridge in pianofortes, whereby this
bridge is maintained at such a height as to ensure a curve in the strings when
at their greatest tension.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Steedman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
STEEDMAN, of Albany Street, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Steedman, Her special licence that I, the said James Steedman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Steedman, 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 AN IM-
PROVEMENT IN PIANOFORTES, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Steedman, 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 James Steedman, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in the employment of curved or arched bars for the
support of the sounding board and central bridge in pianofortes, whereby this
bridge is maintained at such a height as to ensure a curve in the strings when
at their greatest tension.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I proceed to describe the manner in which it is performed,
reference being had to the Drawings annexed, in which Figure 1 is a back
elevation of the framework of a piano; Figure 2, a similar view; Figure 8, a
front view of the string frame and strings; Figure 4 is a section through the

page_text: line a, a, of Figures 1 and 3.
a, a, a, a, are the bracings, secured to the
external frames b, b, b, b; c, c, c, are the spring or arched bars, extending
from top to bottom, as shewn at Figures 2 and 5, or extending upwards, and
secured to cross blocks d, d, connected to the bracings, as shown at Figure 1 ;
e is the side sweep. These spring bars c, c, c, are arched, to give a strong
support to the sounding board and bridge through the bar g, which now
usually exists in pianofortes. h is the sounding board; i, the bridge; and k,
the strings. Instead of the arched bars being placed behind the bridge, they
might, though not so conveniently or advantageously, be placed in front of the
strings, and then connected by bolts, pins, or otherwise, to the bridge, in such
manner as to keep the bridge forward, and thus insure the curve in the
strings.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the employment
in pianofortes of arched or spring bars, for the purpose of supporting the
sounding board and bridge, and keeping the strings curved towards the
hammers of the instruments, or keeping them from becoming curved in a
contrary direction.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Steedman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.