CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PIANOFORTES
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
DODD, of No. 62, Berwick Street, near Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of that part of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-seven, in the eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Dodd, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that J,
the said Edward Dodd, my executors, adññiors, and assigns, during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON PIANOFORTES;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I,
the said Edward Dodd, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages
whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void,
as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had), will more fully and at
louge oungar

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edward Dodd, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
No. 1 exhibits the rest pin block prepared ready to receive the sounding
board or belly for a cabinet or cottage pianoforte, which is hollowed out or
sunk two inches or more, sufficient to allow the bars of the sounding board to
be free. No. 2 exhibits the sounding board or belly for cabinet or cottage
pianofortes. I continue the sounding board or belly in the bass two inches
more or less beyond the top bridge, decreasing towards the treble as I find it
necessary. In all other cabinet and cottage pianofortes the top bridge is
glued on the solid rest pin block. No. 3 exhibits the sounding board or belly
glued in the case. No. 4 exhibits a section of No. 3. No. 5 exhibits the
hammer complete that strikes the strings. No. 6 exhibits the same hammer
with the outer leather unbraced. The first three or four coverings of leather
are glued or otherwise fastened on block (1) of the hammer at both ends, in
the usual way, but the outer leather (2) which is exhibited unbraced, I glue
to block (1) only at one end, the other to a detached piece of wood (3), in
the centre of which is a brass nut (4) which receives the screw (5) at the
extremity of block (1), by means of which the quality of tone is regulated with
the greatest accuracy. No. 7 exhibits the same hammer in another position,
which shews the mortice which receives the brass nut. This hammer I use
also for every description of pianofortes.
In witness whercof, I, the said Edward Dodd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.