APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ACQUIREMENT OF PROPER EXECUTION ON THE PIANOFORTE;
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BERNARD LOGIER, of the City of Dublin, Professor of Music, and Music Sellér,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty. King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of April, in the fifty-fourth year of His
reign, did give and grant unto me, the said John Bernard Logier, my exors,
adiiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Bernard Logier, my exors; adññiors, and
assigns, during the term of fourteen years, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upen-Tweed, my new-invented "APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE ACQUIREMENT
OF PROPER EXECUTION ON THE PIANOFORTE;" in which, said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Bernard Logier, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) may
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Bernard Logier, do hereby declare that my said Invention consists of
the following parts:-
The gamut board is thin board 3 feet long and 6 inches broad, covered on
both sides with paper, on one side of which are printed (Fig. 1st of the
enclosed Drawings) two music staves of five lines each, one for the treble
and the other for the bass. These staves are very wide, and are continued
from one end of the board to the other, and upon them are marked the notes,
regularly ascending from the lowest in the bass to the highest in the treble,
corresponding with the white keys of a pianoforte of ordinary compass. When
this board is adapted to pianofortes containing a greater number of notes
(as some are now manufactured by Messrs. Clementi and Co.), it may be
made longer in proportion, and the staves and notes continued up and down
the scale to correspond. The notes are marked upon the stave at such
distances that when the board is placed over the keys of a pianoforte fronting
the performer, each note (with its name marked above it) will be exactly over
its corresponding key on the instrument. On the reverse side of the gamut
board (Fig. 2nd) in the annexed Drawings are two similar staves, drawn in
like manner from one end to the other, upon which is marked what is called
the enharmonic scale, being the notes corresponding with all the keys of a
pianoforte, both black and white, written, as on the other side, exactly over
their proper keys, shewing at the same time where one key of the instrument
serves for two notes as G and Ab, F and Gb, &c., &c.
The position frame (Fig. 3rd) consists of two mahogany rails about 1 inch
broad, inch thick, and the lenth of the key board of a pianoforte. These
are ranged parallel to each other about 2 inches asunder, fixed at right
angles into two cheeke pieces (to be hereafter described) at one end (a, a)
firmly fastened by brass clamps, and at the other (b, b) by an extending screw,
so that the whole frame may be a little extended or contracted to fit exactly
into the front of pianofortes which may differ a little in width. There are
two cheeke pieces (Figure 4) for the right side, and Fig. 5 for the left).
These are made of mahogany inch thick, each consisting of two pieces about
7 inches long, attached together by a hinge at. (c). The ant sides which
press against the instrument are covered with leather (represented by the
shaded part of Fig. 5) to prevent scratching, and on the right hand one
there is a spring which fixes the frame more firmly to the instrument
while adjusting the bracing bar, &c. The inside of the upper parts
(i, Fig. 4) are lined with brass, having in the one at the left hand small
holes, and in the other corresponding notches in the upper edge, to receive

page_text: the ends of the bracing bar (Fig. 6) at different distances from the front
board of the pianoforte, so that the finger guides may be a little advanced
or put back, to be accommodated at the different sized hands of persons using
the apparatus. The two rails are fixed at (ff, f, f, Fig. 4 and 5), and a
screw, going through the two parts of the cheek pieces at 9, regulates their
distance. When the whole is fixed, the line d, e, of each check piece is
pressed upon the farthest keys on the key board, the notch at e being made
to allow the upper edge of the bottom rail to be depressed to the level of the
keys of the instrument.
The bracing bar (Fig. 6) is a strong rod of brass, having at one end an
elongating screw (h), by which, when its ends are fixed in one of the holes
and corresponding notch in the cheek piece, the whole position frame is fixed
firmly to the instrument.
The finger guides (Fig. 6) are two brass machines, each having five com-
partments, lined with leather to admit the thumb and four fingers of each
hand, they are made to slide upon the bracing bar, and have each a screw (k),
by which they are fixed over such of the keys as may be required, for which
see the instruction book.
The wrist guides are two long bent brass wires which are attached to the
finger guides by a screw (s, Fig. 6), having small notches on the outside, into
which fit little cheeks, thereby regulating the position of the end of the guides,
which are bent downwards and pressed against the outsides of the wrists of
the person using the apparatus.
Fig. 7 represents the whole of the apparatus except the gamut board.
The engraved Plate represents a cabinet pianoforte with the apparatus
adapted, and the instruction book annexed fully explains its use and appli-
cation.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bernard Logier, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal, this 13th day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and fourteen.
presence of
W ROWAN.
The above-named William Rowan maketh oath and saith, he is a sub-
scribing witness to, and saw the above Deed of Specification duly signed,
sealed, and executed by the above-named John Bernard Logier, and saith the
name W Rowan thereto subscribed as a Witness is the Deponent's proper
The above-named William Rowan maketh oath and saith, he is a sub-
scribing witness to, and saw the above Deed of Specification duly signed,
sealed, and executed by the above-named John Bernard Logier, and saith the
name W Rowan thereto subscribed as a Witness is the Deponent's proper

page_text: name and handwriting, and that he was present and saw said John Bernard
Logier duly execute same.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that, on the Oath of William Rowan, the
Specification aforesaid was inrolled, word for word, as above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the Statute
made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fourteen.