IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBINATION OF A PIANOFORTE WITH WIND AND OTHER MUSICAL APPLIANCES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Alfred Waddington, of Stonegate, in the City
of York, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE COMBINATION OF A PIANOFORTE WITH WIND AND OTHER MUSICAL
APPLIANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Alfred Waddington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th May 1880.
WILLIAM ALFRED WADDINGTON, of Stonegate, in the City of York, Pianoforto
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COMBINATION OF A PIANOFORTE WITH
WIND AND OTHER MUSICAL APPLIANCES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the combination of a pianoforte
with wind and other musical appliances.
I construct an instrument to be called the orchestral pianoforte, consisting of a
combination in one instrument of a pianoforte, a harmonium, and a scale of bells,
all of which are set in motion and playable from and connected with one keyboard.
The three portions of the instrument can be used together at one time or separately,
or in combination of any two or more combinations thereof.
Combined pianofortes and harmoniums have been produced by other manu-
facturers, but the actions have been made in an entirely different way. The bell
attachment is now used for the first time.
In my instrument the reed box and the action of the harmonium are placed
above the keys, and worked from the top of the key. The key lever gives motion
to a vertically sliding rod, which works a bell crank lever, to which the valve for
permitting air to pass the harmonium tongue or tongues is attached.
The bell action is also worked from the top of the key. The bells are placed
below the key board, and the hammers are fixed to bell crank levers, on which the
key levers operate directly.
The harmonium action and the reed box have never before been placed above
the keys in any instrument combining pianoforte and harmonium.
The combined actions have a lightness of touch and a freedom and quickness
never before attained.
In the pianoforte action dampers are arranged to operate on the strings at
points immediately below the points of impact of the hammers, as described in the
Specification of my Patent, No. 4210, in the year 1879.

page_text: The Drawing shows a side elevation partly in section of my combined
instrument.
a is the ordinary piano forte key operating through the hopper b and sticker'c
upon the butt of the hammer d, and so causing the hammer to strike upon the
string. The key a also operates upon a bell crank lever e, and causes it, when the
key is depressed, to force back the tail of the damper lever f, and so to remove
the damper f' from its contact with the string immediately below the point at
which the string is struck by the haminer. g is a vertical sliding rod, to which
also the finger key gives motion, so operating it that when the key is depressed
the upper end of the rod acts upon the bent lever h. The lever h carries the
valve i, and when the lever is moved the valve is withdrawn from contact with
the face of the reed box k; the corresponding reed then commences to sound. h¹ is
a spring, which causes the return of the valve to its seat when the finger key is
allowed to rise. The finger key also acts upon a bell crank lever carrying a
hammer head, and causes it to strike upon the bell m.
It will be understood that the pianoforte string, the harmonium reed, and the

page_text: bell operated by one finger key are all tuned to sound the same note. I generally
continue the harmonium action through about five octaves near the middle of the
instrument, and the bell action I provide near the treble end, and to extend over
about two octaves. n is a swell shutter operated by a pedal, and by means of it
the reed sounds can be modulated, as is well understood. The reed box is mounted
upon trunnions at . By rocking the reed box about the trunnions the levers h
can be raised out of the reach of the rods g, and so the harmonium part of the
instrument can be silenced whenever desired. The axes of the bell levers are
carried by a block *, which is hinged to the frame of the instrument, and by
turning it about the hinge joint the tails of the levers can be raised beyond the
reach of the keys. In this way, when it is desired, the bell appliance can be
silenced at will.
The piano forte part of the instrument can also be silenced when desired by
pressing the hammers up to the strings by means of a moveable rail or other
equivalent well known contrivance not shown in the Drawing. Thus the three
parts of the instrument, the piano forte, the harmonium, and the bells are capable
of separate use.
In place of arranging the reed box in the position shown it may be placed
directly over the haminers, the rods g being suitably lengthened.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, would have it understood that I claim,-
First. In combined piano fortes and harmoniums arranging the harmonium reed
box above the finger keys and operating the valves from the finger keys,
substantially as described.
Second. My novel instrument, which I call an "orchestral piano," in which a
piano forte, harmonium, and bells are combined in one instrument, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Alfred Waddington, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. A. WADDINGTON. (L.S.)