MENTS IN PIANOFORTES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Harrison, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN PIANOFORTES."
Scaled the 30th April 1869, and dated the 6th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Harrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1868.
I, THOMAS HARRISON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Pianoforte Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PIANOFORTES," to be as follows (that is to
say) :-
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in pianofortes
by which the action of the instrument is considerably simplified and a
perfect damping is accomplished in such a manner that the instrument
will accomplish what is known as repetition playing in a much more
perfect and superior manner than, heretofore.

page_text: The improvements may be obtained by constructing an instrument as
follows: Of a lever hinged to the end of the ordinary key, near the end
of which is a short upright piece, between which and the lever is a
spring through the upright piece a screw passes and enters into the
lever and works in a nut, thus enabling nice adjustment of the lever.
The end of this lever, which is padded with leather or other suitable
material, works into a double check in an improved butt piece, which is
hinged at the bottom end to the bottom of the hammer rail, which has
a spring attached to it which bears on the side of the butt. This butt
may be of a square or other suitable form, the upper side farthest from
the hammer rail being cut away. The bottom farthest from the
hammer rail has a long notch cut therein; from thence it slopes into a
second or shorter notch, which shorter notch is lined with felt, leather,
or other suitable material, and rounds into the hinged part. At the
bottom and rounded part there may be a short piece of wire, bent at a
suitable angle, having attached thereto a small block of wood on which
is fitted the cloth, felt, or other material used for damping. At the
upper side of the butt an ordinary hammer is attached which strikes on
the wire and produces the sound and when out of action lays on an
ordinary hammer rest.
Another modification of the arrangement of the butt and damper
consists of a piece of bent wire working on to the side of the butt,
which in this case is hinged to the upper end of the hammer rail, the
side of the butt nearest the string or hammer rail being padded. This
wire is fixed into a lever having its fulcrum at the bottom, where it is
hinged to a piece of wood running across the instrument. The top of
the lever is padded with cloth or other suitable material which damps
the string. This lever has a spring working on to the outside, or side
farthest from the wire, which spring is attached to the aforesaid
piece of wood running across the instrument. The hammer rail and
hammer rest run across the instrument, and are attached at the end to
a sliding piece of wood which is in connexion and works with the
ordinary pedals of the piano. In cases where the damping modification
above mentioned is applied the piece of wood to which the damping
lever is attached also runs across the instrument and is actuated in the
ordinary way by the pedal.
The action of an instrument consturated according
2º

page_text: working on the smaller notch in the butt piece, lifting the butt piece and
causing the hammer to strike the string or wire, after striking which the
lever of its own accord falls into the larger notch, thereby allowing the
hammer to free itself from the wire or string before the key regains its
normal position. At the same time the hammer strikes the strings of
the instrument the bent piece of wire attached to the bottom of the
butt piece, having at its end cloth or other material, is withdrawn from
the wire, thereby allowing the sound to continue until the key regains
its normal position, which when effected the damping piece falls again
on the wire or string and thereby thoroughly damps or checks the
sound. The hammer and butt piece regain their normal position by
the pressure on the butt piece of the spring attached to the hammer
rail, which when the key is freed from pressure forces the hammer
back on to the hammer rest, and the damper on to the string or
wire. Each key throughout the piano is arranged according to the
foregoing method.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS,
HARRISON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Pianoforte Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Harrison, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Harrison, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Harrison, 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

page_text: Thomas Harrison, 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Harrison, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This my said Invention has for its object and consists in certain
improvements in pianofortes by which the action or mechanical arrange-
ment of the instrument is considerably simplified, and a perfect
damping or cessation of sound after the string or wire has been struck
is obtained, and in such a manner that the instrument will accomplish
what is known as repetition playing or consecutive striking of tho
same note or notes in a much more perfect and superior manner than
heretofore.
The improvements to which this Invention relates may be obtained
by constructing an instrument as follows, that is to say:-These
improvements consist of a lever hinged to the end of a short upright
piece which is fixed on the end of the ordinary key. Between the short
upright piece and the lever is a spring bearing on the lever; through the
top end of the upright piece a screw passes and enters into the lever
and works into a nut on the other side of the lever, thus enabling nice
adjustment of the lever. The end of this lever, which is padded with
leather or other suitable material, works into a double check in an
improved butt piece, which is hinged at the bottom end to the bottom of
the hammer rail, which hammer rail has a spring attached which bears
on the side of the butt. This butt may be of a square or other suitable
form, the upper side farthest from the hammer rail being cut away or
bevelled off. The bottom farthest from the hammer rail has a long
notch cut therein; from thence it slopes into a second or shorter notch,
which shorter notch is lined with leather or other suitable material, and
rounded into a boss, whereby it is hinged to the hammer rail. At the
bottom and rounded part there may be a short piece of wire bent to a
suitable angle, having attached thereto a small block of wood on which

page_text: is fitted the cloth, felt, or other suitable material used for damping.
At the upper side or top of the butt an ordinary striking hammer is
attached which strikes the wire or string and produces the sound, and
when out of action lays on an ordinary hammer rest, the block of wood
at the end of the bent piece of wire lined with felt or cloth bearing on
the string or wire, thereby damping or checking the continuation of
the sound.
Another modification of the arrangement of the butt and damper
consists of the butt in this case being hinged to the top of the hammer
rail, and of a picce of bent wire working on the side of the butt nearest
the string or wire, this side of the butt being padded with leather, felt,
or other suitable material. This wire is fixed into an upright lever
having its fulcrum near the bottom, where it is hinged to a piece of
wood or rail running across the instrument. The top of this lever is
padded with cloth or other suitable material, and when the hammer is
out of action it rests on the string or wire, thereby damping or causing
a cessation of the sound. Between this lever and the rail which carries
it there is a spring which regulates the action of the lever according to
the position of the hammer or striker. The hammer rail and hammer
rest run across the instrument, and are attached at the end to a vertical
sliding piece of wood which is in counexion and works with the ordinary
pedal motion. In cases where the modification above mentioned is
applied the rail to which the damping lever is attached also runs across
the instrument, and is actuated in the ordinary way by the pedal.
In order that this my said Invention may be more readily seen and
understood I have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrating so much of
an instrument constructed according to my said Invention as will enable
any person accustomed to the manufacture to carry the same into
practical effect. Like letters and figures marked on the different views
are used to denote similar parts throughout the various Figures, which
are shown full size, and are suitable for that style of pianoforte known
as "cottage." An instrument constructed according to these dimensions
will be found convenient, but of course this can be varied.
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the ordinary key lever of a
pianoforte with lever attached thereto, also my improved action through-
out. The same arrangement is used throughout the whole series of
keys in the instrument. The hammer or striker in this case is shown

page_text: at rest, and the damper bearing on the string or wire in the act of
checking the sound.
Figure 2 is a front view of the same showing a series of keys as
arranged.
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing modified arrangement of butt
and damper.
A, key lever, to which is attached B, upright piece, to which is
binged C, lever, which is adjusted by D, screw; E, spring fixed to
upright B, and bearing on lever C; F, butt; G, check or part of butt
on which lever C works; H, long notch; I, shorter notch, H and I
together forming G (check); K, bent piece of wire fixed into bottom or
under side of butt F, and to which is attached L, block of wood covered
with leather, felt, or other suitable material, K. and L forming damper,
which when in action bears on the string or wire M, and thereby checks
the continuation of sound; N, hammer rail, to the bottom of which butt
pieces F are hinged; O, spring attached to hammer rail and bearing on
butt piece; P, hammer or striker; R, hammer rest, on which hammer
lays when not in action; S, sounding board; T, bridge.
In reference to modification Figure 3, B, upright, to which is hinged C,
lever, which is adjusted by screw D and spring E, and which lever works
on to butt picce F, which butt piece in this case is hinged to the top of
hammer rail N, and which butt piece is padded at G', and has bent
wire K working on to it, which wire is attached to a lever L, which
lever Land wire K answer the same purpose as block L and wire K,
shown in Figure 1. This lever L is padded at the upper end with
leather, felt, or other suitable material, and is hinged to what I term a
damper lever rail U, which has a spring O attached to it and working
on lever, and answering the same purposes as spring O in Figure 1.
The action of an instrument constructed according to this my said
Invention is as follows:-Upon pressing the key lever A the lever C
attached to the upright B at the end of the key lever rises, working on
the smaller notch I in the check G of the butt piece F, lifting the butt
piece and causing the hammer to strike the string or wire, at the same
time relieving the string or wire from the pressure of the damper
block L. After striking the string or wire the lever C of its own accord
falls into the larger notch H in the check G, thereby allowing the
hammer to free itself from the wire or string M before the key lever A
regains its normal position. At the same time the hammer strikes the

page_text: string of the instrument the bent piece of wire K attached to the bottom
of the butt picce, having at its end the block L covered with cloth,
felt, or other material, is withdrawn from the wire or string M,
thereby allowing the sound to continue until the key lever A regains
partially its normal position, which when effected the damping picce L
falls again on the wire or string, and thereby thoroughly damps or checks
the sound. The hammer P and butt piece F, together with damper L,
regain their normal position by the pressure on the butt piece of the
spring O attached to the hammer rail, which when the key lever A is
relieved from pressure forces the hammer P back on the hammer rest R
and damper L on to the string or wire M. Each key throughout the
piano is arranged according to the foregoing method.
In the case of the modification Figure 3, upon rising of lever C the
hammer P is forced on to the string or wire M. Spontaneously with the
action of the hammer P the wiro K attached to damper lever L is forced
back, freeing the string M from the pressure of the damper. Spring O,
attached to lever rail U, answers the same purposes as spring O in
Figure 1, and enables damper lever L and hammer P to regain the
normal position upon the relief of pressure from the key lever.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, I wish it to be clearly understood that I
do not confine myself to the several proportions and relative dimensions
of the various parts of the instrument as shown in the Drawings, as it
will be readily seen that the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the Invention; but what I claim is,―
First. The shape and arrangement of butt F, together with the double
check G formed by notches I and H, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described, set forth, and illustrated.
Secondly. The arrangement of lever C working direct on to double
check or butt piece F, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described, set forth, and illustrated.
Thirdly. The arrangement of damper L, K, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before described, set forth, and illustrated.
Fourthly. The general arrangement and combination of lever C,
together with butt piece F, damper L, K, and hammer or striker P,

page_text: whereby that style of playing known as repetition or consecutive striking
of the same notes is greatly facilitated.
And, lastly. The general systent or peculiar arrangement, combination,
and construction of the various parts herein-before described, rendering
'that style of instrument known as "cottage" pianoforte much lower and
more compact than heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Harrison, have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my scal, this Fourth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
FREDERICK J. CHEESBROUGH,
of 43, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
THOMAS (L.S.) HARRISON.