United Kingdom
Patent by Arthur Gough Pinfold

Brass
ca. 1880s-1890s
Height: 11.5 in
Other – Equipment

This silent gravity pendulum metronome is marked  ‘PINFOLDS / Rd No 12445 / BREVETE S.C.D.G.’  (Breveté means patented and SGDG stands for ‘Sans garantie du Gouvernement’ in French).            

In 1696, Etienne Loulié was the first to successfully use an adjustable pendulum to make a mechanical metronome.  This instrument could be adjusted successfully by sliding a pendulum up or down to adjust the speed, however, there was no sound and no way to keep the pendulum in motion over time.  Then in 1814, came Dietrich Nikolas Winkel of Amsterdam, who discovered that by using a pendulum weighted on both sides of the pivot, this mechanical tool could beat steady time.  He called his invention the ‘metronome chronometer.’   Unfortunately, Winkel did not protect his idea and in 1816, Johann Maelzel, a German inventor, engineer, and showman copied Winkel’s metronome and added a scale, which he patented and called ‘Maelzel’s Metronome.’

Seen here is the Pinfold metronome invented and patented by Arthur Gough PINFOLD (1864-1940), from Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England.  His father was a watchmaker, jeweler and musician.  Arthur followed in his father’s footsteps and began experimenting with designing an oscillating pendulum or metronome that was gravity based.  In April 1884, he filed UK patent # 12445, for the metronome seen here.

This Pinfold metronome is in two parts that include a three legged base with one swiveling leg that rotates to form a tripod, and a long pendulum slider to determine the natural frequency of oscillation.  The pendulum stands on two needle sharp points that enable movement to continue for 15-20 minutes.  The vertical bar is marked on one side with a range of 48 to 144 beats per minute.  Stamped on the other side of the vertical bar are the metronome gauges: PRESTO – ALLEGRO – ANDANTE – ADAGIO – LARGHETTO – LARGO

Resource: https://www.thepiano.sg/piano/read/history-metronome;  https://vmcollectables.com/archive/pinfolds-metronome/