IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PERSONS LEARNING TO SING PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES "
Year: 1883

page_text: L
LETTERS PATENT to Giuseppe Napoleone Carozzi of Regent Street in the
· County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ASSISTING PERSONS LEARNING TO SING PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Giuseppe Napoleone Carozzi
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1883.
GIUSEPPE NAPOLEONE CAROZZI, of Regent Street in the County of Middlesex
“IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PERSONS LEARNING TO SING, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES "
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for assisting persons learning
to sing, parts of which improvements are applicable for medical purposes.
In learning to sing it is frequently found that a pupil has considerable difficulty
in controlling the position of the mouth and in regulating the breath, and also that
he is liable to move the shoulders in his efforts to produce certain tones, whereby
the singing is rendered unsteady and has not a full tone.
The object of my said invention is to obviate these defects as far as possible, and
to provide apparatus to assist a pupil to control his mouth, to indicate to him the
manner in which he' is using his breath, and to enable him to know when he moves
his shoulders.
In the specification of former Letters Patent dated A.D. 1876, 25th September
No 3739 I described an instrument for controlling the mouth, tongue, and lips of a
person learning to sing.
According to one part of the present invention I improve upon the said
instrument by rendering it adjustable to the mouth of different persons, that is to
say, to the main part or bar of the instrument (one end of which has a groove to
receive the teeth and to which are attached an adjustable mirror and a small
adjustable socket for holding a feather for the purpose described in the said former
pecification) I arrange a small clamp consisting of two plates adapted to be drawn
together by a set screw. To one of these plates is attached a small arm having at
Prins in

page_text: its outer extremity a groove similar to the one on the end of the main bar for
receiving the other set of teeth, and a series of small indentations adapted to
receive a small projection on the opposite plate, so that when the two plates are
clamped together they will be prevented from turning. The other of the said clamp
plates receives the main bar. of the instrument a small plate projecting over the
said bar, so that when one clamp plate is drawn against the other the said small
plate will be pressed upon the main bar and hold the latter in any desired position
with relation to the arm attached to the other clamp plate. A small spiral spring
is placed between the clamp plates on the set screw to force the plates slightly
apart when the said set screw is slackened.
Below the grooves for the teeth are slots, one of which is adapted to receive the
end of the adjustable tongue piece, which, at one end, is pivotted and provided
with a catch to hold it in any desired position; the other slot is arranged to receive
a smaller mirror so that the instrument may be used as a laryngoscope.
According to that part of my said invention which relates to the control of the
breath I provide two curved arms pivotted together and adapted to partially
encircle the body. At the outer end of each of the said arms is a socket for
receiving a sliding bar baving at its end a plate or piece to fit the side of a pupil.
The said sockets are provided with set screws so that the slides can be adjusted
to the sides. At the pivoted ends of the said arms are other and smaller arms one
of which carries a dial having pivotted to its periphery a number of small pieces
for marking certain intervals on the said dial, or any other suitable device may be
used for the purpose. I sometimes arrange a bell in such a manner that it can be
rung at certain intervals by the movement of the band or pointer on the dial. The
other small arm is connected in any suitable manner with the hand or pointer on
the dial. When the instrument is attached to the body the expansion of the sides
in lateral or costal breathing causes the said curved arms to move outwards,.
whereby the hand on the dial is moved and indicates the extent to which the pupil
has filled his lungs, a spring is suitably arranged to draw the arms slightly towards
each other during expiration, when the hand on the dial indicates whether the
pupil is breathing steadily. The said instrument is supported on a stand in such a
position that a pupil can easily see the movement of the indicator.
To the ends of the curved arms I sometimes attach straps to prevent the
instrument from slipping when attached to the body.
According to a modification of this part of my said invention the construction is
substantially the same as that hereinbefore described, the main difference being
that whereas the former instrument was only adapted to indicate the amount of
expansion of the lungs in lateral or costal breathing the present one is adapted to
indicate the expansion thereof in diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing; for this
purpose a sliding rod having a button at the end is arranged to project between
the two curved arms so that it will come upon the chest, the said rod is suitably
connected with a hand on a second dial so that indications can be taken at the side
and front of the chest at the same time. The dials are sometimes arranged to come
before the face of a pupil to obviate the necessity of his having to bend his head
down when singing.
I sometimes use an instrument adapted to indicate the movement of the chest in
diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, only in this case a bow partially encircles
the body passing from the front to the back around one side. The end of the bow
which fits the back is provided with an adjustable slide as hereinbefore described,
and the front end of the bow carries a dial below which, in suitable guides, slides
a rod one end of which carries a rack gearing with a small pinion on the shaft of
the pointer or hand; the said rod is kept in position by a spring.
The instrument and the modification thereof herein before described, can be used
for measuring the comparative capacity of the lungs.
According to this part of my said invention I also provide an instrument for
indicating if one lung is inflated more than the other; for this purpose I provide a
dial having two hands which normally stand at zero, the dial being graduated in

page_text: the same manner upon both sides of the said point, two sliding pieces being
arranged upon the periphery of the dial to mark any desired points thereon. To
the shaft of each of the said hands is attached a spring, which springs return the
hands to zero when no pressure is upon them; attached to each pointer shaft is a
cord or tape which pass through openings in each side of the case of the instrument,
these tapes are made long enough to encircle the body and be tied. When in this
position if one side of the chest moves more than the other side one hand will move
farther upon the dial than the other, if both sides move alike then the two hands
will point to the same indication on both sides of the zero point. The instrument
when in use is hung around the neck.
. According to that part of my invention which relates to the movements of the
shoulders and the like I arrange straps around the arms close to the shoulders and
connect them together by other cross straps, to the straps round the arms are
attached other straps or bands which hang loosely behind a wearer by holding these
loose bands at a moderate tension behind his back with one hand a pupil is enabled
to detect any movement of the shoulders or the like.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Giuseppe Napoleone Carozzi in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th October 1883.
GIUSEPPE NAPOLEONE CAROZZI, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ASSISTING PERSONS LEARNING TO SING, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
募
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for assisting persons learning
to sing, parts of which improvements are applicable for other purposes.
My said invention is chiefly designed to provide means for assisting a person,
while singing or exercising his voice, to properly control his tongue and
the disposition of his mouth and to regulate his breathing, and also for
enabling him to ascertain when he moves his shoulders in breathing. His
pronunciation and the quality of his voice can by these means be greatly improved
without the continual observation and correction of a teacher.
My said invention comprises improvements in the instrument described in the
specification of my former Letters Patent dated 25th September A.D. 1876,
N° 3739, for controlling the mouth, tongue and lips, of a person learning to sing,
which improvements are partly designed to render the said instrument adjustable.
This part of my invention is illustrated in Figures 1 to 11 of the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said instrument made according to my
present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same
Figure 3 is a front view of the mirror and the means for attaching the same to
the wire.
Figure 4 shews in detail the plates for uniting the wires.
The remaining figures are hereinafter described.
a is a bent rod or arm of silver or steel wire or other suitable material, having
fixed to one of its ends a notched or grooved piece b to receive the front teeth of
the lower jaw. To this rod or arm the mirror c is attached by means of a set
screw c¹ in such a manner that it can be adjusted further from, or nearer to, the
person using the instrument. The small socket d for holding the feather d¹ is
also adjustably attached to the rod or arm a by the set-screw d. A small plate e is
carried by the rod or arm a and is provided with a tooth or projection e¹ and with
a central aperture.
a¹ is another bent rod or arm to one end of which is fixed a notched or grooved
piece to receive the front teeth of the upper jaw. To the other end of this rod
or arm is fixed a plate f corresponding in shape and size with the plate e but
provided with a central screw f¹ which passes through the aperture in the plate e.
The plate is made with a series of indentations or recesses f' each of which is
adapted to receive the tooth or projection e' on the plate e. By making the two
plates in this manner they can be turned to adjust the rods or arms a, a¹ relatively
to each other and can then be firmly clau:ped or secured togther by means of the
nut on the screw f¹, the said tooth e¹ entering one of the said recesses. A
recess e² is made in the plate e to receive the rod or arm a which is free to slide to
and fro in the said recess when the nut f³ is slackened. A small part of the said
plate projects over the rod or arm a as shown, so that, when the two plates e
and are drawn together by means of the nut f³, the said projecting part of the
plate e will be pressed against the rod or arm a and will hold the same in any
desired position relatively to the rod or arm a¹. A small spiral spring is sometimes

page_text: placed between the plates e and f on the set-screw f¹ to force 'the plates slightly
apart when the nut f³ is slackened.
Below the grooved piece b¹ and above the grooved piece bare slotted pieces b
adapted to receive the arm g¹ of the adjustable tongue-presser g, which can be
used either in one slot or in the other slot according to circumstances. The said
tongue-presser is provided with a spring catch g³ to retain it in the slot. The slot
below the grooved piece b' is also intended to receive a small rod or arm a³ carrying
a mirror c so that the instrument may be used as a laryngoscope, if desired.
Another of my present improvements consists in providing the mirror e with a
ball-and-socket or universal joint at c³, so that the said mirror can be readily
adjusted as required. To secure this mirror in any desired position it is only
necessary to screw the nut c* down upon the ball so that it will press the same
against the end of the screw c³.
The tongue-presser g is made with a frame 9 which is pivotted to the arm g¹.
This arm is made with a series of teeth, with which the spring catch g' is adapted
to engage so as to hold the tongue-presser at any desired angle to the rod or arm a.
The frame g is made with tubular portions in which the arms g* of the frame g
are free to slide, but the said arms are prevented from being withdrawn therefrom
by the screws g passing through slots in the said tubular portions.
In order that the frames g³, g may be fixed in any desired position relatively to
each other, I attach the spring 97 to the spring catch g' and provide the said spring
with a projection 98 adapted to enter one of a series of recesses in the frame g³.
I sometimes modify this apparatus as shown in Figures 5 to 10.
Figure 5 is a side elevation and
Figure 6 is a plan of the modified apparatus, and
Figures 7 to 10 are different views shewing details thereof.
In this modification the rod or arm a is jointed at a³ to facilitate the adjustment
of the mirror c, and the said joint can be slackened or tightened by means of a
set-screw. The rod or arm a¹ is connected to the rod or arm a by the arms a* and
is arranged to project into the mouth. The arms at are connected to the rod or
arm a' by a joint similar to that connecting the tongue-presser with the arm g',
that is to say, a spring catch 9 on the rod or arm a¹ is adapted to engage with
teeth on the part connecting the arms a' as shown in Figure 8. The rod or arm a
is provided with a piece as having three slots, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the
central slot for the reception of the tongue-presser g and the other slots to receive
the arms at each of which is provided with a spring catch aº.
In some cases I attach to the grooved pieces b, b', bent or curved rods or
wires 63, 63, as shown in Figure 11, for regulating the shape of the aperture of the
mouth while singing. The upper rod or wire b' is bent in the form of an oval and
is provided with guides b in which the ends of the rod or wire b' are free to slide
and can be secured by set-screws or other suitable means. The rod or wire b³ is
bent as shown so that it forms a spring, or it may be fitted with a small spiral
spring.
In order that a person, when singing or exercising his voice, may be able to
properly control his breathing I provide an apparatus, one form or modification of
which is shown in Figures 12 to 16.
Figure 12 is a plan of the said apparatus
Figure 13 is a front elevation and
Figure 14 a side elevation of the same
Figures 15 and 16 are side elevations of parts of the said apparatus
A, A¹ are two levers which are pivotted to the frame B and are held by the
screws A, A and whose long arms are curved so that they will partially encircle
the body of the person using the apparatus.
A cross-bar C is fixed to the said frame by means of a screw C¹. At each end
of this cross-bar is a slotted piece C, capable of rotation in an aperture in the
said cross-bar. D is a bar of wood or other suitable material (provided with
a cushion or pad, if desired) to fit against the back of the person using the

page_text: apparatus. Two rods D' are pivotted to the ends of the bar D and when the
apparatus is in use are passed through the slots in the pieces C and 'are secured
therein by the set screws C³.
At one extremity of each of the curved arms of the levers A, A' is a socket A*
to receive a bar E which is capable of 'sliding to-and-fro in the said socket and
which carries at its inner end a plate or frame F., This frame is made to fit the
side of the person using the apparatus and is hinged or pivotted to the said bar so
that it can be turned around the pivot in a horizontal plane. The frames F may,
if 'desired, be made in two pieces one of which F' Figure 15, is attached to the
bar E, and is intended for use when the apparatus is to be fitted to a female
person. This piece can be inserted in the clips F on the other piece F³, as shown
in Figure 16, so as to adapt the apparatus for use by a male person.
The sockets A are provided with set-screws, so that the bars E can be adjusted
to permit the frames F to press against a person's sides and the said bars can then
be secured in the sockets. The lateral or costal breathing of the said person will
act upon the levers A, A¹ and thereby move the hands or pointers hereinafter
described.
The short arms of the levers A, A¹ are held in their normal position by the
springs A5, A6 and are arranged to act upon two hands or pointers G, G¹ pivotted
to the frame B, which also carries three graduated segments H, H, H. The
pointers G, G indicate upon the segments H, H and are retained in their normal
position by springs G. The said segments are each provided with a number of
small adjustable markers or pointers I for marking certain intervals on the said
segments.
When the apparatus constructed in this manner is applied to a person's sides the
expansion of the same in lateral or costal breathing causes the curved arms of the
levers A, A¹ to move outwards 'so that the hands or pointers G, G¹ are moved and
indicate on the segments H, H¹ the extent to which the person has filled his
lungs; the springs G move the hands or pointers back to their normal position
during expiration; the hands or pointers thus serve to indicate whether or not the
person is breathing steadily and regularly.
This apparatus may, if desired, be supported on a stand in such a position that
the person using it can easily see the movements of the hands or pointers.
I sometimes attach straps to the ends of the curved arms to encircle the body
and prevent the slipping of the apparatus when it is attached thereto. If desired
the rods D' may be connected by universal joints to the rods D', and the tubular
rods D³ be adjustably secured upon the rods D2 by means of the set-screws D
The rods D³ are provided at their free ends with semi-circular pieces D³ which
partly surround the person's shoulders and are connected behind his back by straps
to support the apparatus.
The object of the costal regulator above described is to shew whether the lateral
breathing is regular and even, as many persons have a tendency to breathe with
one side only; this instrument being furnished with, two hands or pointers which
operate independently of each other, any defect of this kind in the the breathing
can be immediately detected. An allowance must be made for the greater size of
the right lung by reason of the presence of the heart on the left side, the heart
occupying considerable space.
The apparatus can, if desired, be securely fixed to the thorax by means of soft
braces, bands or straps, provided with buckles which are adjustable to lengthen or
shorten the straps according to the size of the bust. Another brace or strap, to pass
around the neck, is provided for sustaining the apparatus at or near the frame B.
This arrangement obviates the necessity for a person holding the apparatus with
his hand and will thus prevent disturbance of the rhythmical extension of the
thorax:
G
To adapt this apparatus to indicate the expansion of the lungs in diaphragmatic
or abdominal breathing, I provide a rod K which is carried in bearings in the
frame B so as to be free to slide to and fro therein, and which has at one end a

page_text: button K¹ to retain it in the said bearings. This rod projects between the two
curved arms of the levers A, A¹ and is provided with a curved plate K' which,
when the apparatus is in use, will bear upon the chest next to the midriff or
diaphragm. The said curved plate may, if desired, be attached to a rod K³
adjustably fitted in the rod K which is made hollow or tubular for this purpose.
A set-screw K is provided for securing the rod K³ in any desired position. A
spring L is fitted upon the rod K and tends to retain the same in its normal
position, this spring may be caused to act with greater or less force by adjusting
the ring K upon the rod K. This rod is arranged to act upon the hand or
pointer G as follows, viz;-a cord M is fixed at one end to the said rod and after
passing partly around the pulley N is secured thereto; smaller pulley N' is fixed
to the pulley N and a cord M attached to the pulley N¹ is passed around the said
pulley and around the pulleys N', N³; this cord is then secured to the pulley N³
which is rigidly fixed to the hand or pointer G³ so that the latter will turn with
the said pulley. A spring G³ tends to retain the said pointer in its normal
position.
The rod K is made with small rack teeth K' on its upper side, which teeth are
adapted to act upon the lever O (or upon a toothed segment) so as to cause the
same to strike the bell O'. The lever O is made with a pivotted tip or piece so
that it will not be acted upon by the said teeth during the outward stroke of the
rod K... A spring O* acts upon the said lever O. This bell will ring (when the
apparatus is in use) at intervals corresponding with the time during which the person
using the apparatus holds his breath between the various notes or phrases of the
music, and corresponding with the movements of the band or pointer G³. The said
person can adjust the marker I to the point on the segment H* corresponding with
the full or usual inflation of his lungs and the apparatus will thus indicate to him;
at any time, in what manner he can sustain a prolonged note and also when he
should take breath, and he can thereby regulate his breathing so as to take a slight
breath, a half breath, or a full breath.
Figure 17 represents a plan of a modified form of apparatus designed to indicate
the expansion of the lungs in diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing.
P is a semi-circular piece intended to partially encircle the body, so that the
plate Q, which is adjustably attached to the piece P by the screw Q', will bear
upon the back of the person using the apparatus, and the plate Q³, which is
arranged as hereinafter described, will bear upon the partition between the chest
and the abdomen, that is to say, on the walls of the chest and abdomen. The front
end of the piece P carries a dial R, below which, in suitable guides, slides a rod S.
One end of this rod is made with rack teeth S₁ gearing with a small pinion R' on
the shaft carrying the hand or pointer R2. The rod S is held in its normal position
by a spring S. At the moment when the diaphragm is relaxed which occurs just
before breath is to be taken, that is to say, when the chest is collapsed, the hand or
pointer, will indicate zero on the dial. When, however, inspiration commences and
the chest begins to expand, the indicator or pointer will move to the left. In some
cases I arrange the indicator or pointer so that it will carry around with it a
second pointer, which will remain in the position to which it is moved until it is
released by pressing a button or by other suitable means. This additional hand or
pointer may be used as a marker to show the point on the dial corresponding to the
full or usual inflation of a person's lungs.
After the movement of inspiration is accomplished, that is to say, when the chest
is expanded and the lungs are-filled with air, expiration begins and the walls of the
chest and abdomen flatten until the act is completed, the hand or pointer therefore
returns to its normal position at zero. Another breath should be taken only when
the respiratory organs have returned to the position they previously occupied.
To show the movement of the diaphragm, the instrument is fastened in position
by a strap around the body. When the diaphragm is distended, it presses upon the
rod S which communicates its movement to the hand or pointer and thus indicates
the amount of breath taken.
.

page_text: I sometimes adapt the apparatus in the following manner for indicating if one
lung is inflated more than the other, that is to say, I provide a dial having two,
hands or pointers which normally stand at zero, the dial being graduated in the
same manner upon both sides of the zero point. Two sliding pieces or markers are
arranged upon the periphery of the dial to mark any desired points thereon. To
the shaft of each of the said hands is attached a spring; these springs tend to
retain the hands or pointers at zero. A pulley is fixed to each pointer-shaft and a
cord or tape is attached thereto and passes through an opening in one side of a
case enclosing the said pulleys. These cords or tapes are made long enough to
encircle the body when tied together at their ends, or they may be attached to
sliding rods arranged as shewn in Figure 19, in which h is the sliding rod held in
its normal position by the spring i and provided with a guide j which fits upon
the bracket k and prevents the said rod from rotating. This rod is held between
friction rollers m and is provided with a plate or frame n to bear against the side
of the person using the apparatus.
When this apparatus is in use, if one side of the chest moves more than the other
side, one hand or pointer will move to a correspondingly greater extent upon the
dial than the other hand or pointer, if both sides of the chest move alike then the
two hands will point to the same indication on both sides of the zero point. This
instrument can be suspended by a cord passing around the neck of the person
using it.
I also provide a device consisting of straps arranged as shewn in Figure 18, the
parts T of these straps fit around the arms close to the shoulders and are connected
together by a cross-strap U; the parts V of the said straps hang loosely behind the
wearer and by holding these loose parts and drawing them downward behind his
back with a moderate tension a person is enabled to detect any movement of his
shoulders when breathing.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I Claim :-
First. In the apparatus or instrument for controlling the mouth, tongue and lips
as above set forth, the rods or arms adjustably connected by means of the plates,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings for the
purpose specified.
Second. In the said apparatus or instrument, the tongue-presser made adjust
able as above described to adapt it for mouths of different sizes and to regulate the
angle that it makes with the rods or arms, as specified.
Third. In the said apparatus or instrument, the combination, with the rods or
arms a, a¹ and mirror c, of the rod or arm a³ and mirror c, to enable the said
instrument to be used as a laryngoscope as above set forth.
Fourth. In the said apparatus or instrument, the device, consisting of the ball-
⚫and-socket the screw and the nut, for adjusting the mirror c and securing the same
in any desired position, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1
and 3 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The modification of the said apparatus or instrument wherein the rods or
arms are connected by arms having teeth adapted to be engaged by a spring catch,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 5 to 10 of the drawings for the
purpose specified.
Sixth. In the said apparatus or instrument, the combination, with the notched
pieces b, b', of the curved or bent rods b², b³, adjustably connected at 6*, sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figure 11 of the drawings for the purpose
specified.
Seventh. The above described apparatus for indicating the inflation of the lungs
in lateral or costal breathing, in which apparatus levers or cords are arranged to be
acted upon by the sides of the person using the apparatus and to transmit their
movements to hands or pointers, substantially as described with reference either to
Figures 12 to 16 or to Figure 19 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Eighth. The combination, with the apparatus for indicating the inflation of the

page_text: lungs in lateral or costal breathing, of means for indicating the movements of the
chest in diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, substantially as described with
reference to Figures 12, 13, and 14 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The modified form of apparatus for indicating the movements of the
chest in diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, which apparatus has a plate
attached to a sliding rod acted upon by a spring and having rack teeth engaging
with a pinion for operating a hand or pointer (with or without the additional
hand or pointer) all substantially as described with reference to Figure 17 of the
drawings for the purposes specified.
Tenth. The device consisting of the straps arranged substantially as described
with reference to Figure 18 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said Giuseppe Napoleone Carozzi have hereunto set
my hand and seal this twenty-fourth day of October in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.