CERTAIN NEW METHODS OF CONSTRUCTING AND TUNING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, WHICH WILL BE PERFECT IN THEIR KIND, AND MUCH EASIER TO BE PERFORMED ON THAN ANY HITHERTO DISCOVERED
Year: 1788

page_text: CLAGGET, of Long Acre, Music Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of August,
in the twenty-eighth year of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Clagget, my extors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully
might, during the term of years therein expressed, make, use, exercise, and
vend, throughout that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN NEW METHODS OF CONSTRUCTING AND TUNING MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS, WHICH WILL BE PERFECT IN THEIR KIND, AND MUCH EASIER TO BE
PERFORMED ON THAN ANY HITHERTO DISCOVERED;" in which said recited Letters
Patent is contained a provisoe obliging me, the said Charles Clagget, by 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 one calendar
month next after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, and the
Statute in that behalf made, relation being thereunto had, may more at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said provisoe, and in
pursuance of the said Statute, I, the said Charles Clagget, do hereby declare
that the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, is particularly described and ascertained as follows (that is to say):--
My first new improvement on musical instruments relates to the new
instrument called the Telio-chordon, which is a stringed instrument, in

page_text: form like the grand pianoforte, and, as in that instrument, the tones are
produced by small hammers, covered with cork or leather, which strike the
strings and make them vibrate; but the telio-chordon is capable of being put
much better in tune, for the grand pianoforte and harpsichord divide each
octave only into thirteen parts or semitones, whereas in this instrument every
octave can be divided into thirty-nine parts, or gradations of sound, for any
finger-key will, at the pleasure of the performer, produce three different
degrees of intonation by the following means:-This instrument hath the two
bridges, common to all pianofortes, fixed as usual. It hath also two other
bridges, placed something nearer to the jacks or hammers, but in a just
proportion, according to the musical division of the string, suited to the tone
which is wanted to be produced. These bridges are made of brass, or other
metal or wood, screwed down to the bridge board, something lower than the
level of the first or common bridge. Directly over each of these secondary
bridges moveable bars of metal or wood are placed in proper guides, so that
they must descend in an exact parallel direction, and by means of pedals and
the usual machinery can, when the performer pleases, be pressed down upon
the strings, by which means the original bridge loses its power, which is
transferred occasionally to either of the said secondary bridges and bars,
and the string, being thus virtually shortened, produces a more acute sound, so
that that intonation which is to be preferred in different modulations can
at all times be instantaneously obtained, and by this means the temperature
of all thirds and fifths be highly improved, and what is called the wolfe is
entirely done away.
My second new improvement on musical instruments relates to the finger
keys of the harpsichord, pianoforte, organ, and other key'd instruments, and
consists in the making all the keys of one length and breadth, and on the same
level, something rounded at top like the outside stick of a fan, and the sixth
part of an inch distant from one another throughout the range, and made of
distinguishing colours as usual. From this method one mode of fingering
answers in all keys whatsoever, the shake is always even and much easier,
and there is not any danger of touching one key for another.
My third new improvement relates to an improvement or mellowing of
the tone of harpsichords, pianofortes, and other similar instruments, which
I perform by fixing over the strings of these instruments a straining frame of
wood, or other proper material, on which I stretch very tight, skins of
parchment, vellum, silk, linen, or paper, connected so as to form an uniform
surface like the head of a drum, and capable of being opened or shut at
pleasure. This not only improves the tone, but also preserves the strings
from dust and other injuries..

page_text: My fourth new improvement on these instruments consists of covering the
keys with plates of glassy enamel, of suitable colours, in place of wood or
ivory commonly used.
My fifth new improvement is upon the Celestina stop of these instruments,
and consists in winding upon a reel of a proper size the fine silken threads of
the cocoon of the silk worm, or other fine silken threads, so that these threads,
when transferred to the pulleys of the Celestina, may have the form of a
narrow tape or endless fillet, which, rub'd with resin dissolved in spirits of
wine, produces the tone.
My sixth new improvement on musical instruments relates to the French
horn or trumpet, and consists in uniting together two French horns or
trumpets in such manner that the same mouth-piece may be applied to
either of them instantaneously during the time of performance, as the music
may require. These horns or trumpets are united together for a small length
at their narrow ends, so that that part of the two horns or trumpets may be
parallel, and the circumference of their tubes in contact, thus,
b; or;
at least, the small ends of the two horns or trumpets must approach near to one
another. On the small ends of the two horns or trumpets, so united or
brought near to one another, I fix a box of a cylindrical, oval, cubical, or
other suitable form, fitted to the horns or trumpets so as to be air tight. In the
cover of this box, what is commonly called the mouth-piece is fixed, by means
of a joint, by means of a piece of elastic, gum, or leather, or otherwise, so that
the point of the mouth-piece may be directed to the opening of either of the
horns or trumpets at pleasure, at the same time that another piece of elastic,
gum, or leather, or other proper material, stops the aperture of the horn or
trumpet which is not in use. One of the horns or trumpets being of the tone
called D, and the other horn or trumpet of the tone called E flat, it is evident
that, by moving the mouth-piece to the suitable horn or trumpet, any piece of
music may be played, as it then contains an entire chromatic scale.
My seventh new improvement relates to the more easy tuning of musical
instruments by means of the utensil called the tuning fork, and consists in
screwing, or fixing on the point of these tuning forks, metallic balls or weights
of different sizes, which weights are properly adjusted by tryal, so as to give
the tone or semitone required, and properly lettered or marked, so that there
may be no confusion in the use of them. The balls or weights, corresponding
to the tone wanted, to be screwed on the fork, and the latter put into
vibration; the string corresponding is to be tuned to an unison with the fork,
which may be done without the trouble and perplexity of comparing it with
other sounds or strings of the instrument supposed otherwise in tune. This
also can be performed by single bars or rods of metal.

page_text: My eighth new improvement on musical instruments relates to a new
instrument composed of a proper number of these tuning forks, or of single
prongs or rods of metal fixed on a standing board or box by the lower end,
and governed or put into vibration by finger keys, moving hammers or jacks
by means of levers, as in the pianoforte or harpsichord, or applying a
Celestina stop made by the endless fillett, which will produee the sounds on
these bars as it does from the strings, which instrument will not be subject to
go out of tune.
My ninth new improvement relates to the tuning keys for harpsichords and
other instruments, and consists of making the cross part or lever of the key
longer than usual, that is to say, about six inches long, and the socket part or
stem shorter, that is, about two inches long, by means of which the key is
steadier and easier to use.
My tenth new improvement relates to a better method of fitting the
sounding post of a violin to its place, and consists in fixing to the end of the
violin, where the tail board is always tyed, a screw, or rack and pinion, to raise
or depress the hind end of the tail board, so as to bring the tail board to a
lesser or greater angle to the line of the strings at pleasure, and thereby
remove or decrease their pressure on the bridge or belly of the instrument,
and by diminishing the pressure on the belly gives a facility of moving the
sounding post at pleasure, without injuring the instrument.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Clagget, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight