IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION of Musical INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Farmer, of Harrow, in the County of
Middlesex, Esquire, and James Baillie Hamilton, of University
College, Oxford, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION of Musical INSTRUMENTS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Farmer and
James Baillie Hamilton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 19th March 1873.
We, JOHN FARMER, of Harrow, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire,
and JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON, of University College, Oxford, Esquire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
:_
Our Invention of improvements in the construction of musical
instruments consists of a mode of attaching a string, wire, rod, band,
or coil to a free reed,

page_text: In the previous Patent of me, the said John Farmer, 1872, No. 3381,
I have described a particular mode of attaching a string, wire, rod, band,
or coil to a free reed; but in carrying out this Invention it was con-
sidered necessary that the tongue of the reed and the string should be in
one and the same plane, and for this purpose it was necessary that the
reed should be worked or acted on in a special manner, namely, that
it should be preceded by or attached to a box or cavity of certain
dimensions, and unless these dimensions or a very close approximation
was attained the reed and string would not sound.
.
Our improvement consists of a different mechanical arrangement of
connecting the reed and string. We fix a pin at right angles to the
rced tongue and attached to it. To this pin we attach a string which
therefore is in a different plane to the reed tongue. We fasten one end
of the string to a peg or any other adjusting or tuning apparatus. In
order to relieve the strain upon the pin or reed the string is continued
to a second peg beyond the reed so that the pin of the reed lies between
the two pegs. The pin may be of any convenient length or substance.
Any mode of attachment between the pin and the string will be
effectual so long as it is firm, but we find the most convenient method
is to give the string one turn round the pin. By-means-of-this-arrange--
ment any kind of "free reed" whether worked by direct wind or by
suction may be connected with any string although that string be in a
different plane to the reed, and the reed does not require to be preceded
by or attached to a cavity or box of any special dimensions whatever.
In like manner the strings of any stringed instruments may be
attached to any "free reed."
In the above description where we have used the word "string" we
wish it to be understood that we include in that word the words "wire,
1
1.31

page_text: DAILLIE HAMILTON, ог University Conege, Oxford, squire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Farmer and James Baillie Hamilton,
Her special licence that we, the said John Farmer and James Baillie
Hamilton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Farmer and James Baillie Hamilton, our 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Farmer and James Baillie Hamilton, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
either of our, 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 Seal Patent Office on or before the Fourteenth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Farmer and James Baillie
Hamilton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,.
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say :-
Our Invention for improvements in the construction of musical
instruments consists in a mode of attaching a string, wire, rod, band, or
coil to a free reed.
In the previous Patent of me the said John Farmer, 1872, No. 3381,
I have described a particular mode of attaching a string, wire, rod,
band, or coil to a free reed; but in carrying out this Invention it was
considered necessary that the tongue of the reed and the string should
be in one and the same plane, that is, that the reed tongue and string

page_text: when under tension should form approximately one straight line, and
for this purpose it was necessary that the reed should be worked in a
special manner viz., that it should be preceded by or attached to a box
or cavity of such dimensions as would by its resonance cause the reed to
sound in the reverse way to that usually employed, and unless these
dimensions or a close approximation was attained the reed and string
would not sound.
Our improvement consists of a different mechanical arrangement in
the connection of the reed and string. We fix a pin to the free part of
the reed tongue, and at right angles to it. To this pin we attach a
string which is therefore in a different plane to the reed tongue. We
fasten one end of the string to a peg or any other adjusting or tuning
apparatus. In order to relieve the strain upon the pin and reed, the
string is continued to a second peg beyond the reed so that the pin of
the reed lies between two pegs. The pin may be of any convenient
shape, length, or substance, any firm mode of attachment between the
pin and string will be effectual; but we find the most convenient
method is to give the string one turn round the pin. By means of this
arrangement any kind of "free reed" whether worked by pressure or by
suction may be connected with any string although that string be in a
different plane to itself, and the reed does not require to be preceded by
any special cavity such as was described in the former Specification of
me the said John Farmer.
In like manner the strings of any stringed instrument may be attached
"free reed."
to any
In cases where the proportionate length of the string to the reed
causes the string to be divided into "segments" by what are technically
called "nodes" it will be found that each of these segments affords a
note identical with that of the reed when sounding.
In order to obtain instantaneous sound it is desirable to resolve the
string artificially into the form that it will thus ultimately assume.
This may be done by applying an "artificial damper" to the node, and
percussion to the segment (preferably to that segment in which the reed
lies). This damper may be either permanent or controlled by the action
of the key, a damper is also employed to stop the sound as in other
stringed instruments, this may be effected by any mechanical apparatus
controllable by the key which opens the valve of the reed.

page_text: JOHN FARMER.
(L.S.)
JAMES BAILLIE HAMILTON.
(L.S.)