Improvements in Bassoons, Hautboys, and other Wind Musical Instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bassoons, Hautboys, and other Wind Musical
Instruments.
A communication from abroad by La Société A. Lecomte et Compagnie, of 1, Boulevard
St. Denis, Paris, France, Manufacturers."
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The bassoon as hitherto constructed is a wood instrument fitted with keys, á metal
"crook" and a double reed.
Various attempts have been made to obtain justness in this instrument by the
addition of different keys or like mechanism and with the same object it has been
proposed to substitute metal for the various wood parts of the instrument, but the
result has always been more or less unsatisfactory.
Now this invention consists in manufacturing a bassoon entirely of metal, the
internal section or bore of which and the holes and inclined ways for the passage of
the wind are mathematically determined and are hereinafter stated.
The advantages of metal over wood in the manufacture of wind instruments is
already recognized; the success of the metallic flute may be cited as an example.
Not only are the best woods liable to split owing to variations of temperature, but the
instrument becomes worn rapidly by cleaning and the effect of damp, the holes
become enlarged and the justness of the instrument which is obtained only approxi-
mately is altogether at fault. Further the sonorousness-is only relative.
According to this invention bassoons are made of regular bore or section by
modifying that of bassoons as now made and by employing metal (brass, german
silver, silver or other metal) instead of wood in their manufacture.
I make for example an instrument entirely of silver plated brass tuned in Do. (C)
to the normal diapason. It has a compass of nearly four octaves say from low or
grave Sb to the counter Fa of the key of Do, 4th-line.
The mechanism is simple and strong; it comprises 18 keys and 6 holes (but these
numbers can be varied). The tablature is not changed.
The instrument is composed of four inain pieces which can be separated from each
other, viz.
1st. The "bell" or, pavillon which can be removed by sliding on the large wing or
body part.
2nd. The large wing or body part, the butt and the small wing or body part, with
the slide and screw collar for fixing the crook.
3rd. The crook.
4th. The double reed.
The butt can be permanently fixed or removable; in the latter case the cleaning of
the interior is facilitated. The wings or body parts can be divided in the middle if
preferred.

page_text: ensions and proportions in length and diamete
necessary a few millimetres more or less.
"
ell
"
Length with the slide
"
without the slide
Diameter at the mouth
"
at 50 millimetres f
"
arge wing
"
"
وو
"
mall wing
"
"
"
"
Sutt
rook
32
""
Leed...
:
mouth
Diameter at the small end...
Length
Diameter at the large end...
19
"
Length
small end...
Diameter at the large end
"
small end
Diameter at the large side...
Length
small side...
Diameter at the large end...
"
small end...
A little wider than usual.
According to the scale of proportions the holes are at irregular distances apart and
of different diameters but the particular diameters and positions are not absolutely
essential.
The invention comprises the addition to these instruments of what may be called
wind-canals. These are tubes of calculated lengths and inclinations and mounted
on plates; they take the place of the oblique holes in the old bassoon. They are
essential for obtaining the timbre and the perfect justness of the upper register and of

page_text: the octaves of the instrument. The outer openings of these wind canals are closed
with the fingers as in the old bassoon, or rings, finger presses or like devices can be
fitted to facilitate the closing. These wind-canals are also applicable to other metal
wind instruments, and more particularly to hautboys and horns.
ופית-
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bassoons, Hautboys, and other Wind Musical
Instruments.
A communication from abroad by La Société A. Lecomte et Compagnie, of 1, Boulevard
St. Denis, Paris, France, Manufacturers."
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The bassoon as hitherto constructed is a wood instrument fitted with keys, a metal
"crook" and a double reed.
Various attempts have been made to obtain justness in this instrument by the
addition of different keys or like mechanism and with the same object it has been
proposed to substitute metal for the various wood parts of the instrument but the
result has always been more or less unsatisfactory.
Now this invention consists in manufacturing a bassoon entirely of metal, the
internal section or bore of which, and the holes and inclined ways for the passage of
the wind, are mathematically determined and are hereinafter stated.
The advantages of metal over wood in the manufacture of wind instruments is
already recognized; the success of the metallic flute may be cited as an example.
Not only are the best woods.liable to split owing to variations of temperature, but the
instrument becomes soon worn by cleaning and the effect of damp, the holes become
enlarged, and the justness of the instrument which is obtained only approximately is
altogether at fault. Further the sonorousness is only relative.
According to this invention bassoons are made of regular bore or section as
hereinafter described instead of that hitherto adopted in bassoons, and metal (brass,
german silver, silver or other metal) is employed instead of wood in their
manufacture.
I make for example an instrument entirely of silver-plated brass tuned in Do (()
to the normal diapason. It has a compass of nearly four octaves say from low or
grave Sb to the counter l'a of the key of Do, fourth line.
The mechanism is simple and strong; it comprises 18 keys and, 6 holes (but these
numbers can be varied). The tablature is not changed.
The improved instrument is represented in the annexed drawings and is composed
of four main pieces which can be separated from each other viz.:
1st. The "bell" or pavillon a which can be removed by sliding on the large wing
or body part.
2nd. The large wing or body part b, the butt, and the small wing or body part d,
with the slide and screw collar for fixing the crook.
2-1 The
f

page_text: The butt can be either permanently fixed or removable; in the latter case the
cleaning of the interior is facilitated. The wings or body parts can be divided in the
middle if preferred.
The dimensions and proportions in length and diameter are the following, but can
be varied if necessary a few millimetres more or less.
Metres.
Bell
***
Length with the slide
0.410
without the slide
0.380
"
"
"
"
Diameter at the mouth
0.089
at 50 millimetres from the
"
mouth
0.049
Diameter at the small end ...
0.042
"
Large Wing
Length
0.950
37
22
Diameter at the large end
0.042
at the small end
0.023
31
Small Wing
21
22
"
Length
0.840
"
Diameter at the large end
0.022
at the small end
0.009
"
Butt
Diameter at the large side
0.023
at the small side...
0.022
""
Grook
"
12
Reed
"
Length
0-330
ADD
Diameter at the large end
0.009
at the small end
0.004
.
"
A little wider than usual..
According to the scale of proportions, the holes are at irregular distances apart and 5
of different diameters but the particular diameters and positions are not absolutely
essential.
-
The invention comprises the addition to these instruments of what may be called.
wind-canals. These are represented at in the figures and are tubes of calculated

page_text: lengths and inclinations and mounted on plates; they take the place of the oblique
holes in the old bassoon. They are essential for obtaining the timbre and the perfect
justness of the upper register and of the octaves of the instrument. The outer
openings of these wind canals are closed with the fingers as in the old bassoon; or
rings, finger-presses or like devices can be fitted to facilitate the closing. These
wind-canals are also applicable to other metal wind instruments and more particularly
to hautboys and horns.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed I
declare that what I claim is :—
1. A bassoon made of metal of regular bore or section, the several parts of same
and the holes therein being of dimensions and proportions such as those hereinbefore
stated.
2. The construction of bassoons, hautboys and other wind musical instruments
with what are hereinbefore called wind-canals, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 29th day of July 1890.
זוIIמarm
J. G.
זנתזזמnll
גע רעגגע