IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad by Charles Gerard Conn, of
Elkhart, in the County of Elkhart and State of Indiana, in the United States
of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad
by Charles Gerard Conn, of Elkhart, in the County of Elkhart and State of
Indiana, in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to produce an instrument with a perfect clear
bore valve, and a lighter and better valve action than cornets of ordinary
construction.
To this end the valve is constructed with a longitudinal bore, using the bottom
of the valve piston for one of the wind passage apertures; but instead of connecting
the adjacent valve casings by a bend leading from the bottom of one valve to the
bottom of the next, as has heretofore been done, a pipe is employed connected
longitudinally with the bottom of one valve casing and delivering transversely into
the body of the next, and a pipe connected longitudinally with the bottom of the
second valve casing and delivering transversely into the body of the third.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th November 1881.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. " IMPROVE
MENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS." A communication from abroad
by Charles Gerard Conn, of Elkhart, in the County of Elkhart and State of
Indiana, in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to produce an instrument with a perfect clear bore
valve, and a lighter and better valve action than cornets of ordinary construction.
To this end the valve is constructed with a longitudinal bore, using the bottom
of the valve piston for one of the wind passage apertures; but instead of connecting
the adjacent valve casings by a bend leading from the bottom of one valve to the
bottom of the next, as has heretofore been done, a pipe is employed connected
longitudinally with the bottom of one valve casing and delivering transversely into
the body of the next, and a pipe connected longitudinally with the bottom of the
second valve casing and delivering transversely into the body of the third.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
more fully to describe the same.
Figure 1 is a side view of a trombone à piston illustrating the Invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the three valves thereof, the first valve being
shown depressed and the other two in their upper or normal position. Figure 3 is
a vertical section through the first valve at 3, 3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical
section of the second valve at 4, 4, Figure 1. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the
central portion of a cornet embodying the Invention. Figure 6 is a side elevation
of a bass-horn embodying the Invention.
The ingress from the mouth pipe is shown at I, and the egress to the bell at E;
A, B, and C, are respectively the first, second, and third valves, and a, b, c, their
respective casings. The ingress pipe I opens into the body or central part of the
casing a, and the egress pipe E leads from the bottom of the third casing c; G, H, are
the direct air pipes or passages communicating from the bottom of tho first valve
casing a to the body or central part of the second casing b, and from the bottom of
the second casing to the centre or body of the third casing c.
The valves A, B, and C, are respectively made, as shown, with a transverse air
passage & passing directly through from side to side, as in Figure 3, or in knuckle
form in and out on the same side, as shown in Figure 4, as preferred, or as the
form of the piping may require, and a longitudinal passage f opening below
through the bottom or lower end of the valve and above through a curved port in
its side, so as in the normal or upper position of the valves to take the wind which
is delivered horizontally through the body of the casing by the pipe I, G, or H, and
deliver it downward through the pipe G, H, or E, as the case may be.
J, K, and L, are the valve bends connected with the respective valve casings for
producing the valve tones when the valves are depressed, at which time the wind
entering the casing horizontally as before, instead of passing directly downwards
to the next communicating pipe is carried through the passage d to the first end of
the valve bend J, K, or L, and after passing through this is delivered to the lateral

page_text: opening or port of the longitudinal passage f to be conducted to the next connecting
pipe G or H or the egress E.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in
which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,
The combination with valve casings a, b, c, of the connecting pipes G and H
leading from the bottom of one valve casing to the body or central part of the
next, and from the bottom of the second to the body or centre of the third, and the
valves A, B, C, formed with transverse or knuckle and longitudinal passages d, f,
the latter being arranged to communicate at their upper and lower ends with the
upper and lower ends respectively of the connecting pipes G and H, all substantially
as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.S.)