A New Family of Brass Wind Musical Instruments.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th May, 1891-Accepted, 8th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Family of Brass Wind Musical Instruments.
A communication from abroad by ADOLPHE FONTAINE-BESSON, of Paris,
France, Manufacturer of Musical Instruments.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows
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This invention has reference to a class of instruments provided with a mouth-
piece having a conical hole or passage therethrough and to which instruments it is
intended to give the generic name of "cornons or cornophones." To this generic
name or designation may be added an appellation according to the special function
of the instrument to which it is to be applied and according to the tone of the
instrument, as for examples "cornon-alto for the instrument shown in Fig. 1 ;
"cornon-tenor" for that shown in Fig 2; and "cornon-basse
Fig. 3.
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for that shown in
The mode of construction of the coruon or cornophone, the mouth piece tube of
which has the same starting point as that of a harmony horn is as follows:-
In order to obtain homogeneous tone, and great accuracy in the various instruments
of the new class produced according to this invention, it has been found necessary
to employ a special caliber for the mouthpiece tubes, one of which is shown detached
in Fig. 4. As shown in the enlarged view Fig. 5, the internal diameter or caliber
of the mouth piece is for example 7 3 at the entrance end and gradually
increases to 11/m 2 at its largest part the mouth piece thus assuming the form of
a hollow truncated conc.
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to mouth pieces of the
dimensions mentioned, as the dimensions may be increased or diminished to suit the
requirements of different instruments. It is also to be understood that I may
increase both in the flat and in the sharp, the number of instruments of the new
class of cornons (cornophones) which will be then designated by the appellations of
cornon soprano, cornon sopranino as well as by those of "cornon contra-bass
66 cornon contra-basson."
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and
Instruments of the new class of "cornous or "cornophones" hereinbefore
described may be constructed in all tones, whether they are employed to double the
horn in large symphonic orchestras, or to supplement the horn in military bands.
Dated this 14th day of October 1890.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Family of Brass Wind Musical Instruments.
A communication from abroad by ADOLPHE FONTAINE-BESSON, of 198, Euston
Road, London, and of Paris, France, Manufacturer of Musical Instruments.
1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, 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 following is a description of the invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent.
This invention has reference to the production or creation of a new family of

page_text: concert instruments (brass valved wind instruments) of new tone color and design
to enrich the tonality of bands or orchestras, the "timbre" tone of voice, form and
proportions of the new instruments different from that of any instrument heretofore
produced.
My invention being a new creation I will not need to make comparisons but
simply give the drawings and proceed to give the special characteristics of the said
instruments which are as follows:-
The timbre " or voice of the instruments neither resembles that of brass nor
that of wood musical instruments but is a kind of medium voice between that of
these two types of instruments. By the peculiar construction hereinafter described
a novel musical sound is obtained. The tone is soft, round and velvety, and entirely
free from the brassy ringing sound usually found in all brass wind musical
instruments. The instruments are of novel form, the bell of each being constructed
in such a
manner and as shown in the drawings left with my Provisional
Specification, as to throw the sound forward. The bell of each instrument of the
series or family follows the same direction instead of the bells of the different
instruments projecting in different directions as in the existing series of brass wind
musical instruments.
$6
"
To these new instruments it is intended to give the generic name of
cornophones or cornons. To this generic name or designation may be added an
appellation according to the special function which each instrument is to fulfil in
a band or orchestra and according to the key or pitch in which it is constructed.
The complete series or family consists of the following instruments the scale of
each of which is indicated.
1. To produce a medium timbre between the existing brass and wood musical
instruments.
2. As a series they are intended for stage, concert or chamber quartetts, quintetts,
septetis &c.

page_text: 3. The alto cornophone (Fig. 1) and tenor cornophone (Fig. 2) being exceedingly
easy of execution and needing but little study for this purpose, will most adran-
tageously replace French horns in amateur or school bands for which proficient
French horn players are not easily procurable owing to the great difficulty
experienced in attaining proficiency on such instruments.
4. The alto (Fig. 1) and tenor (Fig. 2) cornophones are also very suitable to
double French horn parts in large symphonies or orchestras.
5. The alto cornophone (Fig. 1) can also be used to replace in bands, the tenor
horn which is an unsatisfactory instrument on account of its striking out too
distinctively from the rest of the band instruments and therefore not blending
barmoniously with them like the "cornophone."
a church
6. The tuba cornophone (Fig. 3) may advantageously be used as
instrument, its round yet soft penetrative bass voice being well adapted for sacred
music and for leading choirs.
The new instruments or 66
cornophones" unlike existing brass wind musical
instruments are conoidal throughout all the tubes of the main air passage, the
mouth piece branch or tube and mouth piece itself (A. B. Figs. 4 and 5) being
also of conoidal form. To this special inode of construction is mainly due the
characteristic timbre" or voice and the facility of emission.
66
The following is the scale of the cornophones with 3 or 4 valves.

page_text: The above scale from A shews that the cornophones, tenor, tuba and contrabass,
extend one fifth higher in the upper register than ordinary 3 valve brass wind
.musical instruments.
By adopting the bore and proportions hereinafter set forth, the extreme limit of
the scale in the upper register usually so difficult to reach in other valve instruments
can be reached.
Each instrument comprises a bent mouth piece tube or conoidal branch A
(hereinafter called the mouth piece tube) having the same starting point B as that
of a harmony horn; valve mechanism and tubing C of construction and proportions
suited to the function and voice of each particular instrument; and a tube D
leading from the valve mechanism and tubing C and terminating in a bell E. Tue
mouth piece tubes A for the several instruments composing the new family of
concert instruments, are alike, and in order to obtain homogeneity of tone, facility
of emission and great accuracy in the several instruments it has been necessary to
make these mouth piece tubes of the special conoidal form and calibre or internal
dimensions indicated in Fig. 5 which is a diagram of one of the conoidal tubes
As will be seen
shown straightened and to a larger scale than Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
from this figure, the internal diameter at the smaller or entrance end is 73 milli-
metres, the diameter gradually increasing from this point to a point at a distance
therefrom of 20 centimetres, so that at distances of 5, 10, 15 and 20 centimetres
from the entrance end, the diameters are 8.3, 9.5, 10-3, and 11-2 millimetres
respectively, the latter diameter being maintained constant for the remaining portion
of the tube which is made of a total length of 35 centimetres. Fig. 4 shows to a
smaller scale, a straight mandril having its external dimensions corresponding to
the internal dimensions of a finished mouth piece tube and suitable for the
formation of such conoidal tubes, which are afterwards bent to the form shown
in Figs. 12 and 3.
By the use of conoidal mouth piece tubes of the special proportions or dimensions
herein specified there is obtained the soft smooth tone or voice hereinbefore referred
to which is of a distinctive and original character, and differs from that obtained
from any other known instrument.
As these new instruments are intended chiefly for use in large rooms or halls for
concert purposes, the bell E is made of the form shown, so that all the sounds shall
be thrown forward, the bells of the different instruments all project in the same
direction, and the tube D of each instrument is bent to approximately the form
shown so as to enable the instrument to be easily held in the hand.
Although it is preferred to employ mouth piece tubes having the internal
-dimensions stated because with such tubes there is obtained the results hereinbefore
described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to these dimensions
as they may be slightly increased or diminished to suit the requirements of each
particular voice diapason, pitch, or other characteristic which the instrument is to
possess.
66
"
Instruments of the new family of "cornophones" or cornons bereinbefore
described may be constructed in any key and with any desired number of valves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The creation of a new family of concert instruments, cornophones or cornons,
bereinbefore described, each instrument being constructed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes specified.
1
2. In a concert instrument of the kind herein referred to, a mouthpiece and a
mouth-piece-tube having the special calibre or internal dimensions and form, or
approximately so, hereinbefore set forth for the purpose specified.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham.