IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS OCARINAS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, in the County
<
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
KNOWN AS OCARINAS." A communication from abroad by Albert Louis
Napoleon Mezzetti, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 6th December 1878, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor,
and dated the 30th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1878.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS 'OCARINAS.' (A com-
munication from abroad by Albert Louis Napoleon Mezzetti, of Paris, France.)
"
These improvements refer to musical instruments known as "ocarinas." They
are now generally made of refractory material, and the instruments being known it
is not necessary to particularly describe their construction. When once tuned they
always remain in same tune, without a change of temperature having any effect
upon them. This is very well when these instruments are only used alone, but if
used to accompany another instrument, the piano, for example, the "ocarina" pre-
serving its tune, and the piano lowering or rising its tune according to the tempe-
rature, the accompaniment becomes impossible, at least, to bring the piano to the
diapason of the "ocarina." Now the object of the present Invention is to remedy
this inconvenience by very simple and effective means.
The arrangements for obtaining the results required are by the employment of an
obturator or stop, which may be either a hollow cylinder or solid, of wood, metal,
or other suitable or equivalent material. The diameter and length is in proportion
to that of the size of the instrument, and it is free to slide easily in a fitting of
cork, caoutchouc, or other equivalent suitable material,

page_text: The instrument being tuned to any desired pitch, the volume of air in the instru-
ment is regulated by the position of the cylinder therein, which is pushed in and
out by means of a button, thumb-piece, or other equivalent appliance, and the
sounds (tonalite) will change without influencing the harmony. It will thus be
easy to bring the "ocarina" to the diapason of the instrument which it accom-
panies, if, for example, the latter has changed its tune under the influence of
temperature.
It should be understood, as before stated, that the diameter or position of the
regulator should be proportioned to the volume or internal capacity of the "ocarina,"
and the diameter or position of the tube may for this purpose be varied, so as to be
able to vary the displacement of the air at will, and consequently the tone.
The regulator or stop may be formed of a tube in metal, glass, or other material,
with apertures, and the tube surrounded by a casing or bag of skin, india-rubber,
or other suitable material, so that instead of operating the stop by a sliding action,
as before described, it is effected by the contraction and expansion of the vessel, and
for this purpose there is provided a double fastening, so that by turning the outer
part, say, from left to right, the stop inside becomes disengaged, and by means of a
mouth-piece a certain quantity of air can be blown into the tube, which inflates the
bag around same; then, to obtain the necessary diapason, the mouth-piece is brought
to its first position, the admission and issue of air are stopped, and the harmony
will be maintained by means of the bag, which may be more or less inflated,
according to the displacement of the air required to be obtained in the interior of
the instrument.
The Invention further consists in the employment of a mouth-piece of bone,
ivory, mother of pearl, metal, and the like, in place of the present mouth-piece
of refractory material, and, which latter produces an unpleasant sensation on the
lips.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1878.
t
"
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS OCARINAS." (A communi-
cation from abroad by Albert Louis Napoleon Mezzetti, of Paris, France.)
These improvements refer to musical instruments known as ocarinas. They are
now generally made of refractory material, and the instruments being known it is
not necessary to particularly describe their construction. When once tuned they
always remain in same tune, without a change of temperature having any effect
upon them. This is very well when these instruments are only used alone, but if
used to accompany another instrument, the piano, for example, the ocarina pre-.
serving its tone, and the piano lowering or rising in tone, according to the tempe-
rature, the accompaniment becomes impossible, at least, to bring the piano to the
diapason of the ocarina. Now the object of the present Invention is to remedy.
this inconvenience by very simple and effective means.
The arrangements for carrying the Invention into effect will be best understood'
by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings..
Figure 1 is a side external elevation, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section of one
arrangement of instrument constructed according to the Invention.
The results required are obtained by the employment of an obturator or stop b,
which may be either a hollow cylinder or solid, of wood, metal, or other suitable
or equivalent material. The diameter and length is in proportion to that of the
size of the instrument, and it is free to slide easily in a fitting or stuffing box c of
cork, caoutchouc, or other equivalent suitable material.
The instrument being tuned to any desired pitch, the volume of air in the com-
partment a' of the instrument is regulated by the position of the cylinder b therein,
which is pushed in and out by means of a button, thumb-piece, or other equivalent
appliance 6', and the sounds (tonelite) will change without influencing the harmony.
It will thus be easy to bring the ocarina to the diapason of the instrument which it
accompanies, if, for example, the latter has changed its tone under the influence of
temperature.
It should be understood, as before stated, that the diameter or position of the
regulator b should be proportioned to the volume or internal capacity of the
ocarina, and the diameter or position of the tube may for this purpose be varied,
so as to be able to vary the displacement of air at will, and consequently the
tone.
Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement of regulator or stop, which may be formed
of a tube b in metal, glass, or other material, with apertures 62, and the tube sur-
rounded by a casing or bag c of skin, india-rubber, or other suitable material, so
that instead of operating the stop by a sliding action, as before described, it is
effected by the contraction and expansion of the vessel, and for this purpose there
is provided a double fastening 66, so that by turning the outer part of the stopper b³,
say, from left to right, the stop inside becomes disengaged, and by means of a mouth-
piece 6 a certain quantity of air can be blown into the tube b, which inflates the
bag c around same; then, to obtain the required diapason, the mouth-piece is
brought to its first position, the admission and issue of air is stopped, and the
harmony will be maintained by means of the bag c, which may be more or less
inflated, according to the displacement of air required to be obtained in the interior
of the instrument.
It will be understood that the essential features in the two arrangements just
described are similar, only instead of operating in the latter case with a sliding
action the instruments always preserve the same external form, and it is simply the
inflating, more or less, of the bag or skin which produces the variation in the tone.

page_text: The said bags may be made of any suitable material or skin, and of a size in pro-
portion with that of the instrument.
Figure 4 is a view in longitudinal section of part of an ocarina provided with two
tubes b and b¹, and at Figure 5 is shewn also in longitudinal section another arrange-
ment, where the tube b is made with orifices 63 in it. The interior of the tube
contains a second tube B, which is also provided with orifices; those of the tube b
and of B are arranged in such manner as to produce the same result as the sliding
tube or with the skin or bag before described.
Figure 6 shews the outer tube b and the inner tube B separated or detached. In
this case the internal tube B can be turned so as to bring the orifice b' in com-
munication with the orifice a¹, or so as to bring the orifices 61 and 62 in communi-
cation with the orifices a¹ and a³, and consequently an introduction of air will take
place by one, two, or greater number of orifices, according to the number of the
latter which are in the tubes.
It has been before stated that the pistons are operated to displace the column of
air, but it must be understood that a screw may be employed instead, in which case
the operation is effected by a turning motion, instead of by pulling or pushing.
A mouth-piece of bone, ivory, mother of pearl, metal, and the like, is employed
in place of refractory material, and which latter produces an unpleasant sensation
on the lips.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the improvements in musical
instruments known as ocarinas the application to such instruments of a cylinder,
tube, or obturator regulator, with or without a bag or vessel capable of being
inflated with air, all substantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before
described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.