IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS 'GERMAN CONCERTINAS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Pohlman, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Pianoforte Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS 'GERMAN CONCERTINAS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Pohlman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th,
March 1860.
I, EDWARD POHLMAN, of Halifax, in the County of York, Pianoforte
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THOSE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS GERMAN CONCERTINAS,"
as follows:-
My Invention consists in causing two or more keys in different rows in
German concertinas to be acted upon simultaneously with one finger at the
will of the performer, in order to increase the power of the instrument. My
Invention also enables the performer to produce varieties of tone by using the
different rows of keys either separately or in combination.
My arrangements may be varied, but those I prefer consist in placing the
studs of the keys so close together that the finger may depress two of them at
the same time. Or, in the introduction of a third row of studs, which on
being depressed shall press down the two rows of keys. Or, in causing the
second row of studs, when pressed down, to carry down both rows of keys, and
so make both speak at the same time. Or I reverse the last-named arrange-

page_text: ment, and cause the studs in the first row on being depressed to carry down
the keys of the second row, in addition to their own keys. Or I combine two
of the before-named arrangements in one instrument. I do not, however,
limit myself to the examples above given.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Pohlman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
POHLMAN, of Halifax, in the County of York, Pianoforte Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Poblman, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Pohlman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Edward Pohlman, my 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THOSE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS KNOWN AS GERMAN CONCERTINAS," "
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Pohlman, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Pohlman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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:-
My Invention consists in causing two or more keys in different rows in
German concertinas to be acted upon simultaneously with one finger at the

page_text: will of the performer, in order to increase the power of the instrument. My
Invention also enables the performer to produce varieties of tone by using the
different rows of keys, either separately or in combination.
My arrangements may be varied, but those I prefer consist in placing the
studs of the keys so close together that the finger may depress two of them at
the same time. Or, in the introduction of a third row of studs, which, on
being depressed, shall press down the two rows of keys. Or, in causing the
second row of studs, when pressed down, to carry down both rows of keys, and
so make both speak at the same time. Or I reverse the last-named arrange-
ment, and cause the studs in the first row, on being depressed, to carry down
the keys of the second row, in addition to their own keys.
of the before-named arrangements in one instrument.
limit myself to the examples above given.
Or I combine two
I do not, however,
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan, and Figure 2 a side
elevation, of two studs and keys arranged in such manner, that by pressing
down the outer stud the inner one is carried down with it. Figure 3 is a
plan, and Figure 4 a side elevation of studs and keys arranged in a similar
manner, showing the whole double set on one side of the instrument.
a, a¹,
are the studs, glued or otherwise attached to levers b, c, which are connected
to the valves d, d'. These levers are inserted in slots formed in a cross bar e,
and have their fulcrum about a wire running through it and the said levers, as
is common to all German concertinas. f is a piece of wood or other suitable
material, glued to the side of the lever c, and on which the stud a¹ of the
lever b rests, as shown in the section, Figure 5, which is taken through the
line a, y, of Figure 1. By depressing the inner stud a, the lever calone
descends, and opens the valve d, as shown in Figure 6, but by depressing the
outer stud a', both the levers descend, and open the valves d, d¹, as shown by
the dotted lines in Figure 2, and in the end view, Figure 7. This arrange-
ment applies to all the studs and keys on each side of the instrument, so that
by depressing any of the studs marked a¹ its corresponding inner stud a
descends with it, by which means double notes are made to speak with great
facility, and without trouble to the performer. 9 is a stud for working the
air valve g¹.
Figure 8 shows in plan, and Figure 9 in side elevation, another arrange-
ment of studs and keys, by which I produce a similar effect to that before
described. In this case I make use of an extra row of studs h, h, which rest
on the levers b, c, in such manner that by pressing either of the said studs
h, h, both the valves d, d', are opened, but by pressing either of the studs a, a¹,
singly, only that one pressed descends.

page_text: The arrangements described are, as before stated, capable of various modi-
fications; for instance, the number of studs and keys can be increased, and
at the same time more than two keys can be acted on at one and the same
time.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as my improve-
ments in those musical instruments known as "German Concertinas," con-
structing and arranging the keys of such instruments so that two or more
keys in the different rows may be acted on simultaneously by one finger,
substantially in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Pohlman, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, One thou-
sand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD POHLMAN. (L.S.)