A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WHICH SHE CALLS A EUPHOTINE
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emily Pettit, of No. 10, Brompton Crescent,
Brompton, in the County of Middlesex, Spinster, for the Inven-
tion of "A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WHICH SHE CALLS A EUPHOTINE."-
A communication from her late Uncle. James Pettit, Esquire,
TRAS of Allson Tower Remont's Desk
Sealed the 13th April 1853, and dated the 4th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emily Pettit at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on
the 4th November 1852.
I, EMILY PETTIT, Spinster, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WHICH I CALL A 'EUPHOTINE"" to
be as follows:-
The case of the instrument is made of wood, something in this form
(see Drawing), about 34 inches in front, and in beight about 20 inches,
and from front to back about 16 inches. In the interior of the case
there is a wooden bar, about 8 inches wide and 2 inches thick, which
runs across from side to side in this manner (see Drawing). The bar is
placed 3 inches inside the case, and in the bar there are 22 holes bored
in an oblique direction; and about 3 inches above the bar just described
there is another bar similar, placed about 3 inches higher in the case,

page_text: about 3 inches still further inside the case (see Drawing). Close to
the back of the instrument there are two sounding boards placed nearly
upright, one behind the other, but tho furthest sounding board rather
higher than the front. The sounding boards are made as large as will
cover the back of the instrument, and the top inclines rather forward.
This completes the wooden part or case of the instrument.
He soon found that bell
and he cast a set of bell
The Inventor always admired the sound of the glass goblet drawn
out by the finger, and likewise the tone of the tuning fork, and it struck
him that combining the metals of glass and steel it would produce an
exquisite tone; but though he could not incorporate the metals he
succeeded in producing the effect desired.
metal was better for his purpose than steel,
metal forks of various lengths and sizes, and in form very similar to the
tuning fork; and to each bell metal fork he cemented with scaling wax
a thin piece of glass at the end of each tine, about an inch long, and cut
to the breadth of each tine; he then put the handle of the forks into
the holes made in the wooden bar above described, the glass on the tines
lying uppermost on the fork (see Drawing), placing them in the holes
about an inch apart, and when they were in the holes lay in a straight
line. But finding the tones of the fork wanted power, he placed a string
round one of the tines of the fork, the one nearest the sounding board,
(which string passed through a hole in the sounding board, at the
back of which is placed a button to which the string is affixed, and by
turning the button it regulates the string to its proper tightness, and
proved of essential service in encreasing the power of the sound, and at
the same time served to check the vibration.
The upper bar, which contains the flats and sharps, is in purpose the
same as the lower, the string from the fork passing through a hole in
the lower sounding board to its respective button in the back sounding
board.
It is the object of the petitioner to secure the discovery of the thin
piece of glass being fixed on the tines of the fork giving the power of
sound to the fork, and much facilitating the bringing out its tone; and
hopes that no one will be allowed to cement any kind of glass, glazing,
enamelling, or any polished metal, to be used for that purpose on the

page_text: tines of the forks; and likewise that no string, twine, or catgut, or
anything that may be fastened to the fork and affixed to the button
or pin acting on the sounding board, and encreasing the sound, may
be allowed to be used but by the petitioner; nor any sounding board,
whether placed upright or horizontally, connected with the fork and
string, be infringed on by any one; and that she may have the privi-
lege of changing the position of the sounding board, if necessary, should
it be found to improve the instrument.
The compass of the instrument is three octaves, and the tone of the
fork is drawn out by the finger (dipped in water) passing over the glass
attached to the tines of the fork.
The above-described instrument is the Invention of the late James
Pettit, Esq., F. R.A.S., who completed it in the year 1889, and kept it
privately in his possession, expecting there would be an amendment in
the Patent Act, but he did not live to see it accomplished, and in his
will he bequeathed his Invention to his niece, the above-named petitioner
and specifier.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Emily Pettit in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EMILY PETTIT, of No. 10, Brompton Crescent, Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex, Spinster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Emily Pettit, Her special
licence that I, the said Emily Pettit, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Emily Pettit, 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 termi

page_text: 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 "A MUSICAL IN-
STRUMENT WHICH I CALL A EUPHOTINE," communicated to me by my late
uncle, James Pettit, Esquire, F.R.A.S., upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Emily Pettit, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Emily Pettit, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
samic is to be performed, 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:
The Invention consists in combining that alloy of metals known as
bell metal or a similar alloy of metals, by means of cement, with glass
or other suitable vitreous substance, in such manner as to produce and
emit sound; and in arranging several of such combined pieces of
metallic alloy and glass in a series, in combination with one or more
sounding boards. I take a piece of the metallic alloy and form it into
the shape of an ordinary tine or tuning fork, and cement upon the
ends of the prongs thereof a piece or strip of glass or other like sub-
stance, and I arrange several of these tines according to their notes,
so as to produce the necessary gradations of sounds for the performance
of musical compositions.
The Drawings hereunto annexed represent an instrument con-
structed according to the Invention, and which I propose to call the
Euphotine."
Figure 1, is a front elevation of this instrument with the lid or cover
removed, and also with the key boards removed, in order to shew the
arrangement of the tines more distinctly.
Figure 2, is a cross section of the same.
A, A, is the external case of the instrument, which may be varied

page_text: to any suitable design or pattern. C, is a wooden bar or board, which
is inclined at an angle, as indicated. This bar or board is pierced with
a series of holes, twenty-two in number, and in an oblique direction,
for the insertion of a corresponding number of tines or tuning forks C'.
These lower tines form the natural notes, and are arranged according
to the gamut or musical scale, commencing at the highest note and
descending to the lowest; the shortest of the tines being the highest
note and the longest the lowest note. The manner in which I construct
these tines is separately represented in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Figures 3, and 4, being respectively plan and side view of the
highest note, and
Figures 5, and 6, similar views of the lowest note. D, D, are the
two prongs of the metal fork or tine; and E, the handle or stem by
which the forks or tines are fixed in their position in the bar or board,
by inserting it into the oblique holes before mentioned. These tines
are composed of bell metal, or other suitable highly sonorous metallic
alloy, to the ends of each of the prongs of which I attach, by means of
cement, strips or pieces of glass a, a. F, is a second wooden bar or
board, which is similarly inclined to the board C, and placed nearer the
back of the instrument, so as not to interfere with the playing of the
tines C. This bar or board F, is also pierced with oblique holes, in
which are inserted the tines G, G. These tines form the sharps and
flats, and are arranged in their proper relative position to the natural
notes C. H, H', are two sounding boards, which may be inclined at
any suitable angle, and continued along the width of the instrument,
the one nearest the back of the instrument being raised a little higher
than that in front. The two sets of tines are connected to the sounding
boards H, H, and by means of the cords or strings b, b,. the lower set
being attached to the board H, and the upper set to the board H'.
These cords b, b, are partly doubled, and one end is passed round one
of the prongs of the fork, the prong or tine nearest the sounding
board, and the other end passed through holes pierced in the sounding
board and attached to buttons c, c, by the turning of which the doubled
cord becomes twisted, and consequently shortened, by which means the
tuning of the tines can be accomplished and regulated. In front of

page_text: notes.
each set of tines I place the ordinary key board, as shewn at d, in the
section in Figure 2, so as to denote the relative sounds of each of the
The tone of the fork is produced by the finger (damped with
water) passing over the glass attached to the tines of the fork. The
tines are also placed at an angle, as represented, so as to afford facility
for fingering and by inclining the board C, and F, the tops of the
tines are brought level, the inclination of the bars being adapted to
the increasing length of the tines., Although I have represented and
described the number of natural notes as being twenty-two, it is obvious
that they may be increased or diminished according to the required
range of instrument, suiting also the number of sharps and flats to such
an arrangement.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim in respect thereof is as follows:-
I claim-tho-formation of a musical instrument by the employment of
bell metal tines or forks, or tincs or forks composed of a highly sonorous
metallic alloy, combined by means of cement with glass, as herein-before
described, and whether such tines or forks be employed alone or together
with cords or strings and sounding boards, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emily Pettit, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
EMILY PETTIT. (L.S.)

page_text: LONDON; Printed by GEORGE RDWARD BYRB and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's most Excellem Majesty. 1853.