IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSIC SCALE AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fox, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Builder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSIC SCALE AND
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 27th October 1857, and dated the 4th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fox at the Office
4th May
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4
1857.
I, JOHN Fox, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Builder, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSIC
SCALE AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the construction or formation of the
chromatic scale, and consists in placing a certain quantity of additional
positions or musical sounds within the present octave. These additional
sounds or positions in combination with and alterations in some of the
present notes of the scale constitute my improved music scale, which I term
the Victoria, scale. These additions and altered positions in the scale set forth
the manner how each "subdominant" and dominant, or "fourths"..and
"fifths," are capable of being made perfectly to accord..
Secondly, to alterations in and mechanism for applying to organs manual
keys and frames, and to the keys and frames of other similar instruments,
whether such key-boards are to slide out and in or to remain fixed ones.
In both cases the stickers will require registering, and all instruments must

page_text: have an additional quantity of pipes, reeds, wires, &c., with a corresponding
quantity of the usual working appendages. One small knob will be placed
at each side of the clavier, which will require a slight movement in order
to change some keys. The fingering portion of the keys will present no
apparent alteration in its form, yet such alterations and additions are required
both in the key movements and instruments as will cause either a substitution
or reconstruction of each instrument in order to enable performers to execute
the music of the Victoria scale upon them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
Fox, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Builder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, tho said
John Fox, Her special license that I, the said John Fox, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Fox, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term thercin
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSIC SCALE AND
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Fox, 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 tho said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said John Fox, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates, firstly, to the construction or formation of tho
chromatic music scale, and consists in placing a certain quantity of additional

page_text: positions or music sounds within the present octave. These additional
sounds or positions in combination with certain alterations in some of the
present notes of the scale constitute my improved music scale, which I term
the "Victoria scale." These additions and altered positions in the scale
indicate the mode by which each dominant and subdominant are capable of
being made perfectly to accord in all the scales or keys up to the number
of thirty without any double sharps or flats.
My improvement in the scale consists in having seven natural, seven flat,
and seven sharp sounds or positions in the octave, and of tuning these sounds
by "perfect" fourths, fifths, and octaves only, there being altogether twenty-
one sounds or positions in the octave. This scale differs from others in so far
that the diatonic semitones are "less" than balf tones; the sharps are situated
"higher" up than their adjoining flats, and the natural notes of B, C, E, and F
are not the flats and sharps of each other. By the above-described mode of
tuning, the whole of these sounds are accurately defined.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a Diagram shewing the points where
the strings are to be stopped in order to give these sounds, and the positions
may be obtained and the sounds heard by stretching a suitable string and
stopping it at the marks with the finger, and vibrating the string with the
other hand. One-half of the string will give the octave, one-third will give
the dominant, one-fourth will give the subdominant. Now subdivide tho
spaco between the dominant and the octave into six equal parts, and four of
such parts added above the tonic will give the major second, and one of such
parts added below the octave will give the major seventh. Subdivide the
same space (namely, between the dominant & the octave,) again into "nine',
parts, and four of such parts added above the dominant will give the major
sixth; one-half of the space between the dominant and the subdominant added
below the fourth will give the major third. Now subdivide each of the full
tone spaces into seven equal parts or degrees, and the space between the
third and fourth degree will give the sharps and flats. Add one of the
degrees belonging to the spaces adjoining the diatonic semitones to the top
and the bottom of each semitone and the chromatic scale will be complete.
Figure 2 represents the vocal natural, sharp, and flat scales, and the
positions may be obtained by subdividing the octave into 41 parts or degrees,
and each full tone will contain 7 degrees, each flat will descend 4 degrees, and
cach sharp will ascend 4 degrees, and the semitones will contain 3 degrees.
The second part of my Invention relates to certain alterations in and
mechanism for applying to organ manuals, keys, and frames, and to the keys
and frames of other similar instruments (whether such key-beards are to slide

page_text: out and in or to remain fixed. In both cases the stickers will require
registering), and all instruments must have an additional quantity of pipes,
reeds, or wires (whereby may be elicited twenty-one sounds in the octave),
with a corresponding quantity of their usual working appendages. A small
knob will be placed at the side of the clavier, which will require a slight
movement in order to change (from flats to sharps, and vice versa). The
fingering portion of the key-board presents no apparent alteration in its form,
yet such alterations and additions are required both in the key movement and
instruments as will cause either a substitution, an addition, or reconstruction
of each instrument, in order to enable performers to execute the music of the
"Victoria scale" upon them.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.
Figure 3 of the Drawings represents a plan of a portion of a key-board or
manual of an organ. This key movement is illustrative of the application of
this Invention to organs, and to other similar instruments. The small circles
a; a, on the tops of the keys represent the stickers; those which occur between
the diatonic semitones are merely placed so for "convenience" sake (out
of the order of the music scale), and those stickers which work the "natural"
notes are longer than the sub or under stickers, which are fixed in a register
of about 3ths of an inch (or more) in thickness, and made to slide from sharps
to flats, so that the top ends of the sub-stickers will be exactly underneath,
and by the leverage of the ordinary key movement be made to lift up the
upper sharp and flat stickers.
The upper sharp and flat stickers ought not to be more than half an inch
below their register, and the top ends of the sub-stickers must be one-
sixteenth of an inch below the upper sharp and flat stickers. The sub-
register may be fixed below the upper one by being slotted into a portion of
the outside of the key frame bearer, which must have a loose piece of wood
screwed on the outsides thereof for that purpose. The back portion of the
sides of the frame may require reducing so as to slide underneath the sub-
register.
6 is a portion of the sub-register, with slots c, c, cut in it so as to allow such
of the upper stickers as belong to the "natural notes only" to pass through,
whilst the sub-register with its sub-stickers, one of which is shewn in detail,
Figure 3, and which belongs to the smaller hole, may glide to sharp or flat.

page_text: The sub-stickers require to be made of very hard heavy wood, and the top
ends may be left four-sided, and the whole of them polished up with
blacklead.
Underneath the end of the sub-register a small piece of wood requires to be
screwed on at each side of the lever d, which must be cranked or turned up,
so as to move the register. Figure 5 represents a detail side view of this
lever when detached. This lever is made of iron, and has merely to lift the
front end of the keys, and by so doing cause the other ends to sink down, so
that the ends of the stickers may be just freed, whilst the movements takes
place by moving the lever from the hole e to f; and if the fingers remain on
the keys during this movement no harm can arise, provided the swivel, shewn
at Figure 6, be fixed near enough to the front ends of the keys.
The front pin rail in the key-board must be made in two parts, so as to
admit of the swivel banging in the space between the two pieces, in order
that the swivel may be at the extreme ends of the sharp and flat keys. The
lever d is bent, as shewn at 9 (Figure 5), and the wood is cut out, so that
part of the lever will go below. This cutting is also made wide enough to
admit of the movement of the lever, as shewn at h, Figure 3. The dotted
lines i shew the brass plates which cover over a part of the lever d;
another plate k, which must be two or three eighths of an inch in thick-
ness, with two holes therein, serves for the guidance of and lodging in of
the pin (Figure 5). m is a hole which allows the lever to be lifted on to the
pin n, which pin is either screwed to the side of the frame or driven into the
pin rail; o is a small knob which may be screwed on to the pin l. The pin P
at the furthest end of the lever is inserted into the frame side, to prevent the
lever from sinking when the front end is raised.
Figure 6 represents in detail, side elevation, the swivel, which when attached
to the lever, as shewn at the hole q, and by the pin r, passes underneath the
front end of the keys for the purpose of raising them up, and when the lever
is down thic swivel is situated three-eights of an inch below the under side of
the keys. The top portion contains an iron pin near its centre, but placed
so that the left end will be the heaviest; this pin passes into the mortise ini
the under portion, which is large enough to allow of the beam s rising up
and down. t, s, is a pin, which passes through the mortise made througli
the end of the swivel, and which guides the swivel up and down steadily.
There is a small collar on the pin, which stays the swivel from sinking
below its level when the lever is down. The end of the beam s contains a
joint, which allows the swivel and the beam to fall or rise; the short end is to
be screwed to the under side of the side block. u represents that part which

page_text: is attached to the lever, as shown at 7 and r, the other end thereof being
mortised, so as to glide easily half an inch from right to left.
Figure 7 is an iron backlap hinge, the length of which depends on the dis-
tanco which the key-board slides out. This hinge is screwed to the centro of
the under side of the front pin rail, and when the key-board is out the other
end of the hinge must reach to the organ frame, so as to lift up the swivel,
and thus free the stickers when the keys slido out and in. A piece of wood
is laid across the organ frame, on which this hinge must slide as the keys aro
drawn in and out, and immediately on the key frame being drawn fully out
the hinge must drop down a little so as to clear the swivel, and when the
frame is to slide in again the loose end of the hinge will require just bearing
up to the level of the wooden cross piece. The hinge will require to be a
little bent, according to the thickness of the pin rail and the swivel. This
obviates the necessity of the usual mode of glueing a thickness on to the ends
of the keys.
That portion of the keys colored red in Figure 3 represents the ivory as
stained bright scarlet, so as to shew that that portion is the flat and sharp
key; this portion is on a level with the white keys, and the middle portion
requires cutting out, so as to allow of the white ivory (which projects over the
wood a little) to sink when pressed down; a portion of the white keys will
also require cutting to allow of the projection on the red keys being prossed
down. The pedal clavier requires the keys which answer to the red ones in
the manual clavier to be on a level with the remainder of the other sharp and
flat keys.
The arrangement herein-after described obviates the necessity for any sliding
movement, and has the advantage of allowing the "Victoria scaled instru-
ments" to be performed correctly, either diatonically, chromatically, or enhar-
monically, since, the sharps and flats can be produced simultaneously or
successively "independent of any sliding movement." It is also applicable
to lesser instruments, and to those large instruments having pedals and 3
or. manual claviers, "which can be reduced to two manuals," and which
may have another row of short pedal keys located at the front end of the
natural key, to be called flat keys, and to be worked by the heel. The
key-board frame is minde about five inches longer and about two inches deeper
than would be required for one set of keys only.
Two sets of keys are used, 'differing in length about five inches, and having
the scarlet-colored keys, the saine as shewn at Figure 3. I also use duplicate
claviers, the one being located about five-eights of an inch above the other,
and so arranged that the front ends of the upper natural keys may join up

page_text: to and (a portion of them) be pressed down below the top sides of the far ends.
of the fingering portion of the black and white under keys. The pin rails for
the "upper" keys should be of quarter-inch thick iron, with the pins tapped
and screwed into it; it must be moveable, and be made to rise or drop
down on to metal pins inserted into the side blocks, upon which it must rest
"just above" the under keys. A pin passing between the joinings of the
under keys and inserted into a cross rail laid along the frame will keep the
middle of the pin rail straight.
66
"
The "top" keys should communicate with all the "natural and sharp"
stickers, hammers, or springs, and the "bottom" natural "keys" with the
upper" natural "keys" at their extreme ends, whilst the under "semitone "
keys communicate with all the "flat" stickers, hammers, or springs. The top.
semitone key ends should be made narrower, so as to leave room for the
extreme ends of the under semitone keys to "rise up" to the flat stickers,
hammers, or springs. Each of the "under," keys requiro pieces of wood, about
one inch wide by half an inch thick, tenoning into their extreme ends and
pinned. The lengths of those for the natural keys will be about three-quarters
of an inch from the shoulder, and those for the semitone keys about onc
inch and three-quarters from the shoulder, so as they may go up between
the keys to the flat stickers.
The "fingering" portion of the "under" keys may be thickened up with
lime-tree wood, of about one inch and one-eighth, thick, so that the two
claviers may be about ths of an inch different in their heights. The
thumping rail for the under keys must be of iron, about threc-sixteenths
thick by one inch in width, covered as usual with green baize; the ends
of the under natural keys must be leathered with buckskin so as to mako
the movement quiet; the top clavier may be beveled underneath from 'the
middle down to the front to ths thick.
IIaving now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention, nor do I claim any of
the mechanical elements of which the said apparatus and parts of apparatus
are respectively composed as being separately or apart from the use or appli-
cation of such elements to form the combinations constituting such apparatus
and parts of apparatus respectively as being any part of my said Invention;
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the

page_text: .Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
First, the peculiar arrangement and combination of music scale, as herein-
before described.
Second, the peculiar construction and arrangement of mechanism for adapt-
ing the herein-before described music scale to organ manuals, keys, and
frames, and to the keys and frames of other similar instruments, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fox, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
BAY