IMPROVEMENTS IN CORNETS AND OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Distin, of No. 9, Great Newport Street,
Leicester Square, in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORNETS AND OTHER
MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 21st December 1858, and dated the 6th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Diston
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th September 1858.
I, HENRY JOHN DISTIN, of No. 9, Great Newport Street, Leicester Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORNETS AND
OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
My said improvements consist in so constructing cornets and other musical
wind instruments of brass or other suitable metal, that the contour or outer
line thereof may be circular or nearly circular, as shewn in the Drawings
which accompany and form part of this my Provisional Specification, and so
that the bell or pavillon of the instrument, and also the keys, rotary cylinders.

page_text: or pistons and cylinders may be within or nearly within the circumference or
outer line of the instrument, and I accordingly call such instruments "Distin's
patent centre-bell instruments." Instruments constructed according to this
combination are more portable than those now in use, more easily played on,
and of fine full tone. These improvements are also applicable to soprano, alto,
tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and double contrabass, and other musical
wind instruments of a similar class.
The Drawings represent a three rotary cylinder baritone in B flat to half
size, but I do not limit myself to size, as my improvements are applicable to
instruments of a similar class of all sizes; and the number of keys, rotary
cylinders, or pistons and cylinders may be varied as required, and the bell or
pavillon and the wind tube from m, or either of them, may be as shewn in the
Drawings, or inclined vertically or otherwise. The mouthpiece is inserted
B is the bell or pavillon; T, the tuning slide of the instrument; T 1,
T 2, T 3, are the tuning slides of the rotary cylinders; R 1 C, R 2 C, R 3 C,
are the three rotary cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John Distin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN DISTIN, of Number 9, Great Newport Street, Leicester Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry John Distin, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
John Distin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Henry John Distin, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CORNETS AND OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry John Distin, my executors

page_text: 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 Henry John Distin, 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, and by reference to the Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
I so construct cornets and other musical wind instruments of that class of
brass or other suitable metal, that I have the contour or outer line thereof
circular or nearly circular, as shewn in the Drawings which accompany and
form part of this my Specification; and I have the bell or pavillon of the
instruments, and also the keys, rotary cylinders, or pistons and cylinders, within
or nearly within the circumference or outer line of the instruments, and I
accordingly call such instruments "Distin's patent centre-bell instruments."
Instruments constructed according to this my combination are more portable
than those now in use, more easily played on, and of fine full tone; my said
improvements are also applicable to soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass,
contrabass, and double contrabass, and other musical wind instruments of a
similar class.
The Drawings which shew my Invention represent a three rotary cylinder
baritone in B flat to half size. Figure 1 is a front view showing the interior
of the bell; Figure 2 is a back view; and Figure 3, a side view. I do not
limit myself to size, as my said improvements are applicable to instruments of
a similar class of all sizes, and the number of keys, rotary cylinders, or pistons
and cylinders, may be varied as required; and the bell or pavillon and the
wind tube from m to n, or either of them, may be as shewn in the Drawings,
or inclined vertically or otherwise. The mouthpiece is inserted at m. B is
the bell or pavillon; T, the tuning slide of the instrument; T 1, T2, T3, are
the tuning slides of the rotary cylinders; R 1 C, R 2 C, R 3 C, are the three
rotary cylinders.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is or may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
any of the parts taken separately; but what I claim as my Invention is the
construction of cornets and other wind instruments of a similar class on the
centripetal principle, with the bell or pavillon, and the keys, rotary cylinders,

page_text: or pistons and cylinders thereof within the contour or outer circle thereof, or
nearly so, as above mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Diston, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
HENRY JOHN DISTIN. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the above-
named Henry John Distin, in the
presence of
H. WICKENS,
"Patent" Solicitor,
4, Tokenhouse Yard, Bank,
London: