Improvements in Metallic Wind Musical Instruments.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 29th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Mar., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ A. LECOMTE ET COMPAGNIE,
1, Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France, Musical Instrument Manufacturers.].
Improvements in Metallic Wind Musical Instruments.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 169 Fleet Street in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
The various methods heretofore employed for transposing by means of pistons or
cylinders in metallic wind musical instruments such for example as cornets have
attained the object very imperfectly either the accuracy has left much to be desired
because the slides will not agree, or if the adjustment of the slides has been more or
less obtained the loss of air or the fragile nature of the mechanism and the high cost
price have been serious obstacles.
The present invention consists of simple, strong and inexpensive mechanism by
means of which metallic wind instruments can be transposed so to speak instan-
taneously while the accuracy of the instrument is preserved.
The invention consists essentially in constructing the instrument so that it contains
a double column of air forming in a manner two combined instruments which are
distinct from each other, in other words there are two instruments which have one
common mouth or pavilion and one common emission or wind pipe with its mouth
piece, but which between the inlet point from the emission or or wind pipe and the outlet
point to the pavilion or mouth have two columns of air the one or the other of which
comes into action according to whether it is wished to play in the tone of Si b or in
the tone of Mi b; the one or the other of these two tones is produced exclusively
by the position of two transposing obturators which cause the air from the emission
pipe to pass either through shorter slides giving the tone of Mi b or through longer
slides giving the tone of Si b. The transposing obturators are preferably pistons
analogous to the ordinary pistons of the instrument; one of them is placed in front
of the third or foremost ordinary piston at the air inlet and the other behind the first
ordinary piston at the air outlet. They are each formed with two channels arranged

page_text: obliquely through them in opposite directions so as to make communication according
to the position of the pistons either between the lower column of air and the air inlet
and outlet or between the upper column of air and the air inlet and outlet. The
displacement of the obturating pistons can be produced by pressing with the index
finger of the left hand on a key which is in a piece with a bar rigidly fixed by screws
to the ends of the rods of the obturating pistons. The movement of the said bar is
guided by a sleeve or collar which slides freely on a steel rod firmly fixed to the
middle ordinary piston of the instrument by two knobs or pieces which are soldered
to it. The obturating pistons are returned to their higher position by springs.
Thus, when these pistons are in the higher position, the piston is in Si b; the upper
channels are closed while the air passes through the lower channels; when on the
other hand these pistons are depressed the piston is in Mi b, the lower channels are
therefore closed and the air passes through the upper channels.
There is thus a combination of two distinct instruments in one, and, without
interfering with the accuracy, an instantaneous transposition of an interval of a fourth
can be obtained, giving an actual compass of three octaves for the two instruments.
In the foregoing description an instrument in Si b capable of transposing into
Mib has been taken as an example but it will be understood that according to a
lengthening piece placed between the mouthpiece and the emission pipe the instrument
can be in la and be capable of transposing into re 4.
The transposing obturators instead of moving- in a rectilinear direction as described
can be rotary.

page_text: A communication from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ A. LECOMTE ET COMPAGNIE, of
1, Boulevard St. Denis, Paris, France, Musical Instrument Manufacturers.
1 JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169 Fleet Street, in the City of London, Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The various methods heretofore employed for transposing by means of pistons or
cylinders in metallic wind musical instruments, such for example as cornets, have
attained the object very imperfectly either the accuracy has left much to be desired
because the slides will not agree or if the adjustment of the slides has been more or
less obtained the loss of air or the fragile nature of the mechanism and the high cost
price have been serious obstacles.
The present invention consists of simple, strong and inexpensive mechanism by
means of which metallic wind instruments can be transposed so to speak instan-
taneously while the accuracy of the instrument is preserved.
In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are elevations respectively of the
two sides of a cornet constructed according to this invention Figures 3 and 4 are
sectional detached views of the transposing mechanism in its two positions
respectively.
The invention consists essentially in constructing the instrument so that it contains
a double column of air forming in a manner two combined instruments which are
distinct from each other, in other words.there are two instruments which have one
common mouth or pavilion and one common emission or wind pipe with its mouth
piece but which between the inlet point from the emission or wind pipe and the outlet
point to the pavilion or mouth have two columns of air, the one or the other of which
comes into action according to whether it is wished to play in the key or tone of
Sib or in the key of Mi b; the one or the other of these two keys is produced
exclusively by the position of two transposing obturators A B which cause the air
from the emission pipe to pass either through the shorter slides m, m, m, producing
the key of Mib or through the longer slides n, n, n producing the key of Si b. The
transposing obturators A, B are preferably, as shown in the figures, two pistons
analogous to the pistons, p² of the instrument; that A is placed in front of the
third piston at the air inlet and that B behind the first piston p at the air outlet.
They are each formed with two channels 1, 2 arranged obliquely through them in
opposite directions so as to make communication according to the position of the
pistons either between the lower column of air, and the air inlet and outlet (see
Figure 3) or between the upper column of air, and the air inlet and outlet (see
Figure 4). The displacement of the obturating pistons A B can be produced by
pressing with the index finger of the left hand on the key which is in a piece with

page_text: a bar g rigidly fixed by screws h, h to the ends of the rods i, i of the pistons. The
movement of the bar is guided by a sleeve or collar which slides freely on a steel
rod firmly fixed to the middle piston p' of the instrument by two knobs or
pieces, which are soldered to it. The pistons A, B are returned to their higher
position by the springs s, s.
Thus, when the pistons A, B are in the higher position (seen in Figure 3) the
piston is in Sib; the upper channels 1 are therefore closed while the air passes
through the lower channels 2; when on the other hand the pistons A B are depressed
as in Figure 4 the piston is in Mi b, the lower channels 2 are therefore closed and
the air passes through the upper channels 1.
There is thus a combination of two distinct instruments in one, and, without
interfering with the accuracy, an instantaneous transposition of an interval of a fourth
can be obtained giving an actual compass of three octaves for the two instruments.
In the foregoing description a cornet or instrument in Sib capable of transposing
into Mib has been taken as an example, but it will be understood that according to
the lengthening piece P placed between the mouthpiece c and the emission pipe b the
cornet can be in la 4 and be capable of transposing into re 4.
Although I have illustrated the invention in its application to cornets it can be
applied to other metallic wind instruments in which it is desired to provide for
transposing or varying the key or tone, as will be readily understood.
The transposing obturators instead of moving in a rectilinear direction as described
can be rotary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. In metallic wind musical instruments, two air columns in combination with
transposing obturators placed in front of and behind the ordinary pistons or
corresponding devices whereby the air can be caused to pass into either of the air
columns as required and either of two keys be thereby obtained, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination of the iwo obturating spring pistons A B, the bar gand
key whereby by a simple pressure of the player's finger, the key or pitch of the
instrument can be transposed, as described and shown.