IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Rolfe, of Mildenhall, in the County of
Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
HARMONIUMS,"
Sealed the 13th January 1871, and dated the 14th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Rolfe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th September 1870.
İ, SAMUEL ROLFE, of Mildenhall, in the County of Suffolk, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION OF HARMONIUMS," to be as follows:-
THE
This Invention is designed to facilitate the study and practice of
singing part songs. Hitherto it has been customary for the instrumental
accompanist alone to play the air or accompaniment of the song to be
sung, and the singers each to sing his particular part from the notes of
the music which he holds in his hands.
Now by this Invention it is proposed for each person to accompany
himself on the harmonium in his own particular part in the song, to

page_text: effect which I propose to make the harmonium with four sides, each
side being fitted with a key board of two octaves of keys, making together
eight octaves. These key boards are each provided with a valve, and
one wind chest supplies wind to all the key boards and parts connected
therewith common to harmoniums for prodicing musical sounds. The
treble keys are arranged in one key board, the bass keys in another,
and the keys of the intermediate notes are equally divided and arranged
in the other two key boards. The pedals (for working the bellows are
arranged under the treble key board at the bottom of the case of the
instrument, by working these pedals wind is supplied to all the key
boards_at_the_same_time, so that each person can play the accompani-
ment to his own part in the song at the proper times, thereby facilitating
the learning and singing of part songs, and rendering the singing more
easy and harmonious.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Rolfe in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 14th March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ROLFE, of Mildenhall, in the County of Suffolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Rolfe, Her special licence
that I, the said Samuel Rolfe, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as. I, the said Samuel Rolfe, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION
OF HARMONIUMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Samuel Rolfe, 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 causs the

page_text: 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 Samuel Rolfe, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention is designed to facilitate the study and practice of
singing part songs. Hitherto it has been customary for the instrumental
accompanyist alone to play the air or accompaniment of the song to be
sung, and the singers each to sing his particular part from the notes of
the music which he holds in his hands.
Now by this Invention it is proposed for each person to accompany
himself playing with one hand on the harmonium in his own particular
part in the song, to effect which I propose to make the harmonium with
four sides, each side being fitted with a key board of two octaves of keys
except the treble, which has five, making together eleven octaves.
Therefore the treble can be played alone as a common harmonium
without the other key boards. These key boards are each provided
with a valve, and one wind chest supplies wind to all the key boards
and parts connected therewith common to harmoniums for producing
musical sounds. The treble keys are arranged in one key board, the
bass keys in another, and the keys of the intermediate notes are equally
divided and arranged in the other two key boards. The pedals for working
the bellows are arranged under the treble key board at the bottom of
the case of the instrument, by working these pedals wind is supplied to
all the key boards at the same time, so that each person can play the
accompaniment to his own part in the song at the proper times, thereby
facilitating the learning and singing of part songs, and rendering the
singing more easy and harmonious.
And in order to explain my said Invention more completely reference
must be made to the Drawing accompanying this Specification and the
following description:-
Figure 1 represents a perspective elevation of an harmonium con-
5 structed according to my said Invention. Figure 2 shews a top plan
view of the instrument shewing four key boards as before described for
the purposes set forth.

page_text: Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "Improvements in the Construction of Harmoniums,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in. conclusion that what I
claim as my Invention intended to be secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, constructing harmoniums with
four separate key boards to enable each person singing in a quartet, trio,
or duet to accompany himself in his own particular part, as above stated
and represented by the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Rolfe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of March, in the year-of-our-Lord-