IMPROVEMENTS IN CORNETS AND OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1864

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 24th January 1865, and dated the 30th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Distin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th July 1864.
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:-
They consist of a new arrangement of the spring to the piston of cornets
and other musical wind instruments, which renders the movement of the
piston almost noiseless; and also of a reservoir at the bottom of the cylinders
to hold the condensed breath or water, and prevent the same falling on the
dress of the performer; and also an improved passage for the wind through
the pistons.
My improvements will be better understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
A is the piston case or cylinder; B, the piston valve; C, shews the air
passage through the pistons; D, the reservoir attached to the bottom of the

page_text: cylinders; E, the interior of the reservoir; e, the small button attached to the
bottom of the reservoir to move the interior of E upwards or downwards
when required to be put on or taken off; F, the height of the valve; G, the
ring for the bottom of the spring; H, the ring for the top of the spring.
Figure 5 represents the old system of applying the spring; F represents my
improvement (see likewise Figures 3 and 4. By my improvement the bottom
of the spring is kept in its proper position by a ring having a flange (see G).
The upper part of the spring is likewise kept in its position by a ring, with
a screw in it, and flange (see H) screwed on over the top of the rod (F),
(see likewise Figure 3). The spring by this means is kept from touching
or rubbing the rod or sides of the piston case or cylinder.
Figure 4 represents a different system as Figure 3. In Figure 3, the
flange is inside the spring, and in Figure 4 the flange is outside the spring.
Figure 6 represents the old system (model Cortois).
Figures 1, 2, 7, 8, represent my improved wind passage (see the red lines)
shewing the clearer wind passage for the open tone; and the passage for the
piston tones is indicated by the blue line, Fig. 8.
Figures 1, 2, represent both sides of the pistons.
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 28th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN DISTIN, of No. 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 Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry John Diston, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry John Diston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry John Diston, 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 INSTRU-

page_text: MENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry John
Distin, 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 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
figures and letters of reference therein:-
'
My improvements consist, firstly, of a new arrangement of the spring to
the piston of cornets and other musical wind instruments, which renders the
movement of the piston almost noiseless; secondly, of a reservoir at the
bottom of the cylinders to hold the condensed breath or water, and prevent
the same falling on the dress of the performer; and, thirdly, of an improved
passage for the wind through the pistons.
A is the piston case or cylinder; B, the piston valve; C shews the air
passage through the pistons; D, the reservoir attached to the bottom of the
cylinders; E, the interior of reservoir; e, the small button attached to the
bottom of the reservoir to move the interior of E upwards or downwards
when required to be put on or taken off; F, the height of the valve; G, the
ring for the bottom of the spring; H, the ring for the top of the spring.
Fig. 5 represents the old system of applying the spring; F represents my
improvement (see likewise Figs. 3 and 4). By my improvement the bottom of
the spring is kept in its proper position by a ring having a flange (see G).
The upper part of the spring is likewise kept in its position by a ring, with a
screw in it, and flange (see H) screwed on over the top of the rod (F),
(see likewise Fig. 3). The spring by this means is kept from touching or
rubbing the rod or sides of the piston case or cylinder.
Fig. 4 represents a different system, as in Fig. 3, the flange is inside the
spring, and in Fig. 4 the flange is outside the spring.
Fig. 6 represents the old system (model Cortois).
Figs. 1, 2, 7, represent my improved wind passage (see the red lines)
shewing the clearer wind passage for the open tone; and the passage for the
piston tones is indicated by the blue line, Fig. 8, and the open tones by the
red line.
1
0 sensecent both sides of the nistons

page_text: The tube, forming the wind passage of the piston note, and also the tube
forming the wind passage of the open notes, as shewn by the blue and red
lines, Fig. 8, are inserted through the openings shewn in that Figure, and
are fixed in their position with silver solder. The reservoir D, Fig. 1, may
be held in its position by having an additional length to the screw e to screw
into or on the worm of a screw, as shewn e¹, and in that case one or more
apertures e* may be made above the point of the screw to allow the escape of
the condensed breath from the tube above it.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I state that I claim as my Invention the com-
binations and arrangements substantially as herein-before mentioned and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Distin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
HENRY JOHN DISTIN.
(L.B.)