Improved Adjustable Appliance for Regulating or Tuning Flutes, Fifes, and Piccolos.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1895-Accepted, 7th D.c., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Adjustable Appliance for Regulating or Tuning Flutes,
Fifes, and Piccolos.
I, CHARLES LILLICRAP, of 59 Robert Street, Manselton, Swansea, South Wales,
Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an appliance to be fitted in a flute, fife, piccolo or like
wind musical instruments, the appliance being adjustable for tuning purposes.
According to the ordinary method, the mouth end of a flute, fife, or piccolo is
provided with a plug of wood, cork, or cane to close up the end, and the tuning is
effected by the distance to which such plug is inserted.
In some cases several of such plugs are provided to adjust the tone of the
instrument to a given note to be in harmony with the voice, or with other instruments
to which it forms an accompanyment.
The wood, cork, or cane plugs are often seriously affected by moisture such as
causing an expansion, and consequently an alteration in the tone.
The object of my invention is to obviate such disadvantages and to enable the
plug usually termed "the cork" to be readily and easily adjustable, to be kept
free from deterioration, and in every way to prevent tone of the instrument being
affected by moisture.
For the purpose of my invention, I arrange a rubber or equivalent ferrule
between discs mounted on a threaded rod for adjustable purposes. The screw rod
passes through a collar of sufficient depth to hold itself or be held in the end of
the instrument.
The screw rod has a running nut on it, this being retained in position by a bridge
and pillar projecting from the collar.
The rubber can be expanded to fit any size of instrument by screwing the discs
closer together so that said rubber just fits the tubular head of the flute, fife,
or piccolo.
Dated the 5th February 1895.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for C. Lillicrap.
Improved Adjustable Appliance for Regulating or Tuning Flutes,
Fifes, and Piccolos.
I, Charles LILLICRAP, of 59 Robert Street, Mauselton, Swansea, South
Wales, Electrician, 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 :—
This invention relates to an appliance to be fitted in a flute, fife, piccolo, or like
wind musical instruments the appliance being adjustable for tuning purposes.
According to the ordinary method, the mouth end of a flute, fife, or piccolo is

page_text: provided with a plug of wood, caricane to close up the end, and the tuning is
effected by the distance to which such plug is inserted.
In some cases, several of such plugs are provided to adjust the tone of the
instrument to a given note to be in harmony with the voice, or with other instruments
to which it forms an accompaniment.
The wood, cork, or cane plugs are often seriously affected by moisture such as
causing an expansion, and consequently an alteration in the tone.
The object of my invention is to obviate such disadvantages and to enable the
plug usually termed "the cork" to be readily and easily adjustable to be kept
free from deterioration, and in every way to prevent the tone of the instrument
being affected by moisture.
For the purpose of my invention and as I show in the annexed drawings,
Figures 1, 2, and 3, I arrange a rubber or equivalent ferrule A between discs B, C,
mounted on a threaded rod D'for adjustable purposes.
The screw rod D passes through a collar E of sufficient depth to hold itself or
be held in the end of the instrument F.
The screw rod D has a running (milled) nut G on it, this being retained in
position by a bridge H and pillars I, 1, projecting from the head J of the
collar E.
The rubber A can be expanded to fit any size of instrument K by screwing the
dise C closer up, so that said rubber A just fits the tubular head of the flute, fife,
or piccolo in which the appliance can be applied.
If the apparatus is to be fitted permanently, I fix it by a screw pin L.
It is not necessary that the collar E be of the same diameter as the inside of
the instrument in which it might be placed because the ferrule A. completely
closes up that end when expanded by the disc C.
At Figure 1, the appliance is represented in perspective elevation. Figure 2
shows it in section and in position in the head of a flute, fife, or a piccolo,
as would appear for a given musical note, while Figure 3 is a plain elevation
with the closer set further in the bead K for a change or alteration of key note
or "pitch."
My invention enables the instruments to be tuned by the motion of a milled nut
which operates a screw and a sort of piston which I call a tuning fork. The
metal part
made to fit snug in the bore of the instrument with sufficient
freedom to allow it to be moved up and down without wearing the inside of the
instrument. The bottom part is made to fit tight on the screw but the top part
works freely so as to expand the elastic material placed between the two metal
discs to make it air tight. The metal top which forms a guide for the screw also
supports the distancing bars and resists back pressure.
The metal top is fitted into the top of the instrument, and is kept in position by
means of a screw or pin passing through the wall of the instrument and into a hole
in the small part of the top so as to prevent it moving, in case of forcing piston
towards the mouth hole.
The back pressure bars (or cross bars) enable the forcing of the tuning fork (or
piston) towards the hole (or down) to an exact position.
The apparatus being chiefly of metal is not affected much by heat, that is to
say, it does not split like the old appliance; and not having a cork the tone is not
deadened but is always adjusted ready for use.
The appliance can be screwed into the top of an instrument where the tube is
thick enough, this applies mainly to new instruments but by having the pin short
enough to fit into a recess cut in the tube in making the instrument, a bayonet
joint would however hold it in position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
An affixable, adjustable, and expansible appliance for insertion into the head

page_text: of a flute, fife, piccolo, or like musical instrument, as described and as represented
in the annexed drawings.
The let day of November 1805
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Charles Lillicrap.