IMPROVE- MENTS IN CONCERTINAS AND OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS OF THAT CLASS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick William Rust, of London Wall,
in the County of Middlesex, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONCERTINAS AND OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS OF THAT CLASS."-A
communication from abroad by Ferdinand Glier, of Klingenthal, in the
Kingdom of Saxony.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick William
Rust at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 9th July 1862.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK WILLIAM RUST, of London Wall, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONCERTINAS AND OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS OF THAT CLASS,"
to be as follows:-
All concertinas with a chromatic scale that are at present known have the
great fault and inconvenience that the notes are not arranged in their natural
musical succession, the playing of the instrument is thereby rendered difficult,
and the musical effects that can be produced are limited in extent. In order
to produce anything like a musical effect on the instruments heretofore in uso
it is requisite to have a very extended and complicated scale, which is difficult
for any one to learn, and therefore but very few people, including only those
who are not afraid to surmount these difficulties have been successful in
playing on this instrument. Even to an improved instrument, known as the
chromatic concertina, and-recently patented in this country, the above obser-
vations will equally apply, as, although the instrument has a scale of three
chromatic octaves, it is unquestionably difficult to learn to play upon it, as the
different notes lie intermixed with each other, and each key, in drawing out

page_text: the instrument, produces a different tone than when the same is pressed
together.
The Inventor of the improved instrument, which forms the subject of the
present Invention, having found that the chromatic system on the concertina
is incomplete he has set to work to produce an instrument with a practical
and musical system.
In this newly-invented concertina the notes are arranged in their natural
order or succession, as on a pianoforte, viz., co, dª, e, ƒ³, gº, aª, 6, and so
on, and the drawing out or pressing in of the instrument produces on one key
one and the same tone. The playing by this arrangement is very much sim-
plified, as every tone has its universally-known musical place, just where the
musical feeling or instinct would seek it, and the pressing in or drawing out of
the instrument need not be taken into consideration at all. The pianoforte
system is thus transferred to the concertina, taking of course into consideration
the modifications required for the form and mode of handling the concertina.
This improved concertina will therefore become a correct musical instrument,
and will consequently take its place amongst instruments of a higher class, as
all that can be played on a pianoforte in the above compass can also be played
on the concertina. With the notes arranged according to the new chromatic
system, not only single melodies, but also chords can be performed on it.
In playing the melody with the right hand the accompaniment can be played
with the left hand, exactly like on the pianoforte, in all the different keys.
The scale on the right and left hand is also conveniently arranged for the form
of the hand. This scale can be still more enlarged or abbreviated as a matter
of course, and any alteration in this way would not in any way interfere with
the principle of construction. It will of course be evident that the Inven-
t'on is applicable, not only to concertinas, but to all instruments of that class,
under whatever name they may be known.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Frederick William Rust in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 5th January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
FREDERICK WILLIAM RUST, of London Wall, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Frederick William Rust, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Frederick William Rust, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Frederick William Rust, my executors, admin's-
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 CONCERTINAS AND OTHER WIND INSTRUMENTS OF
THAT CLASS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Charles Frederick William Rust, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Charles Frederick William Rust, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
In order to pro-
All concertinas with a chromatic scale that are at present known have the
great fault and inconvenience and are open to the objection that the notes or
keys are not arranged in their natural musical succession. The playing of
the instrument is, by this arrangement of the keys, rendered difficult, and the
musical effects that can be produced are limited in extent.
duce anything like a musical effect on the instruments heretofore in use it is
requisite to have a very extended and complicated scale, which is difficult for
any one to learn, and therefore but very few people, including only those who
are not afraid to surmount these difficulties, have been successful in playing
upon this instrument. Even to an improved instrument, known as the chro-
matic concertina, and recently patented in this country, the above observations
will equally apply, as, although the instrument has a scale of three chromatic
octaves, it is unquestionably difficult to learn to play upon it, as the different
notes lie intermixed with each other, and each key, in drawing out the instru-
ment, produces a different tone than when the instrument is collapsed.
The Inventor of the improved instrument, which forms the subject of the
present Invention, having found that the chromatic system on the concertina

page_text: is incomplete, has set to work to produce an instrument with a practical and
musical system.
In this newly-invented concertina, shewn in the accompanying Drawings,
the notes or keys are arranged in their natural order or succession, as on a
pianoforte, viz., c, d, e, f, g, a, b, and so on; moreover, the drawing
out or pressing in of the instrument produces on the same key one and the
same tone. The operation of playing on the instrument is by this arrange-
ment very much simplified, as every tone has its universally-known musical
place just where the musical feeling or instinct of the performer would seek
it, and the pressing in or drawing out of the instrument need not be taken
into consideration at all in playing. The pianoforte system is thus transferred
to the concertinas, taking of course into consideration the modifications
required for the form and mode of handling the concertina. This improved
concertina will therefore become a correct musical instrument, and will, con-
sequently, take its place amongst instruments of a higher olass, as all that
can be played on a pianoforte can also within a given compass be played on the
concertina. With the notes arranged according to the new chromatic system
not only single melodies, but chords of all kinds can be performed on it. In
playing the melody with the right hand, the accompaniment can be played
with the left hand exactly as on the pianoforte in all the different keys. The
scale on the right and left hand is also conveniently 'arranged for the form of
the hand. This scale can be still more enlarged, or it may be abbreviated, as
a matter of course, and any alteration in this way would not in any way
interfere with the principle of construction.
It will of course be evident that the Invention is applicable not only to
concertinas, but to all instruments of that class under whatever name they
may be known.
1
Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings represents the improved mode of
arranging the keys of concertinas and other wind instruments of that class.
The Fig. represents only one end, that is, the bass end of the instrument,
which end will be played with the left hand. It will of course be understood
that a corresponding arrangement of keys to suit the other hand of the player
must be adapted to the other or treble end of the instrument. For the con-
venience of the player, and more especially for learners, the keys for C natural
throughout the scale are colored red; the remaining natural notes are made
white, as in the keyboard of the pianoforte, and the sharps are all black keys.
If desired, each key may be marked, as in the Drawing, with its particular
note, as no key will produce more than one tone.
Figures 2 and 3 represent the modes I prefer for adapting the straps whereby

page_text: the instrument is held. Fig. 2 represents the treble or right-hand end of the
instrument, and Fig. 3 the bass or left-hand end; in the former the instru-
ment is supported entirely by the thumb of the right hand, leaving the four
fingers and the rest of the band entirely free and untrammelled by the strap.
In Fig. 3, the thumb also supports and operates the instrument, leaving the
fingers free, but in this case the band passes over the back of the left hand, so
that it may at times be allowed to take the greater part of the strain, but does
not bind or confine the operations of the hand.
A modification of this arrangement may be made, without departing
materially from the main principle, by arranging the keys to sound natural
tones on drawing out the instrument and the sharps on collapsing the instru-
ment, or vice versa. The musical succession of the notes is provided for, as
in the former instance, and the player will always know that, if to produce a
natural note the instrument must be drawn out, he must, in order to produce
a sharp tone or other semitone, collapse the instrument. Although this
arrangement will reduce the number of keys, it may offer some inconveniences
which will render the plan shewn in the Drawings preferable.
Having now described the Invention of improvements in concertinas and
other wind instruments of that class, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, as communicated to me by my foreign cor-
respondent, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as
aforesaid, constructing and arranging the several parts of-concertinas and
other wind instruments of that class in the manner herein set forth.
I claim particularly arranging the keys or notes of the instrument in their
natural musical order of succession, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Frederick William Rust, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
CHA. F. W. RUST. (L.S.)