CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF ORGAN PIPES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 89, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF ORGAN PIPES."-A communication from Claudio Gavioli, a
person resident at Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th November 1860.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ORGAN PIPES," to be as follows:-
The accompanying Drawing represents a series of pipes comprising these
improvements, the main object of which is to produce in organs the real flute
sound, modifiable at will by a peculiar toning arrangement, as below described.
The flute sound is obtained by means of a bias cut at an angle of, say, about
25°, as seen in a, b, Fig. 1, formed on the same face of the pipe as the mouth
c, over which is placed the lip-piece d, d, d, Figs. 2, 3. To guide the air into
the mouth c, an ear-piece e, e, Fig. 2, is placed on each side, and a plate f, f.
Figs. 2, 3, projecting in front, is fixed on the lip d, d, d. By these modifica-
tions, while retaining the general form of the pipes, we obtain an arrangement

page_text: which produces a perfect imitation of the play of the human lip. The bias cut,
which is an essential element in the production of the flute effect, is completed
by the interposition between the lip-piece and the pipe of a slip of veneer g, g,
Figs. 2, 8, replacing the wedge or thick plating at present in general use.
Figure 4 represents the arrangement by means of which the tone of the instru-
ment may be modified as required; h, h, h, h, h, are elongated apertures by
which the tone is determined, pierced one at the extremity of each pipe in the
series, composing a scale; i, i, is a slide piece, in which are formed a corre-
sponding series of apertures of a bias or triangular shape, j, j,j, j. j, and
working backwards and forwards by means of a rack and pinion k, l, or other
suitable adjustment. By moving this slide piece in one or other direction, the
apertures of the pipes are reduced or increased, and the tones of the whole
range are thus simultaneously lowered or raised, as may be desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices, 39,
Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licenco that I, the said
Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
STRUCTION OF ORGAN PIPES," a communication from Claudio Gavioli, a person
resident at Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Marc
Antoine François Mennons, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the samo 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 dato of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, 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 Figures of the accom-
panying Drawing, and to the letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The main object of the present improvements is to produce in organ pipes
the real flute sound, modifiable at will by a peculiar toning arrangement, as
herein-after described. The flute sound is obtained by means of a bias cut at
an angle of, say, about twenty-five degrees (25°), as seen in a, b, Figures
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, formed on the same face of the pipe as the mouth c, and on
which is placed the lip piece d, Figs. 4, 5, 6. To guide the air into the mouth
can car pieco e, e, Figs. 2, 3, is placed on each side, and a plate f, f, Figs.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, projecting upwards in front of the mouth is applied to the lip d
and secured by the screw h. This plate, as represented in Figure 4, is arranged
for the production of the six first grave notes of the flute. As the scale rises,
the projections of these plates decrease gradually in height till reduced to the
proportions and form represented in Figure 5, for the last note of the first
octave. For the first note of the second octave these plates occupy the posi-
tion shewn in Figure 6, and their projections decrease gradually in height as
the scale rises, in such a proportion as to disappear entirely in the last note.
The pipes of tho third octave requiro neither plates nor car pieces. The pro-
portions to be observed in the application of these projections to the mouth of
each pipe are determined by the ear, being liable to variation from slight
defects of precision, or from the irregularities which almost inevitably attend
the adjustment of the lip pieces. A small slot is pierced through the plate f,f,
bebind the washer i, and is traversed by the fixing screw h, on slackening which
the plate may be set in the required position. By the modifications above
described, while retaining the general form of the pipes, we obtain an arrange-
ment which produces a perfect imitation of the play of the human lip. The
bias cut, which is an essential element in the production of the flute effect, is
completed by the interposition between the lip piece and the pipe of a slip of
vencer 9, 9, Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, replacing the wedge or thick platings at present
in general use. It should be observed that the different scales of proportion
and similar details above stated are by no means absolute or invariable,
although they have in general been found to give the best results in practise.
Thus, for instance, the 25° angle of the bias cut, which has been adopted as

page_text: standard in the preceding description, may in many cases be modified by a few
degrees more or less without affecting the sound to an appreciable extent. Or,
again, certain modifications may be introduced in the arrangement of the
lip pieces, as, for instance, in suppressing the ears e, e, while setting the plates
ff, closer to the mouths of the pipes, or in suppressing these plates and sub-
stituting to them ear pieces, either more prominent or more closely set to the
mouth of the pipe than those represented in the Drawing.
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, represent an improved toning arrangement, the object
of which is to permit of the flute sound being modified at will, and especially
when used as accompaniment to instruments liable to frequent variations, such,
for instance, as the pianoforté.
Figure 7 is a back view of the pipes, provided with apertures E, by which
the tone is determined.
Figure 8 represents in F, F, the bars or mouldings in which slides the
tuning plate.
Figure 9 represents in G, G, this sliding tone plate, with triangular or bias
apertures, corresponding with those of the pipes, and maintained in position
by the springs H, H. To the extremity of this sliding plate is fitted a toothed
bar I, working with the toothed pinion J, on the other end of which is mounted
a knob or milled head of any suitable form, invisible in the Drawing.
On turning this pinion head in one or other direction, the sliding plate is
moved backwards or forwards in its mouldings, and the apertures of the pipes
being thus increased or reduced, the tones of the whole range are simultaneously
lowered or raised, as may be desired.
Figure 10 is a side view of the pipes fitted with the slide plate, as above.
Figure 11 represents in side view a double range of pipes provided with
their tuning plates, which may be so connected as to work together by the
action of a single pinion.
Having now described the nature of the said improvements, and the manner
of carrying them into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details of form, proportions, dimensions, or arrangement
above laid down and indicated by the Drawing, as these may obviously be
modified without deviating from the principles or characteristic features of the
Invention.
But what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
1stly. The application to different descriptions of organ pipes of a bias cut at
or about an angle of twenty-five degrees (25°), with a view the production
of the real flute sound, as above described and represented in a, b, Figures 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, of the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: 2dly. The application to such organ pipes of an air-guiding lip piece, in
manner above described and represented in d, Figures 4, 5, 6, of the accom-
panying Drawing.
3dly. The peculiar tuning arrangement above described and represented in
E, F, G, H, I, J, Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, by means of which the different
pipes composing a scale may be simultaneously set to any required diapason.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
T
M. F. MENNON
ለለ
(L.B.)