IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Beaumont Marshall, of the Firm of George
Trimbey & Co., of 41, Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London,
Musical Instrument Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 18th June 1861, and dated the 22nd December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Beaumont
Marshall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 22nd December 1860.
I, THOMAS BEAUMONT MARSHALL, of the Firm of George Trimbey & Co.,
of 41, Queen Street, Cheapside, in the City of London, Musical Instrument
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in wind musical instruments,
and is applicable to instruments such as the cornet-à-piston, and many other
instruments of the horn class, in which different notes are produced by means
of valves or instruments so arranged that when moved by keys they direct
the wind by a shorter or longer course. These valves are usually formed of
a metal cylinder working wind-tight, within a tube or case, when the finger
key of a valve is not depressed, the wind passes in at one side of the case
through a hole formed in the cylinder and out at the other side of the case
by the passage which leads away from the valve when the key is depressed,
another passage in the cylinder is brought opposite to the inlet passage in

page_text: the case, and this in place of leading the wind direct to the outlet passage
leads it into one end of a loop of pipe of suitable length, the other end of
the said loop of pipe comes at this time opposite another passage in the
cylinder, and this also corresponds with the outlet passage before mentioned
in the case. This arrangement is objectionable because as the passages
through the cylinder cross each other, the cylinder has to be made of large
diameter, and practically the passages in the cylinder cannot be made so
large in area as the passages leading to and from them.
According to my Invention the passages in the cylinder do not cross each
other, and when the key is depressed all the passages in the cylinder are in
action, whereas in instruments heretofore constructed, whether the key be
depressed or otherwise there are always passages in the cylinder which are
out of use, these passages through the cylinder are also, according to my
Invention, kept of the same sectional area as the passages leading to and
from them. At the same time that these advantages are obtained, the
cylinder is considerably reduced in diameter. I make the passage by which
the wind first comes to the cylinder, and that by which it finally leaves it
on the same side of the case, and there is a curved passage in the cylinder
which when the key is not acted on, coincides both with the inlet and
outlet passage, and leads the wind direct from the one to the other. When
the key is depressed the same curved passage coincides both with the outlet
passage and with one end of the loop of pipe, which is to be thrown in
while another passage previously out of use is brought to coincide with the
inlet passage, and the other extremity of the loop of pipe to be thrown in.
Sometimes when the loop of pipe to be thrown in is short, it becomes
desirable that this loop should itself pass through the cylinder, in which
case an extra passage is then formed for the purpose, this however is a point
of detail, which does not intefere with or affect the principle of the improve-
ments above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said Thomas Beaumont Marshall in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BEAUMONT MARSHALL, of the Firm of George Trimbey & Co., of 41, Queen
Street, Cheapside, in the City of London, Musical Instrument Manufacturers, 3
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by er Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, 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 Thomas Beaumont Marshall, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Beaumont Marshall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Thomas Beaumont Marshall, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Beaumont Marshall, 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 per-
formed, 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 Thomas Beaumont Marshall, 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in wind musical instruments,
and is applicable to instruments such as the cornet-à-piston, and many other
instruments of the horn class, in which different notes are produced by means
of valves or instruments, so arranged that when moved by keys they direct
the wind by a shorter or longer course. These valves are usually formed
When the
of a metal cylinder, working wind-tight within a tube or case.
finger key of a valve is not depressed, the wind passes in at one side of the
case through a hole formed in the cylinder and out at the other side of the
case by the passage which leads away from the valve, when the key is
depressed another passage in the cylinder is brought opposite to the inlet
passage in the case, and this in place of leading the wind direct to the outlet
passage leads it into one end of a loop of pipe of suitable length; the other
end of the said loop of pipe comes at this time opposite another passage
in the cylinder, and this also corresponds with the outlet passage (before
mentioned) in the case. This arrangement is objectionable because as the
passages through the cylinder cross each other the cylinder has to be made

page_text: of large diameter and practically the passages in the cylinder cannot be
made so large in area as the passages leading to and from them.
According to my Invention the passages in the cylinder do not cross
each other, and when the key is depressed all the passages in the cylinder
are in action, whereas in instruments heretofore constructed, whether the
key be depressed or otherwise there are always passages in the cylinder
which are out of use; the passages through the cylinder are also (according
to my Invention), kept of the same sectional area as the passages leading
to and from them; at the same time that these advantages are obtained the
cylinder is considerably reduced in diameter. I make the passage by which
the wind first comes to the cylinder, and that by which it finally leaves it, on
the same side of the case, and there is a curved passage in the cylinder which,
when the key is not acted on, coincides both with the inlet and outlet passage,
and leads the wind direct from the one to the other. When the key is
depressed, the same curved passage coincides both with the outlet passage and
with one end of the loop of pipe which is to be thrown in, while another
passage previously out of use is brought to coincide with the inlet passage,
and the other extremity of the loop of pipe to be thrown in. Sometimes
when the loop of pipe to be thrown in is short, it becomes desirable that this
loop should itself pass through the cyliuder, in which case an extra passage is
then formed for the purpose; this, however, is a point of detail which does not
interfere with or affect the principle of the improvements above described.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings, hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 are vertical sections of a valve of a wind musical.
instrument constructed according to my Invention. Figure 1 shews the valve
in its highest position; Figure 2 shews the same depressed. a is the case of
the valve; b is the inlet passage, or that by which the wind enters the valve;
c is the exit passage, or that by which the wind finally passes away from the
valve, whichever position it occupies; d, d, are two openings in the case which
communicate with the two extremities of the length of pipe which has to be
thrown into the circuit in order to produce the valve note; e is a curved
passage in the valve, which, when the valve is up, coincides with the inlet and
outlet passage, the passage e is of the same sectional area as the passages 6 and c.
When the valve is down, the passage e, as is shewn, coincides with the inlet
passage, and also with one of the passages d, so that the wind now traverses

page_text: the loop of pipe to be thrown in to produce the valve note, and when the wind
escapes at the other extremity of the loop of pipe by the other opening d, it
passes by a passage f through the valve, and so to the exit passage.
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sections of the arrangement I employ when
the loop of pipe to be introduced to make the valve note is short. It will be
seen that the loop passes though the valve; this is done because it is too short
to be passed conveniently under the valve, and because it would be incon-
venient to pass it round the valve. Figures 5 and 6 are vertical sections of
another arrangement which may be employed where the length of the pipe has
to be only slightly increased when the valve is employed. The principle of this
arrangement is to cause the wind to pass through a loop of pipe after it first
reaches the valve, and before it finally leaves it, whether the valve is depressed
or otherwise. In these Figures, a is the inlet passage, and 6 the outlet, what-
ever be the position of the valve; c, c, are the ends of the loop employed
when the valve is not depressed; and d, d, the ends of the loop employed when
the valve is depressed; e, e, are curved passages in the valve to conduct the
wind, as is required, and as will be clearly understood from the Drawing. In this
arrangement, as well as in those before described, the inlet and outlet passages
are on the same side of the valve case, and the passages in the valve are of
the same area as the pipes with which they communicate, the passages in the
valve in no case crossing each other.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Beaumont Marshall, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
T. B. MARSHALL. (L.S.)