IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH ‘REEDS ' ARE EMPLOYED
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Matthias Augustus Stroh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th December 1871.
I, JOHN MATTHIAS AUGUSTUS STROH, of Tolmers Square, Hampstead
Road, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH ‘REEDS '
ARE EMPLOYED," to be as follows :—
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in' musical instruments
in which "reeds are employed, and relates to a novel arrangement and
combination of parts whereby a single "reed" is rendered capable of
producing the notes of one, two, or more octaves, and of producing a
'glide" from one note to another of a similar character to that which
may be produced on a violin or other similar stringed instrument.
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•
For this purpose I arrange the "reed" or "vibrator" in a frame in
such manner that it is capable of being slidden to and fro therein so as
to cause its free or sounding end to extend a longer or shorter distance
from its point of support, and thereby when sounded to produce a

page_text: 2
variety of notes according to the length of the free end of the "vibrator."
The "vibrator" is held by preference between rollers acting on the top and
bottom and on each edge thereof. The axes of some of these rollers
work in fixed bearings, and others of the rollers have their axes carried by
springs so as to keep them always in contact with the vibrator whilst
one or more spring rollers bear on the rear end of the "vibrator" to keep
it down to the "frame," and thereby prevent any secondary vibration in
the rear end thereof. The "vibrator" holder works in guides carried by
the "vibrator" "frame" and is connected by a wire or rod to the upper
end of a lever on the axis of which is also fixed a 1 or double bell-crank
lever. This T lever is by a link or connecting rod connected to one or
more levers of a similar form. To the opposite lower ends of these 1
levers are connected the upper ends of pendent wires, the lower ends of
which are connected to two rods or bars working on suitable guides, the
pendent wires on the one side of the axes of motion of the 1 levers being
connected to one (the upper) bar or rod, and those on the other side of
said axes of motion. being connected to the other (the lower) bar or rod.
To the rear ends of the "keys" are connected other pendent wires
which pass through holes formed in the above-mentioned rods or bars,
and on each of these various wires at suitable positions I place two discs
or washers, one disc or washer being between the two rods or bars and
acting upon the upper one, and the other disc or washer being at the
lower ends of such pendent wires and acting upon the lower rod or
bar.
The discs or washers intermediate of the rods or bars are placed at
various distances from the ends of the pendent wires so as to cause the
rods or bars, and consequently the 1 levers, to be moved the requisite
distance to bring the "vibrator" or "reed" to the length required to
produce the desired note. Each of the keys is provided with a button or
projection to act upon a hinged bar extending from end to end of the
instrument, such hinged bar being by a rod or wire connected to a pallet
so as to open the pallet at the moment when the "reed" is at the
position required to produce the desired note.
The "pitch" of the instrument may be varied by the following means:-
The reed or "vibrator" "frame has an opening formed therein, into
which takes one end of an L lever, the other end of which is operated by
a screw, or in some cases the screw may take direct into a nut fixed to the
"vibrator" frame. By these means the "vibrator" frame may be moved

page_text: a short distance so as to vary the length of the free end of the
vibrator," and thereby set the instrument to the desired "pitch."
r
To the pallet opening I adapt bell mouths and boxes of various forms
to obtain various qualities of tone.
The instrument may be tuned by increasing or diminishing the
distance between the washers on the pendent wires suspended from the.
keys.
The improvements before described may be mounted on a separate
frame and be provided with suitable bellows to form a distinct
instrument, or they may be combined with other keyed instruments.
such as harmoniums, pianos, or organs, whilst by slight modifications
these improvements may be adapted to wind instruments blown by the
mouth of the performer.