Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments known as Ocarinas.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments known as
Ocarinas.
1, ALBERTO NAPOLEONE MARIA MEZZETTI, of 31 Woodland Road, Norwood,
in the County of Surrey, Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore musical instruments known as ocarinas which are of
my
invention
and were many years ago successfully introduced and played on by me in England,
have been made of earthenware, but there are several defects inherent in instruments
when made of this material, as for example they are fragile and very liable to be
broken, great care is necessary in the manufacture or the tone is impaired under
the action of heat when the ocarinas are baked.
After very many attempts I have been successful in producing ocarinas from
materials which are not liable to break, which do not require such care in the
manufacture as heretofore, and which can be cleaned when required with the
greatest facility, while the tone of the instrument is not impaired as in these instru-
ments of ordinary construction.
According to my invention the instruments are formed in one part only, in two
parts, or in three parts. When constructed in three parts, these are viz. the barrel
or body; the cover to the body, and the mouthpiece. When constructed in two
parts these are barrel or body, and mouthpiece; and when constructed in one part
only, barrel and mouthpiece are in one block only. The material used in their
manufacture is wood, ivory, vulcanite, ebonite or such like material. I have found
Sycamore wood to answer the purpose well. The barrel or body of the instrument
is a hollow cone the external and internal surfaces being somewhat curved the
internal axis of the cone is somewhat longer than heretofore in instruments of
this class, and thus I am able to obtain room for an additional or supplementary
key.
The other part of the barrel is bored with keyholes as heretofore.
The cover to the body is or may be made of the same material as the body with
a central aperture to receive the piston or slide for regulating the tone or pitch by
varying the internal capacity of the body which is accomplished by pushing it in or
pulling it out as may be required.
The base or underside of the cover is made concave so as to obtain as large an
internal surface in the body or barrel when the cover is in position as possible, and
it is made with a flange and rim to fit into a corresponding recess or groove made
in the barrel which has a metal rim or ring round its edge to strengthen same and
to obtain when the cover and barrel are brought together, a tight joint.
The
The mouthpiece may be made in a piece with or separate from the cover; when
made in a piece therewith, one side of the cover is made with a depending piece
fitting into a corresponding slot in the side of the body, the depending portion
being formed with an aperture leading to the body of the instrument.
mouthpiece may also be arranged to be screwed on to the body, or I provide a
wind instrument reed, like for example an oboe reed carried by an arm fixed to the
cover, the reed being inverted and carrying a ball as a mouthpiece whereby a
current of air is directed through the reed to the aperture in the body of the
instrument.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1891
A. N. M. MEZZETTI.
By Brewer & Son,
33, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Musical Instruments known as
Ocarinas.
I, ALBERTO NAPOLEONE MARIA MEZZETTI, of 31 Woodland Road, Norwood
in the County of Surrey, Professor of Music, 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 :-
Heretofore musical instruments known as ocarinas which are of my invention
and were many years ago successfully introduced and played on by me in England
have been made of earthenware, but there are several defects inherent in instruments
when made of this material, as for example they are fragile and very liable to be
broken, great care is necessary in the manufacture or the tone is impaired under
the action of heat when the ocarinas are baked.
After very many attempts 1 have been successful in producing ocarinas from
materials which are not liable to break, which do not require such care in the
manufacture as heretofore and which can be cleaned when required with the
greatest facility, while the tone of the instrument is not impaired as in these instru-
ments of ordinary construction.
My invention will be best understood by describing same with reference to the
accompanying drawings, and as illustrated by the several views Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6 and 7.
According to my invention the instruments are formed in one part only, in two
parts, or in three parts. When constructed in three parts as shown at Figures 1
and 2 these are viz. the barrel or body A.; the cover B to the body, and the mouth-
piece C.
When constructed in two parts as shown at Figures 3 and 4, these are
barrel or body A and mouthpiece C, and when constructed in one part only, barrel
and mouthpiece are in one block only. The material used in their manufacture is
wood, ivory, vulcanite, ebonite or such like material. I have found sycamore wood.
to answer the purpose well.
The barrel or body A of the instrument is a hollow cone as shown, the external and
internal surfaces being somewhat curved, the internal axis of the cone is somewhat
longer than heretofore in instruments of this class, and thus I am able to obtain
room for an additional or supplementary key, as shown at a Figure 2. The other
part of the barrel is bored with keyholes D as heretofore.
The cover B to the body is, or may be, made of the same material as the body,
with a central aperture E to receive the piston or slide F for regulating the tone or
pitch by varying the internal capacity of the body A which is accomplished by
pushing it in or pulling it out as may be required.
The base or underside of the cover is made concave so as (as shown at B¹) to
obtain as large an internal surface in the body or barrel A when the cover B is in
position as possible, and it is made with a flange and rim as best seen at Figure 2,
to fit into a corresponding recess or groove made in the barrel which may have a
metal rim or ring round its edge to strengthen same and to obtain, when the
cover B and barrel A are brought together, a tight joint.
The mouthpiece C may be made in a piece with or separate from the cover B
when made in a piece therewith one side of the cover is made with a depending
piece B, Figure 3, fitting into a corresponding slot in the side of the body, the
depending portion being formed with an aperture G leading to the body A of the
instrument. The mouthpiece C may also be arranged to be screwed on to
the body A, as shown at Figure 2, or I provide a wind instrument reed H
Figure 5, like for example an oboe reed, carried by an arm K fixed to the cover,
the reed being inverted and carrying a ball I as a mouthpiece, whereby a current
of air is directed through the reed to the aperture in the body of the instrument, or
the mouthpiece may be arranged as at Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 showing in

page_text: elevation an ocarina with a separately constructed mouthpiece, and Figure 7 is a
horizontal section taken through the line X Y of Figure 6.
To the body of the ocarina and in proper position relatively to the aperture G
I fix the attachment or arm K it being formed with lugs for this purpose; the
tubular part of the attachment K as for example is shown at Figure 7 is formed of
the required shape in its interior, and receives therein the reed II, the latter being
employed and the air passing through same oppositely to when such a reed is used
in the clarionet for example. K is an adjusting screw to press the reed more or
less as required. K is a disc of india rubber for example having an aperture to
allow the air to pass to the reed, and I is the mouthpiece fitting tightly on the
part K, so that it may be rotated thereon as to suit the convenience of the player,
thus in Figure 7 the mouthpiece has received a quarter turn from the position of
the same in Figure 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First The construction and employment of ocarinas made from wood, ivory,
vulcanite, ebonite, or like material or combination of same in one, two, or three
parts composed of a hollow cone, cover with concave base, piston, and mouthpiece,
and substantially as described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Second: In ocarinas made of any or either of the materials mentioned or a
combination thereof, the combination therewith of the additional or supplementary
key a and substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Third In ocarinas, the application thereto of a reed H. substantially as herein
set forth.
Fourth In ocarinas, the mouthpiece of bent tubular form so fitted as to be
capable of rotation and consequent change of position relatively to the instrument,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
Fifth In ocarinas, the mouthpieces C when combined, arranged, and applied,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Sixth In ocarinas the particular means described.and illustrated with reference
to the accompanying drawings for attaching the mouthpieces or mouthpiece and
cover combined to the body of the instrument, together with any mere modification
or modifications thereof.
This 10 J...
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