IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Band Instruments
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills of the firm of Harris and
Mills of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Communicated to him from abroad by Charles Gerard Conn residing at
Elkhart in the County of Elkhart and State of Indiana in the United States
of America, Manufacturer of Band Instruments.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1882.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent
IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS A communication to
me from abroad by Charles Gerard Conn residing at Elkhart in the County of
Elkhart, and State of Indiana, in the United States of America, Manufacturer of
Band Instruments.
The Invention relates to a system of piston valves for musical instruments in
which the two outside valves are connected directly by tubing passing around the
middle valve and by means of valve pistons having three apertures the wind will
be passed once through each valve in producing open tones and twice through the
particular valve when a valve tone is to be produced the result being the production
of tones of more uniform volume and brilliancy throughout the entire register than
is possible with either mode heretofore practised of conducting the wind passage
through the centre valve as an intermediate communication between the outer
valves or passing the wind through each valve and back again.
In carrying out the invention the mouth pipe is connected to one or the other
of the outer valves from which a curved tube or bend of any desirable length
extends around the middle valve to the other outside valve whence the wind
passage is conducted to the middle valve and thence to the bell, or vice versa, tho
mouth pipe may be connected with the middle valve, the passage proceeding thence
to and through one or the other of the outer valves, thence by a curved pipe
around and clear of the middle valve to the other outer valve and thence to
the bell.

page_text: •
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the condition of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th January 1883.
"
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the Firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent 5
A communication
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PISTON VALVE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
to me from abroad by Charles Gerard Conn residing at Elkhart in the County
of Elkhart and State of Indiana, in the United States of America Manufacturer of
Band Instruments
The Invention relates to a system of piston valves for musical instruments in 1
which the two outside valves are connected directly by tubing passing around the
middle valve and by means of valve pistons having three apertures the wind will
be passed once through each valve in producing open tones and twice through the
particular valve when a valve tone is to to be produced the result being the production
of tones of more uniform volume and brilliancy throughout the entire register than 1
is possible with either mode heretofore practiced of conducting the wind passage
through the centre valve as an intermediate communication between the outer
valves or passing the wind through each valve and back again.
In carrying out the invention the mouth pipe is connected to one or the other
of the outer valves from which a curved tube or bend of any desirable length
extends around the middle valve to the other outside valve whence the wind
passage is conducted to the middle valve and thence to the bell, or vice versa, the
mouth pipe may be connected with the middle valve, the passage proceeding
thence to and through one or the other of the outer valves, thence by a curved
'pipe around and clear of the middle valve to the other outer valve and thence to:
the bell.
.
In order that the invention may be fully understood it will be described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing in which-Figure 1 is a side view of an
instrument embodying the invention Figures 2 and 3 are views of the respective
sides of the valves. .
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the same on the line 4-4 Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 5 is a side view of the valve pistons detached indicating the course of.
the wind through and around the same.
The mouth pipe is shewn at A, and the bell pipe at B.
C. D. E. designate the respective pistons of the first, second and third valves..
The valves are designated as first second and third, for convenience of description
not as indicating the order of their use.
In the illustration given the mouth pipe entering the third valve at F, passes
through the same to the curved connecting pipe G and through this to the first
valve or in the case of a valve tone the piston E being depressed the wind
passes through the valve slide H, and thence through the pipe G to the first valve.
as before.
From the pipe G it passes through the first valve (and if the piston C be
depressed, through the valve slide I) and thence through the connecting bend J
to the middle valve and through the same to the bell-pipe B, either directly or
through the connecting bend K and middle valve slide D, as the case may be.
the
The bend J is when desired lengthened and provided with a tuning slide for
purpose of changing the key.
It is immaterial to the invention whether the wind passage is carried through
the instrument in the direction above described or in the reverse direction by

page_text: entering first at the middle valve, thence to one of the outer valves, thence around
the middle valve to the other outer valve and so to the bell.
In either case either one or the other of the outer valves may be used for the month
pipe or bell pipe connection as the case may be while the other outer valve is
connected therewith by a bend extending around the middle valve and connected
with the middle valve by another bend.
•
The construction of piston used in this valve system is illustrated in Figure 5.
The improved piston has three ports l. m. n. Supposing the third valve to be
connected with the mouth pipe as in Figures 1 and 2 when the piston is open or
elevated the passage is directly through the lower port L, from the mouth pipe A
and the bend F to the connecting pipe G, and when the piston is depressed the
second port m being brought opposite the mouth pipe connection F, the wind
passes through the said port m, to the valve slide H and passing through the same
is conducted by the upper port n to the connecting pipe G.
With the improved system of valves an instrument may be constructed without
the abrupt and reversed angles or turns in the wind passage which are found with
valve systems in common use and which impair the free and brilliant tone of the
instrument.
The improvement thus enables the performer to produce each tone throughout
the entire register of the instrument with equal volume and brilliancy avoiding
stifled tones which result from contracted wind passages and from abrupt turns
therein.
The connections between the valves may be made of different lengths to suit
the construction of the instrument without changing the general direction of the
wind passage, the two outside valves being joined together as described either
may be connected with the middle valve as the manufacturer may prefer, but
without using the second or middle valve intermediately between the outer valves.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the mode of carrying the
same into effect I would have it understood that what I claim is :-
First. A system of piston valves for musical instruments in which the first and
third or outer valves are connected by a pipe passing around the middle valve, and
the pistons are made with three apertures so as to conduct the wind once through
each valve in producing open tones and twice through the respective valves in
producing valve tones substantially as herein described.
Second. The piston valves each having a single air port for open tones and two
ports for valve tones, in combination with a valve system in which the first and
third outer valves are connected by a pipe passing around the middle valve, as
set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills have hereunto