IMPROVEMENTS IN MELODEONS AND SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street,
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MELODEONS AND SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by. Joseph Poole Pirsson, of New York.
Sealed the 22nd February 1861, and dated the 27th August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th August 1860.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MELODEONS AND SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," (com-
municated to me from abroad by Joseph Poole Pirsson, of New York,) to be
as follows:-
These improvements consist mainly in so combining with each key of the
key-board two, three, or more separate reeds, that by differences in the touch
the performer may cause different degrees of sound to be given to the same
musical note, and may also cause each note to vibrate on itself independently
of any other note of the instrument.
The improved instrument styled a "triolodeon," may be constructed and

page_text: operated generally after the manner of the ordinary melodeon. Each key has,
however, two, three, or more reeds connected with it, all of which are of the
same musical note or letter, but of progressive degrees of loudness. Each
reed has its own separate valve or pallet fitted with springs and other
appliances as usual, but so arranged in relation to the key which represents that
note on the key-board, that when the key is pressed down to its fullest extent,
all of the reeds will be made to sound, and if pressed to a less distance only
two will sound, while if touched but slightly one only will be heard.
Thus crescendo passages may be executed, since by pressing very lightly
the first row of valves only will be opened, and these cause the reeds to
vibrate, which give the softest tone; by pressing a little stronger upon the
keys the second row of reeds will in like manner be sounded, thus adding to
the loudness of the tone, but not otherwise changing its character; and
by pressing still stronger a further degree of loudness is added by similarly
bringing into use the third set of reeds. Of course diminuendo passages may
be played by reversing this order: Each note may also be made by the varying
touch of the performer upon its key to vibrate upon itself, thus sounding the
same note with alternating-degréées of-loudness..
The volume of sound of each separate set of reeds is also capable of being
made variable by differences in the currents of air. Each set of reeds is
placed in a separate compartment of the reed box, and each of these compart-
ments has its separate air-reservoir, arranged by means of suitable springs, to
afford the desired pressure of the air being supplied by any desired form of
bellows.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th February 1861. -
TO, ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent,
send greeting.
** __
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, 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
Richard Archibald, Brooman, Her special, licence that I, the said Richard

page_text: Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS. IN MELODEONS AND SIMILAR KEYED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,"
(communcated to me from abroad by Joseph Poole Pirsson, of New York,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, 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 performed, 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 Richard Archibald Brooman, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto-
annexed, that is to say :-
These improvements consist mainly in so combining with each key of the
key-board two, three, or more separate reeds, that by differences in the touch-
the performer may cause different degrees of sound to be given to the same
musical note, and may also cause each note to vibrate on itself independently
of any other note of the instrument.
The improved instrument styled a "triolodeon," may be constructed and
operated generally after the manner of the ordinary melodeon. Each key, has,.
however, two, three, or more reeds connected with it, all of which are of the
same musical note or letter, but of progressive degrees of loudness. Each reed
has its own separate valve or pallet, fitted with springs and other appliances as
usual, but so arranged in relation to the key which represents that note on
the key-board, that when the key is pressed down to its fullest extent all of
the reeds will be made to sound, and if pressed to a less distance only two will
sound; while if touched but slightly one only will be heard.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a view of the interior of the
instrument as seen from one end, the reed box being in section. Figure 2
is a back view of the reed box, reservoirs, conductors, and bellows. The reed
box a may-be formed in two parts, an upper and a lower one, secured together

page_text: by screws, as at 6, in projections on the outside. This box is divided lon-
gitudinally inside by partitions c, which separate it into several distinct reed-
'boxes. In the Drawing three are shewn, as at d, e, and f. Each of these
is supplied with air from a separate reservoir d', e, f, which communicate's
with the upper fixed plate of the bellows i by means of conductors du, e, f,
made capable of extension or contraction in the direction of their length.
Coiled springs may be placed inside these conductors of different degrees of
stiffness, and thus the pressure of air in the different compartments of the
reed box will vary according to the strength of those springs. Any desired
form of bellows may be employed to furnish the supply of air. In the com-
partment & there is a full set of reeds h corresponding with the key-board ġ,
* and these reeds are such as will give the softest expression of their respective
notes. In the next compartment e is another set k sounding the same musical
notes as the first but louder; and in the compartment f is still another set 7
of similar character, but sounding loudest. Holes are cut through the top of
the reed box, and a valve placed over each, as shewn. The key g has a pin m
projecting down, which acts against the end of the lever to the valve over h,
and which valve will thus be raised, when the key is depressed and its note
be thereby sounded. The valve on has also a lever arranged to be lifted by the
action of that on h, but not until the first had been raised sufficiently to permit
its reed to sound. A farther depression of the key is required to effect the
raising of the second valve. Over the reeds is a similar valve and lever
operated by the second set in the same manner generally, and as clearly shown
in the Drawings. If now the key 9 be lightly pressed when the proper
amount of air is supplied, the reed h will sound softly it note, say sol; a
'further pressure sounds the reed k, which is also "sol," but louder; and a
.further pressure sounds the next reed Z, being still "sol," but louder than the
two others, and in this manner the note may be made to vibrate upon itself if
the finger is caused to vibrate upon the key g, producing thereby sounds such
as are well known in the violin. There may be another set of similar reeds,
as at n, in the compartment f, and the valve on these may either be operated
'by the lever of that on 1, or the reeds may be pitched an octave or two lower,
and played as a sub-bass by pedal keys operating through the sticker o.
Crescendo and diminuendo passages are rendered by this instrument with
great facility and smoothness of tone.
+
This Invention is equally applicable to organs, since pipes may be made to
give the desired gradations in the quantity of sound while preserving still the
same musical value.

page_text: And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what:
manner the same is to be. performed, I declare that I claim the employment
in musical instruments of several rows of reeds or pipes, substantially as herein-
before described, the reeds or pipes representing each musical value or note
being so combined with the key-board that each key shall be capable of pro-
ducing at the pleasure of the performer the sounding of one, two, or more of
the said reeds or pipes substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February One:
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
R. A. BROOMAN.. (L.s.)