Improvements in the Valve Arrangements of Brass Wind Instruments.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 4th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
PROVIDIONAL DIVIFICATION.
Improvements in the Valve Arrangements of Brass Wind
Instruments.
I, WILLIAM SLACK, Watch Maker, 159, Station Street, Burton-on-Trent, in
the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object, improvements in the compensating arrange-
ments for use in cornets, trumpets, tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, bom-
bardons and all wind instruments in which three or four piston valves are used
for the purpose of producing the chromatic scale.
In such instruments the valves actuated by the first, second, and third fingers
respectively are commonly called the first, second, and third valves, and are so
referred to in the following description.
In the ordinary arrangement of these valves, on pressing down the piston of
the first, a sufficient length of tube is added to lower the pitch of the instrument
one tone, and in like manner the second valve lowers the pitch half a tone, and
the third valve one tone and a half; but as such additional lengths should be
in inverse proportion to the number of vibrations of the required notes, the
desired result is not exactly obtained when two or three valves are used in
combination, for instance suppose an instrument to be in the key of C, when the
first valve is only employed the pitch is lowered to Bb. When the third valve
only is employed the pitch is lowered to A. To produce G, the third valve is
used in combination with the first but as its tubing is tuned to give the interval
from C to A and the instrument when the first is down being virtually in By
the tubing of the said third valve is not sufficiently long to flatten the pitch a
true tone and a half from By to G. This defect is intensified when all three
valves are used together to produce Db and Gb.
My said improvements by which the above described defects are avoided con-
sist in passing the tubing connected with the first valve through the third, it
then turns downward forming a loop or bend and returns through the same
valve to its own, first:
This loop being a part of the first valve tubing gives just the required length
to lower the pitch of the instrument a true tone when the first valve only is
used. But when the third valve is used in conjunction with the first it is so
arranged that the loop (above explained) is thrown out of use and replaced by
a longer one, this gives the required length of tubing to the effective length of
the instrument whenever these two said valves are used together. Such addi-
tional tubing compensates for the lowering of the pitch of the instrument due
to the pressing down of the first valve. All holes in the third valve pass through
on the same level therefore the compensating air passage is free from sharp
or abrupt curves or bends and by this arrangement there are never more than
two air passages required through either first or second valves when in use.
avoid taking additional tubing through the second valve because it flattens all
I

page_text: Ab's and Bb's which are produced by pressing the second and third valves down.
together.
In the smaller instruments when the tubing of the first valve is not long
enough to reach through the third I pass the tubing of the third valve through
the first which gives precisely the same compensation. The above is for instru-
ments with only three valves.
In my instrument with four valves I pass the tubing of the first valve through
the third valve for the same purpose as in the instrument with only three valves
and the tubing belonging to the third valve is passed through the fourth in
such a way that when the first and third valves are used in conjunction with the
fourth it causes the compensation already given through the third valve and that
which is added by the tubing of the third valve being passed through the fourth
to work combined or independently. The compensation given through the
fourth valve is about twice the length of that, given through the third valve so
that by these two parts being united the required length of tubing is given to
make D in bottom register well in tune; but when the second and third valves
are used with the fourth to produce E in bottom register the extra tubing
given through the upper valve is done away with. This shortens the compen-
sating passages about one third and gives the required length to make the
bottom Eb well in tune which is due to the second valve being pressed down in
place of the first. Sufficient length is given to the tubing of the fourth valve
so that when it is in use with first or second valves it makes the bottom register
well in time with all those upper notes which are produced when the first,
second or both are used without passing the said fourth tubing through any of
the other valves or by passing the tubing of the third valve through first and
fourth I get the same result so that either way can be applied to any of the afore-
said instruments, whichever it is most adapted for.
All holes through the compensating piston go in and out on the same level
and are all exactly the same shape.
This I call the level bore."
Dated this 4th day of November 1090.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said W. Slack.
Improvements in the Valve Arrangements of Brass Wind
Instruments.
I, WILLIAM SLACK, Watch Maker, 159, Station Street, Burton-on-Trent, in
the County of Stafford, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object, improvements in the compensating arrange-
ments for use in cornets, trumpets, tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, bom-
bardons, and all wind-instruments in which piston valves are used for the pur-
pose of producing the chromatic scale.
In such instruments the valves actuated by the first, second, and third fingers
respectively are commonly called the first, second, and third valves, and are so
referred to in the following description.

page_text: In the ordinary arrangement of these valves, on pressing down the piston of
the first, a sufficient length of tube is added to lower the pitch of the instrument
one tone, and in like manner the second valve lowers the pitch half a tone, and
the third valve one tone and a half; but as such additional lengths should be
in inverse proportion to the number of vibrations of the required notes, the
desired result is not exactly obtained when two or three valves are used in
combination, for instance suppose an instrument to be in the key of C, when the
first valve is only employed the pitch is lowered to Bb. When the third valve
only is employed the pitch is lowered to A. To produce G, the third valve is
used in combination with the first but as its tubing is tuned to give the interval
from C to A and the instrument when the first is down being virtually in Bb
the tubing of the said third valve is not sufficiently long to flatten the pitch a
true tone and a half from Bb to G. This defect is intensified when all three
valves are used together to produce Db and Gb.
My said improvements by which the above described defects are avoided con-
sist in passing the tubing connected with the first valve through the third, it
then turns downward forming a loop or bend and returns through the same
valve to its own, first: This loop being a part of the first valve tubing gives
just the required length to lower the pitch of the instrument a true tone when
the first valve only is used. But when the third valve is used in conjunction
with the first it is so arranged that the loop (above explained) is thrown out of
use and replaced by a longer one, this gives the required length of tubing to the
effective length of the instrument whenever these two said valves are used
together.
Such additional tubing compensates for the lowering of the pitch of the instru-
ment due to the pressing down of the first valve.
In this invention, there are no sharp or abrupt curves or bends in the com-
pensating air passages.
By means of my arrangement, there are never more than two air passages
required through either first or second valves when used in combination.
In the smaller instruments when the tubing of the first valve is not long
enough to reach through the third, I pass the tubing of the third valve through
the first which gives precisely the same compensation.
The above is for instruments with only three valves.
In my instrument with four valves, I pass the tubing of the first valve through
the third valve for the same purpose as in the instrument with only three valves
and the tubing belonging to the third valve is passed through the fourth in such a
way that when the first and third valves are used in conjunction with the fourth
it causes the compensation already given through the third valve and that which
is added by the tubing of the third valve being passed through the fourth to
work combined or independently.
The compensation given through the fourth valve is about twice the length of
that given through the third valve, so that by these two parts being united,
the required length of tubing is given to make D in bottom register well in
tune, but when the second and third valves are used with the fourth to produce
Eb in bottom register the extra tubing given through the upper valve is done
away with.
This shortens the compensating passages about one third and gives the re-
quired length to make the bottom E well in tune which is due to the second
valve being pressed down in place of the first.
Sufficient length is given to the tubing of the fourth valve, so that when it is
in use with first or second valves it makes the bottom register well in tune with
all those upper notes which are produced when the first, second, or both are used
without passing the said fourth tubing through any of the other valves, or by
passing the tubing of the third valve through first and fourth I get the same
result, so that either way can be applied to any of the aforesaid instruments,
whichever it is most adapted for.

page_text: All holes through the compensating piston go in and out on or about the
same level.
In the annexed drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are views of each side of instrument
showing how my invention is carried out for instruments with only 3 valves.
When no pistons are down, as shown, the air passes from A to F which is
indicated by the dotted lines and is called "the open passage."
When the first piston is down alone, as at Figures 3 and 4, which represent
the reverse sides of the same instrument, or with the second piston, the air
passes from first valve through branch B, Figure 3, into the third valve at E,
then through loop C, Figures 3 and 4, and returns through branch 1) to its
own first valve where it again rejoins the open passage A, F.
But
These parts B, C, D, shown on Figure 3 really form the first valve slide,
which is exactly the required length to lower the instrument one tone.
when the first piston is down in conjunction with the third, the loop C is then
out of use, so that the air after passing through branch B into the third valve
at E then enters the loop G which is sufficiently longer than loop C, to give
just the required length of tubing to the effective length of the instrument
whenever these two pistons are used together, and returns through branch D
to first valve again and into the open passage A, F, as before.
Figure shows how my invention when with four valves may be carried into
practice. The third valve slide is passed twice through the fourth valve and
back to the third again in the same manner and for the same purpose as the
first valve slide is passed through the third, as before described.
The same letters of reference indicate the similar parts.
The open passage A, F, is taken through the three upper valves, as in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, then through the fourth valve, as shown by dotted lines
in Figure 5. But when the third piston is down, as at Figure 5, the air passes
through first, second, and third valves, and through branch B into the fourth
valve at E, then through loop C and returns through branch D to the third
valve where it again joins the open passage A, F.
These parts B, C, D, form the third valve slide which is exactly the required
length to lower the instrument one tone and a half but when the third piston
is down in conjunction with the fourth, the loop C is then out of use, so the air
after passing through branch B into the fourth valve at E then enters the
loop G (which is sufficiently longer than loop C to give just the length required
to make all notes in the bottom register perfectly in tune which are produced
whenever the fourth piston is used in conjunction with any or all the upper
pistons) and returns through branch 1 to third valve again where it rejoins the
open passage A, F.
Figure 6 shows how the compensation which is given in an instrument with
only three valves and that given in the bottom register in a compensating instru-
ment with four valves are, on my improved valve system, arranged and con-
structed into one. The dots and lines indicate the air passage from A to F when
first, third, and fourth pistons are down.
The fourth valve tubing is the required length to produce the C, and F
in the bottom register. This feature is novel and of importance, it not having
been produced in a compensating instrument by others, this tubing although it
existed has only hitherto been made to produce D and G.
It will be observed that the compensating parts and advantages obtained by
my instrument with only three valves, are retained in my instrument when with
four valves (which has not been acomplished hitherto on one instrument) with
the further great advantage, that the compensation given in middle and upper
register through the upper valves and that given in the bottom register through
the fourth valve are arranged to work combined or independently, as herebefore
described (see Figure 5).
Further, my instrument has a less number of air passages through pistons
than any other compensating instrument of the brass wind kind.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A cornet or any like wind musical instrument with three valves, in which
the tuning slide of one valve is passed twice through a compensating piston
which has not more than five air passages, and is so arranged that when the
compensating piston is down, the slide of the first named valve is still its usual
length, but when both are down this same tuning slide is automatically length-
ened which gives the required compensation throughout the whole register, as
herein before described.
2. The construction of a four valve instrument which gives the required
compensation through bottom, middle, and upper register, as set forth.
3. The means of producing the required compensation in the bottom register
without passing the tubing of the fourth valve through any other valves, by
which means I avoid having more than two air passages in use through two of
the upper valves at any time, as described.
The 4th day of August 1899.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said William Slack.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said William Slack.