IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUTES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clinton, of 35, Percy Street, Tottenham
Court Road, in the County of Middlesex, Professor of Music, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUTES."
Sealed the 29th August 1862, and dated the 31st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clinton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
March 1862.
I, JOHN CLINTON, of 35, Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Professor of Music, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUTES," to be as follows:-
Graduating the holes of flutes known as cylinder flutes thus, the lowest
or C sharp hole, is made very nearly as large as the diameter of the cylinder,.
and the holes are gradually diminished in size, subject to such slight deviation
as may be necessary, to obtain equal temperament in the tuning.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clinton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLINTON; of 35, Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Professor of Music, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Clinton, Her special licence that I, the said John Clinton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Clinton, 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 FLUTES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Clinton, 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 John Clinton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
My Invention-of " Improvements in Flutes," has reference particularly
to that description known as Boehm's cylindrical flutes, the holes of which
have been heretofore made.equal or nearly so in size.
My Invention consists in making the first or lower C sharp hole nearly
as large as the diameter of the cylinder; the other holes up to the twelfth or
C natural hole are gradually reduced in size.
I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not confine myself to one
uniform proportion of diminution of the holes, as if made between two con-
verging lines, as a slight modification may be necessary to ensure an equal
temperament in tuning.

page_text: What I claim as my Invention consists in graduating the holes as before
described, in contradistinction to the old method of making the holes in
cylinder flutes much smaller than the diameter of the cylinder, and equal
or very nearly so in size.
Also I claim the application of my system to the foot joint separately.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clinton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two..
(L.S.) JOHN CLINTON.