TMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine Corvi, Organ Builder, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, and of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London, for
tion of "TMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 26th January 1855, and dated the 8th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine Corvi at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th August
1854.
I, ANTOINE CORVI, Organ Builder, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and
of 16, Castle Street, Holborn (City), London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS" to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates chiefly to a system of instruments so combined as
effectually to replace orchestras, by means of stringed and wind instruments,
which are played like barrel or key boaard organs. This system, hence, amongst
others, comprises instruments resembling violins, tenor violins, violoncellos, and
other common stringed instruments, to be played either by turning a handle or
by touching and depressing keys. These tringed instruments are mounted on
an axis, so as to be capable of a vibrating motion. The strings have a constant

page_text: tension applied to them, being drawn by levers and springs, or any other
equivalent. I sometimes replace the fiddle bows by wheels, having a tyre of
india-rubber or other suitable material. These wheels run in a moveable
frame, which is depressed by means of levers and connecting rods, called pilots,
acted upon by the barrel or the keys, and is raised by means of springs, in such
manner that the circumference of the wheels be in'or out of contact with the
strings, as the tune may require. One or more of said connecting rods or
pilots may be used to depress each bow wheel, so as to produce sounds of different
strength; said bow wheels or circular bows may be moved by frictional contact
with another wheel, driven in any suitable way. The bow wheel may also be
stopped when required by means of a star wheel, whose position with regard
to the bow wheel is so regulated by the acting pilot of the latter, as to allow it
to turn when the said bow wheel is brought into contact with the strings and
to stop it when out of contact. In this case a bell crank lever drawn by a
spring acts as an intermediate between the pilot and said star wheel. The
necessary colophany is supplied to the circular bows by causing them to pass
through boxes containing said substance in a pulverulent state. A series of
holders or pinchers are placed along each string of the instrument, viz., at the
points corresponding with the semitones; these pinchers are kept open by
springs, and closed upon the string when required for producing different tones,
by causing a pilot to act upon them, each pilot being moved by the barrel or
key board. I produce the so-called pizzicato by means of a double-armed lever
striking the string, being itself acted upon by a pilot. The way of setting the
circular bow in motion may also be varied in different ways; thus it may be left
constantly in contact with its string, and be thrown into gear by means of any
suitable contrivance. This system of orchestral instruments includes also flutes
with keys, which are opened by means of strings, levers, rods, &c. acted upon by
the barrel or by keys. As to reed instruments, such as hautboy, bassoon, &c.,
I obtain their sounds mechanically, by means of a reed suitably placed in an
air vessel, and keys similar to those of the flute above mentioned, which are
put in motion by means of a key board or of a cylinder. Also, for obtaining
the particular sound of clarinets, I place the mouth-picces into a perfectly
closed chamber, and causing a piece of india-rubber to rest on the reed. The
piece of india-rubber is brought nearer to or further from the end of the
mouth-piece for the purpose of varying the intensity of sound. Brass instru-
ments, such as trumpets, cornopeans, &c., are represented in this system by
a metal tube, which is terminated by two blade-like parts, round whose
extremities I wrap india-rubber, the whole being contained in a metal receiver.
All the instruments. of the mechanical orchestra, of which the preceding are

page_text: merely to be considered as example, are set to play simultaneously, as the
score requires, by means of a cylinder, barrel, or any other suitable means, and
thus any orchestral music can be effectually executed by their combination.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Antoine Corvi in the Great Seal Patent Oflice on the 7th
February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE
CORVI, Organ Builder, of Paris, in the Empire of France, and of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn (City), London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Antoine Corvi, Her special licence that I, the said Antoine Corvi, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Antoine
Corvi, 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 MUSICAL INSTRU-
MENTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Antoine Corvi,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Antoine Corvi, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to a system of instruments so constructed and
combined as effectually to imitate the performance of orchestras when played,
by means of stringed and wind instruments, which are played like barrel or
key board organs.
This system hence comprises, amongst others, violins,
tenor violins, violoncellos or base fiddles, and any other stringed instruments to

page_text: be played, either by turning a handle, as in box or barrel organs, or by
depressing keys or studs, as in pianofortes, church organs, concertinas, &c.
Having thus briefly defined the nature and object of this Invention, I
now proceed to give a detailed account of the manner in which the same
is or may be carried into effect,. as represented on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 shew an arrangement for playing the violin mechanically,
that is to say, by merely turning a handle. Fig. 1 is a plan of the instrument;
Fig. 2 is a vertical length section of the same, through the line 1, 2, Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an end view of the violin, from the end opposite the handle part;
Fig. 4 is a cross section through the lines 3, 4, of Figs. 1 and 2.
The violin a
is supported by a kind of frame a', which may be taken off instantly from the
lower part of an organ box, or any other arrangement for containing the
driving parts. This violin is so supported as only to bear at its extremities, in
order not to interfere with the necessary vibration or resonance of the violin.
There are only two strings shewn, but I do not confine myself to this or any
other particular number of them, as the manner of acting upon them will
always be the same. These strings are fastened at the bottom end of the
instrument, as usual, and towards the top end of the violin pass over a roller c,
being finally attached to a hook, that is acted upon by a lever d, that is capable
of turning about d' as a centre, and into which is screwed a screw e, bearing
against the spring f; by this means the strings may be stretched to the
pitch required, and also the spring allows them to follow the variations of the
atmosphere; however, each string may also be wound and stretched upon a
cylindrical barrel, the latter being acted upon by a worm and wheel, the same
as in counter bass. There are two wheels g on the spindles g', to act in lieu'
of fiddle bows; these spindles carry at one end an india-rubber hoop g³, and
receive a circular motion by means of the small cranks or take-abouts, which
are fixed at the ends of the spindles h; these spindles being set in motion by
means of gearing h', arranged to that effect, and driven by any suitable motive
power.
At the other end the journals of the spindles g' run in spring bearings
g", secured to the frame a¹; the pivots are also carried by levers i, that are
fixed on the spindles j, which. arc supported horizontally by proper bearings
fixed on said frame a'; said spindles j carry also another pair of levers i',
covered with springs, upon which at the proper time the ends of two
connecting rods (called "pilots,") are made to bear, being acted upon either
by a barrel or by the studs or keys. These pilots, by pressing upon the
springs ², produce at the same time a pressure upon the levers i', and depress
them as well as the levers i upon the same shafts i, and these levers i, carrying

page_text: the pivots of the shafts g', on which the wheels g are keyed at this end, said
wheels are pressed into contact with the springs, and being possessed of a
constant rotary motion, as above stated, cause these springs to vibrate the
same as if the bow were used; also, as soon as the pilot ceases to producc
its pressure, the elasticity of the springs g raises the wheels off the springs,
and leaves them to rotate out of contact with the springs, so as to produce
no further vibration. Although a single pilot be sufficient in ordinary
cases for acting upon cach wheel, I have found it preferable to use two of
them, one being for the usual mode of playing, and the other being thrown
into action when it is desired to perform with great delicacy and nicety. It
will easily be gathered from the Drawing that the wheels g are to rotate by
friction, but for greater safety the driving may also be arranged as shewn by
Fig. 2, this arrangement consisting of a friction clutch and take-about, allow-
ing instantly to stop the action of the wheels g without danger of bringing the
mechanism out of order. This instantaneous stoppage may also be obtained
by causing the "pilot" of each wheel to act upon the branch of a bell crank
lever, which is under the constant action of a spring, the other branch of the
lever getting into gear or contact or locking with a star wheel as soon as the
pilot ceases to act upon the branch of the bell crank lever; this action evidently
stops instantly the motion of the wheel g, which had been previously set in
motion by any driving mechanism. The arrangement of the supports for the
spindles of wheels g may be modified, as shewn by Fig. 3, where the pilots
bear upon the levers i, by which the levers k³, k, are placed into such position
that the wheel g is put into contact with the strings; also, as soon as the pilots
leave off pressing, the coiled spring draws up the wheel out of contact with
the string of the instrument. In order to ensure the necessary friction between
the strings and the rotatory bows g, I put colophany on their circumference,
which is supplied by causing the wheels g, when they touch the strings, to dip
slightly into the small curvilinear troughs, which contain pulverized colophany.
In order to produce the different notes, each string bis made to pass through
a series of pinchers or holders 1, fixed along the string upon a frame k, that is
secured to the handle of the violin. Each pincher has to give to the string the
proper length for sounding the note required, and when not in use is kept open
by means of a spring; also, a pilot is placed under each of these pinchers, so
that each pilot, according to the motion it receives by the barrel, or a key or
stud, bears upon this pincher for closing it, and thus obtaining the different
lengths of string, corresponding to the different notes. I produce the so-called
pizzicato by means of a double-armed lever 1, which is carried by a support s,
and kept up by a spring t. When it is desired to play pizzicato, a pilot is made

page_text: to press upon the end of the lever r, whose under portion, meeting the string b
will produce the same sound as if the string were pinched by the finger, as
usual. I wish it to be understood that the different arrangements shewn are
only to be considered as examples of my improvements, for they may be varied
indefinitely without departing from the principle of this part of the Invention,
which consists in combining any kind of wheel or rotary bow for setting strings
to vibrate, the length of these strings being limited at will by any mechanical
means. Although an entire set of self-acting instruments is required for
imitating the performances of an orchestra, yet a part only of this Invention,
such as the above violin alone, may be used separately or in combination with
any other known arrangement of instruments. Also, in case the rotary bows
should not afford the necessary facilities for playing every kind of music, the
arrangements shewn in section, Figs. 5 and 6, may be used. In this arrange-
ment, the wheel is loose on its shaft, which receives a continuous rotary
motion, without carrying round the wheel g, that is in constant contact with a
string b. When it is desired to produce the sound, the disc g', on the hollow
boss ', is made to receive a lateral or lengthwise pressure, by means of a
lever g by this pressure, the spring between the wheel g & disc is com-
pressed, the former being thus carried round by the latter, and the string with
which the wheel g is in contact is thus made to sound. Instead of the rotary
bows, the strings of self-acting violin, above described, may also be set to
vibrate by means of straight bows, that would have to be moved with a
reciprocating motion, the same as common bows, or in the manner of an
endless chain.
In order to imitato the wind instruments of orchestras, I have devised an
arrangement of pipes with holes for letting the air in, as shewn in a detached
view or section, Fig. 7, in external elevation, Fig. 8, and a view of the whole,
Fig. 9. The pipes m have apertures at the proper places closed by valves n,
which may be opened by acting upon the bell-crank levers by means of a wire, or
by means of levers, pilots, &. This novel application of valves may be adapted
to pipes of any length, allowing to produce any sound and all modulations as
performed by the best players; also, it is obvious, from an inspection of Fig. 9,
that the whole of the instrument may be contained in a very small space.
These arrangements for producing the sounds similar to those of flutes are
worked by air, which is supplied by means of a pair of bellows, set in motion
by any suitable motive power, and the keys may be acted upon by means of a
barrel or a key board. These arrangements may also be applied for playing a
German flute. Figs. 8 and 9 shew a German flute which receives the air
through the mouth-piece m', either from a reservoir with valves, so as to give

page_text: ingress to the air, with more or less force for producing the high notes. The
same result may also be obtained with a pair of bellows, by varying the pres-
sure on the bellows in such manner as to produce the expression required.
Moreover, the flute may have only a single octave, or any number of keys
corresponding with any extent of scale of sounds or gamut that may be given
to the flute. Fig. 9* shews clearly that the levers, and consequently a barrel
or keys, may easily be made to act upon one or several keys.
For imitating the pean flute or syrinx, I prefer to adopt the arrangement
shown in vertical section, Fig. 10. The air issueing from a reservoir, in which
is placed a reed o, passes through the reed in the direction of the arrow, and
at its final exit produces exactly the same sounds as a syrinx. Fig. 10 shews
in section another arrangement, which will be found very suitable for imitating
the syrinx. In this arrangement, in order to obtain the proper notes and for
tuning, I place a stopper in the tubes o and o', this stopper being put higher
up or lower down in the tubes by means of a rod. As to hautboys, and other
reed instruments of the same class, such as the corno Inglese, bassoon, base
hautboy, &c., all the sounds that artists obtain from them may in some
measure be produced mechanically, by an arrangement similar to that shewn
in vertical section, Fig. 11, where the reed p is contained in a reservoir of air,
there being also valves n, similar to those shewn at Fig. 7, which can also be
set in motion by means of a barrel or touching keys. For imitating the sounds
of clarionets, I put the mouth-pieces in a chamber, which is completely closed,
as shewn at Fig. 12. I also adapt a piece of india-rubber t to the spring u,
so as to rest on the reed, said spring being fixed by means of screws u' farther
from or nearer to the end of the mouth-piece, so as to vary the intensity of the
sound produced. I have also found that the sounds of the clarionet may be
obtained by substituting for cylindrical pipes, tubes having a square or rectan-
gular section; also, the india-rubber may be dispensed with, and the reed
may be maintained by means of a very simple reed presser, which is constructed
upon the same principle as those now in use. For tuning these square or
rectangular tubes, there is an aperture on the side of each tube, which aperture
may be increased or diminished at will, by means of a sliding part that is acted
upon by a rod. The clarionets may also be tuned by exerting a great pressure
upon the reed by means of a wire, in such manner as to make the vibrating
part of the reed longer and shorter. Moreover, it is to be distinctly understood
that the instruments just described may be constructed of any kind of wood
other suitable substances. Brass instruments, such as the trumpet, the
bugle, the sack but or trombone, the French horn, the cornopean, and other
wind instruments, may perfectly be imitated by the arrangement shewn in
or any

page_text: Fig. 14, where it will be seen that the metallic pipe v ends in two pieces, like
blades, whose extremities are wrapt up in india-rubber, the whole being con-
tained in a metallic chamber . It is obvious that the dimensions of these
different parts last described must be varied according to the instruments the
sounds of which are to be imitated. It may also be stated, that it.is possible
to combine several tubes with reeds, for the purpose of eliciting several notes
from the same instrument. These tubes unite into one, which directs the air
or wind into these different tubes, so as to produce the different notes of a
concord.
It is known, that in order to change tunes of instruments that are played
mechanically, a lateral motion is given to the cylinder, which carries pins so
placed as to play one or, the other of several tunes. I use this motion for
indicating at the same time the piece played by means of a hand shewing on
a dial; but this object may also be attained by leaving one or more openings,
and applying the lateral motion of the cylinder for bringing into sight in the
opening the piece played and the name of the author, &c. &c., by employing
a similar arrangement to what is used in offices for indicating the day of the
month, &c. &c. This arrangement may also be adapted to my portable
instruments. It has been stated above that either barrels or keys may be used
for playing, the above instruments; but when required I also use little boards
with projecting portions, so arranged as to produce the sounds required, these
boards acting thus in lieu of the common organ barrels, or in lieu of the
fingers, by which the player would have to touch the keys of the key board.
In conclusion, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to
combining the whole or part of the instruments above described; but I also
sometimes combine their different. effects or parts with a piano or any other
known instrument. It will also be understood, that although no such comi-
plete combination has been shewn above, different bow instruments, from the
first violin down to the counter base, and also reed, and brass, and other
orchestral instruments, may be. united in one box, and thus, this musical
apparatus being set in motion, the same concerted or orchestral effect may
be obtained as if these instruments were played separately by first-rate artists.
It need not be mentioned here that in order to vary the effects produced by
the instruments they must be grouped, combined, & united in any suitable
number and relative. position.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner. in
which the same is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to 'be understood
that what I claim as novel, and therefore being secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,

page_text: First, obtaining by the means above described, and by any suitable motive
power from violins and stringed instruments and from wind instruments, sounds
as handsome and varied as those produced by the best players.
Second, employing said means separately or combining them with each
other as to produce any given effect.
First, obtaining by the means above described, and by any suitable motive
power from violins and stringed instruments and from wind instruments, sounds
as handsome and varied as those produced by the best players.
Second, employing said means separately or combining them with each
other as to produce any given effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Corvi, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
1855.