IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS."-A communication from abroad by Jules
Legendre, of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 24th September 1867, and dated the 29th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th March 1867.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," communicated to him from abroad
by Jules Legendre, of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France, to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct wind musical instruments in
such manner that the key or tone may be instantaneously transposed or
changed while a piece of music is being played on the instrument, the slides
being regulated or worked at the same time, and by the same action. For
this purpose according to this Invention a moveable cylinder tube or valve

page_text: herein-after called the "transposer" (to avoid repetition), is placed in the
interior of the instrument between the tuning slide and the bell. When this
transposer is turned or moved into its closing position it shuts off the air from
the bend, elbow, or crook, and the music is played in one key; but
when the player actuates a finger piece or similar contrivance so as to move
the transposer into its opening position the transposer opens the wind passages
and allows the air to circulate and prolongs the column of air proceeding
from the mouth piece before it reaches the piston, thereby changing or trans-
posing the key or tone, as, for example, sharpening, or flattening, or varying
it a semitone. The transposer is also connected with the bend or elbow slide
and pushes it outward and thus prolongs the column
piston. If there are two, three, or more pistons, similar action may take
place by connecting their respective bends, crooks, elbows, or slides with the
transposer. The finger piece which works the transposer may be returned to
position by a spring or pulled up by a ring. Openings are made in the
pistons to bring the internal air in communication with the external air and
get rid of the moisture. There is elastic packing at the joints of the extended
tubes, and springs may restore the slides to position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 68, 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-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as I, the said Michael
Henry, 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
WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," communicated to me from abroad by Jules

page_text: Legendre, of 33, Boulevart Saint Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Michael Henry, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Michael Henry, 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 state-
ment thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to construct wind musical instruments in
such manner that the key or tone may be instantaneously transposed or
changed while a piece of music is being played on the instrument, the slides
being regulated or worked at the same time and by the same action. For
this purpose according to this Invention a moveable cylinder tube or valve,
berein-after to avoid repetition called the "transposer," is placed in the
interior of the instrument between the tuning slide and the bell. When this
transposer is turned or moved into its closing position it shuts off the air from
the bend, elbow, or crook, and the music is played in one key; but when the
player actuates a finger piece or similar contrivance so as to move the trans-
poser into its opening position the transposer opens the wind passages and
allows the air to circulate and prolongs the column of air proceeding from
the mouth piece before it reaches the piston, thereby changing or transposing
the key or tone, as, for example, sharpening or flattening it, or varying it a
semitone. The transposer is also connected with the bend or elbow slide and
pushes it outward, and thus prolongs the column of air of the first piston. If
there are two, three, or more pistons similar action may take place by
connecting their respective bends, crooks, elbows, or slides with the trans-
poser. The finger piece which works the transposer may be returned to
position by a spring or pulled up by a ring. Openings are made in the
pistons to bring the internal air into communication with the external air and.
get rid of the moisture. There may be elastic packing at the joints of the
extending tubes, and springs may restore the former to position.
The accompanying Drawings represent in what manner the Invention may
be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a view of a cornet-à-piston constructed according to this

page_text: A, B, are slides. The red lines shew the position of the slides A, B, when
the key is to be transposed to a semitone; C is the bell; D, the mouth piece;
E, the tuning slides; F, the pistons; these parts C, D, E, are of ordinary
construction so that the fingering remains the same as heretofore, which is a
considerable advantage. The pistons F are of ordinary construction, except
that they are formed with openings or orifices t, as herein-after described.
The present improvements relate to the sounding or sonorous portion of the
instrument comprised between the tuning slide E and the bell C. g is a
cylinder or tubular or cylindrical valve shewn in section, Figure 2, acting as
an air valve; this cylinder, which I call the "transposer," is actuated by a
lever or finger piece ; connected with it by an arm or rod ; when this
cylindrical valve or transposer g is closed it assumes the position shewn in
black lines in the Drawing; in that position it intercepts the passage of air
and prevents the air from passing through the bend or elbow h, so that the
instrument plays, say, for example, at the key of
supposing the performer wishes to change the key to A
(B flat.) But
he exerts
pressure on the lever j, which works the arm / so as to bring the cylindrical
valve or transposer g into the position shewn in red lines, and by this motion
the column of air proceeding from the mouth piece is extended or prolonged
Irefore it arrives at the pistons, because the transposer 9 when it opens the
orifices of the air passages allows the air to circulate therein and thereby
extends its course of travel. The transposer g on being moved or opened as
above described extends or prolongs the column of air passing by the first of
the pistons F, because the slide or bend A will be moved into the position
shewn in red lines by the action of the rod n, which moves the slide A and
which is itself actuated by the air from the transposer g, this rod n being
connected with the back part of the said transposer g by means of a rod o.
P
is another rod fixed to the back of the axis of the transposer 9 and connected
by a rod or arm q with the slide or bend B, which corresponds with the third
piston F; hence the opening action of the transposer or cylindrical valve g
operates the said slide or bend B and regulates its extension; r is a slide or
bend which corresponds with the second piston F, and which may be placed
in a medium position sufficient for obtaining a practically sufficient clearness
of tone while the instrument is being played, whatever be the key adopted.
The Drawing shows the instrument thus disposed, hence though this slide does
not change its position it is easy to understand that the rod q may be employed
in such manner as to act upon the bend or slide 7 and cause it to move out-

page_text: ward at the same time as the extensions of the bends or slides above described
take place. While the instrument is being played upon the left hand of the
performer is always at liberty, so that he may employ it for the purpose of
effecting a change of key by operating with this hand on the lever j, which
presses a spring 8, and on releasing the lever or finger piece the spring s will
bring the lever or finger piece into its previous position, thus raising the
instrument exactly a half note. If the spring s is not strong enough the
finger piece may be lifted to the required position by using a ring in which
the finger of the performer may work.
It must be distinctly understood that elbows, bends, slides, or crooks of
ordinary construction may be used for regulating the instrument, but the
pistons must be formed with an opening in each so contrived as to establish
communication between the air in the interior of the instrument and the
external or atmospheric air, otherwise the change of key could not be effected
by reason of the contraction and expansion of air due to the extension of the
various passages operated upon simultaneously, and this action would be
rendered practically impossible. Figure 3 is a section of a piston in which
such an air opening is formed; this opening is niarked ; these orifices t also
serve for the escape of moisture produced while the instrument is being played
upon, and by these means a performer will not be required to pull out the
slides in order to clear them of moisture, as is at present required; however,
if needful, any excess of moisture or water of condensation may be removed
by withdrawing the external bends V, which also serve for shifting the slides
from the note C to the note A, from
to
)
It must be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact mechanical
means described for effecting the simultaneous extension of the three air
passages, slides, or bends when acted upon by the rotation of the axis of the
cylinder or transposer g. Caoutchouc packings are sometimes used at the
joints of the extensible tubes to prevent the dust from penetrating into the
instrument.
When instruments of large calibre or diameter are used spiral or other
springs may be employed in order to facilitate or aid the return of the slides to
their previous positions after they bave been released from the action thereon
of the lever or finger piece.
Moreover instruments may be constructed as above described, but so
modified that when the finger piece is depressed they will play at the key of
instead of A, or at the key of B natural instead of B flat (Bb), or of
B

page_text: instead of
la, or at the key of
si natural instead of the key
si flat, or of
do natural instead of
si natural.
of b
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the arrangement and
combination of parts, substantially as herein-before described and for the
purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street,
London. E.C.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)