IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND AND STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,' PIERRE
MATHEW MANNOURY, late of Paris, but now of Leicester Square, Merchant,
send' greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifth day of November, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Pierre
Mathew Mannoury, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said Pierre Mathew Mannoury, my exors, adññiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Pierre Mathew Mannoury, my exors, adiñors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WIND AND STRINGED
INSTRUMENTS," communicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Pierre
Mathew Mannoury, shall cause à particular description of the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be.
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: slides into grooves, and may be regulated as required. i, seen in Figures 4
and 7, is the upper part of the case, which has at its two ends two holes, which
are closed by the stops k; and f, l, is a piece of wood joined to the upper part
of the case i, and forming a space or chamber into which the wind comes from
the bellows through the valves I and K. m are two rods joined to the
partition pieces of the bellows. These rods are joined at the outer ends by
means of a cross piece n. At each end of the bellows there is a hole in the
partitions & and e, with a valve which opens when the bellows is drawn out,
and shuts, on the contrary, as soon as the bellows are folded in again. o is a
projecting piece fixed on to the upper part of the case a, leaving space between
that and the piece 1, f, of sufficient thickness to allow for the upper piece
which covers the keys or works of the instrument.
In Figures 1 and 2, P is a thin piece of wood which covers over the keys at
the upper part of the instrument. This piece P, the lower side of which rests
upon the piece o and the piece l, may be taken on or off as required. The
upper part is pierced with two rows of holes, marked q, seen at Figure 2, to
allow the escape of the air, and by that escape to produce the sound.
In Figures 3, 4, and 5, r represents a similar frame picce to the one marked
1, seen in Figures 4 and 7, and is adjusted in a similar manner. It has a flat
bottom S, seen in Figures 3, 4, and 5, under which are fixed, by screws, sixty-four
small boxes or cases t, which may be made of wood or any other suitable
material. In Figures 4 and 5 they are of different dimensions. One of these
boxes may be seen full size at Figure 8, which shews a plan, a side view, and
a section. At the bottom of these boxes are formed slits, into which fit plates
of metal or other suitable material which forms a spring, and and vibrates
when the wind from the bellows presses on it. The spring vibrates between
the two cliceks t, seen at Figures 4 and 8, which offer a resistance to the
entry of the wind into the boxes. The spring vis fixed to a small cross
piece, which is fixed by screws to the box. To the same piece S, on the
opposite part where the boxes t are placed, are fifty-four keys, marked y in
Figures 3 and 4. These keys are shewn full size at Figures 9 and 10, in
plan, front, and side view. The arrangement of these keys is as follows:-
a' in Figures 9 and 10 is a copper or other metal disc, supplied with a piece
of leather at the under part, which entirely closes the hole formed in the piece
S. These discs are joined to an upright piece c' by means of connecting rods
6. The lower part of the upright c¹ is made of a circular form, and it has a
pin passing through it, from which projects two arms. This upright, with
the parts attached to it, are fixed by screws to the piece s¹.
projecting arms, seen at Figures 4, 9, and 10, to the ends of
d'are the two
which the cords

page_text: or-threads are attached, as w
spring joined to the upright piece c', for the purpose of more firmly pressing
down the keys over the hole.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HANDLE OR FINGER BOARD OF
THE INSTRUMENT, by which means the keys are actuated and the sound
produced!
"
is
G, at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, is the handle or finger board placed at one
end of the instrument. The inner part of this is hollowed out and covered
with a plate of metal h³, seen at Figures 1, 3, 4, and 11. It has eighty-four
small rectangular openings, in each of which is fitted a small piece of wood or
other suitable material, which may be called a button it, which project
outwards from the handle. The plate h¹ is kept in its place by a square plate
I fixed by screws to the wood of the handle at one end, and by a screw K¹ at
'the other end, seen at Figures 4 and 5. To each of these buttons
attached at the inner part a small rod or lever ; which is connected at 'm' to
the inner part of the plate h'. At the end of this lever are two holes, to which
are fastened the cords e¹ which are connected with the keys. This lever, with
the mode of its arrangement, is shown full size at Figure 1). The operation
of this is, that when the fingers are pressed upon the buttons i', the key in
'connection with it is raised. n', Figures 2, 4, and 5, is a lever placed at the
lower part of the handle of the instrument; the object of it is, that when the
'performer wishes to act upon a double movement, a double branch is placed in
'the interior of the handle. To one of these branches is attached a cord P¹³
"Figure 4, corresponding to a second movement placed over the piece S. Near
the handle, upon the circular rod of the second movement, are placed two
copper moveable wires q³, Figures 3 and 4, which run all along the instru-
ment. These two wires have connected to them pins, which, by being drawn
together, act by pressure upon the pieces n¹ of the handle, in opposition to the
movement of one of the arms & of the keys, and raise them in such manner
that in acting at the same time upon any of the buttons ³, and upon the piece
n of the handle, two keys are raised at once, and the instrument will give out
.

page_text: of the handle, the action of which will raise the keys y that may be desired,
and upon the small lever n² if it is wished to actuate more than one key; by
passing his fingers on one button. The handle of the bellows. should be
alternately drawn backwards and forwards, which presses alternately the two
bellows b and c, which supplies the instrument with wind; for the one draws
in the wind as the other gives it forth, and thus. the instrument gives forth the
sounds that I have before spoken of. In the Drawings. that I have shewn the
instrument is made to represent, as near as possible, the form of 'a "guitar; but
I do not confine myself to that form, as it may be round, oval, or any other
convenient, form, without departing from the character of the Invention.
Again, in the arrangement of the buttons 1 (which by being pressed upon
put in operation- the keys), although I have shewn them as placed in the
handle of the instrument, they may be placed in any other part, although :I
consider that that position will be found to be most convenient. The number
of the buttons may also be varied, as also the number of the keys. The wires
which connect the parts together, which I have spoken of as copper wire, may
be of any other metal, or of catgut, or of any suitable' material. The instru-
ment may be played upon as a violincello, but in that case the instrument
should rest-upon a suitable place, in order that the bellows may be actuated
from below.. The Invention is not confined to the mode shewn for: working
the bellows. The copper boxes t, seen at Figures' 4, 5, and 8, fixed by means
to the lower part s, has a slit or opening of a rectangular form, in which is
adjusted a steel plate, which forms a spring, and vibrates when the wind fron
the bellows presses on it; but the form of this opening may be varied...The
plate may be of any metal, as may be the box t. In the instrument shown
the sound is produced by the vibration of the plates pressed upon by the wind
from the bellows, but by striking on the plates. prolonged sounds may be
'obtained, according to the desire of the player. These plates may be played
on as the keys of a piano. In this purpose we fix on the boxes t, when the
sheets vare placed, a small lever, the end of which hooks over the end of the
plate, which is drawn up to a certain height, and upon being released from.
its hook the sheet of metal which was stretched out like a spring falls upon
the bottom of the box t, and produces a clear sound similar to the sound of a
piano.
The description which we have given of this part of the Invention will
suffice to explain the principle of it. The covering piece P, seen at Figures
1 and 2, serves not only to cover the instrument to preserve the works from
injury, but by enlarging that part of the instrument the sound has a greater

page_text: fulness and softness of tone, and the holes which are in this cover give a
greater extent to the sound; the instrument is heard to greater advantage with
the cover removed. The use of this cover and opening for the passage of the
air is for this instrument the same as the cover for the violin; and this upper
. cover is an important part of the Invention. The size of this opening formed
therein can be regulated as may be required, there being a small button or
bolt which communicates with a frame underneath, which frame, by the
turning of the button, may be brought over, or partly over, the holes as
required, and thus allow the air or sound to escape.. I would observe that the
frame of this cover may be varied from that shown in the Drawings. All the
keys y seen at Figures 3 and 4, which are placed at the bottom piece s, may
be placed in the inner part of the instrument in such manner that the wind of
the bellows would strike upon them and force them to be more hermetically
closed, and also to prevent the damp from entering among the plates and
sheets. The form of the instrument may be varied so long as the character of
the Invention is retained, which consists in a series of keys tied together
among themselves with small pieces of metal, and they are connected together
by wires or cords, or any other suitable means. These levers are moved by
the fingers as are the cords of the violin, and in the combination of the boxes t
with the vibrating plates. The instrument may also be transformed into a s
kind of flute by removing the bellows and substituting the wind of the player,
and it may be covered with a similar cover to the one previously described,
which will produce similar results. I also reserve the right of producing
of several sounds from one plate of metal, an effect which is produced on the
violin by the sliding off the fingers over a cord. This will be done by having s
a small moveable carriago placed upon the piece of metal, and formed of two
parts, the one on the upper part, and the other on the under part of the plate
of metal. This carriage may be put in motion by any suitable means, and
slides along the plate of metal. It shortens or lengthens the metal plate as
may be required, in order to change the sound. By this means you aro enabled
to fix the sounds without leaving any interval between each of them.
.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Mathew Mannoury, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.
P. M. MANNOURY. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of December, in
the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Pierre Mathew Mannoury came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and speci-
fied, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-one..