IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DESIGNATED THE FLUTE
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Carte, of No. 20, Charing Cross, in the
County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DESIGNATED THE FLUTE."
Sealed the 22nd March 1867, and dated the 5th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Carte at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
December 1866.
I, RICHARD CARTE, of No. 20, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
Musical Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DESIGNATED THE
FLUTE," to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to give increased facility to the fingering
of the flute where the notes B4, Bb, F, and F4 are used in combination
with other notes. These improvements are effected by a combination of
fingerings which are commonly used on the flute with the Boehm fingering,
as ordinarily known under that designation,and the flute for which I obtained
a Patent in the year 1850, No. 12,996 (hereafter called "my flute"), but
which have never been before combined on one instrument. On the flute
with Boehm's fingering the F is produced by pressing down the third finger
of the right hand, the fingers and thumb of the left hand being pressed on
their respective holes and keys; I am enabled to adopt the same fingering,

page_text: at the same time being able to produce Fwith the first finger of the right
hand, as heretofore on my flute. By the arrangement for producing F
I am enabled to dispense with the long side key on my flute, at the same
time I produce the note F with the first finger of the right hand, as in the
flute with Bochm's fingering and with the same finger I can close the B
hole to produce the Bb as in the flute with Boehm's fingering, in a similar
manner as the same Bb key is operated on by the third finger of the right hand
on my flute. I obtain these combinations as follows:-In order to obtain F
press the first finger of the right hand on a lever which will close the G
hole in the same manner as in my flute; this G4 hole is also closed by
pressing the third finger of the right hand on the key or ring covering the E
hole by means of a clutch, this being the Boehm fingering for F. The F4
is produced by pressing the first finger of the right hand on a lever which is
made to close the G hole by a clutch, and the F hole by immediate pressure
on the ring or key covering that hole, and this lever communicates with
the Bb key by means of a clutch which shuts the B4 hole and produces
the Bb in the same manner as in the flute with the Boehm fingering, and in
the same manner as is effected by pressing the lever of F4 key with the
third finger of the right hand on my flute; at the same time I retain
the method of producing F4 by means of the key operated upon by the third
finger of the right hand, as in my flute.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Carte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
CARTE, of No. 20, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Musical
Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Carte, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Carte, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard
Carte, 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MUSICAL
INSTRUMENT DESIGNATED THE FLUTE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Carte, 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 Richard Carte, 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 statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to give increased facility to the fingering of
the flute where the notes Bb, F, F4 are used in combination with other
notes. These improvements are effected by a combination of fingerings which
are commonly used on the flute with the Boehm fingering, as ordinarily known
under that designation, and the flute for which I obtained a Patent in the
year One thousand eight hundred and fifty, No. 12,996, subsequentiy
improved by me, and known as and hereafter called "my flute "), but which
have never been before combined on one instrument. On the flute with
the Boehm fingering the F is produced by pressing down the third finger
of the right hand, the fingers and thumb of the left hand being pressed on
their respective holes and keys; I am enabled to adopt the same fingering, at
the same time being able to produce F with the first finger of the right
hand, as heretofore on my flute. By this arrangement for producing F4 I am
enabled to dispense with the long side key on my flute, at the same time I
produce the note F with the first finger of the right hand, as in the fluto
with Bochm's fingering, and with the same finger I can close the B4 hole to
produce the Bb as on the flute with Beehm's fingering in a similar manner as
the same Bb, is operated on by the third finger of the right hand on my flute.
I obtain these combinations as follows:-In order to obtain FI
press the
first finger of the right hand on a lever which will close the G4 hole, in the
same manner as on my flute; this G4 hold is also closed by pressing the
third finger of the right hand on the key covering the E hole by means of a
clutch, this being the Bohm fingering for F. The F4 is produced by
pressing the first finger of the right hand on a lever, which is also made to
close the G hole by a clutch and the F hole by immediate pressure on the
key covering that hole, and this lever communicates with the Bb, key by

page_text: means or a clutch which shuts the au protraces the the the same
manner as on the flute with the Boehin fingering, and in the same manner as
is effected by pressing the lever of F key with the third finger of the right
hand on my flute. At the same time I retain the method of producing F
by means of the key operated upon by the third finger of the right hand as on
my flute.
The Drawing represents a plan of the flute without the foot joint, as if laid
out flat.
The first, second, and third fingers of the left hand are placed on the keys
covering the duplicate C, (also the holes a and b), Bb, and Aч holes
respectively. The second finger of the left hand will close the Bb hole and
B hole and produce A. The Ghole is shut by the little finger of the left
hand as heretofore, and the thumb of the left hand operates on the keys
covering the C and Bч holes respectively as heretofore. My improved
combination is shewn in the parts next after described. To produce F
I place the first finger of the right hand on the key 1, which shuts the G#
and G holes, as in my former flute, but leaving open the F hole under this
key. I adopt the double action, as in my former flute, so that I can shut the
GE hole with the little finger of the left hand without shutting the G₁ hole.
When all the fingers of the left hand are raised I can shut the C hole which
is under the thumb of the left hand, and the hole under key a, which will
produce C, as in my former flute, and the other F, as in the Boehm flute,
will be produced by putting down the first, second, and third, and little finger
of the left hand on their respective keys,and by pressing down the third finger
of the right hand which will close the G4 hole. By pressing down the third
finger of the right hand (all the fingers above being pressed down on their
respective keys) on the lever 21, I open the Fa hole and produce F, as in my
former flute, and I also produce Bb, as heretofore, by shutting the B4 hole by
means of the lever d. I can also produce F4 by placing the first finger of
the right hand (the holes above being all closed) on the key 1', which will
shut the F and G4 holes; it will also produce the Bb by closing the B4 hole
by the lever d, as in the Boehm flute. Eh is produced by closing the F
hole with the second finger of the right hand; as heretofore and the long side
F4 key is dispensed with. The mechanical means for producing these results
will be the same as commonly used in my flute and the Bachm flute, which
are well known, and I lay no claim to either of the modes of fingering
apart from the other; but what I claim is a combination on the same instru-
ment of the method of fingering the F4 with the first finger of the right hand
and the Bb with the same finger, also the F4 with the third finger of the

page_text: right hand on the F4 key, as also the B and the Fby pressing down the
first finger of the right hand, as in my flute, or by pressing down the third
finger of the right hand, as on the Bachm flute.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Carte, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
girty-seven
R. CARTE. (L.S.)