IMPROVED MEANS OF PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING MUSICAL TONES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas James Smith, of the Firm of Robertson,
-
Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF PRODUCING
AND MAINTAINING MUSICAL TONES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE.'
A communication from abroad by Georges Frederic Eugene Kastner
and Albert Lavignac, both of 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris,
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas James Smith
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st May 1872.
I, THOMAS JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
OF PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING MUSICAL TONES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE
PURPOSE," to be as follows: :―
It has long been known that when a jet of pure hydrogen gas is
burnt within a tube of glass, porcelain, or other vibrating material, a

page_text: very sweet and pleasing sound is produced, and this experiment has
therefore been called by the name of "chemical harmony."
The new instrument which is the object of this Invention, and to
which I have given the name of the "Pyrophone," is based upon this
property of hydrogen gas.
The Invention consists in the employment of burners, at which the
gas is burnt within the tubes, and the arrangements by which those
burners are operated by means of a key board, so that the desired sounds
can be produced or damped immediately and at will.
The burners are formed with two or more oscillating branches, in such
a manner that the two jets therefrom, when in their normal position, are
united and confounded in one another by the contact of the branches,
whilst when the sound is produced the two branches are separated and
form two distinct flames, which immediately cause a vibration within
the tube enveloping them.
Along a horizontal frame, say of a piano, and in any number, are
arranged tubes of glass, porcelain, or other vibrating material, the length
and diameter of which are regulated so as to produce exactly the tones
and semi-tones of the chromatic scale in relation to the successive keys
of a keyboard. At the lower part of each tube is arranged a double
burner with two oscillating tubular branches, which are described in
detail further on. The oscillating movement of the two branches of
each burner is commanded by a thread, which is led over the directing
pulleys to be attached to the rear part of the corresponding key of the key
board. Each burner receives pure hydrogen gas through a tube of
coautchouc or other material leading from a common frame, which
itself receives the gas through one tube only from a gasometer or
other reservoir. The pressure of the hydrogen gas on proceeding from
the gasometer must be rendered perfectly constant by the aid of a
regulator properly arranged for the purpose.
The action of the instrument is as follows:-All the burners being
lighted and no keys of the key board being touched, the apparatus
remains silent, seeing that the flames from the two branches of each
burner are merged one with the other in the centre of the corresponding
tube, so that there is no vibration. But as soon as a key is depressed
the two branches of the corresponding burner open out, the two flames
separate, and the sound is instantaneously produced. If the pressure

page_text: is removed from the key so that it returns to its first position, the two
branches of the burner instantly unite, and the sound is immediately
damped or shot off without any transition.
The burner already referred to is composed of two little metal tubes
jointed to a pivot by means of two ear pieces soldered to the tubes.
These little tubes are terminated at their upper extremities with little
ends of platinum in order to prevent the fusion or the deterioration
which is produced by the heat of the flame. The lower ends of the
two little tubes are united by caoutchouc tubes, with two short tubes
provided with regulating cocks branching from the principal tube,
through which the pure hydrogen gas is brought to the instrument,
and which is also provided with a cock. The two little tubes are
provided with holes, to which are attached the two ends of the traction
string, the other end of which is connected to the corresponding key
of the key board. Upon the opposite faces of the tubes are attached
springs, the action of which is always in a contrary direction to that of
the string governed by the key. Fixed supports provided with rigid
abutments limit the course of the two tubular oscillating arms. When
the string is pulled the upper ends of the two tubes separate, and as
soon as the traction of the string ceases the springs act and draw the
upper extremities of the two tubes one towards the other, without
however putting them in contact.
In the first case the two flames of the two tubes are separated, and
the tube produces the sound. In the second case, on the contrary, the
flame from the two tubes are confounded, and the tube gives forth no
sound.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas James Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
JAMES SMITH, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-

page_text: fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas James Smith, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas James Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas James Smith, 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 "IMPROVED
MEANS OF PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING MUSICAL TONES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
THE PURPOSE," communicated to me from abroad by Georges Frederic
Eugene Kastner and Albert Lavignac, both of 23, Boulevard de Stras-
bourg, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas James Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Thomas James Smith, 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 statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
It has long been known that when a jet of pure hydrogen gas is
burnt within a tube of glass, porcelain, or other material capable of
imparting sounds, sounds are produced, and that this experiment has
been called by the name of "chemical harmony."
The new instrument which is the object of this Invention, and to
which the name of the "Pyrophone" has been given is based upon
this property of hydrogen gas.
The Invention consists in the employment of burners, by means of
which the gas is burnt within the tubes, and in the arrangements by
which these burners are operated by means of a keyboard so that the
desired sounds can be produced or damped immediately and at will.
The burners are formed with two or more oscillating branches in such
a manner that the jets therefrom when in their normal position are united

page_text: and confounded in one another by the contact of the branches, whilst
when the sound is produced the two branches are separated and form two
distinct flames which immediately cause a vibration within the tube.
enveloping them.
The Drawing annexed to this description will render the general
arrangement of the new instrument or pyrophone as well as the peculiar
construction of the burners easily understood.
Figure 1 is a lateral sectional elevation of one arrangement of the
complete instrument; Figures 2 and 3 are two face views of the
apparatus with the burners.
Along a horizontal frame A and in any number are arranged tubes of
glass, porcelain, or other material b, b, capable of giving sound
vibrations, the length and diameter of which are regulated so as to
produce exactly the tones and semi-tones of the chromatic scale in
relation to the successive keyst of the key board C. At the lower part
of each tube 6 is arranged a double burner B, with two oscillating
tubular branches which are described in detail further on with reference
to Figures 2 and 3. The oscillating movement of the two branches of
each burner is commanded by a thread c (shown in red ink in Figure 1),
which is led over the directing pulleys d, d, to be attached to the rear
part of the corresponding key t of the keyboard C. Each burner B
receives pure hydrogen gas through a tube f of caoutchouc or other
material leading from a common frame g, which itself receives the gas
through one tube leading from a gasometer or other reservoir. The
pressure of the hydrogen gas on proceeding from the gasometer must be
rendered perfectly constant by the aid of a regulator properly arranged
for the purpose.
The action of the instrument is as follows:-All the burners being
lighted and no keys of the key board being touched, the apparatus
remains silent, seeing that the flames from the two branches of each
burner are merged one into the other in the centre of the corresponding
tubes so that there is no vibration. But as soon as a key is depressed
the two branches of the corresponding burner open out, the two flames
separate, and the sound is instantaneously produced. If the pressure is
removed from the key so that it returns to its first position, the two
branches of the burner instantly unite and the sound is immediately
damped or shut off without any transition.

page_text: I now proceed to describe in detail the burner made use of in the new
instrument in order to render it capable of producing practical effects.
The burner shown in Figure 2 is constructed so as to be applicable to
the smaller tubes, while that shewn in Figure 3 is suitable for the
larger and longer tubes for the production of the bass notes in con-
sequence of the larger separation of their two branches. Both these
kinds of burners are composed of the same essential pieces; and the
difference between them is only in some of the less important organs of
transmission.
The burner is composed of two little metal tubes i, i, jointed to a
pivot by means of two ear pieces soldered to the tubes.
n is a little
support which keeps the pivot j in position. These little tubes i, i, are
terminated at their upper extremities with little ends of platinum in
order to prevent the fusion or the deterioration which might be produced
by the heat of the flame. The lower ends of the two little tubes are
united by caoutchouc tubes k, k, with two short tubes provided with
regulating cocks 1, 2, branching from the principal tubes m, through which
the pure hydrogen gas is brought to the instrument, and which is also
provided with a cock m¹. The two little tubes i, i, are provided with
loops o, o, to which are attached the two ends of the cord c (see Figure 1),
the other end of which is connected to the corresponding key of the
keyboard. Upon the opposite sides of the tubes i, i, are attached springs
p, p, either directly, as in Figure 2, or through cords q, q, and pulleys
r, r, as in Figure 3, the action of which is always in a contrary direction
to that of the string governed by the key. S, S, are fixed supports
provided with rigid abutments u, u, which limit the course of the two
tubular oscillating arms i, i. When the string c is pulled the upper
ends of the two tubes i, i, separate, and as soon as the traction in the
string ceases the springs act and draw the upper extremities of the two
tubes i, i, towards one another without however putting them in
contact.
In the first case the two flames of the two tubes i, i, are separated, as
shown in red ink in Figure 2, and the tube produces the sound. In the
second case on the contrary the flames from the two tubes i, i, are con-
founded and the tube gives forth no sound.
It will be understood that no limit is made to the precise details of
the construction just described since the forms, materials, dimensions,

page_text: and general construction of the new instrument can be varied con-
siderably without departing from the Invention.
Having now described and shown the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I
claim,―
First. The general construction and arrangement of the new musical
instrument or pyrophone, substantially as herein-before described and
shown.
And, secondly. The arrangement of burners for the purpose of the
new instrument or "Pyrophone," substantially as described with
reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas James Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.