Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
I, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for its object improvements upon that class of musical sounding
apparatus which was described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me
dated October 28. 1884. No. 14270 and my present improvements relate to means
whereby I greatly improve the tone of such apparatus and afford facility for tuning
the same with the greatest accuracy.
In the aforesaid specification I described the use of metallic tubes suspended from
the upper end and struck above the point of suspension by suitable, hammers. Such
tubes I now use for a variety of musical purposes including their use for church and
other bells and hitherto it has been difficult to tune them with the desired accuracy.
In carrying out my present invention I employ a screw plug or cap at either or
both ends of the tube which by being screwed a greater or less distance into or onto
the said tube enables the tuning to be effected with the greatest nicety and produces
an increased volume of sound whilst by applying such a plug or cap to the upper
part of the tube the tone is greatly improved. A set screw or other suitable means
is employed to retain the plugs or caps in position when once set.
Dated this 10th day
----- 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Musical Sounding Apparatus.
I, JOHN HARRINGTON of the Enamel and Cradle Spring Works, Coventry, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improvements upon that class of musical sounding
apparatus which was described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me
dated October 28, 1884, No. 14270, and my present improvements relate to means
whereby greatly improve the tone of such apparatus and afford facility for tuning
the same with the greatest accuracy.
In the aforesaid specification I described the use of metallic tubes suspended from
the upper end and struck, above the point of suspension, by suitable hammers.
Such tubes I now use for a variety of musical purposes, including their use for church
and other bells, and hitherto it has been difficult to tune them with the desired
accuracy.
In carrying out my present invention I employ a plug or cap at either or both ends
of the tube, which, by being driven or screwed a greater or less distance into or on to
the said tube, enables the tuning to be effected with the greatest nicety, and produces
an increased volume of sound, whilst, by applying such a plug or cap to the upper
part of the tube the tone is greatly improved. A set screw or other suitable means
is employed to retain the plugs or caps in position when once set.
And in order that my invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried
into effect, 1 will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to describe
the same.

page_text: In carrying my invention into effect I may close one or both ends of the tube a,
(as shown by figures 1 and 2) by means of a plain plug b, which may be made of
any suitable metal or alloy, but preferably of a similar character to that of which the
tube is composed; or the plain plug may be made of vulcanized fibre, vulcanite,
hard wood, compressed or not, or of other suitable material; these plain plugs I form
very tightly to fit the tube, so that they require great force to drive them in, and they
may be caused completely to enter the tube or to project a short distance therefrom,
as shown by dotted lines in figure 1.
Or one or both ends of the tube may be closed by means of a screw plug b, as shown
at Figure 3, which is made very tightly and accurately to fit the screw thread formed
in the interior of the tube a, so that when the plug is screwed into the tube there
shall be continuous contact between such parts.
Instead of employing a screw plug I may employ a screw cap, as shown at Figure 4,
which should be made to fit accurately and tightly the screw thread formed on the
exterior of the tube a. In both these latter cases I employ a set screw a³ to prevent the
possibility of the plug or cap shifting its position by the vibration of the tube.
Instead of employing a screw cap, a plain cap made to fit tightly the exterior of the
tube and driven thereon may be employed.
b
The screw plug or cap 6 for large sized tubes may be provided with a square b' on
the outer end, as shown at Figures 3 and 4, to provide facility for turning it by
means of a suitable key, whilst for small sized tubes, tho plugs or caps may be formed
with a nick or cross cut on the end to enable them to be turned by a screw
driver.
By the use of tubes closed at one or both ends by a plug or cap as herein described,
and by striking such tubes by a hammer about midway of the length of that portion
of the tube which is filled or covered by the plug or cap, I obtain a greatly improved
tone as compared with the employment of tubes open at both ends, whilst in all the
above described ways of closing the tubes, the tuning thereof is roughly effected by
causing the plug or cap to pass a greater or less distance into or onto the tube, after
which the exact tuning of the tube can be effected by cutting or filing off a larger or
smaller portion of the end of the tube plug or cap, and I would here observe that the
sharpening of a note is effected by causing the plug or cap to pass a greater distance
into or on to the tube, but, when once the plug has been caused fully to enter the
tube, or the cap has been driven or screwed fully home, no further sharpening of the
note can be effected by further screwing or driving such plug or cap, and my usual
practice, which I have found to answer well, is to roughly tune the tube by means of
the plug or cap, taking care to leave the note somewhat flat, after which I bring the
note up to the required pitch by cutting or filing off a portion of the plug, cap or
tube.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
.In means or apparatus for producing musical sounds, the employment of tubes
made of any suitable metal or alloy and closed at one or both ends by a plug or cap,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
JOHN
HARRINGTON.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.