IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR DETERMINING THE MOVEMENT OF MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1860

page_text: Sealed the 7th May 1861, and dated the 8th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Distin
and Augustus Henry Siebe at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 8th November 1860.
We, HENRY JOHN DISTIN, of No. 9, Great Newport Street, Leicester
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, and
AUGUSTUS HENRY SIEBE, of No. 12, Baker Street, Portman Square, in the
said County, Watch and Clock Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR DETERMINING THE
MOVEMENT OF MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS, AND WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist in having a train of wheels, spring barrel,
pendulum springs, and other appliances so arranged that they may indicate by
the beats on the bell the time of the movement of musical compositions, viz*.,

page_text: the quickness or slowness thereof, and also the time of the marching of
military bodies, viz., whether it be slow, quick, or double-quick time.
These instruments, not having a pendulum, may be enclosed in a metal or
other case, similar to a watch or clock case, and as their movements are not
interrupted by any alteration of the position of the instruments, they may be
conveniently used by band masters and others for regulating the time of
military bands, and also by other persons with any musical instrument, and for
other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John. Distin and Augustus Henry Siebe in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
JOHN DISTIN, of No. 9, Great Newport Street, Leicester Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Musical Instrument Manufacturer, and AUGUSTUS
HENRY SIEBE, of No. 12, Baker Street, Portman Square, in the said County,
Watch and Clock Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Henry John "Distin and Augustus Henry Siebe, Her special licence that
we, the said Henry John Distin and Augustus Henry Siebe, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry John Distin
and Augustus Henry Siebe, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN INSTRUMENTS FOR DETERMINING THE MOVEMENT OF MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS,
AND WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Henry John Distin and Augustus Henry
Siebe, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry John Distin and Augustus
Henry Siebe, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Sheet of Drawings accompanying this our Specification, and forming part
thereof, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
:-
Our said improvements consist in having a train of wheels, spring barrel,
pendulum springs, and other appliances so arranged that they may indicate by
the beats on the bell the time of the movement of musical compositions,
videlicet, the quickness or slowness thereof, and also the time of the marching
of military bodies, videlicet, whether it be slow, quick, or double-quick time.
The instruments so arranged not having a pendulum, may be inclosed in a
metal or other case, similar to a watch or clock case, and as their movements
are not interrupted by any alteration of the position of the instruments, they
may be conveniently used by band masters and others for regulating the time
of military bands, and also by other persons with any musical instrument, and
for other purposes.
In order that our said Invention may be better understood, we refer to the
said Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents the instrument, and which we denominate "the
metropede," with the upper plate removed. A, B, C, D, are spring barrel,
fusee, and wheels, and pinions, as in ordinary watch works; E, escape
wheel; F, balance; G, pallet and hammer by which the bell is struck; H
bell; I, lever, with hook, which by falling into the space between the teeth of
the wheel D prevents the hammer from touching the bell.
Fig. 2 represents the escapement (E and F, Fig. 1.) A, the lower wheel,
has pointed teeth which pass through a notch in the roller D, which is fixed
on E, the axis of the balance, as in a duplex escapement, and allows the teeth
of wheel B to act in the pinion C, also fixed on the axis of the balance, which
gives the impulse by which the balance is kept in motion; E and F are
springs, which may be used together or separately to regulate the velocity of
the balance and rate of blows on the bell.
Fig. 3 represents the form of escapement wheels. A being a serrated or
star wheel which lifts the hammer, but we do not bind ourselves to this mode
of escaping.
Fig. 4 represents the instrument with the upper plate on. A is a lever,
which is shifted by means of a spring B, which is raised or lowered by the
lever A, by which it engages or releases the spring C, thus causing an
accelerated or retarded movement of the balance which acts on the hammer;

page_text: D is an arm which is acted on by the lever, A, which allows the arm (I, as
shewn in Fig. 1,) to fall into the spaces of the wheel, and thereby prevent the
hammer making such blows as.are not required...
Fig. 5 is similar in construction to Fig. 1, with the exception of the means
by which the velocity of the balance is regulated. A is a pinion fixed on the
axis of the balance, which acts in a rack lever B, receiving its motive power
from a spring C, which by removing its action from the axis of the lever. B
increases its tension, and thereby causes accelerated motion. We do not bind
ourselves to this form of spring, but use it to shew the action.
The numbers 75, 108, and 150 in Figure 4 indicate the number of beats
per minute of the time of slow march, quick march, and double-quick march;
so that if the lever A be set at 75, the "metropede" will, while the works are
kept in action, beat the time of slow march; if at 108, of quick march; and
if at 150, of double-quick march. Those numbers are also marked on the
exterior of the case, so that the person using the instrument may see that be
sets, the lever at whichever number he requires.
In Figure 5 the scale is moved backwards or forwards, and set at the
required number, by means of a pin from the spring C to an indicator on a
similar scale on the exterior of the case.
Having described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we do not claim any
of the parts taken, separately; but that what we claim as our said Invention
is, the arrangement and combination of parts for the purposes aforesaid, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry John Distin and Augustus Henry
Siebe, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighth day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one.
HENKY
DISTIN.
(L.S.)
AUGUSTUS HENRY SIEBE. (L.S.)