AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMMONLY CALLED THE GERMAN FLUTE, AND WHICH INVENTION WAS ALSO, AS TO PART THEREOF, APPLICABLE TO AND AN IMPROVEMENT UPON MOST OF SUCH OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS AS ARE PLAYED UPON WITH KEYS
Year: 1785

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
POTTER, of Pemberton Row, in the City of London, Musical Wind Instrument
Maker, do send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the twenty-sixth
year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Potter, His
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Richard Potter, during the term of fourteen years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that part of the
Kingdom of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT UPON THE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMMONLY CALLED THE GERMAN FLUTE, AND WHICH INVENTION
WAS ALSO, AS TO PART THEREOF, APPLICABLE TO AND AN IMPROVEMENT UPON MOST OF
SUCH OTHER MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENTS AS ARE PLAYED UPON WITH KEYS;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Richard Potter, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and cause the same to be inrolled in
Ilis Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and

page_text: immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the said
Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Potter, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained as follows (that is to say) :-
My said Invention of An Improvement upon the Musical Instrument com-
monly called the German Flute, and which Invention is also, as to Part thereof,
Applicable to and an Improvement upon most of such other Musical Wind
Instruments as are played upon with Keys, consists of and in the use and adap-
tion of the metal pipes or tubes herein-after mentioned and described to the
said musical instrument called the German flute, and also consists of and in the
construction, manner of making, and adaption to the said musical instrument
called the German flute, of the keys with valves, as herein-after mentioned and
described, and the metal pipes countersunk to receive them, as herein-after also
mentioned and described, and which keys with valves, and which last-mentioned
metal pipes so countersunk to receive them as aforesaid, are applicable and
capable of adaption to most of such other musical wind instruments as are
played upon with keys, and will, if applied and adapted to them, be an
improvement thereon; and my said Invention is to be performed, and the
said metal pipes, tubes, keys with valves, and counter-sunk metal pipes,
are to be used, constructed, put together, fixed, and applied in the manner
particularly mentioned and described in the Drawing or Plan subjoined, and
the explanation following, by which I refer to the said Drawing or Plan
(that is to say) =
The
The German flute is made to draw out to time to other instruments.
head and bottom joints are made in two pieces; the longest piece of the head
A is six inches and a half long; the shorter one B is three inches and a half
long; the longest piece A has a groove turned in at the lower end to receive the
shorter one B, which is turned smaller one inch and a quarter long to fit and
slide into the groove turned in the longest piece A to receive it. The longest piece
A is lined with a metal pipe C three quarters of an inch diameter and sever
inches three quarters long, which comes through the lower end one inch and a
quarter. The shorter piece B is likewise lined with a metal pipe D, two
inches and a half long, and made to fit and slide on the longer pipe C, and
into the groove of the longest piece A, and forms a double sliding joint air
tight. The second joint (A, A), commonly called the middle joint, is about si
iuches and a quarter long, exclusive of the pins at each end, which are turned

page_text: down to fit to the other joints, having two keys, one for the note G, that
is to say,
G sharp; the other for the note B), that is to say B flat, which
are placed as on the Draught. The third joint (B, B,) is about five inches, exclu-
sive of the pin at the lower end, which is turned down to fit the bottom joint,
having.the key for the note F₁, that is to say, F natural, which is placed on
the Draught; these joints are often made without keys. The bottom. joint is
three inches and three cighths long; this is likewise in two pieces, the longest
piece E is three inches long; the shorter one F is one inch and a half long;
the longest piece E has a key for the note D, that is to say, for D sharp, and
a groove turned at the lower end to receive the shorter one F, which is turned
sinaller one inch long, to fit and slide into the groove of the longest piece E,
which is also lined with a metal pipe G, half a inch diameter, and two inches
and five eighths long, which comes through the lower end thrce eighths of an
inch. The shorter one F is lined with a metal pipe II, and is one inch and a
half long, made to fit and slide on the longer pipe G, and into the groove of
the longer piece E, and forms a double sliding joint air-tight. The sliding
joints are divided into several spaces, and figured 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, &c., as in the
Draught or Plan. There is an ivory button I at the top of the piece A, with
a screw, which moves the cork up and down. By turning the button round a
small bit of ivory comes through the top of the button, and is divided into
several spaces, and figured as on the sliding joints. When drawn out to any
pitch wanted, the figures must correspond as in the Draught. Bottom joints
with additional keys may be used on these flutes by reversing the movement
of the cork. All the before-mentioned keys are made to stop with a metal
conical valve K. put on the key L, by the small screw (N), to hang loose as
on a swivel. There is a small hole at the lower end of the key L to receive
the screw (M). When the conical keys are fixed to the instrument, there is a
short piece of metal pipe (N) let in under the centre of the valve, which is
countersunk to receive the valve. These conical valve keys are applicable to
any kind of wind instruments wherein keys are used. The notch cut to fix
the key in is lined with metal to prevent wearing by friction; the keys in other
respects are as usual on other instruments, and pin'd in with a wire and a
spring on the lever end, which, when pressed by the fingers, raises the valve,
and by raising the finger the spring forces the valve back into the countersunk
pipe (N). If the German flute intended to be made be of a higher or lower
pitch than what is commonly called or known by the term of concert pitch, as
it must for that purpose be made shorter or longer, then and in that case the
several dimensions of the particulars constituting my said Invention should be
diminished or extended according to their reciprocal and relative proportions

page_text: as herein-before given; and if the said keys with valves and countersunk metal
pipes are to be adapted or applied to any other musical wind instrument, the
sizes and proportions must be varied accordingly.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Potter, have hereunto set my
Land and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in the twenty-
sixth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third,
by the grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King,
Defender of the Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord
One thousand seven hundred and eighty-five.