A KEY WHICH REGULATES THE TONE OF THE FLUTE, OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CAPABLE OP THE IMPROVEMENT, BY CAUSING THE BORE OP IT TO LENGTHEN OR CONTRACT AT PLEASURE
Year: 1808

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GOSTLING TOWNLEY, of Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, Esquire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, in
and by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Ninth day of August, in the forty-eighth year of His
reign, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Gostling Townley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Charles Gostling Townley, my executors, administrators, or assigns, by myself
and themselves, or by my or their deputy or deputies, servants or agents,
or such others as I, the said Charles Gostling Townley, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A KEY
WHICH REGULATES THE TONE OF THE FLUTE, OR OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT CAPABLE
OP THE IMPROVEMENT, BY CAUSING THE BORE OP IT TO LENGTHEN OR CONTRACT AT
PLEASURE;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging
me, the said Charles Gostling Townley, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and cause the
same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one
calendar month next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being thereunto had) will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Gostling Townley, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, by the
Plan or Drawing hereunto annexed, and as follows, that is to say :-
Fig. 1 is the tone-regulating key, made of silver or other metal, properly
tempered and polished, and about the thickness of the B-flat key. (a & b)
are vertical projecting parts, forming a space to admit the thumb of the left
hand. Here the key is twice tho thickness of the other end. (c) are three
small holes, by any one of which the key is fastened to the head or first
joint of the instrument, and to which it communicates the sliding motion.
The same kind of key may easily be made to work by being extended to the
right hand, and placed below the b-flat key, but in my opinion it would not
be so convenient. Fig. 2 represents a similar key, having at one end a lever.
(a) is the pivot screwed into the flute, and (b) is a pin fixed into the key,
which moves in the space of the thumb piece (c, d.) Fig. 3 is a key on the
same principle as the foregoing, the action of which is reversed. It consists
of two sliding pieces lying parallel to each other, and receives the thumb as
(a, b,) Fig. 1. Fig. 4, this key is moved by a pinion and rack, instead
of the lever in Fig. 2. Fig. 5, (A, A,) are two racks, lying horizontal and
parallel to each other. B, is a wheel and pinion on the same axis. (c) is a
space for the thumb, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3, which communicates
the motion to the sliding head. The mechanical powers, as shewn in
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, when applied to the key, have this advantage, that the performer
can regulate the tone with greater precision, and is enabled to overcome the
resistance caused by friction in the sliding tubes more easily; but the key,
as represented in Figure 1, is, from its simplicity, best adapted to general
Fig. 6 shews the key, as represented in Fig. 1, in its proper place for
regulating the tone; it may also be used for transposing certain passages,
and producing an additional low tone or note. Fig. 7 is the head of a flute
having mettalic sliding tubes, and on the ivory tip is a small silver screw pin
(a), which passes through either of the holes in the key for the conveniency
of tuning. The tubes must be ground together to move freely, and yet
be air-tight. When the parts are cleaned a little Florence oil should be
applied to the sliding tubes. A flute is the only instrument here set forth,
use.