IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUTES
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CORNELIUS
WARD, of Great Titchfield Street, in the County of Middlesex, Musical
Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Eighteenth day of January, in the fifth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Cornelius
Ward, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the
said Cornelius Ward, my exors, adñññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Cornelius Ward, my exors, adñors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FLUTES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that 1, the said Cornelius Ward, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Cornelius Ward, do hereby declare that the nature of any Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):-
In constructing flutes as heretofore practised that instrument has many
faults, which it is the object of my improvements to correct.
Now one of the objects of my Invention is so to arrange the holes and keys
of a flute that in successively fingering the notes of the chromatic scale of the
lower octave all the holes, whether intended to be stopped by fingers or by
keys, may remain open below that one the stopping of which determines the
Another object of my Invention is to facilitate the fingering of the
instrument by certain new arrangements of the keys for the production of
particular notes; and the Invention also relates to means of regulating the
position of the stopper. And in order that my Invention may be most fully
understood, I will proceed to explain the Drawings hereunto annexed, and tho
best means I ain acquainted with for carrying out the various details which are

page_text: will now proceed to call attention to each particular result consequent on the
use of my improvements separately.
And, first, it will be seen that there is an additional hole at (2) which is
covered by the first finger of the left hand, and the covering of such hole (2)
by that finger also closes the hole (1) by means of a key. The effect of this
arrangement is to improve the tone and tune of the notes D natural and E flat;
and when all the holes are open, and the first finger of the left hand is removed
from the hole (2), C sharp will be produced by the whole of the holes of the
flute being open.
Secondly, it will be seen that the hole (3) produces C natural when the
key is open; and such key is capable of being closed by the second finger of
the left hand, and also by the first finger of the right hand; and, further, that
key can be opened by the first finger of the right hand when the second finger
of the left hand is closing the B natural hole. The consequence is, that in
passing from any other note to C natural that note will be produced by
removing the first finger of the right hand and second finger of the left hand
from the holes which they have been covering; bence C natural will be made
with facility, and the scale open below.
Thirdly, the B natural is produced by the first finger of the right hand
pressing down the ring around the hole of G natural, thus acting on the key
of the hole of C natural to close it, the first finger of the right hand not closing
the hole of G natural in so pressing down the ring, thus producing B natural
with the hole (4) and all below it open.
Fourthly, the B flat is obtained by closing the B natural hole by the second
finger of the left hand, the hole (5) and all the holes below being open.
Fifthly, the A natural is obtained by closing the B flat hole with the third
finger of the left hand, the hole (6) and all the holes below remaining open.
Sixthly, the G sharp is obtained by the little finger of the left hand closing
tho A natural key, which would also close the G sharp hole if the second
finger of the right hand were not to be pressed on the lever, which keeps the
key of the G sharp hole open; and the G sharp hole can also be kept open by
the thumb of the left hand pressing on a lever æ. It will be seen that the hole
(7) and all below it will be open.
Seventhly, the G natural will be produced by removing the second finger of
the right hand from the lever z, the hole (8) and all below it being open.
Eighthly, to produce F sharp, the hole (8) must be closed by the first finger
of the right hand, the hole (9) and all the holes below it remaining open.
Ninthly, F natural is obtained by the second finger of the right hand
closing the F sharp hole (10) and all the holes below remaining open.

page_text: Tenthly, E natural is obtained by placing the third finger of the right hand
on the natural hole (11) and all the holes below remaining open.
Eleventhly, E flat is obtained by placing the little finger of the right hand
on the E natural hole (11), which would, by pressing on the ring, also close
the E flat hole with a key, but the thumb of the left hand, when pressing on
the lover y, keep the E flat hole open. But in order to produce D natural
the thumb is removed from the lever 3, and the holo (12) will then be closed
by the key. To obtain the lower C sharp the lever wis pressed by the thumb
of the left hand, and to obtain the lower C natural the lovers wand u are
pressed simultaneously by the same thumb, the holes 13 and 14 thus being
closed. Note, the fingering of the corresponding notes of the second octave
is precisely the same, and the fingering of the corresponding notes in the third
octave is fully shown in the Drawing.
I have now described the instrument in what I consider the most complete
form, but as my Invention may be varied in the means I have of accom-
plishing the objects of my Invention, I will now call attention to the varia-
tions shown in the flutes shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, which I also
claim, where the same holes are closed in the same order by different, but by
what I consider less convenient, means of fingering. In the flute, Figure 4. I
so arrange the E flat and the E natural keys that they inay be closed together
or separately by the little finger of the right hand. I also arrange the G sharp
and A natural keys that they may be closed together or separately by the
little finger of the left hand. I also close the second C natural and C sharp
keys by the first finger of the left hand, and they may be separately closed by
that finger. In the flute, Figure 5. 1 apply a key to close the A natural hole
and a key to close the G sharp holo conveniently for the thumb of the left
hand or the first finger of the right hand to act on either, by which arrange-
ment I am enabled to close the C natural hole, 13 natural hole, and B flat
lole, with the second, third, and fourth fingers of the left hand, and I use the
thumb of the right hand to close the G natural hole. In the flute, Figure 6,
by the application of a key to close the G sharp hole, and a key to close the
Gnatural hole, also a key to close the C sharp hole, convenient for the thumb
of the left hand to act upon either of them separately, I am enabled to close the
C natural hole with the first finger of tho left hand. In the flute, Figure 7,
by the application of a key to close the G natural hole, and a key to close the
C natural hole, also a key to close the C sharp hole, convenient for the thumb
of the left hand to act upon either of them separately, I am enabled to close
the B natural hole with the first finger of the left hand. In the flute,
Figure 8, by the application of a key to close the G natural hole, and a key

page_text: to close the A natural hole, convenient for the third and second fingers of the
right hand, also a key to close the G sharp hole, convenient for the thumb of
the left hand, I am enabled to close the C natural hole by the second finger
of the left hand. In the flute, Figure 9, by applying a key to close the
G natural hole, and a key to close the G sharp hole, convenient for the third
and second fingers of the right hand, also a key for A natural, convenient for
the thumb of the left hand, I am enabled to close the C natural holo with the
second finger of the left hand.
I will now describe that part of my Invention which relates to regulating
the position of the cork or stopper of a flute. The improvement consists in
regulating the upward and downward motion of the cork or stopper so as to
place it in any position, within certain limits, by means of a button or index
moved with a continuous motion in either direction, for it is important that
the stopper should be controlled to move only within about the one sixth part
of the length which the tuning tube is drawn out. I prefer to effect this
object by the use of an excentric moved by an axis, such axis having an index
band to point to figures marked on the flute, by which great accuracy of
setting the stopper in respect to the tuning tube can be obtained. This
means of working the stopper is clearly shown at Figures 10, 11, and 12 of
the Drawing. Note, it should be remarked, that in the flutes, Figures 5,
6, 7, 8, and 9, the addition hole (2) is omitted, but it may be applied with
equal advantage to these flutes as to the other shown, if desired.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I do not confine myself to the precise details, provided
the peculiar character of either of my improvements be retained. But what
I claim is,-
First, the arranging the holes and keys of the flute in such manner that, in
fingering successively the notes of the chromatic scale of the lower actave,
all the holes, whether stopped by fingers or keys, may remain open below that
one the stopping of which determines the note, it being the case in flutes of
the usual construction that some of these holes remain closed to the detriment
of the tone.
Secondly, I claim the mode of closing the E flat key and the E natural hole
at the same time with the the little finger of the right hand, and by an
additional lever allowing the same E flat key to be raised by the thumb of the
left hand, while the E natural hole remains closed.
Thirdly, I claim the closing the G sharp and A natural keys at the same
time by the little finger of the left hand, and by means of an additional lever

page_text: allowing the G sharp key to be raised by the thumb of the left hand while
the A natural key remains closed.
Fourthly, I claim the means described by which the second C natural key
and the G natural hole are closed at the same time by the first finger of the
right hand, and also by which the same C natural key is closed at the same
time the second finger of the left hand closes the B natural hole.
Fifthly, I claim the application of the additional hole (2).
Sixthly, I claim the method of moving the cork or stopper either forwards
or backwards, within certain limits, and indicating its position by means of a
button or index hand, which, when turned continuously round, communicates
an alternate motion to the stopper, and places it in the position for obtaining
the most perfect intonation. And,
Seventhly, I claim the peculiar arrangements of keys and holes, which are
shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, by which arrangements fingerings
different from those ordinarily employed are applied to certain notes.
In witness whereof, I, the said. Cornelius Ward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
CORNELIUS (L.S.) WARD.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of July, in the
year of our Lord 18-19, the aforesaid Cornelius Ward came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.