IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS FOR HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR FREE REED INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, of Stebbington
Street, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS FOR HARMONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR FREE
REED INSTRUMENTS."
Sealed the 9th April 1875, and dated the 6th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hyacintho Gabriel
Gouverneur at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 6th February 1875.
I, HYACINTHE GABRIEL GOUVERNEUR, of Stebbington Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS FOR HARMONIUMS AND
OTHER SIMILAR FREE REED INSTRUMENTS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in improvements in that class of free reeds for
harmoniums and other like instruments, in which the frame of the reed
is made out of sheet metal by stamping, and known as Gouverneur's
reeds. These frames have heretofore boen formed with an ear or pro-

page_text: jection at each end, through which passed the screws for fixing the
reeds to the wind box. In practice I have found that such frames
formed with ears were attended with several disadvantages, there being
great difficulty in making these ears; they increased the length of the
frame of the reed, causing it to take up more room on the wind box,
besides which they did not allow of the reed being firmly fixed. Now by
my Invention I obviate these defects by stamping the frame of the reed
out of sheet metal, so as to form it without ears, and through the top of
the frame near each end I form a hole, through which holes pass the
screws for fixing the reed, a pad or washer being placed under the head
of each screw so as to close the screw holes air-tight, and prevent the
escape of compressed air. The tongue or vibrator of the reed is fixed to
the frame in the usual manner.
These improvements allow of the reeds being made much cheaper than
hitherto, of occupying less room, and of their being so firmly fixed as to
prevent little risk of oscillation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HYACINTHE
GABRIEL GOUVERNEUR, of Stebbington Street, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, Her
special licence that I, the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, my 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,

page_text: and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS FOR Har-
MONIUMS AND OTHER SIMILAR FREE REED INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, my:
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:-
This Invention consists in improvements in that class of free reeds for
harmoniums and other like instruments, in which the frame of the reed
is made out of sheet metal by stamping, and known as Gouverneur's
reeds. These frames have heretofore been formed with an ear or pro-
jection at each end, through which passed the screws for fixing the reeds
to the wind box. In practice I have found that such frames formed
with cars were attended with several disadvantages, there being great
difficulty in making them; the ears increased the length of the frame of
the reed, causing it to take up more room on the wind box, besides
which they did not allow of the reed being firmly fixed. Now by my
Invention I obviate these defects by stamping the frame of the reed out
of sheet metal, so as to form it without ears, as shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a longitudinal
section; and Figure 3, a transverse section of the improved reed frame;
and through the top of the frame near each end I form a hole a, through
which holes pass the screws for fixing the reed, a pad or washer being
placed under the head of each screw so as to close the screw holes air-
tight, and prevent the escape of compressed air. The tongue or vibrator
of the reed, which is not shewn in the Drawing, is fixed to the frame in
the usual manner.
These improvements allow of the reeds being made much cheaper
than hitherto, of occupying less room, and of their being so firmly fixed
as to present little risk of oscillation.

page_text: And having now described my Invention, and the means with which
I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, what I claim is, the
improvements in reeds for harmoniums and other similar free reed.
instruments, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hyacinthe Gabriel Gouverneur, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
4, South St.,
Finsbury.
G. GOUVERNEUR. (L.S.)