IMPROVEMENTS IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF FLUTES AND OTHER WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABEL
SICCAMA, of Finsbury Pavement, in the County of Middlesex, B.A., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of March, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Abel Siccama, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Abel Siccama, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Abel Siccama, my exors, adiňors, 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. THE MANUFACTURE OF FLUTES AND
OTHER WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso, that I, the said Abel Siccama, 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-
bad, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Abel Siccama, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
be
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
My Invention relates, first, to closing; the A natural (A 4) and the lower
E (E) note each with a key, for the purpose of enabling me to enlarge those
holes to correspond with the other holes, the fingering for those notes remain-
ing the same, or nearly so, as in the ordinary flute, the third finger of the
left hand acting upon the key of the A (A) natural, and the third finger of
the right hand upon the key of the lower E (E) natural; and also a mode
of operating on the lower E (E) hole by means of a key put in motion by the
thumb of the left hand.
$
Secondly my Invention relates to modes of connecting certain keys, so that
by operating upon one, another may be operated upon at the same time; and
this mode of acting on keys is applicable to other instruments having similar
keys.
Thirdly, my Invention relates to the application of a key to the C sharp
(C#) hole; also to the application of an additional C (C#) sharp hole and key
capable of being operated upon by the thumb of the left hand. -
Fourthly, my Invention relates to so arranging the parts of a flute, that in
closing the B (B) natural hole, or operating on the E (E) natural hole
(which has a long key operated upon by the thumb of the left hand) the C
(C) natural hole will be closed; or the Cnatural hole may be closed separately
by a lever acted upon by the thumb of the left hand, and that the G (G#)
'sharp hole may
be closed by closing either the G (G) natural, the F (F#)
sharp, the F (F) natural holes, or by a separate lever.
:
Fifthly, my Invention relates to the so arranging the parts of a flute,
clarionet, hautboy, and flageolet, that a clear succession of notes according to
the chromatic scale may be produced by the aid of only one "a closed key."
But in order that my Invention may be better understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

page_text: although the size and position of some of the holes, is varied from the ordinary
flute, the fingering as regards the points acted on to produce the respective
notes remain the same, or nearly so, so that a person accust-med to use
ordinary flutes will at once be able to use one constructed according to this
part of my Invention. It will be seen that, instead of the small hole usually
formed, in keyed flutes for the production of the lower E (E) natural,
which note in such flutes is, always too weak, I have by bringing this hole nearer
to the D (D) sharp key or foot of the instrument obtained a hole of larger
dimensions than bas heretofore been obtained when using the same fingering,
and which is more equally distanced with respect to the other holes. The hole"
(E) has applied to it an open valve or key (1), which by an arm is affixed
to the axis (2), the axis (2) having an arm (3), by pressing which the valve
(1) is closed over the E natural (E) hole, there being a spring (4), which
has a tendency to keep the valve (1) raised, except when the arm (3) is pressed
on. The valve (5) of the hole F (F) natural is connected by an arm to
another axis (6), that axis having an arm (7), by pressing on which opens the
valve (5) of the hole, producing the F (F) natural, there being a spring,
(8) under the arm (7), with a tendency at all times to keep that arm raised
and the valve (5) closed.
I would remark, that although I prefer the arrangement of valves here
shewn and described, I do not confine myself thereto so long as I am enabled
to retain the ordinary fingering in using the instrument, and at the same time
have the holes of increased size and more equally distanced; and by this
arrangement, of the hole E (E) natural, I am enabled to bring the,F
(F#).sharp and G (G), natural holes nearer together, and to have the E
(E) natural, F. (F) natural,, F. (F) sharp, and G (G) natural holes of
the same or nearly the same size, and the same intonation or equality of tone
will be produced in those notes. The G (G#) sharp. hole is also placed so as
to regularly succeed in distance those already described, and to be of the same
or nearly the same dimensions as shown.
In the ordinary flute the hole producing the A natural. (A) note is always
too weak in comparison with the other, notes. This is occasioned by the diffi-
culty or almost impossibility of stretching the third finger of the left hand far
enough to cover a larger hole placed further. from the head of the instrument.
The hole is therefore in such instruments necessarily left small, to render it in
tune or proper pitch with the other notes or intervals. This defect I have
obviated by employing a valve 9 on a lever, as shewn, by pressing on the end
of which the valve will be closed. This lever turns upon the axis (11), and is
constantly borne upwards by a spring (12). By this arrangement the hole.for

page_text: the note A (A) natural may be at such distance and of such size as may
produce the best quality of tone.
Note. The B (Bb) flat, B (B) natural, C (Ch) natural (with long-key
or shake), and C (C#) sharp, are similarly arranged in this as in the
ordinary flute. The G (G#) sharp, and (B) natural holes, which have
now closed keys, may when desired have open keys applied to them; and
the usual long F (F4) key may be applied by reversing the position of the
small F (F) key.
3
D.
Figures 3 and 4 show the part from 6 to c of another arrangement of flute
according to my Invention. The parts from a to b and from c to d of Figure 1
are suitable to be applied to this. The hole for the production of the lower -E
(E) is similarly placed as in the Figure already described, but it has applied
to it a closed valve (13) at the end of the lever (14), which turns upon the
axis (15), and the valve (13) is raised by the thumb of the left hand- pressing
on the end (16) of the lever (14), there being a spring (17), which has a ten-
dency at all times to keep that end raised, and the depressing of the end (16)
of the lever 14 closes the valve 18 over the C (C4) natural hole, there being
a short lever 19 placed between the lever 14 and the lever 20. On one end
of this lever 20 the valve 18 is affixed. The short lever 19 turns upon an
axis 21, with one end under the lever 14, and the other under the lever 20; as
shewn. The valve 18 has a tendency at all times to remain open by the
spring 22; and when I desire to close the valve 18 over the C natural (C)
hole, without opening the hole E (E) natural, by depressing the opposite
end of the lever 14, I can do so by means of the lever 23 of the valve 24, the
lever 28 having two projections 25, 25, at right angles thereto, which are sup-
ported in bearings 26, 26, forming the axis of the lever 23, as shown. The
one end of the lever 23 passes under the lever 27, which is bent out of the
way for that purpose, so as to come under and be capable of raising the end of
the lever 20, and thereby close the valve 18. 27 is a valve at the end: of
the lever 27, which is constantly closed by the spring 27b, and it is raised
so as to open that hole by the first finger of the right hand; 28 is a valve
on the end of the lever 29, closing an extra hole, by which I can pro-
duce an additional C (C#) sharp note when desired, according to the third
part of my Invention. This valve is closed by a spring 30, and raised by the
thumb pressing on the end 31 of the lever 29, which turns on an axis 32..
Figure 5 and 6 show part of a flute arranged according to the fourth part
of my Invention, and I have in this, as in the last-described instrument, shown
only that part to which the Invention applies, the parts a, b, and c, d, of
Figure 1 being suitable to be applied to this, as is well understood.

page_text: In this case the lower E (E) is covered by a valve 33 on the long lever
34, the valve having a tendency to keep closed by the spring 35, and being.
raised by the thumb of the left hand pressing on the end 36 of the lever 34.
But although I prefer the parts of the flute to be arranged so that the E
(E) natural hole is closed except when operated upon by the thumb of the
left hand, they might be so arranged, as that, in pressing on the long lever
34 by the thumb of the left hand, the lower E (E) hole would be closed..
37 is a valve over the G (G) sharp hole; this valve is kept open by the,
spring 38 except when closed by the fingering, and it is affixed by an arm to
the axis 39, which turns in the bearings 40, 40. 41, 42, 42*, are rings affixed
to and forming arms on the axis 39, so placed as that when the first finger.
of the right hand closes the G (GE) natural hole, or the second finger of.
the right hand closes the F (F#) sharp hole, or the third finger of the right
hand closes the F (FE) natural hole, one or the other of those rings will be.
depressed, closing the valve 37; or the valve 37 may be closed by either the
second or the third finger of the right hand pressing upon the arm 43 on the
axis 39. The C (C) natural hole is closed in a similar manner by a valve 44,.
affixed to the axis 45, with a tendency to remain open by means of the spring
46. To the axis 45 is affixed the ring arm 47, which is arranged over the
B (B) natural hole, so that when the second finger of the left hand closes
the B (B) natural hole, the ring 47 will be depressed and the valve 44 closed,
while the first finger of the left hand may be used to close the C (C#) sharp.
hole; and it will be seen that there is a lever 48 with projections on each side,
forming the axis, supported in the bearings 49, 49.
as that one end passes under a short arm 45* on
end 48 of that lever 48 is depressed it will close the valve 44; and the long
lever 35 is arranged so that by depressing the end 36 of that lever the lever 48.
may also be depressed, or the levers 48 and 35 may be independent of each
other.
This lever is so arranged
the axis 45, and when the
And this arrangement of the keys is applicable to other instruments having
similar keys.
v
Figures 7 and 8 show a flute arranged according to the fifth part of my
Invention. The signs on the holes indicate the notes which they are intended
to represent; and it will be seen by reference to the Drawing that by this
arrangement of flute I am enabled to obtain a succession of notes according
to the chromatic scale, which I have found to be clear and full with the aid
only of one key: The valve 50 is kept closed over the hole producing the
note C (CE) natural by the spring 51, and is relieved by the first, finger of

page_text: the right hand, and the G natural (G4) hole is acted upon by the thumb
of the right hand, and if desired an open key-may be applied thereto and
acted upon by the thumb of the right hand. The C sharp (C#) hole is closed.
by the thumb-of-the left hand.
This arrangement of parts is equally applicable to the hautboy, clarionet,
and flageolet, and a workman accustomed to this class of wind. musical
instruments will readily make those variations which are consequent on a
different form of instrument, and a foot with keys may be applied to a flute
arranged according to this part of the Invention if desired.
'
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, so long as the peculiar
character of either part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the closing the E: (E) natural, also A (A) natural holes each with
a key, by which I am enabled to enlarge. those holes, as herein described; also
I claim the operating upon the lower E or (E1) natural hole. by:a key acted
upon by the thumb, as herein described.
'
Secondly, I claim the modes of operating upon one key by means of another,
as described in respect of Figure 3, such improvement being applicable, as
herein mentioned, to other wind musical instruments where similar keys are
used.
Thirdly, I claim the applying an additional C (C#) sharp key, as described
in respect to Figure 3.
.
B
Fourthly, I claim the modes of connecting the keys of a flute and other
wind instruments having similar, keys, as herein described in respect to Figures
5 and 6.
Fifthly, I claim the arranging the parts of a flute, applicable also to :a
hautboy, clarionet, and flageolet, as herein described in respect to Figures
7: and 8.
Also I claim the applying the hole G natural (G) so as to be acted upon
by the thumb of the right hand, and the applying the C sharp (C#) hole so as
to be acted upon by the thumb of the left hand, applicable to the aforesaid
instruments.
:
'In witness whereof, I, the said Abel Siccama, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Abel Siccama 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
5 written. And. also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.