A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING TUNING FORKS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Jones, of 2, Duchess Street, Portland
Place, in the Parish of Saint Marylebone, in the County of
Middlesex, Clerk in Holy Orders, for the Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING TUNING FORKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Jones at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th February 1869.
I, HENRY JONES, of 2, Duchess Street, Portland Place, in the Parish
of Saint Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Clerk in Holy Orders,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING TUNING FORKS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide the tuning fork, whether
common, chromatic, sostenente, or otherwise, with a case or sounding
board adapted and attached to the same, and also to provide means
whereby such tuning fork may be struck or sounded whilst such fork
still remains attached to the sounding board or case. Thus by this
Invention a musical note may be sounded with certainty by an

page_text: instrument which may be held in the pocket or otherwise kept out of
sight, and without application thereof to a table or board.
With the object and end above mentioned I use a sheath or case into
which fit a tuning fork, the forked ends remaining free to vibrate
therein, and near such ends openings are made in the above-named case
or sheath and a striker fitted (usually radiated with four radii, two
remaining within and two protruding beyond the case or sheath); such
striker upon being pressed by the thumb or finger strikes the end of the
tuning fork which then emits the musical sound. If thought desirable
I could have several tuning forks placed together in one case, whether
divided into compartments or otherwise,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Jones in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd August 1869,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JONES, of 2, Duchess Street, Portland Place, in the Parish of Saint
Marylebone, in the County of Middlesex, Clerk in Holy Orders, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the ycar
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Jones, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Jones, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Jones, 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, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR SOUNDING TUNING FORKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Jones, 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,

page_text: 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 Henry Jones, 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 :-
The object of this Invention is to provide the tuning fork, whether
common, chromatio, sostenente, or otherwise, with a case or partially
enclosing sounding board, and provided with means whereby such
tuning fork may be struck or sounded whilst remaining attached to
such case or partially enclosing sounding board, so that a musical note
may be sounded with certainty by an instrument which may be held in
the pocket or otherwise kept out of sight, and without application of
the same to a table or board, though if desired it may be held against
a table or board, and then a louder sound will be emitted.
With the object above mentioned I use a sheath or case into which I
fit a tuning fork so that the forked ends remain free to vibrate therein,
and near such ends openings can be made in the above-named case or
sheath, a striker being fitted therein usually radiated with three, four, or
more radii, so that two remain within and one, two, or more protrude
beyond the case or sheath, which striker, upon being pressed by the
thumb or finger, presses the end of the tuning fork, which when
suddenly relieved emits the musical sound. If thought desirable I
could have several tuning forks placed together in one case, cither
divided into compartments or otherwise, and instead of a simple tuning
fork any equivalent musical note-sounder may be adopted.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention,
I will now particularly describe and ascertain in what manner the same
is to be performed or put in operation, which I shall do by reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, section of an arrangement in accordance with my Invention

page_text: caused to make a partial revolution both legs of the tuning fork are
pressed by one of the spokes of the wheel, and with another portion of
the rotation of the wheel the legs of the tuning fork are released and the
note sounded.
Fig. 3, section of another arrangement constructed in accordance with
my Invention, in which the wheel or tumbler acts on one leg only of
the tuning fork. Fig. 4, elevation of a similar arrangement in which
one leg of the tuning fork is acted on by the striker wheel or tumbler.
In Figs. 3 and 4, S, S, S, S, the sheath; T, T, the tuning fork; H, part
where secured to sheath; W, W, the striker wheel or tumbler. The
tuning fork may be secured by a screw or may be driven in and may
be made of various materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or put
in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, "A New or Improved
Apparatus for Sounding Tuning Forks," the essential points consisting
in the use of a case or partially enclosing sounding board provided with
the means of striking or sounding the tuning fork, and the portability of
the whole arrangement, it being understood that I do not claim the
mere details of construction shown by the Drawings and herein described,
nor do I limit myself to the use of such details.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Jones, have hereunto set
my hand, this Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
H. JONES. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEXANDER P. WRIGHT,
Secretary to the Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross.
Patentee's Agents.