US49925A - Improvement in cornets - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT Onnicr.

LOUIS SOHREIBER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORNETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l19,925, dated September 12, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LoUIs SCHREIBER, in the city,county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oornets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference .being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a cornet made according to my invention, the tuning-pump being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line of Fig. l. Fig.3 is a detached section of the tuning-pump. Fig. 4 is a detailed view ot the water-valve at the bottom of the tuningpump. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of one of the valves of the instrument, seen from the side presented in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a detailed view of the same valve, seen from the opposite side.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention consists in certain improvementsin those musical instruments called cornets-a-piston,77 and which ,are equally applicable to those of similar character which are playedfrom the mouth. Among these improvements are, changing the positions ofthe mouthpiece tube and the tuning-pump; also, changes in the action or in the means of operating the rotating valves 5 also, relieving the bell from the grasp of the hand of the performer, and other changes and improvements hereinafter mentioned.

A is the mouthpiece tube of a cornet, and a the mouth-piece.

F is the valve-tube, placed vertically below the tube A, with which it is connected by the tuning-pump D. The crooks l for the ditl'erent keys, four in number, in the cornet here shown are vertically below the valve-tube, the valves e being placed at points where they intersect the said valve-tube. Only one valve, e, is here shown, the places of the other valves being indicated by red outlines.

G is the curved tube which connects the valve-tube with the bell B, the two being stayed by a brace, h, extending from one to the other. Anotherbrace, i, extends from the bell to the upper part of the tuning-pump.

C is a linger-rin g, intended to receive the forenger of the left hand. It is attached to the upper part of the tuning-pump, and extends beyond it in a straight line.

The tuning-pump, the crooks d, the valvetube F, and the mouth-piece tube A are all in the same vertical plane, and the bell is placed parallel thereto and below a horizontal line passingthrou gh theaxis of therotatingvalve e.

The curved tube G is bent in a diagonal direction at its lowest part, so as to traverse the distance which separates the plane ofthe valvetube from that ot' the bell.

Thelowest section, b', ot' the tuning-pump D is a curved pipe and has an opening made in its lowest part on the outside otits curve, to which opening a valve, E, is fitted whose nger-piece extends upward, as seen in Figs. 2 and et and in dotted outline in Fig. 4. The object of this valve is to permit the escape of water from the tuning-pump, whose position and shape are such that the water and moisture which are received into or collect in the instrument will be gathered at the bottom ot the section b of the pump, from whence they cannot pass into the valve-tube when the instrument is held in position for playing without passing upward the entire height ofthe tuning-pump.

The tuning-pump D is made in sections, which connect with each other by a telescopic arrangement or by being made removable. I have in this example shown them made removable, so that the section b can be fitted to the upper part ofthe pump andthe section b' fitted to that; or the shorter section c may take the place of the section b, or the sections b and c be both withdrawn and the section b be placed directly upon the upper part of the pump. By means of these sections the instrument can be tuned to several different keys with great facility and without interfering with the purity ofthe instrument. A digerence ot` half a tone may also be made by sliding the several sections b and c in or out of theirjoints a greater or less extent.

The keyfot' the rotating valve extends in a horizontal direction between adjacent crooks d and beneath the valve-tube, its finger-piece lying above and across the bell, as seen in Fig. 2, the bell being dropped to the position l have given to it to permit the key to extend across it. The key of each valve of the instrument will occupy a similar position.

The fulcrum I of the key is a short rocksnaft, to which the key is rigidly connected,

and which is journaled in a b'racket or frame, H, extending from the inner plate of the valve c to the adjacent branch of the next crook d, the ends ofthe bracket being fastened respectively to the said plate e and the branch of said crook. A spring, g, is wound upon the shaft I in such a manner as by its tension to restore the key to its horizontal position after each depression by the finger of the performer.

When the performer is about to use the cornet, he seizes the tuning-pump and the adjacent crook d with his left hand, passing the foren ger through the ring C, the fourth linger then being naturally in such a position as to enable it to reach the jnger-piece ofthe valve E with ease. f

One of the advantages resulting from my invention is, that the performer can hold the instrument with lnore steadiness than when it is made after the usual style, with the mouthpiece tube below the bell and the crooks extending in a horizontal direction from the valve-tube. Another advantage is, that I am .enabled to place the tuning-pump in a vertical position and to free the instrument from water by a valve at its bottom. This valve can be operated by the fourth linger of the left hand without changing the hand or removing the instrument from the mouth, and without interrupting the progress of the music, since the valve may be opened during an interval or rest in the piece. Another ativan-- tage is that the bell is not held or touched by the left hand, and so its vibrations are not destroyed nor obstructed, as in the present styles of instruments of this class, by reason of the manner ot' holding them. I thus preserve in full thecharacter and quality ofthe tone. Another advantage is that I am enabled to reduce the size of the chan ging-crooks d for the different keys, owing to the position and character of the tuning-pump. Another advantage is, that the instrument can be tuned,in whatever key it is capable of being played in, with ease and without interfering with the purity of its tone. Another advantage arises from the improvement in the actionthat is, the position and operation of the keys f, one of which is shown as an example ofthe whole series which may be placed in an instrument.

By placing the mouth-piece tube, the valvetube, and the crooks in the same vertical plane I am enabled to place the axis of the valve e in a horizontal plane, as seenin'liigl, and by placing the key f also in a horizontal plane I am enabled to rotate the axis of the valve e by the simple vertical movement of the keyf, the

cross-barj" being attached in a vertical position at that end of the key seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and a cord secured to its ends and embracing the axis of the valve affording the means, as in other instruments, for rotating the valve e. Thus the action by which the valves are operated is more. simple in its construction than in other instruments of this class, the key being a straight piece extending horizontally alongside of the valve and above and across the trumpet. The left hand and forearm and elbow will naturally, when holding my instrument, be near the body and in a plane nearly vertical, instead of being extended away from the body in a horizontal position, and the instrument can be held more steadily, and the thrust otl the keys will be downward in a plane nearly coincident with the plane in which the left arm is placed.

It results from the construction of the instrument above shown that the handsY and arms are allowed to take easy and natural positions, and the movements of the fingers are consequently more easy.

The instrument is to beheld by the left hand, the forenger passing into the ring C, the other iingers embracing the tuning-pump, .the palm lying next to the pump and to the adjacent crook d, and thethurnb embracing that crook; or the position of that crook may be changed, if desired, so as that the hand shall not embrace it, in which case the tuning-pump may be alone used; or a rod to be embraced by the thumb may extend downward from the valve-tube between the pump and the adjacent crook d.

Having thus described myinvention,Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In cornets and similar musical instruments, placing the mouth-piece tube vertically above the valve-tube, substantially as above described.

2. Constructing the key orkeysfot'a straight piece and placing them in a position parallel with the Iaxis or axes of the rotary valve or valvesoperated by them, substantially as above described. i

3. Placing the tuning pump D in a vertical position at the termination of the mouth-piece tube, substantially as described.

4. The water-valve E in the end of the tuningpump, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

5. The combination of the finger ring C with the tuning-pump, for the purpose of providing means for holding the instrument, substantially as above described.

y LOUIS SCHRElBER.

NVitnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, C. L. TOPLIFF.

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