looking for a British 1872 patent by J.M.A. Stroh

[Deleted member 48]

Im searching a 1872 (?) British patent by John Matthias Augustus Stroh (1828-1914) about a 3 octaves single free reed music instrument.
If anyone can find it and put a pdf copy here...

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Matthias_Augustus_Stroh

quote:
Acoustics and the analysis of musical notes occupied much of the interest and work of Mr. Stroh. As far back as 1872 he devised a musical instrument the notes of which were produced by a single vibrating tongue or reed, the effective length of which was controlled by a set of keys arranged on a finger-board, and so delicate was it in its action that the various notes produced were musically pure and extended over three octaves.


This is not the instrument, but a similar device by Charles Wheatstone, perhaps a tuning device. Its from the Wheatstone collection:
http://www.concertinamuseum.com/NC102011-001.htm

The last photos on the right (you have to scroll down to the last photos) are showing the gliding reed mechanism in the Wheatstone device/instrument.

I would love to read this Stroh 1872 patent, to learn more about the Stroh instrument. Apparantly Stroh turned the gliding reed device into an actual free reed music instrument, having only 1 single (gliding) reed.

 

[Deleted member 48]

By the way, someone must have a copy, because I can find some online info on this patent.

http://www.concertinamuseum.com/FreeReed/FR14.pdf

In this concertina Newsletter, page 8, about this patent: dated 4th of january 1872 , n° 39 (?)

It says in 1871 Stroh received a provisional patent.

 

[Deleted member 48]

addendum
In Google patent search, all I could find is:
"AD 1871 December 6 No 3293 STROH John MATTHIAs AUGUSTUs of Tolmers Square Hampstead Road in the county of Middlesex Improvements in musical instruments in which reeds are employed The invention consists in producing by means of a single reed the notes of one two or more octaves and of producing a glide from one note to another of a similar character to that which may be produced on a violin or other similar stringed instrument"

I suppose this would be the provisional 1871 patent to Stroh, N° 3293 (?)

I'm not getting any much closer to the patent itself...

 

[TomBR]

That sounds pretty incredible if he was able to make that work, a fretted free reed I guess!
Was that the Stroh of the Stroh violins with the gramophone horn?
Tom

 

[Deleted member 48]

Yes, he's the inventor of the Stroh violin.

I also read online the Stroh-Wheatstone "gliding" single reed music instrument was not very succesfull, but we must realize Wheatstone had many other scientific and professional preoccupations. And he was at the end of his life, he passed away in 1875. So I think they were not really interested anymore in exploiting this instrument commercially.

The mechanism was said to be complex, with double roller mechanism, one for changing the pitch in the gliding reed. And another roller in stabilising the gliding reed, and preventing unwanted vibrations.

Maybe if I can find the patent and read it, the invention can be modified, or improved. One could use 2 gliding reeds, and alternate in playing one reed, and then the other. Leaving the necessary time to end the vibrations.

Because Wheatstone and Stroh probably were looking to imitate sliding sounds of the violin, and copying this to "free reed" music instruments.

I'm more interested in looking for a single or 2 reed instrument, in my search for miniature music instruments...
Reading the patent could give a quick indication of some possibilities, if ... if we can find it and put it online....

I guess a tooth bar or several tooth bars could be used on 1 or 2 (or 4, ....) long "free reeds". This system would not be a gliding mechanism, but shortening by pushing down a tooth or several teeth on the reeds. (I think modern steel reeds can be strong enough to make this)
It has been done in a mini symphonium (mouth blown) by Charles Wheatstone.

The main problem is : how can it work in playing fast music? (Maybe using more than one gliding reed, or the tooth bar system, or ...)
I'm sure Stroh and Wheatstone had some ideas.

 

[Deleted member 48]

The sliding bar over a free reed has also been used in a rudimentary form, the pitch pipe.

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/pitch-pipe-286784
James Amireaux Bazin (American, 1798–1883)
Sliding inner sleeve of brass with arm to stop free reed at various points, thus altering pitch.

But such a device is not useful when it comes to playing music where perfect pitch is needed immediately when a button or key is pushed.

The pitch of this gliding reed pitchpipe isnt easy to control.

I dont know if the marks on Bazins pitchpipe also have a clicking mechanism, or are just an indication of the pitch.

 

[Glenn]

A provisional patent is probably a patent pending in the sense of it being a published application that is subsequently examined for validity. A published patent cannot go beyond the original application (only have the same or limited scope) so the document you mention is probably all you will get.

 

[Deleted member 48]

Hello and happy new year to all forum members !

Google books has helped me to get a little bit closer to the 1872 patent.
I found the text of the 1872 patent by Stroh and Wheatstone. At the end of this patent the figures are explained, but they are not included in this online document.
Perhaps the figures and drawings of the instrument can be found elsewhere, I'll try to find them online.

The text of the patent can be downloaded in this document:

"Specifications of Inventions...: Record 1: 1617-1875, Volume 1,Nummers 1-100"
Patent Office, 1872

A.D. 1872, 4th January N° 39
Musical Instruments

(So far I haven't found the text of the december 1871 provisional patent.)

 

[RodionGork]

So if the year and number of the patent is found, is it possible to request it in British Library as they suggest or, if it is not suitable due to geography, then perhaps local patent offices or some similar instances can request a digital copy for you for some payment? Or it is not clear whether the paper in question is really worth of such efforts? Sorry if I'm suggesting nonsense due to wrong understanding of how this all works...

 

[Deleted member 48]

You can read it online in google books, the patent (text only) is 12 pages.

Or you could ask a copy to the UK patent office.
I don't now my way at the UK patent office.

The pdf I have is 4 megabyte (only these 12 pages), so I can't upload it here (1 megabyte being the limit for a pdf upload).

 

[Deleted member 48]

There are 2 YT videos of Jamoflage pitch bending music instruments using a comparable mechanism, but for plucked tines in thumb pianos.
Fascinating experiments.

C. wheatstone and John Augustus Stroh did experiments with air pressure on free reeds with bending via a roller mechanism, with only 1 long free reed.
If only we had an online video of that! A video is possible because the instrument is still kept in the Wheatstone collection of scientific instruments.

 

[Deleted member 48]

And some members may have watched the Stan Wood aka Miles Davis of the rubber Vibraband, or David Stuetzel's instruction videos on playing the Vibraband.
Not very pitch stability of course, a jazzy instrument for benders.

 

[Deleted member 48]

Checked out the website of the Fluid Piano.
The Guardian newspaper has a YT video about this fluid piano. Every tone or string can be bended up to a whole tone.