Re: [Harp-L] harmonica patents

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David Payne wrote:
> Thought I'd pass on some interesting patents I've come across for 
> this harmonica development Web page I'm working on. 
<snip>
> This is an interesting Matthias Hohner patent filed after his 
> death. It's a way to cope with comb swelling. The idea was to put 
> a metal strip on the comb teeth, which would keep the wood from 
> swelling, or at least keep it from swelling upwards. Too bad they 
> didn't have access to sealers back then. Such as wax... ;) 
> Seriously, it's interesting to look at these patents and see how 
> they were constantly thinking about how to deal with problems such 
> as comb swell. 
> http://www.google.com/patents?
id=3dhnAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=%22matthias+hohner%22

This would be the design for the Orchester!  

> Hohner's patent for metal mouthpiece, 1893
> http://www.google.com/patents?
id=d3dDAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=%22matthias+hohner%
22#PPP2,M1

This looks like a precursor to the CX-12 design, although this 
abstract recommends fashioning it from metal.  I don't think plastic 
fabrication was available in 1893!

Interesting...

-tim