Catholic - Historic Brass Society

UTLEY & KLAUS
89
Chart 4a
Valve types
windway. Shutters or vanes within the windway direct the airflow. The two-armed levers,
pivoted in saddles, are very reminiscent of the keys on keyed trumpets and bugles. The
Hirsbrunner bass trumpet HMB 1980.2069. shows a precursor of the Samson valve, in
which the piston runs in the windway as well, and is therefore not unlike the Adams
concept. 10
The trumpet by John August Köhler in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art
(89.4.2532) has an early type of swivel valve, which was invented by John Shaw. It must be
turned by hand, but does not offer the assistance of a mechanical lever.
The experimental valve constructions seen in two cornopeans by Robert Bradshaw
differ slightly from each other. The earlier one in the Brussels Musical Instrument Museum
has elliptical pistons, while the later one in the collection of John Webb has round pistons,
their circumference approximately midway in size between Périnet and Berlin valves. A
singular feature of both instruments is a serpentine windway through the valves, which is
intended to provide a free airflow when the valves are in use. 11
Périnet valves
Only three instruments in Table 1 have Périnet valves: an alto/tenor horn with two valves
at the Lititz Historical Society in Pennsylvania, presumably of American make, a cornet by
Gautrot with top-sprung Périnet valves with detachable balusters (Figure 11), and an
unsigned Bf cornet of either French or Saxon provenance in the Grünwald collection.