TubeNet

If you can contribute additional information about this horn, especially anything
regarding the remaining questions, it would be greatly appreciated.

Description

* BBb Tuba, 4 rotary valves
* Teleskop A.K.H. D.RP. No. 328723
* Ernst David Instrumentenfabrik, Bielefeld, Germany
* most likely manufactured before 1918
* orginally built in military pitch, later modified to BBb

Still Unanswered Questions

* What does "Teleskop A.K.H." mean?
* What are the details of the "D.RP. No. 328723" patent?
* When exactly was the instrument manufactured?
* When was the instrument modified from miltary pitch to BBb?

<img src="http://tlaloc.sfsu.edu/~stan/tuba/pic-1.jpg">

Current research notes: http://tlaloc.sfsu.edu/~stan/tuba/
including more pictures.

DRP- a German speaking friend has told me this most likely means Deutsche Republick Patentoffice. Makes sense with numbering. A guess, however educated, is still a guess.

Chuck

After a long wait, I tried researching the mystery engraving on my BBb tuba: "Teleskop A.K.H. D.RP. No. 32872"

I found a free patent search tool that returned the following:
--------------------------------------------------------
DE328723 (C) ― 1920-11-02 `

DE328723 (C) - Blasinstrument mit Kesselmundstueck und mehreren Zuegen, die teleskopartig uebereinander gefuehrt sind

Inventor(s):
Applicant(s): PAUL SUCHY
Classification:
- international: G10D7/10
- European: G10D7/10
Application number: DED328723D 19200117
Priority number(s): DET328723D 19200117

---------------------------------------------------------

My crude translation:

Wind-instrument with boiler mouth piece and several trains,
which are placed telescope-like one above the other

Klaus had commented that the tuba was made around 1920,
so the date of the patent confirms this. The 4th valve has 3 adjustable tuning crooks folded on top of each other. So the patent may be for these.

I sold a very small BBb Beilefelder tuba by Ernst David about 6 years ago. Here are some pics. This one came from Lee Stofer. He had it in pieces in his shop and I was looking for a small BBb to replace the Eb I was playing. I believe he brought it back from Germany with him but you would have to ask him to be sure. It was a very nice little BBb if you didn't push it.

I am not absolutely sure but I think "D.RP" stands for "Deutsches Reichspatent".